Started tapering off oxycodone need help advise please

[Blissfuldaysahead]

Hello,

I've been on oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine for the past 2 years. Morphine at 30mg up to 4 times a day. Oxycodone 30mg x 5 a day, Oxycodone 15mg x 5 a day and hydrocodone 7.5 x 4 a day. Two days ago I started 30mg oxy's x 4 a day and 15mg oxy's x 4 a day. My dose is a 30 & a 15 in the morning, one dose for lunch, one with dinner and one before bed. No morphine No hydro's. In fact at one point I was taking 360 pills of hydro a month. I want to be off this as quickly as possible. I started on them after a series of 5 major abdominal surgeries and whole hysterectomy which through my body in a tailspin with severe MS like pains. I have a daughter who is 7 now but was only 5 at that time and a career to tend too. I had no quality of life from the pain all the surgeries have caused. So I went to pain management. At first- these pills took my pain away and I accomplished so so much. I wasn't even complaining much now until my husband said to me while I was having a breakthrough pain & swelling episode: honey you take over 500 pills total a month!!! You know, that sounds horrible. Now I am seriously considering I may have opioid-induced hyperalgesia..just makes sense. But nonetheless this is a scary step- tapering off. I don't get any refills until Wednesday so I had no choice but to cut down to what I mentioned earlier- a 30 & 15 oxy 4 x a day and so I am taking advantage to wean off this way. I am scared. Seriously. When I took my last dose at 10pm 2 nights ago, at around 7am I had chills, restless, had to go to bathroom a lot, of course my pains resurfaced etc. I waited though until 10am to take first dose. Then in the afternoon instead of moping around- I took my daughter to the zoo- it was 1:30pm- after 3 hours of walking I was passing out from the pain and practically salivating at the damn oxy BUT I waited until dinner at 7pm to take it. However, last night, I had insomnia, took my last dose at 11pm but couldn't sleep until 2:30am and sure enough between 7-8 I was struggling with the same chills- restlessness etc.. So I changed schedule and took the first dose then- at 8am and now will wait until 1:30-2 for second dose. I am experiencing some mild chills by now that's 12pm but controllable. In the past it was popping a dose every 2-3 hours now I am doing it every 6 hours. I just need to know if what I feel in the AM is normal and how long do WD last when tapering off?? Doesn't the body get used to the new amount? I am thinking of continuing this way for another week or so- then taking out slowly 7.5 mg at a time. I take melatonin and valerian at night to sleep also. Please give me your best suggestion. Do you think by Tuesday I should feel adjusted to the new amount? Ok said enough. I have nobody else to ask as I was getting my medicine legitimately through doctor and through pharmacy and of course I can't ask them- I pay $200 for ea doc visit per month and about $600-700 a month for meds. Rather buy another car ;-)
Thank you..

[Ldytaz]

I like u have a lot of medical problems...When the dr put me on meds for pain I thought it would be ok since he said so.At one point he took me off loritabs and gave me the 30mg morphine and perks.I hated it.Since getting off my doc 17 years ago I have never taken anything that made me feel not "normal". So after 2 months asked him to put me back on the tabs.After that my pain never went away.The month I found out my Mom had lung cancer I went in and told my dr to taper me.he got out a calculator and I was given a script for 114 pills to take for 4 weeks.. It worked and I stayed off them for 6 months til my Mom fell and when I went to pick her up I wrenched my back.After taking hers I went back to my dr and started up yet again.I think that is when I knew I had a problem but,still took them..2 years ago when I decided to get off I should have told him again but,was embarrassed.so I went the wrong way to a methadone clinic.I so regret that now..I guess I got off my point.sorry.. My point was I found the pain I had started to get less as the mental and physical wds got better.I still have all the same problems(need 2 surgeries) but,I seem to be able to walk(with a cane)and do all the things I thought I wouldnt be able to do if I quit the pain meds.Know U can do it and u will..God will help and the wonderful ppl here...Think about some aftercare for the mental hell..It helps

[bama88]

Ok....youve got two choice about this.....taper...or jump...I agree with u about the taper...yes you might go thru some withdrawls..but not a full blow one..but..and heres the 49, 000 question...can you?? And if you can great...the good thing about tapering is ur allowing your body to catch up..but it takes alot of desipline. ..lots and lots... while jumping one needs sure grit huge amounts of willpower and a ton of courage..

thanks for the compliment. ..I am really not an inspiration. .that makes ke scream with laughter....im just hard. Lol...im just lucky to have escaped the inslavement of addiction...got out just in time too..

dont you want to be free too???  

What made you come to this decision?? Im always so courious as to what makes a person realize theres another way...

for the heart rate I went to my doctor and told her what ive been up to and what I wanted to do...and she was on my side...we talked about what to expect...and I did get some clonidine..for blood pressure..but I ended up in rehab..because when I relapsed after the first attempt. ..I made it around 90 days..and thought I was a big girl and could go back to pills...I loved to get high....better than sex for me...now I dont want to do that...
please talk to a doctor....why and how so much meds..sorry I just love question and answers...please dont take it personally. ..

ill be here for u...if I can you can

[VICourageous]

Welcome..First I do not understand why you can not be honest with your Dr or a Dr period..They can set you up with a good plan and if needed some non-addictive meds like the clonidine. It is a light BP med that can help with Anxiety and Sleep. I used all natural after I gave up that med. Only on it for such a short time..BUT it took me 22 days of No sleep and anxiety to the moon to finally get it..The w/ds seem to be more intense and longer when you come off of a med cocktail. I have w/d off the hydo/oxys and it was hard, but not has hard as the Methadone, illegal Adderral and a Klons back in Sept 2012.( I was snorting them..Dumb) Since we can not give you a taper on here, I would suggest you do let go of all but the one and then slowly & I mean slowly drop..Listen to your Brain/Body and see how it feels. Give Your Body/Brain time to adjust with each drop. I do think that if you do this nice and slow and keep drinking lots of water to remove the toxins you might not have it so tough. Get some good Vit/Min and start taking them now because they take time to kick in..You can take some at night to calm you down and some during the day for energy..Get some Electrolyte Powder to add to the water..Also some Protein powder because it has Amino Acids in it and that Vit is a Plus..Maybe pick up some "CALM" it has magnesium in it and that one helps pull out poisons.
NO I do not think they will be Brutal if you taper slow and easy..You will have some w/ds period because the Brain/Body is used to these meds. So just give it one med and while you are on that one the other have time to leave..Just know that this whole process does take Time and Patience. Keep checking post because there is a lot of caring & sharing souls out here and we all have the same disease. Look into some Aftercare too..The detox will be over soon it is fighting to stay clean is what takes the cake. .I wish you the best!!
Bless

[Blissfuldaysahead]

Thank you honey so much!! Really. You are an inspiration in your own way and what u have gone through. I dropped morphine and hydrocodone, yes. Just dropped it without thinking twice but honestly didn't notice any WD because I was still taking 9-10 oxy's. So what I did is drop a bunch of oxy's to 6 a day (24hr period) instead of the 9-10 a day. At 8am,2pm,8pm and last around 1-2am night are my doses. The rapid heart rate happens in the AM and boy you see me taking deep breaths for like 45 mins to slow it down!! You said I'm in my worst now but is there a worst in the beginning of a taper? Do u think that as I taper off gradually by the time I am down to one measly pill a day I will have brutal WD again? THATS where I'm confused the most!!! Thank you so much again for caring.

[bama88]

Couldnt get past 4 days

[bama88]

Oh the chills might change to hot flashes included..I would dress in layers so I could strip or add...thats the worse one. Or was for me. .and the longest lasting..along with crazy heart rate...that one scared me the most...my heartbeats were irregular...I felt like my heart pounded out of my chest with serious bouts of anxiety....but hopefully you will not have that....

I eventually went to rehab...had too..I was on too high of a dose. I couldnt go past

[bama88]

Glad you want off meds...I think????  I really cant make much sense about what YOU really want to do....I hope you taper completely off...because your on alot of meds...ive never never ever heard of someone being perscribed that much.....
but thats not the point.  I agree you are have more pain due to taking way too much opiods..that makes complete sense...have you had time to research that??  The more opiods one takes for a long time it changes the way our bodies moderate pain....then the cycle of more and more comes into play..

vicious cycle...and oxycontin is a BEAST...in my humble opinion its a synthetic herion....really I feel that way...

when I realized I had a problem I was at 360 mgs of oxies a day or more...I had a total knee surgery and couldnt control or manage my pain...I spent a year trying retlesslesly to a.get well and b. Off the pills. It was a horrible year. Between pain and detoxing omg...I remember it all...I wont get my other knee replaced. I wont ever...thats how bad it was..infact I wont ever take pain meds again if I have any say in the matter...
the big problem with oxy..and theres a ton is the way our bodies respond..I think our bodies love that stuff so much our bodies will do anything it can to make you take another...the withdrawls are intense...as you can see...and your tapering off while still using another opiod.  

In my opinion id say drop all other opiods and just taper off the oxy. But thats me and were not allowed to give any tapering plan....have you talked to another doctor..not the one whos prescribing. . Get a second opinion... I wouldnt trust a doc who writes that many for nothing... again just me..

try looking up thomas recipe to help with withdrawls...and yes you should be scared and nervous...its to be expected...  its not gonna be easy..your gonna get sick...but...and I say this with love...id rather work thru the d.t.s and get sick to break thru and be pain free.....and you will have less pain without any meds...I promise.  Not in the beginning...but around  a month of no meds I was pain free...really.. until I stopped I hurt more. Weird huh.. goes against logic but does it?? Our bodies are designed to be natural and not rely on opiods.. just an opinion.

it will get worse before it gets better....thats what you got the Remember. . And right now your in the worse.  

So what are your plans .....wouldnt you like to be free of all those pills and live life on your terms...

much support from a new friend bama....im here for u.

[Blissfuldaysahead]

Don't worry Back2Me.. Just say to yourself: I have to let go. Just let go. It *****. Take some 3mg melatonin and valerian at night and buy this "calm" powder that is magnesium based. It's kinda helping but you gotta rev up the self esteem. I had a breakdown about 1 hour ago after I wrote this and realized a lot of the sedation I was putting myself through was so I wouldn't think about my sister who died a few years ago at only 36 from effin cancer. We were best bfriends, etx. It's something hard to swallow but dammit I started thinking about my daughter, what about if my doctor dies tomorrow (he's old) am I going to be on the street looking etc.. Just remind urself as I am reminding myself. When we die- the world goes on living so let's take a bite at it now cause this world doesn't owe us anything, WE are responsible for our actions etc.. I hope this helps u a bit. I know I'm the one posting the question but I live helping others so please just know ur not alone and check back with me. :) :)

[Back2Me]

I am in the se boat with less pills. I tried to go as long as I could but when the WD kicked in they were brutal. I guess I will just push it out as long as I can and with less and less. And unlike you I won't let my body catch up. I will be very nasty feeling most of the time I am sure but I have to get off this stuff quickly. I with you luck this is scary.