Oxycontin tapering

Hi all

Haven't posted in a while so thought I'd update you all, and at the same time see what your views are on this.

My husband (Gixerboy) and I went to the pain clinic last week, in a bid to get him off the 640mg of oxycontin that he has been on for about 2 1/2 years now.

They have come up with a 12 week tapering plan, then he is to go back after this for the next 12 week plan, after which he should be oxycontin free!  Anyway, the plan is basically this:-

Week 1 down to 250mg twice a day (instead of 320mg twice a day), then week 2 200mg twice a day, week 3 180mg twice a day, then  week 4 onwards it reduces by either 20mg, or in the latter weeks 10mg each each session ie 40mg or 20mg a day.  This takes him down to a dose of 90mg twice a day at week 12.

We know this is not going to be easy by any means, and I know that my husband wanted to be clean of oxycontin a lot quicker than this, and even debated going C/T, rather than have the W/D symptons lasting 6 months!  He is actually doing really well at the mo.   He actually gave me his tablets a couple of days ago in a bid to stop him taking more than he is supposed to, because if he has then its all too tempting to take extra if he's in a lot of pain.   This is a huge step for him, and I am so proud of him for doing this at last.

Anyway, despite the W/D symptons, and the fact that because he is now on a lower dose his back is in a lot more pain than before, he is actually so much better in himself.   He only took 5 80's yesterday instead of the normal 8, and as a result I can actually start to see my husband returning to me again slowly.  The last 2 1/2 years that he has been on these has been hell, and he seems to have been in a little world of his own, and he is slowly returning back to reality and starting to show an interest in life once more.,

There is still a long long way to go though, and it will get tougher towards the end.  So if anyone has any suggestions as to how to ease the W/D and as a result if possible, speed up the process of tapering these down, because I know that if he could combat the W/D he would be able to taper a lot quicker, and our lives would return quicker.

The pain clinic won't give him anything to help him either with the W/D or with the back pain.  They say that they can't help him with the back pain until he is off oxycontin and then they can assess the problem, and know exactly how much pain he is in without the painkillers.

Anyway, got to go guys.  Thanks for listening and I look forward to your views on this and any suggestions you may have that will help us to cope with this.

Karen

[snowflake620]

Don't have any answers only prayers that you both reach the goal you are achieving.Good Luck to you
        SNOWFLAKE

[KAG71]

Many thanks for responding anyway!

Hope someone else out there may be able to help in some way.

Karen

[liscamdave]

That sounds like a good taper. One which should work if he sticks to it. If they lower your dose correctly and don't do it drastically, he shouldn't really suffer all that much. With a good taper, you stay out of w.d, but at the same time, you aren't really gonna get that euphoric feeling either. He should be good...

Good luck with it...

Lisa