Please Help

[Melissa862]

I was diagnosed with a lumbar back problem about 4 months ago. The doc prescibed me Vicodin ES. After the first month I built up a tolerence and continued to. The most of these I would take in a day would probably be 12-16 pills. I decided I didn't want this addictive opioid to take over my life. My prescription ran out, and even though I had another refill I didn't want to refill it. I want to quit! I started yesterday morning. I took my last pill at 9am yesterday. It is now 10pm the day after. It has been hell. Cold sweats, chills, goosebumps, runny nose, and the thing that bothers me the most is my restless legs. I didn't sleep all night, and my head is pounding. It's scary to think how addicted I was to these pills! My question is...how long are these withdrawl symptoms going to last? Like I said I've only been on them for 4 months, but obviously became addicted. Please help!

[TJack]

Hon, I used a heating pad in bed for my legs.  That did help.   Hot showers and then a heating pad.  You will make it.   Just hang in there.  Take your adivan, i did and didnt get hooked.  My doc prescribed 3 a day for a month.  When they were gone i was okay.  Keep posting. TJack

[pratt]

Just fyi, I finally gave in and went to the ER at 4 this morning.  Doc gave me something for nausea and a few xanax for anxiety.  I feel a hell of a lot better now. Still not eating much, but slept for a few hours this afternoon.  Hopefully I can return to work tomorrow.  Thanks to everyone who listened and responded last night.

[allaboutmary]

Over the counter sleep aids made my restless legs worse.  This is not the case for everyone. just wanted to let you know.

[allaboutmary]

Oh congrat's on waking up to your addiction after only 4 months. Please do this now.  It will only get much worse. It took me 5 years of using to wake up to my horrible addiction.  Your withdrawal shouldn't be all that bad, but beware the cravings to use again after your clean. Hang in there, the worst is probably almost over. Use the ativan as a last resort to help you sleep or for bad anxiety. Keep posting.     Mary

[what2donow]

Hey hunny!Congrats and dont you give up girl.You CAN do this.The best thing that I can suggest is to find somthing that MICHAEL777 posted. His name will be in blue.He quit cold turkey and there is a day by day in his journal of what he felt and the safe ways to deal with them like sleep,runny nose and other symptoms.It is GREAT and so is he.You can private message him too and he is very helpful!!!
Good luck and keep on girlie,you are another day closer!

Jennifer

[pratt]

Anxiety (mostly gone), chills, nausea, muscle aches and cramps.  The last pill I took was at noon on Monday (central time).  Can't sleep, and haven't eaten much all day.  Drinking some oj right now.

[Melissa862]

We're only about a month difference, so our case is similar. The last pills I took were yesterday at 9am. I'm on Pacific Time (I'm here in sunny California) and now it's 11:20pm. This is near 36 hours detox as well. I can't sleep so that's why I'm here! What symptoms are you having?

[pratt]

Hang in there Melissa.  I'm just past 36 hours here.  I only took hydrocodone for three months, and not at very high levels, so I'm hoping the worst is about over for me.  I'm so glad I found this board, now I've got something to keep me busy, because I obviously ain't sleeping tonight.  I even took two sleeping pills and never even batted an eye.  Take the very warm shower.  It helps!  Even if only for a little bit.  I read on some other board that you should take bath, let the water heater make more hot water, then do it again.  I've been taking showers cause I got tired of waiting for the tub to fill up.  Take care.

[Melissa862]

I just can't wait to go back to the times when I didn't have to take pills to feel normal. I was an excersise FREAK. Doing things like "HIIT" (High intensity interval) training. I used to weight 220 pounds. I am now at 145 pounds purely from diet and excersise. The ironic part about that was because of my weight loss, my body was "shocked" into not carrying the extra weight and threw off my spine. This is were the back injury started hence the pain pill addiction.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Most supplement stores that carry vitamins have that. I didn't have too much RLS but I did have trouble sleeping if I didn't take something. You are almost 2 days into w/d. You probably have 2 more, then things start to get better, a little bit at a time. Hang on.
You can do this.

[Melissa862]

To answer your questions, vicodin is the only experience I've had with opiates. Never done herion, mehtadone....etc. I am well aware of the tylenol dose and how dangerous it was but when you're an addict, all that matters is feeling the high no matter how dangerous it might be. It wasn't 500 mg of the tylenol, it was the 750mg, for I was taking the 7.5/750 hydrocodone APAP (Vicodin ES). I'm only 21 years old so I didn't want it to ruin my young life. I don't have a bath! Haha I have a one person shower. I'm a college student living alone in a one bedroom apartment. I'm alone and have no support group. I guess that's why I chose to try posting on this site. The doc only gave me a scrip for 15 ativan with no refills, so I'm hoping that's not enough to get me addiction. God knows the LAST thing I want is to becomed engulfed in ANOTHER call of drugs (anti-anxitey). Where do I get Melatonin? You know the worst thing? I can deal with the chills, goosebumps, sweats, headace because they all remind me of having the flu and I've been through that tons of times in my life. It's the RLS that is KILLING ME and preventing me from sleeping.

[broknbck]

If you still have pain this stuff called Yoni might help.

Look for FLaddict on the forum. She usually writes something everyday. Click on her name and her profile will come up. She has all kinds of notes and facts on her profile. I just picked the ones I thought would help me best and ordered them in the mail. But you can get alot of stuff in drug stores even.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Melatonin for sleep. Chamomile tea for relaxing. Take good vitamins. Drink lots of water. Take hot baths. I like them with Epsom salts to put magnesium back into the muscles. Keep up your electrolytes with Gatorade. Do a search for the 'Thomas recipe'. There are more suggestions that can help listed there. Eat bananas. They seem to do real well during the detoxing. Try to keep focused on the goal of being free. Look to the good ahead of you.

[u812]

take the ativan for no more than 5 days. it takes a little while to get addicted. after 5 days the worst will be over. hang in there. good luck!!!!!

[GoingToMakeIt]

I answered your question on the community forum. This is the better place for these types of questions though. Good luck. We are here for you.
You can read my responses on the other forum but you are welcome to respond on this post. That way we won't need to go back & forth between forums.

[Melissa862]

Thank you so much. I went to the doc last night. On top of a UTI infection I told him about my plan to quit and that I was already in the process. On top of the antibiotic for the infection he gave me a prescription to ativan, an anti anxiety pill to help me sleep. After researching it online it said that THAT was addictive as well. I just don't know what to do! What herbal remedies do you suggest?

[anotherfinemess1]

your withdrawals will probably last about a week.  Someone will be along to help you through this.  Hang on!

[broknbck]

Can't be sure how long they will last. Most say that day 2 and 3 are the worst and then it's all up-hill!! You haven't been using that long, I'm sure the worst is almost over. I used for 4 years and am on my 7th day clean. Feel like a million bucks! Wish I would of done this a long time ago. Hang in there.

There are lots of things you can do to help. Try to stay away from any more perscriptions though. They just get you into more trouble.

Exersize sounds like fun? Naught- but it really helps, especially cardio stuff
A hot bath will warm you right up
Different herbs and teas from a health store can help you sleep

I tapered before I quit so my symptoms weren't as bad. But they were also drawn out a lot longer because you still go through withdrawl while you're tapering. You've already come this far - hang in there. What a great Christmas present to yourself!!