Withdrawal from hydrocodone

[Brie1966]

Hello,
  I have been on pain pills off about for about 2 years.(mostly Loritabs). Two weeks ago I was taking up to 12 pills a day. I have now weaned myself down to 3 pills a day, and I feel pretty good, not great, but pretty good. I plan to go down to 2 pills a day tomorrow and the next day, and then see if I can stop. Can you tell me if my withdrawals will be very bad since I will be down to just 2 pills? Im scared and concerned about this. But, I have never been more determined in my life to get off of these pills!
Thank you,
Leisa Tuck
Brie1966

[wreck]

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO RESPOND!FIRST LET ME SAY TO "TEEITUP" I DON'T KNOW HOW TO POST UP TOP, AND SECOND I WISHED I COULD BE SO DISIPLINED . IF I WAS I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MESS. IF  HAVE THEM, I'VE FOUND...I'M GOING TO TAKE THEM!GUESS TAPERING OFF IS OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR ME. BEEN HEARING ALOT ABOUT METHODONE(SP). WHATS UP WITH THAT?I CAN'T TELL MY DOCTOR HOW BAD ITS GOTTEN, HE'LL CUT ME OFF ALL TOGETHER, AND I'M TOO ASHAMED TO TELL ANYONE JUST HOW BAD IT IS. SOMEONE JUST KEEP TALKING TO M! THANKS A MILL!

[Rex1]

To add to what T said, you are not alone, and there are a lot of weapons at your disposal.

In my opinion, the first step mentally for you will be to level with someone you love, and possibly your doctor. This was a huge turning point for me.

This forum ddoes work wonders, but, again in my opinion, you need that fleash and blood perosn whom you love there helping you.

My pain management doc always says to me "wanting to get off the pain meds is admirable, but you have to replace it with something. My back pain right now would be best described as "tolerable", but your pain and TeeitUp's pain is much ,more than that. So ask yourself this question "Would you be comfortable morally if you could cut your dose by 2/3?" Then ask "If I cut my dose by 2/3, will I be able to function physically?" If the answers are yes, then tapering to that does in a slow controlled manner is the way to go, IMO.

Plenty of help here to do that.

Welcome, and God's Grace to you...

Rex

[teeitup]

Welcome to our world! I to will also have to take some amount of hydro for life due to a medical condition. The key will be to "use" not "abuse". Read through all the post, the comments do not always pertain to the original question. When you post always do it at the top so more people will see it.

I decided to try the taper method versious cold turkey, unfortunately there is no easy out from the withdrawals. There is something called the Thomas Recipe listed under several questions that several memembers swear by for withdrawals.

Read all the post, make a commitment and stay strong. My daily thought is "Take less today than yesterday".

Your not alone, and you will make it!

Teeitup!

[wreck]

I thought I was so alone! I hate it someone is suffering in the same manner as I , but it is a relief to read of people who understand EXACTLY how I'm feeling.First let me start by saying that I'm 40 yrs.old.I've never drank or have ever done recreational drugs. Matter of fact up until I became a pain patient I wouldn't even take a Tylenol!Then comes pain. Pain thats non operatable. I've been to 4 doctors and all say that I'll probably have to control the pain the rest of my life with the pain killers.So for 2 years I've been taking Lortab10. Started out 3 times a day.( Which stunk anyway, because theres 24 hours in a day, so actually it should be one every 4 hours, to be controled effectivly)So you all know how it goes so I won't tell you a long story. Eventually 1 became 2, 2 became 3..and now I'm up to 4 about 5 times a day!(or more!)Now I have to take so many that they just make me sleepy. Used to they allowed me to function and gave me a better quality of life from the pain. Now it takes away the pain but I have to take so many at a time , I get sleepy, and to tired to function.I've never had to deal with anything like this and to be perfectly honest....I'm scared to death.I realize I can not keep taking these.Its a never ending veciuos cycle of hell!No doctor would prescribe what at this point would be nessary, and I get sick of running out to early and trying to figure out what in the hell I'm going to do until my refill date. Then if you go to the streets you'll be flat broke in a matter of days...so my only option is to quit. This is Sat. and I deciced to quit yesterday. I'm beging the withdarwals and its scaring me to death. Hot one minute cold the next, cold sweats, hurting, naseau, dirreahs, yawning uncontrollably(does anyone do that?) ...NO ENERGY at all, weak so VERY weak. Please some one tell me how to make this easier, and how long will it last? PLEASE  somebody...HELP ME!! Nobody close to me knows the hell in which I'm going through.  Then I wonder what after getting clean I'm going to do about my pain.....PLEASE help..I'm a wreck!

[lisabet]

Congratulations for taking that first step in admitting you are addicted. It's a giant step. I've been here for a couple of months; started out with a 12-a-day hydro 10/325 habit supplemented by Jack Daniels (not a pretty combination)..smile. I'm now down to 5 hydros a day and no JD since Thanksgiving. I chose the tapering method, although others swear by the Cold Turkey method.  My advise is read-read-read; if you need advise or encouragement or just need to vent - post. There's so many inspiring and knowledgeable people on this forum - some who are now clean, some still using; so many different stories and most so inspiring.  One hint: when posting - use one of the top threads - you will probably get more responses. A lot of people don't even look at the lower threads (including myself, most of the time).  The Thomas recipe is posted throughout here - helps a lot of people.  Again, congrats for taking that first step...you can do it! Read the posts and others experiences, and you'll figure out the method and means to quit that's right for you....I'll be pulling for you!  Love/Peace, Lisabet

[Vampy]

Hello everyone. *waves*
I don't even know where to begin... *sigh* So many of your stories have "me" in them.
I was never prescribed Vics... but when I broke a tooth once, someone gave me their scrip, and the rest... as they say, is history. *heavier sigh* Sometimes I take up to 15 11 milligram pills a day. My husband... who doesn't do any other drugs, doesn't drink, or smoke... has gotten hooked as well. We cannot believe this has happened to us. We live for the days that our "connection" gets her scrip filled... We have done no Christmas shopping yet because.. *hangs head in shame* well... you all know why...(they cost us $4 a piece) and we have two kids. My husband keeps saying that he is too smart to have let it get this far...(aren't we all!) It was just a fun way to relax and buzz at first. Now we need them just to feel normal. *sigh* I am supposed to start Nursing school this coming fall. But I dare not do that till I kick this. This has been going on with us since May of 2002. We ran out for four days and we both just wanted to die. He works but I am a stay at home mom... and it's maddening! When we run out this time.. we both agree that we are DONE, and need to go cold turkey and just suffer cause we deserve it. Forget any help from doctors... we have ZERO health insurance. Neither of us has been to a Doctor in over 5 years for anything. I have read this forum off and on since about August.... and only had the guts to post today... and only cause I am on the evil things right now. I hate that I need them. Thank you for reading my rant... any help or advice would mean so much. I think you are all VERY brave, and just reading your words comforts me... But I am soooo very, very scared..... *sigh*

-Vamp