Life after Oxycontin!

[gene10]

Thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes on my trip to detox from Oxycontin abuse. I spent 6 days in-patient at a nice detox facility up in the woods.  They used methadone to detox me & prevent the withdrawal from the Oxy.  It worked very well & I was tapered from the methadone over the 6 days & am now off of everything!

Being at a detox center with many other addicts was a true eye opening experience!  I was with herion addicts, coke abusers, & alcoholics.  I was amazed that every heroin addict I talked to had heard of Oxycontin & knew to snort it for the full effect.  But they all progressed to shooting heroin eventually.  I met people who spent many periods of time in jail, lost their jobs, families, homes, etc.  I went to lots of AA meetings & lectures & saw films about addiction. And I realized that I am no different than any other addict up there, just luckier to have not lost my job of family.  I met a guy who spent $100,000.00 in the past year on drugs.  But everyone there wanted to stay sober & we all worked together to do that.  They told me that only 1 in 40 patients there will stay sober & that's a depressing thought but I am that one person!  Most of the people there have been to numerous detoxes before but this was my first & last.  (I hope & pray)

So if you are addicted to painkillers, there is a way out.  Call your doctor or insurance company or look in the phone book for detox centers (they are everywhere) & ask for help.
I find that I get a lot of help just reading the posts on this website.  It is therapy for me & I also put my own posts here & have gotten tremendous support from others - doctors & addicts.

I will be checking this website regularly so please write to me.

[brians_wife]

First advice is post this as a new question. This is an old thread. You will get an answer faster as a new question.

[joez5050]

i was prescribed oxycontin15mg about 6 months ago. a supply of 120 per month for severe neck pain from an accident back in 1983. i had major surgery in 83. to me i felt a 100% back, until this last year. Really bad pain turning my head left and right or up and down. Then headaches started. The rest is history. my doctor wants me to have another operation on my neck. He told me that down the road we build up scar tissue and in my case arthritis around the operated area. I am trying to put the operation off for as long as i can. But then i discovered oxy. 15 mg. up to 4 times a day. i felt so wonderful in so many ways. no neck pain. great energy, i could work like a work horse, and if i didnt take it, i was like a complete other person who i didnt even know. I just thought i wont get addicted, i have this undercontroll. NOT !! YE ole need more story. i wouild always run short every month. call and nearly beg the doc for an early refill. he told me just how controlled this med is and the the government is really controlling it with extreme consequences. So i would get a few in a prescription from him to hold me over. and you know the rest of the story. always running out of them. so the next step was finding them on the street. i felt like a demeaning peice of crap begging for drugs. The guy i was getting them off of constantly would give me everything but oxys. i would look them up on the web and find out some of them could have killed me. so i flushed them down the tiolet. i bet i was scamed at least close to a thousand dollars. Long story short. i am out of my oxy 15 and they dont renue until jan 2nd. Fortunately the doc also prescribed oxy 30 long acting which is literally saving my life. i take them 2x a day. they work but you dont get the great quick high feeling with the regular oxy 15s. so i guess i can say i am either dependent on them or addicted to them, i dont know what the difference isof course, when i am not taking oxy my neck pain is back and lower back problem is back. I am in a quandry right now. I am afraid i am addicted, but i feel i do need them for the severe neck problem. can someone give me some advice. I could go on forever, but i am gonna end here for right now. This is a wonderful place to have access to chat with others with the same situations. Any support would be nice.    Sincerely,   joez

[joez5050]

i was prescribed oxycontin15mg about 6 months ago. a supply of 120 per month for severe neck pain from an accident back in 1983. i had major surgery in 83. to me i felt a 100% back, until this last year. Really bad pain turning my head left and right or up and down. Then headaches started. The rest is history. my doctor wants me to have another operation on my neck. He told me that down the road we build up scar tissue and in my case arthritis around the operated area. I am trying to put the operation off for as long as i can. But then i discovered oxy. 15 mg. up to 4 times a day. i felt so wonderful in so many ways. no neck pain. great energy, i could work like a work horse, and if i didnt take it, i was like a complete other person who i didnt even know. I just thought i wont get addicted, i have this undercontroll. NOT !! YE ole need more story. i wouild always run short every month. call and nearly beg the doc for an early refill. he told me just how controlled this med is and the the government is really controlling it with extreme consequences. So i would get a few in a prescription from him to hold me over. and you know the rest of the story. always running out of them. so the next step was finding them on the street. i felt like a demeaning peice of crap begging for drugs. The guy i was getting them off of constantly would give me everything but oxys. i would look them up on the web and find out some of them could have killed me. so i flushed them down the tiolet. i bet i was scamed at least close to a thousand dollars. Long story short. i am out of my oxy 15 and they dont renue until jan 2nd. Fortunately the doc also prescribed oxy 30 long acting which is literally saving my life. i take them 2x a day. they work but you dont get the great quick high feeling with the regular oxy 15s. so i guess i can say i am either dependent on them or addicted to them, i dont know what the difference isof course, when i am not taking oxy my neck pain is back and lower back problem is back. I am in a quandry right now. I am afraid i am addicted, but i feel i do need them for the severe neck problem. can someone give me some advice. I could go on forever, but i am gonna end here for right now. This is a wonderful place to have access to chat with others with the same situations. Any support would be nice.    Sincerely,   joez

[Jimmy1975]

Hi Sammi and welcome to Med Help ! I am guessing you found this post from a Google search ? I ask because this post is from the year 2000 ! Very old indeed ! I would suggest that you start a new thread by posting a new question and I am sure you will get many responses . Tell us more about your addiction such as how much and how long you have been abusing . This is a good place to start if you are looking to regain your life and stop they abuse ..Peace Jimmy

[sammiD941]

I'm royally screwed, I need help I'm sick an twisted an very addicted to roxy's. I'm gonna die or end up in jail, which is my worst nightmare besides dissappointing my parents anymore that I already have! Getting high is all I care about, I rob every chance I get, I'm scared of my addiction! I don't trust myself...

[healthy_living]

I am Trying to quit using oc.. This is the second time I have had to do it, and this time I have been smoking 1-3 pills a day for 4 months. In the last 2 weeks I have gone down to 1/2-1 each day but I have no self control so I can taper myself off anymore. I have one suboxone that I am hoping will get me through the first few days. I am wondering if anyone has tips on how to take the suboxone and also how to maybe make my withdrawals go by a little faster. I am starting tomorrow and I just took my last hit (Its 9 pm) and I have one day off before I have to go back to work, I know I won't be better but I am wondering what I can do go make it tolerable and hopefully pass a little faster.

[Ballgame]

Haha ok thx. On iPhone a lot of the stats dint show up. Oops

[bmdad]

Just wanted to let you know that you replied to a post that is over 9 years old and the members are more than likely not around anymore. You should start a new post so you have one dedicated to you. Most people don't read these old posts so your questions may get overlooked. This is a great place for support so be sure to stick around!
Best of luck!
Brian

[Ballgame]

Now that I think about it I wonder if the way they are getting me off oxy is the best way. Weaning with no other meds except some patch that helps with blood pressure.  My pain Mgt make it sound like it's no big deal and I'll be fine once off.  I was taking 50mg x3 a day for back pain/ issues.

[Ballgame]

Someone asked about ultram. I've heard people have used it to get off oxy but ultram also attaches to receptors so you can get hooked in that as well.  Ultram is a milder percocet.
But I'm not a dr.

[Ballgame]

I'm weaning off oxy myself and it's awful.  What I want to know is how you feel. Do you feel a lot better? Is it a situation where now that you're off oxy you see how bad they are?
How long dd the weaning take? You said there 6 days so that's fast for what you were taking.
Anyway curious how you feel
thanks and good luck! Thanks for thread

[spook]

Hang in their,if you can,think about your children and what they would think,its been over 10 days now and you must be feeling a little better?,Do not go on methadone as it is more difficult to stop and you will not get very high and you will feel like you do now for about 5 months when you stop,If you get back on OXY`s,try to not snort them and get sustained release,I know the psychological craving that Oxycodone induces and it is harder to stop than IV heroin,so try now it will only get harder,sweat it out man.you can do it,do it for the kids,do it now,before you can never do it please face that evil pain now and get it over and done with.

[gea]

hello, myself and my husband have been sitting here for hours just reading and reading trying to get some sort of hope!! something about you wants me to reach out. i was perscribed oxycontin after being on every other narcotic for years following a car accident. they worked great for the pain but much like alot of others i learned that sniffing them gave a better "feeling" so i shared these with my husband and now we are both struggling to end this big circle and have had no success with going cold turkey, i can't handle it on my own and when i'm ready to check myself in to some sort of rehab i feel guilty because i can't just leave my husband with detoxing on his own and caring for our children 4 and 10. you seem to have success with the rehab and i was wondering if your insurance did cover this and if so in full?

[gea]

hello, myself and my husband have been sitting here for hours just reading and reading trying to get some sort of hope!! something about you wants me to reach out. i was perscribed oxycontin after being on every other narcotic for years following a car accident. they worked great for the pain but much like alot of others i learned that sniffing them gave a better "feeling" so i shared these with my husband and now we are both struggling to end this big circle and have had no success with going cold turkey, i can't handle it on my own and when i'm ready to check myself in to some sort of rehab i feel guilty because i can't just leave my husband with detoxing on his own and caring for our children 4 and 10. you seem to have success with the rehab and i was wondering if your insurance did cover this and if so in full?

[spook]

YES

[[email protected]]

Gene, Hey thanks for your honesty in dealing with your situation,its helpful to here your not alone in the struggle of dealing with this stuff.

[Plazzy]

That is very nice to hear you have successfully detoxed.
I dont even know you, but i am proud of your effort.
I have been hooked by OC for a year now. I can't get them as often as I want, but I usually average 20-30 20mg pills a week.
I do crush them up and snort them, I may only actually swallow 1 out of 20 pills. I know its sux, but i love the feeling. I am able to be productive at home and get things done! I have more fun with my life when I'm on OC's. Well, this is obviously a dangerous addiction, and currently I am not holding any OC.
Its been nearly a week since I last had one, and I feel so awful, cold sweats, headaches, extreme fatigue, and no desire to participate in life. All this while having the responsibility of a wife, child, home, and an excellent job (which happens to be where my OC contact works also). I make it a point to fulfill my responsibilities but it is painstaking without the physical and mental crutch of OC. I have snorted herion and feel like OC is actually better, because in moderation I am so productive while on the medication. This is a strange way to live, I want to be independant from OC, but I love it so! Does any one have any suggestions, I don't know what steps to take to get on Methadone treatment, please enlighten me. I need methadone but I can not afford to go to a rehab center and stay.

What can I do???

Plazzy

[Bob K]

Jason four days is great I know you must still feel pretty bad at times. Im writing this to tell you that I was addicted to oxy and went thru withdrawl myself. Today is 32 days opiate free for me. I cant tell you how much better I feel. If you hang in there you will also feel much better. I check out these postings twice a day if you need to talk. Bob K

[Jason]

Dear Bob,
  Congratulation!! you have come pretty far.  For me My withdrawl symptoms are almost over.. I feel a lot better than I did a week ago, but just because I'm detoxed does not fix everything, Now I have to treat my addiction for which there is no known cure,but the feelings of addiction could be put to rest. I'm not done with my program yet, I got about another 6 weeks, this is the part with group meetings, therpists, counselers and stuff like that. Just remember that "One is too many, and a thousand is never enough"

"We're all in this together"
Jason

[Jason]

I am so glad I found this site!!! I have been addicted to perscription pain killers for 5 years, it started with Vicodin ES, and Percocete, and through the years , due to tolerence levels increasing, I moved to Oxycontin 10mgs, then 20mgs, then 40 mgs, then 80mgs, then 160 mgs......I realized at this point I had a problem, couldn't do a thing without having them. I don't have any medical reasons for taking these, but after dental work 5 years ago is how this all began, but I didn't need them for maybe a week or so after the dental work, but I "LOVED" the way they made me feel. After a while I was dependant on them.
     So on Fri. I checked into a detox, I was very scared as to what was going to happen. But I wanted my life back!! I wasn't treated with Methadone though, I'm glad of that, because I think it's like trading apples for apples, however the did put me on some meds to mask the withdrawl symptoms... the doctor explained to me that I will still feel discomfort and man she wasn't kidding, I had every withdrawl symptom as mentiond earlier except for vomiting. I'm on my 4th day of detox, I'm almost there...but one thing that really helped me was attending some NA meetings, when I went it made me realize that addiction shows NO mercy, everybody from senior citicens, to kids younger than me , I'm 25.  Sometimes those meeting get very emotional, but it helps to know I'm not in this boat by myself. also you pick up some powerful messeges such as "One is too many, and a thousand is never Enough".  
     They say I should be detoxed by Fri, but then there is the after care session, with group sessions, counsilers, therpists and stuff like that.
     This is the hardest thing I ever had to do in my whole life!!  But it is worth it because I get to have my life back. But what scares me is the statistics as discussed earlier, and I would be ignorant to say that it's not going to happen to me. But I "hope" it doesn't, I brought this fear to the floor at the meeting...I got some encourageing words though, after the meeting several members came to me and said "What screws up the odds is the people who are there because some judge in some courtroom sent them there and these people really have no desire to get off drugs." The desire to get off drugs is the only requirement to join NA.
    I hope I don't relapse, I don't ever want to go through this again.
     The support at this web site is great also, I'm glad I found it...another messege NA spreads is "Just For Today".
    
     We're all in this together, right?? So let's keep this postive energy flowing. Thank You for rour time I will return to let you all know how I am progressing.
Jason

[Gene to Joanne]

Way to go Bob, flushing that 40mg!  I am starting to see improvements in my sleeping & muscle spasms but I still feel quite bad with a constant headache & a few migraines to boot.  I am sooo tired & am almost ready to quit my job of 28 years beacuse it is so hard to drive around & fix copiers feeling like this.  Everything I do is such a chore! Plus, all of the pain I was covering up these years has come back to haunt me. I am really torn as to what to do.  I think that if a doctor offered to put me on a daily regimen of opiates, I would have a very hard time saying no!  But no doctor is going to do that for me so it's just as well.
I really hope I start feeling a lot better soon, I don't know how long I can take this.  I am real glad you are doing so well.  Keep up the great work!  I am up to day 23 or 24 now.

[Bob K]

Gene how are you doing today? I hope its getting a little better for you. Today is a big day for me it is day 30 without opiates. I still have the sweats but it is about 90 degrees in Philadelphia. I found a 40mg under my sofa while cleaning. I must be getting better I flushed it. These last few days seem to be getting much better for me I hope the same happens for you and anyone in our crazy boat. Bob K

[Gene to Joanne]

My wife is on Vioxx & raves about how much it has helped her!  I have a doctor appt Monday and will ask him about those two drugs you mentioned.
However, my sponsor is advising me to stay away from any pills, even non-narcotic, because that might put me back into the frame of mind that it's OK to take pills for pain & could lead me back to opiates.  I understand his line of thinking but I don't think that my suffering is going to do me any good at all.  In fact, it makes me want opiates again.

Thanks Kimmie for the words of encouragement!

[From Aunt Lindy to Mariah]

Hello Gene,
Have you tried Vioxx or Celebrex? I dont know if it would help but even if you got SOME relief it may help you from feeling so physically drained. I wish you the best. I hope you can hang in there.  Having a sponsor like you do puts you so ahead of the game!
Sincerely,
Kimmie