No Euphoria from opiates, just sleepiness?

General Questions
#1

This recent thread made me wonder, because I have never felt euphoria from opiates.

My only two experiences with opiates (I think) are:

  1. After a surgery, I was in recovery. I was still groggy, but experiencing a lot of pain and starting writhing. A nurse came by and asked me if I was in pain, I nodded my head and she said she would up my pain med drip. The pain got better and I got sleepier. Eventually an alarm went off and the nurse returned and said that my breathing rate got too low so she had to reduce the pain meds. No euphoria, just slipping off to the darkness…

  2. I have taken hydrocodone for about a day after another surgery. No euphoria, just sleepiness.

Is this normal? Am I strange?

#2

Sorry, I forgot to include my last question. If I took a high dose of opiates, like from a drug dealer, would I just fall over asleep?

#3

If you’re strange, so am I. I’ve never got any kind of euphoria out of any sort of opiate painkiller, and I’ve had several in the course of a few knee surgeries and wisdom tooth removal.

Vicodin/Norco/ and Tylox/Percocet basically just relieve pain and make me sleepy. No idea whatsoever as to why you’d want to recreationally take them.

IV Dilaudid was the same, only more so. I had it after my most recent knee surgery- it just put me out and relieved the pain.

I got some kind of opiate pain reliever in one of those self-dosing machines with the button- all it did other than relieve pain was make me nauseated and eventually projectile vomit.

I’ve read that most people are like us, and that a smaller percentage actually experience some kind of euphoria from it.

The only thing I’ve ever had that was euphoric was that after my first knee surgery (1989) they gave me what I think was Demerol in my IV after surgery when I complained about it being sore. That was wild- it was like rolling the best moment of your live combined with a super-awesome orgasm, and every feeling of happiness and accomplishment all in one- for about a minute or so, then it tapered off. Scared the shit out of me to be honest; I mean, I GOT why people might want to experience that feeling- it’s incredible. And I could see how it could easily become addictive too.

#4

Not just you. The only time I ever took opiates, after getting my wisdom teeth out, I was given Percocet and I also basically just fell asleep whenever I took it. I was definitely fucked up, but not in a euphoric way, much more of just very, very sleepy all of a sudden.

#5

People react differently, for me they induce sever nausea. Even when I was in an accident that resulted in a high percentage of my body suffering 2nd and 3rd degree burns, I had to beg the nurse to quit giving me morphine because it was causing more discomfort than debridement of burnt flesh intermixed with plastic. I have had similar effects from other formulations and completely avoid them now.

If there was a euphoric feeling it was always hidden by the extreme nausea.

#6

I took hydrocodone after the same procedure, and was actually a lit bit stoked to try it, but it did nothing for me. Not even sleepiness. Definitely no euphoria. I think I had three or four of them and then just pitched the rest. They didn’t effect me any more than taking an Excedrin.

#7

A few things.
Taking narcotics while in pain doesn’t usually cause the high it does when you’re not taking them for that reason, especially when we’re just talking about a single pill every few hours. That’s why many people will fight through the pain and save them for a rainy day.

If you just took the prescribed amount, you’re not likely to get the buzz that people talk about. It’s like someone taking a shot of tequila and wondering what all the fuss is about, it just made them a little light headed. People that are taking them recreationally are taking 3 or 4 or 5 at a time (people that are addicted can be taking 10 times that in a day).

Also, it depends on the person. A lot of people do just fall asleep. Me, personally, I can’t sleep on Vicoden/oxy. I always have to be careful not to take them too late in the day or I won’t be able to fall asleep without some benadryl. I could take 3 or 4 of them and paint my house, they get me really wound up…they also mess with my ears, it’s a really odd and uncomfortable feeling.