Re: I am back

spryowl, Sounds like you are doing well. Congratulations!! I flooded 24 days ago and your experience sounds almost identical to mine, except I never purged. Didn't eat for about 4 days and at about 7 days the appetite came back with a vengence. I was wobbly for probably 3 days and dead tired/fatigued for 2 weeks. If you went back to work the second week you're doing better than I did. This last week is better and I'm getting chores done that I put off. You will feel better every day from here on out. I haven't done a booster but have microdosed, particularly the first 2 weeks. I was cold all the time for over a week, then started with hot flashes for several days before things leveled out with the thermoregulation system. I also lost my taste for diet soda which i had been drinking at the rate of 5 or 6 a day. I am still sneezing now and then which is odd. I've flooded 4 times in the last 6 or 7 years because I didn't plan any aftercare and expected iboga to take care of everything by itself. This time I'm using advice I found here and I'm much more optimistic. Beating methadone is the toughest from all I have read. I was getting off oxy. My hat is off to you. You have whipped up on a tough opponent. I am 100% convinced that iboga is the best way to beat an opiate habit---if we do our part after the gift from the flood. I never have gotten visions except the first time I flooded, but I always got relief from any serious withdrawal symptoms. I cold turkeyed one time without any comfort meds (before I learned of iboga) and it was 3-4 days of pure hell. I just wanted to congratulate you. You have opened the door to a new and better life. Treat yourself well--you deserve it.

MKK!! Congratulations!  I am happy that you are off of the heroin and methadone!  It isn't easy, you may feel a bit weak for awhile but you will get your energy back.  I am sorry to hear about your physical pain.  I hope that marijuana will keep on helping with the pain and if it gets too unbearable you can find something else that isn't a narcotic. Thank you for sharing and blessings to you! roxine

Great to see you here friend - all shiny and bright and new - wooooo!  Thanks for being here man, and thanks for sharing with us, it always helps someone out to read these

Thanks everyone for the kind words.   As for an aftercare program, well I am just getting more involved with my kids and work.  Before when on drugs, it was difficult to relate and one seems to isolate from others that are not junkies. I had interest in my kids and work but I was so dulled that I didn't care but I did. If that makes any sense. So my aftercare is to stay away from any previous life, people, and focus on family and work. What else should I be doing?    I noticed a big craving to do a smash today, I just let it pass, but man I just want to sleep!  Sleeping has been very difficult. My wife is not sleeping because I toss and turn all night. I go to sleep at 2am and get up at 7am. But I don't really sleep during that time. Toss and turn maybe get  3 or 4 hours.  I really don't want to do any Rx to sleep.  So I have been taking melatonin  (sp?) and 5htp to help me sleep. But its not really doing much for me. Also been taking SAMe for depression and pain. I have noticed a slight reduction but that could be I am getting use to the pain over time. Sure hope so. MKK

Yea, insomnia is pretty well a universal phenomenon and it almost always hits the LAO users hardest...still at this juncture you ought to be primed to 'come out of the woods' and begin a more routine circadian rhythm. I have noticed melatonin to be cumulative and only minimally effective personally, but I have also known folks who up the dose and say it works well. Also I feel you on the RX sleep aids but if it is a choice between getting a solid 6-8 hours a few nights, or having a serious slip up that may set you back psychospiritually, I say go for the medication. There is no harm in it particularly in this stage IMO. Any GP physician will only prescribe you a week or so of something like Ambien, which I found very good medicine, even a benzo would work wonders right about now. The biggest issue with that kind of insomnia is the build-up of the pressures that seem to get released during REM sleep...dreaming. You will find however that you likely won't need as much sleep - in consecutive hours - as you did before the flood. If you can get to a place where you're hitting five hours of real sleep at a time, you will begin to get feeling refreshed pretty quickly. Maybe nootropics would be something to consider, it is not on the topic of insomnia but from my cursory perusal of the stuff it looks like an interesting element to maybe help clear out some dregs and help during the day. A buddy I spoke with on the phone recently said it has done wonders for his dream-life, maybe something to look at? I have found relief in good Kava kava blends also - this stuff, I have to go dig up the empty package to see whence it came - but it ain't the crap sold at Walgreens in capsules. Valerian root may help you as well, it smells like sweat socks, even in capsules but it does assist some people's sleep. Hope this helps and man you are doing really really splendidly - [is that proper grammar, don't sound right...'really splendidly'..hmmf] Anyhow, adaptogens like Rhodioola rosea and ashwa-something [there is a thread round here someplace] also purportedly expedite the 'homeostasis' and integration of some of those tensions you are experiencing. Try to keep your eye on the ball brosef, sending you love and mad respek, Cal

That's very good to know, I was reluctant to implement it for post flood (risk of contraindication I didn't know for sure) but knowing it is ok is really helpful.  Also if people can get Andean Valerian it is supreme in quality and strength and to extract it makes it a fine tool.  Not to be a topper but just to say that for me regular Valerian doesn't do much but Andean Valerian hits me right in the soft spot.

For what it's worth, I highly recommend the Kava kava from Bula Kava House.  It is a quality organic product and the owner seems to be a very genuine guy and is involved in one of the big kava forums. I have used the Borogu for its sedative properties and it did relieve my anxiety, although it was short-lived.  My anxiety was extreme at the time though. The Fu'u kava is an uplifting "feel good" kava. Bottom line, for sleep I would suggest preparing a large bowl of Borogu kava and having some available for various times throughout the night.....if you are really struggling.  It takes time and effort to prepare and can be rather messy, but I'd say it's worth the effort.  A good coconut shell full of Kava kava is