How should I quit?

Hi all!

Currently I am addicted to hydrocodone, which I initially started taking for recreationally purposes and before I knew it I was hooked. I started taking them in November 08, and have been taking between 2.5-3 hydrocone 500/10 a day, however, lately my consumption has started to increase, and lately I've been taking between 3.5 - 4, sometimes 5 a day, so I know it's time to stop. With my level of consumption, would it be advisable to quit cold turkey or perhaps trying something like methadone or suboxone?

Thanks for any advice!
Chris

[dominosarah]

I would go ct.  Methadone and Sub have their place but i would try everything else before that.  They are both very strong opiates also and come with their own set of problems.  You could try and taper also.......

[worried878]

HOLY COW!  considering sub at this dose for only a yr of use is almost ludacrist!  why on earth do u want to trade narcotics and bump up to a stronger one?  u think ur dose of hydro is hard to wd off of?  u will feel some pain for a few days..i was at 100 mgs for 4 yrs and went back to work day 5...sub wds are much worse than whatu r going to go thru unless u have alot of health issues...fear will paralyze u..dont let it make u do sumpin stupid..dont

if u try ct and cant make it and u try it more than once with aftercare included..then u may consider sub..but the day will come when u will have to wd from sub..a 50 mg a day hydro habit is just not a sub habit....as a rule the only time most agree here on a sub or methadone maintenence program is when someone is 200 mgs a day plus/heroin usrs and strong doc users/hydro is really a baby in the narcotic world//only things weaker r codeine in cough syrup and darvacet//..or who have tried very hard over and over with aftercare included and failed..i have seen 300 mg users of oxy taper and stop without sub..what makes u think u cant stop?  there is not totally pain free way out of this crud

Give this a shot before jumping into the frying pan by stepping up ur narcotic strength..so many get stuck on this sticky drug..it can become a doc..

sorry for my strong opinion but do think most here would agree ur dose is not a sub issue..for some reason sub seems so "safe" and methadone seems so "Stereotyped" when in actuality they r not really much different other than stigma..if u came here and said u were getting onmethadone for a 50 mg hydro habit//people would freak..alot of it is stigma

tapering can be hard for a true addict..handing over ur pills to a trusted one can help..writng out ur taper and picking a QUIT day can help

read thru the health pages with attn to tapering, thomas recipe, sites on the internet that can help with obtaining detox supps..ur dose is really a ct dose..but we rall different...main thing is to make a plan with aftercare includid in ur plan

keep posting

[scaredmom330]

i agree with domino, I would just quit c/t, you arenot taking alot so it shouldnt be too bad. read the thomas recipe and amino acid protocol. get some immodium, gatoraid and bananas. take lots of hot showers or baths. and post and read other threads. we are here to support  you. you should feel like you have the flu for about a week and you feel better each day after day 3. good luck

[bmdad]

With only taking up to 5 a day, there is no way you should take methadone or sub for them. They should only be used as a last resort. I once went cold turkey taking over 20 of the 10 mg lortabs and made it through. Granted, it wasn't much fun but not impossible either. Many on here that have been on methadone or sub wish they would have never made the switch. They are both much stronger opiates and are pure hell to get off of with withdrawals lasting so much longer. You could try and taper down by cutting your pill intake by 1/2 pill every 5 days or so. Tapering does help if you can stick to it. You could go cold turkey and you should be feeling much better in about 5 days or so. I myself have never taken sub or methadone so I'm sure someone with some more experience will comment and help you out a little more than I could. But I personally think just from reading other posts about methadone and sub there is no way you should get on either of them when just taking a max of 50mg of hydro's a day. Best of luck to you!
Brian

[twolve]

Worried- I know you mean well, but this person may not be aware of the insane doses that some people on here (including myself so dont think i am pointing fingers) have dealt with. To him maybe 5 per day seems like a lot and I am sure the wds arent fun with that either.

JSB- What worried and everyone else advised you is absolutely correct. Your dosage is not high at all and the level of pain killer you are taking is not very strong, so you definitely dont need suboxone and never ever should you use methadone. Many people here have taken the methadone route and almost everybody regrets it. It is a stronger narcotic than what you are taking so like worried said, it doesnt make sense to take a step up when trying to quit..The withdrawals will not be fun but you can do it, you just need to "want it",,please continue to post on here it really helps.

[worried878]

agree I may have sounded a bit harsh..just scares me when i hear people speak of such drastic measures to stop a fairly minimal doc and dose..plus only a year in use time..it is painful to me to c someone go on a strong narcotic cos they advertise this drug so well///sub i mean//people who do not know better get sukced in so easily

being in the healthcare profession..i was taught that pain is pain...and a person who suffers from a 50 MG wd should not be deemed as having less pain than a 300 mg oxy user..pain is pain and it only the person feeling it who knows the true depth of the pain they feel..i also know that is u expect the worst...then often u will feel horrible as u expect u will...positive attitude//knowing it passes helps much more than a negative attitude or feeling "I can not do this..it hurts too much"   90% of this is upstairs..it really is..for most but then again we r all different

[twolve]

I completely agree with you. I really do. Too many people hear about suboxone or even worse, methadone. And they think they need that, when in fact it is intended for much more serious issues. I think these days even the worst users are starting to realize that trading one drug for another will only prolong the inevitable. I was just trying to make this new member feel like we arent being too harsh on him, but I know you mean well and are very knowledgeable on the subject.