Going Cold Turkey and worried!!

[spinalfussion]

Hey guys, I have never posted on and page like this before. I have been on percs and norco{8 a day) since 2009,  I had a spinal fusion 360 April 23 2012.  I ran out of my meds..I have 2 left as of today and I can not fill them until Wednesday the 24th, which is 7 days.  I need advice on helping with withdraws.  I have never had to go thru withdrawls since I have never ran out like this before. Please help me..I know I am going to feel uncomfortable, but is there anything that will help. I also have scripts to 300mg neurotin and 10mg flexeril..will either one of those help with the withdraw.
Thanks

[vrgrrl]

Can you talk to your doctor at all about what's going on? Were you experiencing a significantly higher amount of pain and that's why you ran out early? It sounds like you haven't been in this position before so I am hopeful that you could talk to your doctor about it and work with them on a controlled taper off of them rather than cold turkey.

My story is pretty weird -- I was given fentanyl patches immediately post op after a three level lumbar disc fusion to stop me from screaming so they could get me out of the hospital faster. It worked but I was miserable on the stuff. Unfortunately it only took about 2 weeks for my body to get hooked on it and when they tried to CT me, I had a grand mal seizure. So I have spent every day this year in a taper off withdrawal. I'm now 10 days free of the fentanyl and taking percocet on a taper off withdrawal for a few more weeks and then I will be off of all of this. I have taken pain meds before -- I've had 7 surgeries now (the other 6 were due to ovarian cancer). I've never had a problem tapering off of what they've given me post op within a few weeks. Then someone got the bright idea to try Fentanyl on me and I'm still paying for it and I don't know how much longer I'll keep paying for it even though I'm off of it -- I am significantly weakened in mind, spirit and body.

I hope that you are able to safely stop your medication with as little discomfort as possible. Like I said, seriously consider talking to your doctor. You don't have to go cold turkey and it sounds like you are wanting off of it anyway and your doctor SHOULD (although I know from experience that there are a lot of jerks out there) be able to give you a schedule for tapering off of it to make the withdrawal a lot more tolerable and humane...

*hugs* and best of luck!

[clean_in_ks]

Welcome to the forum.....lots and lots of us on this forum became addicted to pain meds because of a legit medical condition.  After we load our pain receptors up with the meds for a long period of time, they actually quit working and our pain even increases.   At some point in time, we cross this invisible line....and we begin taking more and more to get the same desired result.  When we begin to run out early and are unable to take them as prescribed......we have to look at the possiblity of dependency or addiction being an issue for us.  It is something each person must determine on their own.  For me, I KNEW I was addicted and I would kill myself if I didn't change the direction I was going.

I had been on them for about the same amount of time as you....I began a regular daily dosing of them when I fractured my pelvis, tailbone & sacrum.
Not too long after healing from that, I had discs herniate....well.....long story short.....by June of this last year.....I was ingesting 20-30 pills/day.

It's progressive....this addiction business.  If you just want to find a way to remain comfortable until you can refill your script.....read our forums and health pages for tips on doing that.  The Neurotin and Flexeril taken as prescribed should assist you with nerve pain and to relax your muscles and I'm sure your scripts have dosage instructions on them.  But, with no opiates in your system....w/drawal symptoms are inevitable to some degree.

One last thought.....when we initially go off pain medication.....we have what is called "rebound pain".....it will increase for a bit......but once the opiates are totally out of your system, you will then be better able to accurately re-evaluate your pain levels.

I'm a chronic pain person.......but using an opiate for pain is simply no longer an option for me.....I'm on this new journey in my life.....I'm learning to live a life in pain....without pain pills.  And I have lots to learn still.

Wishing you the best~

[ricart70]

Look up the thomas recipe at the bottom right of this page.It will also help considerably.You can do this.It just won't be fun. Keep posting for support.

[ricart70]

I would say just stay hydrated and try not to focus on the withdrawal too much.Try to distract yourself with movies or whatever keeps your mind busy.
You are not taking too high a dose so the withdrawals won't be too bad.
We are not allowed to give out any dosing info .I would google that info as I am sure you will find an answer.  Just try to take it easy.

[spinalfussion]

and how many neurotin should I take at a time to help with the withdrawl??! and how many is unsafe to take?! and I also have flexeril? how many of those are safe to take to help with the withdrawls?!

[spinalfussion]

ok. well  i have 2 left and I cant pick up my refill until wednesday morning...what do you suggest i do??

[ricart70]

yes it makes sense but once we cross the line into abuse we have a hard time going back to as needed use

[spinalfussion]

i take the neurotin at night and when my hips are hurting. I do take the pills for pain and mental, i am sure, since i have been on it for such a long period of time..
i do think i will be prescribed some kind of pain medicine for the rest of my life, but like I said before, I would like to take it ONLY when I am having a bad pain day,  but right now I have to take it to be "normal"  does that make sense?!

[ricart70]

It will help with both.Do you not take the neurontin ?  Do you take the pain meds for the mental effect or for the actual pain?

[spinalfussion]

thats the thing, I dont know how much pain I am really in, since I have been on meds for 5 years...I want to get off of them,  but i still have scolosis, and surely I will have pain the rest of my life, my true goal is to be able to take a pain pill when I have pain, not because if I dont I will be sick.  And how will the neurotin help? with pain? with withdrawls?

[ricart70]

Hey, the neurontin will help alot.It sounds like your tolerance is increasing.Are you using these for pain still? Lots of people are here to help if you want to get off of these pills.Keep posting