Vicodin addiction

[Sad and addicted]

Well, I am almost 26 years old and for about 10 years I have jumped from one substance to another.  It started with alcohol for a couple of years, then to pot and alcohol, then back to alcohol, then to cocaine and alcohol, then to experiments with speed and pills.  Then back to good ole alcohol and cocaine.  I have been clean from cocaine for 2 years now. But, started taking vicodin.  

I am an alcoholic.  I actually nearly died last year.  I had  a pancreatic attack.  Out of no where.  Doctors said that if I would have waited a few more hours to go to the hospital that my body would have gone into shock and I would have died.  They are pretty sure the pancreatitis was from my alcoholism.   Well, after that obviously I stopped drinking.  I had no choice.  You think that would have been enough for me to never use anything again!!!!  

I have been heavy on vicodin for over 2 years.  It went from taking 1/2 a day to 1 a day to 1 1/2 a day to 2 and so on and so forth.  And  now I am up to 5-7  10's a day.  I am only 5'6" 115lbs and I know that this can't be healthy for me.  I am just having such a hard time kicking this monkey off my back.  I have tried tapering myself off and I feel like I am just going crazy.  It is all I think about.  I will take 4 to work and if I take less than that with me I just feel angry.  It is causing problems with my relationship because I am so moody and unpredictable.  My fiance is a vicodin addict too.  He is doing better about tapering off than me.  My life is so boring now that I feel vicodin is the only thing I have to have fun.  I just work, take vicodin, work out, take vicodin, come home, and take vicodin.  Maybe some shopping in there.  One of my favorite things in the world is to take vicodin and go shopping.  

I need some advice on how to help kick this thing at home.  With my job there would be no way I could go to a rehab with out everyone in the world finding out and losing my job.  I like my job.  Please someone give me some advice.  If you have successfully kicked this damned wonderful pill give me some tips.  I really could use it.  Thank you so much!!!!!

[Sad and addicted]

Thank you so much for all of your support and information.  I am not doing too bad today.  However night time is always the hardest for me.  I have only had 3 today.  I plan on taking 1/2 of one before I go to bed and taking a muscle relaxer prescribed by my doctor for my back.  It should lay me out and I should get a good nights rest.  Then tomorrow I plan on just taking 3.  Then 2 1/2 the next day and so on and so fourth.  I have also picked up on my work out routine.  Hopefully that will help.  I will let you know how it's going.  Thanks a bunch!!!!!

[a$hamed-no-more]

just last night i signed up for this and posted the question "am i going through withdrawals?" i am young too, 27, with a 2 year old and a successful husband - who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder! i have been taking his percocet for the past 2 years to numb myself from his mania's, and then was able to stop taking them during his depressions since i was needed the most then!!! anyway, he was prescribed percocet with a much higher dose that literally, i took one and felt like i was flying...i kept taking them until things spun out of control....i finally felt so ashamed of my life that i just wanted to STOP and looked at the percocet with disgust, told it "i hate you" and so far am doing good? the first day was fine - i was moody, irritatable, and just LAZY feeling...but then that night i tossed and turned all night, and felt little huge spiders under my skin crawling up and down my legs. i woke up in TERRIBLE pain with the spiders still, lower back ache, uncontrollable shaking, diarrhea, and just anxious - but i didn't know i was suffereing withdrawals...i just through i was dehydrated b/c i didn't realize how hooked my body was on them! i even went to the chiropractor b/c i thought my back must be out of whack......anyway - i'm on day 3 now and i feel like i just ran a marathon! my body is EXHAUSTED.....i went to the therapist who was super proud...but also nervous b/c stopping cold turkey can cause heart attacks, strokes, and can even be fatal! i just didn't know all of this - b/c i didn't think i was addicted! i fit in such a cookie cutter box-of-a-life that i couldn't share this secret with anyone.....which is why i went through the withdrawals alone! i don't recommend it...my therapist had mentioneda 3 day detox center - you could go during a weekend and take a day off! look into it....and good luck!!!!

[lady1981]

Oh sweetie, I am so in your boat! I am young as well (26) and up until about 2 weeks ago, I was taking 6-8 of the same pill that you were taking (sometimes more, sometime less) and I had been casually on and off of them for 5 years and this past last year has been the worst. I got to the point where I had exhausted ALL of my resources and I had no option other than to just kick the habit. My Dr. gave me a script for Ultram (or Tramadol, same thing) and I did not have ANY withdraw symptoms from the Hydro at all, which surprised me because I had come off of it before and it was hell….and then this past Sunday I ran out of Ultram and I have been in detox hell ever since. My advice to you - when you decide to come off of that ****, either taper off or go cold turkey - DON’T turn to another drug that you may end up getting addicted to.

Also, I want to tell you that there is hope and to never ever ever give up. This website has provided me with so much support, its insane! And the above message about the recipe to detox works wonders! Its worked for me in the past, and its working for me right now. I have been where you have been and I have felt what you have felt. I too worry about things like "I wonder if I will ever regain all of my energy" or "shopping sober wont be NEARLY as fun as shopping high" (girl, we are SO much alike!) But I just keep telling myself that it will, and things WILL get better. I mean, I lived HOW many years sober and survived? Ha ha!

Anyhow, good luck on your journey, and just know that we will always be here for support. If it wasn’t for this board, I don’t know where I would even be right now.

[road2recovery]

what do you mean you don't take them?? i am confused.
R2R

[road2recovery]

i also love to shop..the funny thing is i use to shop alot then when i first started taking pills i started loving to shop alot..but now i have gotten to the point even with the pills i don't want to go anywhere..I use to go do my nails all the time..now i don't even go..i barely dress up, and really don't take care of myself like i did when i was first using...
i started just like you 1/2 was great and lasted all day, then 1..well after probably 3 yrs i reached 15..And i still have no idea how that happened..I was like you and only got to maybe 6 a day.
good luck
you can do this..
keep posting
R2R

[juneblaze09]

I just wanted to let you know that i am in the same boat except i am not an alcoholic. i have been doing all different drugs for the past six years...i am 22. as of now i like pills. i am not extremely addicted...i mean i have the symptoms but i can control myself as far as blowing money on them. Usually i only do like 2-3 percocets a day(and thats only bcuz i have to split every one of them with my boyfriend). i don't take them...if u get my drift...i get the whole bad mood thing and no energy if i don't have them ya know but it's hard to quit when everyone i know does them and family members have them...i have been doing them for about 4 years and i haven't gotten "crazy" addicted or anything but it's still something. Anyways...good luck....

[GA Guy]

This is a work in progress...something I've been working on off and on for the last couple of weeks. It's not considered complete, but has lots of info from lots of sources. If any of the "old timers" have anything to add, let me know and I'll add it to the document. I hope to use this to post a general "how to" every couple of days or so.

Listed below are suggestions for detoxing and quitting an opiate addiction. They are just suggestions compiled from the detox plans of people that have gone through cold turkey detox before. They are just that, suggestions, and any detox plan is best when done under a doctor's care. Consult your doctor before trying any of the suggestions below.
This is prewritten for anyone who is beginning, or planning on beginning, a cold turkey withdrawal to opiates. This includes drugs such as tramadol (Ultracet and Ultram) codeine (Tylenol #3, #4), Darvocet, Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco, Lortab and derivatives),  Oxycodone (Endocet, Percocet, Oxycontin), Morphine, Demerol. Fentanyl, and Dilaudud. There are many other opiates not listed, so if you don’t see it listed, you can still use these suggestions if it’s an opiate based addiction. None of these apply to benzodiazepine based addictions. These addictions should never be dealt with by going cold turkey. Always consult a doctor for a detox plan for benzos.

First of all, opiate withdrawals are uncomfortable, but rarely life threatening. You may think you’re going to die, but most of the withdrawal symptoms are just very uncomfortable. If possible, take some time off work or schedule a week or so in order to fully detox. You will honestly not feel like doing much anyway. Opiate withdrawal symptoms usually start 12-24 hours after your last dose. But, the timing of withdrawal symptoms depends upon the drug taken, length of time you’ve been taking it, and how you react to medications. The physical withdrawals usually last 3-7 days, with days 3 and 4 being the worst. Once again, this is all dependent on the person. You can expect these symptoms. Dilated pupils, diarrhea, runny nose, goose bumps, abdominal pain, stomach cramps, sweating, agitation, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, leg cramps, general aches and pains, and sleeplessness. This list is not absolute. You may experience all of these symptoms, only some of them, or other symptoms. Again, we are all different. Below is the famous Thomas Recipe. It gives some general information along with supplements that help with the withdrawal symptoms. The only thing I would add to this list is a blood pressure drug named clonidine. It effectively lowers the blood pressure and lessens many of the withdrawal symptoms. Most any doctor will prescribe it if you’re honest as to why you need it. Discuss dosages and frequency with your doctor.

Thomas Recipe:

1. Valium (or another benzodiazepine such as Klonopin, Librium, Ativan or Xanax). Of these, Valium and Klonopin are best suited for tapering since they come in tablet form. Librium is also an excellent detox benzo, but comes in capsules, making it hard to taper the dose. Ativan or Xanax should only be used if you can't get one of the others.
2. Imodium (over the counter, any drug or grocery store).
3. L-Tyrosine (500 mg caps) from the health food store.
4. Strong wide-spectrum mineral supplement with at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper and Magnesium.
5. Vitamin B6 caps.
6. Access to hot baths or a Jacuzzi (or hot showers if that's all that's available).

How to use the recipe:
Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you're aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn't need the Valium after day 4 or 5. During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.
Use the Imodium aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don't take it, however, if you don't need it. At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the "coffee jitters," consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help. With breakfast, take the mineral supplement. As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.