"taper schedule" vs. "real taper" (ie: what a joke)

[3grlz'mom]

Okay, anyone remember my schedule I worked on for, like, ten man-hours with the quadratic formula and all so this would be easy?  Okay, so I had 118 pills and it is going like this:  Day 1 - 8, Day 2 - 8, Day 3 - 8, Day 4 - 8 (okay, here's where I get serious about the taper, now)  Day 5:  8 and a half,  Day 6:  9.  (That's some kinda' taper.  Aren't you proud of the strength of my will?)  Okay, onward - Day 7 - 8 and a half (ooh! progress)  Day 8 - 8, Day 9 - 6 (don't let me fool you...)  Day 10 - 8 and a half, Day 11 - 10  (I have no idea what happened here - I Never take 10.)  Day 11 - 8.   Mind you, this whole time my pain is gone, obviously (4 does the trick for that, however I am crying like a baby - depressed like I am dying except for 20 minutes only after the 20 minutes after each pill, taken erratically, sometimes just because I happen to catch a glimpse of the brown bottle in my purse...  (ie: NOT LIKE THE EXTRA DOSES ARE HELPING ME FEEL BETTER OR ANYTHING - so it is truly insane and useless taking this poison I realize...)  So, at this point I have 29 and a half pills left.  Sunday I take my 13 year old to see "Juno" and must explain the facts of life to her beforehand,  I feel like I have just ruined her life.  That day (Day 12)  - 9 and a half.  Now I have 20 and my taper has helped me actually increase my average actual daily dosage.  This sounds like a bad diet.  Okee dokee, at least I have a nice, even number to "taper" with now.  Ha!  Did I just say "taper"?  I shouldn't be allowed to say that word.  I have broken all of my pills in half, and this maybe makes me feel better.  Really not.  I had 40 halves.  BUT (here's a shock - )  Yesterday, I only took six halves!!!!!!!!!  (3 pills) Today, I have taken only three halves so far!!!!!!!!!!!!  My back is killing me (my injury) but should I just c/t now - can these 35 half pills help me or am I just delaying the inevitable?  Am I a joke or what?  Tell me what to do, someone!!  My half pills are mocking me!!!!  Thanks, all!!

[cm72]

I hope this helps, i really do, but i went CT i waited until i ran out, i even splurged a few times to get "rid" of them faster because i tried this before, trust me, as long as you know you have a half one, a whole one or 10 and you will know it, and it will eat at you, so my advice is one:finish them, or 2 take a leap of faith and Flush them get them out of there period.

Next everyone is different but i ran out at noon, i was fine that whole day then Saturday came and i had a routine, get out of bed, head to Bathroom take care of business, 2nd head to the refrigerator to get a Pepsi, 3rd head to my computer desk and light a cigarette, take a drag or two and finally 4th get my crusher out and crush me up one and snort it take a drink of Pepsi, and finish my cigarette i was up to 15+ a day Loritab 10/650 all together if you counted what i got and what the wife got for me and what i got "off the street" 300+ a month

Anyway back to point, That next day that one "little" part of my routine was missing, and i was sorta OK but withing 2 hours i was going thru H ell i found a list of common side effect that a lot go thru, First and one i hated the most Yawning you will yawn your head off (again day4 and i am still yawning) did it till i get a headache, next your nose will run like you turned on a water faucet i went thru 3 boxes of Kleenexes and now that is tapering off, Diarrhea hoooooooooo this is a BIG one buy up some imodium AED you will need it and it will be a great help. Anxious will come and you can get irritable so find something to do to get your mind off it, but as i said get rid of them, this tapering stuff might work for some but all it did for me was prolong the inevitable because i was going thru W/D the whole time any way here is a idea: Pin a calender up above your computer on the wall, if today is the day you run out, then wait till tomorrow and put a X on that day and look for day 4-5 and keep your eye on that calender and the rewards.

If you can read my journals i have amazed myself at what i went thru and made it, you see i have heart problems (i am 35 had open heart surgery at 33) on heart meds, and lungs are ALL sc rewed up i am now on oxygen as needed thru the day ( when i get winded) and all night long, So here is my point if i can do it, ANYONE can so can you i have faith in you and good luck add me as a friend if you like and i will let you know what to expect as i experience them myself.

[worried878]

It definitely made me laugh as well but i know it is not funny...I was the taper tyrant...I was awful at it....lol....but I made it...just may need to change your method and give ur pills to someone to dole out or just CT and get it done....I really felt pitiful driving to my friends house each night to pick up pills because I was too irresponsible to do it myself...very lowering for me...but I still found a way to cheat) worked as it did lower my dose somewhat...I have a masters degree and can not count pills each day..something is wrong with that picture

[GoingToMakeIt]

I had to laugh when i read the taper plan increasing. Oh how it reminded me of my situation. Had a Dr to help me taper, great. Now I had his pills and of course the other Dr kept right on refilling. Now I had twice as much to taper with! This is why cold turkey is for some.

[lucyred68]

i tapered down and off.  it was relatively easy because i had a two week med container.  i scheduled them out per day, and if i took too many in that day, i made myself do with out till the next day came along.  i tapered down by 1/2 pill every three days.  it worked and the wd symptoms were relatively few.  good luck.

Lucy

[cathy5841]

sweetie, i bet if you quit you will find the pain is not as as bad as when you take the norcos. i know that sounds crazy but, it is true.  ask any of the ppl that take these things for pain, they will tell you.  so, to prove it  stop and see.  i think youare useing that as a crutch to justify using.  it is not a good one.  lol  please do not be offended,  just try it.

[3grlz'mom]

Thanks all for your comments - I hoped there would be people who could relate - I have to laugh about it sometimes to lighten thise thing up a bit - plus it is so easy to laugh at my sorry self and the way I do things.... to NaughtyOne - Ummm, I guess I don't know what I am trying to say either - yes, I think I am addicted, yes I guess I am chasing a high and maybe if I didn't smash em up I was thinking I was a little better off or closer to recovery than I could be....yes, 10 is a lot - it stinks...but sometimes I feel better when I think at least it isn't 20...could be worse(?) no, doesn't make it right...but I have a real hard time finding "the good"these days......umm, yes I have posted here since last fall when I first tried to stop and figured out what w/d was....been here off and on lots since...I would love to stop completely and hate sounding ambiguous but I have pain every day that Norco helps and it is a real "rock and a hard place."  Soooo, right now I am trying to see if I can quit again and attack the pain some other way.    Again.  Sigh.  Thanks for taking the time to respond.....

[toxictome]

YOU had me cracking up....GREAT STORY(sorry).....i tapered and it worked...but the months leading up to my taper went like that...I used to take about 8-10 day...but by the time i was "ready " to do a "real taper'" I was down to 4 /day...and i stuck to it...do what you think willl work best for you.....all I know is taper was better than going ct...only becuz peoples stories convinced me of that...i wanted the easier, softer way!!!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!     Good Luck!!     Keep posting!!!

[cathy5841]

the decision ultimately is yours....the goal is to be free of the drugs at all cost.  i think you know by now tapering is hard.  and you are about outta pills.  good luck and let us know which way you are going.  we will support you.  another key is to post regularly....it really helps
cathy

[BornTwoRiff]

c/t is faster but I think in the long run it takes longer to get over,, I think if you taper it allows your body to heal along the way and not so much of a shock,, I do agree that some just cant taper.. I understand that.. I also understand there is no way to c/t offf this patch and live to tell about it.. lol

[worried878]

Tapering is hard...made me feel really weak and made me think about them all the time...I can believe you increased your dose!  LOL..I finally had to give mine to someone to dole out to me....I was really happy when it came time to take off work for a few and quit...tired of it by then...I would CT...tapering is hard and not great for everyone

[BornTwoRiff]

stay on the taper,, if you will just come off so any and stay there for a week or so,, it will give your body time to adjust,, I am down from duragesi 100 to 25 and jst dropped 12.5 off at drug store.. She said there was not 12.5 but the scrip says 12.5 ?? anywa,y .. little tough at drop but gets better within 4 days.. I have no idea what 12.5 to taper off will be like.. I proballly will streght them 3days to 4 days as my body adjust..

[cathy5841]

i agree with mary, ithink you would fair better to jump of the roller coaster.  it only last about a week for the physical side and you are done.

[allaboutmary]

I can so relate to your taper plan. You had me laughing my *** off reading this. It was exactley like my taper.    I think the addicts brain says....oh **** she gonna cut me off.....take more. lol   I have the same problem with cigarettes.  I smoke more when I'm thinking about quitting.  Cold turkey will probably work better for you. Don't give up !  Keep trying somehow to get clean.  Hugs   Mary

[NautyOne]

I don't like comment on the hows and why people abuse them by taking them other than by mouth.  The only thing I can say is there is obviously a reason for other methods of administering the drug other than the way the doc's prescribe.  All i can say is don't take them for a few day and tell me how you feel.  It sounds to me that you are trying to say that you really don't have a problem?  If you take ten in a day thats 1 pill and quite frequently i imagine and even at 8 a day thats still a high amount.  You said when you take them you feel "out of pain" & thats fine.  The better mood is the fine line of the chasing the high.  so I would say yes on chasing the high.  I'm just a little confused on what your trying to say i guess.  do you want to stop taking them?  Do you consider yourself and addicted?

I have seen you around for a while on other message boards.  Can you elaborate on what exactly you are trying to do?  Sorry, I'm just a little confused ......

Nauty...........

[CR_ST_NA]

OMG.... that is the funnies thing i have read all day. only because it sounds just like my kind of thinking. i would keep taking your 4-6 per day. if it were me. just wanted to say, you can do this c/t thing also if you are serious about it. you will be in my prayers... cr_st_na

[3grlz'mom]

By saying "training your brain" what do you mean?  I suppose I never was chasing a high, because I rarely took more than one at a time - maybe one and a half and I would always feel better (out of pain, better mood) in 20 minutes.  Is that chasing a high?  I never crushed one up or chewed one.....BTW ......what does that do?  If you chew a Norco, and how on earth do you snort it?  Just smash it with a hammer first?  Sorry, I am such a moron....When you snort it, does it work faster than 20 minutes or is it a whole different thing?

[NautyOne]

Keep taking the halves.  Your not getting high and training your brain.  Your not only breaking the physical cycle, but the mental too, as long as you don't go backwards.  that is pretty much the way I did it, and ended up just stopping because I didn't shock my system.  It really does work if your dedicated and not chasing  a high.  Just don't drag it out too long......You should know when your ready to say NO MORE.

Good luck,
Nauty..................

[cathy5841]

just go c/t...dont fel bad i could not taper either.  it takes a much stronger person than me to do that.  it will be hard to c/t, but you dont have pills screaming "take me" to worry about.   it is amind thing.  get the ingredients for the thomas receipe, epsom salt bananas, and immodium and hunker down.  just get it done.  you can do it.  if i can i know you can....i snorted my pills....how sick is that?  we will help you.  just let us know when you are doing it!

[mimi1313]

maybe at this point it would be best to just stop. You really sound like a lot of this is mental cravings. You're body is not going to feel better after 20 minutes of taking a pill but your mind does. Maybe the best(and hard) thing to do is just flush them

Good luck!!