withdrawal from Norco 10/325

[Schatzie92675]

I am new to the board and quite scared right now.  

I have been on a progression of pain meds for the past 6 or so months...started at vicodin and progressed through vicoprofen, percoset and now Norco.  These were legitimately prescribed for lumbar disc disease.  I recently had a nerve block done and it was successful.  I stopped taking the meds and went into withdrawal.  so, I started taking them again.  I have tried to taper and I guess I didn't realize how mentally attached I was to the pills because I am not able to stick to the taper schedule.  It doesn't help that I have a partial (grade I) tear of my MCL.  Now, advil is working fine for the MCL pain, but mentally I keep going back to the Norco, mostly out of fear of the withdrawal.  I even tried giving the pills to my husband with a schedule, but he knows how horrible I felt and bent from the schedule to comfort me.

[Jay1129]

How do you guys sleep? I have not taken any for a couple of days and I can not sleep. My body feels like it can't relax but I am also too sick to do anything.

[gageboy43]

There is no magic pill or solution quitting opioid. Cold turkey means nothing, no tapering. If you really want to quit then do it. Take a week off work, if you have friends give them your car keys, make sure there is nothing you can take in the house and try to have someone with you during this. Believe me i know. Gone thru this many times but the worst by far was methadone. Cold turkey off 300mgs a day. Ya, it was horrible. I know what dying feels like. My girlfriend was with me and had to talk me out of cutting my wrist after 3 days of hell. I was not trying to get something i really wanted to die. Im coming off 10/325 norco at the moment. Was taking 20 a day. 120 in 6 days. Been taking them for 8 months now. Hydro is uncomfortable to cold turkey off of but it's nothing compared to methadone. If you are taking hydro you will feel bad for a while but be normal after a couple of weeks. If you think you are gonna loose control stop and think, it's not as bad as your mind tells you it is, OK?

[IBKleen]

Hi dnpe & Welcome,

This post is several years old and may get over-looked. Please go to the to of this page and hit the green "Post A Question" button. Follow the instructions to create your own thread. That way the members can respond to just you and will help and support you through this. If you have any problems, just ask and someone will help you.

Hope to see you in the forum.

[Dnpe]

Does anyone advice on going cold turkey? I am on day two without taking Norco. I am vomiting, can't eat, forget about sleep, weaker than a 90 year old woman and I'm only 24. Please help! I'm losing my mind. I also live in az and don't have medical insurance anymore.....

[otp2000]

I have been on Norco for nearly two years to control the pain of an anterior spinal fusion with a corpectomy(removal) of my t-9.  I could not function daily life due to the lazy feeling and depression, not to mention the cloudy thinking.  I want to reasure you all that if you want to quit, what I did was tapered down just a little, my body got used to halfing a pill in almost a day.  Then take my advise, not someone who's gonna spook you, that You can do it! I had hardly any withdrawl symptoms, other than a little anxiety and sneezing(10 times that day).  To help the anxiety on the first day, just keep busy. Its as simple as that.  I feel so much better its unreal.  I was prescribed anti-depressants for the side effects of the Norco, and finally decided that this was just a downward spiral I did'nt want to continue.  I have a four year old and a two, Im 27 years old, two businesses, If I can do it, trust me, you can too.  Little did I know I was only spooking myself into not quiting because of the fear of the withdrawl.  Its so worth it I will not turn back.  Its been a week and a half without any pain pills, and I feel like my old good self again, and that I have my soul back.  Please try it, it will be worth it and you'll get your confidense back that you've defeated the pill, not the other way around.  I wish before I prepped to take the plunge to quit, I read something like this to not make it so SCARY.. There was so many bad stories out there,There are good stories too, Im one of them.  from 16 Norco a day, I dropped it over a year and a half to 2 a day, and then cut those in half.  Trust me the "pain relief" is still there when you cut them in half.  AND, guess what, my body still has the same pain as if I were still taking the darn pills, NO DIFFERENCE! other than I can think clearer among other great things.  I was fooled into thinking I needed them...You'll be just fine.

[tommyargue123]

im am on day two and just sweating a bit i get a lil graggy and thats it i had back surgery for a herniated disc l5 s1 and 2 pars fracture(broken back) i am taking a detox support and l tyroisen and st johns wart and sum other vitamins they seem to be helping i have been on norcos for 2 years and had back surgery may 9th 2009 so yea i mean i was on ritalin for 14 years and stoped takin that cold turkey and never got sick so maybe sum people just dont have w/d's

[dirtyredd54]

I had a knee replacement in april 2009, been on Norco ever sinse. I am now trying to go c/t. I feel the same withdrawel signs as everyone on this forum. I was taking 2 7.5 every 4 to 6 hours. I tapered it down to 1 every 8 hours. Now I'm trying to do without. It's very hard. The worse is at night when I try to sleep. I am on Lorazepam for anxienty. I called my dr for info on c/t and the nurse said I shouldn't try this by myself. She will give me the name of a dr that specialize in withdrawls and set up an appointment. I should just take the meds only when needed. I will meet with this dr and see if it helps. I'm glad I found this site because this lets me know I'm not alone. lol

[mamma4ever]

i was on norco for three years. i have severe lower back pain and my sciatic nerve is pinched. today was my fifth day without but i just took one to ease the pain. no more in the house. my question is, from the one i took today, does that put me back to square one do i have to go through the withdrawals again as severe as what i had for four days?

[joeyb29]

does xanax help with the withdrawls??

[Firefaery1023]

Post a separate question hun, this post is really old, you will get more responses then.

[bethy724]

Thanks so much - I don't feel so alone.  I was on the Norco for 8 weeks but I've had so many medical procedures (bone marrow transplant for leukemia, ruptured eardrum, sinus surgery) I've been on something (tramadol, vicodine) for 2 years now.  I found an MD that recegonized I'm using pain meds for anxiety & possible depression & being treated for that w/ an anti depresend - it hasn't kicked in yet so I'm in limbo.  I will stop cold turkey - the past 2 nights have been horrible I can't imagine it being worse if I stop the one a day. What natural herbs will help?  I'm on estrogen becasue of my cancer & it helps w/ hot flashes.   I have to do this on my own & can't go to a treatment center - I can't miss work & I'm a single mom.   Again, thanks so much - I finally found a place where I can be honest.

[puranx]

my advice to you is to just stop, get it over with now, not later. Tapering is prolonging the envitable unless your really strong, which in this case most of us aren't lol...Wish you the best. If you need anyhelp just ask, i been through this before(not this bad anxiety wise but it to shall pass) and willing to help. Lots of good herbs and natural things that help some

[puranx]

Im on day 8 and its up and down. The physical stuff doesnt phase me, at this point its the anxiety and constant tight chest and doom feeling, also hopelessness. Passion flower, skull cap, 5htp, sam-e, st johns wart are all things im using to rebuild my chemicals and seratonin. Its helping me through it. Im trying not to use anything else not even my xanax, rozerem or ambien scripts I have. I use melatonin and those herbs.

Hows your anxiety getting at week 3 and week2?

[Sarah231]

it really depends on how long you were taking the pills.

the really bad stuff is in the first week.
medium bad the second week, and medium/low bad the third week.

this is MY experience and I'm in the 3rd week, so I'll give an update on the 4th week next week!

[bethy724]

How long are the withdrawls?  I was taking 6 Norco daily after surgery for a bone spur in my spine (incredable painful)  The MD that prescribed the drug was recently found dead in a warehouse (I think he was on drugs & thats why he prescrbed whatever I want) So back to my question - how long are the withdrawls?  I didn't quit c/t I'm taking 1 a day until the rx runs out but I'm having w/drawls.

[Schatzie92675]

I'm just not sure what to do.  I am afraid the doc who prescribed all this s**t to me isn't going to help me quit.  And, I will keep taking the pills to avoid the w/d.  My last dose was about 11 PM last night so it has been just over twelve hours and already the anxiety is so bad I can't stand it.  I don't know if I should take pills to stop the withdrawal or not.  I feel like I am going to go out of my mind.

[DJ73]

if the dr giving the pills wont help find another that will which is what i did my druggie dr didnt encourage me to stop just to switch to some other equally additive med so i found a dr with so symp. for my situation and a willingness to help me help my self.  stick with it and you will be thought the roughest in just a few days then the cravings go down and you start to go up a little at a time  

[minnie11]

Day four - be proud of yourself - that is really great! And from what I understand you the really hard days are almost behind you. Hang in there and good luck.
Minnie

[DJ73]

i feel your pain i am also one of those people that cannot have them around the pull toward just take them all and feel better is too much for me i have thrown away all except ativan for wd to sleep and i am on dday 4 without pills  it is very hard but i am beggining to see some light my headfeels better today chills are going away i just have the shakes real bad  hard to type

[minnie11]

Sounds just like me, I have also realized that I am mentally much more dependent on the pills than I thought and I have truoble staying on the taper schedule as well. I also think that it might be "easier" to try c/t in order not to have pills around and loose the determination. I am arranging to take a couple of days off in the beginning of April because all the people in this forum who have gone c/t have recommended some days off to manage the withdrawals.
I can't offer much advice, but at least I can tell you that you are not alone in this battle.
What did the doctor say?
Minnie

[Schatzie92675]

Today I will see my pain doc.  I am going to ask him to help me quit cold turkey.  It would be much easier on me mentally if I didn't have the pills in the house anymore.  I have also called my therapist (I go to cognitive therapy to treat severe anxiety disorder) and fessed up to her about what I think are addiction issues.  She said once I am able to detox she will be able to help me with the addiction, but I have to be clean first.  My question is, what do I do if my doc won't help me with the meds?  This weekend is when I went into withdrawal, I called his office and they sent me to the ER.  The ER doc didn't want to touch me.  they gave me a shot of ativan to control the anxiety I was currently feeling and sent me home to take another norco to stop the withdrawal.  I have done reading and know that meds like clonidine and bentyl can help significantly reduce the withdrawal symptoms.  I can't take off time from work, I have a small child and a family to take care of.  There's no way I can just wait out the withdrawal symptoms, but I know I won't be able to truly heal until I get clean.  Is there anyone who can give me advice?