TAPERING

I have been on 4 10mg hydros for about 5 months now and have started to lower my dose day by day. I went through w/d off of oxycodone about a year ago, so I know what it's all about and how it made me feel. It's been for a legitimate cause. I've got 4 bulging discs and 2 torn discs. Sometimes thinking back i feel like I just want to get rid of it all even though I hurt like h___. Since Monday I've taken 40mg, Tues. 30mg. today I've only taken 20mg, and have felt no urges or w/d symptoms at all. Is it possible that I really haven't been taking a high enough dose to effect me that bad. I really don't feel bad at all, and thats a pretty quick taper. Any thoughts

Jed

[avisg]

Jed,
If its working for you I would keep on going .You may get lucky .I hope it is very mild for you .Have you looked into recovery care ?Take a look at the amino acid protocol that is in the "health pages" also any exercise even mild will help your body heal ..keep us posted

[JED1974]

I'll let ya'll know how I feel tomorrow, My doctor told me I shouldn't have any problems going cold turkey , but he is willing to ween me off even more slowly than I am for my self. I take them for actual chronic pain, but for some reason I feel wrong about it. Like I'm doing something wrong. I think I'm gonna get these things out of my system and keep the rest around for a worst case scenario pain day. Would that be stupid. I don't feel mentally hooked on them at all. I know I'm stong enough to get off of them without a doubt. thats why i think I'm gonna keep em for bad pain days. I was taking about 10-12 10 mg oxycodone a day and went cold turkey about a year ago and was the worst thing I had ever felt. It felt like a month. I made it though without giving in. Thats why I've had to have something for the pain. I just didn't wany oxy.

[mellie4]

I'm wondering what your doctor thinks.  Does he think you need them for your pain?  Something you said struck home with me.  I take a lot of medications, including oxycodone, for a long-standing chronic pain condition.  I found this site when I was looking for help for my boyfriend.  I found some help here and also in the pain forums.  But what you said that got to me was, "... for some reason I feel wrong about it.  Like I'm doing something wrong."

That's exactly how I feel.  And I know I'm not addicted.  I've questioned myself about it.  And I've posted here and have spoken to my pain clinic anesthesiologist, the nurse practitioner and my surgeon, as well as a friend of mine who's a nurse practitioner in orthopedics and deals with the issues I have with loads of patients.  None of them think I have anything to worry about and that I worry needlessly.

But I still can't help feeling it's wrong.  And as a result, I've thought about going off them.  I research things and then change my mind.  I'm afraid of my pain; it's severe and deep.  But I'm also afraid of withdrawals and addiction.

I don't feel mentally hooked, either.  I don't run out early or look to other places for them.  But all the same, I feel uneasy.

What do you plan on doing for your pain?  I'm looking into alternative-type treatments but there's a lot for me to sort out.

[JED1974]

Exactly how I feel , The doc tells me either I take them and have relief or not take them and suffer or have surgery. I don't want to have surgery, but I don't want to hurt either. People that know I take them, for some reason, I think they look down on me, but they have no idea how I'm hurting, so I'm gonna try to taper off of them and instead of taking them as they are perscribed, put them up for when I can't take the pain anymore, that way if I take them once or twice a week, there is no way your body will become accustomed to having in your system all of the time.

[JED1974]

Just to clarify he doesn't think there is anything wrong with what I'm taking. He's says there shouldn't be hardly any w/d even stopping cold turkey, if I wanted come off of them. I do however take them for a serious condition. I'm stuck between a rock and a hardplace. I hurt but don't want to be on opiates, but that is my only relief. I'm gonna try to at least lessen my dose like I said. It's worth a try. I've got another injection coming up and hope it works, previous ones didn't, so I'm not taking them for recreation it's serious, just feels like society thinks I'm a drug addict or something by having to take em.

[JED1974]

I'm down to 10 mg today and haven't even taken them yet this morning. I still feel pretty good. do you think coming down from 40 on monday to 10 today that I would be feeling really rotten by now?

[laurel453]

it seems it's working so trust you'll be ok, Jed. Best wishes :) Besides you know what you could expect  so maybe in that case ( if you start feeling worse )  consult with your doc then

[JED1974]

Don't you think I would be feeling some sort of withdrwal by now with that quick of a tapering schedule?


Jed

[laurel453]

humm...maybe until the substance is completely out for your system you will not start feeling any wds at all....and then, i don't think you'll experience them very hard either...take it as it is and try to relax yourself to be ready to face whatever happens, this is important, keeping our minds in a positive mood, Jed

[JED1974]

Thanks, I've been through it before , not because of choice but because of surgery from oxycodone, and like I said I got to taking 8-12 a day of 10's so I was starting to abuse them when I decided I'd had enough. I do have legitimate chronic pain , but I just don't want to be on these things the rest of my life. I don't think personally it's gonna be nowhere near the pain I went through with oxy's cold turkey. I'm still gonnna keep them on the shelf for when I absolutely need them , but other than that I will not take them.

[mellie4]

Well, with all the medications they have me on and the dosage of the oxycodone, I know if and when I stop, I will have withdrawals and probably bad ones.  I've had 8 or 9 surgeries and many other procedures, blocks and such.  My pain is bad.  But I do feel judged by people who know I take them.  I am overly cautious regarding the addiction possibilities.  I need to decide whether to stay on them or get off.  I am looking into alternatives for my pain.  I am trying to get approval with a pain psychologist who would help me find things like accupuncture, meditation, breathing exercises and other things to help the pain.  The other choice is to go on a long-acting narcotic with something for breakthrough pain.  It always comes back to the same issue with me, though, which is it just feels wrong to me.  Without the medication, I have no quality of life.  The pain wakes me up and keeps me from performing simple tasks.

But with the medication, I find myself isolating my self from people.  I nearly feel anti-social, which isn't like me.  I have a few weeks until my next block and my next appointment with the pain clinic.  I'm spending the time looking into other non-medicinal treatments and also researching things on withdrawals, just in case I'm going off the medication.  The pain clinic nurse practitioner insists I won't have any withdrawal symptoms, but I'm on 30 mg. oxycodone every three hours plus other non-narcotic meds.  I just don't see how I can avoid some withdrawals no matter how much I taper it.

Good luck with your journey.

[JED1974]

The nurse is wrong, as long as you've been on them , you will suffer. As I said I was taking about 80 to 120 mg of oxy a day and stopped cold turkey and was the worst week I've ever had. Worse than any sickness or flu I've ever had. Don't mean to scare you but if you don't start tapering your dose down gradually it will be a night mare. During my detox , I almost went to the hospital on the worst night, but the next morning it was almost like a fever broke and I was over the hump and feeling better. I was actually happy, crying with tears because I knew the worst was over, I was a little emotional for probably about another week and everything was fine. It took about 4 and a half days for me to detox. Started on Sunday night with my last dose and it Thursday morning when I started feeling better. I made it. I kind of kicking myself for getting back on a low dose of vicodin , but like I said it's a legitimate chronic pain.  I have to have something at least every now and then to knock the edge off, thats why I'm  trying to get these out of my system with little w/d symptoms and it seems like its working. I'll be glad to talk to ya anytime for support. I am in the same boat you are.

Jeff

[JED1974]

ONLY 10 MGS TODAY ABOUT 6 HOURS AGO AND STILL DO NOT FEEL BAD AT ALL.
MAYBE JUST A LITTLE NERVOUS AT MOST. PROBABLY FROM WORRYING ABOUT FEELING BAD.

[mellie4]

One of the reasons I want to get off is because the pain clinic keeps increasing my dose.  And I know it's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place; they ask me about the pain, I tell them, and then they increase the dose.  Last time they added a compounding cream.  Previously I had used Voltaren gel and this new one does seem to work a bit better.  It's so frustrating to have serious pain.  I can tell they think I'm going to be on pain meds the rest of my life.  Last time when talking about long-acting meds, they talked about oxycontin, MS Contin, a Fentanyl patch, or methadone.

I told her no way on the patch or methadone.  Then I told her I didn't know enough about the MS Contin, and I was leery of the oxycontin.  She countered with the oxycontin is the same med I'm taking now, just in long-acting form and that by taking a long-acting med, I may get better pain control and actually take less.

I'm so confused about all of it.  And I feel like I was misled by everyone as far as narcotics go.  I am terribly fearful of withdrawals, and after reading everything here, it makes me more fearful.  I'm certain if I decide to go off she'll taper me very, very slowly, but even with that, I'm sure I'll have withdrawals.

What are you going to do for your pain?  Do you have other ways to treat it?

[JED1974]

First of all stay away from those drugs they are suggesting. you'll be digging yourself a deeper hole. it may seem impossible to ween yourself down, but if you can try weening yourself down to at least 10 mg a day, of course over a period of several weeks. if you really want to try to get rid of them try reducing your dose by 5 mg a week or even every other week to give your body time to adjust to the amount of meds you take until you are down to almost nothing. you may not feel as good some days as if you were taking the higher doses, but it's better than the full withdrawal syndrome. at the end when you can get down to about 10 or even 5 mg, you can come off without just about no w/d symptoms if any at all. I admit oxy is a tough drug to get off of. Maybe even get your doctor to change you to 10mg hydros to start off with, that in itself is just a little bit weaker and you would not notice withdrawal on that, because you would still be putting a narcotic into your system. As far as my pain goes, it is back pain 4 blown discs and 2 torn. I'm going to keep some pills around for the really bad pain days. My regular doctor, not my pain management doctor talked to me about accupuncture and massages, etc. I'm going to look deeper into this. I've got an appt with her in 2 weeks. I'll let you know what she says about the best ways to handle it. I know if I can go cold turkey off of 80-120 mg of oxy a day, you should be able to taper from 30 a day with no problem. Let me know if I can help
Jeff

[JED1974]

ONLY 10MG TODAY SO FAR , IM FEELING A LITTLE ANCY , BUT CONSIDERING PRETTY GOOD.  i MAY HAVE TO STAY AT 20 MG DAILY FOR A WEEK. wHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK. PROBABLY JUST MENTAL. I TOOK SOME  EXCEDRIN MIGRAINE FOR A LITTLE HEAD ACHE , BUT THATS IT.

[gnarly_1]

HI sound like you plan is a sound one and it seams to be working just stick it out even if you have mild withdrawals...DONT yo/yo your dose once your down stay at that level dont take more because your not feeling well ....in order for a taper to work you have to be disciplined and stick it out you cant go down one day only to go up the next because you dont feel well  if you can stick to it you will be off in a short wile ...keep up the good work so far so good ....good luck and God bless....Gnarly  

[JED1974]

Appreciate it. That's what I needed. A little encouragement. I was tempted to stay at 20 mg a day for the next week , but if I don't get to feeling any worse than I do now I'm gonna stay at 10mg for a few days , then lower again. I've got Klonopin to help me sleep and anxiety so I'm not really expecting much out of this considering what the doc had me on a year ago. Now that was bad , but Vicodin (still addictive) is a different animal than oxy.

Thanks

[JED1974]

Only 10 mg since yesterday morning. 24 hours with nothing and feeling great.

[laurel453]

good :)

you're really  sticking to your plan.

[mellie4]

Delighted your taper is going so well.  Gives me hope for when I do it.

[JED1974]

It will be easy when you do it, just a couple of a little uncomfortable days but nothin you can't handle

[JED1974]

Don't get me wrong. I'm still tapering. I went fishing this morning and endured the pain all morning. After about 36 hours I had to take 1, but just one. If my pain was totally gone I wouldn't even have taken that one. I really believe I would have been starting some serious w/d after about 36 hours. I think - could stop right now and flush every thing and would be done , but I'm gonna keep what I've got for when I really need them. Does anybody agree that if I hadn't taken anything in 36 hours I would be in serious w/d by now. I don't feel anything, no diarhea (diarrhea), headaches,chills,loss of appetite, or anything. What do you guys think.

[confusedaboutpills]

hi im looking for help   im geting desperate   first let me tell you my situation   i shatterd my hip in a dirt bike accident april 10 and have been taking 10 mg hydros 2 every 4 hours averaging 8-10 a day   i took my last dose may 15 so i was on them for roughly a month  ihave never been addicted to anyhting before    i dont even smoke   well now im having alot of wierd issues    im 7 days without a pill and i never really sufferd the physical withdrawals that people explain with the exception of diahrrea which today is starting to go away    but i have severe depression anxiety and insomnia   im usually a very happy person always doing somethng and never really sad   now i dont even want to answer my phone   i average 3 hours sleep a night  nothin excitees me nor does anything seem interesting or worth doing    is what im feeling normal or did i inflict permanant damage to my brain   if it is n ormal how long can i expect to feel so down and unhappy   anyhelp would be greatly appreciated   someone please help me

[JED1974]

No permanent damage bro. I've been on them a whole lot longer, even before this bout with the pain meds. You're having w/d,s it sounds like to me. If you've been seven days the worst is over my friend. You should start feeling better right away. I've been on em for about 5 months and I tapered down which it sounds like you didn't have a chance to do. If you have any xanax or klonopin or even ambien that would definitely help with the sleep and anxiety.
Jeff

[JED1974]

I don't feel like they have a hold on me anymore! I truly believe tapering really works. After 36 hours , does anyone think I would be having any kind of withdrawals, even tapering like I have done?