Tryihng to figure out how this happened to me

[frankie165]

I am grateful to find this forum.  I had surgery in August and now realize that I have gotten addicted to percocet.  I should have know better.  My mother is a drug counselor and my brother recently went through an alcohol withdrawl.  I have never had any type of drug problem before and thought that people who did were weak.  I take 5 to 10 pills a day.  The supply is not a problem because my husband has a chroinc pain condition.  He has several bottle in our safe.  When I finished a bottle I could just go get another.  
I have decided to quit cold turkey.  I will stop on MOnday 11/5/07.  I want to wait until then because I hate how short tempered I get with my daughter and I want her to be in school for most of the day.  I tried to quit last week, but felt so awful that I took another pill.  THis time will go better because I have told my husband and my mother.  They are going to support me.  I am a teacher and my medical leave ends on 11/19/07.  I want to be back to my "normal" self before facing 20 third graders all day.

My question is, does anyone have any recommendations for easing through some of the withdrawls.  I do not want to take any other perscription drugs.  Will tylenol help or will it perlong my detox?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[oxypen]

Sorry frankie, i did mix up your post with someone named laura.  I apologize.  It is going to be really hard to taper, it was for me, I just couldn't do it.  If you asked your husband to help you, would he?  It doesn't sound like he's too supportive but ask him.  It's just so hard to taper when you can go and get one whenever you want. I know if I had something around right now, I would take it, it really sucks feeling so crummy, but I know it will be worth it on the long run.  You have to do this some time.  Do it now, before it gets really bad!

[road2recovery]

i have to say i am glad you came back and were honest that you could not do it...I posted on the other thread, so i will send you a taper on this one or the other.

The fact is you have to ask yourself if you really want this?? you will feel like ****..You will not be able to help your son for a while, but you will just have to have the flu for a week..

Please don't take this the wrong way,. if you are only taking 2 to 3 a day right now, then do it now..It will not be as bad...If not you will be back to 10 a day i promise you that!
i am here if you want to talk
r2r

[frankie165]

I think you got me confused with some one elses post.  I have never said that I take 2-3 a day.  I have been honest in all of my postings.  

I know that it would be best if I could get rid of all the pills in my house, but that is not a possibility.  My husband has a chronic pain issue and really does take the pills when he can not take the pain anymore.  I have told my husband that I feel as if I have become addicted to the percocet.  He does not seem as supportive as I originally thought he would be.  Yesterday, when I told him how crummy I was feeling, he said that is how he feels most days.  That was it, no sympathy, nothing.  Oh well.  I guess, I will go through this on my own.  I sure do appreciate the support from this forum.  

Good for you going c/t!

I think I will try to taper from here.  My theory is if I can take less than the 2 1/2 I took yesterday, that is an improvement.

[oxypen]

Hey, first of all you have to be honest, looking back at your posts, you said you take 2 or 3 a day, no more than 40 a month, but in your last post you said you take 5 - 10.  It doesn't really matter how much  you take, but the first thing you have to do if you really want help is to be honest.  the second thing is if you are going to go cold turkey, you CANNOT have any percocet in the house.  Today is my first day of c/t off oxycontin and I flushed the rest of my percocet. It was a really tough thing to do, but I KNOW I would be in to them by noon if I didn't.  
You can do this.  Thre's all kinds of people here that will help.  Stay on the forum when things get tough.  Start today, you can start with me if you want and I'll help the best I can. Do you know how to login and message under the Mymedhelp.  Let me know!
You have not failed!  We all have to try this a few times before we're successful.  It's just one week of your life that's rough and then you'll have your life back.

[frankie165]

okay, after all my talk on here, I seriously considered dropping out and not posting again, or not posting the truth...
I was supposed to go "cold turkey" yesterday, but couldn't.  I made it to 11:30 yesterday with out any percocet, but I was feeling so lousy, and I had to help my son study for his first major test in college and a couple of other family obligations (I know these are excuses), that I took a pill.  The withdrawls were already awful.  I did a bunch of running around and ended up taking one more at 5:00.  I was determined to get through the night without anymore but could not sleep at all, even after taking 2 Tylenol PM.  So I took another 1/2 a pill at 12:00.  

In total, I took 21/2 pills yesterday.  Way  down from my normal 5-10 (Usually around 8).  
I think that I may need to try to taper off of these things now.  I would appreciate any advice!!
I have not taken any yet to day, and will hold out as long as possible!  I think that when I do get desparate, I will only take a half a pill.  For me the physical feeling like junk is the part I can not seem to take.

HELP!  I feel like I have failed.

[gmddusty]

Good Luck
Plan to stay home and deal with a week or so of feeling like ****....
I did it, you can do it,
Gina

[kimmiek]

Good luck, i wish you well.  I think you'll do great.  You seem to have a determined strong personality.  Addiction and tolerance are not the same thing.  It may be that you have built up a tolerance for the pills and just needed more to get the same results, that doesnt mean that you are an addict.   But you dont seem to me to be a full blown opiate addict.   Your probably going to have some physical withdrawal symptoms.  Your posts dont seem to me that you abused the pills, but since you've been taking them for three months, you'll probably feel like you have the flu.  I bet you'll feel better by the time you have to go back to work.  

Next time you ever need to have these pills,  I hope you remember this.   Just because you didnt get snagged this time, doesnt mean it couldnt happen to you.  It happens to strong determinded people all the time.  People who have their **** together and people who have great jobs and great supportative families.  Opiate addiction isnt a respector of any particular people, job status, personality type or income level.  Again, good luck and God bless.  Hope

[lurker]

I wish you the very best as you begin this journey.  You definitely have the desire and the drive to do this.  I hope that you will continue to post and get support here as you go thru the process.  Do you have support at home - does your husband know you will be detoxing next week?  Have you looked up the Thomas Recipe so you can get some vitamins, amino acids and other things that will help you to ease the symptoms?
Good luck - stay strong and fight the good fight!!

[frankie165]

I may be naive and new to this (thankfully), but my belief is that we all have to get through this in our own way.  I appreciate the suggestion to have my husband hide the pills, but I don't believe I need this.  I believe I will be able to stop with out this step.  I have always believed that I am a strong person and once I set my mind to something, I will accomplish it.  I quit smoking cold turkey in 1999.  I didn't need my friends to hide their smokes.  Once I made the committment to quit, I did.  I feel as if this is along the same lines.  I have decided to quit and I will. I don't want to taper off, because that seems to only prolong the detox.  I know that I will have a very bad 3-7 days, but I will get through it!

TimH2-I am sure that you mean well, and your comments don't bother me.  In fact they make me more determined!  I have spent the last five years working full time, going to school full time, and raising 4 children.  I just began my career as a teacher, and I will not do anything to mess that up.  I am currently in my last class and finishing my Master's Degree in January.  I am proud of myself, and believe in being a roll model for my students as well as my own children.

[lurker]

I didn't agree at all with what you said - as you can see if you read my post, I actually reinforced it.  However, I disagreed with the total lack of compassion and common decency in your tone.  People come here for support and while they need to hear things like You won't quit with all the drugs around you. and poop or get off the pot, there are ways to say it so that they feel compassion and understanding from fellow addicts, not in such a crass way so as to not feel supported and not come back.
And read again - I never said I quit by tapering.  I didn't.  I tapered down to a lower dose and have been on Suboxone for a week.
You obviously have a lot to offer if you've been on this road for 2 years.  I hope you will offer it in such a way as to make people feel you are helping, not judging.

[TimH2]

You must be someone special to have quit the pills by tapering. I don't mean this in a nasty way. It is probably a million to one;

[TimH2]

I hope you are serious about this and wish the best for you. Nothing makes me happier to see someone beat this. I am praying for you and think you have a good attitude.

[TimH2]

I have been traveling this road for a almost two years. You do or you don't, simple as that.

[TimH2]

Get real and stop hiding your head in the sand. It is what is is. enough said

[lurker]

Welcome - if I were you I would ignore the incredibly blunt, rude comments from TimH2.  I'm sure he meant well, but there could have been a little compassion put in his message.  It would be best if you had your husband hide his narcotics. Once you've realized you have an addiction, no matter what your best intention, the addict in you will convince you to take more if you have access.  Most people who successfully taper are able to do so because they taper until they have no more access to the drug of choice.  So, do yourself a favor and let your husband know that you need him to keep the drugs in a place where you cannot get to them in order to allow yourself the best chance for success.  Keep posting here for support = you can do it.  And roadtorecovery is right, you haven't been on it too long so hopefully your withdrawals won't be too bad but it is different for everyone.  I wish you the best of luck and will be here to support you when you need it.  

[TimH2]

Poop or get off the pot

[TimH2]

You won't quit with all the drugs around you. Trust me, I know this. If you are really serious about it, I am rooting for you.

[road2recovery]

Good for you...You have not been taking very long, so i think you will be ok, just a few bad days...Do you think you can taper??
it will be tough with having them in the house, but glad you have told and now have support...Stay with us we will be here for you..
Also, i use to snap at my kids to for no reason, i am glad to be clean, and not thinking about where i will get them next, can i go away because i don't have enough, etc....
Good luck
r2r

[frankie165]

Thank you both already for responding, it makes me feel so much better.  I do not feel so alone.  More than anything I find this embarassing.  I don't want anyone beyond my husband and mother to know about it.  Maybe after I am off of these, I will be able to tell people about it.  I never thoght that something could take over my life so quickly.  

[Laura1122]

Frankie, I too was on percs, stopped cold turkey monday I guess, my last pill was a lortab at 12 noon on sunday. I wont lie, it's not pleasant, but you can do it, I am. First night ws my worst, very bad (what i thought) indigestion, up all night, I drank lots of ginger ale, ate crackers, thought i had the flu till i read about w/d symptoms. Iv'e had a stomache ache pretty bad, until today, I feel alot better. just eat what you can handle, icy hot or something like that worked for my legs and back really well and tylenol pm helped me sleep 2 nights, the nights i didnt take it, no sleep. I had been on the percs about a yr. 10 mg. percs usually 2 1/2 to 3 a day went thru 40 a month that was the most. They gave me energy, but guess what? I woke up today feeling pretty good for day 5 finally got my butt out of the house and am actually cleaning and looking forward to cooking a good meal and eating it tonight. Hang in there you can do it. If you want to email me on here plz feel free.
Laura

[IBKleen]

Hi Hun!

Well congrats on your decision to stop.

Have you ever gone cold turkey before? It is certainly not pleasant, but the good news is that you have only been taking the pills for a relatively short time, and it should not be too bad. You may experience anxiety, restless leg syndrome, cramps, upset stomach...flu like symptoms. You can use OTC medications to help with those.

Try and keep yourself occupied as much as you can. Drink plenty of water..stay hydrated. Also, exercise every chance you get.

Please keep posting and let us know how you are doing. Any questions, just ask away. there is usually someone here to help.

Take care of yourself.