Does weaning off of Norco/Vicodin work??

[tired5]

I am new to all of this, I took Vicodin for a while for knee surgeries.  4 in 3 years.  I am completely fine now, I mean that I have no pain.  However, I do have a 10-12 pill a day Norco habit.  I have convinced myself many times that I can wean myself off of the meds.  Does this work.  I am thinking about getting some more to try and wean myself off.  I had 4 Vicodin this morning @ 730 and I have had nothing else all day except Motrin.  It is now 450am and I have been awake since 2am.  I feel restless as hell, I can not relax.  I am scared.  I don't know if I can do this.  Can I wean myself, does cold turkey work better.  I have children to take care of, I go to school part time, I need to be available during the day.  Please help I am feeling so helpless and tired.  I am also on Wellbutrin for adult ADD.  However, it is not helping with the quitting of the painkillers.  Thank you for any help that you can offer.

[JoAnne1957]

I know it has been a long time since you posted this but I have been reading it and see this as being my route to stop.  I have never been addicted as much as I thought I would be.  I go with go without on and off but certainly don't need this crap anymore.  
I am going to do exactly what you said also, a physically demanding hobby.  Mine will be Martial Arts.  Focus is my focus!.
Thanks for this, I am making my schedule now!

a4jojo

[jmag222]

Havent read anyones post asking if alcohol (Beer) or marijuana would help with withdrawals symptoms.  I have both.....been taking two and a half vicodins (750 MG) for 5 years...It all started with surgury and when the doctor wouldnt prescribe more i ended up buying them from a sister in law who has a never ending prescription of 80 a month and cant take them so I have been buying them from her every month. 100.00.    I just bought 80 from here and now ive decided to get off these devils and find i cant.....havent slept for 3 days and havent eaten a bite for two days. ffeel like killing myself.....I am so ashamed I am now an addict.....never in my wildest dreams would i ever figure these pill would have such a grip on me....its crazy...what about the beer and weed....quit drinking 10 years ago but im so ready to start again if it will help me sleep.....tried unisom and nuquil but they dont help....can someone help me out with the beer and weed thing.....thanx in advance      Jimmy

[kbd549]

only thing i'm scared about is the legitimate pain i do feel in my back. how do you deal with stenosis, that hurts? I want off, i want my normal life back!. its only been a little more than a year. i have the up to 20 per day habit. but i want off i have a 13 year old and although i'm only 50, stenosis and mild scoliosis runs in family.

[court617]

This is my 6th day detoxing from vicodin, and let me say it isn't easy. I was taking 8-20 pills a day for the last 8 years. But I stopped cold turkey except there were two days in the mix where I took 1 pill one day and a half the other. This did help it was almost like cold turkey but with a tiny bit of help and it worked. I actually slept last night and I'm feeling a lot better today. I still have RLS and some anxiety but its all extremely better. I've also taken vitamin c, d, and e and immodium, plus tylenol and in conjunction with each other has made it better also. But honestly anyway that you choose to do it, it is hard and you will be sick but just keep faith cause it is only about 6-8 days before you are completely back to normal and you can get your life back. Good luck to all of you getting off this horrible addictive drug.

[eyehatedrugs]

I have stopped and relapsed several times.  That being said, stopping is something that I know how to do, at least for myself.  These are the steps that you have to commit to.  If you cant commit to them all, then you are not ready to quit.
1.  Resign yourself to the fact that life ***** without drugs, at least it does at first.  But it does get better with time.
2.  Commit yourself to the idea that you will never take another pill to get high again, just to relieve your symptoms.  THATS ALL!!!!!
3.  Be preparred for a long, gradual weening period.  Set a schedule and take the meds at exact intervals.
4.  Find a physically demanding hobby.  Running works for me because it naturally kicks in your opiod receptors.  Also, hot showers, immodium, tylenol(regular kind), water.
5.  Once you get down to 10-15 mgs a day, the side effects are minimal.  Be preparred for a few restless nights, but once you get down that low, it doesnt really matter to take them any more.
6.  See #s 1 and 2 again.

It basically comes down to self control, and a set schedule of reduction.  But trust me, everything gets better with time, and before you know it, you will be rid of it and looking back and saying "he was right"

[kittymom66]

Wow - me too - I was taking vicodin (norco) for years but went cold turkey 19 days ago today.  It took about 7 days to start feeling normal  restless leggs lasted about 4 to 5 days.  I took the thomas recipe - look it up and it helped trememdously.  The worst was the anxiety in my chest and the lack of sleep - sleep comes last - I am just now feeling I can sleep without anxiety.  I wish I could tell you it was easy - it is not - but it is worth it once you start feeling your new kind of normal.....the first few days all I could think of is how I was going to enjoy anything without the pills when in fact I was not enjoying anything with taking the pills - swtressing about where my next bottle would come from and feeling sicker and sicker between doses - I could not even sleep through the nite cause it was toolong between doses and I would wake up sick at about 3 AM and takes some.....long story short - there is light at the end of the tunnel if you just tell yourself you most likely won't die from ct but you might wish you would and it ends - it is not forever and you are much better off - have more money - have less stress - and happier in the long run - take care and good luck on your ct - let me know how you are doing.
Kitty Mom