Clean-Slate Recovery Program

Cleanslate has been every bit of the life saver for me that I say it is.....Without the combination of counseling at the main office weekly combined with counseling from an outside 3rd party and the medication Suboxin I would be still using heroine daily to this day. The comparisons can be drawn between a methadone program and a suboxin program however in my humble opinion there really is no comparison.... The clean-slate program has kept me clean and sober from any and all opiates since my first day of induction back 8 months ago. The Cleanslate program has two options of treatment, Suboxone/Buprenorphin-Naloxon) or Vivitrol.

The most basic difference between Suboxone and Vivitrol is the length of time between visits to the office and amount of time between doses..... Suboxone comes in both pill and film form and is taken on a daily basis by allowing it to dissolve under your tongue while it is absorbed. It is def not the best tasting thing i've ever had but it's detractors are ABSOLUTELY out weighed by its positives. It's taken as closely to the same time daily as possible to work yourself into a routine as to not ever forget it. You will feel uncomfortable as far as the beginning of withdrawal symptoms if you forget your dose in the am and are unable to take it until say 6 pm after work when you typically take it at 6 am.

http://www.cleanslatecenters.com/locations Just click the link and look for a cleanslate center in your area...it saved my life and if I can help just one person make the decision to eliminate opiates from their life and get clean, this was more then worth it.

Suboxone when taken correctly eliminates the often painful withdrawal symptoms from opiate dependence. In addition it has a "blocker" aspect that will not allow the receptors in your brain to "get high" by not allowing the opiate to attach itself. This can be dangerous for users who don't understand that no matter how much heroine they take for instance, THEY CAN NOT GET HIGH IF THEY ARE ON A NORMAL SUBOXONE PROGRAM AND ARE ADHERING TO THE DIRECTIONS OF YOUR CLINICIANS. Some ppl have overdosed or even died as a result of not understanding this process and continuing to either smoke, sniff or inject more heroine or pills when they don't get high after their first attempt. 

Vivatrol on the other hand is injected by a trained professional once a month and gives the patient less responsibility as far as making sure of taking their meds on time, daily, and keeping that routine. Vivitrol does have the same endgame possibilities though allowing patients to accidentally overdose if they attempt to get high without realizing the blocker will not allow it.

Ambien/Zolpidem

I've had sleep problems for most of my life for one reason or another....some of them self inflicted and others just a victim of circumstances. When I first head the word Ambien one image, one huge headline and one celebrity came to mind. TIGER WOODS. 

Link to article in which Tiger's use is explained

Unfortunately my sleep problems are with both falling asleep and staying asleep. It really makes mornings difficult as far as getting myself outta bed and functioning. I've now gotten into the habit of having a nice strong coffee first thing just to kinda clear my head and go over my itinerary of the day.  A standard dose is usually 10mg before bed but many doctors will start you off on a 5 mg pill to see if that is strong enough to ease the sleeplessness.

A drug such as Ambien should not be taken daily, ideally its only taken for a period of a week or two and then discontinued when whatever reasons you had for being unable to sleep have passed. It is prescribed monthly on a limited basis as long as it is not being abused or even used correctly nightly....at most it should be taken every other day to delay the body from becoming dependent. Once dependent if not taken as scheduled you will experience withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms range from trouble sleeping, shaking, racing thoughts, sweating, headaches, vomiting and even stiffness throughout the body causing pain.

Personally I take a 10 mg dose as needed. I make sure to never use Ambien more then 3 times per week and have managed to typically only use it 1 or 2 times weekly as to avoid a physical or mental dependence.  I have tried over the counter sleep aids such as the ones sold at 7-11 or CVS and those never really worked for me. Even over the counter meds can be addicting and habit forming though so be careful when taking any type of med for an extended period of time. 

Vistaril/Hydroxyzine Pamoate Capsules For Generalized Anxiety

Vistaril or Hydroxyzine Pamoate as the generic version is called is a anti-histamine which has been shown to help patients experiencing anxiety symptoms in certain circumstances. A typical dose would be a 50mg capsule which is green on one end and white on the other. Typically it's acceptable to take up to 4 doses per day depending on the patients drug and medical history along with symptoms. For someone with a more active metabolism such as myself I take 2 50mg capsules right when I wake up, 2 after lunch, 2 after dinner and 2 more before bed.

Vistaril listing on RXLIST.com

In my experience the Hydroxyzine has def helped dampen the anxiety I have to try and deal with constructively on a daily basis. It is by no means a cure-all per se and without taking my other medications in addition to the Vistaril it is not as effective. When taking a drug like Vistaril it is important to gauge the effects honestly and openly with your doctor because it can have an effect on your ability to do certain motor functions such as drive safely. While I haven't noticed a "drowsiness" effect myself, it is on the warning label.

Always be sure to tell your counselor, therapist, psychiatrist, pharmacist, doctor, and anyone else prescribing medication all meds you are taking even the over the counter ones. It is extremely important to be honest and up front with medications because of possible adverse side effects when certain ones are combined...