Help with Hydrocodone/Hydromorphone Withdraw

I have a taken Hydrocodone/Hydromorphone for the last 12 years in addition to Lorazapam. I have had tremendous back pain for those years and never abused anything my Dr. prescribed. Four years ago I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease without any hope for surgery to correct and live with a 7-8 pain level 24/7 on a scale of 10. I have found altnerative supplements that have helped greatly with the pain and am thankful. I am also a type II Emotional Diabetic under insulin dependence and have high blood pressure and retain water. Here's my problem:

37 days ago I underwent carpal tunnel surgery of the right hand. I am a church musician. My case was so severe that I almost lost the use of the hand and what saved it was playing through the pain for the past six months and taking the prescribed Hydrocodone 10/325 mg. 4 x a day / Hydromorphone 2 mg. every 4 hours / Lorazapam 1 mg. every 4 hours / Lyrica 150 mg. at night. This was what I took prior to the surgery. I was under the care of an Orthopedic Dr. after my surgery and his prescription was for Hydrocodone 10/325 mg. 1 to 2 tablets every 4 hours. The pain was so bad I took the 2 tablets every 4 hours in addition to the Hydromorophone, Lorazapam and Lyrica from my primary phyisican. I DID NOT take the extra 4 every day of the Hydrocodone from my Primary Dr. because I was already taking 12 tablets in a 24-hour period. I just let them set. My carpal tunnel surgery was on Sept. 9. From Sept. 26, 2010 thru Oct. 16, 2010 I was PRESCRIBED 660 Hydrocodone 10/325 mg. pills of which 240 were from my Primary Dr. and 420 were from my Orthopedic Dr. As of today I still have 92 pills remaining. When I called my Primary Dr. to have the Hydromorphone filled because I have to call monthly and then physically go to his office and pick up the prescription. I left the message with my Primary Care Nurse about the continued pain of my hand and the need for the Hydromorphone refill which was on day 31 and was ready for refill. The last refill I received from my Ortho Dr. it stated that continued pain meds. to be filled by my Primary Dr. He had not released me yet and I was just confused. Instead of calling his nurse I called my Primary Dr. nurse and was very concerned as to what to do taking 12 Hydrocodone in a 24-hour period to 4 in a 24-hour period.

When my nurse called me back she was absolutely horrible. I've been a patient of this Dr. for nearly 30 years and have never once abused any prescription. She said that Dr. couldn't fill the Hydromorphone precription because of the high volume of Hydrocodone that I had gone through in a month which which would be 540 pills. When I explained to her that I was only doing what I was told and taking what I was prescribed and that I still had 92 pills remaining. She said that when I filled that refill from my Primary for the Hydrocodone is where I made my mistake and that my Primary Dr. could lose his license and I was going to be reported. I was totally dumbfounded . . . I tried to explain to her that I had not abused anything . . . that I followed what I was told by my Ortho Dr. and that I still had Hydrocodone from my Primary Dr. Why would this affect the Hydromorphone prescription I needed. All she repeated was that I shouldn't have been taking 12 Hydrocodone in a 12-hour period and if I was it should have been for a short period of time. Again I told her that it had only been 37 days since my surgery that I had been taking this dose. I asked what was I suppose to do about the Hydromorophone. All she said was that I was going to have to cut back on the Hydrocodone drastically and that was all she would give me. Luckily I still had 35 Hydromorphone pills because I didn't always take 6 in a 24-hour period.

This what I am doing: I am taking 1/2 pill of the Hydromorphone and 1/2 pill of the Hydrocodone every 4 hours and the full Lorazapam 1mg every 6 hours for the extra anxiety that I'm already feeling. In addition to this I take 2 Ibuprophen every 4 hours and several supplemental Nerve Formula and Imflamatory Formula Supplements to help in this process.

I want to get off the Hydrocodone and Hydromorphone and Lorazapam totally. I don't ever want to go through this again and I know that after nearly 12 years I am addicted and it has affected not only my health but my personality. I Am VERY FORTUNATE that I have the Hydrocodone and Hydromorphone to cut back and not have to go cold turkey. I've been there when I was on workman's comp and it was hell for me because of the level I was taking and the pain I live with 24/7.

Am I doing this right? How long should I wait to cut back even more? I realize that the lorazapam will be one of the last drugs I will be weined off of but I just need to know what I'm up against. It's already been 10 hours and I am hot then cold. So far taking the very small amount has kept me from feeling crazy but when 4 hours are up . . . my body is crying for the next dose.

Any help would be so very appreciated!

And I just need some hope here. I feel like my Primary Dr. has really abandoned me. While I understand his position they aren't considering anything but that the prescriptions were filled. No history, not considering I have a surplus left from the prescriptions in the last 54 days, etc. I also feel very trapped by my Ortho Dr. and I need to call them tomorrow because my hand continues to hurt horribly and is getting worse even after 37 now 38 days since surgery. My friend who was a nurse says to NOT address the pain medicine issue with the Ortho Dr. right now but to address that I am in pain and want an MRI of the hand to see what is going on. She said that way it addresses what he is responsible for since he hasn't released you and I get that taken care of. Then once I know what is going on to cross that bridge with this Ortho Dr. and why he placed me in this position. I know he was only trying to help but according to my Primary Dr. my liver should be fried from this many Hydrocodone in a 37 day period. Although at one time he prescribed that many to me for over three months. Just doesn't make any sense and I the patient now have to suffer because of their mistakes. But I'm looking at this as a blessing to help me finally get off this stuff and have found altnerative medicines that are homopathic and have NO SIDE AFFECTS. So I believe that is the way I should go and be done with prescription medicines.

Thanks for listening . . . I know there's a lot here but I wanted to cover all my bases!

Blessings!

[SparkyPipes]

Well I am into Day 1 . . . Horrible night last night. I'm hot then I'm cold . . . really cold. I have cut back my opiates dramatically so that what I do have will help me get down to a much smaller doseage before going cold turkey. The Thomas Recipe for Detox is one that I am going to consider. It makes sense. As for the sleeping the ONLY thing I have found is Cherry Juice Concentrate from the Montemorency Cherries out of Michigan. www.BrownwoodAcres.com sells this and this concentrated, all natural cherry juice has natural Melatin in it to help you sleep and also helps block the pain inhibitors. No side affects only that if you are a Type II Diabetic like myself and drank as much as I needed . . . I did put on weight but that was the least of my worries and I found something that helped.

I'm jittery and just feel so acky right now. I now that my body is craving more of those Opiates but I'm not giving it to it. I have been on these for over 12 years through prescriptions by my Doctor for the pain I have from my issues of a back injury. I am doing this because I am tired of the way I feel and am scared because of what these drugs do to me mentally and physically.

I continue to read the postings, pray and be positive. Blessings to Everyone!

[bigheart1976]

how are you doing now????