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!!!

[Life360_Dave]

It depends is your strong enough to stand the withdrawal effects. I am not and am on a taper program which is working well.

[vicki595]

Hi and Welcome!    Start treating your symptoms as though you had a cold/flu. So,NyQuil with the decongestant, Immodium, peptobismal,water,juice,Gatorade.  Get Hylands Restful Legs for the RLS along with a cal/mag supplement. Hot baths with Epsom salts really helps, just soak as long as you can in a hot bath.

I think you should just continue on with CT now that you're in Day 2.  It's really important that you don't get dehydrated and it could happen quickly. So, drink drink drink!  

Depression,insomnia,anxiety,and low energy is usual. Just do what you can to counteract it and take your vitamins and minerals.

Scroll down and look for the Health Pages. There are some great articles to read.

Keep posting.

[Nursey7]

I only have 15 pills leftof the 7.5. Is that enough to taper?

[Nursey7]

Thanks for your help! It's just so hard because my husband doesn't know about this. So basically I told him I feel like I am getting the flu. Which I hate lying. It's his day off and it's beautiful out and he wants to do something. I just can't.

[Life360_Dave]

we cant give dose information on tapering but the trick is to get use to the withdrawal feeling as can be terrifiing. tapering allows the drug to leave your body and at the same time total withdrawal is minimized as the full effects are offset somewhat. Getting use to the feeling and accepting it is key. Cold turkey for me was not possible as felt was being hit from all sides and was way to much. Im the kind of person that can overcome situations but takes me time to get used to the situation. Once i know what to expect i can deal with it. Getting to know the feeling is very important but knowing it at its least power.

[mary577]

How many a day were you taking?  Unless it was some obscene amount, I would continue on with the CT.   It is better to just get it over with, in my opinion.  That way you will have the w/d behind you when you get ready to go on vacation.   Just my opinion.   I am  65 years old and I quit Ct.  It is do-able.   You will feel rotten, but just take it easy for a few days and it is over with.   Stick with the flu story.   Lay around and rest.   Be sure and stay hydrated.

[ready4mylifeback]

hi and welcome:) i would continue on the c t you are through day 2 already that is half way.. 15 pills is NOT enough to do a proper taper.. if you take them you will have to start all over at day 1 as far as w d goes.. run with the flu thing.. that's all it is a few days of not feeling good.. it does take a while for the energy, sleep etc to come back a couple months prob before u r 100% but everyday gets better.. there is NO life on these things.. 7 yrs is a long time it will feel GREAT when u r all done and are not chained to a bottle anymore u will not have to worry about if u have pills to make u feel ok to go do something there is no better freedom and to feel REAL emotions again it is AWSOME that first REAL laugh is amazing.. keep pushing it is hard but doable,.,, u can do this.. keep posting there are people here who really care and will help push you through... blessings to you:)

[kyle505]

Welcome...Since you are on your second day of CT, I wouldn't bother with tapering. In fact, if you don't have someone you can trust to hold the pills and then give them to you according to the tapering plan, then you'll probably just take them, and these two days will be for nothing.
I'd suggest that you flush the pills NOW - if you keep them you will start feeding yourself BS about "I'll only take one to sleep...I'll only take one to get a little relief....", and on and on. Day 3 and 4 that voice gets louder and louder. Flush the pills - if you don't you're setting yourself up to relapse. Then keep your body nourished - eat lots of healthy food. If you can't eat, try drinking Ensure. If you're going to the bathroom a lot, then find a drink that has electrolytes added. IF you do this, you will be feeling OK by the time your vacation rolls around. You will not feel completely normal, but the vaca will be doable. In fact, getting away will be good for you.
Once you're done with the physical detox, then we need to talk about the mental aspect of staying clean - that is the hard part; makes the physical withdrawal look tame.
Keep posting.

[waterLilly7]

congrats on quitting!
yes, what Kyle said, and also the others who said you may as well do CT since you are on day 2. I tapered for two months due to my job, but it does drag the mental side of the symptoms out, boy does it! I would have rather just gone CT, and sicne you are already almos trhough the bad days for the physical, may as well start getting through the mental ones now, instead of dragging them out and having to deal with them later anyway.

keep your eye on the goal, you can do it. Today I am like 58 days or so clean and it feels great.

Keep posting, and stay hydrated, and drink Ensure when you can't eat, and take vitamins ok?

hugs,
Lily

[Nursey7]

Thank-you all so much. At first I thought this was kinda stupid and thought what am I doing? But I am so tired of hiding it from my friends, husband, kids, everyone. It's nice to be able to tell someone. I just wanna cry!! Kyle I flushed those suckers but man I wanted to reach in so bad and get those suckers!  I worked so hard trying to make them last to my refill. I took a good nap. I do have some great vitamins from the Thomas Recipe.

[kyle505]

I did the same when I flushed the last time. I waited to see if any pills floated to the top. I probably would have scooped them up and taken them. Gross - from toilet to mouth. Pitiful.

[Nursey7]

These aches and pains are horrible and so is the nausea. I am just praying for an hour or two of sleep tonight!!  

[kyle505]

It gets better. Just keep telling yourself that. A quote that helped me..." count the minutes, count the hours. Whatever it takes to get you through".  You started this thread 11 hours ago! You are that much closer to your next full day clean. Ride out the next day or two and you'll be over the hump. Be proud of what you're doing and what you've accomplished so far. Keep posting.

[Nursey7]

Thanks for still being there!  I took some Nyquil and a Robaxin, probably not the best thing but hey I slept like 4 hours straight!  I am so glad I flushed those too because I guarantee those babies would have been in my mouth last night before bed ;-). It really is great knowing there are people out there understand and truly care!! Appreciate it :-)
I am up and getting ready for church!!

[Nursey7]

Why does it feel like this third day is the worst?!! I can't stop sweating and I am so agitated and anxious. I am sitting here mad at myself for flushing this pills. I don't know how people do this!! I have to go back to work tomorrow and I don't know if I can do it. I am a nurse and a psychiatric one at that, which makes me feel more stupid. How am I gonna listen to people's problems?? I know I am sitting here feeling sorry for myself for what I got myself into. I did at least clean the house today; I guess I should be thankful for that!!!

[kyle505]

First of all, day 3 was the hardest for me. What you're feeling is normal; and the mental game has kicked in big time, that's why you're thinking about the pills you flushed. If you hadn't you would have relapsed already. Get through today...If you can take tomorrow off, do so. If not, just tell whomever that you've got a mild flu. Now, for most of us, day 5 is usually the turning point, so you're almost there.  Remember to eat lots of healthy food; if you can't eat try drinking Ensure. If you're visiting the bathroom a lot, find a drink with electrolytes added. No matter, it's very important that you keep your body fueled, even if you don't feel like it.
I know exactly what you're thinking and feeling...On day three I was looking for a zipper so I could unzip and step out of my own skin. And I too was posting on this forum, but kept thinking - yeah, it's easy for them to tell me to do this and wait for that - I'm going through hell and they are sipping tea and typing on their computer. Something like that. You are just about done with the hardest day of detox. Don't give in to the voice. Remember, count the minutes, count the hours. Whatever it takes to get you through.
Keep posting. I'll be checking in, as will many others who are here to help and support you. I don't use this phrase much, but you really CAN do this.

[Crazy_in_the_head]

Dear Nursey7,

We could be twins!  Except you have enough money and PTO to vacation and I don't.

I also have constant Fibro pain, TMJ, Migraines, and eventually I will need a new knee from when I was obese due to my sugar addiction.  I honestly don't know how I can live the rest of my life like this, or honestly, if I even want to. So I'm going to do what people much smarter than me tell me to; take it one day at a time.  For today, I can do this!

I'm only on day 6 but day 3 and 4 were killers.  I called in sick all of last week.  I told them I had the Black Plague.  I'm going to take sh** tomorrow, but as Bette Midler says, "F*** 'em if they can't take a joke!"

At first I told my husband and my adult son that I had the Flu.  Then I wanted to go to an NA meeting on Friday, and I told them I didn't want to take narcotics for this miserable pain, and I needed help learning to live a different way.  Guess what?  Son told me where there was a good meeting, (he went to drug ct in High School) and husband didn't flinch. If you look at some of my earlier post, I talked about how everybody knows your secret anyway.  You really aren't fooling anyone.  

You are halfway thru hell.  Don't turn back.  Go to a meeting.  You are a smart woman, and you know what to do.  You can't be a good wife or more importantly a good mother when you use drugs.  You know this.

I put my last 15 mg in my medical waste jug where I put my syringes from my injections for migraines meds and vit B-12.  It's really nasty, full of mold and almost full.  Don't think my inner drug addict hasn't considered shaking them out to see how bad they really are!  

I just took some Advil (like a normal human being.)  I'm praying for at least some relief.  I'm going to eat some protein, and go to a meeting and find a sponsor.

I really hope you stick to it, and stick around.  I look forward to hearing your updates.

(((Hugs)))

[Nursey7]

Day 4 and I am just so tired!  I feel like I am in a fog. I have got to go to work and I am so anxious; I don't know what to do. I do normally take Ativan as needed.  I don't have any and am waiting for it to get filled. Is this okay to take. It has never done anything for me as far as getting high. I know there are a lot of people that love benzos.  I have been prescribed them all and never felt anything other than it helped with the heart palpitations and other physical anxiety symptoms. What's really sad is I want hydrocodone so bad right now and it was making me feel like crap for so long. It would make me tired, sweat and itch like crazy-WTH???  I just had to take so many to feel good I guess. I just gotta make it through this day!!!

[48Candles]

You are doing great and it is very hard but you did the right thing and when you look back you will be thankful for doing that.  Keep your mind busy with good things and just take one day at a time. I to am going off this crap I am a week in to it but i am weening down i cut 2 pills a day for a week so far like everyone says day 3-4 was my worse today i am feeling better gonna cut another one which will be three a day. I took as bottle said did not take extra but wanted to, so maybe that makes it a little easier for me .But i am getting off all to as soon as posiable i have a bad back and lot's of other things wrong but i think i can live a good life without and just have to learn i can not do it all. i tested dirty for my drug test so i go back this week for my whopping and i think he will cut me off so that is why i cut back to make it easier. I never had a contract or drug test before so it was a shock to me this time. I do not know how that happened but i was lucky for over 6 years so i knew it was coming some day. I smoke pot for relief and that is what i tested dirty for. I guess i will see what he does i think he will cut me off but i am hoping he weens me but i am ready for the worse. Will keep posting and this is a great site with many good people with great advice and has helped me so much so thanks to everyone for all your help. Keep up the good work Nursey7 you can do this!

[Nursey7]

Day from you know where!! This anxiety, agitation and sweating is killing me!!! I honestly don't know if I can do this!!  I am not sure to thank-you or scream at you for telling me to flush those pills!! :-(

[kyle505]

You can do both - I guarantee that one minute you'll be thanking me, and the next you'll be screaming at me. Kind of breaks up the day...
And you can do it. I know that this really doesn't matter much at the moment, but so many of us have done it; we've been where you are right now; we've paced the floor, felt the anxiety and panic, the knot in the stomach. But honestly, you'll be done before you know it, and every minute of hell that you're enduring is more than worth it. Don't give up. I promise you it will get better soon.

[conhall]

he(kyle) told me to flush mine also actually he told me **** or get off the pot. I had a few pills and was holding onto them and he said FLUSH them or take them make up your mind and get busy .
You can do this day 2 was hard for me and 3 also but as three ended I was feeling alot better not great but better.
Vicki is right treat ur symptoms like you have Flu Immdodium for stomach gatoraid to stay hydrated Hylands for RLS and also some Advil for body aches. Immodium is great stuff and will just help u out alot.
You can do this Just keep pushing when anxiety gets intense go for a walk take a bath You will see time will go by and you will start to turn the corner

[stilltrying1965]

Just wanted to congradulate you on 4 days c/t awesome. Keep moving forward flush the pills. They will only play tricks with your mind. You can do this, then you can have that vacation two weeks not worrying about darn pills.This is just a wee bit encouragment from me. I & my wife quit a 14yr heroin addiction c/t the first 10 days for me were horrendous but one well too good things came of it. They are well im 621 days clean my wife much longer. So there is light at the end of the tunnel, hard work,willpower & determination. Also you may find some days harder than others. Thats when you need to get on MH & there will always be someone here to help you through the bad days. But i promise you are doing just great. Me & my wife wish you the very best of luck & enjoy that vacation you so deserve it so much. All the very best to you nursey7,,,,,,,,James