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What is the best way to detox from narcotic pain killers?

I began taking pain killers recreationally two years ago.  Last spring, I had a wicked back injury and was prescribed oxys and then time released Morphine.  Completely disregarding my liver and the fact that I could become addicted, I was also buying anything I could get off the street, Vicodin ES, Vicodin HP, Endocet, Percoset, anything generic, and when it was't possible to get my hands on these, I would buy Oxycotin 40s or 80s.  Now I'm screwed.  I can't even get out of bed without eating a pain killer off of my night table.  If I don't take them, I feel like I am being electrocuted.  I CAN NOT FUNCTION without them --  I get cold sweats, chills, hot flashes and nausea.  When I try to not take them, nothing gets done -- I am useless.  The only thing I can do when I don't take them is squirm around in my bed and cry because i am so uncomfortable like a friggin junky.   Since I've been on painkillers, I have become a stick figure, dropping down to 91 pounds.  I don't even get "high" anymore, taking them just makes me feel normal again.  I am afraid and sick now.  I can't go to rehab because my family would disown me.  I hate myself for this and will someone PLEASE tell me how to get this out of my life before I die because I sure feel like I'm dying.  How do I detox from painkillers?
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1801781 tn?1461629469
If you are ready to quit, post a new thread and we will help.  Go to the top of any page here and click on the orange ask a question icon.  It will start a new topic thread and the ones here will see it and respond.  It is a pretty active and very helpful forum.  Hope you do!
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Avatar universal
I'm a little late on this post by the date but you got more guts than me. I'l pray that today all is going well. I realized that today I've got ot stop taking this pain meds because they are hurtting my life. wish you well and like I said will pray for you.
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Avatar universal
Hello Friend , I hope you don't mind me calling you Friend.. I'm in the same boat as you. I worked 30 + yrs in power plants , pulling down 100  K + /  yr raiised 2 kids , my son joined the Army straight outta High School, did 3 tours in Iraq as a Special Forces Para Trooper , got out alive and now works as a consultant to the armed forces ,going to school at night to get into the FBI all the while pulling down some serious $$ , my daughter graduated from college and had a job the next day at a University in Boston making the bling. I got hurt on the job in 2008 , slipped in oil and messed my back up really bad. I was stupid , I had a supervisor who had a son in law that was a sports pain med DR and I went to him for therapy, what a joke, it was stupid CRAP .. like hot packs on my back , roll a big rubber beach ball around with my hands while sitting in a chair, electrical shock therpay on my back with a tens unit and walking back and forth in a pool that was 8 ft long 4 ft wide and 3 ft deep , thats it for 2 weeks 2 days a week 4 hrs a day ,then he said I was ready to go back to work w/ no restrictions , DUDE , I had to use a cane to walk ,even then I looked like a 90 yr old man walking.  It took me 15 minutes to walk 200 ft to the parking lot. The depression and the pain caused me to try to gas my self in the garage , luckly my wife forgot something at the house and caught me. So I spent a month in the mental hosp. and my wife raised 9 kinds of hell with my work and got me into the top of the line rehab place in Dallas
( PRIDE ). After 8 months 4 - 5 times a week 8 hrs a day of serious phys therapy , I'm talking Olympic training and all the bellsand whistles yoga bio feedback EVERYTHING !!   , I was able to go back to my job , although I was only about 50 % , I hid it by using the 10/325 hydros , even then I had serious pain but I didn't let anyone see it in fear of loosing my job . I worked 12 hr rotating shifts ,both days and nights ,back and forth  with a **** load of OT.  Then  2 - 1/2 yrs later , during a ice storm , I slipped on the 3 " of ice that was everywhere and busted my back again,  this time I went straight back to PRIDE , but after 4 months I knew I would not be able to do the physical work in the power plants and IF anyone would hire me it would be $ 6 - $ 8 / hr when I was making $ 34 / hr ( $ 51 / HR in OT which I worked 1000 hrs OT per yr every yr before I got hurt ) YES thats 1 THOUSAND hrs OT a yr !!   SO , because my wife is disabled , she got hit by a drunk driver in 1998 and really messed her up bad , we sold everything we owned down to the dishes , cashed in my 401K's and started traveling the world while we were still able , thinking when the money or pain meds ran out we would " CHECK OUT " .  My wife had a pain management DR in Dallas she had seen for over 8 yrs , who besides prescribing her OXY 20 and 40 mg , Hydrocodine 10/325  Xanax 1 mg  Nuerontin , Soma ..**** I cant name it all ,but I'm talking all of the above + more at the same time AND he implanted a Dalatid pump in her stomach pumping direct to her spine , like I said , she is messed up.  Now all of a sudden , outta the blue he dropped her because he said " He dosen't accept cash patience anymore , I mean WHAT THE FK !!  We were paying cash up front , now  the only way for us to get meds is to buy off the street.  Did I mention we moved to Panama , ( think the CANAL ) yes Central America , cause it's so cheap to live here. , BUT they dont have the drugs she and I need here .so every 3 months we have to leave because of the visa requirements AND to by off the streets in TX .  Also because that DR implanted that pump , which has run empty and is giving a audible beeping alarm every 15 minutes , NO other DR will touch it because THEY didn't implant it , almost sounds like I'm making this **** up ... but swear on my Mommas grave it's all true , so anyway I'm taking 6 - 8 hydro 10/325  or  6 -8   15 mg Morphine , which I see a DR here and thats all they have as far as narcotics go , but he wants to do spinal fusion on me for $ 15 K and I have had 8 friends that have had it done in the states and 6 outa the 8 were worse off after the surgery , and that was with DR's in the states.  I'm really scared I would be worse off after the surgery , BUT  I don't know for sure , thats the HELL of it .I try to streach out the pills as far as I can , up to the point that I think I know what a  5 yr herion user would feellike on WD  EXCEPT .. it's always my back pain that starts killing me , not the WD stuff I have been reading here... POOR SOULS , I feel for each and everyone who has to deal with that.  
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Avatar universal
I have been addicted to Hydrocodone for the past 5 years.10/500 3 a day. Well,we all know how that goes. Soon i was taking 8 pills a day and started to get really concerned about my health. I have a amazing girl friend and 1 year old daughter that are my whole life and they deserve so much more than this. So i made a huge mistake. I asked the doc to change my meds to Oycondone with out tylenol. I knew what I wanted and get gave it to me. To be honest i was taking Roxys as well for the past 2 years. Snorting only. I cant believe that it was so easy to talk my doctor into them. I have lied to my whole family for entirely way to long now. I have told the I promise im going to quit story to my girlfriend more times than i can remember and I always let her down. I really dont deserve her or any of my friends or family. I get up snort 30mgs and snort 15mgs every 3 hours until i go to bed. Ive spent over 3 grand in the past months alone pawed everything i can think of sold everything i can think of. Im sick of it. But like everyone says i am terrified of the withdraw symptoms. I sent my girlfriend and daughter down to her mothers in Florida this week so i can get off this ****. I just dont think i can do it. Today is day one and i regret deleting all of my dealers from my phone. She is so encouraging but its just so hard. Its all i think about. I am going to make a real effort but i just dont know if i can do this. I dont want to let them down cause i do feel this is my last chance at this getting my life back and restoring my relationships with my friends and family.. The thing is if i had a roxy laying next to me lol like i would it would be gone. Im in to deep and have even though of shooting myself. I gave my gun to my buddy in the police department who i have kept in the dark somehow but im scared. Really and truly scared. I want to get better. I cant stand this anymore. To make matters worse Im a commercial aircraft mechanic for Us Airways and I could lose it all to this ****. So here goes. Day one. this site has inspired me to try so i will keep updating my progress or lack there of....  
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Avatar universal
Hi - I was taking hydrocodone 10/350 - 4-6 per day for two years plus several years sporadic use before that.  I tapered down to one hydro before I jumped off and still had awful withdrawal.  Everyone is different but you still withdraw from hydro and I did a pretty efficient taper for myself I believe - sick as a dog.  Just prepare, hunker down, get yourself plenty of immodium, gatorade.  Take the immodium aggressively to control the trots.  Days 2-4 are worst for most, on day 4 force yourself up and out, take a walk get your blood pumping.

You are in the infancy of dependence, whether you are an addict or not is something you know.  If you stop now, which I highly suggest, you might not have it too rough.  I CAN tell you with certainty if you continue down the path you are on, you will come to be very sorry.

I assume you take them because of pain?  That is how many of us started, myself included.  I never abused my meds but here I am just the same - longterm use breeds dependency, and long term dependency can really mess with you mentally.

Have you thought about alternate pain management?  If not, that is a must.  Pain can be managed without narcotics but you need to get educated and have some tools in your kit to deal with the pain.  If you want some further advice or tips on this just send me a PM and I'm happy to share with you.  I don't want to write a novel here just give you some support and things to consider!

Good luck!
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Avatar universal
For the last 1-2 months, i started out with one percoect a night, soon and fast it became 3 1/2 pills a night for pain. Soon I ran out last week or so, began to felt sweaty (cold/hot), flashes as well, shaking, clammy, and wanting more. Monday (march 26) m ydoctor gave me a lighter medication to taper off and detox. 1 pill a day of hydrocodone, which i take at 4:46pm. He says i will be symptom free on sunday april 1st. is this true? I'm on my third day today. I'm still feeling the symptoms: cold/hot flashes/sweaty, shaking, nausea, diarrhea, bowel movements. How long does this work?
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