Tapering

[sweetpea1313]

I take vicodin for pain I have a dengenerate disorder and have decided I want to stop taking them. I am very low on energy and have leg pain but the issue is I dont know if this is a sympton of withdrawl or the other issue. I am down to 2 pills a day I also am using xanax to help sleep at night and aleve for the pain is this ok How long does the leg pain last?? i def feel better tho I started this on New Year's Day I had the night sweats and everything and seem to be past that Any advice? How long does it last?

[sweetpea1313]

I started to take less and less I took 2 today and it wasnt the first thing i did this am or thought about i had to take a whole one this evening but went 5 hours wihtout one this am With tapering from what i understand thro ppl who work in rehabs and addicts that I know it is to cut down to lessen the withdrawl wich seems to be working for me tho i have zero energy but other than that i am def feeling better i understand that this is def a huge battle to win

[mshell62]

QUESTION about your post:

You mentioned you had complications popping up for about a month?  You were tapering?  Down to 2 a day?  I tapered myself and today is day 3 w/o any Vic.  However, I am having big time W/D stuff going on.  I felt good yesterday, but last night was a nightmare and so is today.  

Aches, pains, shakes, almost like it is CT.  I was kinda worried cuz I had heard that when one tapers they have to start with a "whole bottle"????  I read that on one of these posts.  But I didnt start with alot.  Probably only 15, 500 Vic.  I would go back and fourth taking 1/2 then 2/3rds, then 1/2, then 1/4.... Maybe it just happens to everyone.

I had only been taking three a day but for about a year....

Who knows, I guess everyone is different.

Any input welcomed!

[sweetpea1313]

Thank you so much Im hoping I am on the right track lol I understand that I may need to take something but under better control and the right reasons So I may not have any energy for right now in hte long run it will be worth it right no fooling myself over here i miss the old me After the experince with the ex i never want to bbe there or put myself in that situation if I can help it Thank u for the support and words of wisdom def helps I did notice that I am def having anxiety but I am finding ways around it I am lucky that my mom is always there I just didnt tell her why Im freaking lol

[1eagle]

Well, it sounds to me like you are on the right track. If you keep dropping that dose as you say and as you are comfortable with it -you should come out in pretty good shape. A month of dilaudids is a long time...if you want a good solution to future pain I think that you are doing the right thing. And if you have adddiction experience you won't be trying to fool yourself...best of luck to you - you can get back to where you used to feel and think and you are doing it

[sweetpea1313]

Last year I was there for a month on an insane amount of Dilaudid wich I have at home and do not take unless I have a migrane I cant take the migrane meds for various reasons but I really want to clean my body out the doctors do not want me to not take any pain meds and i understand there concern but i know what my body needs according to them if ur not taking them ohter than prescribed ur ok i dont agree I know how addicts think was with one for way too long to not understand it I just want to have a drug free body I understand that I may need to take them again but it needs to be under contro and for the right reasons does this make any sense or no I want to cut back to 1 1/2 tommorow im at 2 today I want to do this slow and the right way for my body my issues with teh vicadin is that i thin i take it for the "energy" I feel from it I did notice that my head is def better and that I see glimpses of how I used to feel and think

[1eagle]

Chronic pain is a problem that we don't seem to have the right answer for quite yet - I don't have the answer to the queston....I was wondering just yesterday if I could ever take anything again like that. Doesn't seem like a good plan...Are your hospital stays very long? Or the recouperation? I am wondering how long you think that you may need them in the future? I would look for another med if I were you - but I am not sure what right now. Probably a semi synthetic as opossed to a narcotic derivative....

[sweetpea1313]

Off and on for i would say a year and a half Im not too sure the whole cold turkey thing is not an option for me with work and I have a blood disorder so I need to be real careful not to stress my body out too much im hoping by Friday I will be off completely The dr say that it is a physical dependence and I can not talk to the family about it so this sounded like a good place My big concern is will i ever be ok with pain meds again There are times they need to give me under hospitilization meds and I dont want this to be an issue

[1eagle]

It sounds like a set of wd's to me- how long you been taking them? Being down to 2 per day may just be dragging things out. Complications and problems kept popping up for me for about a month it seemed - but they did get better - thats why I am wondering if you shoud even be doing the 2 you are?