Hydrocodone addiction

My husband came to me Sunday & informed me he was addicted to Hydrocodone. It was a slap in the face to me because I had NO idea. I noticed we had less money than we should but I never this never crossed my mind. He has Gout with severe pain. I knew the dr had been prescribing this to him but did not know he has been buying it illegally and is spending over $1000/month to get it. He wants to quit and wants to be completely clean from it. He wants to do it cold turkey. I know he's going to be sick but I want to know what to expect. Has anyone experienced this and if so, how long do the withdrawals last and what can I do to help him? I've taken off work so he won't be home alone. Are there any signs that I should watch for so I will know if he needs medical attention? I'm a professional and I'm always the one helping others but now that it's in my home, I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?

[Jmoney84]

Hi JM and welcome.

I am currently detoxing from a similar more potent drug (oxy).  I'm not sure exactly what his current dosage is, and I'm guessing if he's buying it off the street he's using it more recreationally than for the pain?  How many pills is he getting/taking with a grand a month?  Depending on the depth of his addiction his acute withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms can last anywhere from 4-60 days.  I know that's a huge gap, but according to many others and of course depending on the depth of his addiction he could be anywhere in that range.  For me I've had tight chest, vomitting on and off, full body aches, restlessness, insomnia, cramping, frequent bowel movements, and a cloudy feeling in my head.  I think he will let you know if he needs medical treatment, I've had to tell my girlfriend/parents that I'm not going to the hospital.  Obviously if he ever loses consciousness that's a good sign for you to get him emergency medical help.. but I haven't read any cases of that yet.  I'd suggest the best thing you can do is just be supportive towards him.  As frustrating as it may be try to control your anger (if you have any) and realize this is a sickness and not a choice.  If he wants someone to talk to I'm here to help in any way I can, although the advice/support from someone closer to his abuse level might be more beneficial.  Regardless, I'm here to help in any way I can.  This community has been nothing short of amazing to me since I showed up on monday, and I'm sure you will receive the same welcoming love and support from everyone here.

Cheers and good luck

[Headhead12345]

I am sorry this happened to you. I am on day three of detox and feel some what ok. But you are looking at at leat 2 to 3 days of hell. He is. Just don't let him take any meds and take his cell phone if he has one so he can't get more meds and talk to the doc and tell them what's going on thay may beable to help. Just no pills.

[Innerstrength67]

Hi, would ge be open to joining this site? It's amazing the support we get here. It might help for him to talk with other addicts. Withdrawals are different for everyone but there are a lot of things he can do and take which will help ease some othe symptoms. He needs to stay hydrated, ie, Gatorade or apple juice, exercise.
After will be crucial for him, meaning NA. What I have realized as a full blown, broke Vicodin addict is, we can't beat this alone. Getting clean is the easy part. Staying clean takes work. Knowing there are others out there who have suffered from this horrible, life sucking disease is that I can't beat this without help. Try and get him to join this site and find NA meetings. Because in all honesty, we need to reach out to other addicts.
Hope this help. Tell him we are here for him. Hrs not alone, even though he might feel hopeless. I can't begin to tell Ypu how much money I have spent. Nothing good ever comes from this addiction. It ***** the life out of us.
Good luck!

[dedicatedtostop]

I am sorry you are dealt this card:(....everyone is different. I suggest that you take some time and read through the post here. I feel like since he was honest with you, he needs to be honest about exactly how much he was taking as well. I do feel the need to say this. It takes ALOT for someone to break down and tell their loved ones the truth about this... I mean ALOT. Telling my family was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life.... So that tells me 2 things... 1, he really wants help.... 2, he is an incredibly brave and strong person.

I would say expect the worst for a few days, read through some post here and get a better understanding of all this and keep us posted on what he is going through as many people can give advise on how to ease the process.

God bless you, I feel for you I really do. Things like this happen and it's nobody's fault it just happens. The important thing is that he is crying out for help. Brace yourself and stay with us okay?

[jm080908]

He barely knows how to turn a computer on. He is a farmer and stays in the field all day. I got him a Blackberry and it took him a month to learn how to use it so I doubt he will join this sight or any. LOL  He started taking them for the pain and now he feels like he can't function with out them. The pain is unbearable so he has to take more so he can work. We both are working today so we can get things situated because we have no idea how long we will be out.
      I have no anger at all towards him. I actually am very proud of him for realizing he has a problem and manning up. He is such a private person so I know it was very hard for him to admit this. We are hoping to keep this from our girls because we don't want them to worry. He doesn't want them to see him as sick as he going to be because he's their hero.
     Is there anything he can take to help him sleep through alot of this? I do know that the drugs create pain so that you will keep taking the drugs so I 'm hoping once his body is free of them the pain will get easier.
     Thank you all for responding so quickly. Each of you and your loved ones are in my prayers. I never wish this on anyone. Stay strong and know you are worth it and can overcome this sickness.