WoW!!! That is loyality if after all that you still want to race!!! You go girl....you see that determination you have for the race, that's what you need to get off of these pills, their horrible!! And it sounds like they got or had you on alot !!!! I think cold turkey is the best way to go, cause if your still taking something, how is that quitting? I'd get to anxious and want more!! But everyone is different ya know! There are some here that succeeded with tapering, I just wasn't one of them1!!! You need to want to stay away from these things with every inch of strength, hope, will power, etc that's inside of you!!!! Just a few lines of advice, if your not that ill...why not to do it cold turkey? Stop yourself before you get ahead of yourself, and it's a wonderful thing that you realized you had a problem!!! Good Luck and we are here for ya!!!

WOW!!  You go girl!! Racing huh? That sounds fun!! Well all of our opinions are going to be different here, but ALL useful to you since we all are supportive in anyone wanting to quit. I am currently taking perc/vic's for severe low back pain associated with arthritis and possible MS. I want off too, but don't want the pain back!! I think what I am going to do (or at least TRY to do!) is taper to where I can stand the pain then try the Thomas Recipe- you can find a couple of versions around on these posts.. All people are different and some think 3 days of HELL are better than prolonging the inevitable. Cold turkey being the 3 day hell. Others find that tapering works best for them. You kinda need to figure out what will work for you. I would advise NOT using the ultram. That will be MUCH harder to get off then the tylenol 3's. But anyway you decide to do it, know we are ALL here for you anytime, anywhere!! Best of luck, check back often and keep us informed. This is quite possibly the BEST PLACE IN THE RECOVERING WORLD!!

And I only referred to c/t as HELL cause quite a few have called it that! Not to doubt their choices. So don't let that scare you!! It's all scary no matter which way you decide to go!! Reassuring, huh!! I know I'M SCARED AS HELL! But that which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger!!

Thankyou so much for the advice. I think cold turkey is the way to go. I just have really began to enjoy how social I become on the pills, when I am not taking them i am not sick or W/Ding that I know of, but I am secluded and don't like interaction with people and can't carry on the same kinds of in depth conversations as when I am high. I wonder if getting back on my work out schedule would do me good. I am so happy I found this place, because I could never tell anybody around me, even though it was a medically assisted addiction. I just feel so horrible about myself, because I went from winning tons of races and now I feel down and just want to feel good again. Thanks for the speedy response. I needed it. I will just come back here everyday and talk to ya'll. Its easier talking to people that truly understand. If you haven't been there, there is no way to tell exactly how I feel and what the drugs do for my mind. I used to tell my brother to just quit smoking meth, and now I see, even though they are totally different drugs, that it is not that easy.  THANKS!!!

Truly an admiring story!

I am on a taper myself...however it is only b/c I could simply NOT handle c/t.

My suggestion to you is this....if you have been off of them now for 3 days and are not suffering anything major..stick to that, and don't refill the other scripts! I truly mean this. It seems as if you were to have any unbearable w/d's surely by now you are over the major hump my friend.
I would stick to what you are doing hun, but that is just my suggestion.
Hope this helps and YOU GO GIRL!

Huggs
Tracy

>but I am secluded and don't like interaction with people >and can't carry on the same kinds of in depth >conversations as when I am high . . .

This is so common in addicts - it describes me and many others to a "T."  The reason I bring this up is because it's a part of your post that screams "ADDICT" at me as opposed to someone who simply became physically dependent on opiates after taking them too long.  In fact, you don't seem to be physically dependent on them yet - you said you could stop w/o going into withdrawal.  

Another part that points to addiction is your brother who won't stop smoking meth - the disease runs in families.

You somehow remind me of me just before I got into real TROUBLE with pain killers, which lasted about 5 years before I switched to crack and came so very, very close to a great many very bad things.  

So, what's my point?  I guess my point is that if you don't stop NOW, while you can with relative ease, you will either a)deeply regret it one day; or b) not regret it at all, but only because you are dead.

But stopping is the easy part - even when it becomes almost impossible to stop, stopping is the easy part.  It's staying stopped that's hard.  To stay stopped, you need to develop a Recovery Program.  Mine involves 1) Being actively involved in a 12 Step Program (AA for me); 2) Continuing Therapy with a counsler; 3) Physical Exercise; 4) Amino Acid supps; and 5) Staying the FU AWAY from all PEOPLE, PLACES and THINGS that are associated with or otherwise related to my using.

Well, I'm late for dinner - got to get home.