Weaning off of Oxycodone - best plan

[coastalgirl]

I am currently taking 10mg oxycodone 2/day for as-yet unidentified stomach pain.  Undergoing sigmoidoscopy/CT scan next month and other tests - pain has been piercing since c-section 10/06.  In interim, have been taking these pills for so long that I am physically addicted and must take to avoid w/d symptoms even on off days when pain is minimal or non-existant. Is it better to go to one 5-mg pill 3x day or one in am and two in pm when pain is worst (activity aggravates it).  Thank you.

[fishmeal]

You can reduce the level but also ask your doc for some colonidine to take when you reduce... it's a blood pressure med but it is hugely prescribed to defeat WDs.  It's worked miracles for me.

[shelby74]

Opiates leave your system quickly.  That is why if you take them - you need to keep a certain level in your system.  Unfortunately, you will need to continously take more over time to produce the same effect.  Then you are a full blown addict.  You have to take them everyday, constantly to feel normal.  Tapering is good if you have the will power to do it - if not talk to your doc about alternative meds to help with the withdrawal symptoms.

Take care,

Shelby

[jaybee02]

I have been taking oxycodone for 2 years at 15 mg 4 times a day. I am so ready to quit but I also know that I am addicted.  I have given myself 3 months to wean off of them.  I want to start by taking two a day for a month and then 1 a day for the next month down to half a day for the last month.  I am hoping that this will help reduce the withdrawal symptoms which I am terrified of experiencing.  Does anyone think this is a good plan or should I try some other way.  I also plan to start seeing a therapist for other reasons including the addiction.  Does anyone know if this will help and if a therapist will prescribe any meds to help with quitting?

[It_was_worth_it]

If you have the will power, and you are going to give yourself three months to get off them (by tapering). Your WD should not be that bad at all IMO. In the span of three months, tapering in a planned fashion all the way down to one MG a day at the end, your pain should be minimal. Good luck to you!

PS. I have had about 10 WD's  - The ones I have tappered on were WAYYYYY easier. In fact, one time, I barely had any pain at all (extended 2 week taper). Deff. go this route!

[jaybee02]

thank you so much for the vote of confidence.  I really feel like I can do it. So far today I have only taken the two oxycodone compared to the normal four, and to be honest I've been fine.  I really thought I would start to feel really bad after 3 hours or so but I didn't.

I just keep telling myself to be strong and that I can do it.  I think it also helps to know that I have literally no choice but to quit.  None what so ever.  After three months is up I can no longer get the pills and I am not one to start looking onthe street for them. I wouldn't even know where to begin.

[smittygirl]

Everyone is different as to how they react to  coming off opiates.  I was on Hydrocdone ( Vicodin) 750 for 4 years, took 4  a day.  Long story short, I  moved to a new state and went 5 months without taking any, just woke up one day and had nothing to take.  I did not experience any withdrawal symptoms at all, I thought after 4 years it would be awful but absolutely nothing happened.  I fully realize that most people will go through some kind of problems, I think sometimes it can be more psychological than anything, that is the anticipation of what we think is going to happen to us.  Please understand I am not at trying to minimize the w/d's some people go through to get off these drugs.  At times I still have to take them because of a chronic illness I have, but now I try eating healthier and exercising when my body allows me to.  I wish all of you the best.

S.

[tink818]

i quit roxcodone for 2 months and 1 day i drank and it mess my feelings all up,so i relasped.see what im trying to say is that when u finally finsh wd.you are very depressed for me aleast,it takes along time for your brain to recover from this :heal:that is the hardest part of this DEPRESSION so u have to be careful of what you do and dont let 1 bad day set you off like me.try doing excises and walking and things that make u feel better.but for me the depression is the hards thing to deal with.but as each day goes by it gets better.they say opaiates are number 1 out of all drugs for relasp.its got the highs rateing.and this is the reason why .because u never feel like u will be happy again but u will it just takes time and willpower.

[luckytobealive30]

You can definitly do that.  If your only at 60mg a day just make sure you stick to it  cause  what happened to me was I started getting big time access to them and I was at between 400 and 600 mg on a daily basis.  I started taking the same approach and weaning off and I actually did it in about two weeks at the end I was taking like a quarter of a 30 which would   be like a half of a 15 and I stopped from there.  I expierenced a very minimal WD but if you don't want to expierence any WD then try to get down to like a half of a 5mg perc a day and I don't think you'll go through any real bad WD.  Good luck and just say not to those green a214's or white M !5's in the future.