- Jun 22, 2004
- 12,075
- 11
- 81
UPDATE:
I found this out just last night. A few of his closest friends learned of the following almost immediately after his death. They arrived in Maryland before me, and learned of this before I arrived. In an effort to keep the family's strife to a minimum, they withheld this until the services and memorials were complete.
So, it was what we all feared from the beginning, an accidental overdose.
My friend suffered from debilitating migraines, and began different pain management therapies while in college. As with a large percent of opiate users, he became addicted to the therapies intended to improve his quality of life.
He was statistically and genetically disadvantaged to begin with -- both of his parents are addicts. One is an alcoholic, the other abuses pain medication.
Sadly, none of us (save one friend that I will discuss later) knew the extent of his addiction. We knew that he popped Vicodin and Norco and Oxycontin, but they were his prescriptions. Over the past four years, he built up a tolerance to the effects of the opiates. Eventually, his doctor wrote a script for Fentanyl patches. These are 72-hour extended release patches normally prescribed to cancer patients for pain management. He also took various oral opiates for break-through pain. Pain that the Fentanyl did not mask.
The weird thing, however, is how functional he was. He would have the patch on, take 4 Vicodin, and drink alcohol -- and still be completely functional, lucid, and able-bodied. This was an eerie display of his tolerance.
Fast forward to a few months ago. He and another friend of ours (though, not a good friend) made a pact to tell each other what they were doing, in an attempt to stay safe, but not tell anyone else. Intelligently, my friend told people about the other friend's habits, and there was a mini intervention. However, the other friend did not do the same for my friend. He kept the pact he made until recently, after his death.
Here is what he got himself into.
Fentanyl is an extremely hard hitting opiate, but is metabolized just as quickly. That's why it is delivered with a 72-hour extended release patch. A quick internet search of Fentanyl patches turns up a common abuse practice: Cutting a slit in the patch and squeezing the Fentanyl gel out to freebase.
Yes, he was freebasing what was essentially morphine.
Although he developed a ridiculous tolerance to the opiates, it is impossible to develop a tolerance to the respiratory suppression characteristics. As with most barbiturate overdoses, he felt like he wasn't getting an adequate high, upped the dose, and went into respiratory arrest.
Oddly, the way they found him was not typical for an opiate overdose. Most of the time, he user is found sitting or relaxing in a chair or bed. They simply fall asleep due to the slowed respiration. My friend was found halfway between the couch and the phone -- he most likely upped the dose, took the hit, and immediately knew something wasn't right, but did not make it to the phone in time to save his own life.
He was an addict. A twenty-three year old addict with enabling medical doctors.
I found this out just last night. A few of his closest friends learned of the following almost immediately after his death. They arrived in Maryland before me, and learned of this before I arrived. In an effort to keep the family's strife to a minimum, they withheld this until the services and memorials were complete.
So, it was what we all feared from the beginning, an accidental overdose.
My friend suffered from debilitating migraines, and began different pain management therapies while in college. As with a large percent of opiate users, he became addicted to the therapies intended to improve his quality of life.
He was statistically and genetically disadvantaged to begin with -- both of his parents are addicts. One is an alcoholic, the other abuses pain medication.
Sadly, none of us (save one friend that I will discuss later) knew the extent of his addiction. We knew that he popped Vicodin and Norco and Oxycontin, but they were his prescriptions. Over the past four years, he built up a tolerance to the effects of the opiates. Eventually, his doctor wrote a script for Fentanyl patches. These are 72-hour extended release patches normally prescribed to cancer patients for pain management. He also took various oral opiates for break-through pain. Pain that the Fentanyl did not mask.
The weird thing, however, is how functional he was. He would have the patch on, take 4 Vicodin, and drink alcohol -- and still be completely functional, lucid, and able-bodied. This was an eerie display of his tolerance.
Fast forward to a few months ago. He and another friend of ours (though, not a good friend) made a pact to tell each other what they were doing, in an attempt to stay safe, but not tell anyone else. Intelligently, my friend told people about the other friend's habits, and there was a mini intervention. However, the other friend did not do the same for my friend. He kept the pact he made until recently, after his death.
Here is what he got himself into.
Fentanyl is an extremely hard hitting opiate, but is metabolized just as quickly. That's why it is delivered with a 72-hour extended release patch. A quick internet search of Fentanyl patches turns up a common abuse practice: Cutting a slit in the patch and squeezing the Fentanyl gel out to freebase.
Yes, he was freebasing what was essentially morphine.
Although he developed a ridiculous tolerance to the opiates, it is impossible to develop a tolerance to the respiratory suppression characteristics. As with most barbiturate overdoses, he felt like he wasn't getting an adequate high, upped the dose, and went into respiratory arrest.
Oddly, the way they found him was not typical for an opiate overdose. Most of the time, he user is found sitting or relaxing in a chair or bed. They simply fall asleep due to the slowed respiration. My friend was found halfway between the couch and the phone -- he most likely upped the dose, took the hit, and immediately knew something wasn't right, but did not make it to the phone in time to save his own life.
He was an addict. A twenty-three year old addict with enabling medical doctors.
Thank you for the update and sorry for the loss of your friend.
I'm thanking you because the information you are sharing is enlightening and educational. There is a big story here in Denver concerning a hospital employee who was a fentanyl addict who also has hepatitis C. The Michael Jackson saga is also disconcerting.
I've been talking to people who work in health care and asking them how people who dedicate themselves to helping the sick become addicts. The common response is...nobody knew they were users.
I'm thanking you because the information you are sharing is enlightening and educational. There is a big story here in Denver concerning a hospital employee who was a fentanyl addict who also has hepatitis C. The Michael Jackson saga is also disconcerting.
I've been talking to people who work in health care and asking them how people who dedicate themselves to helping the sick become addicts. The common response is...nobody knew they were users.
Tell us something about your friend that he would have wanted the world to know about. Tell us something that he was proud of.
FalseChristian
Diamond Member
- Jan 7, 2002
- 3,322
- 0
- 71
I feel your pain. I am addicted to Percocets which were 1st prescribed to me due to horrid back and foot pain. I believe that your friend along with many, many others will live again in the upcoming resurrection by Jehovah God.
- Jun 22, 2004
- 12,075
- 11
- 81
He was a brilliant writer and orator. He was just plain brilliant. The Plan II program at UT is the leading program for such aspirations, and is a model for programs at Ivy League universities. He thrived in the program, and could write literary masterpieces in his sleep.
He was a friend that I could man hug and feel okay about it. A friend that would make light of any situation. A friend that I believed I would stay close to and in contact with far beyond graduation.
I'm sorry that happened.
Appreciate your friends while they're around and watch out for them. At least that's the take-away I got a when a friend committed suicide about two years ago. My other friends and I were shocked and never saw it coming. His family was quiet about it so we weren't sure if anybody knew what was going on if they just didn't want to talk about it.
To him :beer:
Appreciate your friends while they're around and watch out for them. At least that's the take-away I got a when a friend committed suicide about two years ago. My other friends and I were shocked and never saw it coming. His family was quiet about it so we weren't sure if anybody knew what was going on if they just didn't want to talk about it.
To him :beer:
MikeyIs4Dcats
Lifer
- Nov 5, 2001
- 18,366
- 3
- 0
sorry for your loss, but your comment about his doctors seemes misplaced. addicts buy drugs on the black market and lie to doctors to get their fix.
Wow. That's crazy.
RIP.
BTW - opiates are not barbiturates.
And holy shit;
It has an LD50 of 0.03mg/kg in monkeys. :Q
RIP.
BTW - opiates are not barbiturates.
And holy shit;
It has an LD50 of 0.03mg/kg in monkeys. :Q
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,550
- 940
- 126
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