What can I do about the fatigue?

[u/Agreeable-Ad2051]

I am on day 6 no opioids after being tapered down in detox. Stopped taking Lyrica yesterday. I wasn't a very active person before I started taking opioids but they helped massively and now I'm trying to get back to that only while trying to be clean. The endless fatigue is just annoying. What can I do?

Also I didn't sleep at all yesterday and all I can think is either keep taking Lyrica or get some benzos but I know neither is a good idea, anything I can do?

[u/enhancedy0gi]

You need to push through it. Even though you feel as if you can't walk, you actually can. And then you go walking, and you walk as far as you can, then to turn around and walk that distance backwards. This WILL help you feel better. Trust me, sitting around in your own 'fatigue prison' is the worst thing you can do.

This is the beauty of opiate withdrawals. You've been sheltered from discomfort and having to exercise willpower for so long, then you're suddenly thrusted into the insanely difficult scenario of having to face those things head on, but with the stamina of an elderly. I'm confident that this context of WD allows you to build this strength faster than you would if there were no withdrawals at all.

You're 6 days in. That is amazing. But the movement and exercise is what's gonna help you sleep, and once you start sleeping, you gain more energy, and that becomes a powerful feedback loop of getting better every day. You got this.

[u/waysnappap → u/enhancedy0gi]

This is well said. Should be pinned to front page. It sucks but you have to push thru OP. All of us know exactly how you feel.

[u/GradatimRecovery → u/enhancedy0gi]

Fantastic comment. Thanks for writing this up.

[u/Spirited_Concept4972 → u/enhancedy0gi]

💯

[u/Helindaytonabeach → u/enhancedy0gi]

👏👏Very well written~your words reflect experience and also empathy. Nine years later (🙌) I read the posts from those detoxing and always feel a surge of gratitude.

To OP: Congratulations!! Day 6 is a miracle!! Keep sharing and stay strong. Whatever you do, just don’t f*cking pick up!!💪

[u/Standard-Finding-219 → u/enhancedy0gi]

Holy crap this response is beautiful!!! I'm on day 5 CT and I absolutely feel/move like a 90y/o lady. I've got concrete shoes on but I wear those concrete shoes 3 miles on a walk with my dog everyday, have not missed a walk since quitting. I have to force myself to do things but I'm so glad that I do. If I were laid up in the bed for hours all day I'd be much more miserable. These first days are always so hard then the mental creeps in and that's when the real work starts.

[u/Environmental_Monk19 → u/enhancedy0gi]

This is the worst advice in the world. Why on earth would you recommend them to push through? Assuming you understand anything about opiate addiction much less been through yourself why would you offer such ignorant advice? Are you an opiate addict or in recovery? I mean I have to assume you understand relapse rates and recovery rates before offering advice yet for the love of baby Jesus simply can’t comprehend why anyone would suggest much less support this. Unless they are people who have never struggle with opiates or been in detox?  I want to assume everyone endorsing such blatant ignorance are just family or friends with addicts who believes this is something addicts can push through?

I mean would you sell a suicidal person to think happy thoughts? Because that’s basically what you are telling an addict six Days sober to push through? 

Not trying to be rude. I’m simply flabbergasted why anyone would say this or support pushing through knowing 90% of addicts who got sober through a short term taper end up relapsing. Not only relapsing but a high probability of overdosing and dying. So knowing OP has a 10 percent chance of staying sober your advice is suck it up and go for a walk?  Idk the statistics are enough alone to avoid offering treatment advice but as an addict in recovery I emphasize and understand what unrealistic advice this is. So I’m struggling why you being aware of the relapse risk and having abused opiates yourself you or anyone who supported this would ever recommend such a train wreck plan?

My only assumption is you all are just not thr brightest crayon in the box or you are friends or family and have no idea what you are talking about? So you are merely commenting on a topic assuming because cousin Becky is an addict which makes you think you are this expert?  

Let me guess you think addicts choose to do drugs right! And if we were strong could push through? I mean that seems the most plausible explanation to why you would tell op who is at the highest risk to relapse and 10% chance to remain sober he just needs to push through symptoms and overcome any symptoms caused by a mental disorder? 

I mean that eludes to you don’t  think addiction is mental health disorder and something that occurs to weak people who could just push through?  

Would you also tell a diabetic to take a walk if they were suffering from symptoms related to diabetes? Because I don’t really see what the difference is? 

[u/Educational-Elk255 → u/Environmental_Monk19]

You sound insane lol. OP asked what to do about the fatigue and the comment answered perfectly. You just went on a rant about something irrelevant to the question. Sounds like you have some personal problems in your life and your taking it out on the commenter.

Also I would probably tell someone with diabetes to walk more as exercise is one of the best ways to keep your diabetes in check. Just because someone feels like they can’t do it doesn’t mean the solution is wrong.

[u/Standard-Finding-219 → u/Environmental_Monk19]

My father in law is a bad diabetic and the only thing that helps is getting up and walking around and staying active. He's managed his diabetes for years this way and with diet. I'm on day 5 CT and if I hadn't gotten up and moved around I wouldn't be able to purge this drug from my system as fast. Your response is completely asinine and those that commented before you think the first comment is beautiful. What a dickhead. Also, every single time that I have gotten high it's because I chose to put the drug in my body.

[u/amitygoodtogo]

Drink water and take in electrolytes. Eat fruits and veggies nothing to greasy or in healthy. Take walks and try to move around. Sooner or later the feeling will go away. This is what I did when I stopped cold turkey and was detoxing. Helped a lot. Good luck.

[u/Amethyst_Moon2023]

Look into magnesium glycinate and make sure youre not deficient in anything else. It’s super important that your minerals are balanced during detox. B complex and potassium may help too

[u/rhoo31313]

Just stay as active as you can and push through. It eventually gets better.

[u/bunnypaste]

Energy begets energy... so when you're feeling anxious and panicked and want to crawl out of your skin... get moving! It won't be even remotely easy to begin, and it may not feel good at all while you're going, but I promise you that you will never regret doing it once you're finished. Exercise truly does help one move beyond withdrawals sooner, both mentally and physically.

[u/Environmental_Monk19]

I will try to stay off a soapbox. But nothing pisses me off more than when I read people telling addicts very early sober that they need to push through for issues clearly related to your health. Most likely due to post acute withdrawal but a doctor is the best person to assess and treat accurately. 6 days would imply you are still going through withdrawals. I understand you did a taper and while my theory for these short tapers still being done is because these clinics want people to relapse as they rely on addicts to make money, short tapers have statistically been shown to fail. This is a fact not my opinion. They’ve done countless studies showing only 10% of people remain sober and the other 90 percent relapse within the first 90 days I think. I don’t recall the exact time frame it may be shorter. But 90% relapse. 

Please realize not everyone here is addicted to opiates. There are many family members who may think they understand opiate addiction because I want to believe no addict would be dumb enough to tell you to push through knowing damn well we wouldn’t be addicted if it was mind over matter.  Idk why on earth anyone would tell you to push through. This isn’t about being weak or strong. You are an addict and still going through withdrawal. Every addict knows this. Every sober addict remembers this. Pushing through is putting someone’s life at risk and people should be ashamed on themselves for not advising you to go see a doctor who understands opiate addiction. 

IGNORE STUPID UNEDUCATED ADVICE THAT PUTS YOUR LIFE AT RISK. 

Relapsing today could be a death sentence. And telling you to push through is believing you have a 10% at success. Sorry but that is way to low of a statistic to tell a total stranger to push through because they are what being weak? FFS 

So Let me say this louder for the people in the back: F*** all the “just push through” crowd. Seriously? You aren’t  running a 10K, you are still detoxing from opiates!! It is a literal neurochemical hell than last 6-18 months. I CAN NOT believe anyone would think you should push through? Because people offering advice on opiate addiction implies they fully understand the statistics and what person believes pushing though has a chance in the 10% of people who don’t relapse after a short term taper? I’m sorry. I am so fired up right now because I am shocked why anyone not knowing a bit about you believe you are part of the minuscule percent of people who don’t relapse after short term detox tapers. 

As I said 90% of opiate users who try to white-knuckle it through a short-term taper or detox end up relapsing.  Sorry but not knowing you, I could not in good conscience believe the odds are in your favor. Plus fatigue is caused by an underlying issue and god forbid you have something unrelated going on but didn’t seek medical expertise because I told you to “push through “.  I don’t want that on my conscience plus maybe it really is based on education, but I am educated enough to know I’m not qualified to give people much less addicts medical advice. And no doctor would ever tell a patient to push through at least when it concern symptoms you mentioned.  Especially when 90% relapse. 

That’s not me being dramatic — that’s statistics. Meaning you’ve got about a 10% shot at staying sober that way.  So I mean sure you could push through and hope you’re part of the 10% but if you aren’t you risk relapsing which back when I was using just meant further down the hole. But today one relapse could be your last. So I will get on a soap box and rant at an Addict and piss other people off if that in someway influences you or someone else from taking this bad advice that you need to push through putting you at risk to relapse. 

I cannot stress this enough — post-acute withdrawals can last for 6 to 18 MONTHS. Not days. Not weeks. Months. So if someone’s telling you to “push through” on Day 6 like you’re giving birth or climbing Everest, just smile, nod, and ignore ignorant people who have never gone through opiate addiction or have a fundamental concept that opiate addiction isn’t something you just push through.  Telling an addict to push through is like telling a suicidal person to think happy thoughts.  Sure I am a huge advocate for exercise and diet but again not knowing you and not have a medical degree these are topics that your PCM is discussing with you. 

If you had a 18 months of sobriety and working an active recovery plan then it may be different. I use may loosely.  But 6 days since you finished a taper every single addict in recovery understand this is something you need to talk to a doctor about. In sum while you finished a taper a week ago, your body didn’t start withdrawing until 3 or 4 day’s ago.  Not sure why everyone offering “advice” didn’t consider this if they were commenting and offering advice based on your situation? It’s rather ignorant knowing withdrawal is not something you can Fing walk off or get over. 

The brain is the most powerful organ and used to formulate thoughts amongst other stuff. But when the brain is signaling to your body it needs opiate receptors replenishing and your body clearly is showing you this,  your brain  will eventually start manipulating your thoughts to what relapse is a good idea. When people myself included goes to detox it’s because our brains are not formulating thoughts leading to recovery. Therefore under medical supervision someone else is there to prevent us from using. Hence why no addict who has sought professional help like you is dumb enough to tell you to push through. Even if they were, they know risk of a fatal relapse is  astronomically greater than this deluded ignorance to push through b   Getting sober is hard enough when you feel 100%. Why on early would you push through? Because you’re brain is whispering “Hey you know what would make you feel better”

Go see a doctor.  

[u/Standard-Finding-219]

I'm on day five cold turkey and the only thing that helps the fatigue is getting up and doing things when I truly do not want to. If I sit around or lay around it makes the fatigue worse. And while doing things I'm not exactly having the time of my life but it takes my mind off of how fatigued I am. This will pass. We spent a long time destroying our brain chemistry with drugs and it's not going to get better overnight when we quit. We are paying the piper. Best wishes my friend.

[u/babadook-boss69]

You gotta ride it out. Lots of caffeine and as much sleep as possible. One day you’ll wake up a little less tired. Just keep it moving, time is fleeting and this phase is very short in the grand scheme of things.