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Vicodin and Soma addiction
by powderhunter, Apr 16, 2003 12:00AM
I came down from 4000 mg of Hydrocone (for at least a year)a day to 750 mg, 1 350 Soma..in about 6 weeks
I told the Doc early this month, and she gave me 1mg of Ativan to help me sleep.
Everyone says wow, you did great, but now seems like the hardest part. I am trying (and was told by the Doc) to first reduce the Vics then the Soma and then the Ativan which all scare me.
One counsler told me that the Ativan is not so bad, but I know it is addictive too.
This week I am on about 560 mg of Vicodin, and having troubl;e sleeping.,. but doesn't it have to be done sooner or later?
I am kinda of confused about how fast I should go???
Except for the sleep, the worst physical symptoms are over.
Constipated, diarrea, some anxiety..but the sleep lack is horrible to me.
I guess my question is....is it ok to use 1.25mg of Ativan while I get off the Vicodin and the Soma asap????
My first time on this board....God bless
I told the Doc early this month, and she gave me 1mg of Ativan to help me sleep.
Everyone says wow, you did great, but now seems like the hardest part. I am trying (and was told by the Doc) to first reduce the Vics then the Soma and then the Ativan which all scare me.
One counsler told me that the Ativan is not so bad, but I know it is addictive too.
This week I am on about 560 mg of Vicodin, and having troubl;e sleeping.,. but doesn't it have to be done sooner or later?
I am kinda of confused about how fast I should go???
Except for the sleep, the worst physical symptoms are over.
Constipated, diarrea, some anxiety..but the sleep lack is horrible to me.
I guess my question is....is it ok to use 1.25mg of Ativan while I get off the Vicodin and the Soma asap????
My first time on this board....God bless
Best of luck and God Bless America!
Thomas
Thanks for clarifying
I was taking about 4-6 Vicodin ES a day..or Lortab I think?
I thought it meant 4x750mg, so sorry.
I guess it was really 400-600mg? and now I am on 3/4 of a 750 which must be 56mg?
I wasn't trying to brag (belive me, I am in trouble ) just trying to get feedback and help..
I got it wrong... and I very much appreciate everyones help
I feel bad, and depressed already enough, I do not understand what the dosage I was taking at all..
Thomas, Squirrel, Percsoma...I need all of your help, and I really did not mean to come off the way it sounded .
Is 4-6 Lortabs....30- 45mg?
My brain is not well..
Whatever I was taking... I am adiicted, and just looking for help
Please bear with me.. and maybe we can all help each other..
God help me
If you are asking how much to taper from that amount; i'd drop one pill/day every three to five days(stay at the reduced rate long enough to allow your body(and mind) to stabilize). So in about 3 weeks you would be a zero hydrocodone(if you were starting at 4-6/day).
I'd save the ativan(or use it very sparingly) until you get to zero vikes!! If you stretch out the taper too long, and use ativan throughout, you will have a much worse withdrawal when you eventually get off it.
Read through the Thomas recipe (and the rest of the threads here), as it will give you all kinds of helpful hints getting and staying off opiates.
Good Luck
I was taking 4-6 7.5 Lortabs a day, or ES Vicodin and 4-6 350 Somas or is it 3.50, I don't know?
I am now taking 3/4 of (1) 7.5 Lortab each night, and 1 of the Somas, and 1mg of Ativan...sometimes 1.25mg of the Ativan
I am trying to do a reduction of the Lortab, about 1/8 of the pill each week...that means another 6 weeks just for the Vics
I'll see a new Doc Monday, my regular guy, and I hope he has some experience to help..
I have been seeing another Doctor for about 2 weeks (she gave me the Ativan)
I feel sort of stable...slept well last night..
I was taking 4-6 Lortabs a day 7.5 I think now,
1 Soma...350 whatever that means.
I am now taking 3/4 of (1) Lortab, and the one Soma
The Doc gave me 1mg of Ativan to help me sleep.
One counsler told me the Ativan is better than the Lortabs
If you are at this low level(which 3/4's of a lortab and 1 soma is), why in the heck don't you just drop them both, and get through the rest of the withdrawals.....using the ativan sparingly??
Tapering over six weeks, from 3/4's of a lortab is just putting it off unnecesarily.
You really have to be careful with the ativan.........a few weeks CAN get you hooked.
You know, we will be here for you, to help you through whatever you decide.
percs
Thomas
As i(percs) was saying, tapering over that period , from that doseage seems bizzare, in that you are actually dragging out the w/d's, and you could get this over with in a few days. I tapered from 20+/day(percs) in two weeks which was the other extreme....too fast, but i certainly made it.
I've copied the Thomas Recipe which should be of some help:Thomas Detox Recipe
PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor, simply a long-time Rx opiate junkie who has had many opportunities to develop a way to detox. This is a recipe for at-home self-detox from opiates based on my experience as well as that of many other addicts. It is not intended as professional medical advice. It is always wise to make sure none of the recipe ingredients or procedures conflict with medications you may be taking. Likewise, if you have any medical condition, disease, allergy or any other health issue, consult your doctor before using the recipe. Thanks, Thomas
This recipe is designed for cold turkey opiate detox. It assumes that you can get about 5 to 7 days away from your job or household responsibilities during which you can sleep, veg and act as miserable as you feel. Opiate WD mimics the symptoms of the common flu, so, if you need a smokescreen, hide behind a bad case of the flu.
If you can't take time off to detox, I recommend you follow a taper regimen using your drug of choice or suitable alternate -- the slower the taper, the better.
For the Recipe, You'll need:
1. Valium (or another benzodiazepine such as Klonopin, Librium, Ativan or Xanax). Of these, Valium and Klonopin are best suited for tapering since they come in tablet form. Librium is also an excellent detox benzo, but comes in capsules, making it hard to taper the dose. Ativan or Xanax should only be used if you can't get one of the others.
2. Imodium (over the counter, any drug or grocery store).
3. L-Tyrosine (500 mg caps) from the health food store.
4. Strong wide-spectrum mineral supplement with at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper and Magnesium.
5. Vitamin B6 caps.
6. Access to hot baths or a Jacuzzi (or hot showers if that's all that's available).
How to use the recipe:
Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you're aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn't need the Valium after day 4 or 5.
During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.
Use the Imodium aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don't take it, however, if you don't need it.
At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the "coffee jitters," consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help.
With breakfast, take the mineral supplement.
As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have any medical complications, first check with your doctor before detoxing to verify that this regimen is safe for you.
So if there is anything you need, please ask!!!
Hang In There!!!
percs
Powderhunter - It's great you're posting. Believe me, I know from experience, reaching out for information and help is a gigantic step. Thomas may have sounded abrupt in his post, but he himself admitted he wasn't in a very good frame of mind today. Believe me!!!! He's one of the most informative and caring people on this forum. Please don't feel hurt by his F-Y comment; those of us familiar with each other on the forum sometimes zing things like this. I know he didn't do this with the intention to hurt; he's a sensitive and caring person, and one of the most beloved people on this forum, with good reason. His recipe - posted by oxic (another of our beloved "longtimers") has benefited a lot of people. Thomas is a recovering junkie who has chosen to share his life experiences to help those who need advice and common sense.
Hang in there babe - keep reading and posting; lots of great people here to support you and answer your questions. Love/Peace, Lisabet