on 300+ of oxy a day- will have a drug test for new job within 2 weeks

[CTdudeofSOBE]

here is the issue- i have been hitting the opiates hard and need not to taper- but to stop- I'm going thru the background check now (don't have a worry there) but have a drug test afterwards. so here are the questions-

1) i have a legal script for oxycodone- however i am hitting them harder than my daily allowance allows- i want to walk in clean- i cant take valium or xanax (would be looked down upon) - how long would i have to go cold turkey before the pee test shows clean and if i have some oxy in there with a legal script- would i be ok?

2) if i have oxy in the urine- can they tell if I'm taking more than im suppose too

3) cold turkey on 300+ mg/day- is it as bad as I'm thinking?? any way to function??

4) if i taper- and go from day 1- 300, day 2-250, day 3- 200, day 4- 150, day 5- 100, day 6 off--would it be better and could i function??

any information would be appreciated- for the record- i have scripts for xanax (1mg daily), ambien (10mg daily), oxycodone (30mg/6 times a day).  Also- is a drug test only basically looking for pot or cocaine??

thanks people

[CTdudeofSOBE]

hi all- cutting back as we speak- down to 225- tomorrow to 175-200-- still dont know when the background check is complete

mr lucky-  what i meant was getting clean for the test and after to continue to taper- get myself comfortable at lower and lower doses until im off- going c/t from this high amount has lingering effects after the 5 day hell period- takes time for the brain to refire and heal- im just trying to be realistic

[mr.lucky66]

I'm not so sure they would understand it. I wouldn't chance it and would be clean. Did you say you wanted to get clean for the test then continue tapering? I hope you didn't say that because that doesn't make any sense. all the best

[discretekarma]

I'm pretty sure that if you have a script and bring it and they don't hire you just based on that reason they would be descriminating.  I think if you take medicine for a medical condition they can't hold that against you legally.  

[sadinmichigan]

whichever way you go we are here for you..I surely hope you cut the dose down a bit even if you continue using. Especially if you have to go back in for any more surgeries etc..the pain meds eventually stop working and it will be hard to find relief from your pain. This is a great forum. I wish you well with your new job and tapering off your med..it is going to be hard which is why you really need to want it bad. Have you tried using clnodine for w/ds?? I hear alot of people are helped by that. I never knew about it or I would have tried it..anyway..take care..

[marcatj]

do you really WANT to quit?

i'm sensing you're not really sure.  it' late, so maybe i am reading it wrong...

[marcatj]

the monkey on the back is EVERYONE'S problem

going c/t, and getting clean, is the easy part.

staying clean is where the real work comes in.  and you need to have a plan... or it's c/t over and over and over again.. always going back to the pills.

trust me... i know.  many of us do.

good luck, buddy... if there's really a will, there IS a way... that's for sure.  but it doesn't usually happen (staying clean) without some sort of plan...

[joann1975]

I know it will be rough...but in the grand scheme of life...it's so worth it. I am not going to sugarcoat this...but on your dose I think it could be really rough so if you have the willpower to taper at least enough to cut your dose in half that would really help!

I tapered from my hydrocodone habit which was an average of 20-25 pills per day...which is 150mg to 187mgs per day. So honestly wds weren't as helllish for me. I would have bit the bullet and CT and got it over with however, not an option when you are chasing a toddler and working part time.

It's do-able...we are all here for you!

[CTdudeofSOBE]

i have- this is a great forum- wondering how my next week will go- CT will be fun

[joann1975]

Ok...I had heard of adderall and I knew / thought it was for ADHD....but I just didn't know much about it or how it could help in this type of situation.

I can see where you would crash on that though for sure!

Learn something new everyday.

I really hope you stick around this forum is great... hope you have checked out the health pages!

JoAnn

[CTdudeofSOBE]

adderall is a form of amphetamine - it connects to the same receptors that opiates connect to- you will get the same physical withdrawals (diarrhea,etc) but mentally you are fine

1 week on addys would do wonders- problem is you can get hooked on them , can lose weight, and will affect your sleep at night. plus when you crash- you crash

[joann1975]

I am just curious b/c I've never heard of it... how does adderall help with wds? I am sure others have done it or talked about it...I just didn't know how that worked...just a curiousity question.

I know you will get clean...it's the best decision for you and I can tell you know that!

[CTdudeofSOBE]

im not saying it will be a picnic- and i took the adderall for 2 days (i hate the stuff) just saying the high quanity is recent- i think it would be alot worse if i was on 300 for 1 year

also- im looking to pass the drug test- then back to tapering- i figure will go down to 90 then 60 then 30, 15 and then done

i need to function on a new job at the same time getting clean- it wont be easy- i know that- i really know that

and btw- i have done CT before- the problem i had was not the W/Ds but the monkey on the back- but that is when i was on 60/mg a day- obviously this will be much harder

[joann1975]

I have to agree w/nursegirls's post 100%...it is time to quit making excuses and get clean! You may be a "functional addict" as was I. The point is we are still addicts. It is not good for our bodies to be filling them with opiates...the long term damage that does... will affect you more and more. Frankly none of us had the luxury of waiting until all was fine...we had to get clean when we had to get clean! I am not saying this in a judgemental way b/c I too am an addict... but you say you were clean 11 days so you know you can handle this...how come you stopped after the 11th day? Again, I am an addict as well...it was not easy for me to get clean. It's not easy for ANY of us to regardless of our age, career, lifestyle, race, income etc...

I wish you the best of luck!

[nursegirl6572]

Don't take this wrong....I'm just being 100% honest here...

You are just making a bunch of excuses.  

So you were clean for 11 days...that's great...but you also were using adderall to do that.  It is SOMETHING, but not total recovery....I think you may be shocked at just how hard it is going to be.  You cannot really loo back on that 11 days as a comparison to what a hard taper or CT will be like.

Late 40's?  That isn't "old"...and plus, the longer you put off the inevitable...the harder it will be.  Next time, you will say..."I'm in my early 50's......"

A lot of people are "functional" addicts....but eventually...you need to make the choice to take the plunge.  Sounds like it is important to you.  Your taper schedule is going to be rough...just prepare for it.  Set goals for yourself...but make them reasonable.  Thinking you are going to start your new job clean and feeling good is not real reasonable.

When do you actually START the job?  You may be well on your way by then...but your habit is quite significant....so it will be rocky.

Lean on the great people here...there is such a wealth of info and support on this forum.

No more excuses...it's go time, right?  It's going to suck....but the beauty of it is...it will only suck for a short time...and then you have your whole life ahead of you....sober.

Best of luck!

[CTdudeofSOBE]

marc- it is true you dont think that clearly on opiates but i passed the brokerage test when i was quite buzzed. The series 7 is a 7 1/2 hour test and i didnt have that much time to prepare. i guess i am a very functional addict

joann- i totally understand what you are saying, however being in my late 40's i dont have the luxury of waiting until all is fine.  as i told marc, i am a very functional addict. im not saying that as something to be proud of- it is what it is

on the positive side i was clean for 11 days less than 1 month ago so i know i can handle it. i was taking adderall then and obviously cant take it now

[joann1975]

I agree that getting clean is the priority over everything. I understand the importance of the job...I really do. However, if you got it and you were in the process of getting clean still and not 100% yourself and (GodForbid...not wishing bad luck at all) you lost the job that would be worse for your resume...you know what I mean?

I say make a plan which it sounds like you are doing on the taper and set a "Quit Date" and that will be your last day! I looked so forward to mine when I was tapering.

Also, on the right side of the screen there are health pages. Please check those out!! Read the Thomas Recipe and definetly the Amino Acid Protocol. I know alot of people on here swear by the stuff and I am a huge advocate of using the vitamins & supplements as well. The drugs we were abusing robbed our bodies of SO much and the vit & supps can help rebuild that! Also, it will help with energy etc...

You can & will beat this!

Keep posting.......this is a great place to be for information, support & friendships!

JoAnn

[marcatj]

listen, that job is going to take alot.

on that amount, i think you want to get clean, anyway, because there's no way you can think as clearly as you normally would taking all that stuff.

i would worry more about getting totally clean, period.  not just the test.

it's going to be hard to be on your game with an addled mind.

please put your attention to getting totally clean.. it will help.  it's tough to go from abusing back to "prescribed doses."  and from your post, i'm gathering you're not in a whole lot of pain anymore...

put your attention to getting CLEAN.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Good luck to you! Keep posting through that. We are here for you.

[CTdudeofSOBE]

tomorrow i will be going down to 200 and on tuesday to 150 till friday. then 100 for the weekend then off. it wont be pleasant but i gotta do what i gotta do

[CTdudeofSOBE]

i totally agree the dose is huge and not healthy and i want to be clean. Having said that, a drug test for a job i want is great motivation to get clean. coming down off of 300 will not be easy. Going cold turkey would be a horror. I have taken adderall the last time i was looking to get clean for the withdrawals and for the most part it helped.  obviously i don't have that option now.  

as for the script, i had major surgery 5 1/2 weeks ago and will need another MRI - so there are issues. did i get out of control, the answer is yes and i blame nobody but myself

[worried878]

that is a high dose of oxy...if u have a scip for narcotics i would not worry....i would worry about taking 300 mg a day tho...be safe

[GoingToMakeIt]

JoAnn, very well put!

CTdude. this is a great place to get yourself help on getting and staying clean. I wish you well inyour road to recovery. Good luck on the job, too.

[avisg]

JO ANN ,makes some really good points here. We are here to help others get and stay clean .I trully hope that this is what you choose to do as you said you have a great new job to look forward too. Think how great it would be if you went into it clean .Good luck
avis

[joann1975]

I would like to explain that this forum is to help you quit abusing substances. I understand you need to pass the test for a job and you feel like they would look down on you if this stuff is in your system and still RX'd. I don't think they get a full report of what you are taking that is RX'd and if it's RX'd legally you should not be that concerned about it.

However, we are are here to help you GET CLEAN. That is what this forum is for...not just getting clean long enough for a drug test or getting around a drug test. Which it sounds to me like it would not be a bad idea in your situation. (i'm not judging in any way...i was on a very high dose of hydrocodone myself before getting clean...it was the best thing I've ever done)

I hope that you are wanting to get clean for good. That would be wonderful and this forum is a great place to assist you in doing so!

Good Luck to you and I hope you make the right decision!

JoAnn