Any quick tips for coping w/ withdrawal from opiates?

[meg52080]

I am going through some pretty severe withdrawals from opiates (norco, vicodin, etc.) and am hoping that someone out there has "at home" tips for me.  I already take Xanax occasionally and suspect that I will need to take it more often to cope, but is there any at home remedies for detox?  I have two boys to take care of so I can't stay in bed all day, you know?  Please help!

[malenurse57]

Look to the bottom right of the page to the most reviewed health pages you will find somethings there to help. There will be others with more information.

Welcome and keep posting we are all here to help

[MsTickles]

Hot baths, make sure you eat (even though you don't feel like it), drink fluids, and do a lot of stretching. I popped in a Yoga DVD and forced myself to do it. On the 3rd day of w/d I was very anxious, so using the Xanax may help you but don't over-do it. There's really nothing that will keep you feeling 100% w/d free, even with the help of another narcotic medicene, so I would just try to keep your mind busy. Good luck!

[j34]

I have no home remedys for opitates as my doc was diffrent> I just wanted to say congrats you on trying!!!

[CadillacJack]

Look at the thomas recipe, bottom right of screen. Many people swear it helps. Otherwise, us the xanax when necessary. The thing is, withdrawals are what they are. You probably should have some help with the kids, for a few days. It seems different, for different people, as for severity, and time. Allow yourself a week of few responsibilities, and ride it out. You'll begin feeling better, and that will continue for some time. Who knows? 35 days clean, and still feel better, most days. Straight life isn't always sunny, so expect a few down days along the way. 1 week. That's all to get back on track. Find a way to have that week of down time. I wish you the best of luck.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Take the advice and check out the Thomas Recipe (link at bottom right page) - also do check out the Amino Acid Protocol also.........it is valid. Good luck ... keep using this forum also

[GoingToMakeIt]

Hot baths with Epsom salts. Drink lots of fluid and Gatorade. Immodium for what ails you and taking walks. Eat lots of bananas too. If you have trouble eating. Drink some Ensure. It provides most of what you need

[Sajonna]

Please do not take more of your Xanax as these are addicting too.  Write to Avis for a taper schedule - I have read where she has written for others.  My DOC was Norco's too.i had been on them for years for various ailments. I reduced down to 6 (7.5) a day spaced out 3x a day--(that means 2 pills every 6 hours when awake.) I did that for 2 months then I did a fast taper.  
5 pills for 2 days
4 pills for 2 days
3 pills for 2 days ( I took one Tylenol with each pill)
2 pills for 2 days (took one Tylenol with each pill)
1 pill for 2 days (I also took one Tylenol with each pill)
1/2 pill for 2 days.(Took one Tylenol with each half)

On day Zero I took 2 Tylenols 2x that day plus a Rx NSAID.

So far so good.  I am on Day 9 of No Nacotics. I have also excerised a little (You don;t want to overdo it if you don't excercise regulary becuase you might pull a muscle and then you're sunk). Also took Zinc 25mg daily.  Had plenty of fresh fruit & Orange Juice.  An during my detox, I ate any kind of food I wanted (to make me feel happy.)  Of course now I am dieting...but I am not taking narcotics!

Good Luck Sweetie. You can do this.  If you need someone to hold your pills and just give you a certain amount at a time: Ask a friend...or parent or someone you trust.  You can do this.

SJ

[Sajonna]

I also forgot: I also took long hot baths at night. I think this is very important too.

[Sajonna]

One more thing I also forgot (sorry but I can't figure out how to edit posts here):  I also have .25mg Xanax.  But I have been REAL careful taking these.  I never ever abused these--they never made me high and I only took them when I flew on a plane or before I started taking the Norco's.  After I started the regular dose of Norco's my anxiety went away.  (duh--imagine that!--that should have been my first clue something was up!).  Anyway, I use to take Xanax just for anxiety.  After reading here about having trouble sleeping while detoxing, I took a half to a whole .25mg at night so I could rest.  

And I haven't taken any more than one .25 dose a day.  My anxiety was always in the summertime (because of something that happened to me years ago.) I use to only take it for about 5- 6 months of the year, Then my panic attacks totally went away and I just stopped the Xanax.  Never had to taper off.  But I was on a very low dose.

Be careful on those.  Sorry for so many posts but I felt I had something to add.

[worried878]

The thomas recipe is a great start...exercise is a great addition to the recipe...posting is also a great addition...keep posting as u go along and have questions and address ur specific needs that may arise...the forum helps as much as they can according our own personal experiences...keep posting

[road2recovery]

Great advice given...Just wanted to say welcome, and congrats....How many days are you on??
r2r

[meg52080]

I suppose that,being new here - a general synopsis of how i came to be under the control of such meds is appropriate.  It'll be long, so brace yourselves.  I was your typical teen, experimenting w/ various drugs, but when I became pregnant @ 19 I stopped everything (lost baby to miscarriage), continued to be clean from everything and eventually got pregnant w/ my first child who is now 8.  Everything was randy-dandy for a long while.  I became pregnant w/ #2 and immediately developed problems w/ nodulocystic acne (huge boils all over my face - very disfiguring).  My doc put me on various drugs to treat it, but nothing ever helped.  I finally had to resort to a horrible med called accutane. While it cleared up my skin problem, the side effects were (and are) devastating.  In retrospect, I am not sure what I would do now - live with pain and embarrassment of acne or suffer the horrendous side effects.  Since taking accutane i have since developed kidney damage as well as rheumatoid arthritis.  It was then that I started the pain killers.  Generally speaking I have high tolerances for ANY meds, so it didn't take long to build the "tolerance".  So I went from having to take 1-3 Vicodin ES to 4-6 and 10-12 and have taken as many as 22 Vicodin HP per day recently. So, here I sit on the eve of my cold turkey without any idea what hell is in store for me.  I live behind a smoke-screen, nobody knows what I am going through or dealing with.  My mother whole-heartedly opposes any opiates because she had some friends die from heroin OD many years ago.  My husband (who lives in Canada) doesn't know the degree of my usage - he believes it to only be recreational.  I am no longer getting "high" from the meds.  They are what keeps me reasonably normal - i feel like super-mom! Able to accomplish anything, do anything with my kids and just generally be HAPPY!  All without feeling like a zombie or anything - just normal. So I am really in for a shitstorm I expect.  This was not necessarily voluntary, if I had my choice right now, I would continue taking them.  I have many stresses coming up right now - immigrating with my children to Canada and moving all of our **** there.  So I'm not entirely sure that I am going to be able to cope with this on top of all of that.  So that is me in a nutshell - an accidental addict i guess.  but aren't most of us?  thanks for everyones support.  Means a lot since I don't have anyone to talk to this about.  I have no insurance so i really can't afford to seek counseling or actual detox in a facility.  Talk to ya'll soon! I'm sad already :'(

[road2recovery]

So tommorrow is day one??  It will be rough , but not impossible...there is something in your post that stands out...You say " If i had my choice i would continue them"?

You have to really want this...110%...I am 8months off of alot of lortabs a day...I wanted this almost as much as i wanted my children....Is it that u don't want this because of the move??  I can tell u this, It has been one of the hardest things for me to get clean and stay clean, well probably the hardest...And i think i am a pretty strong person, but there would be no way i could move during w/d's are a while after....When are u planning on moving?  Is there anyway you can taper so you can move, then do it once u are settled?
Glad u found this forum 2
It has really saved and keeps saving my b u t t
r2r

[meg52080]

well, today is day one and i woke at 5:00 this morning w/ my heart racing and on the verge of a panic attack because i know what awaits me. i do not have the ability to taper off because i am completely out and as i said, nobody knows what is going on w/ me.  So, i am left to suffer and wallow in my own misery.  i have no health insurance so seeking professional help w/ detox meds or tapering isn't really an option.  even if i had a stash of them, i don't think that i yet would have the willpower to NOT take them.  will keep you posted.  need to get the little guy up out of bed now.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Don't dwell on the future too strongly - this can be different for everybody....I would assume that you have had the flu before? Try and put it in that perspective. You really don't want to emigrate to Canada and take an opiate problem with you - they sell codeine OTC in Canada.......if you don't wish to quit it will probably just get very ugly for you, the kids, and the husband. You already know that you blew past recreational use a while back - take some advice from these people and check that Thomas Recipe and Amino Acid Protocol..........and best of luck to you

[malenurse57]

Hang in there girl you can do this ! Just think how much better you will be for the little guy. It will be rough you are gonna have flu like symptomslike you have never had before, but they won't last forever just 4-6 days for the worst of it.
Good luck and God bless.
"T"

[meg52080]

i have just gotten back from the health food store - came home with a bag full!  got a mega-amino acid complex that contains stuff from the thomas recipe.  also got calcium, magnesium and zinc.  also got a homeopathic remedy that is called (fittingly enough) Rescue Remedy.  we shall see if these things truly help.  still have the racing heart, but i have an (as of yet) undiagnosed arrhythmia problem that i have had since about 16.  should probably get it checked out as my sister had mitral valve replacement at the age of 32.  but w/o insurance, that would be pretty difficult. keep on truckin!

[meg52080]

day one has been really difficult.  the usual things that i've heard about though, i suppose. flu-like symptoms generally speaking, with tachycardia (racing heart), palpitations, and extreme cold sweats.  am taking the thomas recipe (maybe not 100% exactly, but the basic idea). unsure whether it is helping or will help at some point. have to maintain some resemblance of a "normal" appearance as i am going through this alone. this forum has been very helpful but it would be nice to have an actual person in front of me to discuss all of this with. i am hoping that sleep will come somewhat easily, though not thoroughly expecting it. i have been in touch with limodan73 who joined up the same day as me and is consequently starting w/d @ the same time. will keep everyone updated on the progress.

[road2recovery]

Good luck...IT is awesome to go through it together...ME and AVIS are one day apart....Remember hot baths are a life saver....Good luck.
praying for you!
r2r

[TrayCee]

check my " journal", lots of good info in there

[shera944]

its 4 am and i am coming off a 7 year stretch from oxys after brain surgery,idid the taper from 300mg a day down to 20, i thought the "pains " wouldnt be so bad.....b.s. this still *****!!! this fourm has helped thx....shanea

[shera944]

hello

[Kevin_Bacon]

I'l bet you don't feel like posting -- even sitting up, for that matter, but when you get the chance, how's it going?

[Mindgamez53]

hi i am coming from a oxy addiction for a little more than a year. i started out on 20/40 mgs a day to taking 80mgs a day now. i always crushed them and snorted. i have tried to quit a few times but because of the mind of anxiety of WD symtoms i have resorted back to oxys. I have 7- 80mgs left in my drawer but i am not touching them unless my WD symtoms get so servere i need a line to calm myself down. But this will be my tapering down method until i can function without the use of OXYS. I did take two small lines when i woke up this morning.....Thanks to all that is reading i hope we can all make it through together. I will post updates to all of you guys to see how i am faring.