CT or taper

[ready4life]

I have been on percocet for 4 or 5 months. It was prescribed for my endometriosis, and then after my hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. I am ready to taper off so that I don't have drastic withdrawls, but I would think at some point in the taper it is better to just cut it off completely so your body can just get rid of the drug. Does too long of a taper make the process worse? I don't want to torture my body any more than I have to. I had been taking between 10 and 12 of the 10/650 percocet, and have just tapered off to 6 pills today. I have had to do this before for other surgeries, and know how bad the withdrawls can get so I don't want to do it completely CT, but I don't want to drag this out either. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

[ready4life]

Thank you Debbie! No real withdrawals yet. I was wrong on the tylenol in the script...it was 10/325, but this last refill the doctor gave me just the percocet without the tylenol. I have supplimented with midol when needed. Even though I have gone through this before with surgery, this is by far the highest dose I have been on so I think that is what encourages me to taper. As bad as my withdrawals have been before, I am so afraid to go CT too quick and have to go through DT as bad or worse than before. I was taking them for true medical issues and never bought them, or got them anywhere else than my doctor, and I have been looking forward to not needing them anymore but the withdrawals scare me so badly. My restless legs are one of my worst symptoms and even radiates to my arms too. Just want this all behind me, so a part of me wants to just quit CT and know that I will be eventually through it....sooner than if I taper. But the thought of causing my body to go through such violent withdrawals is just too much to take. I have had more than a dozen surgeries in my life for many different things starting in childhood, and any time I have needed to take pain medicine the DT's were really bad....even when my dose of meds weren't that high. Should I taper most of the way and then just CT the rest instead of dragging it out? I'm afraid to keep using any longer than I have to. I JUST WANT TO BE DONE!!!

[atthebeach]

hi and welcome to MH. if you have been taking 10-12 per day you are exceeding the limit of recommended amount of acetaminophen (4000 mg) which is toxic to the liver.
tapering takes alot of discipline and lengths the withdrawals but they tend to be less severe. if you have begun the taper if you can stick to it that is great. then continue the taper. are you feeling withdrawal symtoms now?
debbie