Back Pain/Meds

I am trying to taper off of Vicodin, having been on it due to a bad fall in October, fracturing my T12 and L2 vertebrae. I continue to be in a lot of discomfort, but I am concerned about side effects I have been having as I taper off. I get very nervous, headache, nauseous, hot sweats. I am a 3yr BC survivor, and have had to take a lot of different medications over the last 3 yrs, but nothing that has effected me like this. How long will it take for my system to detox? Should I continue to taper off, or should I just stop taking the med?

[hatethewrongroad]

whether to taper or go c/t seems to be a personal decision, depends on how your wired. I've been on Vicoden for over 4 yrs.   I'm on day 4 of c/t  and i see alot of light at the end of the tunnel today. I think pulling the bandade off quick is the best way to go. Hope the best to you!!

[Jaybay]

First, you have my hearty congratulations for winning your BC battle!  As for your symptoms, they all coincide neatly with withdrawal symptoms.  I know it's not easy, but try to remind yourself it's normal for anyone who tapers off narcotics or stops cold turkey.  There just isn't any way to stop opiate therapy without experiencing a certain amount of withdrawal.  

Although you mention you've had to take a lot more meds for your cancer, you're probably just now noticing withdrawal because you're now down to the nitty gritty.  You have a choice: either draw it out with a taper or bite the bullet and get it over with.  Please talk to your doctor and get his (or her) advice about what you're doing.  If the withdrawal symptoms are too dreadful, there are some non-narcotic meds you can take short-term to help you through it.

[Kimberly Sue]

Thank you both so much for your responses. I gues I am on the right track with getting off the vicodin. I'm going to just keep tapering it off....reducing dosage once a week. It may seem like it stretches out the discomfort, but with all I have been through, I don't think I could handle cold turkey. I will discuss this with my orthopedist today.
Again, thanks for the feedback.....

[Jaybay]

One word of caution: your orthopedist may not be aware of the meds available to help with opiate detox or how they're prescribed.  Some primary care physicians handle detox and pain management docs are supposed to include that knowlege in their scope of practice but it doesn't always seem to be the case.  

Depending on how low you've already tapered, your withdrawal may not be much worse than what you're already experiencing.  It just doesn't seem fair to battle cancer and then be faced with detox, does it?

Have a look waaay down at the bottom right hand side of this page.  There are two Health Pages there that can help you through detox.  One is the Thomas Recipe, the other is the Amino Acid protocol.  You might want to print those out and review them with your doctor before you make your final jump.  Many people here report that these things have taken some of the punch out of detox and made it at least semi-bearable.

Keep on hanging around - particularly when you get to the point of completely quitting.  We'll all help you through it.  :-)

[vicki595]

Hi~  I saw your other post. I think you mean you're taking 2.5mg 3x per day,right? That's not a lot and you dropped your dose by 30% so you'll feel withdrawals. When you taper,it's better to go slower to give your body time to adjust. Talk it over with the
doctor. In your case,given the pain you're in,I think tapering is best.  I would do this:
Take the Vicodin along with 800mg of Motrin and 25mg of Benadryl. It will work a little better for pain relief. Also,push fluids,take vitamins and minerals(potassium,magnesium,
calcium,zinc.) Move around,eat well and keep that taper under 30% at a time.

All the best!

[Jaybay]

I forgot to mention something important: rebound pain.  This is what happens for a few weeks when opiates are tapered and stopped.  Your pain will be noticeably worse and you'll probably have pain in places that never hurt before.  Give it two or three weeks and it should go away.  Hot baths help a LOT!

[MV77]

Good Afternoon,

Love to hear from BC survivors because they have a special place in my heart as I am also a BC survivor at age 33!  I am also a Cervical Cancer survivor!
You got through that awful battle with Cancer so this should be a piece of cake.  I have been clean for 21days and feel so good now.  I did quit cold turkey, I just didn't want to prolong the withdrawls.  Of course it is your decision I am just sharing what I have done.

What really helped me the few days the withdrawls were really bad are:
Hot baths and showers (I lived in the bath for 3 days)
Vitamins (potassium if you have restless legs and body)
Exercise walk as much as you can or whatever kind of exercise you like (Do it even when you don't want to)
Lots of fluids push them even when you don't feel like it.  Eat when you can that will help with your energy.

Keep the Immodium by your side for tummy issues and a water bottle or gatorade.

If I can be of anymore help please let me know.  MV

[Kimberly Sue]

I have completed tapering off the vicodin, but it is a miserable experience. I was not able to do the Thomas recipe, as had been suggested.  As I was going to be out of my prescription anyhow, I just decided to go for it. Unfortunately, I have also run out of my anxiety meds which I am sure would have helped me a lot, will be getting those refilled today. Also ran out of my soma, which I am very careful with, but need due to the back spasms....they can cause complications to my vertebrae healing, so I have to stay on it for a while longer...but I only take one in the AM, and one at bedtime. I am going to call my GP to see if I can get in and talk to him about what I am going through getting off of the vicodin.
Last night was terrible. Like conscious sleep...hot sweats, headache, feel like I am vibrating inside. Also out of my sleep meds....what a mess I am in!!
I have been on Effexor for several years, and plan to stay on it until I have completed my cancer medications. It has been very effective up to now with controlling the hot sweats that are a side effect of my cancer medication. My doc recently added a new to the market medication, Savella. I guess it is supposed to be like Lyrica, for general aches and pains (bone and joint pain also a prominent side effect of the cancer med), and usually prescribed for fibromyalgia. I don't like it, can't tell that it has made much difference, and have started to taper off of that as well. I'm just tired of taking so many medications. Plus, I just finished a month of Chantix, successfully quitting smoking (again). I can't afford the refill, and it seems to me that the Chantix just complicates what I am trying to do with the rest of the medications. No one else in my house smokes, and I had quit when I was diagnosed with the BC, but about a year ago I was in a very defiant mood about what cancer has robbed me of, and went back to smoking as I had been a smoker for many years and felt it was part of the me I had lost in this whole journey.....stinking thinking !
I sound like a real whiner don't I ? Arrrgghhh.......not like me.......don't know myself anymore with all of this.....
Thank you to all who have given me some feedback....and thanks for trying to get through this terribly long message.....