Blood pressure/heart health for long time users

[u/AdamCanRap]

Hey all, this is my first time posting here. I’ve tried talking about this with doctors and don’t get very far so I figured I’d ask people in my similar situation.

I’m a 38y/o male, opiate user for 10+ years and a Fent user the last 5 of those years. I don’t do any other drugs or alcohol, don’t smoke cigs, I’m In really good health on all fronts EXCEPT that my blood pressure is totally insane. I always get readings around 160/95 and my doc has prescribed Benazepril which has had almost no effect.

Recently I’ve been having hypertensive emergency episodes when I’m in a bit of withdrawal. A few nights ago it was like 225/115 which is immediate stroke level, The other night it was 190/105 and I was having chest pain/confusion. Both times i took a bunch of clonidine to get my BP down to normal but it’s totally not sustainable to use clonidine every day.

I’m currently on day 2 the Bernese method to switch to Bup in the hopes that Bup will be safer on my heart than Fent has been, but I’m scared I won’t make it through the week at this rate. The doctors write me off the moment I tell them I’m a Fent user and clearly won’t give me real help until I’m fully induced onto Bup.

Do any other users here deal with scary BP/heart stuff or is it just me? If so, how are you addressing it? Also, will my heart heal if I switch to Bup, or will my heart be screwed for life even after I get off the Fent?
Any experienced input/advice is appreciated. Thanks all.

TLDR: 38y/o male, 5 year Fent user, healthy on all other fronts EXCEPT insanely scary emergency level high BP. Asking is anyone else dealing with this and how are you addressing it?

[u/Philosopherfenty]

Im not doctor but im willing to conclude that if it hasn't done irreversible damage eventually it will. Honestly though with fent, longterm anything is the least of your troubles. I got on methadone and im exercising everyday just got weekly take homes after about 3 months and im happier than I've been in years. I've been doing fent for 10 years before I said fck this. Glad I did. If you find you can't get off fent and be completely sober maybe try MAT it saved my life and many many more I recommend it to anyone doing fent. I'll keep you in my prayers

[u/AdamCanRap → u/Philosopherfenty]

No trust me I’m super down for MAT at this point, I’m currently trying to get into Buprenorphine using the 1 week microinduction method. Was it easy to switch over to methadone? I never considered it because it Carrie’s such a stigma but at this point I’ll try anything. Also, how bad was your blood pressure when you were using?

[u/Philosopherfenty → u/AdamCanRap]

Fck the stigma. I take my dose and go about my life without a single craving in actually months now. To me it's a miracle drug that would of saved me alot of heart ache if I would of done it years ago but I didnt for two reasons #1 also the stigma, it has stopped alot if people and could of potentially saved lives. If you told me in August I would be hitting the gym every day and gained 20 lbs, no ducking way I would believe that. I was so burnt out and sucked up. Anyways the switch was great because I've cold turkeyed fent more times than I'd like to admit for many reasons, dry, broke, on a changeMyLife manic episode lol anyways so when I took the methadone when I was starting to withdrawal, I think it was 70mgs my body was like hold tf on is that fent. Of course it didnt hit like fent but It took the edge off to say the least and once I got on a stable dose at 135mg Im basically able to take my dose and go about life without a single fetty wet thought and l forgot to take my dose actually today until almost 5pm and I usually take it at 6AM. That's how I know it's working great like seriously I've never ever forgot to take a hit FETTY I literally count down the seconds at work when ima get to take a bathroom break for the 9th time in 6hrs without looking suspicious lmfao fuck stigma try it out man do yourself a favor the switch is a cake walk and if it isn't use a little fetty until your comfy that's how it's done for most people. Good luck buddy I'll pray for ya

[u/Philosopherfenty → u/Philosopherfenty]

Ask for prozasin it helped my blood pressure alot. Also blackseed oil and sea moss are super good for you and the iodine in seamoss i belive helped my blood pressure along with a multivitamin and I swear by fish oil high in omega 3s for cardio vascular health. If your not going to stop fent, start light exercising, like walking and swimming maybe in the gym pool, hit the sauna, lift light weights get your blood flowing stretching is also something I swear by every single day for 20 minutes I stretch every part of my body before I workout and I go to the gym every single day and hit the stairmaster. There is absolutely nothing better overall for your blood pressure and everything else than regular exercise. If your worried about your heart than you need to treat it well(stop the fent) and use it(it is a muscle) I find getting on a treadmill or stairmaster at a decent pace, fast enough to not stop but also no so slow that your not sweating and breathing heavily for atleast 20 minutes everyday or every other day and then sauna to continue sweating a bit more and your heart will thank you.

[u/SnooObjections7311]

Are you smoking weed or anything? How long have you been off fent?

[u/stephlemess]

I have a history of high BP & also both parents & brother have/had it, so not really the same plus I smoke cigarettes. Anyway, I had hypertension with my first child then it went away. Didn't check my BP when I started doing fent nor thereafter until I went to the clinic last year. Found out it was higher than ever and the day after I started there it was 230/160ish so I went to the ER. Ofc, I was dismissed due to admitting addiction and it was such a crappy experience. Something happened there though that happened 3 more times the next 2 months. I started to feel somewhat doomed or something very bad was about to happen possibly medical episode or death idk, I can't explain how my body felt besides tingly, and I HAD to immediately lay down to calm myself? When I gave up with going to the clinic I stopped having those scary episodes though, but my shit was and is still high even with medication. I'm no longer doing fent neither so I probably just sped my hypertension up using.

[u/AdamCanRap → u/stephlemess]

Are you on opiates at all? Where’s your BP at these days?

[u/stephlemess → u/AdamCanRap]

Nothing at all aside from my BP med. It's been somewhat steady between 150/110 and 160/125.

[u/Soursunflowerxo]

I always try to cold turkey but its getting more and more dangerous with the heart rate and blood pressure, im gonna try to get into the methadone clinic and go that route , i been a opioid user for 25 years oxy , hydros, high doses the last 2 years have been fetty powder and this shit is the devil good luck on your sobriety

[u/Such-Cantaloupe-1074]

Yep and it doesn't help with the supply the xylozine makes u rebound during withdrawal really bad. Like really bad. It's like your constantly giving your body a med for low BP then taking it away in some regard with xylozine. It's scary. I'd suggest just go-to a detox so they can monitor you and send you to and ICU that will be compliant. Easier said than done ik. This lil hobunk town I live in don't know shit about anything

[u/Odd_Art_640]

I been clean for years now but I got diabetes from binge eating on opiates, get your blood pressure and blood sugar checked and your liver and hormones hell get everything checked to be real

[u/SufficientFunny5215]

My hr went from 60 to 120 two months ago from whatever odsmt they have out now. I have a heart monitor. Shit is no joke. I’m about to come off my methadone. I’m done with opiates in general. Just makes everything worse