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?

[celticred73]

hi,
i just want to say that i agree with you about wanting to talk to the doc but feeling as if you can't.  i have back pain and got addicted to hydro and for awhile it made me feel motivated yet calm and happy, at some point i started lying about how much my back hurt so i could get the same number of pills.  i finally went through cold turkey withdrawal back in October but i never told my doc the entire truth.  now a few months later, i've gotten hold of hydro and trams illigally and have gone through a few other withdrawals.  sometimes i want so badly to be able to go in and just talk to my doc about what's going on, that the pills make me happy and take away the physical and emotional pain and tell her i'm sorry i lied to her, but i don't feel like i can because then she wouldn't prescribe them at all.  for now, if i need them, i go each day to the pharmacy and the alotted amount for that day.  it works, except for the illegal stuff.  if not for that, then i wouldn't have gone through anymore withdrawals.  i have two kids and they know about my withdrawals but i don't want to do this to myself anymore--or them for that matter!  i want to get clean and stay clean but without the withdrawals!  

anyway, i know this was probably an older post, but i'm going through another withdrawal and find that reading these helps.  thanks for listening and i hope eveything is working out for you--be kind to yourself and don't judge yourself.  i certainly don't.  take care.

[solo99]

I was hooked on oxycontin for years. I was snorting 4 80mg pills a day. This may sound like a very unusual way to get off but believe it or not I used methamphetamines to get off the opiates...it completely wipes out all your opiate withdrawals for as long as your on it...making the hard days go by with ease. After a week of use my opiate withdrawals were completely gone...I woke up with next day in fear of feeling the withdrawal symptoms come about but no cold chills, aches pains etc etc...nothing. However the one downfall to this is you may go from one drug to another...for me meth or uppers weren't my thing and I never grew a physical dependency to it. Didnt experience any kind of withdrawal from it either. Honestly I tried everything to get off opiates from methadone to suboxone...none of it worked because you would only go from one
Drug to the other then you would be hooked and experience the withdrawal symptoms from the other stuff...which is just as bad if not worse. Hopefully you all believe me when I tell you my success story as unusual as it sounds...but im 6 years clean and sober...off everything and I feel incredible.

[ricco63]

IM 48 years old and i tapered down then zeroed out.there is no quick fix but when the high anxiety comes use tiger balm on ur back it seem to help me im on day 5 and feeling better i used 10 a day 4 3 years.god bless to all and beat this beast with the help of our savior  just ask and mean it and he will deliver.take care all and well see u sober soon God Bless

[Ros909]

Yes this post may be old but it still comes up at the top of the forum for all to see:) anyways you guys have givin me SOO much strength! I know I can do this!! Reading everyone elses stories helps. So I decided on Wednesday of this week that I need to stop I cannot live like this. Yes I have a medical reason to take hydrocodone but it Hallened right after having a baby and being on them so now my body NEEDS them. I was taking 4-5 a day a half at a time. Wednesday I was allowing myself 3 all day I took 2 1/2! Which my days are long because I have a 6 month old. Thursday my day of taking started at 230 that morning, I couldn't stop moving in bed so
I had to. I only consumed 2 3/4 yesterday and I was also allowing myself 3. Today will be trickier if I want to beat my "daily allowance" it is now down to 2 1/2 so hopefully I can only take 2 and taper myself more quickly! So far I am doIng good with only taking 1/4 of a pill. It relieves my restlessness. So I need lots of prayer in myife please that I can do this for my baby!! No body knows in my family and I cannot tell them. My fiancé works out of town all week so I am a single mother pretty much. It's very hard and life is stressful.
I do need as much encouragement as possible. Also a question from me tapering down to 1/2 for a few days does anyone think I will have horrible WD symptoms at the end? I am off for until the beginning of April and my taper last about 4 days before I go back

[AnGie_CheRie]

Hi there, it has been 4 months since your post, and I hope you are well. I too, have been where you were four months ago, I planned my life around pills! And if the doctor didn't give me the script when I thought I needed them, I would go into "AnGie meltdown mode"!!! God bless you!! One day at a time! <3

[AnGie_CheRie]

I realize your post is old, but I have been where you are, You BOTH could get help from a suboxone clinic. Both my husband and I were addicted to perc 30's, and after suboxone he has been clean for 2 years, and I will have 13 months On Monday, March 19th!!!! To thine own self be true......don't wait for him to get sober first, YOU can get sober and show him the way!!! 12 step programs work miracles!!!! ~Peace