This Will Work - If You Have The Self Control

[FlyFisher100]

I posted last week about a friend of mine with a vic problem and a potential approach to avoiding as much withdrawal as possible.

This will work if you have the self control and the discipline to stick to it.  It worked for him and should for you.


Step 1 - set aside 5 pills of what ever you have been taking prior to stepping off.
Step 2 - suck it up and drop C/T for 5 days.  This essentially gets most/all of the drug out of your system based on it decrease of 1/2 within each 24 hour period.
Step 3 - break each pill in half and take one half in the morning and one in the afternoon to chase the w/d away.  Continue for 5 days and then drop off c/t at the end of the 5 days.

What he believes that this does is to re-regulate what your body is expecting as far as drug intake and at the end of the 5 days you are weaning off of a very small amount vs. what you had been taking.

My friend was miserable for 5 days while coming down off but felt minimal w/d during the next 5 days.  This now put him 10 days into the process (which is sort of the milestone timeframe).  When he dropped off at the end, he had a little bit of sleep issues and some fatigue but that was it.  He's on his way.

Keep in mind this works if you have the self control so see it through.  I also don't believe that it would work for those of you who have huge habits.  He was taking 5-6 vicodin/5 ot 7.5 per day, which is heavy enough but not as bad as some.

[gincgoo]

What is C/T?

[confused456]

Cold Turkey

[confused456]

means stop all at once instead of weaning or tapering gradually

[cathy5841]

glad it worked for your friend.  now comes the hard part.  reprogramming your brain to do without the pills.  aftercare is very important to long term recovery.  good luck to him and you.

[FlyFisher100]

I agree in part.  I believe this holds true for those with behavioral issues and compulsions to use.  He is in the same boat as I am, no cravings, no need for the pills.  I wasn't "chasing the high", just using them for the energy they provided.  He got dropped from his insurance due to work issues and doesn't have the money to pay out of pocket.  He was taking them for back pain which I told him could probably be handled with Motrin or Aleve.  

I've since found something else, much more healthy to derive my energy from and I'll probably stay on them for a month or so to get everything in my body back to normal and then get back to a normal multi-vit, but I will proably stick with the Aminos and the Omega 3 fish oil.

[CATUF]

i'm with cathy -- i used to think that getting through acute w/d was the key . . . "if i can only make it to day-x," i used to think, "then i will never (never, ever) get anywhere near that stuff again."  i can remember literally dancing in the shower one morning after getting to the other side of particularly nasty round of w/d – “i’ve made it!!  i did it!!!! i’m FREE!!!!!!”  as i look back on that now, i see that i was missing the point . . . for me it was relatively easy to GET off my d.o.c., but i proved to myself too many times to count that it was impossible to STAY off.  sooner or later i always needed just a little bit, just once, and then i was immediately back to where i’d been and then quickly worse.  it always got worse.

since those days i have discovered that for me sustained recovery has very little to do with self control and very much to do with surrender.

CATUF
1105

[NautyOne]

That has to be one of the most interesting ways to what? Quit?  Stop for 5 days then get back on them?.....I must be missing the boat somewhere, but if not ......thanks for the chuckle.......i needed one today.......

We definitely have some strange rituals, but whatever works.  I guess.....:-/

Nauty.........

[addictedme]

You say you werent "chasing a high" just useing them for energy,,someone useing meth amphetamine could say the same thing. If you read the forum you"ll see that energy IS the high in many cases yours included.

[GoingToMakeIt]

I have always said,"Anyway to getting clean is a Good Way." I'm not sure if I would do this method but hey, if it worked....The real key is staying off of them.

[jennie71]

I can't even get through one day much less 5 days!  I wish there was someone out there that could tell me how the hell to do this without going crazy.  I can't disappear from the world for five days to wd!  I have 2 babies.  If anyone has any ideas...PLEASE let  me know!

[sunshine521]

Yea I have to agree w/ most! not to say it doesnt work hey it may be what we are all missing but quitting c.t.  for 5 days then going back seems a bit strange! I can see giving yourself 1/2 the dose through the first 5 days then going c.t. maybe thats what you meant?? Well it still gave a good idea jus tweek it a bit! Thanks:0)

[GoingToMakeIt]

Do you have someone to hold your pills for you? Someone who won't cave in to your begging for more? If you do or if you think you can slowly taper by yourself. That may be your answer. Send avisg a PM about tapering. She will need to know how long you've been using, how much per dose and per day your taking now. and of course what your DOC is. (drug of choice)