StarScream's DIY @ Home Opioid Withdrawal Detox
by /u/StarScream999 Harm Reduction Guy
DIY @ Home Opioid/Opiate Withdrawal With Reduced Pain and Agony
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This is a method I used many times in the past when I was an opioid addict for the past 20 years, and when I ran out of my supply or I couldn't get anything else, I used this method which really cuts down on the withdrawal symptoms (although there is still going to be some suffering depending on how long you've been using).
I recommend buying this stuff BEFORE you start on any opioid adventure, because I promise you, eventually your pack is going to get delayed, or you're not going to be able to find a source, and you're going to start getting very sick and going through withdrawal. If you've ever done cold turkey opioid withdrawal, you know what I'm talking about, if not, I will tell you, you will be sick as a dog, can hardly get out of bed, and can barely eat or even get up to shit sometimes. Forget about going in to work, because you're basically a walking corpse.
Clonidine
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So, here is the two main supplies you will need. The first drug you're going to need is called clonidine aka Catapres, Catapres-TTS, Duraclon, Jenloga, and Kapvay.
I did a quick search on Kilos and did not find anyone on DNMs selling this stuff, which kind of surprises me because bodybuilders use it to increase growth hormone output, so I would have thought some steroid dealers might carry it, but it seems like you'll have to buy it from a clearnet offshore pharmacy. I know of 1, but it's quite pricey at 100 tablets of 150mcg for $90. And you're going to need at least 300mcg twice a day for this to work. So, I don't know what the source posting guides are in this forum, but if you can find some for cheaper, please let us know.
Clonidine, sold under the brand name Catapres among others, is an adrenergic α2 agonist[7] medication used to treat high blood pressure, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, drug withdrawal (alcohol, opioids, or smoking), menopausal flushing, diarrhea, spasticity and certain pain conditions.[8] It is used by mouth, by injection, or as a skin patch.[8] Onset of action is typically within an hour with the effects on blood pressure lasting for up to eight hours.
Drug withdrawal
Clonidine may be used to ease drug withdrawal symptoms associated with abruptly stopping the long-term use of opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines and nicotine.[26] It can alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms by reducing the sympathetic nervous system response such as tachycardia and hypertension, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), hot and cold flashes, and akathisia.[27] It may also be helpful in aiding smokers to quit.[28] The sedation effect is also useful. However, its side effects can sometimes include insomnia, thus exacerbating an already common feature of most withdrawal syndromes.
Passionflower
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So, here is the second ingredient you're going to need, and luckily it's OTC. It's called Passionflora (Passionflower) Extract and you're going to want to make sure you buy the alcohol extract of it in liquid. It tastes god awful, but it works. The one I linked is the only alcohol extract I could find through Google. You're probably going to need about two bottles anyway, as withdrawal normally lasts about 2 weeks (again, depending on how long you've been using and the amount you've been using).
Passionflora (Passionflower) Extract: https://amzn.to/3FU1yop
The Study Demonstrating Clonidine & Passionflower's Usefulness
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So, here is the study that puts this all together:
Passionfower in the treatment of opiates withdrawal: a double-blind randomized controlled trial
SUMMARY
Objective: Clonidine-based therapies have been utilized as the main protocol for opiate detoxication for several years. However, detoxication
with clonidine has its limitations, including lack of effcacy for mental symptoms. Accumulating evidence shows the efficacy of Passifora
incarnata extract in the management of anxiety. In our continuing study of traditional medicines, which have neurotropic effects, this plant had
an anxiolytic effect, which may be used as an adjuvant agent in the detoxifcation of opiates by clonidine.
We present the results of a double-blind randomized controlled trial of clonidine plus passifora extract vs. clonidine plus placebo in the out
patient detoxication of 65 opiates addicts.
Methods: A total of 65 opiates addicts were assigned randomly to treatment with passifora extract plus clonidine tablet or clonidine tablet plus
placebo drop during a 14-day double-blind clinical trial. All patients met the DSM IV criteria for opioid dependence. The daily dose was 60 drops
of passifora extract and a maximum daily dose of 0.8 mg of clonidine administered in three divided doses. The severity of the opiate withdrawal
syndrome was measured on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14 using the Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS).
Conclusion: Both protocols were equally effective in treating the physical symptoms of withdrawal syndromes. However, the passifora plus
clonidine group showed a significant superiority over clonidine alone in the management of mental symptoms. These results suggested that
passifora extract may be an effective adjutant agent in the management of opiate withdrawal. However, a larger study to confirm our results is
warranted.
Source
Full study: https://files.catbox.moe/9x8vmu.pdf (PM if this link goes down)
https://mega.nz/file/AwgTWKCb#tVLVQtcVzZfo3NRESTb4kPF4QA9nSwuMMXE8cYy8q6s
The Study Protocols Translated to Real World Uses
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So, looking at the full study for instructions uses the following protocols.
Study design
All study subjects were randomly assigned to receive detoxication using either clonidine 0.8 mg/day plus passifora extract 60 drops/day or clonidine 0.8 mg/day plus placebo 60 drops/day on a double-blind basis. This trial medication was given three times per day in divided doses.
Drug schedule
The lowest daily dose of clonidine was 0.3 mg and was increased to 0.8 mg in four days. No other psychotropic medication was prescribed.
So, the clonidine I see for sale is 150mcg/tablet. That comes out to 0.15mg. So, if you split one tablet you would have 7.5mg which is pretty much equivalent to the 0.8mg used in the study. Then you would add 60 "drops" of passionflora extract. No where in the study does it specify the amount a "drop" is, but I recall using 1 to 2ml of passionflora extract per dosage.
The other issue with the study is they gave these dosages in three split doses three times a day. So, we're going to have to do a little bit of finagling of these doses to get this to work. What you actually might want to do is take 7.5mg of clonidine along with 2ml of passionflora 3 times a day. Again, this depends on how much you've been using, how long you've been using, etc.
This is not an unsafe amount and you might want to use even more clonidine than 7.5mg. However, clonidine is primarily a blood pressure drug, so you have to be careful with it. I recall personally using 300mcg 3 times a day because I was in such withdrawal agony. But, you will have to experiment with the dosages to see. If you have an at home BP monitor, you may want to use it. If not, you may want to consider buying one. This Omron Upper Blood Pressure Monitor with Cuff 3 Series is only $30 and can really help to tell what's going on with your blood pressure. That would be ideal while you're using clonidine to make sure your BP levels are not dropping to excessively low levels while you're experimenting with the dosage.
Omron Upper Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3lSwfTa
However, in summation, I can tell you that using this protocol vs. not using this protocol will leave you feeling much better with the clonidine and passionflower protocol than without it. I have done cold turkey and clonidine/passionflower, and the suffering is significantly lessened by this combination than without it. There will still be lots of the common withdrawal symptoms, but they are much lessened with this.
However, if you get into this or feel like you need help, don't be too proud to ask for it. There are many resources out there for you, and if you want to get on suboxone or methadone, I don't blame you.
Here is a list of Suicide Hotlines, Mental Health Counseling, and Addiction Service hotlines from the USA, UK, Canada, NZ and the rest of the world:
Suicide, Mental Health Crisis & Addiction Recovery Phone Numbers from Around the World: https://bitbin.it/7YzHxrIs/
Possible Sources of Clonidine
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Now, here is an Indian pharmacy that I personally cannot vouch for that sells 100mcg Clonidine 100 tablets for only $10. https://www.alldaychemist.com/arkamin-100-mcg.html
Now, MyWOT (Web of Trust) gives it a score of 2.2/10, however, all the reviewers say they have had no problem with the site. So, unless the site is trying to rig the review scores with bots or fake reviews, it looks like it might be okay. However, my one of my custom lists in adblocker did try and block me from visiting this site, so this gives me pause as well. Do more research before you order.
https://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/alldaychemist.com
I found a list of other online clearnet pharmacies through the following link https://br.similarsites.com/site/inhousepharmacy.vu. I CANNOT VOUCH FOR ANY OF THEM - SO USE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND RESEARCH THEM BEFORE YOU ORDER FROM THEM. Check common sites like bbb.org, ripoffreport.com, mywot.com, and just Google "site name reviews" and see what you can come up with. Most of these ship from India or other places like Vanuatu, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, etc. Clonidine is not a controlled or scheduled drug, so it should have no problem passing through customs. However, shipping times can be incredibly slow, especially coming from Asia or India. Canada is obviously a bit faster.
If you know of a legitimate pharmacy, DNM vendor or other source of clonidine, please feel free to share it and I will add it to the list.
Now, finally, I want to give you some other suggestions on some supplements and drugs that might alleviate your withdrawal symptoms.
Drugs and Supplements to Help Alleviate Withdrawal
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* Aleve (naproxen sodium) - This is the most potent NSAID on the OTC market and take 2 pills with food twice a day as it lasts for 12 hours. https://amzn.to/3lTjOGF
* Immodium (loperamide hcl) - With withdrawal you're going to experience diarrhea. I linked to the liquid version of generic Immodium as I felt that was more comfortable to use, however, you can also get the tablets or liquid gels. One note about this is DO NOT MEGADOSE THIS! Some people are under the impression that megadosing loperamide will work like an opioid, when this is not the case. It does not cross the blood brain barrier and will give you massive constipation and other potential problems. https://amzn.to/3FZTYIM
* Ashwagandha - Ashwagandha is labeled as an 'adaptogen' which is kind of pseudoscience term for meaning it can do anything. However, there have been many studies on Ashwagandha and many people tout it's benefits highly, however, I have never had any positive experiences with it myself. There are 3 forms of Ashwagandha on the market currently: Sensoril, KSM-66, and Shoden. This article from Nootropics Depot explains the differences. It sounds like the ideal version for withdrawal would be the Sensoril version. https://amzn.to/3AVIZMS
* Rhodiola Rosea - Rhodiola Rosea is another supplement in the category of 'adaptogens', but it is supposed to have a calming and relaxing effect, especially when combined with the other compounds in this list. https://amzn.to/3FVG8as
* Kava Kava is one of my favorite herbs as it's essentially like herbal Valium. It is very relaxing and can help you sleep or just relax. This is one I would highly recommend. I have listed NOW Kava which has a 30% kavalactone extract, which is the active ingredient responsible for it's effects and 30% is a very high amount. If you want to try powdered/instantized/micronized kava powder, I recommend Kalm With Kava. You can drink it in some hot water, some people complain about the taste, but IMO, it doesn't bother me and I've been drinking it for years. To enhance the effects, mix it with some lecithin which will bind with the kavalactones and enhance the effectiveness of it. You can mix it in a blender or use a simple kitchen whisker as the lecithin will clump up if you just try and stir it. You can also use some a little bit of whole milk.
NOW Kava Kava: https://a1-supplements.com/now-kava-kava-extract
Kalm with Kava: https://kalmwithkava.com/shop/micronized-kava/
Lecithin: https://amzn.to/3ASD5MH
Kitchen Whisker: https://amzn.to/3aN8V2z
* L-Theanine - Theanine is a very relaxing amino acid that has a variety of mechanisms theorized for how it functions to do this. Some studies have shown that it reduces alpha waves in the brain, while it also increases serotonin, dopamine, glycine levels (another amino acid responsible for relaxation), attaches to the NDMA receptor sites and may inhibit glutamate excitotoxicity. What this all means in laymans terms is that it's very relaxing and calming and brings on a general feeling of well being. I linked to the 200mg version which is quite strong and will help much more than the standard 100mg version.
L-Theanine: https://amzn.to/3vkn29b
* A Multivitamin and B Complex - Admit it that your diet while you've been on opioids has been shit and you are probably depleted in a lot of different vitamins and minerals. I did a pretty extensive search for multivitamins that had ingredients that would address the nervous system or help with relaxation but came up pretty short. So, I would just recommend Optimum Opti-Men for men and Optimum Opti-Women for the ladies. These are just multivitamins with the basics in them with some special ingredients thrown in for problems the various sexes face. In addition to that, I would recommend a B Vitamin Complex which will help your nervous system as many of these ingredients are responsible for mood and well being.
Optimum Opti-Men: https://a1-supplements.com/optimum-nutrition-opti-men
Optimum Opti-Women: https://a1-supplements.com/optimum-nutrition-opti-women
B Vitamin Complex: https://a1-supplements.com/now-b-100-caps
I encourage you to research these supplements for yourself on unbiased sites like examine.com and Wikipedia.
What to Eat
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I can tell you from experience, you're not going to have very much of an appetite and not feel like cooking. So, I recommend stocking up on some yogurt, fruit smoothies, soups like chicken noodle & bean with bacon are some good choices. Fruit is also an excellent choice. Bananas are easy to eat, along with some grapes, apples, watermelon (if you can still get some good melon this time of year) are all excellent for your body and will fill you up.
You might also want some stuff like some Kind Bars that are easy to just grab and open. You might also want some RTD (ready to drink) protein drinks such as Soylent Complete Nutrition Meal Replacement Drinks. These contain protein, fats, and carbs that can replace an entire meal and are easy to drink and taste good. They come in many flavors, however, look out for ones like coffee or chai flavored as they are caffeinated, which you DON'T want. Of course there are services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Post Mates, and etc that I didn't have when I was going through my withdrawals, but I can tell you that you aren't going to be very hungry for fast food or big heavy meals. The high fat meat and greasy cheeses and things will just end up upsetting your stomach and more than likely you won't finish them. However, something like a chicken sandwich might be okay.
Kind Bars: https://amzn.to/3FWq2O0
Soylent Meal Replacement Drinks: https://amzn.to/2Z8vigF
Stay Hydrated!
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Stock up on plenty of drinks like Propel Fitness Water, which unlike Gatorade or Powerade has all the electrolytes and vitamins along without any sugar, which you aren't going to need since your body doesn't need a lot of carbs since you're mostly going to be inactive and sedentary. Try to avoid caffeine, if you're hooked, have a small cup of tea. Having said that, I'm a big fan of Coconut Water which does have carbs, but not in the form of processed sugar cane or high fructose corn syrup, and plenty of vitamins and electrolytes. Not to mention juices like Cranberry juice, which has some effects on drug metabolism and may help get you well better. And of course, plenty of water. Try to force yourself to drink as much fluid as possible as you are going to be very dehydrated from sweating constantly - being too hot or too cold, waking up in ice cold sweats, getting constant shaking, the diarrhea and etc. you're going to be losing a lot of water from your system. It feels disgusting to wake up in sheets that feel like they've been dunked in a bucket of water, but you have this to look forward to as well. Not to mention, all these fluids are going to flush out these "toxins" of the opioids leftover in your system.
Propel Fitness Water: https://amzn.to/3pdkJnh
Coconut Water: https://amzn.to/3jbOUaL
How to Sleep
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Luckily, there are a variety of supplements and OTC drugs you can use to sleep. But if you can get ahold of any benzos or "Z" drugs like Ambien, those will be superior to all those. Just don't abuse them or you'll wind up down another path of addiction to a different type of drug.
* Benadryl & Doxylamine Succinate - Both Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) and Doxylamine Succinate are very cheap and first generation antihistamines that act on the H1 receptor, which will usually knock you out. Doxylamine is what they include with Nyquil, so if you've used that in the past and experienced rapid sleep, that is why. You may find you also need Benadryl if you're experiencing any itching, and runny nose, watery eyes, and the other effects from withdrawal, although Benadryl will make you very sleepy at first.
Benadryl: https://amzn.to/3aLjHqj
Doxylamine Succinate: https://amzn.to/3vqEfOm
NOTE: /u/FadedLayer and others have informed me that Benadryl can cause severe restless leg syndrome (RLS) while during withdrawal, so you may want to avoid that one and use a different one.. If you are experiencing RLS while going through withdrawal you might want to try some magnesium glycinate @ 400mg (2 caps of that formula) before bed and it can help with that.
Magnesium Glycinate: https://amzn.to/3cm3Qze
* For regular antihistamine relief, you might want to try a 24/7 non-drowsy antihistamine like Xyzal (Levocetirizine) along with some Flonase which is a glucocorticoid, that is an anti-inflammatory catabolic steroid based on cortisone, which will help relieve the runny nose, watery/itchy eyes.
Xyzal: https://amzn.to/3vugoNB
Flonase: Doxylamine Succinate
* Phenibut - Phenibut is a gabapentinoid and works well for sleep and is the closest thing you're going to find to a legal benzo, as benzos are gabanpentanoids as well. However, phenibut is more like drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica or baclofen. I think the REPP Sports Phenibut 250mg sells is it at the perfect dosage and they have a completely pure Phenibut. You can take phenibut with theanine and kava to help you sleep as well, or during the day to just help you relax. It works very well as an anxiolytic and mood booster. Here's a great old article on Phenibut (linked below, the bitbin link) if you want to know all about the science behind it.
Gabapentanoid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabapentinoid
REPP Sports Phenibut 250mg: https://samedaysupps.co/repp-sports-phenibut.html
* Article on Phenibut by David Tolson: https://bitbin.it/jtsD2c9A/
* However, if you feel like you need a stronger version of phenibut, then I would recommend Hi Tech Pharm's Somatomax. It has close to a whopping 14g (or close to it) of phenibut, which you can use before bed or several times a day. It also includes L-Dopa, which increases dopamine, and some other amino acids. Be careful with this, as phenibut IS ADDICTIVE if used continuously for long periods at high doses.
Somatomax: https://samedaysupps.co/somatomax-by-hi-tech-pharmaceuticals.html
* NOW Sleep - NOW Sleep is an excellent herbal product to help you sleep. It has plenty of valerian root extract to attach to your GABA receptors and work very mildly like a benzo. It also has Hops Extract, Passionflower (which you're already taking) and 200mg of GABA which acts as a mild sedative.
NOW Sleep: https://a1-supplements.com/now-sleep
And that concludes my DIY Do @ Home Detox Protocol. I hoped you found it help. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, critiques. This article will be updated/edited as I find spelling/grammatical/errors/etc.
I also plan to update this thread with a discussion about adding kratom to this blend and it's pros and cons, as well as information about suboxone.
Thanks!
-SS
