Aa
helping kick vicoden, please help me, first time posting
Okay, well i've been abusing vicoden for some time now, and i'm trying to get off of it. I usually take 2-3 in the morning/afternoon, and like 6 at night. I was a Marine and got wounded in Iraq, and never abused it, but the longer I took it, the more i ate, and now i'm stuck. Now it's been about 8 months that i've been on it, and its affecting my life. Now i have 200 vicoden left, and I just got perscribed 180 Xanax for anxiety/panic attacks. Now what's the best method of coming off of it, and keeping it from my family and work? I'm a very involved dad, and have a high stress job where i have to preform. Will the xanax help me? I've read that it helps with withdraw symptoms from opiates. is this true? Is xanax an opiate?? Please any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My soon to be husband is addicted to Vicoden and was never prescribed it in the first place. After alot of depression after the death of his 15 year old son. The downward spiral began. He wants to quit, but is afraid of anyone knowing. He has seen 2 MD's regarding anxiety and depression, never receiving anything for his chronic panic attacks. I made a thrid appt. with a pyschiatrist that he went to yesterday. He told them almost the truth. He said that he was addicted to Vicoden but told them that he didn't do any other drugs. Well the truth is that he has smoke weed since he was 15. Which helps alot with his anxiety, but isn't enough. Well the psychiatrist wants to drug test him in 2 weeks. He said he can't go back. The doctor said if there are drugs in his system that their relationship would be over. They gave him a prescribtion of neurotin 300 mg 1-2 three times daily when needed and also Catapress .1mg but only gave him 15 of them. Either have touched him. And I can tell that they aren't working what so ever. Does anyone have any tips on how to ease these withdrawls. The shrink also said that because he is so shy that his body is predisposed to be a nervous person? He didn't give him anything for the depression either? Could this be that they want to tackle one issue at a time? I have giving him a couple of my Xanax in the last couple days which works so good for him. The thing is, we can't go in and tell the doctor that. Without looking like he's seeking more drugs. He has no medical insurance either and works for himself. So, he can't just stay home and detox. Should I supply him with Vicoden and have him taper off or stay tough on him about trying these medications that the doctor prescribed. What should I do, Is there anyone that can help, Im reaching out
My soon to be husband is addicted to Vicoden and was never prescribed it in the first place. After alot of depression after the death of his 15 year old son. The downward spiral began. He wants to quit, but is afraid of anyone knowing. He has seen 2 MD's regarding anxiety and depression, never receiving anything for his chronic panic attacks. I made a thrid appt. with a pyschiatrist that he went to yesterday. He told them almost the truth. He said that he was addicted to Vicoden but told them that he didn't do any other drugs. Well the truth is that he has smoke weed since he was 15. Which helps alot with his anxiety, but isn't enough. Well the psychiatrist wants to drug test him in 2 weeks. He said he can't go back. The doctor said if there are drugs in his system that their relationship would be over. They gave him a prescribtion of neurotin 300 mg 1-2 three times daily when needed and also Catapress .1mg but only gave him 15 of them. Either have touched him. And I can tell that they aren't working what so ever. Does anyone have any tips on how to ease these withdrawls. The shrink also said that because he is so shy that his body is predisposed to be a nervous person? He didn't give him anything for the depression either? Could this be that they want to tackle one issue at a time? I have giving him a couple of my Xanax in the last couple days which works so good for him. The thing is, we can't go in and tell the doctor that. Without looking like he's seeking more drugs. He has no medical insurance either and works for himself. So, he can't just stay home and detox. Should I supply him with Vicoden and have him taper off or stay tough on him about trying these medications that the doctor prescribed. What should I do, Is there anyone that can help, Im reaching out
Hi and I would also like to thank you for protecting our country. I agree with Flacet to taper off the pills . I am withdrawling for the 2nd time after I just kicked a 5 year habbit. The first time I tapered but I did not have many pills to taper with so I went from 6 10/325 a day to 3-2-1 in a matter of a week. The only way I was able to taper is to give it to a family member who gave me my aloted ammount. I still experienced horrible withdrawls, insomina(did not sleep for 4 days straight) neasua, vomiting, dirreaha, irrability, creeppy crawling feeling, skin problems and a few other emotional issues such as panic attacks, anxeity, and depression. I am not trying to scare you I am just telling you what you might expereince, yet if you taper it much slowly than you might not have these as severe symptoms. I fell of the wagon 2 weeks later and started to take 6 500/ vicoden a day with occational 10/325 , I was so dissapionted in myself and now I have to expereince these symtoms all over again, but just keep in mind that if you are not taking it for emotional reasons the eaiser it will be for you to quit and not relapse. Also you have not been taking as much as I have and as long as I have so you will defentily experience much less pain than I did. Pain is why I started but emotional problems is why I continued. Be carefull of medicines that help wtih withdrawl symptoms becuase most of them have a dependency as well with worse symptoms of withdrawl than vicoden, I survived the withdrawl naturally and tapering and I belive it is the best way to kick the habbit, you dont want to substitute one drug for another, but DO TAPER or your body will go into complete shock. Yesterday I started tapering and I had bad insomnia so I took a couple of Valerian root supplement witch calmed me down a little. Also exercise is a great way to sweat the toxins out, even mild exercise that does not hurt your conditon such as swiming, or even just meditation and breathing exercises. Also drink a gallon of water a day to flush the toxins out faster. You can also get an over the counter detox supplement which will help to cleanse the liver and gallbladder. When you are taperig make sure you start on weekends reducing the doses every week like on a friday so unpleasant symtoms you will be able to deal with by the time monday comes around. About the family pick one closet member to confide in and have them control your pills for you. Good luck and you will defently be able to quit before your 200 pills and any left overs you can flush down the tolliet for a theraputic symbolic realse of the chemical dependency.
200 will be enough to taper with... Drop out a half a pill a week.. whether that is a quarter pill every 3 days or the whole half a pill each week... also there is this good article on tapering I found helpful.. Clonidine must be written by a doctor.. you may be able to buy it online though I have no idea.. never tried.. Hope this helps.. let me know if you need help figuring out a exact taper schedule
Time for some technical talk... One of the things which increases "dependence" is a spike in drug blood plasma levels. Addicts do this on purpose to get a "high". They do it by Snorting (Very fast delivery), IV Injections, Chewing up meds and taking on an empty stomach.
The above all produce the most amount of drug in the blood in an attempt to get a buzz. These spikes are one of the reasons we addicts get hooked faster than a COMPLIANT Chronic Pain Patient.
Being compliant means they take only as directed. The goal of compliance is to maintain an even blood plasma at the minimum amount to treat PAIN and NOT to produce euphoria (a high).
Since the blood plasma levels are lower, the levels of dopamine at the synaptic cleft do not spike so the receptor sites do not downregulate or decrease in number in response to the initially MUCH higher level of dopamine released as a result of spiking.
Addictive dosing behaviors, the large doses associated to Spike the blood plasma level, vs the lower low dosing and more often which is the KEY factor to the physical changes the brain makes which cause dependency.
Dependency is the actual physical changes to your body which cause withdrawal. Addiction is the BEHAVIOR of taking the drugs to get high, not as prescribed, and when not needed for clinical reasons. It is the un-manageable behaviors associated with lack of control.
Which comes first... Dependence or addiction? Usually it's addiction, but it can be the other way, but the key issue which causes the progression of addiction are the behaviors.
Addiction is what makes you take more and more, spiking doses, etc. This in turn increases dependence. The higher your dependence the higher the tollerance... Round and round you go. The addiction merry-go-round.
How to break the cycle? The only way is to change the behavior. That is a very difficult thing. Pain is usually a very good motivator. So is Euphoria. When the pain out weighs the euphoria one starts to consider breaking the cycle. Unfortunately the pain being eliminated by the drug is a driving force. Then the addict associated the RELIEF of th pain to the drug instead of the drug being the CAUSE of the pain.
SOoooooooo what to do? Break the cycle.
Many have to hit bottom to do that. That's the point where the pain of using overwhelms the relief of using. It's an emotional point which is different for different people. Not every one has to hit a bottom to quit. The sooner you quit the less pain and suffering you have to experience.
For folks who are on smaller doses and their disease has not progressed very far, they have not felt the extent of pain addiction can cause. Only conceptualizing how bad it can get may not be good enough to motivate a person early in addiction to quit.
Intellectually we know what lays ahead. We hear the truth from others, but yet we continue to use. It is not until we get a glimpse of the pain that lays ahead do we become to believe we need to quit. One HAS to believe that in fact addiction does lead to the loss of everything and eventually Jails Institutions and Death.
Addiction is a lot easier to nip in the bud physically but maybe not emotionally because one has not experienced the pain first hand. Some need more pain than others to quit. Some don't make it and end up end stage and their addiction wins.
If you want to get off of the pills you have to change your behavior.
1) STOP SNORTING your pills!
2) Stop spiking your dose!
3) stop taking enough to get high
You will never quit until you do that. Weather you can or not is up to you.
You have to come to a point where you make the decision you want to quit. The en you have to make a plan then you have to execute that plan. SIMPLE .... but not easy.
The solution from a clinical point of view for you at your point of addiction is so easy. A simple taper, and change the behavior. In short break the cycle.
How to do a taper is easy. Changing the behavior is the HARD part, but you have to want to change.
If you are taking 6 pills a day... then start taking them in even doses and don't take like 3-4 at a time. 24 hrs divided by 6 = 4 hrs. So only take one pill every 4 hrs. Then take 5 pills in 24 hrs. That's 4.8 hrs. Then 4 pills a day... break pills into 1/2's so you have 8 1/2 pills. and take 1/2 a pill every 3 hrs. Etc.
If you can't stick to a taper give the pills to a friend to dispense.
Mean while .. you have to start changing the way you think and the things you do... You should educate yourself... Good place to do all of that is NA or AA. It's FREE and takes up time. It forces you to be doing something other than sitting around with nothing to do and just thinking about using.
It's not the only way, but it's a good place to start. Take what you need from it, and leave the rest.
If you take the same amount or less every day and don't spike your dose you will eventually quit.
30 mg of Hydro can be tapered to 0 in 2-4 weeks painlessly. The PAWS will be minimal too.
The ball is in your court. We can not make you do anything. Only YOU can.
When you are ready is up to you. If you need to stay "out there" using and see for yourself how bad it will get that's up to you.
My recommendation.. Start to QUIT now! It will be a whole lot easier.
Time for some technical talk... One of the things which increases "dependence" is a spike in drug blood plasma levels. Addicts do this on purpose to get a "high". They do it by Snorting (Very fast delivery), IV Injections, Chewing up meds and taking on an empty stomach.
The above all produce the most amount of drug in the blood in an attempt to get a buzz. These spikes are one of the reasons we addicts get hooked faster than a COMPLIANT Chronic Pain Patient.
Being compliant means they take only as directed. The goal of compliance is to maintain an even blood plasma at the minimum amount to treat PAIN and NOT to produce euphoria (a high).
Since the blood plasma levels are lower, the levels of dopamine at the synaptic cleft do not spike so the receptor sites do not downregulate or decrease in number in response to the initially MUCH higher level of dopamine released as a result of spiking.
Addictive dosing behaviors, the large doses associated to Spike the blood plasma level, vs the lower low dosing and more often which is the KEY factor to the physical changes the brain makes which cause dependency.
Dependency is the actual physical changes to your body which cause withdrawal. Addiction is the BEHAVIOR of taking the drugs to get high, not as prescribed, and when not needed for clinical reasons. It is the un-manageable behaviors associated with lack of control.
Which comes first... Dependence or addiction? Usually it's addiction, but it can be the other way, but the key issue which causes the progression of addiction are the behaviors.
Addiction is what makes you take more and more, spiking doses, etc. This in turn increases dependence. The higher your dependence the higher the tollerance... Round and round you go. The addiction merry-go-round.
How to break the cycle? The only way is to change the behavior. That is a very difficult thing. Pain is usually a very good motivator. So is Euphoria. When the pain out weighs the euphoria one starts to consider breaking the cycle. Unfortunately the pain being eliminated by the drug is a driving force. Then the addict associated the RELIEF of th pain to the drug instead of the drug being the CAUSE of the pain.
SOoooooooo what to do? Break the cycle.
Many have to hit bottom to do that. That's the point where the pain of using overwhelms the relief of using. It's an emotional point which is different for different people. Not every one has to hit a bottom to quit. The sooner you quit the less pain and suffering you have to experience.
For folks who are on smaller doses and their disease has not progressed very far, they have not felt the extent of pain addiction can cause. Only conceptualizing how bad it can get may not be good enough to motivate a person early in addiction to quit.
Intellectually we know what lays ahead. We hear the truth from others, but yet we continue to use. It is not until we get a glimpse of the pain that lays ahead do we become to believe we need to quit. One HAS to believe that in fact addiction does lead to the loss of everything and eventually Jails Institutions and Death.
Addiction is a lot easier to nip in the bud physically but maybe not emotionally because one has not experienced the pain first hand. Some need more pain than others to quit. Some don't make it and end up end stage and their addiction wins.
If you want to get off of the pills you have to change your behavior.
1) STOP SNORTING your pills!
2) Stop spiking your dose!
3) stop taking enough to get high
You will never quit until you do that. Weather you can or not is up to you.
You have to come to a point where you make the decision you want to quit. The en you have to make a plan then you have to execute that plan. SIMPLE .... but not easy.
The solution from a clinical point of view for you at your point of addiction is so easy. A simple taper, and change the behavior. In short break the cycle.
How to do a taper is easy. Changing the behavior is the HARD part, but you have to want to change.
If you are taking 6 pills a day... then start taking them in even doses and don't take like 3-4 at a time. 24 hrs divided by 6 = 4 hrs. So only take one pill every 4 hrs. Then take 5 pills in 24 hrs. That's 4.8 hrs. Then 4 pills a day... break pills into 1/2's so you have 8 1/2 pills. and take 1/2 a pill every 3 hrs. Etc.
If you can't stick to a taper give the pills to a friend to dispense.
Mean while .. you have to start changing the way you think and the things you do... You should educate yourself... Good place to do all of that is NA or AA. It's FREE and takes up time. It forces you to be doing something other than sitting around with nothing to do and just thinking about using.
It's not the only way, but it's a good place to start. Take what you need from it, and leave the rest.
If you take the same amount or less every day and don't spike your dose you will eventually quit.
30 mg of Hydro can be tapered to 0 in 2-4 weeks painlessly. The PAWS will be minimal too.
The ball is in your court. We can not make you do anything. Only YOU can.
When you are ready is up to you. If you need to stay "out there" using and see for yourself how bad it will get that's up to you.
My recommendation.. Start to QUIT now! It will be a whole lot easier.
Thank you all for your kind words, it was truly my pleasure to serve, wish I could do it again. So how do you get Clonadine? can you order it online or buy it over the counter?? And how long does it take to taper? I've been taking 6-10 vic ES's a day for like 8 months. I have just under 200 left, and that is it, they are gone. How should i do this? I don't want to lose my job, and still need to function and be dad. How long does it take to taper off? Because litterally...i have 200 and thats it...bye bye. Dont want them, but afraid how my body will react. Any advice? Much appreciated...
i can not offer any addiction advice, but i want to thank you. it takes alot of courage to be in the military, and our country thanks you. sorry for your situation
Simper fi Marine im Jim I was on SEAL Team 4 in puerto rico. I am on day 19 and doing well. I will offer this advice for you. There is NO WAY your family is not going to know with you having to face W/d s .Tell them the truth and im sure they will help you. If you started taking those from a wound in combat I don`t think there is anyone who wouldent support you I know we will here . Its tough but being a marine I know you have the drive to suceed ! Any advice I can offer I will be glad to help.. Stay strong Jim
Roof is right if anything is helpful for Withdrawls it is clondine... it is a anti hypertensive that can work some wonders on alot of the symptoms... helps relax you, helps the anxiety and the Hot cold flashes.. it is even said to help the diareeah and nausea..
I find that this med is more helpful than xanax...
I find that this med is more helpful than xanax...
The only advice i can give you is do a very slow taper with the vicoden,or maybe find a doctor that will prescribe suboxone or subutex, do some research on suboxone (www.suboxone.com)...now the xanax, is not an opiod, it is a benzodiazapan (not sure of spelling) it is very addictive, but will help with withdrawals, i used it for sleep at night, i couldnt function on it during the day, xanax is similar to valium or klonipin or ativan...it knocked me out, but i know of other people that could function on it just fine, just dont abuse it, benzos are VERY hard to come off if you get addicted...also maybe you could do a detox with doctors approval with a 10 day taper off vicoden with help from methadone, but then again (even though methadone saved my life) methadone is very addictive, but if you have a real chronic pain problem methadone might be for you, where as suboxone or subutex does NOTHING for pain... here to help if you have anymore questions on anything i mentioned above... i have personal experience with everything i mentioned above although not an "expert"...thank you for serving our country, you vets deserve the best of everything the U.S.A. has to offer in your recovery...love and peace to all
First of all i want to thank you soldier.Like steph says be very careful with the Xanax.Can you take a couple days off work?like thursday and friday and the weekend?It will probably take 5 days for the worst of the w/d's to start to let up before you will feel even close to normal.Then after those 5 days you will still have cravings and most likely some depression.I have went through w/d's many times on about the same amount you are taking.It is always the depression that made me relapse.so be ready!It will go away.Some take a blood pressure med for w/d's called Clonadine[spelling] it helps with the symptoms as your b/p will usually rise and make the anxiety worse.Read some of the archives here for more info.God Bless Bro.
Xanax is a benzodiazipine.. which is a class of meds used for anxiety mainly. It can help with Withdrawl but should be carefully monitored by a doctor.. Xanax is also very addicting more so that opiates.. And the withdrawl from xanax is very dangerous and can produce seizures, halluniations, and even suidcidal thoughts.. I would be very careful taking it.. You could end up replacing one drug for another..
Do you plan to taper?? Or go cold turkey?? You are gonna have a hard time keeping this from your family and job either way..
Welcome to the site... hope it helps you.. I know it has me..
Stephanie
41 days
Do you plan to taper?? Or go cold turkey?? You are gonna have a hard time keeping this from your family and job either way..
Welcome to the site... hope it helps you.. I know it has me..
Stephanie
41 days
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