some one outhere to help me cutback to were i can stop

[beth7819]

can i stop with barely no withdrawal if i cut back each day i took 2 to feel better this morning perc 10s an then another now as of today i want to take less and less im so scared i dont even want to go to AA everyday feeling to be a lyer as i claim to be sober even though i have cronic pain it was sooo bad back east now i'de be lying if i say i feel good its pain that i can deal with most of the time please help!!!!!

[cleaninitup]

I did a long taper off of vics-what made it stick for me was it was coming from a doc and he made it clear this was the plan and there was no way he was going to change it. It was my choice,taper or nothing. ******  I still had wds with every drop but they were manageable and jumped off at * a day. It was about three days of icky feeling but once I got to * a day I KNEW I could do it and i was ready to do it. I never got pills from anyone but this doc so that helped also, having no other access to any.

[Innerstrength67]

It all depends on how many you have left. You have to tell yourself, once your pills run out, that's it. I tried to taper so many times. I just couldn't do it. Doesn't mean it can't be done. The reality is this...if you have pills around and are still taking them, your still on the merry go round. Not until you finally stop, will you get off and I can't tell you how freeing it feels to not think about, how many pills did I take today, how many do I have left, how many mgs did I take, where can I get more etc....you know the drill.
You can do this!!!

[beth7819]

morning dont know how good im ganna try this mind tricks are all ready starting cause i know i have some pills and what if i just take one only took 3 yesterday ehhhhhhhhh

[satiniair206]

Tapering will work if you do it right. Taper very slowly like ** of a pill a week. A day or so after you cut down you will feel it but then you will get used to that level and will feel ok again. I tapered over 1 month and towards the end I cut *x a week . If you are like me the pills have made you a very weak person, but you have to remember they are playing tricks on your mind- the weakness is not real but is just in your mind. And yes when you totally stop you will feel it but it will certainly be doable. That's when I used my own silly mind tricks to deal with that first night. "The bullets are not real and they cannot hurt me" I told myself stealing a line from a famous television show from long ago.

As you taper you will find your will power slowly returns- still not easy but after while you will realize the control the pills have over you is no longer real and they can no longer hurt you. You CAN do it just plan it out and stick with your plan. If you slip a bit -thats ok just get back on the plan and follow through. good luck!!!

[Innerstrength67]

Hi beth, I went to a few NA meetings while still using and I told a few people. I didn't feel judged at all. I felt like they could feel my pain. Not sure where you live or if AA are the only meetings available to you but I know we often judge ourselves and then think that others are judging us just as harshly.
As far as tapering, if you can do it than go for it. This is such a mind trip. We totally freak ourselves out. Yes, you might have WD but they might not be as bad as you think.
Hang in there. You can do this!!!!!
I never, ever thought I would get off Vicodin but did and I am 31 days clean.
Message me if you would like too.

[beth7819]

been on zanax 4 since 09 and i dont abuse them i dont have the others
i am starting to feel bad i took 3 this morning and no more 2day

[Ann2497]

I agree with Vicki - Clonidine is much better.  Xanax is highly addictive.

[vicki595]

No. Clonidine is much better.

Xanax is a benzo so be careful there.

[beth7819]

i have zanax to help is that good enough

[Ann2497]

I cutback weekly not daily.  To do it daily is too fast.  My WD symptoms were relieved with Clonidine, a blood pressure med, well known to help with opiate withdrawal symptoms.  It also took away the cravings for me.

Look up the Thomas recipe - bottom right hand corner of this page.  Stock up on your favorite healthy foods and drinks.  Gatorade and juice are very good.

Stay on this board and post often.  You will need the support.

[vicki595]

The trick to tapering(and I've done it) is to decrease the dose by TINY amounts, over a longer period of time...not everyday. Your body needs time to stabilize between decreases.  Many people DO taper from Methadone,benzos and barbiturates because it just has to be done with those particular drugs...to name a few...and it can work for you quite nicely.

[Newabuser]

You're trying to taper down to where you're eventually taking such a small amount that you can just quit, right? From what I've heard it can be done and there's been some success stories posted here but I for the life of me can't imagine it working. The temptation to take "maybe just one extra" is simply too great.

I guess if you had someone that would take control of them and administer them only on an agreed upon schedule it might work. Just don't stash any before starting out and make sure the person doling them out to you knows that under no circumstances are they to give you any extras.

This is just my opinion as I went the C/T route but my guess is that you'll probably minimize the physical symptoms of withdrawal but intensify the mental part of it. You're prolonging the mental/emotional dependance and you might find yourself in a panic when it comes time to make the final leap and quit altogether. I hope not, that's just how I think I'd be if going the taper route.

Regardless of the method used, just convince yourself that you CAN do it, you HAVE to do it and that continuing to use isn't an option. Keep your mind focused on drug free living and you'll pull it off. Good luck!

[beth7819]

and its so weird i know all of this maybe its my anxiaty because my pain last time i quit was handeled by naproxin  i screwed up maybe its my sick brain again thinking but im really scared

[hollytabor]

I had to do it cold turkey ... and in the end, it was the best thing for me.  

It wasn't easy - hell, I'd have a panic attack just THINKING about quitting, but I did it ... and every single day was/is better than the last.

What I really wanted to address in your post - and I don't know your medical history and pain issues, but I have serious disc degeneration and while on pills was STILL in pretty bad pain.  

After quitting the pills, I'm in far LESS pain than I was before.  Your body wants more drugs so it makes more pain ... take away the pills, take away the pain.

Now am I totally pain free?  Nope.  But it's completely controllable with Aleve/Advil/Tylenol.

You CAN do this!