Hydrocodone Withdrawal questions

[debartiste]

My first post:-) Hello everyone. I really hope it's a good day for you.

My story:
I'm taking (6) 7.5/750 hydrocodone per day. If I remember right this means 45mg of hydrocodone and 750 of tylenol?

I've been taking this for over 1.5 yrs now. I had 3 levels of spinal fusion then. The pain especially after the operation was worse than I'd have ever imagined. I was unable to even lay down for 7 weeks. Had to sleep sitting up. It took a year to heal....I "think" it may be healed. But it's hard to tell! (I also quit smoking at the time of the operation, and am still smoke-free, after smoking for 30 yrs).....

What is happening now is that I get body pain all over, not so much localized in my neck, when I haven't taken a dose. Most noticeable first thing in the morning after 7 or 8 hours of no hydrocodone. I wake up with intense body pain. Legs ache, back aches, amazingly, all worse than any pain I feel in my neck.

This constant hydro use is new as I said following the operation, though I did take it for several years before the operation, trying not to HAVE an operation....but finally realized it was inevitable. Dosage prior to surgery was (1) 5/500 as needed. I probably took 2 or 3 of those a day.

Even now, I have not elevated the number of tablets I take. I keep it at 6 per day though I'd love to take more. I feel like one doesn't stop the pain, though two does. I have never taken more than 2 at a time.

Doctors of course have always cautioned "you don't want to get addicted to this", though they never said why. I never knew about the body pains that you get when it wears off. Why don't they mention this? Well anyway, that's not my real question.

I get it that I must be addicted to this stuff because of the body pains I experience. But how do you know how much of that is just getting older, how much is real and how much is a result of the drug leaving your system?? Hmm.

Oh yes and p.s. I was once addicted to valium, then once to xanax (my least favorite thing and the hardest of all kick) - I got off valium by cutting my dose down down down. I have a prescription for it "just to have around"....it's from last January and is nearly full. So I do think I have the capacity to kick things, as I've done it before.

Just really want to know more about these body pains, restless legs, those feelings you have when you wake up and the drugs have totally gone. How do you know if the pain is real or not? How do you tell muscle pain from "bone pain" that I've read about? Not that it matters, pain is pain. I just do not know what is real and what isn't right now.

Also, on a scale of addictions, where am I with the (6) 7.5/750mgs a day??

Thanks in advance for any insights on these last 2 questions.
Debartiste

[cocobeanlisa]

Hi there,

I hope I can answer your questions.  First let me say that I was
hooked on 10/325 hydrocodones for years.  I started taking them for
chronic back/neck pain.  

1.  Your restlegs will happen when you detox (w/d), but you can help them along in a
     couple of ways.  They say that it is caused by lack of iron in the body.  I took a
     non narcotic drug called "REQUIP" that helped a great deal.  ALso on the bottom      
     right side of the computer there is THE THOMAS RECEIPE it helps with w/d's also
     hot baths help and bananas.
2.  I am a chronic pain patient and no one told me about the body pain I would feel
     during and after w/d's.  By taking all of those drugs I lowered by body's tolerance  
      for pain.  My body would exagerate the pain I felt.  It took about a month for my
      body to adjust to the pain.  I also believe that it was my body/mind playing tricks on
      me so I would take the Drugs.
3  Give your bodysome time to adjust to the pain and it will go away or losen.

Hang in there it is well worth it. And I found a good Doctor that treats my pain without
narcotics.  Heat/massage and things.

You can do this

cocobean

[britney1663]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You're in the right place! I dont really have any answers for you, but I wanted to welcome you and say Hi....someone will come along shortly that can help...

[debartiste]

Thanks for explaining.....this is the first explanation I've heard, so I sure appreciate it. I'm collecting all of this into a word document.....
I suppose I do need a pain doc. Trouble is I pay $704 a month for health insurance with a 5,000 deductible, and it doesn't cover office visits till the deductible is met. Of course prescriptions though are 5 bucks! So it's been financially better to stay hooked. Oh my. I just realized why they might do this.

Anyway I'm saving the info and will put it to good use. I promise:-)

[debartiste]

Thanks for the welcome! I can tell this is the right place to be.

[FriaryGrad]

Welcome and I hope you're feeling okay and motivated to be totally chemical free. Have you considered going to an NA or AA meeting and discussing your concern about dependence and withdrawal?  No one is going to think you're a horrible person, or get you mixed up with a  street drug user -- not that I don't totally relate to any addict in any walk of life now -- street drug, alcohol, or prescription drugs -- we are all brothers and sisters in recovery.  I only say that in case you might shy away from giving it a try, if you thought "drug user" carries any kind of stigma.  When the chief justice of the US supreme court gets hooked on vicodin and has to go into rehab to overcome his addiction, you can pretty much figure that over-prescribing this drug is common place.  I'm an alcoholic but my best friend is a former vicodin addict -- it's really all the same.  If you go to a "closed" meeting, everyone at the meeting will be someone who wants freedom from using drugs or alcohol, and thinks they might need help. Best of luck and I'll be praying for you....

[wannabefree330]

Just wanted to clarify your math, you are taking 4500mg of tylenol a day at that dose and strength.  you shouldn't exceed 4000mg in a day.  If you could wean yourself off and stay off for a month, you would be so surprised at how your pain changes.  I don't know if its our perceptions that are whacked, or the pain tolerance that is lowered to almost nothing?  It really is a drastic change though once the opiates are out of the picture.  If you can't live without the pain medication, you should get on  something that's long acting for better relief, and not as much tylenol.