Aa
Am I EVER going to quit?!
A few days ago, I decided I needed to quit taking vicodin. Spending all my money on this habit is just eating me up. I still haven't quit though. I tried a couple times, and the WDs were so awful. I have 3 kids under the age of 5, and they rely on me to take care of them. I can't be feeling gross and lethargic all day. I just don't know what to do. I want to be sober, my kids need a clean mother, and I don't know how to do it. I'm up to 100mg a day. Someone please help.
ok.. thats it! i am gonna stop typing so fast and proof read before i send my post in bc i cant even read my own typos...eeeekkk....lol i am so sorry guys, i promise i am not a tard! lol...thanks!
wow luckytwice...that was an awesome way to tell how pain killers work in our bodies! i cant believe it takes 1 year to ge thtem all back, i was sober for 6 weeks in march and some of april of this year and i STILL felt depression although my wd was done in less than a week, do u think that ecen though i take 20mg of an ssri called lexapro, do u think my lexapro will work better if i stop taking tabs? i have read and heard form my sister who is a nurse that tabs counteract with ssri's bc ssri reuptake the seratonin and tabs make it bind(last longer i think thats what it means? ) have yall heard of this?? i think that lexapro is a wonderful medication and i plan on staying on it forever!! adn i have been on the same dose of 20mg for 2 years, i started off on 10mg for 1 year! thanks guys for your help!
hey guys, i am starting my wean tomorrow, my supplier said she wanted to be sone selling them to me :( but also (: bc i need to stop. i am here for you too releaseme2207, i might just have to do ct AGAIN and wd like crap;( but i know it really ends for me after 4 days...i start feeling 100 percent better on day 5..i think the first 50 hours are the worst, i have taken flexiril none stop for all of those days and wheni was awake, would doak inthe bath tub til i was about o fall asleep...has anyone else got off tabs or anything while putting themselves in a flexiril or other sleep med(well, flex is a mus relax) but still, it makes me tired as heck! my hubby is getting so mad at me bc f this, i have told him his anger only makes me more depressed, down and i loser worse then i already feel so that doesnt make me want to stop the only thing i think helps me mask all the pain i hide behind these pills, he says i am a different person on pills. its not the pills i think, i really think its the anxiety of when and how im i gonna get more when there run out and at 6.00 a pill for 10mh tabs, its costly to take what i take....i have once again let myself slip :( we went to church today and i prayed so hard to help the enemy leave me alone in my addiction, has anyone of you went to an NA meeting? my hubs will go with me and i got him to watch a few episodes of intervention from netflix, i had him watch the one of a sweet lady names tine who was a vic addict and gambled too..my hubs got to see how she felt adn how her relatied to her husband who supported her and her habit. he doesnt understand the brain structer of addiction but at least he is trying bc he wants a different outcomethis time and if i dont go through it alone, maybe it will make us even closer and i will stay off for good! releaseme,gnarl1 and the other two, please help me too!! i need the support!! thanks and hugs......lisa
HI I just wanted to encourage you to do this.....this is the beginning of the rest of your life and living in recovery is a beautiful place to be when you officially quit let me know I will help you threw this and will get you on the right track out tray not to let fear into the equation its always worst in our minds then it turns out to be just know you can do this and it will be one of the best decisions of your life read the other posts and read up on the site there is a lot of good info on this page if you look around for it im looking forward to helping you good luck and God bless.......Gnarly
Well, I went to the store this evening & got everything i need to detox. Now that I think about it, I totally forgot to get gatorade, ugh. I got everything else though, including some medicine called restful legs, which is supposed to alleviate RLS. I have some pills left that will most likely be gone by lunchtime tomorrow, but that's it. No more! I'm excited to get on the right track, but I have to admit, I am having a little anxiety about the thought of quitting for good. I can do it though!
You can do it girl!!! The WD are the easy part even though we are so scared. Aftercare is crucial. At least for me:)
Thats great!, you may want to pick up a few things from the amino acid protocol list as well, even if you may not need them. Just in case.
wanting to quit and having a positive attitude towards it helps a whole lot. Plus the kids will keep you busy as well, LoL! And then these us if you need.
So good luck! We'll be watching for you
wanting to quit and having a positive attitude towards it helps a whole lot. Plus the kids will keep you busy as well, LoL! And then these us if you need.
So good luck! We'll be watching for you
I really appreciate all the great replies. I feel even more motivated to quit with all the help here. I have to do grocery shopping tomorrow, so I figured i'd get all the stuff for the thomas recipe then. I need to be there for my kids. Obviously i'm not an absent mom who's never home. I'm there for my kids, I kiss boo boos, I give hugs, all of that. But I am mentally absent. My mind is forever consumed with when i'm getting my next high. I can't wrap my mind around how I became addicted. I was prescribed vicodin after a c-section with my first child, and while I did enjoy the high I got, it was no big deal when the bottle was empty. A friend started selling them though, and that's where I got sucked in. My husband does know about my addiction, but he doesn't cut off my money or anything because he knows he'd never hear the end of it. Once I get the items I need for the TR, i'm going to start right away. I have a good feeling about it. I definitely think it will help ease my WD. I really want to post on here & say I've been sober!
You can taper and feel relatively "normal" if you take the multivitamins with B complex(esp. B6) and about 1000mg vitamin c, calcium and magnesium, and smaller doses of some of the amino acids listed on the amino acid protocol page.
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/Amino-Acid-Protocol/show/15?cid=66
The important thing is to keep on taking them after you've quit the pills so you don't go back to feeling crappy before you have a chance to heal and end up using again.
5HTP will help with any PAWS you have after you've quit, it metabolizes to Serotonin and is what is usually depleted if you are depressed and anxious. DO NOT TAKE if you are on a SSRI or tricylic anti depressant.
L-glutamine helps with relaxation,
Sam-e- aids in stress relief, depression,eases pain,( BUT do not take with 5HTP)
L-theanine--helps with anxiety ( is like natural valium)
melatonin is often recomended if you have trouble sleeping, and
L-tyrosine (about 200mg to start) in the morning if you have troubles with energy.
It takes a month for your endophin levels to reach 45-50% of normal, and up to a year to return to normal, so taking your vitamins and supplements is important to continue with until there are. You cut down on them as your own system starts functioning better, but not to the point where you get tired and depressed, or you'll end up doing what you've always done up to this point, right?
Good luck, and keep posting and let us know how you are doing, especially if your having troubles!
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/Amino-Acid-Protocol/show/15?cid=66
The important thing is to keep on taking them after you've quit the pills so you don't go back to feeling crappy before you have a chance to heal and end up using again.
5HTP will help with any PAWS you have after you've quit, it metabolizes to Serotonin and is what is usually depleted if you are depressed and anxious. DO NOT TAKE if you are on a SSRI or tricylic anti depressant.
L-glutamine helps with relaxation,
Sam-e- aids in stress relief, depression,eases pain,( BUT do not take with 5HTP)
L-theanine--helps with anxiety ( is like natural valium)
melatonin is often recomended if you have trouble sleeping, and
L-tyrosine (about 200mg to start) in the morning if you have troubles with energy.
It takes a month for your endophin levels to reach 45-50% of normal, and up to a year to return to normal, so taking your vitamins and supplements is important to continue with until there are. You cut down on them as your own system starts functioning better, but not to the point where you get tired and depressed, or you'll end up doing what you've always done up to this point, right?
Good luck, and keep posting and let us know how you are doing, especially if your having troubles!
You CAN quit, and you CAN feel relatively normal while doing so. It's all how you go about doing it.
You can do the cold turkey route, and use the aids that have been found to be beneficial in easing the withdrawal symptoms, or you can taper off your addiction slowly, and use some of these aids to ease or even completely eliminate any discomfort from withdrawal symptoms.
The key to doing this is understanding how opiate work, and why you feel so crappy when you quit them.
The nervous system is regulated by many kinds of inter-neurons (interneurons are found exclusively within the spinal cord and brain) releasing one or another neurotransmitter such as serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine,gamma aminobutyric acid etc.
Pre-synaptic neurons synthesize and package their neurotransmitter in vesicles for release (by exocytosis) at the synapse. They often have "reuptake" transporters that reclaim the transmitter back into the cell when it has done its job.
Post-synaptic neurons display receptors to which a neurotransmitter binds.
All of this "machinery" (if you want to look at it this way) provides many targets for alteration by exogenous chemicals; that is, pharmaceuticals introduced into the body.
When it's running normally, without any interference from any drugs, all this activity goes on, the body is always adjusting and regulating itself using these endorphins- serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine,gamma aminobutyric acid etc.) to regulate our bodies, pain control, moods, anxiety, etc.
Of course I could go into more detail, but this should give you the general picture without me having to give you the whole course in micro biology.
Opiates bind to mu (µ) receptors . These G-protein-coupled receptors are located on the sub-synaptic membrane of neurons involved in the transmission of pain signals. Their natural ligands are two pentapeptides (containing five amino acids) two of which are Met-enkephalin, and Leu-enkephalin.
Release of enkephalins suppresses the transmission of pain signals, which our bodies regulate naturally, otherwise the perception of pain would increase indefinitely in proportion to the amount of damage done to the body. Beyond a certain point, it makes sense to have a system that decreases its own sensitivity in the face of massive, intractable pain.
By binding to enkephalin receptors, opiates like morphine enhance the pain-killing effects of enkephalin neurons. When the drug is stopped, the system is no longer as sensitive to the soothing effects of the enkephalin neurons and withdrawal pain is produced.
With all this blocking going on, our bodies normal regulation described above is also blocked, and as a result, the whole process of building and regenerating all the neurons and neurotransmitters etc. is also stopped in those areas, and they no longer rebuild and regenerate, and the ones that were there die off as well over time. So when we stop taking the pills, they aren't there to build and deliver all the serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, etc. in those areas that are needed for our bodies to return to regulating these areas by itself.
That's why we feel like crap when we stop taking the pills, and feel dragged out and tired for a long while afterwards, slowly improving each week afterwards.
It takes about one month for those neurons and neurotransmitters- endorphins- levels to reach to reach 45-50% of normal, and nine months to a year to reach 95-100% normal.
But, there IS something we can do about that. We don't HAVE to suffer until things return to normal, we can get those endorphins another way, after all, they are just amino acids.
There is a link at the bottom of the main page to "Amino acids protocol".
It would be a good idea for you to read that. You can take amino acid supplements that will produce some dopamine and serotonin and others to replace what you are lacking, and what is causing you to feel like crap, anxiety, tired, moody, depressed, etc.
They are relatively cheap, around 4-5$$ a bottle, and you can find them at walmart or anywhere else they sell vitamins and supplements.
Taking those, and using the other remedies for the withdrawal stage of quitting, can really take the bite out of the withdrawals, and help you feel pretty much "normal' as you heal afterwards.
So why suffer when you don't have to? You can probably get everything you need for about $30-$40, and quit over the weekend if you start on a Friday.
You can do the cold turkey route, and use the aids that have been found to be beneficial in easing the withdrawal symptoms, or you can taper off your addiction slowly, and use some of these aids to ease or even completely eliminate any discomfort from withdrawal symptoms.
The key to doing this is understanding how opiate work, and why you feel so crappy when you quit them.
The nervous system is regulated by many kinds of inter-neurons (interneurons are found exclusively within the spinal cord and brain) releasing one or another neurotransmitter such as serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine,gamma aminobutyric acid etc.
Pre-synaptic neurons synthesize and package their neurotransmitter in vesicles for release (by exocytosis) at the synapse. They often have "reuptake" transporters that reclaim the transmitter back into the cell when it has done its job.
Post-synaptic neurons display receptors to which a neurotransmitter binds.
All of this "machinery" (if you want to look at it this way) provides many targets for alteration by exogenous chemicals; that is, pharmaceuticals introduced into the body.
When it's running normally, without any interference from any drugs, all this activity goes on, the body is always adjusting and regulating itself using these endorphins- serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine,gamma aminobutyric acid etc.) to regulate our bodies, pain control, moods, anxiety, etc.
Of course I could go into more detail, but this should give you the general picture without me having to give you the whole course in micro biology.
Opiates bind to mu (µ) receptors . These G-protein-coupled receptors are located on the sub-synaptic membrane of neurons involved in the transmission of pain signals. Their natural ligands are two pentapeptides (containing five amino acids) two of which are Met-enkephalin, and Leu-enkephalin.
Release of enkephalins suppresses the transmission of pain signals, which our bodies regulate naturally, otherwise the perception of pain would increase indefinitely in proportion to the amount of damage done to the body. Beyond a certain point, it makes sense to have a system that decreases its own sensitivity in the face of massive, intractable pain.
By binding to enkephalin receptors, opiates like morphine enhance the pain-killing effects of enkephalin neurons. When the drug is stopped, the system is no longer as sensitive to the soothing effects of the enkephalin neurons and withdrawal pain is produced.
With all this blocking going on, our bodies normal regulation described above is also blocked, and as a result, the whole process of building and regenerating all the neurons and neurotransmitters etc. is also stopped in those areas, and they no longer rebuild and regenerate, and the ones that were there die off as well over time. So when we stop taking the pills, they aren't there to build and deliver all the serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, etc. in those areas that are needed for our bodies to return to regulating these areas by itself.
That's why we feel like crap when we stop taking the pills, and feel dragged out and tired for a long while afterwards, slowly improving each week afterwards.
It takes about one month for those neurons and neurotransmitters- endorphins- levels to reach to reach 45-50% of normal, and nine months to a year to reach 95-100% normal.
But, there IS something we can do about that. We don't HAVE to suffer until things return to normal, we can get those endorphins another way, after all, they are just amino acids.
There is a link at the bottom of the main page to "Amino acids protocol".
It would be a good idea for you to read that. You can take amino acid supplements that will produce some dopamine and serotonin and others to replace what you are lacking, and what is causing you to feel like crap, anxiety, tired, moody, depressed, etc.
They are relatively cheap, around 4-5$$ a bottle, and you can find them at walmart or anywhere else they sell vitamins and supplements.
Taking those, and using the other remedies for the withdrawal stage of quitting, can really take the bite out of the withdrawals, and help you feel pretty much "normal' as you heal afterwards.
So why suffer when you don't have to? You can probably get everything you need for about $30-$40, and quit over the weekend if you start on a Friday.
hi all, so here i am again, i was here in feb of 2011(hence the screen name mrs newsrart 2011) well, it happened in march antil the end of april, i kicked and did cold turkey and was good for 6 weeks, my life was so heckect and and needed a pick me up to clean my forever messy house so i started taken them again and now here i am AGAIN the last two weeks i have been taking 10-13 10mg lortab a day :( i need to taper bc i have done ct wd so many itmes, i can handle the physical wd but its the mental depression that gets me adn any husband is sick of this...i have been taking tabs since my momma passes in 2005 but back then, i could take 1/2 of a 10 and be good..oh those were the days and right befor i got married , i stopped for a year bc i said i wanted to "feel" my wedding day and i did, i was clean for almost 1 year so from 2005 til now has been my struggle :( i wnt to stop bc its once again, taking over my life, i am out of work right now so i can be at home sick, i lan on tapering...has anyone else done this? i want to get my high dosage down so the wd wont be soooooooo bad, my hubby is going ot hold the pills for me and i am goin to wait til i HAVE to take just one, i normally take 2 10mg at a time, sometimes 3 :( i hate this but love them too. i do have back pain but now i just take them to not feel the early signs of wd that i start t feel after 10 hours of not taking anything :( please help...i have dont this about 4 times and i can do it again, i want my life back but can i be happy without these? my hubs says he can tell wheni start taking them again bc i am sooo moody, i feel awful for him and he doesnt deserve this, he has done his fair share of not being there for me through the other times bc he doesnt undrstand so he gets mad about all of thei lies where the money goes :( i do take 20mg of lexapro for depression but i feel that it does work when i am going through wd bc i feel like there is no light at the end of this pill tunnel :( please give me advice on tapering and whatever, i need some support! I have my wonderful 2 doggies who love on me and my wonderful God to pray to..now i need help from ppl who have been there!! please help me!
********** thats the new post i just posted, to "releaseme2207" i am here for you too.......if you just have read my new post, i am starting to taper as of tomorrow, my hubby is SICK of this mess and so am I..why do i love the feeling opiates give me??? GRRRRRRRRR!! i wishes i never took them at all!! its a good thing i nevr wanted to get hooked on the acid, shrooms, pot, coke that i have done but tabs and percs are my fav og and roxies too :( i want to stop for good....we can do this....... we can all pray together and God is there for us! my last cold turker wd i took my lexapro daily as i have been for the last 3 years, then i took melentonin for sleep and benadryl(hardly helped and gave my restless..moving none stop legs worse RLS) i have never liked benzo's but my lady i buy from is going ot let me buy like 2 2mg xannies bars for sleep bc benzos knock me out cold..i hate xannies, i like the lortab high and benzos just make me too sleepy! so no risk of addiction there! i like to drink beer tto get a buzz but i HATE the way any of that stuff amkes my tummy feel so i dont do it alot...like i said, my love are opiates :(...lets help eachother in theis thead that "releaseme" has started...i am in the same boat as you all are...release me..you take up to 100 vics a day??? i think u will need to wean off babe bc thats a lot! i fel like crap when i go 10 hours with out my 20mg dose so i cant even imagine how you will feel if u stop CT..
lets help and lift each other up..many love, faith and hugs..Lisa!
********** thats the new post i just posted, to "releaseme2207" i am here for you too.......if you just have read my new post, i am starting to taper as of tomorrow, my hubby is SICK of this mess and so am I..why do i love the feeling opiates give me??? GRRRRRRRRR!! i wishes i never took them at all!! its a good thing i nevr wanted to get hooked on the acid, shrooms, pot, coke that i have done but tabs and percs are my fav og and roxies too :( i want to stop for good....we can do this....... we can all pray together and God is there for us! my last cold turker wd i took my lexapro daily as i have been for the last 3 years, then i took melentonin for sleep and benadryl(hardly helped and gave my restless..moving none stop legs worse RLS) i have never liked benzo's but my lady i buy from is going ot let me buy like 2 2mg xannies bars for sleep bc benzos knock me out cold..i hate xannies, i like the lortab high and benzos just make me too sleepy! so no risk of addiction there! i like to drink beer tto get a buzz but i HATE the way any of that stuff amkes my tummy feel so i dont do it alot...like i said, my love are opiates :(...lets help eachother in theis thead that "releaseme" has started...i am in the same boat as you all are...release me..you take up to 100 vics a day??? i think u will need to wean off babe bc thats a lot! i fel like crap when i go 10 hours with out my 20mg dose so i cant even imagine how you will feel if u stop CT..
lets help and lift each other up..many love, faith and hugs..Lisa!
hey everyone , i am on the same boat..i take up to 10-13 10mg tabs a day, i just posted my first post, i will copy and past it here .......
Awesome post littlebit!!! I agree. My terror of WD kept me on the pills. Yes, you are going have to find you again, the better, healthier, clear headed clean YOU!!! but that will never happen on the pills. The people on this forum gave me strength because if they could do it than so could I. We make it out to be so much scarier in our minds. Everyone here said exactly the same things you are saying. It's the fear of the unknown. But seriously it's not that scarey. I mean it!!!
If your kids were going through this you would do anything to help them. Turn that compassion around and direct towards yourself.
At some point, your just going to have to jump. Get all the stuff from the TR and see if someone can help you with your kids. Take it one hour at a time. That's what I did. I kept telling myself, one more hour no pills, one more hour no pills. One turns into 24, 48, and so on. I'm 5 days in and NEVER knew how I was going to make it but I did. The money I spent on drs and drugs makes me ill. And guess what, I'm not giving one more dime to any dr or pharmacy for this addiction ever again!!!!
YOU CAN DO THIS!!! We believe in you!
If your kids were going through this you would do anything to help them. Turn that compassion around and direct towards yourself.
At some point, your just going to have to jump. Get all the stuff from the TR and see if someone can help you with your kids. Take it one hour at a time. That's what I did. I kept telling myself, one more hour no pills, one more hour no pills. One turns into 24, 48, and so on. I'm 5 days in and NEVER knew how I was going to make it but I did. The money I spent on drs and drugs makes me ill. And guess what, I'm not giving one more dime to any dr or pharmacy for this addiction ever again!!!!
YOU CAN DO THIS!!! We believe in you!
You will quit when you are ready. I hope that happens before anything worse comes along. Your brain needs to be free to learn how to think again. It is the fear of withdrawal that keeps up addicted and the fear of the unknown and the fear of who am I? You can only take one step at a time. The Thomas Recipe helped me so much. It is posted on this page on the bottom right. Are you marrie? If so, does he know?? Sometimes the secrets keeps us in the circle of denial. I finally told my daughter and husband and it helped so much. I felt a wall fall down and it gave me the courage to keep at it. I failed the first time and so far am doing well. Going on 13 days, so I know the fear of withdrawal and of knowing who I am again. But you have to decide. You can put all the walls between you and sobriety...as excuses...but your children need a sober parent and you deserve to learn how to parent with your whole self. I hope you can find the courage to take that first step.
I want to quit, but i'm scared of how i'm going to feel. Will I feel normal once i'm sober? I'm so tired of wasting money & time on these things. My addiction always seems to win though. I thought I could taper, but I know I probably can't. I guess I need to look into the thomas recipe. This ***** so bad. I can't believe I let myself get addicted. I can hardly remember myself before the pills, and that thought makes me so sad.
HI FIRST of all you can do this its like having the flu for about 4 days and getting better on the 5th day this is all about attitude keep a positive one and you will be uncomfortable loose the attitude and you will suffer try to prepare some simple meals ahead of time for the kids ordering pizza is ok to keep it simple stuff you can warm up keep in mind this is 1/3 physical and 2/3 mental and I believe it is truly a battle one or lost in ones own mind....get comfortable with the phrase...'''you just got to be ok without being ok for a wile'' the symptom are only temporary and aa hot soak will take care of most of them
having the kids there will keep you bizzy witch is good it would also be helpful if you had a friend of relative to help out a bit with them read up on the thomas recipe you will find it in the health pages just surf this page in about a week you will no longer be chained to a pill bottle we all wnt to see you succeed so read the other posts and post often for support good luck and God bless......Gnarly
having the kids there will keep you bizzy witch is good it would also be helpful if you had a friend of relative to help out a bit with them read up on the thomas recipe you will find it in the health pages just surf this page in about a week you will no longer be chained to a pill bottle we all wnt to see you succeed so read the other posts and post often for support good luck and God bless......Gnarly
Hey girl, it's me. I swear to you, if I can do it and everyone else here that's done it, you can too!!!!
Your only options are to taper or go cold turkey. And either way you decide to go, get all the stuff on the Thomas Recipe. Ok what if you had s really bad flu, you would still have to take cate of your kids. Just think of it like that. I was terrified of the WD and to be honest, I took a lot of stuff and felt ok. We always make it out to be worse in our minds. And even if it does suck, you have the flu!!!!
The question is.....do you really want to quit?
Big hugzzzz!!!
Your only options are to taper or go cold turkey. And either way you decide to go, get all the stuff on the Thomas Recipe. Ok what if you had s really bad flu, you would still have to take cate of your kids. Just think of it like that. I was terrified of the WD and to be honest, I took a lot of stuff and felt ok. We always make it out to be worse in our minds. And even if it does suck, you have the flu!!!!
The question is.....do you really want to quit?
Big hugzzzz!!!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
