Just wanted to share my experience with you and get your feedback.
I’ve been taking 4-8 hydros/day along with 2-4 Somas/day for the last 2 years. My doctor has been prescribing both to me to combat Cervical Arthritis, RLS at night (sleep), and intense back pain that comes and goes with pinched nerve problems in my neck. I’ve also been through 10 months of physical therapy to help strengthen my neck & back muscles and that has really helped (ultrasound on the back is heavenly!). Anyway, I decided that I have become dependent on these pills and quit both, and had an unexpected experience.
First, I quit the soma one week ago while still taking the hydros. I had bad headaches, diarrhea, fog, malaise, some sweating, and had great difficulty falling asleep for about 5 days, all while I was still taking about 6 to 8 Vicodin per day. After about 5 days, the soma withdrawals stopped. This past Thursday (6/19) I took my last pill of Vicodin I had left and then started taking Imodium for potential stomach problems, Gatorade for potassium (for the RLS), regular OTC Tylenol, and vitamins in the morning with a meal, and the only withdrawals I had were some very mild headaches and…..THAT’S IT!! I have no problems sleeping and have slept most of the way through the night since the Soma withdrawals stopped. No RLS problems either, which was also one of the reasons for the Vicodin script. I am on day 8 of being Soma-free and day 3 of being Vicodin free and I feel really really good! Like I said, some very mild headaches, but no stomach problems, no RLS, no cold sweats, no shaking, no aches and pains in my back and neck either. Nothing.
What happened?
The Soma withdrawals were much worse than the Vicodin withdrawals, which seemed to be virtually non-existent. Has anyone had similar experiences with these two drugs? Did you find getting off the Soma was much more difficult than the Vicodin? Why was my Vicodin withdrawal virtually non-existent?
Thanks for listening.
BTW, my 40th birthday is coming up in 2 weeks, and I can’t wait to celebrate….pill free!!!!!!!
One last question…. I haven’t told my doc about this. How do I break this news to her that I have quit? She’s been very insistent about taking my pills regularly. I don’t think I need these pills anymore. I feel great and have stocked up on Tylenol and Advil.