Just a thought..

[twolve]

I have noticed that a lot of posts lately have been about taking different things to make w/ds go away and things like that. Especially things like drinking or taking xanax to relieve anxiety or whatever. We all got into the same predicament and it is never going to be easy. You aren't just going to magically take something to rid yourself of any discomfort while quitting something as strong and mentally challening as pain killers. My advice is if you are addicted to pain killers that are safe to quit cold turkey ie. oxy, vicodin, perc etc. then just do it. Don't substitute xanax to relieve anxiety, that anxiety is just there because you numbed it for so long. Try and think about all the discomfort as something you KNOW is going to be bad for at least a week. It's perfectly possible to come down with a bad flu anyway and if you did would you just pop valium or xanax etc? I hope you guys dont think i am coming down on anyone and I know that everyone is different and some people absolutely need that stuff but there are also people who are just scared of the w/ds and they read that xanax might help, so bam they pop a few and sooner or later your on the forum saying.."I need to quit xanax but the w/ds are so bad, what should I take now?" I cold turkeyed off snorting oxys and I think its Day 18 or 19, it wasn't fun but I am here and my life was barely interrupted. I haven't put anything so much as tylenol in my body recently and I have substituted working out instead of pills to make my body feel better. You would be absolutely amazed how good working out makes your body feel. Its so refreshing and normal. People who have never done a pain killer or benzo deal with anxiety every day, its called life, its not easy. But you can talk about your problems instead of numbing them and you will feel better, believe me. I had a semi-tough start to the day at work and I can't even tell you how much better it feels to just let go on this forum and type things out. If you can go cold turkey I couldn't possibly reccommend it more than a taper. There are obviously certain drugs that you just cant go c/t off for medical reasons and obviously those suggestions must be followed. I hope everyone stays strong today..

[GoingToMakeIt]

How true. Sometimes, though a med like clonodine can be helpful, especially if you are prone to high blood pressure.

[crispie]

EVER TRY TO COME OFF ZANAX OR OTHERS LIKE IT...YOU THINK PERCS ,VIKES OR WHATEVER IS BAD???? TRY COMING OFF DOWNERS BADDDDDDD....AS FAR AS COMING OFF PILLS, IF YOU ARE GONNA DO IT YOU SHOULD JUST DO IT. DON'T SUBSTITUTE ONE PROBLEM FOR ANOTHER....I KNOW IT CAN BE DONE, I AM PROOF...I STOPPED COLD TURKEY 12 DAYS AGO...I WAS ON PERCOCET FOR 5 YRS. DUE TO BACK PAIN AND KIDNEY PROBLEMS...I STILL HAVE BACK AND KIDNEY PAIN...DIFFERENCE IS I AM DEALING WITH THE PAIN....HELL YA I AM STILL GOING THREW WDS. BUT NO BODY PARTS SHUT DOWN AS I THOUGHT THEY WOULD..... I SAY ALTERNATIVE MEDS.

[wannabefree330]

yes we are all looking for a quick, pain free way to get out of the messes we have created.  Some of us just need to bite the bullet and get it done.  Going through the pain is also a way to remind us we don't ever want to do it again!

[oceanfamily1992]

i'm glad you were able to go ct off oxcycontin without dangerous medical trouble. I went cold turkey and landed in the hospital for 3 days with my digestive system shut down. It was highly HIGHLY un pleasant, and as painful as anything I've experienced yet.

The anxiety that comes with wd can be such that adrenline is way too high - and the anxiety feels as though one is in mortal danger. It is terrifying.  It's ok to take a medication, short-term, prescribed by your doctor, to deal with this symptom. That's not just wanting an "easy" way out, it's trying to preserve one's life!

I've seen so many recommendations to go ct off this drug and that drug. And I've seen advice to take this much or that much of a drug. And I'm wondering why people are giving sch advice without even a token "check with your physician."  

In fact it IS DANGEROUS TO GO COLD TURKEY OFF DRUGS!! And as everyone is different, it's wrong to over-generalize about other people's experiences or what they "should" be experiencing BASED UPON YOUR OWN SINGULAR EXPERIENCE!

Anxiety that accompanies withdrawal is NOT called "LIFE." It is a symptom of withdrawal that goes away with recovery.  

People who are withdrawing are not a bunch of whiners who just want an easy way out of their mess. Maybe some are, but certainly not all. Please be careful to not over-generalize.  And EVERYONE needs to take care to not offer dose and other drug recommendations so freely, in my opinion. At least qualify your advice with a "seek help from a professional" or "this is my own experience and you may react differently."  It's a good thing that so many want to be so helpful and give advice. We shold simply take care to not offer medical counsel without the appropriate and neccessary education to back it up (and I say again, one's OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE does NOT qualify).

Catherine

[twolve]

I really tried to make it clear that you and every other person like you was not who i was talking about. i meant people like me who caught it semi-early but is too scared/doesn't really want to stop and look for a quick fix to something that you need to handle. I wasn't trying to tell anybody to do anything mentally unsafe..but what if some people start out and at six months just automatically think that w/d are not an option and they need to change to suboxone or smoking or whatever..i psyched myself up so much for the w/d and they were tolerable for me..if you read any of my posts you will know that im not judgemental in the least bit..i try to stay positive though and sometimes it really helps people when they read something positive, i know it does for me..so again I'm sorry but I can honestly say I didn't mean it the way you clearly took it..and i hope everything always goes well for you.

[seeksolice]

Anxiety and panic is the brains "fight or flight" response to a variety of bad situations-- or case in point, a reaction to nothing that comes on very suddenly without a clear reason.

Having dealt with anxiety and panic disorder for years- with & without meds- I can say that it IS possible and BETTER FOR YOU to treat it without medication.

We are only talking about a chemical response in the brain. A response that can literally be shut off or turned on depending on our thoughts. Our thoughts control the bodies processes much more than allopathic doctors care to admit.

Allopathic medicine relies on chemicals to treat SYMPTOMS of an underlying illness or disorder- Panic, for example, can be completely controlled by your mind and your thoughts. But, doctors would rather dole out a "fast acting benzo" to temporarily treat the anxiety, which is a symptom, not the primary problem- so that we essentially lose focus on how to treat these things ourselves- using our own bodies as a tool.

I had panic attacks for 3 years nearly everyday. I had to leave work, go out to my car, curl up, and try to sleep to get the anxiety to go away. My work fired me after 3 months of leaving unexpectedly to deal with my panic. I took Xanax, but it didn't cure it- it was just a quick fix.

I learned with my anxiety- and all anxiety- that it is a mind over matter thing. The fight or flight response is triggered by your amygdala sensing that there is danger when in fact there isn't. So, if you tell your body you are NOT in danger, the chemical response will and DOES STOP.

It is the quick fixes for anxiety- the xanax- the quick fixes for pain- like opioids- that cause addiction in the first place.  If we are addicts, and going through withdrawal to be sober, why in the world would you take a "quick fix" drug to deal with one symptom of withdrawal? Again, its the "quick fixes" that caused many of us to become addicts in the first place.

[GoingToMakeIt]

On every page, left hand side, there is a disclaimer. It is there to protect those coming here. The question of safety doing cold turkey is a debated one. There are other things to consider, though. Few addicts are capable of tapering. Few have the resources, both time and money, to go to a rehab center or detox center.
There is also the consideration of how safe is their present course of action? Will it get worse? (Usually) Will their liver still be OK after taking so much Tylenol?

[mel123emt]

Catherine
Well said. sure we could all "fight" it, but lets be realistic. most of us have jobs where we must be at everyday, and like most, I absolutely HATE going to work during the w/d. If I do take anything to "help" then so be it. That is my choice. Just becuase I became an addict doesn't mean I need to punish myself but going c/t and not doing anything to ease the pain and discomfort of that.

Bottom line, when all said and done, NO MATTER HOW I GOT TO TODAY, with or without help I AM SOBER.
I am proud my MYSELF for doing it.

[studiogirl]

I agree -- some people cant take the time off of life for withdrawal and depending on your habit, it can be vicious.  I think the biggest problem is people using narcotic meds to withdraw.  Then you are potentially getting yourself into further trouble.  There are non narcotic meds that can help and have much less potential for abuse. No matter what there will be discomfort. I saw a detox doctor who monitored the meds she had me on very closely.  I had to see her every other day so she could check my blood pressure and make sure I was on track. She said there was a risk of seizure going of the norcos cold turkey so she prescribed me non narc meds to prevent that. Im glad I did it that way because I dont know if I would have made it through without the help. But like others said, it should be monitored by a doctor who you have been honest with and who understands addiction