anyone trying to quite hydrocodone while still in real pain?

[tired19]

anyone trying to quite hydrocodone while still in real pain?

[beth7737]

My ruematologist (think that's right) recomended a book to read, called The Gift of Pain. Excellent Book, everyone with pain should read.

[tired19]

Interested in how long were you on meds for the pain and what type/dosage? What is your pain from?  You sound like me in the sense that I just don't WANT to have to go this route of popping pills anymore; it's just endless and never totally free from pain anyway. Seems like we ourselves are the ones who have to say ENUFF doesn't it?  Why aren't more doctors saying; lets try something different. Did you taper off or just stop the meds. 8 days is a BIG deal; you must be proud. The hard part for us pain sufferers is that the pain can probe you to the point of insanity some days that you feel like you're going to break. That's the tough part; not just dealing with taking less or no meds; it's; how much can your mind/body take of pain before it wears your system down. It causes depression/irritability. Some folks don't understand why you don't even want to socialize; your in pain and want to be left alone; they don't get it.  Tell me more about your story !

[Ashelen]

Hey like some of the others, I stopped pain Meds while In real pain. I never had trouble abusing them, but I got tired of the endless cycle of refills, so I said enough 8 days clean now and Yes the pain has brought me to my knees a couple of times over the last week, but imm ready to try another method to manage the pain for awhile. It was the rig decision for me. I won't go back to pain management unless I absolutely must.

[usarmymedic1]

I feel you on the pain I am S/P 2 discectomy and 2 fusions my fussion I had done this past dec. in feb I was in a car accident and I broke my back in 2 places and severed half my nose. I was on a high dose of Oxycodone and yes I am still in pain but I made the same choice the pain I can deal with I hated the drug it can and has been done alot.

[petroglyph54]

Welcome back tired19! This site is a great resource for information and support. The value of addicts helping addicts is without parallel. How did I do it? Well..I think I first found this site when I typed in Oxycotin withdrawls? I had been wondering, suspecting for a time if maybe the pain meds were actually causing pain. So,,what to do when what will take the pain away is actually causing it? Many people get there, the "moment" when the meds just arn't doing what there supposed to. My back pain seems perfectly suited for narcotic pain management, if I take one it tends to work, but for a shorter and shorter time, and then it causes other pain. Like intestinal, leg and for me, chest pain. I didn't know for certain which was which and really couldn't tell where it came from, but I knew I was in pain. My 205 was a significant dose, granted but by no means a record on this forum. I can't prove it but I do believe the higher dose a person is on plus years taken increase the severity of wd's. I read here for about a year before quitting, and there are poster's here that I respected and still believe in. My tolerance grew and grew and because of degenerative disc disease I was willing to believe that's why I continued needing larger doses. I never took more than prescribed and would take the minimum I could, like you to turn the pain spigot down enough to function. At the time w/o the med's I was hardly able to leave the house,do to pain/sciatic problems, so for a time it did give me freedom of movement. About last summer I realized that my tolerance to the meds had risen to my dose amount! They weren't nulling the pain very well at all and I either had to yet again up dose which I wasn't willing to do for find another remedy. So for a while I was just taking them to not be dope sick. That for me was unacceptable. Around thanksgiving or so I'd had enough. I've got stubborness working for me as well. I told my wonderful wife what I wanted to do and that was get off the meds for at least a month to see if I could tolerate the pain without. She's been amazing support through me detoxing that would have mad a labrador run away. Thank God everyones detox is different, I think mine were brutal, and that is part of my inspiration for never wanting to be on daily pain medication again. I can't say I never will, but if I can stand it, I won't. I kept a journal next to my med bottles and wrote down the time and amount every time. I still take some anti-inflammatories and occasionally a muscle relaxer. But I pretty much gritted my teeth and took less and less. Got down to 140mgs, around mid January and jumped off. That did not work for me, it was violent. I actually tossed on the floor for hours until I damaged another disc and my rt, side lateral muscles. Decided to continue the taper, kept a journal, down dosed until Feb, 19th at around 35mg per day and went cold turkey from there. It was still pretty miserable. From there it was almost identical to how gov338 puts it above. Every cell hurt, long bone pain, gut pain, headache constant for a month or so etc.
If you continue tapering if not now you'll soon be just taking the pills for sport, they can't be continuing to relieve the pain that's real. If 2 weeks ago it took 50mg's to deal with the pain, what's changed that now 15 does the job? When I jumped off at 140 it was so tramatic that my tolerance and pain level reset lower in 26 hours. I withdrew almost constantly but lighter while tapering, with almost constant headache. Like the guv. says, your body/mind will try to convince you in any way it can that you hurt bad enough that you have to have a pill. Honest to God here, I think I'm in less pain now then when I was taking 205mgs per day! Your body has had time to heal, but hasn't had to make endorphins for years or for it to produce natural pain relief, which the body will do, and it will again if you let it, sooner if you help it. The torture was worth it, I just don't want to do it again. Good luck, hope this helped, pm me anytime if I can help

[tired19]

Hi there,
thanx for the reply. You must be so proud of yourself to be 10 weeks clean. I can't even imagine. I'm not sure what I"m doing or if I'm doing this right or not with the tapering but I figure this is the easiest way to adjust to not only taking less (which is always a good thing) but to adjusting to how to deal with the pain without it. How did you taper?  I was taking recently up to 6 maybe 7 a day of the 7.5mg depending on the pain; it's just been a gradual thing that sneaks up on you and you realize 5 years ago I was taking 1/2 this amount.; but probably thinking back it's been 9 years atleast since my accident; had to rebuild my arm w/7 surgeries and a few months after that the sciatic started and never stopped. Been to P.T. countless times and it does help me to cut back on my medicine quite a bit and then insurance won't pay anymore and with my long work days; I can't or don't continue w/it and drop right back into doing less exercise and taking more med to compensate. Sitting just seems to really aggrevate it more than moving does and I sit in front of a computer 10 hrs a day for work and then drive more than 3 hrs to get to work/back. I keep saying it but I would like to try accupuncture; haven't done that one yet. Went to physiologist/chiropractor/neurologist etc and none of that helped. Unlike the rec users; there's no high in taking these meds; they're a numbing agent; it allows you to cope so you can go to work. mornings aren't bad; typically aren't it's the end of the afternoon that the pain starts building and I'm squirming in my chair to the point I want to lose my mind; feels like someone is stabbing a knife in my back and the pain down my leg gets so bad that the skin actually hurts to touch even lightly. I started last Thursday and tapered quite a bit (not sure what I was doing just knew I was sick of taking the meds); but was able to barely get by with 2 pills; didn't feel so hot but hung in there. Friday did 2 then,, Sat 2 and today only 1-1/4 saving 1/2 for this evening. Felt better today than any of the other days; but it was nice and warm/sunny which ALWAYS helps the arthritis. Damp cold days are brutal for me.Need to move south; I feel better than when I live in the northeast. Anyhow been taking multivitamin/potassium for the leg cramps the first couple nights/take something called CalmAdvantage(5HTP & theanine) which seems to help my mental state, I go for weekly B12 shots/Vit D. Went for a 3 mile walk at the beach/park and did well in the sunshine. Not that I wasn't hurting but I walked then stretched etc. think it helps immensely to do something as well and try to take your mind off the tapering as well- don't want to dwell on the medicine; want to concentrate on coping with the pain. Do you think I've done good w/the taper?  I plan to taper slow like this and let my body adjust to 2 day(or less if I can do it) and give it a week and see if I can tape off a little more. I do see a difference in a clearer head-in fact don't think I ever realized how clouded/agitated I was to begin with.  Please reply; I'm so interested in how you tapered yourself off of all that medicine; CAN:T even imagine taking that much a day!! Dear lord, you must've had a hard time doing that. 200mg is ALOT. You must be so proud of yourself. How long did you take to taper? Did you do it alone or w/help; did your doctor help at all?

[guv338]

Depending on how long and how much you used, there are many other issues that will arise after you have quit using the meds and after the withdrawals.  But keep in mind everyone is different. In the beginning, of course your body starts throwing pain at you from every direction in an effort to get you to break and give it more meds, dont give in.  At the same time it will hit you with insomnia in an effort to make you delirious in hopes you will break and give it more meds, don't give in. While all of this is going on, your body will begin to start the recovery process by purging itself of the toxins.  The best way I can explain is that the meds effect every organ and every sense in the body. Accordingly they must all go thru change to get back to where they should be. As time passes the mental side will kick in causing anxiety, anger and depression, to name a few. That's the bad news. The good new is that you can do this and release the chains that bind you. Just get your mind made up and then refuse to turn back. No matter what. The pain that I thought I could never live with is now tolerable and I will never be tied to a med bottle again. Hope you doing well today. Keep on fighting. guv

[petroglyph54]

I've dealt with chronic pain for a very long time as well. From 10/04 till 2/11, I used narcotic pain management. Stopped that day after titrating down. One of the things that kept me from quitting a year earlier was the same issue you have. How to deal with pain? With or without the meds, you and I will ask ourselves that very question many times. And will continue to seek more and better methods. I was told one of my many dr's on the nerve burning that those do grow back. Some body nerves once destroyed don't but those sciatic ones will? Treating the "discomfort" is what I and you do every single day. In my case 24/7. I don't know who's is worse or better, but there are several poster's here with similar issues. One of my physical therapist's said " you'll find what works for you". You've been to therapy, did you continue on an almost daily basis with the exercises you learned? I know it's easy to stop, but one of the few things we can do for ourselves is to strengthen the core, good posture, proper weight, shoes, sleep position and other things that may seem silly, but they add up to a healthier person at the very least. For temporary relief don't continue to rely on heat. Which I have done. Try ice, or flexible ice packs 20 minutes at a time. My understanding is pain comes from inflammation, shrink it. You've probably done the anti-inflamatories, they need to be adequate and taken for several weeks in a row, not as needed. Have you tried traction, massage, hypnosis, accupuncture, accupressure, sleeping on a lumbar support? There are an array of things to help minimize the discomfort. As far as who it's easier for to detox, pain management sufferer's or other addicts, all I know for sure is it's easier when the other guy is doing it. This is a great place to learn. I'm glad I don't crave the pills and only have pain to deal with. Since stopping around 10 weeks ago, my pain level has difinately reset lower. I think I was in more pain when medicating with up to 200mg's daily. Good luck

[mellie4]

I go to pain management. (I have a number of things:  extremely bad arthritis in the majority of joints (heredity ... my mother and two aunts were crippled and mine started in my late twenties/early thirties.  I also have fibromyalgia (but learned t manage that on my own.  I've had 9 surgeries and 4 years and then developed RSD and also have nerve damage from the surgeries.)  But after all this time, I realize it's a BUSINESS.  They tell me I can't function without the meds.  But they kept upping the dosages after every surgery and I got to the point that I was on so much and nothing was working and my head was cloudy.  I don't LIKE me anymore.  Tapering is discouraging.  You feel crappy ALL the time.  You don't know when the end is.  CT you figure a week or two, and you're done with the physical part.  I can't do CT for a variety of reasons.

Instead of focusing on what I have ahead of me, I try to think about what I've been able to get off.  The pain is a worry.  My pain has been brutal since I started tapering.  But the truth is, they can't do much for nerve pain anyway.

I'm going to still be open to procedures.  I get slight relief with them.  I herniated disks in my back 25 years ago, and I remember how bad the sciatica was.  Back then ice worked best for me.  I still have times my back is bad and I have bouts of sciata, but now that I'm older, heat works best for me.

I remember when I was in labor having my kids.  I used to think with each bad labor pain that it was a GOOD thing.  It brought me closer to what I was going to get:  a beautiful brand new baby.  I'm trying to do the same thing with this.  With each withdrawal symptom or rebound pain flare, I tell myself I'm closer to being off everything and finding out where my true pain is.

[tired19]

Glad to know there are folks out there that have chronic pain /have taken pain medication and managed off of them. This is exactly what I need to hear. For me I get discouraged reading about the posts that say how they started them recreationally and managed to kick the habit. GOD , I only wish it was recreational; then it might not be 1/2 as bad. Once you kicked the habit; what more do you have to deal with. It's the chronic stabbing pain; the sciatic that never stops that makes you say; OK can't take it anymore; someone make it stop. How do /did you cope with the pain? What is causing your chronic pain; do you go to a pain specialist. I've been seeing neurologists/neurosurgeon; had nerves burned to try to stop the pain. Go for monthly trigger point injections and another script to get me thru. I've just had it w/living with it. I also take Ambien to sleep nights but always awaken 2-3 times a night regardless because of the back pain. Haven't tried accupuncture but need to try that I think; have you ever done that?

[guv338]

I know it is hard to believe that the meds cause alot of our pain, but I promise they do. I have dealt with pain since 1987 and do not draw a single breath without feeling it but it is so much more managable without the pills. In time you will see that you can deal with much more than you ever thought possible. Keep on fighting. I stopped using about 850 days ago from 600 mg oxy a day. You can do this too. Life is so much better when you are really living it. Even with the pain issues. Best of luck. guv

[0421]

Hi, I am in constant pain siatica pain, arthritis in my lower spine, and I was clean 28 days and then the pain starts and I think I can take just one to sleep. I have been on a rollercoaster since March. I finally told my Dr and I also go to a speciallist for my siatica. My own Dr told me I would  never beable to get off the vicoden, pi--ed me off and I called the specialist and I went in and he said do not let anyone tell you you can't get off them.
He put me on a stronger does of Lycrica which does not have a tendacy to let you get hooked on them. I also just had two session of two back injections two weeks apart. I am trying his way, but I know what you mean about the siatica never resting. I am doing better since tues injections, I will have another CT scan Mon morning and then see the Dr again next week, I still need something for the bad bad days. I don't know what it will be but I am still  determind not to use vicoden the rest of my life.  I do know that the others are right about rebound pain, because I had it, I knew after a month that I needed a DR but just had to find the right one, my family Dr just told me to keep right on use the vicoden and gave me 100 of them. I know that is my problem they are sitting on my bed table and I can't bring myslef to through them out. So you are doing better then I am at least you didn't go  get the last script. I am so sorry you are walking through he11 but so are the rest of us. You are right about people that get off them and don't have pain but I have been reading these post for two months and I think there is a big percentage of us that are cronic pain people.  You keep postiing,  this is a great forum, good luck and prayers to you

[tired19]

no. I'm actually terrified of speaking to the Dr. I don't know where to start. I NEVER imagined I'd be on these sites trying to find comfort. For months I've been saying I can't take this anymore. I'm tired of the pain in my back/sciatic nerve that never rests for 5 minutes. But I reached a point where I'm so TIRED of being tied to a bottle of pills. . . .and I don't know how I got to this point. I'm a professional w/ a good career, single mom for 15 years and have done well for myself. ALWAYS pride myself in the fact that I didn't do drugs ; rarely drink , never smoked; just never thought I could get a dependency on something because "I didn't have that kind of personality". WOW could I have been anymore wrong. Personality might have alot to do w/it but I'm realizing it's the body that's addicted; regardless of what your mind thinks. I lost my second brother in Jan and I think I started to take more than I should to numb it all. I know I have real pain and that's what started me on these almost 10 years ago and it started out w/1.5 then a few years later taking 3 then a few years later 6 a day and now I'm wondering where will it stop. I think the pharmacist gave me a wake up call when she said "you've been taking this much hydrocodone- it's bad for your liver; you shouldn't be". I'm thinking why the heck am I hearing this from you and not my neurologist"?  Part of me is mad at him for being like my legalized drug dealer and the other part mad at myself for getting to this point. The other part of me says; how can I get thru the day without the pain medicine to calm the pain enough to go to work and support myself and my kids. I know I'm babbling; but I soooooo need to chat w/someone who currently has real pain and trying to quit as I feel this is very different worlds from where the recreational users are coming from. The W/Ds I'm sure are the same; but for recreational users; once you break thru the W/Ds you're out of the woods and can lead a normal life. There is NO PAIN to contend with on a hourly basis day after day; it's exhausting. I tried physical therapy countless times and it does help but insurance when I had it only pays for so much; you finish and in step more pills to take the place. I use heat wraps that feel good but still never a minute of 'no pain'.  Anyway I decided this has really got to come to an end because I'm so tired of being on the pills and still feeling like crap once the short-lived reprieve is over. I decided to cut back on all of this crap and Thursday was my first day to "taper". This too was a wake up call to how much my body & mind didn't like it one bit.  Was taking 6-7 day of 7.5mg and cut to what I thought I could do at bear minimum and still try to control my pain without losing it. I didn't think that tapering would be so hard and feel this crappy. I took 2 pills Thurs(1.5 then .5 evening) , 2 on Friday (1 at 11:30, then 1/2 at 4pm,  1/2 at 8pm. Today it's almost 4pm and I've had 1 pill so far but pretty crappy w/on and off sweats and leg cramps, stomach ache (not too badly but enough to know that I'm in for a battle here. I'm scared but have realized I'm not some sort of low life to have gotten in this predicament and there are SO MANY average hardworking law abiding good people that still have a dependency to this. I've been beating myself up for days now wondering how I got here and how I'm going to get off of it when I have REAL PAIN to deal with. I need help from folks who understand the battle w/pain but don't want to go this road of pills anymore. I read for hours/cry/feel empowered to end the prescription and then the symptoms kick in some more and it's like ; holy cow am I going to make it. If I'm feeling this crummy just tapering ; what am I going to feel like when I completely stop? And with the pain rearing it's ugly head; will I be able to ever stop taking any? Part of me feels like WOW, you're doing better than I thought and cut back alot in just a few days; then the other part of me panics and says 'how am I going to cope w/the pain and get off them completely which is what I really really want. Am I being unrealistic; am I fantasizing that I'll ever be off of them completely? What are my choices for taking something else for the pain; but not just move from one addictive medicine to another? I feel embarrassed, ashamed, and scared to speak to my doctor and just say "Enough, I've had enough of all the pills" But I don't know if I will open a can of worms by saying something because the first thing everyone comes to is your using recreationally or for some kind of fun of it all and label you. I'm taking much comfort in just reading these forums for days & nights but want more info from folks who are in real pain and trying to kick this medicine. I apologize for ranting but this is my first post and desperate to walk thru this hell with someone who really gets it first hand. Thanx for your response. Pain is hell but so is living with pills all the time. Help!

[IBKleen]

Hi,

You will find a lot of members here who are chronic pain patients, I am one of them. I always suggest to members that they get a pain mngt plan in place before quitting the pain meds. Pain can be a number 1 trigger for me on the days that I am really in pain and without a back-up plan I could be in trouble.

Have you spoke with your doctor about alternatives to the meds?