I am new to these boards and I am interested in quitting my pill addiction because it is time.  I have tried ct and just cannot deal with the pain so I am planning to taper off like you suggested.  My only question to you is this:  I am taking 100mg hydro a day, sometimes 120mg but more like 10 pills (10mg each) and I know you mentioned dividing the number of pills by the hours in the day but since I can usually sleep through the night, I do not plan on waking up to take the dose needed.  Should I take more during my waking hours to equal my total pill intake or what?  I usually take them as follows: 3 in the morning so I can be well, and then 4 more twice throughout the day.  Usually by 2 or 3pm I will take 4 and then again before bed around 9 or 10 I will take 4 more.  I know that equals 11 so sometimes I take 3 at night.  I sort of depends.  I am trying to watch my intake of APAP so I even go so far as to cut them with a cold water extraction.  I know, it's gotten bad and I am getting scared.  No one knows that I take these pills regularly.  I am afraid to say anything.  I just want to be free of them.  I find myself thinking about the pills ALL DAY LONG.  I do know what wd feels like so I am so afraid of that.  I have restless legs as it is and it becomes unbearable when I am going ct.  I do have a script for Klonopin that I NEVER take.  I got it a lonf time ago because of my ridiculous and irrational fear of flying.  I am not a big fan of the way they make me feel but I have read on here that they can help me as well. If you can help me in any way, I would so appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks so much.  This is the first time I have ever told anyone about my addition.  It feels interesting to admit I actually do have a problem.  Wow.

Thanks, that does makes sense.  I'm so used to taking one tab like every 12 hours or so (although there have been countless times when I've wanted to take them more often, and sometimes I have).....so taking 1/2 tab every 4-5 hours will seem different.....but it makes sense about not "spiking" and trying to taper off....

Ya know, I take them regularly and as prescribed for pain (headaches and the occasional migraine)....but I also take them to just "chill out".....so therein lies my problem....and the addiction I'm trying (sort of???) to break out of....

Half the time I want them out of my life, half the time I don't (because the thought of pain with no meds scares the s--- out of me).  Reading through this forum though scares me more.  I can see myself there, maybe not tomorrow or even next month, but eventually, if I continue to use the lortabs.  What a mess.  Anyway, thanks for the tapering info.  I appreciate it!

Also my opinion -- I agree with you totally on that one.  Amen.

FYI...  na is NOT the only way!!!  I believe that the na, aa,  and all the A's rely on there higher power (of there understanding) to stay clean??
  As for me that would be JESUS CHRIST, and i do believe he is every where, not just in your meetings.  You do NOT need to na to find him.  All you need is to have a personal relationship with him.  That could be at church, home, going out with your Sober friends or any where.  Stay away from all of those old "friends" and places that you used to hang out.

KVMJ

I would start by breaking them in halves. So you would have 5 halves. Take them every 4 hours. Then do as it says and take them every 4.5 hours then every 5  after a few days you will drop a whole half. Make sense??

I loved the article.  Sounds exactly "right."  Now, for my question.  How would one taper off of just 2 or 2 1/2 lortab (10's) per day?  It may not sound like much (and I'm not as concerned about the physical w/d's as with the psychological ones -- not as much dependent as addicted, most likely), but....I've been on them for YEARS (something like 7-8 years?)  Any suggestions, thanks.

Yes, thank you for posting that.  I've been looking for something like that.

BG

No I did not write it. I came across it one night and saved it for others.

thank you.  I guess I will give it 3 days at each level (that is what I planned to do in my initial taper) and see what happens.  Thank you so much.

Easy there... calm down.. 6 days is fast.. a whole pill drop every day is practically cold turkey.. I would reconsider this new plan.. please. a whole pill every 3-4 days would be better if you want to do it faster.. You mentioned you have some time off soon.. Why not taper til then and then jump off?? Any tapering you do between now and then will help with the symptoms. If you taper as fast as you said you will hurt just like cold turkey. I know you are frustrated and want to be done but there is a way to do this with success. If you need anything let me know.. Hugs

Thank you for posting this.

I have revised my plan.  Since I have already taken my two doses for today, I am going to begin this plan tomorrow.  I am going to try to do it in 6 days.  It might be a little aggressive, but I feel a renewed strength.  I want these pills out of my life.  I will take out one pill a day until the final day which will be Monday.  

Thank you again for posting this information.

Time for some technical talk... One of the things which increases "dependence" is a spike in drug blood plasma levels. Addicts do this on purpose to get a "high". They do it by Snorting (Very fast delivery), IV Injections, Chewing up meds and taking on an empty stomach.

The above all produce the most amount of drug in the blood in an attempt to get a buzz. These spikes are one of the reasons we addicts get hooked faster than a COMPLIANT Chronic Pain Patient.

Being compliant means they take only as directed. The goal of compliance is to maintain an even blood plasma at the minimum amount to treat PAIN and NOT to produce euphoria (a high).

Since the blood plasma levels are lower, the levels of dopamine at the synaptic cleft do not spike so the receptor sites do not downregulate or decrease in number in response to the initially MUCH higher level of dopamine released as a result of spiking.

Addictive dosing behaviors, the large doses associated to Spike the blood plasma level, vs the lower low dosing and more often which is the KEY factor to the physical changes the brain makes which cause dependency.

Dependency is the actual physical changes to your body which cause withdrawal. Addiction is the BEHAVIOR of taking the drugs to get high, not as prescribed, and when not needed for clinical reasons. It is the un-manageable behaviors associated with lack of control.

Which comes first... Dependence or addiction? Usually it's addiction, but it can be the other way, but the key issue which causes the progression of addiction are the behaviors.

Addiction is what makes you take more and more, spiking doses, etc. This in turn increases dependence. The higher your dependence the higher the tollerance... Round and round you go. The addiction merry-go-round.

How to break the cycle? The only way is to change the behavior. That is a very difficult thing. Pain is usually a very good motivator. So is Euphoria. When the pain out weighs the euphoria one starts to consider breaking the cycle. Unfortunately the pain being eliminated by the drug is a driving force. Then the addict associated the RELIEF of th pain to the drug instead of the drug being the CAUSE of the pain.

SOoooooooo what to do? Break the cycle.

Many have to hit bottom to do that. That's the point where the pain of using overwhelms the relief of using. It's an emotional point which is different for different people. Not every one has to hit a bottom to quit. The sooner you quit the less pain and suffering you have to experience.

For folks who are on smaller doses and their disease has not progressed very far, they have not felt the extent of pain addiction can cause. Only conceptualizing how bad it can get may not be good enough to motivate a person early in addiction to quit.

Intellectually we know what lays ahead. We hear the truth from others, but yet we continue to use. It is not until we get a glimpse of the pain that lays ahead do we become to believe we need to quit. One HAS to believe that in fact addiction does lead to the loss of everything and eventually Jails Institutions and Death.

Addiction is a lot easier to nip in the bud physically but maybe not emotionally because one has not experienced the pain first hand. Some need more pain than others to quit. Some don't make it and end up end stage and their addiction wins.

If you want to get off of the pills you have to change your behavior.

1) STOP SNORTING your pills!
2) Stop spiking your dose!
3) stop taking enough to get high

You will never quit until you do that. Weather you can or not is up to you.

You have to come to a point where you make the decision you want to quit. The en you have to make a plan then you have to execute that plan. SIMPLE .... but not easy.

The solution from a clinical point of view for you at your point of addiction is so easy. A simple taper, and change the behavior. In short break the cycle.

How to do a taper is easy. Changing the behavior is the HARD part, but you have to want to change.

If you are taking 6 pills a day... then start taking them in even doses and don't take like 3-4 at a time. 24 hrs divided by 6 = 4 hrs. So only take one pill every 4 hrs. Then take 5 pills in 24 hrs. That's 4.8 hrs. Then 4 pills a day... break pills into 1/2's so you have 8 1/2 pills. and take 1/2 a pill every 3 hrs. Etc.

If you can't stick to a taper give the pills to a friend to dispense.

Mean while .. you have to start changing the way you think and the things you do... You should educate yourself... Good place to do all of that is NA or AA. It's FREE and takes up time. It forces you to be doing something other than sitting around with nothing to do and just thinking about using.

It's not the only way, but it's a good place to start. Take what you need from it, and leave the rest.

If you take the same amount or less every day and don't spike your dose you will eventually quit.

30 mg of Hydro can be tapered to 0 in 2-4 weeks painlessly. The PAWS will be minimal too.

Missy... The ball is in your court. We can not make you do anything. Only YOU can.

When you are ready is up to you. If you need to stay "out there" using and see for yourself how bad it will get that's up to you.

So what you are saying is you are at 6 pills per day??  I read an article on tapering recenlty and it said its better to keep a steady dose in your system. So you should take you six per day at normal dose times.. 24 hours in  a day equals every 4 hours. Taking 3 at a time spikes the level in your system. It is recomended to not spike levels of the drug while tapering. Do you have to take 3 at a time?? To stay out of withdrawl?? Let me find that thing I read and i will post it for you..

sounds like a good plan to me , goood luck , I went thru a night like that wouldn't wish it on my worse enemy  ,  ooxx keri