Thanks to so many and any suggestions??

[mellie4]

I don't post so much anymore as my laptop isn't working right.  But I've had so much help here reading everyone's posts.  A few people have helped tremendously.  Gnarly, thank you.  I would never have known how bad methadone was if not for you.  My doctor mentioned it a while ago as a way to control my pain but after reading things here, I know I don't want to go that route.  Vicki, your advice was so right about switching medications and tapering too quickly.  I am trying to stay on course and not take too little.  I am just so anxious to be off the oxycodone and see where my real pain is.

Which brings me to looking for help and suggestions from anyone.  I really messed up in the beginning of this taper.  Jumped from Fentanyl to morphine and didn't have too bad of a time (other than pain.)  Then switched from that down to oxycontin with oxycodone for breakthrough pain.  Eliminated the oxycontin.

This is where I fouled up.  Was trying to drop too quickly, I think.  I had got a little cocky thinking this is doable but then wound up with the stomach bug and couldn't keep any meds down, which through me into bad withdrawal and I wound up in the ER.  Not a good experience.  Since then, I just don't feel great.

I had also been taking Ambien, which I gave up and now only do Melatonin but the last month sleep hasn't been great, both due to increased pain and constant nausea.  Also quit Ativan.  I had been taking both for years.  I still take Clonidine, which was prescribed for pain.  I have read it helps with withdrawals, but doesn't seem to do much for me.  I also used to take 800 mg. ibuprofen every 4 to 6 hours (prescribed that way,) but stopped using it about a week ago due to my stomach.

At this point I'm prescribed 20 mg. oxycodone every 4 hours.  Last night I realized that I am still not tapering right.  I have near constant nausea and find it very hard to eat.  (Which I think reinforces the nausea but all I can manage is a few cheerios, 1/2 a bagel, a bit of fruit or yogurt.)  I THINK what I wind up doing is skipping a dose during the day or cutting back to 15 mg. every 4 to 6 hours.  For me, this seems to be cumulative and after a day or two, I wind up with fairly moderate withdrawal symptoms.  I sweat, feel like I'm running a fever on and off, no energy, and killer nausea.  Then I wind up vomiting a few times (including losing 2 to 3 doses of medications.)  At some point, I wind up getting 3 or 4 doses of the 20 mg. every 4 hours in regularly and start to feel a bit better.

I guess I'm a VERY slow learner.  I knew I couldn't do CT because of some health issues and I knew the taper was going to be long but I didn't realize HOW badly I was going to feel.  Also wondering if people have found that they're just catching things when coming off narcotics?  Until this stomach bug, I hadn't been ill in ages.  Now I've found myself fighting a sinus infection and a likely kidney infection.  Going to see my primary about those on Tuesday.

So I know I need to get back on track and stay on my taper plan and that, for me, dropping 10 to 30 mg. a day or every week is too much and I have to have more patience.  It's taken me 4 years of constant pain medication to get where I was, and I have to try to be pleased with what I've come off so far.  I look like hell.  Not eating right and not sleeping is taking it's toll.  But I figure that will eventually come back.

In the meantime, I'm wondering if there's any suggestions for the nausea?  A few weeks ago I took Zofran and it helped a bit.  I'm also wondering if some of what I'm feeling is quitting the Ativan.  I haven't had any in ten days.  My script was for 1 mg. 3 to 4 times a day (though with that, like my other meds, I took less because I was always afraid.)

I'm afraid to take any vitamins or supplements because my stomach is in such bad shape.  My plan now is to get back to the prescribed taper, start taking some Prilosec to help my stomach and to take it slower.  (In the past I had been taking some things ... Valerian root, a multi-vitamin, magnesium and I think they helped a bit.)  (On top of all this, I seem to be having a fibromyalgia flare-up and it's a bit hard to separate out some of the symptoms.  In the past week or ten days, that seems to be improving a bit.)

Sorry to keep asking for help here.  I feel guilty because so many here have much more to deal with than I do.  I'm just at the point that I can hardly cook because of the nausea.  Even thinking of food can set me off.  (And I have seriously broke the bank doing take-out for the past 6 weeks for 4 kids and my dad!)  My house is not where it should be and the laundry is seriously backed up.  Finances are really tight right now, though I'm hoping with my next check to take some of the laundry out to get done (yes, it's really that bad!)

I feel like if it was just me suffering through this, it would be one thing.  But my kids and my dad are not getting the attention they deserve.  Some people think I should just stay on the narcotics at the higher doses because of my pain but I just want to make sure my pain hasn't been made worse BECAUSE of the pills.   As bad as my increased pain is right now, I can work through it.  I use other things like topical gels, lidocaine patches, etc., to help and figure eventually (I hope) the pain will decrease.

Sorry about the length of this.  I don't post that often anymore but when I do they're a BOOK.

[vicki595]

Hey Honey-

Well...Wow!  It's hard to offer a plan because we really can't talk about a specific taper plan here. I've been guilty of saying too much in the past!  Just remember that you should drop small amounts s l o w l y.
Often, folks come down with illnesses after coming off meds!  I don't know if that's the case with you or not.  Just focus more on your day to day health.
Percocet will upset your stomach!  You need to have some food in your stomach first and every time. Try toast or cereal in the morning and crackers later on. Take peptobismal for the nausea and take the Prilosec everyday to help your stomach.
You should also talk to the doctor about the taper. For you,it just needs to be very slow and in small amount. Your particular system is so sensitive,it's the only way. There's no hurry here. You need to feel good in the meantime.   xoxo

[gnarly_1]

HI Mellie well for 1 I think your taper is going great .....look at all you have gotten off off....oxy is a real bit ch and many people get deathly ill coming off of it ......remember this is a race one buy the tortus not the hare solw it down ....I had to come off 150mg of methadone and I did it quick according to the clinic but it still took 8 1/2 mo this may take a wile longer then you expect........after tapering so long I learned to let my body be the final judge in when to drop doses if I was dope sick I just waited till I wasent it takes a wile longer this way but every body is different if your doing this with your doctor explan your symptoms to him so he cab slow things down if your doing it on your own remember to never tsper if your in withdrawal upset stomach and cramping and bloating are withdrawal signs sounds to me like you need to slow it down I would say more but it would be breaking the guidelines p/m me if you need help with this and always follow doctors orders good luck and God bless.........Gnarly