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Taking Vicodin 500mg 6-10 a day for 4 months - going cold turkey starting yesterday
by Zurich42, Jul 06, 2007 12:00AM
I was taking Vicodin 500 mg 6-10 a day for 4 months - going cold turkey starting yesterday. I was diagnosed with a painful chronic illness 8 years ago - but have been able to manage it with Celebrex and injections of Humira. The vicodin was only to manage the pain from St Pat's Day to Memorial Day (when Rheumatoid pain is at it's 'worst'). My fears are that 1) I've become addicted, 2) I've noticed a definite change in personality - I tend to be nit picky and extremely Type A (house cleanliness wise) and, 3) am now on an emotional roller-coaster. What do people do to help with the emotional side of withdrawal? I've read that 'depression' comes and goes for 72 hours or so - this is hard. Any suggestions? I don't want to see my doctor (he's out of town anyway for a week and a half vacation - nor do I want to go to Urgent Care, etc. I'm not suicidal in the least).
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It’s good to come clean with your doc concerning your desire to get off. Ask him to prescribe clonidine, (not klonopin), and ativan. These will help with sleep, RLS and anxiety. These are best to try before formal detox and drugs like Suboxone. I had to do formal detox because I tried everything else, including alcohol to get off and nothing worked for me. Keep in mind that when you try… make it a good one! Have some time off of work if you can… maybe a four day weekend or more. Make the last day of work without any drugs, because the first day is usually the easiest. Try your best to get clean and stay clean because the other methods require more potent drugs and you have to come off of those. I am still on Suboxone and am a little worried about that… It does work well but the jury is out on, “At what Cost.” I also learned while in detox, that the mind can psychosomatically create pain to “get’ the drug. Another was that healing while using opiates greatly diminishes. I would have sores on my hands that would take way too long to heal.
Best
Fish
I have to say this from the bottom of my heart, Please do not keep playing around with these drugs they are very powerful ….. kinda like herion in a pill and just as hard to get off once you attain the, "addicted" status.
Thanks for the words of encouragement - they mean the world to me. I don't want to become an addict - all 5 of my brothers and sisters are either addicted to Meth or alcohol (they live 2 states away). I've seen what drugs can do to people - like take their license away, their ability to get a good job, their ability to get a credit card or even a house for that matter. I disassociated myself with them years ago becaue they just needed/wanted money (no real attempt at a relationship amongst siblings). I'm glad I did - but didn't see this potential 'dependency' coming along until a short while ago. I started 'liking' the high and now know not to judge them too harshly (although I still won't give them money - I'm stubborn like that).
I'm not in Zurich by the way - I fly there in October for vacation.
Thanks again - your response is helpful. Very helpful.
People in the 12 step programs are alway walking around with acronyms like, "YET," That means "you're eligible too" and that has to do with reaching certain "bottoms"
Take care,
Fish
Just joined yesterday and read your post. I'm in the same boat sibling wise...alcholism, almost every ism, runs through the family. Among my own problems I'm helping one of my brothers go through detox and it isn't going well. Hell, everytime I call the detox portion of his medical insurance they switch me over to a counselor...stress much? lol.
Growing up with that stuff scarred the hell out of me. I was always pretty careful about myself...always ended up the caretaker. Went to ALANON and ACOA...I'm thinking I need to haul my butt back to those meetings. Don't know about you but I tend to be a perfectionist...like I should be able to figure this **** out on my own, control myself.
Sorry, seem to be venting my own issues. Was pretty much cold turkey all of last week and my mood swings are horrible.
Take care of yourself,
Deb