Norco addiction @ im scared!

[Motive]

Hey all.
I have been taking norco 10/325 for the past 5 years nonstop. I take 4-5 pills every day. I have never had to stop taking them because I always found a way to get them, from online doctors mostly. I started taking them when I had an episode of kidney stones. I can't imagine what it would be like to not take them. I am really scarred to stop taking them because of the raise in blood pressure and the anxiety I will feel. I don't want to see anyone for help, I have kept this secret from everyone including my boyfriend of 8 years. I like the way these pills make me feel, it's sad but true. They really help me relax. My questions are how high does the blood pressure rise when you stop. How long will I feel crappy. I doubt I will be able to sleep. Is it dangerous to stop cold turky, has anyone become extremely ill. I know the tappering method won't work for me. Will my body go in shock when I stop taking them, will I be able to handle it. I consider myself otherwise healthy.
Thanks to anyone out there who can help me and takes the time to read this.
Motive to quit!

[ImAwAkE]

Last year in august I was struck  violently by a drunk driver and I looked like I came out fine, however my wrist was hurting bad.

MY DOCTORS AT KAISER PERMENENTE IN FRESNO CA  
559-448-4500. Diagnosed me with a sprained wrist and prescribed vicodin for 3 months and were treating me like a drug addict every time I went in totally ripping every sense of who I thought I was (Hard working Caltrans Worker With A Miserable Marriage and my only real good BLOOD family my mother dies just before)

If what I'm Writing please know I'm typing with one hand with several pins and screws in the other while going through my 4-5 day of cold turkey

I think a good way to describe it is 2 imagine grinding your teeth to the point of pain while breathing very rapidly
SEETHING every movement or thought I can actually hear the electricity from every thought or  movement

How did I get here? I was misdiagnosed and after 5 months of bieng treated like a complete drug addict FAKER they decided to simply refer me to the specialist of ORTHOPEDICS............ I sat in her office for about ten minutes waiting and as she walked in she seemed as if she had great news she said "by looking at these xrays it looks like you ligaments are ripped and stripped from physical movement especially the physical therapy, also you have a gangleonic sist that  occurred from the constand inflamation ....let me refer you to a surgeon and order and update of your xray and an MRI"  

I WAS PISSED BECAUSE THESE WERE THE XRAYS FROM THE FIRST WEEK!

Now I understand this was Probably NOT done purposefully

Anyway they immediatly upped my perscription 2 4 325/10 per day and I noticed my life was changing.

Now last week they realized that last month they perscribed me 280 something norco as well as my 120 .5mg of clonopin, so they said NO MORE.

I'm doing this by choice They called the surgeon and asked him to please reconsider and send me to pain management where BUT **** THEM ALL


I know who and what I am I can beat this pill I'm looking forward to the pain knowing that I'm winning and will pull through  stronger and so will all of us who make it.

Lesson learned Never will I allow a drug to control me again.

[KeepTheHope]

good job on cold turkey....I'm scared of the dangerous withdrawls....high blood pressure, extreme headaches...that kinda thing can kill you so thats why I havnt tryed cold turkey. when I go for 12 or 18 hours though I start getting extrememly anxious, heart beating, and kinda jittery and nose running and the worst headaches i've ever had,  I think theres somethin else wrong with me, or thats just withdrawal symtpoms. i dont know.

[bri789]

ANY THING THAT HELP CALM DOWN WITHDRAWL symptomes OF VICODINE M360, I been on them for about 1 1/2 yrs. And it was nice at fist but then i needed them to keep going day to day. ANY ONE KNOW OF OTC meds that will help or other ways.

THANK YOU !!!!!

[dahmvikes]

I am on day 26 today.  I was taking 6-15 10/325 norcos a day for 2 years.  I quit cold turkey.  Everybody is different.  I just did not want to exchange one thing for another.  I tried to taper but it would only last a couple days before I ate another mouthfull of pills.  I feel FANTASTIC!!!!  After about 7 - 10 days you really start feeling normal again.  It took me almost 3 weeks to feel totally normal but I am so happy now.  This was the only time I have ever had to quit anything.  I made up my mind and just did it.  My husband had no idea how many I was taking, nobody did.  I came clean and told everyone so that I would have to quit.  I'm sure your boyfriend will help support you.  Good luck to you!  

[KeepTheHope]

My average is 6 per day....I have been living my life in sixhour intervals for the past many years. I'll wake up, take 2....wait six hours take 2...wait another six hours and take 2. consistently for 5 years, but more than 5 years total. I just turned 29 and I'll always have to say that the better part of my twenties I have spent 'wasted' the song by Carrie Underwood "wasted" is really talking to me. So all this time I have spent in the fog. And now sadly when I go for 12 to 18 hours without taking them I feel a little more clear minded and I look in the mirror at myself and expect to see what I saw back at when I first started, but I'm older and uglier now ! LOL And I hate it. I feel so old!!!! And alone. I'm sick of the control, the control is not quite as visible in my life though because the amount I take is not dificiult to get. Buy online, friends, streets, etc. I can easily get plenty and never really had to make sad sacrifices cuzz I didnt have any. but to tell the truth, if I didnt have my few per day it would be an ugly thing! i'm a functional addict but they DO control me. I am getting pretty sick of it...keep posting.

[Motive]

Thanks guys. I usually take 4 or 5 a day but I have on several occasions taken em around the clock every 4 hours. Sometimes I would wake up late at night just to "relax" and take a pill and enjoy the feeling. I really love the way I feel when I take these things. I know that I probably shouldn't feel this way but I do, which is why I now can look forward to withdrawls....great. I hate the control these pills have over me. Im always watching the clock. I have literaly lived my life by 4 hour intervals for the past 5 years or so....this is so messed up. Im 28 and I have a full life ahead of me....if I could just find away out of this mess.
Thanks for listning to me. Take care guys.
Thanks for all the posts.

[KeepTheHope]

hey flmagi, your post also touched me....thank you for writing that. I love that you included the GOOD things (optimism, laughing, etc.) about this. You are so right  very importantly we always need to remember the good things that will come back.  Another good thing that i have noticed in just 1 day (cuzz thats as far as I can make it) is that I sneeze again and it just feels GREAT! I even posted on here about it. Anotheer good thing thing after just a day is that I enjoy music so MUCH MORE after even 12-18 hours. But unfortunately for me though I have never really made it to first base even. the w/d feeling has kept me going back to my usual. but its good to read from you that there is hope and there is light at the end.
later

[KeepTheHope]

Hey Motive..I read your post and had to keep looking back thinking that I MYSELF wrote it....You should read some of my topics...We are in a very similar situation. Even close in dosage, you say 4-5 per day and I am right at 5-6 per day. I have been CONSISTENTLY doing this for quite a few years. Probably 5 years (like you) nonstop. Every single freaking day. but I have been off/on for more like 7 or 8 years.

Anyway, if your like me you keep telling yourself that 5 norco per day is not THAT bad! It could be a lot worse right? I (we) need to get out of this thinking. But why is it that people can take 15 or 20 or 30 of them per day, and when they ask how the withdrawls will be, its the same "you will feel very sick for 5 days...." It doesnt seem fair that my withdrls from 5per day should be the same description as somebody who takes 20 per day.

Anyway, I urge you to try cutting back to just 3 per day...or 4? Whatever is one less per day then your usual. You will then rethink the whole cold-turkey thing.

AGAIN, I cant believe how identical our situations are...Especially your first two or three sentences.....EXACTLY the same as me. no offense but I'm kinda happy that theres soembody out there in the same situation.

[NautyOne]

as beach said.......it is very irresponsible to suggest someone buy blood pressure meds online.  there are many doses and you need to know the proper dose or you can kill yourself.  there are a lot of people out here that can give you advice on dosage due to experience.  I won't do it.  you can ask. or please see a doctor.


Nauty..............

[beachtowel]

A friend of mine last yr who had to have pills to get off pills got a bottle of clonidine.......
Because he was an addict he took pills by the handful........

He overdosed on clonidine bottomed out his blood pressure and died.......his mother found him dead in his bed the next morning............

[flmagi]

Hi motive and welcome to the forum.
Yes, cold turkey can be done. Thats what I did (and many others). I was taking Persc & Vics, 10-12 a day for 3 1/2 years. Alot more daily then you take. Today I'm clean 24 days!
Do you have a blood presure problem?  I'm don't know if my presure went up but I got thru it.
Figure 4-5 days feeling like death, REALLY BAD FLU. Then you'll start to feel alittle better everyday from there. These are some of the things you'll go through. cold sweats, body aches, sleeplisness, diarehea, shaking, restless legs, depression, crying, hopelesness. IT WILL GET BETTER.  Things to have on hand. Over the counter sleep aids, Immodium (a choice thing), alot of toilet paper, lol, protein drinks & bars, vitamins. Drink alot of fluids (important!!) Find  Ga Guy  on this forum and click on his name, go to his profile. He has tons of info on all this stuff you'll you can take to help. Try to get some exercise, get outside when you can.
These are some of the things you'll also start going through after a few days:  Optimism, happiness, pride, Laughing again, feeling good, then better, then great.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. You can do it! To have support from people close to you would be great, but if you can't, tell them you have the Flu. Try to take at least the first few days off from work etc. You have the really bad flu!
And keep coming to this forum. Everyone here will help and support you. You can do this and you'll be happy you did.
Good luck, be strong. We're here for you!
Magi

[Motive]

Thanks for the help I really appreciate it. I would still like to try cold turkey 1st and see how it goes. Can you answer my questions as to how bad the blood pressure will rise? Thats a scarry thought. Will I be able to handle it?  With my dosage what withdrawls can I expect. I have never missed a dose, I have always taken a pill every 4 hours for the past 5 years so I am worried about what will happen if I just stop, but I would like to try it. Will simple motrin help with any symptoms?
Thanks all.

[ChronicCaroline]

Silly! Tapering or med help is best, you know that though. I thought the same about myself, and you are a lot stronger than you think, If you try!!! If you relapse its a common thing, but keep trying! I have relapsed 75million times I think lol!! Its hard, thats why were addicts. We think life is soooo much better with our drug of choice and it is not it is doing what is prescribed for you to do "mask feeling/pain" be it emotional, mental, physical, and thats how an addict begins. Some of the most prominent well focused people our addicts to something. probably two houses down from you some one in the house is fighting addiction to something hardcore, but you would of never known.
Use this forum when you think about taking a norco or for anything-especially to vent about how your feeling-this site is a great tool! it does help immensely, keeps you side tracked. If it increases your urge, take a break and come post later when you feel little more impowered. Day by day is all you can do! You are only one person made of flesh and bone just like us. No one is above you here were all fighting the same battle!!! Good Luck!!! Post to me anytime!!!

[DeezNuts]

tapering allows your body and mind to adjust to the change. if you have never experienced withdrawl you will be in a world of hurt after 48hrs and wished you had done ANYTHING in your life to not experience that. i suggest the taper. if you cannot control yourself, which many of us can't, think of coming clean with a close friend/family member and giving the pills to them so they can help you quit.
i hope you the best

[Motive]

Thats true it could be worse. Why not quit cold turkey, that seems like the best thing to do....or not lol. I just don't think I have the will power to tapper. It really helps to know Im not the only one in this position.

[ChronicCaroline]

Hi Motive-

I am also an addict to Vicodin ES or Norco, I know how ya feel!  The best thing you can do is come clean. Your in a good position though there are some people that take 30+ of those little suckers. You could easily ween slowly of them, DON"T QUIT COLD TURKEY! just gradually take less and less every day, thats what I do and it is so much easier and nicer. You may want to get med help with it if you experience severe withdrawals or trouble tapering.
If you take four today, take three and a half tomorrow and so on. That worked for me but they may not work for you. At your level, it should be fine but I am no doctor and I am not you. I was taking and still struggle between 2-10 vic ES a day. Stay positive and truth is best!!!