Taper or cold turkey

[Nursey7]

I have been taking hydrocodone 7.5/500 for about 7 years after a major surgery and fibromyalgia. I want off this crap. I have to take way too many to feel good; it's miserable!!  1 have 15 pills left and am going on vacation in 2 weeks. I want to be off these and feeling better by then. I am on second day cold turkey and I have not slept, constant headache, severe muscle pain, resless legs, irritable, gi symptoms, crying constantly. I don't know if I should use these last 15 or continue cold turkey. Unless I take all of them at once they won't get me high. I have such a tolerance now it's terrible. I don't feel life is worth living right now and I hate that feeling. I am not one that would ever harm myself just feel awful. Help please!!!

[Nursey7]

Going to bed and praying for sleep. I want to be happy and positive. It's my baby girl's birthday dinner tomorrow. She is 27, man where have the years gone?!

[kyle505]

I wanted to let you know that not all of us experience depression and anxiety for an extended period. After about 8 or 9 days both had subsided, and had become less intense leading up to day 8. Granted, you will experience waves of anxiety in certain situations as time passes, but, at least for me, it lessens.
I don't know much about RLS - I had it bad and just rode it out.

[oceanwaves16]

Tonight started the RLS which I hate, loathe and despise.  I end up stomping my legs in bed, twitching them around. Does this happen for anyone else? And what do you do for it. I am glad you are feeling so much better after a week, that really gives me alot of hope. I've read that the anxiety and depression can last weeks into months and the thought of that scares me.

[Nursey7]

There is no right or wrong way-taper or CT as long as you are serious and ready to commit. And your right probably people do already know. I need to be honest with my husband but I guess I am afraid of looking bad!  He knows a little about it from before and thinks all is good. All I know is I am feeling 85% better than I did last Friday!! No more aches and pains, congestion, gi stuff. The anxiety gets pretty intense and the "wants"that used to be the "mores" are very much there!!  I couldn't have them in front of me cuz Kyle was right on when he said you will come up with every excuse to just go take "one" knowing full well that one isn't gonna do crap!!!
Anyway it doesn't make you a stronger person if you do it CT just do it!!!  I hope you find the strength. My mind is already clearer and it will be only a week tomorrow-very happy :-)

[oceanwaves16]

Hello. This is my first post. I have been lurking for a couple of days now. I am trying to taper off 7.5 Vics. This thread has been very inspirational to me. When Kyle said it was like Christmas when he'd get his full bottle of pills I had to laugh. I used to say the very same thing. I'd have my full bottle fresh from the pharmacy and I'd say "Merry Christmas to me!!" It was the best feeling in the world but one that I knew couldn't last. I've been and off the pills (Vic and Perc) since 2008 but consistently on for the past 8 or so months. I am currently feeling the W/D's...my heart is pounding out of my chest, I feel like I"m getting a cold, I have a fever, I have chills, I feel clammy, I feel soo depressed and moreso hopeless. Soooo very hopeless. Some issues that I have been burying with the pills are surfacing now and I'm scared to death of dealing with it. No G/I issues....yet but I have generic immodium at the ready. I work full time and have kids so I can't go to bed with the "flu". I wish I could.  Also this w/d is a secret.  The addiction has been a secret. I'm sure it's known but it's a pink elephant and I dont want to address it with anyone. I am really scared of the next week or so of w/d. I just want to get past all this, esp the anxiety, heart pounding and the depression.
Oh and Nursey I give you sooo much credit for flushing those pills. I have 9 left and I just cannot do it. I am tapering and will cut them in half but there's no way I have the strength to flush them. So I give you much credit for doing so!!!
Thanks for listening.!

[Nursey7]

Hi!  I don't think the dose really has a lot to do with if you are an addict or not. Have you tried to cut down or quit and have failed?  Do you take more than you should? Are you using them for pain or to get high? Do you go into a major panic when that bottle gets low and it isn't near time for a refill??  Are they a main focus of your life?  When I first asked the question CT or taper I was praying everyone was gonna say taper!!! Majority ruled and Kyle said flush them. It is so crazy that was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I have been through some crap. I watched everyone of those suckers go down and felt like I was losing a friend. So I would personally say flush them. Almost a week tomorrow; I can't believe it. Good luck to ya ;-)