Help: going thru withdrawals

[hopin2]

I've been looking for some answers, found your group, hoping you can help me.  Last year I was diagnosed with Hep-c. I just finished a year of tx.  The dr.s prescribed hydrocodone10/325 to relieve painful side effects of tx.  I was taking 4 tabs/day for months.  Now I've finished my tx and was tapering off the hydro.  I got down to 1/4tab 3x's/day and stopped.  went thru a hellish day and a half of withdrawal, no sleep, and couldn't take it and went back to the hydro again.  I was still having trouble with sleep so he gave different stuff, I tried xanax, tamazapem, and they only worked for a couple days,  then wore off,  I have since found out they too are horribley addictive, so back to the dr. then he gives me Ambien, the worst **** of all. It's more addictive than the others.  after 4 days of that i tried cold turkey again. and once again couldn't take it and went back to 1/4tab hydro, but only every 7 hours now.  so, back to the doctor and now he has me on Amytriptiline for sleep.  It worked ok last night, but I woke up in withdrawals again around 4am, took another 1/4 hydro and fell right back to sleep.  Does anybody know how to kick this **** without blowing your brains out?  Also, is the Amytriptiline also addictive?  When I stop that, will I have trouble sleeping then too?  thanks,  Hopin

[nurseaudrea]

Amitryptiline is not addictive. It is actually an older antidepressant that is used also for sleep. If you lengthen the time between your dose of the hydros to as long as you can handle before you take another then it should reduce the wd's. The longer you go, say 7 hours then 9 hours then every 12 hours and so forth the tapering might work for you. That is how they taper babies who are born to addicts in the hospital. The first thing you do is lower the dosage slowly and then lengthen the time between the doses. You will be able to lengthen it to once a day then maybe every other day and then cut it out all together. You will still have sleep problems. That seems to be the symptom of wd's that lasts the longest. I have heard it can take several months for a normal sleep pattern to return. If the amitryptiline or Elavil is working for you then by all means take it if that is why you keep going back to the hydros. You will not have any problems stopping them because they don't have wd's when you stop like you do with narcotics or benzo's.
Good luck, I hope you make it through this. Just stay positive and keep thinking how great if will be when this burden has been lifted.          Audrea

[hopin2]

well, i've increase length of time between doses to 7 hours.  sometimes up to 8-9 if I sleep ok.  I'm hoping to cut down the 1/4 tab dose even smaller, like you said Barry, to crumbs and hopefully then the wd won't be so bad. the problem is that damn sleep, staying up all night.  I'm on day 2 of amytriptiline, it seems to help me sleep, but again, I'm worried that will mess up my sleep cycle worse when I get off that too.  
Yes, this is my first time down this road, I never really liked the stuff, and had I known it was going to be this hard, i would have really avoided using it in the first place.  anyway, thanks for info

[BQ77]

Time and patience is the only cure at this point.  Maybe taper even lower with the hydrocodone.  Down to crumbs.  This should subside the withdrawls a little.  Then you just gotta deal with the withdrawls.  Yes, it *****, but with the small amount you are on, I don't see any reason why you won't feel better within 2 or 3 days.  Then over time the sleep thing will get back to normal too.  I would take 20 pills in a day, run out, and have withdrawls the next day.  On day 2 I can remember feeling better already, so I can't imagine you not feeling better within a couple days.  Just gotta get over that hump that seems to be stoppin' you each time.  Trust me, if you can just make it over that hump, you'll be happier for it.  Good luck.

Barry

[bigalspal]

Oh my friend, I hate to tell you this, but there (in my experience) there is no painless WD! You can make it a little easier. Is this your first experience with opiate WD?
You were on a pretty small dose. When I used Hydro's a few years ago, I was at about 10 a day. I know a lot of folks who took massive doses.
Anyway, not to say you aren't hurting, it's just normal.
If this is your first rodeo, look for the "Thomas Recipe".
It should be on the bottom right on the home page of this forum.
If you've done this before-well you know how it is.
I sure hope you feel better!