HYDROCODONE

[teri]

I guess you might say that it can not happen to you.  Wrong I have gone through 7 surgeries in the past 8 months to recunstruct my teeth and jaw.  I have been taking this medication (hydro) regularly for the entire time. Finally I tried to stop taking the medication and found myself very ill. I did not understand the problems it can cause.  I sat down with my doctor yesterday and she was wonderful.  Because I have been taking 5 to 6 pills a day she decided to slowly take me off them.  I will start by taking 5 pills for 3 days, 4 pills for 3 days, 3 pills for 3 days, 2 pills for 3 days and then and optional one pill for 3 days.  I skipped the first part and started with 4 pills for 3 days.  I only feel a little nausous at times.  However, once the medication starts to leave my body will it become worse and worse?  Or is this method of detoxing your body the best?  Also is it true the more you take the harder the withdraws are.  I think it is very important to keep a positive outlook and know that once its over I will be ok.  Also my doctor gave me a medication called bentyl.  Will this help my stomach?

[selfinduced]

Welcome CB, Glad you've reached out. Your in good company. The financial aspect of these pills is bad, but will soon become the least of your worries. It sounds like your at a perfect stopping point. If you say you don't use if they are not around, you may not yet be dependent. For you it is mental. Can you go to councling or NA meetings for support? You may want to start your own thread to get more support, this one is old. Please stick around. You can do this and we can help. When was your last pill?

[MikeyCy]

Yes I have been prescribed bentyl for my IBS and I have taken it along with immodium during my withdrawals and it works pretty darn well...not 100% but defiantly help a great deal

[Cb1787]

I need advise on how to get through withdraws of hydrocodon I have been using for 2 years and it has financially hurt me and my love life is wrecked. I have a huge problem with saying I'm done then the next day someone has them and I can't resist but to say yes, even if I'm broke ill get them fronted to me. I take 5 10s a day or what ever I get but usually I use everyday. But when I'm not around them I don't take them. Please help me, I can't talk to no one so I feel this is my option

[christopher1982]

Hey all, I dunno if anyone still helps with hydrocodone withdrawels, but I am new to this site. I've been taking hydrocodone now for about 2.5 years and it started like everyone else, taking a few pills here and there cope. It had gotten the best of me, so i hit up doctors with back problems and now have gotten so bad that I ingest nearly 20 a day. I know I have a problem and I want more than anything to stop. I work a full time and a part time job and cannot afford to lose either one so I feel rehab center wouldn't be the best option for me. I don't want them to know about the problem. I've wanted to ween off of them,  but dont have the will power to do it, cuz If i have them I cannot control myself. It doesnt help that my g/f is also addicted to them so we do whatever we can to either get money and buy them illegally or wait til I have my refill every month. Are there any home remedies that will help with withdrawel symptoms? I know that I won't be able to get out of this scott free, but I figure if theres something like vitamins or other things to help with the withdrawels then Id probably have a better chance of getting clean. I want to so bad. It's drained me financially and my credibility is now shot because of my addicition. Thanks in advance for any help.

   Chris

[ihatethecold]

this sucks I know what all are going through.I was on vic es14 to 16 a day till gone then tramadol 20+ a day till refill every 15 days scripts from diff. docs. On day 3 cold turkey but have to deal with back pain everyday. Had surgey oct  06 so hang in everybody we can do this for our familys they need us back. the articals help with hope beacuse the withdraws are bad sick *** hell.  WithHope and family we can do it

[mikemrw]

Have to say I feel relieved that there are other people out there talking about this subject. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here. I had total knee reconstruction 7 weeks ago and taking hydrocodone 5mg/500 and 7.5mg 750. I’m taking about 1 to 3 a day depending on the pain.. And now I have to go for another surgery on my shoulder. It looks like ill be taking the meds for a few months, I know I should take the meds but I don’t want to get addicted. What advise can anyone give me? Thanks and good luck to everyone? Wood

[rbpprerunner]

i get a perscription for 60 of them i take them all an know what im getting myself into it takes me about a week to get thru them all then comes the suvere depression an anger an all that bs an i jusst stay off of them for about 2 months what ive found out is no matter how many i take after about 3 days is the hardest after the 3 days im usuallhy back to normal i think is u just go cold turkey thru the 3 days u will be ok only thing is an i hope u will all be diff i always go back but just make it thru that 3 i have about ten pills left it sucks i hate it i hate what road im comming up to but if i get thru it it will all be ok an that is the one of the best things ive heard until u have god u have nothing

[daisyhere]

my husband has been taking lorcet 10/650 for over a year now. he took due to a knee surgery and then arthritis in that same knee. his doctor gave him a prescription for 4 a day for a month supply with 3 refills but then he'd go back to the same doctor about the same time that month was over and get another prescription with 3 more refills. he did this until he had prescriptions at 4 different pharmacies. this enabled him to take more each day than what he was supposed to. after about a year, losing our home, a car and almost our marriage, he decided to get help. his wake up call:  our 15 year old daughter screaming, "daddy, what the f**k are you doing?" To answer that question, he was pushing me. he's never been a violent person before but had taken 115 lorcet 10/650 in 2 days and was out. he had  taken a handful of  xanex 1's (which he also had a prescription for). those make him mean. the next day, he woke up & asked me to help him get help. we called around (this was monday) on weds he was 100 miles away in florida at a CARE facility for detox. they gave him Bentyl and i picked him up 9 days later. he's been home only 2 days and it is hard but  physically, he's fine. he's (we're) battling the mental addiction now. it doesn't help that his mother carries around a bag with all kinds of prescription "goodies" in it. so, he's also struggling with the idea that we are going to have to ask his mother to stay away from him. she doesnt respect what he's been through & the fact that he is trying to save his life, his marriage and his LIFE (literally). i'm scared to death about the journey ahead but i've stuck in here through it all so far and wouldnt dare take the easy way out now. i'd like to give for & ask for some advice......give: dont give up on your loved one or yourself, it has to get worse before it gets better and there WILL be a wake up call. they have to want help to get the help they need. i have went from being a very hopeless person to being grateful & hopeful. i thank God i have him and for the second chance at life he's been given. God, my husband found out, is the key to getting better. you cant do it alone & family is great but until you have God, you have nothing.
the advice i wanted to ask for was about his mother.....how in the world do we handle her? she has lots of physical problems but more than half the meds she takes daily she could do without and she has multiple prescriptions for the same drugs from the same doctor. we dont want to write her out of our lives but we do want her to respect what we are going through.

[FLaddict]

HI there... welcome..  THe post you responded to is an old one from 2000.. you will probably get more responses if you post a new question on the main page of the addiction forum....

[catfelix]

Hi guys I'm new and addicted to hydrcodone
tapered before but blew it I guess its cause I like it
will try again to taper
tips appreciated

[J.P.]

I have been taking pain pills of any kind for about two years.  I started out taking maybe 3-4 pills, {lorcet plus, percocet, tylox, etc.} a day. Now I have to take three or four pills at a time and can easily go through 20 a day.  When I run out of money I will do anything to get them, steal, lie, and even trade personal clothes to get them.  There is help, I have been through two treatment centers.  They kept me clean for a while but I always went back to the drug.  The reason is I really haven't decided myself that I want to quit.  There is no help for you if you do not want it. Trust me I know.

[Reni]

I have had a spinal injury and have been on vicodin for about 5 years now at one pill at night.  I just had surgery again and am on Percocet every 4 hours.  Before the surgery (for the ruptured disc that was strangulating the sciatic nerve) I hurt a lot and was taking vicodin every 4 hours along with soma (muscle relaxer), this did help.  After surgery (lower lumbar) I do have lots of pain and the Percocet helps.  I did notice after a few days of just taking the Percocet and no vicodin that I would get chills off and on and have nausea.  It finally dawned on me that I probably was going thru vicodin withdrawals.  Can you get vicodin withdrawals when you are on percocet?  Can someone tell me what the withdrawals are so that I can recognize them.  Also how long do they last.  I am only taking 1 vicodin every day at this time and Percocet about every 4 hours for pain.  I cry at the drop of a hat and have feelings of despondency and despair.  Im crying as I write this.  I stumbled on this site and was really grateful to hear your comments...IM NOT ALONE!! thank God.  I cant quite kick this now since its only been a week since the surgery but I do want to quite after the pain subsides.   This has been a nightmare and I want it to stop.  Thanks for your help.

[AJ]

One of the replies said to look into the person's eyes to tell if they are on the drug - or addicted. What does this mean and what do you look for? My husband has been using Hydro for over 3 years - from "chronic back pain" that no doctor can identify beyond tight muscles - and other treatments didn't work. Sometimes he says he's quit, but he always has a fresh bottle on hand! I've confronted him before. Worried now, cause he shows with intensity the side effects listed on websites, and he's falling asleep during eating,etc. and also suddenly developed sleep apnea. Somethings wrong with him - and I need to know how I can tell if it's the medicine, addiction, or neither. I found a perscrip. dated 4/3 for 20 tabs of hydro, and another dated 4/5 for 120 tablets of zydone. both bottles are now empty - and were filled by same doctor. 10 mg dosages. Also found cyclobenzaprine 10mg filled 4/5 that's empty (90 tabs). What does this mean?? How could he get two bottles of similar sounding stuff two days apart? I hope someone has ideas - I'm nervous and need a resource for help!

[debra]

I would advise you to get another Dr., he should care wither or not you get addicted, if you stay on these drugs for very long you will start taking more and more, you will become totaly dependent on them. my sister is prescription drug addict, shehas been going to a number of diffrent Dr. to get any type pain med., she has lost her kids,about to lose her home, but nothing matters,but getting her drugs. PLEASE GET HELP

[Annette]

I am looking at getting off narcotic pain meds and sleeping pills.  I have been working with a chiropractor for about six weeks.  They have been encouraging me to go cold turkey on the sleeping pills (restoril 30mg)  I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 9/98 and have been on darvocet and vicodin ever since.  I take anywhere from 2 to 8 darvocet a day and if pain is really bad then I take 2 - 4 vicodin per day (not at same time as darvocet.)  I have talked with my doctor about dependence to restoril (temzepan) and he doesn't seem to care.  He says that my sleep is more important than dependence.  He refuses to call it addiction.  Anyway, I want off from all of it eventually to see where my body is with the chronic pain.  It's like, am I in pain from withdrawal of pain meds or in pain because of fibro!!  Any suggestions would be appreciated thanks!

[To Brian from Philisha]

Thanks for the advice, but we have tried that on more than one accasion, she thinks that we are judging her when we tell her we think she needs help, we have tried to explain that we just love her and don't want anything bad to happenn to her. Still she doesen't want to listen. I don't know what to do anymore. I thought that if she lost my brother and I that that would wake her up but so far it hasn't. Thte only thing that I konw to do is pray that she will hit rock bottom and realize that she needs help. I haven't spoken to her in a week today, scince my brother and I moved out, but she doesen't seem to care. I know that this is not my mother, that it is her addiction, but I barely remember what she is really like. I am just afraid that my brother will never get to see the real mother that we have. He is staying with his dad about an hour away from here he called and told me that mom had called him, but she has not tried to contact me, I wonder if their is some way for me to have her commited to get treatment, but if I did would she have to stay or could she leave? I have ran out of places to turn to for help for her. I am 17 and the rest of the kids my age are enjoying life, I just want my family back and need help doing it.

[Brian to Philisha]

I really feel bad for you and your brother.  I know this must really be hurting you seeing your mother harming herself with her addiction.  She is angry with you but you have done NOTHING wrong.  It is not really her who is angry, it is the addiction speaking.  She is in complete denial and unless she decides she has a problem she will not get help.  Your Aunt and other family members may want to try something called an intervention.  This is where close family and friends confront her when she isn't expecting it.  They don't yell at her or accuse her, they simply talk about how much they love her and that she needs help.  They try to provide her with support and tell her she has no other option but to get help.  Hopefully something like that will help her realize how she is hurting her children and others she loves.  You and your brother must understand that this addiction is not your fault and you can't blame yourselves for how she is or for not being there.  Please take care of yourself and your brother as your top priority.  YOU CAN'T FIX THIS FOR YOUR MOM.  SHE MUST DO IT! Take care and please write again to let us know how you are doing.  Brian

[Philisha]

my mom has had 2 back surgeries and she has taken lorecet for 4 years now she is addicted. She is taking entirly to many. She is seeing 4 differnet doctors, and still runs out of them. When she doesen't have them she takes anything she can get her hands on. She will admitt that she has a problem but claims she has it under control, but she doesen't. My younger brother who is 12 and I  recently moved out of the house to live with realatives because she became immpossible to live with. She refuses to speak to me she feels like I abandon her. But I really want to help her. But she doesen't want help, but I am 17 and I want my mother back. How can I help her? My aunt called all of the doctors she was seeing and told them about her problem, but she can find another doctor or she will get them off the street.Help

[Mike]

WOW! It sure helps to know that so many people like yourself have this in common. Due to back problems I've been taking hydrocodone for a few years and more and more to get pain releif.
I know it's time to stop and thats how I stumbled onto this site.
I'm like you If nothing else I feel the energy I sometimes get is worth the ADDICTION. I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT SOMETIMES IT DOES THE OPPOSITE.
After reading your letter and some of the others I feel alittle better knowing that it can be conquered. I'm  just not sure how to handle the lack of energy boost and withdrawl at the same time.
I'm embarased to tell anyone to get help.I'm in business and would loose to much respect to bring it out.
Before any answers different I'm being realistic thats all.
Danice, My E mail is  ***@**** if you're interested in discussing this further.
Either way : Good luck to all of us. Iguess it"s time to start and now I have a little More insight as how to do it.
mike.

[Brian-to Denice]

Denice, I too went through the painkiller addiction-withdrawal cycle many a time.  Do NOT tell your doctor immediately.  Many doctors care more about their own problems (fear of lawsuit, DEA problems, etc.) caused by having an addicted patient, then they do about helping you.  Your doctor may be a good one and may help you get off the drugs.  But, if you read many postings on the net, many people told their doc and the first thing he did was cut of the drugs. Then gave some great advice like, "go get yourself some help."  Then where are you.  My best advice is to look for an addiction medicine specialist in your area who can treat you outpatient.  Look in the yellow pages.  If you can't find one that way, call local treatment centers and ask if they do outpatient detox or know of local doctors that do.  Then call that doc and he can prescribe appropriate meds (such as buprenophine) to detox you humanely.  The other alternative is, since you are not taking ungodly amounts (many of us have taken the equivalent of 30-40 Vicodin ES a day), you can wean yourself slowly without much pain.  I have found going down no more than 10% per day in total dosage will ease you down with not much pain.  If you have enough pills, do 5% per day until you reach bottom.  This takes alot of willpower because you will have the urge to cheat.  However, if you really want to get off them, and want to stay out of detox, this is a way you can do it.  I would recommend getting help to stay off them because as we all can testify, that is the hard part--it makes getting clean look like a breeze.  Join NA or something similar.  Good luck.

[To Danice from Teri]

Danice,

If you talk to your doctor and tell them the truth, yes you may be in pain but can live with out the meds, then they can help you.  I am tapering off the medication and doing really well.  The doctors can also give you meds to help with the withdrawals.  I am going back into surgery in two weeks, I know exactly how you feel.  But you have to be able to have self-control over the term of the taper program.  God Bless you!!!
Teri

[DANICE WANTING RELIEF TOO]

I TOO HAVE BEEN TAKING HYDROCODONE 7.5 EVERYDAY FOR ABOUT ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW. IT STARTED OUT WITH JUST ONE OR TWO A DAY, BUT I AM NOW UP TO 6-10 A DAY.  IT ALL STARTED WITH SEVERE BACK PAIN AFTER HAVING MY DAUGHTER 3 YEARS AGO.  NOW IM HAVING MORE AND MORE PROBLEMS RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER.  IM ON THE PROBABLE LIST OF MS, AND I JUST HAD A COCCYGEAL BLOCK DONE JUST LAST WEEK DUE TO A CRACKED TAILBONE.  IVE TRIED TO COME OFF OF THE PILLS BECAUSE I AM VERY IRRITABLE, AND I HAVE TO HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN THAT NEED TENDING TO AND SOMETIMES I JUST CANT DO IT UNLESS I HAVE THE PAIN PILLS.  THEY GIVE ME ENERGY, AND MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD.  BUT WHEN I RUN OUT THE WITHDRAWALS NEARLY DRIVE ME INSANE AND I WILL SCRAPE UP MY LAST FEW DOLLARS JUST TO GO BUY ME A DOSE TO GET ME THROUGH THE DAY.  I WONT HELP SO BAD TO GET OFF OF THEM, BUT THERE IS NO WAY THAT I CAN GO THROUGH A HOSPITOL TO STAY DUE TO THE FACT OF HAVING NOONE TO TEND TO MY CHILDREN.  IM JUST SO SCARED TO COME OFF OF THEM DUE TO THE WITHDRAWALS, BUT NO THAT I NEED TO.  CAN MY DOCTOR REALLY HELP ME IF I GO IN TO TELL HIM THE TRUTH WITHOUT HAVING TO GO IN SOME KIND OF HEALTH CENTER OR SOMETHING?  I CAN REALLY SYMPOTHIZE WITH US ALL THAT ARE HOOKED ON IT, AND I DO PRAY FOR MYSELF AND FOR YOU ALL THAT WE CAN ALL BECOME CLEAN.  IM SO GLADD THAT I FOUND THIS SITE IT HAS HELPED ME SO MUCH.  GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

[david]

to victor from david.

victor, due yourself the biggest favor and get some help. i hope you have not relapsed since the 13th, but if you have, don't get down on yourself. the withdrawls have probably been eliminated by now, depending if you have stayed off the drugs. if you have stayed off the pills and are still experiencing withdrawls, be patient, i promise they will go away. as for permanent damage, this would depand on how long and severely you have used. perhaps, really most probably you have not incurred any permanent damage. please see a qualified physician to determine this!!
victor what's more important is finding the strength to stay off these pills. that's unfortunately the hard part. seek some counseling either through n.a. meetings or private practice. all i ask is that you seek help through the caring hands of individuals who understand addiction.
i was a slave to pills for over two years, taking just as much as you!!! so trust me i know how you feel. i received help by keeping an open mind, now finding myself a free person drug free.
if you want to talk, e-mail me @ ***@****, i'd love to share with you.
david

[to Victor from Teri]

Good for you.  Just hang in there.  Staying off them is the hardest part.  The most harmful thing that these do to your body is it is very hard on you liver.  But it is the Tylenol that is what hurts your liver.  If you are concerned your doctor can run a simple blood test.  The only other thing that my doc has told me can happen is overdose.  So be careful.

teri