Is anyone else doing a taper/detox? I need support!

[GA_need_help]

What a morning! I hate when I wake with such pain I can't describe it.  And, having taken my reduced dose of Opana ER, a lot of the pain is better.  However, the pain is still so bad I am having trouble coping this morning.  (I was on 40mg Opana ER 3 times a day.  Now I am on 25mg Opana ER 3 times a day.)  It would help to know I am not alone in this!  Please post if you are going through a taper or detox! or if you have gone through this--with Opana or with any medicine.  Were you in a situation like mine?  Did you have withdrawal so bad you had to taper?  Or, did you HAVE to go through a hellish detox?   I have a wonderful husband and 8-year-old daughter.  They are my inspiration.  Thanks for your support! This is the hardest time in my life! Marie

[GA_need_help]

Hi Vicki,
Thanks so much for your post.  You must have read my new question!  It has been so confusing that I am doing so much better some days than others.  I was able to manage 25 mg today and the day before yesterday--but not yesterday.. I was over a bit yesterday--and previous to that I would make it on 25mg some days.  I have serious anxiety at some points.  This is really for the birds.  
  I know the point is to decrease ever so slightly.  The trouble is I can't cut ER tablets, and I am trying to hold steady with my short-acting Opana tablets.  It is far from a precise science here as I am trying to take the 5mg tablet about every 4 hours!  I just feel that my brain chemistry is being sooo tampered with.  And I have so far to go.
   I do desire to come off because this drug is messing with my emotions so much---making me nuts.  But, I do have to balance it with the control I need for my pain.  At first I was so enthusiastic about getting off the Opana all together.  They I have had occurrences of the terrible back pain that started me down this journey.  And, I have decided that it would be a terrible idea to build my husband up to expecting me to "get off the pain meds" since I have a real problem with pain.  What do I do if I can't live with the level of pain?  I would hate to have to sneak my pain meds behind his back!  How could i have a marriage that way?  So I decided I will do what I can do, try to hold onto my sanity, and also save 5mg ER tablets for my taper.
    Without being able to cut an ER tablet, I am totally dependent on doctors to bring me off the pain medicine.  I would like to have a good amount of the 5 mg ER tablets for the time (I am expecting it will come) that I come off the Opana ER.  Otherwise, I won't be able to taper.  I cannot imagine how painful it would be.
    This is one of the things that *****.  I would go out of my mind if I had something-anything-that kept me from getting my pain medicine.  And all of us on medication we are addicted to are in this situation!
    Vicky, I want to be free!  This is bondage!  Thanks for the support!!  Marie

[vicki595]

Hi!   You're doing very well!

Listen, forget about the receptors! They're not that smart. You'll get enough of the drug to cover yourself as you taper. They aren't exactly screaming: "Hey! That receptor got more covererage than this one next to me or mine!!"   LOL!  "Water seeks it's own level" and so do opiates. The whole point of tapering is to NOT be unconfortable or feel too many withdrawals (although you'll feel some...)

Just be sure you go slowly with this! If you feel badly, just stay in a holding pattern for awhile and then continue down. I know it's not easy but it works!

Do you have a plan written down; a calendar? That helps...

It's important to remain aware during all this. IF you have pain that you feel you shouldn't be having...CALL the doctor!   Have you tried Motrin 3x a day?   An xray?  Things can change!  

You're still at 25mg is that right?  And you won't to go lower? How long did it take you to get from 40 to 25mg?

[atthebeach]

hi how has your taper been going? it will take a good month or more off all meds to re-evaluate your pain. there is rebound pain when you are detoxing. your brain is screaming for the meds and it creates the pain. it trys to trick you into taking more meds.
have you tried alternate pain management?
physical therapy, exercise, especially swimming, hydro-therapy,acupuncture,relaxation techniques?

[GA_need_help]

Hi Gnarly-
I appreciate your post.  I know I am doing a very, very difficult thing.  It does help to know you have tapered too. 8 1/2 months is a long, long time -- but I have taken 1 1/2 months to 2 months to get a good (okay, somewhat painful though) day.  I am curious as to how the body adjusts to lower doses.  Do you think fewer receptors get filled when we take a little less of the drug?  Also, you mentioned that if we spread doses out, we decrease the serum level.  Can you explain what this means?  I am a little confused.   Does that mean fewer receptors are filled? Or something else?  I still haven't met anyone who has gone through a detox on Opana.  It is probably very similar to methadone, don't you think?  I haven't taken methadone, but I bet it is similar.  I need something to compare it to when I am reading posts.  I am a little afraid of the pain in my back--and having the pain I did prior to becoming tolerant to Opana, the same pain I still feel at times.  It is like someone put a fist in my back, and left it there! I am just so tired of having this pain!  At first I thought I could face this pain, without pain medications--but now I am totally second-guessing myself.  I want to be opiate free, especially since I want my brain to go back to normal -- but I don't know if is a real possibility for me.   Please give me your thoughts on my situation.

[GA_need_help]

Hi, I don't have a choice!  My body is soooo addicted.  If I didn't die without them, I would want to--in the most serious way.  I couldn't do what you are doing.  Physically, I am so far gone.  This is going to take a giant miracle.  And, I will never take for granted being on the other side of it.  
   I guess I will have to adjust to the chronic pain I felt during the month or month and 1/2 that I wasn't on Opana.  It is a very hard time in my life to try to remember.  
    I am so not fun for my daughter right now.  I am just snappy with her! Or deeply involved in the computer, and it is the best I can do.  I have to talk to you guys that understand me!  So, how are you going to cope with life now that you don't have the pills? I think mutual encouragement can really help us.  Where else can we talk to people about detoxing? and life after pills? Thank God for this blog.  
    Stay in touch.  And I will pray for you.  I think I may put post-it notes up with the names of those of us going through this, as a prayer, and as reminders to pray.  How many of us need a miracle. I may need one most of all!  Marie

[GA_need_help]

Hi Vicki
You can't imagine what your post means to me today.  Your pointers are well taken:
1.)  Don't increase you will lose too much ground-- That can only be done if I keep to the pointer you actually listed first:
to 2.)  Decrease slowly, very slowly.

Yes, I am in too much of a hurry.  I am struggling so seriously today.  Why can't I relax into it?  I HAVE to make a decision to relax into the good things of today!

  I keep telling myself that I have to get my brain chemistry intact to be able to make the neurotransmitters I need to, and my endorphin system necessary to deal with pain.  But God is giving me enough of the good transmitters to make it through!  I want so badly to stabilize on 25mg OpanaER 3 times a day.  And then to switch to 20 mgER and short-acting 5s.  I want to save my 5mg Opana ERs so I have them when I am able to decrease more!

I am safe for this day.  I am okay financially for this day.  I have support from my husband to get me through this day. I believe in God, and that He can carry me through this day.

I will try to enact your two pointers! I think the process will go much better then!

Thanks so much!
Marie

[Bkitty]

~Just wanted to see how you are doing today. Ive made it to day 12 c/t off a massive addiction to perks. It gets so much better as time passes. I see that you are doing a taper and I agree with Vickie that the slower the better esp those with major pain issues. Stay close to the forum and post as you need there are amazing people that will "carry" you if you need support! i wish you the best!~

[5891213]

I was on vicodin for 2 years. Finally said enough. I started last Monday cold turkey. i know they say don't do it  that way, but had no choice, the doctor wouldn't refill my precription. They say everything happens for a reason. My goal was to be off by the end of the year anyway.  I thankfully found this forum this month and started doing resource on what to expect. I think reading this forum has helped me so much! So last Monday was the day. I only took 4 vicodin that day (usually I would take anywhere from 10-20 a day of the 10-660)My last pill was at 2pm.  By 7pm I started feeling hoorible. I take zanax twice a day and 1 Soma at night normally, so i felt better knowing at least I had those.  My advice is to get a script for zanax or valium because they do help.  The weird thing is I don't remember the first 16hrs after that. I did tell my husband and kids what I was gonna go through so they wouldn't worry. Of course they did anyway. By the 17th hour after that last pill I was more with it. I did have to go to the bathroom alot so make sure you have immodium on hand. I had no desire for food, but did drink a lot of fluids. Each day is getting better. I dont even miss them. If my back starts to hurt I take 2 extra strength Tylenol and use moist heat or ice. I did increase my Zanax by 2 pills a day. My energy is almost 100%.  I just have to remember to space out my housework and not try to over due it. I am starting to eat a little. This is a great forum. Keep reading it and you will see that everything you r feeling is to be expected and that you r not alone in this. I never got that "high" feeling from the Vicodin, it did give me energy. My pain during withdrawal wasn't as bad as some people and I'm very thankful for that. At night I still take my soma and I am actually sleeping better than I did while on the vicodin. Please don't give up. Keep reading this forum there is a lot of support here.

[gnarly_1]

HI tapering off narcotics can be a ruff road ,,,,,you stil got the withdrawals but not as harshly but over a longer period of time try to keep spreading your doses out farther and farther for each other as well as reducing dose this will get the serum level down quicker it took me 8 1/2 mo to taper off methadone but thats not that uncommon for that drug where getting more and more opana addict now that they put jell in the oxys opana is a strong drug like Vicki said slow is good if your really feeling it your going to fast and it dose get harder in the lower doses hang in ther YOU CAN DO THIS it just takes time and pacents good luck and God bless....Gnarly  

[happyholidays]

Thank you for the advice for the poster above and myself. I am on my first day of Percocet withdrawal. I started my own question, but we can get through this together. I am deteremined to get off my meds. I know I can do it. Have the faith and the will power. I gave my percs to my husband, my tapering schedule, my health card, and threw out my empty pill bottles. That way I can't go to the clinic, and trying to keep positive. I don't plan on going to the clinic until after Christmas. Hang in there. Everything will get better.

[bama88]

How long were you on the opana? I heard they are stronger than oxies. I don't know. But I do have a very strong relationship to pain. It's my constant companion. I fell off a ten foot ladder some.years ago. I'm lucky I didn't break my neck. I've taken everything from.tabs to oxy. I'm going cold turkey on oxy. Not fun. The Imodium didn't help.me the first day. I can't taper. Id use until I'm completely out. We can do this together one step at a time. Hour by hour. It's not easy. But at least you are tapering. I got mad and threw all of mine.away. four days into a.script. you have the power use it and do good

[vicki595]

Marie-

I've been through a very long taper and it worked well for me. The secret to tapering off any med of abuse is this: decrease by small amounts over time; go very slowly. The slower the better is what wins this race. Your pain is less and your body adjusts easily if you drop the dose just a tiny bit instead of A LOT all at once (which we want to do because we're in a hurry!).  The other trick is to always keep going down on the dose; don't go back up or you'll lose too much ground.

Hang in there and be patient with the process. It's fine to go slow; this is not a race. It's forever once you stop and you'll get there!

[GA_need_help]

Thank you so much for your reply.  I think the pain is from the wds, as you said.  It helps to know you have been through this!  I know they do need me to be strong.  I fantasize about being able to complete this taper by Christmas, and "present" this gift to my husband.  And then I get hung up in pain that seems to bring me back to the reality that I need to go very slow, or I may not be able to do this!  I want to be through with this intense point in my life! II will take your suggestions.  Thanks again. Marie

[justsaynotodrugs]

        Your pain is from the wds from the meds I have been through this pain myself it is not easy to get through but if you have the will to slow things down then you can do it with the help of your motivation from your husband and daughter think they need you to be strong and keep fighting.  Go to the Thomas recipe in the bottom left it will help you drink plenty of fluids their will be others post to tell you just what to do, by the grace of God hang in there.