question about hydrocodone (Lorcet) dependance/ WD... in Withdrawal now and worried...

Hey everyone! I posted on here on and off last year... My nickname is a little different now though... Had to make a new account... I think my old one was sweetieneedshelp... My situation:I have scoliosis from a car accident and experience a lot of pain. I'm in some amount of pain most days. I am perscribed hydrocodone (generic Lorcet 10/650, 3-4 a day... sometimes I take more, sometimes less...) and Soma's. I do fine w/ the Soma's... I rarely need to take one... But hydro's-that's the problem. They work well for the pain and I can still function when I take them (all other pain killers make me so loopy I can not function) but over the years I've become physically dependent. I hate it. I ran out of my last scrip and I am currently in withdrawal (Did a VERY short taper- only a few days...). I feel like crap (even though the WD is getting better as of right now). I am sick of these darn pills. I know I will need them again in the (probably very short) future. My #1 question is: Anyone know how long I have to stay off them until I'll be able to take them (just one here and there like I used to) without having to deal with going through withdrawal when they wear off?

Oh and is there anything else I can do for the diarrhea beside immodium? My last hydro I think was a tiny piece Wed morning and I still can't eat without running to the bathroom shortly after. I need to work this coming week, so if it doesn't get better I'm going to be tempted to take a hydro Mon when I get my refill...

I'd like to stay off them for a bit until I can get back to not being dependent (if possible)... they make me really really moody...

I posted this same question in back pain section but I am thinking I'll get better/faster answers here...
I used to think I may be an addict (because of the withdrawal, moodiness...), but I'm not. I am physically dependent right now...

[Regretful239]

I just wanna say taking one here and there usually doesn't work. I tried that and taking that one turned back into a full blown addiction. After I took 1 I kept thinking I wanted more, but I wouldn't get hooked, I would be careful - it doesn't work. You may just think you're physically dependent right now, but wait until the physical part wears off then you'll realize how mental it is.

[sweetieneedshelp2]

Ug. Hopefully not in my case since I do need them... I don't like the way they make me feel most of the time, so when I stop taking them I feel happier even though my body says it wants more...

[abritt121222]

im not sure how long that would take but i know that i quit taking any pain pills for 2 months and for some stupid reason i relapsed and took them for about a 5 days and i was only taking about 4 of them a day when before i was taking upwards of 25 tabs unless i could get roxys and i would take alot of that but neways after being clean 2 months all withdrawals gone i relapsed for about a week and was taking about 4 tabs a day and when i was like what am i doing again i did have withdrawals again not near as bad but i did have withdrawals and they were still bad but nothing compared to when i came off of the huge amount i was taking before i know this is not what you want to hear but and dont take this the wrong way at all you cant expect to take something for so long and then expect your body to heal from all of the narcotics in a couple weeks it just wont happen and also i know you have pain and u say you need pain meds for them but if u did get clean i bet you would be suprised at how much less you hurt and that just plain old motrin or tylenol would help most of the pain because after being on narcotics for a while and you become dependent your mind will actually make your body hurt more and more just so you will take the meds i have back problems to and have had surgery to fix it and i hurt so bad that i took pain meds and as soon as i got clean and thru the withdrawals i was amazed at how much less the pain was and that taking motrin would take care of the pain
the brain is a very powerful thing and when it wants something it will do whatever it needs to get it i know that might sound crazy but i swear to you it is the truth  

[happynessbythekilowatt]

Yeah that might sound crazy but, these things put you in more pain than you really are and make you believe that you need them. It is all mental and it ***** I know, but I've learned that ibuprofen 800 works wonders for me for any pain. I remember when I started taking them, I started having horrible teeth pain months down the road, it was ungodly and I didn't know that it was the pills doing it to me. Sure enough when i slowed my role it eventually went away and ibuprofen worked.

[sweetieneedshelp2]

Yeah, that's not what I want to hear. It stinks. My job is very physical and that makes everything worse... I don't have the option to change that until I finish college... I'm 30 and single so it's all up to me to pay my bills... I have to work there...
On top of the back problems I have several other issues as well... I think I may have endometriosis. I can't go to the doctor for it to get it checked out because I'm uninsured and it won't be covered when I do get insurance if I go now... It can be completely debilitating for up to 1 1/2 weeks every month. I'm getting insurance through my college in July... so I guess I'm just going to have to deal w the fact that I'm going to need the pain killers in order to be able to work until I can get the health insurance and get the endometriosis part figured out...
I just don't want to go through this withdrawal that I am experiencing right now ever again. It just *****! I didn't taper off slowly enough from what I've been researching... Maybe that'll help in the future? I just wish the answers were simpler! But I guess that's the way it goes...

[abritt121222]

i would just stay off of them if i was you and it will get better i promise i did the same thing and said i guess i will have to be ok with being on pain meds to goto work and that was a bad idea i understand your job is physical but mine is to and actually going to job that is physical will make the withdrawals go away faster and the pain will get better every day you are off the meds i was doing construction work while i was withdrawling and the work i was doing was on a hotel so i was walking up and down 7 flights of stairs god only knows how many times a day and i made it and wished that i didnt have that midset of well ill just have to take pain meds til i can get it figured out 5 months ago cause that was the worst thing that i could have done i promise you the pain is not as bad as your mind is making you think it is your mind is just making you hurt that much more to get you to have that mindset that you need the pain meds when you really dont i mean ppl in the 1800s didnt have pain meds and the physical work we do today is NOTHING compared to what they did and they made it(i know that sounds dumb but think about it for a minute) but if u already have your mind made up im sure i am not gonna be able to change it but i wish i could because it would make it so much easier on you
but good luck with it

[sweetieneedshelp2]

I would/will just stay off them if I can handle the cramps / possible endometriosis... The back pain *****, but it's only debilitating on average twice a year to the point where I'd need to stay home.
I do not have my mind made up right now. It's driving me crazy that I can't decide. I'd like to try to make a decision and stick to it. I feel like if I don't than the pain is going to make up my mind for me...
Should I not worry about deciding and just take one day at a time?
I just don't know...

[abritt121222]

well to be completely honest the biggest part of getting cleaning is absolutely knowing you want to you have to REALLY WANT TO get clean or you will never do it that is the biggest thing about detox there is all kinds of things that will help with withdrawals and all of that but the BIGGEST thing of all is YOU you are the one that is going to control if you fail or not and if you dont really want to quit then like i said it wont happen

[sweetieneedshelp2]

Well I know i want to. But I don't know if I can deal with the pain...

[sweetieneedshelp2]

I've been feeling like poo, still going through wd... doing some research on the internet to help me figure everything out... The more I think about everything the more I want to stay clean. It's just going to be hard when I'm laying and bed and I can't move from the pain and I know that...
I really want to do it though!
I want to make it.
I read something that said that every time you go through withdrawal it gets worse. This has been so bad I can't imagine putting myself in a posission where it's going to be worse... I guess that is what I need to think about when I am in pain... That the pain is not as bad as withdrawal. And I think that FEAR of pain can be worse than the actual pain and the fear can take over.
Thank you for the imput and please wish me -strength (I typed luck then deleted that and put strength... It's not gonna be luck that pulls me through!)

[pharma9]

ABritt is so right about the rebound pain that opiates cause.You may find that ibuprofen and /or tylenol in recommended doses will be adequate for your pain.
Ibuprofen and other antiinflammatatories are the drugs of choice for endometriosis and also good for other pain.They do not cause the amount of rebound pain that opiates do.
I gave up opiates 7 months ago and find that ibuprofen and tylenol work just fine.
The problem with ibuprofen is the stomach,but if you take a prilosec it helps protect the stomach.
I actually have less pain now than when I was taking opiates.Even my muscles hurt to touch when I took opiates,but they do not now.

[sweetieneedshelp2]

Thank you so much for your post! It gives me some hope. Maybe it won't be as bad as I fear it will. Sometimes fear is worse than anything else... more powerful than anything... My body tells me that I am in pain and I need to do something to stop it right away... at all costs... but in the long run whatever that leads to is not always better for me...
I feel better today. Every day I'm feeling better. It's kinda like a light had been turned on emotionally... I'm very moody, but I feel more happy and peaceful as well. Withdrawal is such a strange thing! I've been finding myself smiling. Something I haven't been doing very often... and it feels really really good. I am trying to focus on that instead of the physical ick I'm still feeling.
Anyhow, thanks again! :-)
And Happy Easter everyone!

[WhyNow245]

I greatly apperciate your post along with everyone else's. Today is day 1 for me and it is nice to know there are people out there with this same problem. I have been taking Vicoprofen and Loritab and any thing else I can get my hands on increasingly for the last 2 years. I was up to 15 pills a day and have tried to taper off because I knew the script was coming to an end. I am scared, sweaty, moody and have a crazy headache. I am going to try and take everyone's advice and try to stay as posiitve as I can. I feel like a rush of emotions are over coming me. Emotions that the pills, I guess, kept me from feeling for all this time. I do have a real physical problem that need pain meds but I have to learn to deal with the pain. This blog has been very helpful. So thank you everyone and I hope I can stay strong. Happy Easter

[sweetieneedshelp2]

Hey :-)  welcome to the community! I totally understand what you are going through! I wasn't taking as much as you but I also have the physical issues to deal w/ as you have read. So I really do understand.

I 100% recomend trying to distract yourself! I've been having rushes of emotions as well and it really makes me feel better physically when I can get my mind off racing thoughts. I've been playing games aps on my phone, coloring in a coloring book (I know it sounds silly, but it helped), posting on here... The thing that has been most helpful for me: when I felt so bad I just didn't want to do anything, I just layed in bed and played bejewled on my phone. It was just enought to keep my mind occupied, it felt kinda medetative (sp?). I know that probably sounds wierd... but it was enough to keep my mind occupied and relaxed at the same time.

You can worry about whatever drama you have to worry about AFTER you get through this part. Dwelling in all those negative thought that come rushing to the surface will only make you feel worse and will make you feel like you just can't do this. But YOU CAN! Your gonna live through it!

My Dad used to always say stuff like that to me when I was a kid, "Your gonna live, it'll be okay" ... And thinking that over and over has really helped me. I've been thinking: "okay, this stinks, but it's not going to last forever... I'm gonna live through it!" AND "life on the other side will be better!"

There is a lot of good information on here and honestly some not so good information. To the right of this screen is a section "Most viewed health pages" click on "see all health pages"... Some of that stuff helped me. People that reply on here are just mostly like you and I, so it's not a doctor's advice...

I was sooooo surprised to see how many people deal with this issue! You are not alone! I suggest starting your own thread when you have a question. (Go to the top of this screen and click on "Back to forum" next to the post a question button. Read the first two posts on that page about posting. then click on the post a question button on that page). You get pretty quick resposes on here. Even in the middle of the night. Post as much as you need to. There are people that are here to help and really care about you. Even though I don't know you I care and I know that you can do this!

Are you planning on stopping for good?

[WhyNow245]

Thank you for responding to me! Yes, I do plan on quitting for good. Key word is plan. I have read on several post that your body will cause you more of the pain you once started the pills for because of the addiction. I hate to say this but I would probably take a handfull if I had any. I am married and my husband is some what supportive but he doesn't understand completely. I have to go to work tomorrow and am praying that I can make it through the day. I just feel like something I have this hunger that I can't quinch. I am very weak and just want this to be over. I have never had a problem with addiction before this and it is hard to come to grips with the fact that I let myself get this far. I just took a hot shower and that helped for a minute or two. My problem also is I assosiate food with pills. I would always take 2 or 3 everytime I eat. So now I don't want to eat. I am too weak to exercise yet. I feel like I have all this energy that I'm not used to but can't get up to do anything. I am very happy that I found this website and can see that I am not alone in this.

How long before you got over the feeling in your chest that something is missing? Thank you again for the advise and for the encouragement!! I need all I can get. I have never felt so weak minded in my life and do not want to go through this again!! After 2 years, how do you just stop doing something so much apart of your life?

[pharma9]

That feeling that something is missing is hard to suppress.Are you taking vitamins and nutrients to help you along?
I suggest taking b12 tablets or vitamin c tablets whenever you have a compulsion to take something and soon it will pass.
Drink lots of fluids or gatorade so you won't be dehydrated.
keep posting and you will do fine

[WhyNow245]

Thanks for the tip. No I haven't been taking vitamins but I will go get some if it will help. I am nervous that I have to keep going with regular life as if I don't have a problem. But posting is helping me with letting out the feelings and anger. So thank you and good luck to everyone!

[pharma9]

The Thomas recipe states the vitamins and minerals that help nourish the brain and nervous system.definitely get those and some whey protein to help produce the brain chemicals that are depleted due to the opiates.
If you scroll to the top right of this page you will find health pages or to the bottom right you will find Thomas recipe and amino acid protocol.
I still take the vitamins even now..and if you are tapering they are important esp b12

[sweetieneedshelp2]

I completely agree that you should take something else in place of your previous meds. It will be a good habbit to develop in place of the meds. You should take advil anyways. You can even do 4 advil every 6 hours and 4 tylenol every six hours with three hours in between. So if you take 2-4 advil at noon, you'd then take 2-4 tylenol at 3pm, advil at six, tylenol at nine. Write down what you take because you'll be kinda out of it and you'll forget. I am not doing vitamins right now, but I normally take them every day. I tried them and they made my stomach even more sick. If your stomach isn't too bad yet and you can handle it I'd take a double dose of vitamins now, then continue to take them if you can...

The panic feeling was the first thing to subside for me. After that I got into the: I don't want to even move, but I'm soo restless I'm flipping all over my bed and I just want to cry... phase.
I'd never be able to work through that part, but some people on here have done it so it's not an impossibility.

If you feel up to it now, or if someone can go for you, you need to get some stuff from the store.

Sudafed ( for during the day if you get nasal congestion w/ your withdrawal, If you feel like your heart is beating like crazy skip this med).

Tylenol and advil brand name liqui gels

Immodium AD, again brand name

Rolaids soft chews multi symptom version, or Tums but Rolaids are better

Pepto Max multi symptom

Pedialyte Tastes a little icky, but works wonders, better than gatoraid

Gatoraid too in case you hate the pedialyte

Bottled water (if you don't like tap...)

white rice (I did Uncle Bens Original microwave rice and justed addes a tini bit of butter salt and pepper, get plain original rice-that's important, I did the 90 sec. microwave one so I didn't have to stand over the stove if I didn't feel up to it...) Get enought that if you decide that's all you want to eat for the next 8 days you'll have it on hand.

Flax Seed Oil Pills Do not take these yet. When your stomach is better than start. Read the label on the back to see how much to take as they are all different. Start w the minimum dose then slowly bump it up to the max if you can. This flax seed stuff can cause diarreah (diarrhea) so that's why you want to wait. But it is amazing for anxiety and depreesion. I read a study that said it is equally effective as Prozac!

Whipes/ wet toilet paper thingies... I like Cottonelle tp w/ aloe that really helps a lot w/ whipes (I know I know it's grose to talk about)

I read that some people switch to clinical strength deodorant for sweating.

Multi Vitamins (take them as/if you can, if you can't now start when your tummy is better. Try to get a vitamin that is made up of actual plants like Berry Garden Gummies (Publix) and / or Nature's Plus Source of Life Multi Vitamin & Mineral with whole food concentrates (GNC)

Echinacea (take this when your stomach is feeling better according to the instructions on the label, this will help you not get sick (like an actual cold, flu...) for a while after you go through this. Going through withdrawal lowers your immune system for a while and this will help boost it.

Vitamin C

Also there is a B that is important as someone noted above. It's also noted on the health pages...

It's ok to take extra vitamins than you normally do/will for the first week


Gingerale

Red Bull (for in the mornings only, some people don't recomend it, but it worked for me).

Benadryl, simply sleep or some type of non habit forming sleep aid (even if it doesn't work well enough to help you fall asleep at night it'll still help you be in a more restful state, take only at night of coarse).

A heating pad (you can even do a heated blanket if you have the money). This will sooth your muscles and your spirit.

Take the above list and read through the amino acid protocol, thomas recipie and take what you want from each.

I hope that helps :-)

[sweetieneedshelp2]

Oh btw, I just took some pepto max, ate some white rice, drank some pedialyte and wow, that made a huge difference! I really thought all the advice was just to make you think you feel better so I didn't follow everything at first. I thought to myself "come on, I need real medecine not vitamins and kids drinks..." but it really helped soooo much when I ate dinner!!!

[pharma9]

I agree with everything except the dose of tylenol .Advil 800mg every 4-6 hours max 2400/24hrs,tylenol 1000mg every 4 hrs max 4000mg/24 hrs.Keep track of these and do not go past the max dose.You can take prilosec to help protect the stomach from the high advil dose.
Theswe doses got me through my rebound pain and I kept them up for about a week,then the pain lessened and I decreased my doses.

[WhyNow245]

Thank you guys. I made it through day 2 and it has definately been a roller coaster ride. I am feeling alot of muscle tightness but know it is because of the situation I'm in. It is nice to know there are people out there to help. I am doing my best to follow the regiment as closely as possible. I guess I am lucky so far because I have not had very much trouble with upset stomach. But I am not eating either so that might be why. I found that the hunger feeling kinda takes away the other feelings in my chest. Anyways, thank you again and I will keep looking for inspirational posts. This experience has been a huge wake up call!