Tapering down on painkillers

I have been using painkillers for the last 3 years. Tried oxys,oxycodone,and vicodin. Wondering if tapering is the best wat for me to get off of them. I have been taking some herbs online to help ease with withdrawals. I've probably gotten myself down from 8 or more pills a day,to 1 a day. Been taking 1 a day for the last 2 days. Is this the best approach? This is my 1st attempt to try and quit. Want 2 say the last. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

There is really no easy way of detoxing from home. I have dealt with hundreds of addicts who have all told me horror stories of doing it by themselves.  I would only guess that if are successful in doing it at home you don't end up in my clinic. Just in case you are curious, it takes us three to four days to detox a patient and get him/her back home drug free and feeling well on Naltrexone therapy (no opiates).
At home, the basic technique is to space out the pills you take on a consistent manner until you take only one at night, then half at night and then none.  See if your doctor can write you a prescription for some Requip for restlessness, Neurontin for anxiety and malaise, some Flexeril or Soma for a few weeks for muscle spasms and maybe some Seroquel low dose for sleep. It will make withdrawals easier.  Please don't start taking the Oxys or Vicodins again as it will only throw you back into withdrawals once you stop again, or make you relapse.  Valerian and Magnesium is sometimes helpful remedies over the counter.
But, seriously, you must be completely committed to the goal of quitting.  I have written a blog that has rather detailed information about options for detox. If you click on my name and then click on blogs you will see one under that heading.  Take a minute to read it. I hope you will find it helpful.
The main thing of course is the decision that you make and making it a priority in your life, because that will determine what your life will actually be and mean in the end.  I don't want to sound preachy but it is not a decision you make one day, it is a decision you will make every day for the rest of your life.  Good luck to you and take a look at my blogs and my clinic website for even more info on narcotic detox www.mdsdrugdetox.com