Why fentanyl withdrawal is so unbearable 

Day 9 no Fentanyl ❤ 56 DAYS Edit: 56 days sober, and still going strong. You can do that shit, never thought I would be able to, and I did it even when I didn't want to! You can get clean....AND be happy❤️💯🤙

I hate when people say withdrawal is like the flu. Withdrawal brings me to the brink of suicide

I quit at 21. I’m 32 years old. Anything is possible. ❤

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

Perfect description! It's rare in the media. I'm clean for 4 years. 17 years of drug use and 3 rehabs.. A long fight....

I am a combat veteran who was on opioids for 5 years due to severe spinal injury and when the doctor said “No more. Deal with it” I went cold turkey. I lived in my bathroom for 3 weeks begging for death. But the absolute torture was severe RLS and emotional instability! And I heard getting off fentanyl is a lot worse. Can’t even imagine anyone wanting to go back to it after they quit once and went thru this hell.

Lack of compassion for addicts is one of the things I despise the most in society. It demonstrates an enormous lack of knowledge, intelligence AND moral.

Amazing how many people commenting on this video are going through it from all walks of life. Just shows what a universal struggle addiction is.

It’s like drowning and feeling like you’re fighting for air,, an endless feeling of doom and pain..

I had a heavy IV fentanyl habit and the detox was so terrible that I don't have the words to describe it. I couldn't eat, drink, or sleep.. I was just sweating, hallucinating, and wanting to d i e. The only reason I was able to get through it is because my kids were in foster care with strangers. It was brutal though.. and that is honestly a part of what's kept me from relapsing. Its been 6yrs now.

This person is smart and articulate. And is able to talk about this difficult subject without moralizing. Well done.

The withdrawal was torturous. The restless legs for 12 hours made me crazy.

Social worker and counsellor here - this was a fantastic video; i wish everyone in health care had this perspective and information.

17 year old kid, i've had my issues with blues/fent/wtv you'll call it since i was 12. i just had a slip up and had a week of life that wasn't real. im so horribly dope sick now and feelings the consequences deeply. for all of you out there fighting this disease know you're not alone, you're loved and you matter. you're going to win. and so am i. humans make mistakes and it doesn't change your worth. keep fighting

It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in the 65 years of my life.

If you say "it's like the flu" you've never did a cold turkey withdrawal

I could remember several years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD. Also suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my mom recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms

I used heroin for 20 years, started using at 15y.o. Now in rehab for 12 years. All this is true.

With my addictive personality I’m glad I never tried this poison. Must be a nightmare to get off of, my heart goes out to all of those suffering in the throes of addiction and trying to quit. I hope you all get the help you need.

"I was a heroin addict when I was 18 years old. I went through a bunch of rehabs for 5 years, but none worked, so I did the most insane thing I've ever done: I quit cold turkey after yo-yoing in and out of rehabs. It was a kamikaze move back then. I was going to die anyway, so why not go crazy? It was 2 weeks of hell: vomiting, muscle cramps, feeling freezing even though it was blazing hot outside, insomnia, etc. Believe me, it was hell. And what's worse is the withdrawal. For 3 months, all that was in my mind was drugs. The anxiety was almost unbearable. But after 3.6 months, it got better. I started going to the gym, earning some money, and my life was 1000x better. It was like getting out of jail. And that experience of stopping cold turkey gave me PTSD about drugs. Never again do I want to go through that. No way. Now, I've been sober for 15 years. I go to the gym, work as an Android developer, and work from home, earning a very decent amount of money. Yeah, I rent my dad's home, but it's better than being homeless. Besides, he loves being around his grandkids. 16 years sober. My advice? Don't do what I did. Quitting drugs cold turkey is really hell."

Restless legs were the worst for me no matter how you lay you can’t get comfortable

20 years of opioid use, 4 months clean . Feel so much better.

The worst kick ever. Pure hell. Drenched in sweat while freezing. My hair hurts. Can't ever get comfortable for weeks. No sleep.

Almost 2 months clean. And holy hell i cant believe it. Ive been through suboxone withdrawals, heroin withdrawals, oxy withdrawals, nothing compares to fentanyl withdrawals. That shit is absolute hell. Took 2 weeks to stop feeling sicker than ive ever been. And im still shaking in the mornings and not sleeping well. But its worth it.

The cold sweats were the worst especially during the winter while having a physically laborious job! Forget about it! But recovery is still possible & life is actually good after! Its a tough fight but possible!

That metaphor of being deprived of water in a room with only a toilet was incredibly valuable. I remember someone once asking me if I would steal from a child if I was starving and I was sensible enough to just say, “I don’t ever want to know what I would do if I was truly starving.” The truth is that we are way more susceptible to strange behavior when we are suffering on a primal level. People need to humble up. All it takes is a bad injury, then a few misfortunes on top to be in the same terrible situation. My heart goes out to everyone fighting this battle. There is help, you are worth it, and you can do it. ❤️

This is so accurate and great to see! Very well made, as a opioid patient that eventually turned to heroin and then fentanyl over the past 16 years…. And now finally started a methadone treatment program a few months ago…. We need to be talking about this more, especially the societal impact and stigma aspect. It’s already such a big mountain to overcome, the last thing we need is our family and friends treating us like trash, or like we deserve to go through it…simply because we made choices that lead us down this path… which let me tell you, it is a very slippery slope and anyone can find themselves on it in the blink of an eye 🤐🤯. I don’t wish it on my worst enemy, nor would I let anyone go through this struggle for me if I could. No one deserves the feeling of opioid withdrawal symptoms. Unless you’ve gone through it, you don’t truly understand what it’s like, please don’t forget that and try to be compassionate and patient❤.

Day three. So sick 🤢

It feels like like the devil dipped his nails in poison and stuck them in every nerve ending at once.

I really appreciated watching her talk.. she was very informative and compassionate.. which isn’t something you always get with people talking about addiction

There are humane and effective methods for detoxing individuals in hospitals under medical supervision. However, these crucial services are still only available to those who can afford them, not to everyone who needs them. It’s essential that we work towards making such vital healthcare accessible to all.

IM GRATEFUL GOING TO PRISON TO GET THE HELP I NEED IT SAVED MY LIFE AND IM GONA STAY CLEAN AND SOBER WORKING ON 2 YEARS CLEAN

The one stigma that bothers me the most is that people that have never been through it say it's a choice to live that way. Nope. It may or not have been a choice when starting the drugs but it certainly wasn't part of the plan for anyone I've come into contact w/ that have the goal of being a full blown junky. Sober from opioids since 2004. Life during those several years before that were a living hell.

Whoever is going through this. You can do this. The moment you're about to give in, remember all the pain and suffering this drug has done to you. I know you miss the person you were before this, just know that person is still inside you, just waiting to come back! Accept God and put out your hand.... You're currently in the worst pain you've ever been in, what do you have to lose? 🙏

Day 4 today !!!

I have done every drug in excess in every combination, known to man since I was 15. I went by ambulance to detox with a blood pressure of 86/43. Suboxone is working. My last dose was 04/09 at 11pm. I’m never doing it again. My body would not sleep and I thrashed in agony uncontrollably for days.

For me it WAS like having flu for two weeks but I'm a chronic pain patient who never got high on morphine family opioids or fentanyl in 17 years at a pain management clinic the last 11 of which was on a transdermal fentanyl patch. I had no diarrhea. In fact after 17 years of constipation my stool quickly returned to normal. I did have sweats, chills, lacrimation, rhinorrhea, yawning, restless leg, insomnia and of course much higher pain levels. I required prescription ambien for the first 12 days to sleep. This all happened because the opioid crisis forced my pain clinic to go out of business. I blame opioid abusers and their litigious money grubbing for this. I know addiction is a disease and I wish everyone the best but they collectively destroyed my ability to get the only relief my lifetime nerve damaged torture chamber body has ever had. Thanks a bunch.

Its time we kill this "2-5 days of withdrawal" myth. I've had serious physical withdrawals well into 20 days or more. And that's just the majority of major physical withdrawals. Then there's the paws (post acute withdrawl) that lasts up the TWO YEARS. This is a (mostly mental) withdrawal that consists of SERIOUS depression, major lack of energy, uncontrollable mood swings, as well as lingering physical withdrawals (SLEEP disturbances, restless leg syndrome, general aches and pains). The " 3-5 days" timeline is a tell tale sign that a person has NEVER went through withdrawal themselves and only have clinical experience in treating (usually short sighted and very limited) opoid withdrawal. Plz make this correction every single time you hear the "3-5 day" joke being made. The faster we kill this myth the better (and sooner) we can start treating opiate withdrawl accordingly.

i just want my nose and eyes to stop running.

11 years clean of opioids. Withdrawal was absolutely horrible.

The worst part for me was the anxiety. I started using BECAUSE of anxiety. So imagine the constant feeling of anxiousness, finding the worst thing to use for it, and then having to deal with the withdrawal. So terrible. NEVER use it to cover up anxiety. There are better things out there.

This is SUCH a good video. That animation shown is by far the best visual representation of withdrawal I have ever seen. Dark, dirty, depressing... Excellent work 👏

The reason that heroin and Fentanyl are so popular now is the fact that pain management is almost impossible to find. Even hospitals don't want to prescribe any kind of opioid or morphine. I know 3 people that have died from withdrawal because their doctor quit prescribing. I use Kratom , nothing else. I quit opiates Jan.20th 2009. It almost killed me. I'm 67 now and soon I'll be gone,but I will leave sober.....

Wish everyone would be as knowledgeable, informed, and as empathetic as this. Being a long time recovering addict myself, I know exactly what full withdrawal looks like, and feels like. Not sleeping for 2 and a half weeks and only passing out from pure exhaustion for maybe 30 min here and there is something I would never want to go through again. That doesn't include the pure agony of how you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally.

.....im about to start voluntarily in the next several days. Late 40's, and i cant remember being this scared...ever.

Great video, with beautiful explanations!

I was doing fetty, meth, and xanax every day. I got hit by a car and woke up a month later. Another month of learning how to walk and I left that hospital sober. That car running me down in the street was the best thing that ever happened to me. I dont even take perscribed pain killers. I smoke weed for any pain that arises from the accident, and that's it. Being in the hospital for a little over 2 months really sucked but it isn't as bad as kicking fentanyl cold turkey in a jail cell.

I think reduction always works, as long as you can stand against the craving. 5% less every day (or 10% less every 2 days) and you are out in about 3 weeks.

Withdrawal is the worst thing I think I’ve ever had to deal with. Thank goodness I was able to finally get off for good especially before Fentanyl. I’d be dead for sure.

Wow by far the best explanation to what these people-who by the way are human beings- suffer and suffer through. More compassion and empathy for human suffering. She’s exactly right!!

Thank you for explaining this.

Long story edited. I fell, ended up having back surgery. After being on Fentynal for 15 years, I quit 'cold turkey'. It was only by the grace of God that I had restless legs for 2 nights only and never felt withdrawals, cravings or the need to go back to this medication. My pain specialist says it takes 3 months approximately for the brain to return to normal. God can do anything. This was my personal experience.

Thanks. Great explanation around dependence and addiction

I really appreciate this video!

In a few days I will be at one year clean from fentaynl. Quit myself which not the best idea but I got thru it and I can't believe I'm a few days from a year. Worst thing to go thru ever but if your determined just make sure you have a support team to encourage you to keep clean. Make a list of things that you enjoy or things you miss about your life prior to this lifestyle.

Wow! What a very well laid out video. Thank you.

good sound, editing and an intelligent speaker.. thanks so much for this video it helped me understand more

Amazingly described, thank you xo

What an amazing and compassionate women!

I’m 7 days in and i can’t handle it anymore.

Thank you for making this important statement.

The drinking out of a toilet bowl and the primal instinct to quench one’s thirst was the perfect analogy for what an opioid addict goes through. Your brain is telling you subconsciously that you need more of the drug the same way it tells you that you need to drink. The brain gets rewired and now another primal instinct has manifested that normally wouldn’t have been there if the drug was never taken. This is how I am going to explain it to people when the tell the addict that it’s a choice and they should just stop.

I just had 8 years clean off of heroin. I got sober right when fentanyl started hitting the streets of Philly. I got so lucky I missed it cuz all of my friends died from it shortly after

Great video, i've learned a lot! The women in this video sounds very eloquent and educated, a pleasant listening experience in my opinion.

Wow.. what an incredibly eloquent individual. You are spot on.... thank you

Very well communicated and spoken.

I did dope for about 15 years from 19 to 34 …. At my peak an 8 ball of raw H would last me around 1 full day plus I’d have one saved for the am then I’d be out again & back at zero. And I quit 8 years & 2 months ago. I believed I was incurable and that no one else was as f’d up as me. Now 8 years later I own my own decent vehicle, my own place, got my teeth fixed, have good credit, and have better relationships with my loved ones than any other time in my life. That’s just to name a few things off the list. To anyone out there caught up in it… If I can make it out, anyone can. It really is possible if you want it for real .😊

The restless legs and arms WHILE AWAKE was enough to make me cry. It really fucking sucks

What a lovely real and compassionate lady.

This is an excellent piece.Thank you very much

Withdrawing in jail is even worse especially when you don’t have subboxon

I really loved how she explained the concept of survival instincts. That's was very well put. However, as someone who went through the whole suboxone ringer on and off for multiple years without any long term success after getting off (and detoxing off the suboxone for 30 straight days), WHY do doctors not properly explain what an opioid antagonist ACTUALLY is and what it is ACTUALLY doing? Continuing to feed the parts of your brain craving the drug. Literally antagonizing the addiction while also suppressing it. If youkep applying stress and pressure to something as cunning baffling and powerful as addiction, like our human instinct to survive like this video was comparing. My next very serious question as the target of your audience, why do we only talk about the things that are antagonizing and suppressing and yet almost no one knows about vivitrol? They don't know because prescribers don't mention it. You have to be the one to bring it up. But why is that if we are really trying to help people regain their health? It had no physical dependency. It's a once a month injection which provides a massive safety net in times of uncertainty that methadine and suboxone, that are taken daily, do not. It removed the craving for it enough that when I felt like I would have given in the first couple weeks before the vivitrol really started working, I knew I couldn't. Because it was a 1x per month injection. I only had to make the decision 1 day a month. For an addict or alcoholic that daily decision could be the difference between life and death. You also cannot get high off of vivitrol or the daily pill form of vivitrol, neltrexone. I got off fentynal and on Vivitrol and stayed on it for 4 months. I have not gone back since. After about 5 years on opioids/opiates. I have been off for almost 4 months and I don't ever have cravings. I have no desire for them. I'm truly blessed to have gotten away from Percocet, heroin, fentanyl, meth, cocaine, and tons of ecstasy after 16 years of addiction. I maintain with other things that work for me and they are not pills or drugs or anything like that. I connect with like minded people who had a solution that worked for them to offer to me for “fun and for free because someone did it for them,” they say. These questions are not to be attacking or to knock anyone who is staying off the streets by being on these medications. I'm just asking valid questions as someone these medications are targeted for and who has been through them time and time again. I believe the vivitrol worked for me as far as my physical brain goes because I was no longer feeding the addiction while also blocking it from being free to have what it wanted. And I didn't even have intense cravings. I just had to figure out what to do physically with myself instead of sit around anxious until I inevitably went back to the drugs. For me being active helps tremendously. Also magnesium. Please. If you struggle from addiction look uo the benefits of magnesiumand add vitamin D3 once a day to help with depressive symptoms. Essential oils work amazing too for depression and anxiety. Look up which ones are best for your personal needs. I hope this can open room for consideration and for me and anyone reading it to continue to be aware and question what we are told and not told and what other options we have available. Vivitrol is very hard on the liver so check with your doctor of course as I am not one.

Thanks for this very factual video that explains some uncomfortable concepts in a digestible manner.

Unfortunately most people only learn about something when they go through it themselves

While I was withdrawing, I went seven days, almost without eating or drinking because I couldn’t bear the thought. I would be nauseated thinking of trying to eat or drink anything. It’s so dangerous, please do it professionally. But do it!

I'm a medical professional. I knew that the withdrawal was fatal. I had no idea how. Thank you for this video. It filled in a lot of knowledge gaps.

I learned a lot. Thanks.

Hey I'm going through it right now. I don't have anything to balance it out with. It feels like it's tearing my hips apart. Is that normal?

Unimaginable

To the Narrator - you have a very effective communication style that appeals to many different types. This is very rare so keep up your great work here!

Great video! Quito-Ecuador 🇪🇨

Can someone explain why 10 minutes of withdrawal seems like 10 years? Why does time stand still?

Tramadol withdrawal is hell enough, i couldn’t imagine Fentanyl withdrawal

She got this spot on. Once you’re doing them just to not get sick it’s time to quit. 9 days sober. Withdrawals are actual hell physically and mentally it’s torture.

God damn. So well said and articulated. You basically covered everything. This is like the best elevator pitch for people who don't understand addiction, physical dependence or methadone/suboxone treatment. Fantastic!

1 year sober today #fuckfent

ITS REAL WITHDRAWALS ARE REAL AND TRIGGERS ARE JUST AS REAL YOU NEED BE STRONG TO AND WANT TO GET CLEAN AND STAY CLEAN ITS UP TO YOU TO MAINTAIN IT

Thank you for educating us - this was very informative. Withdrawal sounds absolutely nightmarish. I didn’t know about the whole neurotransmitter aspect.

This is the best video describing opiate withdrawals ever..

How about just allowing people to have their natural rights to have any and as much of a drug as they want!

Accurate... I hate it

Reading the comments from people who are in the first few days of detox makes me shiver. The 72 hour mark of fentanyl detox is nothing but hell. You can’t sleep, you can’t eat, constantly thirsty, leg cramps, sick from both ends, and omg the nightmares. Looking back I ask myself why I didn’t cave in and use again. What was so different about this attempt to quit then the many other attempts I made at getting clean before. I’ll never know why it stuck this time, but one thing I know Forsure is after the physical HELL on my body that lasted close to 2 months and the GUILT I still carry to this day, why on hell would I ever want to pick up a needle again. If you finally find the strength to get out of addiction without it being forced on you through going to jail or dying, why would anyone want to use again. So take my advice and if down the road you feel the urge to use again, remember today, remember how horrible you feel this very moment, remember every detail. Remember how bad you smell, and look, remember when you had nothing and no one and how death would have been a relief. Never forget how hard you had to work to get clean and if you fuck up again you might not get another chance

Got clean Jan 1st 2023. After a week of withdrawal I finally woke up not feeling sick. Been clean since. If you’re getting clean never go cold turkey. I was lucky the second time as I was able to get some oxy to help me taper off for a week, then I only had to deal with one week of withdrawal but it wasn’t as bad as the first time when I went cold turkey. It’s possible guys just keep going it’ll get better

Suboxone saved my life ❤

Jesus came to set the captives free!

Shes speaking absolute facts,,,shout out from London

Massive thanks and respect to the healthcare professionals who work in rehab/recovery 👊🏼 not an easy job by any stretch but you're helping so many people, thank you 💜🌠

Smart, learned, well read, and compassionate.

Very well done!

I was prescribed this for a few days following a major back surgery. Its ability to pain manage was far beyond what i thought was possible by medication alone.