Vicodin withdrawal symptoms...how long?

[ALreins]

I am a 40 yr old male and I have been taking 2-4 Vicodin a day for the past three years. A medical doctor prescribed it for me after it was discovered I suffered bone degeneration in my lower 2 disk vertebrea. At the time I thought little of taking a prescription painkiller. Now after my first 6 days of no longer taking Vicodin I am realizing how powerful of a substance it actually is. I'm having withdrawal symptoms I didn't expect. Light headedness, the runs, blood pressure going up, and general fatigue. Lots of fatigue. And some irritability. I am hoping that these symptoms begin to decrease soon. Well, they have gotten better than it was in the first 2 days. I am still wondering how long I can expect to have these side effects of withdrawal?

[americus66]

it been over 29 days for me i finally felt 100 percent more then 2 weeks ago. vics are still on my mind most of the time. i even dream about takeing. i know this is late but hoping you stayed clean and are feeling better, this to shall pass, i was bad and felt like the whole world could never under stand this. then i came here and felt so much better no one in my family understands. they can never imagine what i wen threw. i dont even know if they care. all i know is i have tiny babies that need me and i know they care. they keep me going and they are my life i look at them and thank god they are here to keep me strong, some thing i just hug them for no reason they dont know why but i do. my poor 4 yr old would wake up and say mommy are you still sick, all i could do was cry and so i was so sorry i was so sick taking them and then coming off of them. i couldn't even think. i dont wanna scare any one because getting off of these is so much better and the being sick part is just the reminder and the punishment we have caused our bodies. if i were to to a crime i would be punished in jail its the same thing. i have to forgive my self for the damage ive done to my poor babies.. if any one wants to massage me im on face book under shannon wauchek.. Im doing the best i can and maybe we can talk each other out of using if we need each other.

[may83]

I'm 28 and have had 3 surgeries in the last 4 months. They put me on both vicodin and oxy all three times. After surgery I'd take 2 pills every 4hrs as needed so up to 12 5/500 a day. After I ran out after each surgery i remember getting really sick and not knowing why. This last surgery I finally realized that I was having wd's from the first 2. So this last time I was taking about 4-6pills a day. When I figured out that I was going to have major wd's from that many pill I started taking less and less. I went from 5pills to 3 pills a day in 1 day then kept that up for about 3days then went down to 1 pill a day for 2 days. Then I ran out. I felt weak, tired, headaches, terrible RLS only at night. I took my last pill monday april 23 and it is now friday 27 and I feel 75% better. Still a little tired but moods good feeling better. Things I did to help me get through.

Wean yourself- even if its for a couple days to a week anything helps.

Rest- I sent my kids to the sitter for 4days and called in sick.(I noticed the  more stress I had the worse the wd's are. Believe me take a couple days off and do nothing.

Eat neutral foods- Bread, broth, soups, rice, chicken seemed to help for me.

Bananas-They have potassium and that helps with RLS which is terrible. I would eat about 3-4 a day.

Water-7-up and Powerade- 7-up helped with the upset stomach and I really like the Powerade Zero( it has Vitamin B3, B12, B6, Magnesium and potassium also) Just keep drinking it helps flush the system.

Alprazolam( Xanax)- this will help with anxiety. You will have to get a perscription but it helps wonders.

Cyclobenzaprine(muscle relaxer) I had some left over from when I hurt my back 9months ago and it really seemed to help with the muscle cramps. If you can't get this Just take tylenol or ibuprofen.

Benadryl-a must have. I'd take 2 every night before bed and slept like a baby. I'd alway take 1- 0.5 Alprazolam 1 hour before the benadryl.

Immodium- for diarrhea.

Baths- hot baths really helped with the muscle aches.

The wd's were nothing this last time compared to the 2 times before. I felt aches, RLS, bad moods, and just tired but I slept good and took about 2 naps every day. Plus slept 8+ hours every night. Im on 4 1/2  days now and I feel so much better. Just give yourself the time to feel better. I watched a lot of movies/tv and took bathes.I'm going shopping today to get out of the house and start moving again. I wish everyone the best of luck and keep looking forward.

[TheGirlNextDoor1980]

I just went through this yesterday.  I took my last dose on Wednesday, and today I feel completely normal.  The symptoms were at their absolute worst yesterday.  I was anxious, crying for no reason, in tons of pain, sweating and  had chills at the same time, and hadn't slept more than 2 hours at a time since Thursday.  So I guess the bad news is that you're probably going to be feeling bad for the next few days, but the good news is that it's worth it.  I feel great.

[ijustwannastop]

Hi everybody I am here cause I want off I don't know if what I'm saying makes any sense but I don't know what else to do. I have been taking anything I can get my hands on for the past 3 years following my 2nd back surgery at the age of 23. I fell into it hard for I was a recovering addict already so my Dr prescribes me 30 mg oxycodone monthly inwhich I am out of in the matter of 3 days so that leaves me taking about 26 on a good day 30 on a day that things don't go my way the rest of the time I come out of pocket its like I started out trying to rid the leg pain I have from the nerves in my back and not liking the pills to chasing the high to trying to not be sick and feel normal and healthy and I know what I have been doing is not healthy but at this point comming off can't be healthy I'm a mess and I am responsible for 2 small children like this mind u. However I know I have a problem and by the grace of my boyfriend he cut me down rapidly to 7 5mg oxycodne and I am at 34 hours without anything and I want to die please somebody help me tell me what to do and how long I have to suffer in hell

[sargent3]

I hae done almost the exact same drugs and workouts as you hae. I thought you were me, writing about myself. Bezos are the worst by far.  I was on them for 4 years. Then the doc took me off them cold turkey, the same was the oxycontin.  I hallucinated, walked in my sleep, cried for no reason, intense sweats, .  I slept for several weeks.  I een anticipated suicide.  My advice to anybody, take these meds for a ery short time and get off them.  I donot wish this on anybody.  Good luck

[tw332]

I like your comment! I currently am going cold turkey from 10mg norco 4 times a day, but of course, I started needing more. I realize that one of the symptoms of withdrawawl with in the first 12 to 24 hours is the restless syndrome, I actually have a way a dealing with that.  I would get out of bed (because it usually happened at night) and I would start lifting weights, I would lift them until my arms felt like they were going to fall off, and then I would do squats until my thighs felt like they were going to fall off, it didn't matter what time of day or night I would just pick up the weights.  The feeling I got was a very over tired muscle feeling which took away the restlessness.  It really works.  I am now in the diarrhea stage but that will go away as well.  But I think that if you think that you might have to go back on them sometime in the future that you just shouldn't think about quitting now.  I have fibromyalgia so I hurt all the time, but I would rather put up with the pain than ever take these again.