Day 6

At 5:15pm today, i will be exactly 6 days with no pills.  After work yesterday I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the eliptical machine.  The year i spent doing Lortabs must have really gotten me out of shape because my heart rate was at 180 plus for almost the whole time.  After that, spent about 15 minutes in the steam room.  Picked up food and a movie and cuddled up with my wife on the couch.  The movie was "Waitress".  It's funny and all you ladies that say "hun" will like it, so check it out.  Anyway, here I am, day six, going strong and feeling good.  Probably going to play tennis today -- got to keep these endorphines going.

Ya know, I tried to quit taking the pills at least 10 times prior to this.  All of those times, I never made it past 3 or 4 days.  I didn't realize how close I was.  So to all of you one, two, three, and four dayers out there, stay strong, you are almost there.

[avisg]

wooo hoooo , you are doing great ...... one more day and it will be a full week that is great !!!
keep it up.
avis

[DirtyJer_z]

Glad to hear it!!! Keep it up!!

I am at the 62 hour mark and it is TOUGH. The RLS and things it is doing to my head suck really bad. But it is good to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Did you have any RLS at all? When did that go away, if so?

[ItIsTime]

I have many leg and knee problems, but not RLS.  My worst physical symptom was the stomach cramps.  I was curled up in a ball for most of the first three days.  But on the 4th day my physical pains mostly went away.  The 4th day was my first day back at work and I had the worst anxiety of my life.  I had a dream about a giant xan-bar that night.  On the 5th day I was worried that the anxiety would come back, but it didn't.  I wish i knew more about RLS so i could tell you something.  I'm sure there is something you can do to ease this problem.

62 hours is fantastic.  You're still in the hard part, but when you hit 72 things should start getting a lot better.  Focus and stay strong.

Just 10 more hours!

[MICHAEL_777]

Excellent news!  Keep up the good fight.  You're workout strategy is excellent advice and you are living proof that it can be done.  Love and Strength to ya man!

[DirtyJer_z]

Thanks! I needed to hear that right now. I am in a very rough spot at the moment. Legs are going nuts and getting hit with the depression pretty hardcore.

I did eat a bit though so I guess that is some improvement...

I am actually back at work today and it hasn't been easy. Only one more hour here today though. 64 hours!

[ItIsTime]

I assume you are from New Jersey.  Have you ever seen the movie "Garden State"?  It is one of my favorite movies of all time.  If you haven't, you should go rent it.  I watched it on day 3, and it made me feel a lot better.  It helps to distract yourself some.

[DirtyJer_z]

Yep I am. and yeah I have seen it. It is a great flick. Of course I can't even seem to sit still long enough to make it through an hour long TV show let alone an entire movie. Thanks for the advice though! Maybe I will try something like that tomorrow.

Going to try taking a walk with my fiancee tonight when I get home from work to see if that helps some.

[ItIsTime]

That is amazing that you went to work today.  I did my detoxing over Thanksgiving holiday.  You obviously have control.  I would have been hiding in the bathroom or my truck if i had attempted that.  Be sure to take that walk.  Make yourself if you have to.  Did you have RLS prior to the withdrawals?  You should post a question asking what helps with RLS.  I'm sure someone in here knows something.

[DirtyJer_z]

I had to come in to work today. I thought about staying home but I am very likely going to have to go out of town for my fiancee's grandmother's funeral (she's real bad off right now) so I can't afford the time off. So not so much a matter of control as of necessity. I really want to be there for my fiancee.

I plan to make myself take the walk. Will likely take a hot shower or bath before it but I really want to do it.

I have always had a bit of RLS on and off when I was younger but only when I got really tired and never enough to keep me awake.

Michael77 recommended melatonin but I am not sure I want anything else in me to affect my brain chemistry. I am already taking zoloft and depakote for bi-polar so...

[ItIsTime]

Have you heard of any sort of exercise or stretching that may help?

[DirtyJer_z]

Unfortunately no. I really have no other ideas on how to get rid of it. I even tried a homeopathic remedy that I found at CVS just for that purpose and it didn't seem to do a thing. Seems like I just have to suffer through it. :(

[ItIsTime]

It will pass.  How about your concentration at work.  Other times, when I went to work during withdrawals, I could not concentrate and couldn't get anything done.  I'm a construction estimator, usually estimating multi-million dollar projects.  I can't afford to make mistakes because I'm going through withdrawals.  Maybe i just couldn't concentrate because estimating is boring - counting, measuring, adding, etc all day.

[DirtyJer_z]

It seems to be a least a bit better tonight. The walk was TREMENDOUS! Got to spend some quality time with my fiancee which was REALLY nice and it really did do wonders. Felt more like myself than I have in a LONG time. A bit cold but I didn't even mind it.

As for concentration at work it has been horrible. I am basically just doing the bare minimum to get by. But I at least pulled that much off ( at least I think I did) today. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

I have been pretty much sleeping wherever I finally pass out but I am really going to try and sleep in the same bed as my fiancee tonight .( I miss that alot. and haven't wanted to bother her with my constant up and down and walking around.) Right at about 69 hours now!

I really appreciate all you have said and the time you have spent helping me through my struggles when I know you are also going through your own. It really says alot about the kind of person you are.

You haven't really said much lately about how you are making out. How are things going for you?!?! Still fighting the good fight?

Stay strong and thanks again!!