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Vicodin withdrawal nightmare
I am a young athletic, healthy 26th year old man that has unfortunately needed to take around 10 to 12 hydrocodone (10mg/325) every day. This equates to 1 1/2 pills every hour due to my size 6 ft 6 and 275 lbs to get any affect and relief from my back pain. In a business where manual labor is my lifeline and although i am finally at theppint where i do not need the pain meds to function anymore i cannot seem to quit.
About 3 weeks ago i tried to stop cold turkey from 12 pills a day to zero. The first day was fine bc i felt there was still some residual narcotic in my bloodstream and body. But starting at 24 hours the nightmare began. I could get one second of sleep for 4 nights. I would feel 1000 degrees burning hot and sweating profusely but my skin would be freezing cold with goosebumps. I had diareah every 2 hours it seemed and horrible horrible stmach pains allthe time. I was so fatigued during the day i had no energy but i couldnt sleep. You just lay there in your bed wanting to scream in agony. Im sorry if i sound like a wimp but this was the hardest thing i ever had to doin my life.
Unfortunately on day 5 i couldnt take it anymore and i am back to my normal dose again. The thing is, my back pain is gone. I dont need these anymore and i dont want to take them anymore but mentally and physically it is unbearable to quit.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)
-frank
About 3 weeks ago i tried to stop cold turkey from 12 pills a day to zero. The first day was fine bc i felt there was still some residual narcotic in my bloodstream and body. But starting at 24 hours the nightmare began. I could get one second of sleep for 4 nights. I would feel 1000 degrees burning hot and sweating profusely but my skin would be freezing cold with goosebumps. I had diareah every 2 hours it seemed and horrible horrible stmach pains allthe time. I was so fatigued during the day i had no energy but i couldnt sleep. You just lay there in your bed wanting to scream in agony. Im sorry if i sound like a wimp but this was the hardest thing i ever had to doin my life.
Unfortunately on day 5 i couldnt take it anymore and i am back to my normal dose again. The thing is, my back pain is gone. I dont need these anymore and i dont want to take them anymore but mentally and physically it is unbearable to quit.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)
-frank
good point frank......yes, you certainly are addicted.
when you finally do get over the wd's and wake up feeling refreshed, you will be smiling ear to ear. but your going to have to pay the price, like everyone does sooner or later.
good luck
when you finally do get over the wd's and wake up feeling refreshed, you will be smiling ear to ear. but your going to have to pay the price, like everyone does sooner or later.
good luck
Just wanted to add that I apologize if I offended anyone when I said "I am not addicted". Because thats just crazy for me to say that, I have to be addicted if I am going through this nightmare WD every time I . So, yes I am definitely addicted to Vicodin, and I apologize for stating otherwise. Tonight, like an addict I run out of medication. 5 More 10mg Hydrocodone/APAP 325 to go, and I am counting down the pills like a psychopath. By 10:30PM tonight I will be finished with my bottle, and this time I will not be going back to the doctor for a refill since as you all know, my pain has long been gone and I have only been taking to prevent withdrawal and to ease my addiction cravings.. I am want to actually quit this time, I have been trying since my initial post. I have tried to taper off, I just couldnt do it. I am going to do everything in my power to make this work this time. Cant believe I am admitting all of this, even though it is anonymous, I never thought I would ever be in this spot my whole life. I used to look down and call people like this druggies. Now I am the ****** druggy. Excuse my language, but its sickening to know i took myself this far.
Living every day like a cloudy/foggy headed drug addict taking usually 2 pills 20mg total every 3 hours spot on. Waking up in the morning and looking forward to taking my first two pills of the day, and going crazy if I ran out of coffee, because without mixing my first two pills with coffee, I wouldn't feel the same buzz in the morning and it would screw up my day. Doing everything, every day like clockwork and revolving around hydrocodone. Living every day wondering if the doctor is going to ask why I keep needing my pain meds when I should be getting better, and wondering if he is going to prescribe me with ibuprofen and try and taper me off the vicodin. Making sure I have enough pills if I plan on leaving the state on a trip or work related. Not even having enough energy to do anything, even stressing about shaving, eating, taking a shower, and even getting up to go to work in the mornng. Losing all of my friends, and losing touch with everyone even family. Not even picking up the phone to talk to people, ignoring calls because I dont have the strength and mental capacity to even hold a conversation. Being constipated for months and months and months and always feeling like there is a pile of lead in my stomach. Feeling nautious around the 3 hour mark unless I take my pills. Losing my sex drive, not wanting it anymore, and having erectile disfunction and prostate/urinary problems at my young age because of the pills. Knowing that there is a huge chance the tylenol has already damaged my stomach and being prepared to accept this fact after I stop the hydrocodone. I am nervous as hell, and LOOK WHAT THE HELL I HAVE DONE TO MY Life. I WANT TO QUIT THIS TIME PEOPLE. I just hope I can get through WD this time. My life was beautiful before all this mess.
Living every day like a cloudy/foggy headed drug addict taking usually 2 pills 20mg total every 3 hours spot on. Waking up in the morning and looking forward to taking my first two pills of the day, and going crazy if I ran out of coffee, because without mixing my first two pills with coffee, I wouldn't feel the same buzz in the morning and it would screw up my day. Doing everything, every day like clockwork and revolving around hydrocodone. Living every day wondering if the doctor is going to ask why I keep needing my pain meds when I should be getting better, and wondering if he is going to prescribe me with ibuprofen and try and taper me off the vicodin. Making sure I have enough pills if I plan on leaving the state on a trip or work related. Not even having enough energy to do anything, even stressing about shaving, eating, taking a shower, and even getting up to go to work in the mornng. Losing all of my friends, and losing touch with everyone even family. Not even picking up the phone to talk to people, ignoring calls because I dont have the strength and mental capacity to even hold a conversation. Being constipated for months and months and months and always feeling like there is a pile of lead in my stomach. Feeling nautious around the 3 hour mark unless I take my pills. Losing my sex drive, not wanting it anymore, and having erectile disfunction and prostate/urinary problems at my young age because of the pills. Knowing that there is a huge chance the tylenol has already damaged my stomach and being prepared to accept this fact after I stop the hydrocodone. I am nervous as hell, and LOOK WHAT THE HELL I HAVE DONE TO MY Life. I WANT TO QUIT THIS TIME PEOPLE. I just hope I can get through WD this time. My life was beautiful before all this mess.
To Norcoqueen I so agree !! I feel good when I wake up and em so grateful.. I'm steady in my energy and emotions.. taking the pills getting the burst of energy only to have your nose start running 4 hours later and feeling down and dreary.. just to swallow more pills to feel normal.. I agree today I'm clean I feel good and the only thing I reach for in the morning now is my coffee :)) I'm so Happy for you.. congratulations on giving yourself a chance to feel and to live.. warm hugs lesa
I loved your comment regarding: "Not waking up DOPE sick" Oh how I soooo enjoy.... everyday.. "waking up" and 'FEELING" that I don't NEED to take a pill today! Because... TODAY I DIDN'T & tomorrow I WON'T!
Grace be to God.
When I was using... the FIRST thing I did in the morning was "reach for a pill" ....just to get me out of bed... SICK.. SICK..SICK!
Now, I just get up and say; "Thank you Lord... for giving me ANOTHER day DRUG FREE... "
Love, Hugs and Prayers to all!
NorcoQueenoftheUniverse
Grace be to God.
When I was using... the FIRST thing I did in the morning was "reach for a pill" ....just to get me out of bed... SICK.. SICK..SICK!
Now, I just get up and say; "Thank you Lord... for giving me ANOTHER day DRUG FREE... "
Love, Hugs and Prayers to all!
NorcoQueenoftheUniverse
Do not be afraid Frankanony.. This to shall pass.. wd does not last forever you were so close last time.. You can do this !! the mind is a powerful tool.. look at this like a war. you are going into battle for your life and freedom.. try not to think how bad it is but what you are going to gain.. Freedom from pills.. clear thinking.. waking up not dope sick is my favorite.. no more excuses.. there are over the counter meds that can help with the rls and other symptoms.. go to war.. get your life back.. we give and loose so much behind our addictions.. getting our pride back is a empowering emotion.. reach our for support read the forum.. leave no room for failure.. we are all behind you.. lesa
I am gonna try this again, for one final time. Tonight I am stopping for good. But very afraid.
it's symantical weather you were addicted or not but you sound like you were. You may have been truly addicted if you had been taking stronger narcotics but since you aren't in pain and it was just vicodin, maybe you can just leave it behind and not take any more and not see how addicted you could get. all the best
I am extremely sorry for the slow response and my short message right now. But these messages from all of you were unbelievably warm and helpful. Thank you all!! I am going to taper 1.5 pills less per week from 12 until i get down to 1/2 pill once day eventually. starting monday. :( ps - some info left out. I was 12 (10mgs hydro) a day for 8 months. And no, not addicted but inability to quit due to horrible withdrawal symptoms.
Day 5-6 was definately a sigh of relief for me as well, even though a lot of people are different when it comes to their symptoms of WD. I hope that you're able to stay here with us on the forums, though!
Sweaty, you were almost there. If you made it to day 5, well thats about the peak of it. However, if I would have had the opportunity to taper off, I probably would have. My only option was and is to go cold turkey. I am around day 5-6ish...ugh, don't get me wrong I am still really hating life, but I know I have probably made it though the worst. You can do this, you can. Just put your mind to it and really believe. It is by far one of the hardest things I have ever done. How bout this, try having a boyfriend of 9 years who has no clue and thinks you have swine flu or something, and a wonderful energetic 4 year old, during the whole process. I want to rip my face off sometimes, but I am really doing it for them. I am not the person I use to be, and for that, I kinda of look at this withdrawl process as my punishment for the person I have been the last two years. So I have faith in you, if I can do it...dammit you can too!!! Good luck.
If it's one person here on the forums I suggest you listen to through any of this, it would be the lovely lady whom posted above me. I'm about your age, and I can feel your pain. Today marks my 19th day of being sober from Percocet, as I was taking the same amount a day as you've claimed to be taking in the past as well as just recently once again. I honestly just toughed it out. I did my entire WD here at my apartment by myself [other than when my husband was home from work, which still isn't too often] and without the assistance of any other medications what so ever. This along with everyone else's sucess stories should tell you off the gate that this IS possible for every single one of us to be able to do.
If you're looking for remedies to assist you through this, then we can definately give this to you; But we're all going to ask the same question and that is, are you truly willing to quit the pills for good? From what you've posted above, it sounds like you're sincere in this -- We're all here to help and that is the bottom line. We have all been in your shoes for the most part, and this is what has helped so many people out up to this point.
First of all, are these pills prescribed to you? If so, then it'd be within your best interest to talk to your PCP [doctor] and let him/her know that you feel as though you have an issue with the pills. For some members here, they've been lucky enough to be able to talk with their PCP about this and receive professional medical treatment for it. Not a treatment facility, but just assistance in tapering and/or other medications that will assist you with the WD symptoms we've all faced. I wasn't as lucky, as my PCP ran in the other direction when I informed him I had an addiction AND dependancy to the pills.
The sweats and chills come and go, you just have to keep telling yourself that it's the flu. Nothing more and nothing less. I found that if I told myself that I was going through the WD symptoms, I freaked myself out and almost went into a panic state of mind. This does help, believe it or not.
The lack of sleep at night comes from the "pills" and "narcotics" getting out of your system. A HUGE part of my WD was what you mentioned above with not getting any sleep at night, only mine was followed with restless legs [RLS] where my legs would not stand still. I read on here how you could eat bananas [especially right before you go to sleep at night] and this helped me out some. Unfortunately, unless there's a sleep aid involved there isn't much you can do other than tough it out. Believe it or not, your regular will slowly come back to you little by little.
Lastly, one of the BIGGEST things that helped me was this forum and the members that are always here to help one another out. I honestly don't think my laptop left my side. The more you post is the more you'll get educated on your enemy, your enemy being the pills, of course. As long as you know what buttons to push against the person you stand up against, you'll know how to defeat it little by little, as corny as that may sound.
Please stay here on the forums and keep all of us posted. We're all here to help, as we've all been here for one another to help each other through this. We have all been in your shoes at one point and time, just keep us informed and ask anything you feel the need to ask. Much luck and many, many hugs are sent your way from me.
If you're looking for remedies to assist you through this, then we can definately give this to you; But we're all going to ask the same question and that is, are you truly willing to quit the pills for good? From what you've posted above, it sounds like you're sincere in this -- We're all here to help and that is the bottom line. We have all been in your shoes for the most part, and this is what has helped so many people out up to this point.
First of all, are these pills prescribed to you? If so, then it'd be within your best interest to talk to your PCP [doctor] and let him/her know that you feel as though you have an issue with the pills. For some members here, they've been lucky enough to be able to talk with their PCP about this and receive professional medical treatment for it. Not a treatment facility, but just assistance in tapering and/or other medications that will assist you with the WD symptoms we've all faced. I wasn't as lucky, as my PCP ran in the other direction when I informed him I had an addiction AND dependancy to the pills.
The sweats and chills come and go, you just have to keep telling yourself that it's the flu. Nothing more and nothing less. I found that if I told myself that I was going through the WD symptoms, I freaked myself out and almost went into a panic state of mind. This does help, believe it or not.
The lack of sleep at night comes from the "pills" and "narcotics" getting out of your system. A HUGE part of my WD was what you mentioned above with not getting any sleep at night, only mine was followed with restless legs [RLS] where my legs would not stand still. I read on here how you could eat bananas [especially right before you go to sleep at night] and this helped me out some. Unfortunately, unless there's a sleep aid involved there isn't much you can do other than tough it out. Believe it or not, your regular will slowly come back to you little by little.
Lastly, one of the BIGGEST things that helped me was this forum and the members that are always here to help one another out. I honestly don't think my laptop left my side. The more you post is the more you'll get educated on your enemy, your enemy being the pills, of course. As long as you know what buttons to push against the person you stand up against, you'll know how to defeat it little by little, as corny as that may sound.
Please stay here on the forums and keep all of us posted. We're all here to help, as we've all been here for one another to help each other through this. We have all been in your shoes at one point and time, just keep us informed and ask anything you feel the need to ask. Much luck and many, many hugs are sent your way from me.
Welcome to the forum.. well you made it 5 days once you can do it again.. change things up. you can make wd very difficult as you did. or you can do things yourself that will make the wd not so Hellish.. laying around while your legs are driving you nuts and wanting to scream in agony.. not a good idea. force yourself to get up and walk.. seriously force yourself.. walking exercise movement will help with the pain anxiety and get those feel good endorphin's flowing in your brain.. get some Imodium on board.. for the bathroom issues.. sports drinks they will replace your electrolytes.. dehydration can make you feel pretty bad.. eat a lil. as for sleep try some benadryl Hot showers/baths as many as you can stand.. this will also help with pain rls feverish feeling.. you almost feel normal under hot water.. and about 20 min or so after.. Change your attitude from this is to hard.. to I will beat this to the ground.. Our mind set can make or break anything.. You will do this you can do this.. get your life back.. also support.. reach out to the forum read there is much to garner here and many that will support you. wd is a small price to pay for our Freedom.. be kind to yourself.. lesa
First I would try a taper. reduce your dose by 10 percent or so every 5 days. There's some info on the health pages about tapers. That should be your first attempt to quit. I'm hoping you're not addicted...but, your post leads me to believe you may just be dependent on the meds at this point. Do you have any past addictions? Have you ever run out of your prescription early? Do you take them to get energy or to make the day "happier"?
Day 5 is the day for most apparently. You just needed to tough that one out. Start tapering them down. Cut out 2 every 3rd day then quit. Its still gonna hurt my man. Just not as much.
Be strong. I'm on day 4 cold turkey from almost double your dose, and I'm in agony. I know by tomorrow, the worst should be over. All uphill from there, with many speedbumps on the way.
Be strong. I'm on day 4 cold turkey from almost double your dose, and I'm in agony. I know by tomorrow, the worst should be over. All uphill from there, with many speedbumps on the way.
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