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

[bigmistake]

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?

[FINISHED!!]

The first & foremost thing to do is to realize, just as you name describes, it was a mistake. Do not beat yourself down for this. You have come to grips with the fact that you have a problem. This is the first & the BIGGEST step towards recovery. Secondly, you should probably research some of the archives here & figure what's the best way for YOU to detox. There's many posts that explain a lot of different ways we have all detoxed or are detoxing. Figure out if a taper schedule would work for you. I myself quit cold-turkey from a 20 to 30 a day Vicoden ES habit without any other help. This was miserable to say the least but the worst was over in 3 or 4 days. I know that the oxy's are a time released drug so your recovery would take a little longer as it stays in your system longer. Here's the kicker. Post here often. The support here is phenomenal. We have all been where you are now. We know the fears you have & the pain & shame you feel. You may want to try whats called "The Thomas Recipe." This is a recipe of vitamins & such that reportadly works very well with some of the symptoms associated with withdrawls. You sound like you're ready to tackle this problem head-on. Again I must remind you that it was a MISTAKE. Try to remember this. You're obviously not the first to make it & I guarantee you wont be the last. Another thing to remember is that there is a light at the end of the recovery tunnel. Things definitely get a LOT better with time. Maybe somebody with more experience in detoxing from oxy can give a little more insight on a more comfortable way to detox & how long it'll take to feel better. As far as your family goes...it'd be ideal to include them in your recovery but I did this alone. It can be done. But you have an advantage over me. You came here to this forum. We will be your family during & after your detox. Good luck to you Bigmistake. My prayers are with you.

FINISHED!!

[earlygrayce]

i'm not sure what you are on right now, but you have a few options. 1)tapering, which most addicts can not handle and is dangerous (often leads to relapses) - especially if you can or have to by more drugs off the street. 2)rapid detox (a dr. supervised hospital procedure), which is expensive, somewhat experimantal, and an extreme measure to take that many people do not have the money, time or facility to help them go through with this. 3)cold turkey, which is hell, and very unadvisable if you are taking a high dosage of any benzo(xanex, valium, klonopin, ativan etc..), because cold turkey withdrawal from those at high doses can possibly be fatal. however, opiate withdrawl - morphine, ms contin, oxycontin, percocet, vicodin et al. - is, to the best of my knowlege, not fatal, but as i said, depending on what you are taking, how much you are taking etc.. can be hell for a week or so going cold turkey (like the flu except worse in many cases). 4) you can find an addictionologist who can prescribe things that can help you through detox, and make many of the withdrawl symptoms easier. 5)you can go to a hospital - er -  (or a general physician) and seek the advice and possible help from one of their dr.'s.

personally i have tapered - yes i had the stength to do it somehow - off of 14-16 vikes a day, and gone cold turkey from about the same.

and i'm sure there are a few other ways to do so - other people help out with suggestions, or point out if i am wrong or mistaken somewhere. but one thing i do know, is that you will not be able to go through detox of the drugs and habit that you described without some form of discomfort. i am not trying to scare you, i am just being honest. if i can do it - many times -so can you. but you need to be honest both with yourself and more importantly follow through after getting clean with n/a meetings, therapy, a psyche or whatever you feel works the best for you. and if you do consult a physician during this phase for help - which i also advise, one that you trust, make sure you are completely honest with them. completely. i suspect they see this type of **** pretty regularly and having a friend who is a dr. i know that they will not judge you if you come clean. do not hold anything back. that way they can best help you and, trust me, you will feel much better that someone else knows. especially someone who can help. good luck and i know you can succeed.

'hellbent' on this board can also help out with advise. maybe you should try posting a message for him. he has detoxed from one of the worst cases of several drugs i have ever read or heard about. he is brutally honest, and very helpful.

p.s. start eating again. and exercise if you can as well. there is also a recipe on this website called thomas' recipe (containing vitamins etc.. that you can take during detox that is supposed to help) and while i have never used it some people swear by it. perhaps someone can post it here along with their advice. take care and you can do this.

[Oxyclean]

I know how hard it is to detox from Oxycontin. It is much different from other pills because of the time release. It stays in your body from 8-12 hours. I am on day three of no Oxycontin. For me, what I did was taper the meds. I could not do it on my own so I had my husband deal them out to me. It sounds like and felt like I was a baby about it, but it worked. I was taking 160mg+ twice a day for diabetic nerve pain. During my taper, I wear a Catapress patch. It is a bloodpressure med, but it has been proven to help with withdrawals. My doctor was very sick of me towards the end, so I was not prescribed anything for anxiety, restless leg or anything else. I ended up in the hospital twice while detoxing. I saw bugs and was talking to people who were not there. (says my husband). Not to scare you, it will be hard put if I can do it you can too! Make sure you swallow your pills don't crush them. Believe me you will need them to last in your body as long as they can!! If you can, just take one kind of pill. Your body will react better. Drink lots of Gatoraid. Lots of hot baths will help your leg cramps. My taper was 10 mg less a week over about two months. Sounds like a long time, but I am starting to feel much better! Good luck, there are a lot of people here that are a great help. I owe my life to these careing  people!

[bigmistake]

I can't believe you responded so quickly.  Thank you - I am desperate.  I don't take oxys regularly, only when I can't find percoset or vicodin.  But for the last two weeks I had been snorting at least 1 80mg oxy p/day.  I feel like I am dying.  I got so depressed that I decided not to take any since last Friday.  Since then, I have more than once wanted to take myself to the hospital b/c I was sure I was dying.  I tried to calm the withdrawals with Percoset and Vicodin but I didn't even feel them since my tolerance had way surpassed those since I had been taking 80 for two weeks.  

I tried to stop EVERYTHING, but it seems impossible.  I am panicking.  Part of me is wondering if suicide seems like better option.  (obviously I have other issus)

Today I've had only 5 endocet (5 mg) so far.  And that is actually pretty good.  I hate depending on something like this...and I plan my whole day around pills, getting pills, will I have enough pills?, do I have enough money for more pills? etc... I can't take it.

[Oxyclean]

Is there anyway that you can talk to a doctor that can prescribe to you a narcotic that you can wean down from? I found in the past, going to the ER they treat you like.... you know what I mean! You have three choices... Go cold turkey, which I have done off of a large morphine habit. You can taper and have light withdrawals or you can keep taking pills until you either die, end up lossing everything that is important to you or end up in jail. For me, I found that tapering is the best thing. You will find that if you are honest with a doctor you can trust, he or she can help you. I know how desprite you feel. In November, I wanted to take my husbands gun and shoot myself to get rid of the pain. I am very lucky to have the support of my family and partly my doctor to help me through this. Please do what you can to help yourself. You will find out in the end all this withdrawal will pass and you will be so glad you did it. I will be thinking of you. Please let me know how you are doing. You can do it! You will be OK I promise........

[J. E. W.]

I have been exatly where you are right now. This was back in 98. I wasnt snorting those devils but I was poping them every 2/3 hrs.. I ran ouy and started drinking alcohol to try and relieve the way I felt. Big mistake!!! I ended up in detox as know one knew what was wrong but me. I couldnt tell anyone I was to ashamed. Well then I had to go through the wds from whatever they had me on for 5 days. I dont even remember a thing until about a week into it. So if you can do this at home But with help. Its no picnic but can be done. theres alot of support here so hang in there.. Im on day 6 ct from vics. / percs/duragesic patch 50mg. I feel better one min. and bad the next. Youve made the firt step by admitting you have a problem. If I can help in anyway let me know. Ill do the best I can to help.                J.E.W.

[Erika_Ann]

I feel very ashamed right now. I was on day 10 and relapsed. :(
I have arthritis and couldnt take the pain anymore. I bought 16 pills of vicoden to get me though the pain. Now I have to start over. Im so depressed right now. I live in Seattle and when the rain hits my joints ache like no tommorw.  I wish I could move to a sunny place. UUUUGGGHHHH. Thanks for listening.
:(   Erika

[FINISHED!!]

O.K. This is where things start getting scary. Suicide CAN NOT be an option here. You have to rid yourself of that thought RIGHT NOW. Many here have been EXACTLY where you are in terms of the drug use & we can help tremendously. I don't know what your other issues are but nothing, NOTHING is worth the price of your life. You mentioned your family before...I'm sure they'd suffer a great loss with you gone. I'm sure that the majority of the people here have had thoughts like you that maybe it'd be easier to just swallow a bullet...I know I did. But then it passed as quickly as it came. Narcotics are very tricky. They make you believe you're a bad person. They make you feel like life is a waste of time. In my opinion, suicide is a selfish act. I had a close childhood friend that killed himself due to a bad heroin habit...right in front of his mom no less. At the time, he felt like nobody cared about him & it would be better for EVERYBODY if he just left the world. He was WRONG!!! He is still missed terribly...13 years later. Please seek whatever help you need to help you out of these thoughts. Trust me when I say that it WILL get better. It WILL be tough for a few days but you can do it. The symptoms are miserable but shouldn't be inbearable. If they are for you, then you may want to seek the help of your doctor to work on a weaning schedule or some meds to help aleviate the worst of the symptoms. Keep in touch with us & I'll be praying for you.

FINISHED!!

[FINISHED!!]

Relapse is VERY common & you should not feel ashamed. Continuing recovery is harder than the initial recovery. Some of us HAVE to take a pain med for REAL pain. What's important is how much we're taking. You CAN'T beat yourself up for this. Hey guess what? You're human. Don't be ashamed, just reconize your mistake & rectify the situation the best way you can. You've shown yourself that you can beat this & that's a GREAT accomplishment!!! Just get back on that horse, dig your spurs in & ride off into the beautiful sunset of sobriety.

FINISHED!!

[Erika_Ann]

Thank you SO much for your post. That really meant ALOT to me. Sometimes we need encourgment from someone who understands. You really are a inspiration to me and Ive read your posts alot. You have alot of insight and positiveness about you. Which I admire. Yes, its really going to be hard for me to live the rest of my life without pain med. I cant. I have arthritis and Fibromyalgia for 20 years now. And Im only 31. I have a long battle ahead but Im ready to fight it. I just sometimes cant take the horrible pain and need help you know?
Thanks again for the time you took to respond. It really did mean alot to me
Sincereley,
Erika

[FINISHED!!]

I too have chronic pain & occasionally have to take a pill. I've had WAY too many surgeries, broken bones & injuries not to. As long as I know that I'm an addict & the danger is there, I manage VERY well. Thank you for the kind words. It means a lot that I'm able to help in any way I can. As far as your battle...I'd say "WE" have a long fight ahead of us. You are not alone here. I am in your corner & together, along with the rest of the forum, we'll beat this. I know you'll get back on track with your meds & the time will come when you're able to just take what you need to manage the pain. You take care Erika!!!

FINISHED!!

[Erika_Ann]

Thanks again for your words. I agree with you. Its hard when you cant control the pills and you have a hurtful disease as I do. (arthritis). Ive been though 6 surgeries myself and it sucks huh?
Thanks for being on my side. I need that alot right now.
Erika

[hippy]

hey big, try to take thing a little lighter,
you made to this fourm , and there are a lot of people here
who have gone through what you are going through.
i have been through it too, i know the feelings also.
keep posting and read all the post you can.
in the mean time try to take a supplement like slimfast
or ensure with your daily food intake they both have a lot of vitamines and are easy to drink, i took them when i was getting clean of the vikes and they helped me gain some weight and
started feeling better about myself, and thate feeling that i was going to die started to subside.
i used the thomas's receipe also. the L-tyrosine and b-6
along with the mulyi vitamine helped a whole lot..

erika, dont be so hard on yourself,
you are on the the right path.
i i am reading a book about making mistakes
and not being perfect.
it is really good  , it is called
THE SPIRITUALITY OF IMPERFECTION,
by ernest kurtz and katherine ketcham.
you might want to look into it.

peace to both of you , your brother addict and freind hippy.

[suzieneedshelp]

Finnished is so right about your "relapse".  No big deal. it happens to all of us believe me.  I relapsed about one month ago and now i am on day 20 from stadol and day 7 from ultram!  Just dont let it get you down to the point where u say.. "oh F___ it...now i might as well take a bunch since i messed up"  That is the disease talking to convince your mind to use , use , use.  It will try every trick in the book to get you depressed and feeling worthless so that you will use!  Dont be fooled.  Stand up and say.." NO i wont listen to this ****"  "I am a good and loving person who has lots to offer once i get off this ****!"  
Big Mis: You need pain relief as well.  There is nothing bad about that. It is a fact.  Can u get a patch or something that you can control your intake better?  Most addicts cannot taper.  But withdrawal from opiates is unpleasant but not life threatening if you are healthy.  You can do it at home wiht the Thomas recipe.  I did after a 10 year no break habit.  But i am concerend about yur pain issues and need for relief.  Be realistic about that.  But taek control of your abuse by having a family member dole out your pills as prescribed while getting on something you cant crush.  
Peace to you both!
You are taking this bull by the horns!
Suzie

[Erika_Ann]

I want you all to know that this forum is a part of my daily therapy. You all have given me so much courage and strength. And right now in my life thats very importiant. Because I have been suicidal alot in the last year. I hold a special place in my heart for all of you even though we have never met. Someday I wish we could. You people are awesome and I apprecaite so much all the advice and private stories you all have shared. This is the only place I feel I can be honest and not be judged and looked upon as a weak person and looser. So thank you to all of you. I hope I can be here for any of you when you need it.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs to all))))))))))))))) Erika

[scared too]

I am on fentanyl patch for chronic pain, I have been reading the notes by mistake. There is a clinic in Michigan I believe that lets you detox while under anesthesia. If you have enough money to buy drugs on the street, save them up and go to that clinic. they will probably work with you. I just found them today.
I am scared that a doctor will refuse to give me the meds I need to curb my pain as I have FM, PPS, and MS to give me problems. I don't like taking medications but after being on oxy for a while and having to fight with the pharmacist about filling the scripts, I was switched to the patch which has been wonderful in controlling my pain, yet, I am still scared the doctors will turn afraid of the DEA and stop giving me meds so I am trying to find all the pathways I can to help me if need be.

[J. E. W.]

GReat post you took the words right out of my mouth.. If not for this forum I have nobody who understands either. Some know Im going through wds. but not what its like.. So keep up the goodwork and if I can help at all Im here....                                 J.E.W.

[Erika_Ann]

Thank you for your kind words. It makes you feel better to know someone is on your side huh? People here are absolutly wonderful! :)  I thank god for this forum!
Erika

[Rex1]

I can only add to what everyone has said here today.

I will pray for each and everyone here today esp Erika and BigMistake, as well as finished for quick healing!

God is powerful and was a powerful part of my recovery. I urge you to go to Him in prayer.

Doing this detox on your own in not hard, it's not difficult, it's impossible! Depend on the folks on this forum and pray to God for Him to work through you.

Im time, all of this will be behind you. I know this personally!

God's Grace to you all.

Rex

[suzieneedshelp]

This country and its ultra conservative drug paranoiya and inability to address the issues of pain via pain meds is a horrid crime and dismal state of affairs!  The fact that a person who requires pain meds is only treated like a drug seeking fiend is the worse dark moment in modern medicine.  Poor Dr's ( i really have little compassion for Dr's) really with the fear of losing their licenses.  It must weigh heavy on them.  And they are afraid to do anything publically about it because it is not considered politically correct!  If they tried to make an impact, rock the boat, change the status quo, the DEA may investigate their ass!
Anyway...England is much more progressive.  
Peace to you all!
Suzie

[hyjack]

The first question you need to ask yourself, is do you need this medication legitimately?  Are you in pain.  If you are, nothing says that you have to get off, unless you absolutely want to.

If you are taking them recreationally, and you are totally ready, you can set your mind to do anything you want to do.  

There comes a point and time in every addicts life that we hit bottom, or come pretty damn close to it.  Everything in life seems like a bother, nothing is rosy and you just want to stay in bed and linger there.  This is what this disease does to you.  It slowly takes away every joy in life.  That's where I believe you are at in your recovery.  And yes, I said recovery.  It's admitting that you want to get clean and seek help.  These narcotics will not give up on you easily.  They will do anything they can to creep back into your life, and get the best of you.  It's almost like fighting a demon.

My personal advice to you is to seek the help of an addictionologist.  They deal with this every day, and have heard every story regarding addicts.  I assure you that they will help you with whatever your goal is.  If you need help in finding one, just let me know what state you are in, and I will give you that information.  I have a lot of faith in them, and with all the new detox information with Buprenorphine, some detoxes can be very painless.

Just remember, you can fight this battle and win the war.  It'll be uphill for awhile, and the strength  and support you need is right here.  We'll be here for you every step of the way.

***@****

[FrankVaio]

I'm 16 day's clean of OXY's. I was eating and snorting 160mg a day.I tried tappering off but it didn't work for me. I told people in my life about the battle I was going through. I also was scared about what they would think but guess what.....They already knew what I was doing it was only a secret in my head. They respected me more for comming out an asking for help. We seem to look at our parents as people that don't understand what the world is like now. But I'm sure they know more than you think and probably been through some kind of problem themselves. You need to talk to someone fast. People would rather help you then lose you. I started taking pills after a motorcycle crash 5 years ago. I was getting them from my doctor for the first year after my surgery. He stopped giving them to me when I was done with my treatment. But I liked them so I got them from the street. After 3 years I was taking 20-30 ES's a day. After I wasn't getting anything off them I went to OXY's for 2 years....... taking 160mg a day. Now it was costing me $80.00 a day to function. My next step would have been herion if I didn't stop there. So I set the date of 01-01-03. I didn't tapper off cause I couldn't as much as I tried. I called my doctor to get something for the withdrawls but he was on vacation. So cold turkey it was. It was the hardest thing I did but it was worth a week of hell. I still think about them today but I thought about them more when I was taking them....(where am I going to get some, how many can I afford, when am I going to take the next one, What if I can't get some, who else can I call ect ect.........) Our whole life was (is) pills. You have to what to clean yourself up more than anything else. Your brain controls your hands. So you hand will not pick one up and put it in your mouth if you don't tell it to. People can only help you. You have to do most of the work. Everyone here has told you that you need professional help ,,,,,only because it's true....I know I did and still do (with the mental addiction). NA or other support group is a good place to talk to others face to face about our problems. Pain meds are a depressent and they are making you hate life. Thing will be so much better when you stop ,,You will look at life differently... So hang in there and things WILL get better.

[lisabet]

Hi Frank - lisabet here.  I just want to congratulate you for 16 days clean.  I'm so proud of you and happy for you too; I know it isn't easy. So great you're coming back to encourage others---great post!  God bless your heart - you're doing great. Keep fighting that good fight!

[J. E. W.]

Great Post!!!! Congrats on day 16 ct. Keep up the good work. Day 6 for me. Vics. Percs. whatever I could buy. Let us know how your doing.                                                                                   J.E.W.