Day 1. kinda freaking out.

[Ashelen]

Took my last 5mg today...I'm in withdrawal at the moment. I feel pretty good, but I know it's gonna get bad. I took one 5mg pill yesterday afternoon and then nothing until this afternoon and I was panicking. My husband didn't realize I was so upset but I was going insane inside. not because I was craving or anything but I just felt so scared....I know it's my body playing with my mind and I'm still completely determined, but omg...the panic is getting to me.

I took nyquil last night and slept like a baby. I figure I'll use it to sleep through the first few nights and then switch to using melatonin and valarian root after the acute withdrawals are gone....I have some L-glutamine and 5HTP - effective?

Also...if RLS wakes me up tonight, can I take the hyland's even though I plan to take nyquil?

thanks guys..a little panicky right now but determined..and mad as h$ll.

[Ashelen]

err sorry I meant to add...I couldn't get everything on the amino acid protocol so I'm going to list whatI DO have and hope you guys can help me figure out when to take and how much.

Magnesium
Centrum Multi-Vitamin
B-complex sublingual liquid
5HTP
L-glutamine
hyland's restful legs
Melatonin
Nyquil

[vicki595]

Hi...I just got here and see you are hanging in there.

Okay...The first three you can take in the morning with breakfast.  Hold off on the 5htp
because it causes jitters. L-glutamin is used for alertness,to combat fatigue and depression. Take that at breakfast,also.  Hyland's you can take during the day and at night with the melatonin. You can take Nyquil with those;not a problem.  Follow label directions. I take two melatonin at night once in awhile. You can take three Hyland's.

Try to embrace this and accept it. It goes much easier. Being mad doesn't really help. You need to be calm to get through this. It won't take very long. I promise!

[Ashelen]

Thank you so much...I was just worried about taking the nyquil/melatonin/hyland's all at once, I don't want to die lol.

I know I need to be calm, but I also know I need to stay mad because it's too easy for me to go in...my PM doctor already wants me to stay on the medicine, so if I stay mad hopefully I won't give in.

Ready for it to be next weekend...can we hit fast-forward please? lol

thank you again for responding you're awesome

[petroglyph54]

I would like to add, I agree with everything Vicki said about the nutrients, it's important to not take the sleepy ones when you want to be up and Vice-versa. I think the Magnesium works synergistically with zinc, which should be in your multi-vitamin. The sub-lingual b's are of course under the tongue, and that's definately a morning thing. I believe the 5htp and the protein [powder or other] are building blocks to help your brain repair itself. Remember to hydrate often, I liked gatorade which has the electrolytes. I assume with some of your trouble's your having your bloodwork done periodically, for kidney and liver functions. It's all good. Welcome aboard the sober train. I also took the valerian root and melatonin and nyquil at the same time, no problem, It was the narcotics that were bothering me. lol

[Ashelen]

sorry that's right I have valerian root too thank you for mentioning it.

my kidney function isn't great - i have chronic kidney stones. but my liver function is and always has been fine...I took norco so I was only taking 325mg acetaminophen per dose.
my enzymes have always been normal.

gonna take the nyquil soon and hold off on the hylands....I wanted to flush with some gatorade overnight butI'm afraid of having to wake up and pee, because I know if I wake up tonight I won't make it back to sleep from RLS and stuff....

so I guess I'll just have to flush like crazy in the morning....take the L-glutamine, B, magnesium, and multi...flush some more, then at like 7pm take some melatonin, take some nyquil....and so on and so forth and hope to make it to day...what, 4? 5? before I can start to breathe easier? and cut back the nyquil...

sorry thinking out loud. brain mushy!

[petroglyph54]

If you have the restless legs or arm's, you will probably be awake already. I just couldn't sleep while I was kicking field goals in bed! If what you have is the hylands, I just read mine and it's pretty homeopathic. They dissolve under the tongue in about one minute and taste not bad at all. Try one now? My label indicates every 4 hours if need be 2-3 little tabs. They worked great for me and I'm a hard case. Other's swear by banana's, they are loaded with postassium, and the NFL hands them out at games for the athlete's in hot weather! I didn't use the hylands rls until I was about as far in as you are when I found out just what rls is,it was the first time I'd ever experienced it. You'll know if you need help with it, there won't be any doubt. If your sleeping ok, that is indeed a blessing, I was awake for almost 2 weeks. Post when you can and let us know how it's going, ok?

[FourChickens]

Hi girl......  I am excited for you. You are going to do just fine. Dont be afraid. Think of it this way.. Someone in your house gets the flu. And its inevitable that you are going to get it.. It happens. You have a couple days of not feeling so good.. but you know its going to get better. And every day will get better. I dont want you to be too disappointed if you cant sleep. Its pretty rare to sleep doing the 1st few days. Even with nyqil or sleep aid. You may get a few hours here and there but you will survive.  This is the first day of the rest of your life. PLEASE keep us updated ok? I am sooo pulling for ya girl. :-)  

[Eebb26]

How u doing today? How was ur night. Keep us posted.

[mellie4]

So proud of you, Ashelen!!  I'm scared, too.  And I'm just doing a lousy taper.  Sounds like you've got everything in place.  Hope to hear from you soon how your night was.

[FourChickens]

How was your 1st night? You probably should have gotten some rest last night as the detox symptoms usually take a little while to feel after your missed dose. I will be thinking about you tonight and sending you positive thoughts. Stay Strong and keep the faith.. please let us know how your doing.

[GMcp]

are you ok? how is it going?

[Ashelen]

Thank you guys so much for checking up on me....I'm heading into day 2 (something like 36 hours clean now) and I feel....odd. Not as sick as I thought I would (although I realize it will get worse) but definitely OK.

Kept very busy today...NO energy..tired of yawning..nauseous....but OK.

I need all the support I can get..keep it coming!

took some dayquil today, it helped...been taking nyquil at night and the amino acids and it's all helping..also eating and drinking a lot even though I want to puke, lol.

doing OK...see if I say the same thing tomorrow, HA!

[Ashelen]

oh and the muscle spasms..OMG...but the magnesium is helping. at night I've been taking nyquil and slept like a rock, so not worried about that...DH is watching the kids until I get through these first few nights so I don't have interrupted sleep. thank God for him!

[FourChickens]

Yeah! So glad your hanging in there... I found myself sneezing like crazy for about 4-5 days. Such a odd withdrawl symptom but really common. Keep up the fluids and keep us updated. I have only been on this site for 4 weeks as that is when i went through what your going through, and I am really excited for what lays ahead for you :-)

[Ashelen]

Thank you!I look at it this way..I'm halfway through the worst days (hopefully) and by day 4 I'm hoping to feel better..I tapered drastically and since I took 5mg sat and 5mg sunday I think I already went through some withdrawals then...I know it's still going to s*ck but I'm hoping that it helped some.

Going to take the nyquil in a little bit and hopefully get some sleep. I also wanted to add in case any one is interested that I've been putting bengay/muscle rub on my legs at night and it's been helping a bit with the restless legs - I assume because it stimulates the nerves and helps calm the haywire firing....idk...but it's helped.

[Eebb26]

U r awesome !I can't wait to be where u r!FREE! I feel like a slave to these pills. I'm also hoping the tapering (slowly) will help the WD. It's good to b busy I guess. This am I took smaller dose cuz I was running low ( refil due later in day) and I swear I wS starting to feel WD! I was anxious, stomach aches, rapid heart.maybe it was in my head. I hope u can sleep. G nitr. How the house coming along?

[GMcp]

awesome you r feeling ok still i hope it lasts for you <3

[petroglyph54]

My wd's lasted quite a while, but there was a definate difference after 36 hours, they were by far the most intense of all. Hopefully your already through the worst! What is, is. Eyes wide open, your doing it right. Might have to just be ok, with not being ok for a few more days? Just keep doing what you been doing and this will be over soon. Find some diversion for when your alone, dvd's music, go for a ride, walk. Anything that takes your mind off it for awhile. Make  cookies? Banana's are good for the spasm's as well as the Hyland's rls. Also try proper breathing when you start to amp up, in through the mouth, hold for 5 seconds out slow through the mouth, 5 times. It helps.

[Ashelen]

Thank you guys so much for all the support and advice! I am so grateful!

I slept like a log last night, oddly enough, and I didn't take ANYTHING - I fell asleep before I could! I slept from 11pm-6a and was woken up my husband going to work or I"m sure I would've stayed asleep. can't get back to sleep now...I feel restless.

but honestly, nothing more than that. I wonder if I'm done with the worst...or will it get worse? I'm about to hit 48 hours in about 5 hours and I really don't feel very bad at all...headache, stomach issues...a little jittery and VERY nauseous...but...all in all, much better than IThink I should...

is it going to get a lot worse?!

[Eebb26]

Wow!!! I'm so happy for u. I have nightmares of not being able to function.  U give me hope. Please remind me what u were taking and how much for how long??

[Ashelen]

I've only been on 15mg hydrocodone a day for the past 8 months, but I was taking oxycodone before that at the end of my pregnancy for about 2 months...and before that it was norco 10/325 4-5 times a day for a few months...before that t3 5 times a day...

I've been taking pain meds on and off (almost always on) for the past 5 years. I've stopped before but never with the intention to stay stopped - and my PM doctor has informed me that he's upset that I'm stopping, he doesn't think I can manage the pain without, but w/e.

That was my biggest fear too...with m y little ones I'm so afraid to be non-functioning....today is my first day home alone with them; DH is back at work...i'm scared, but i know i'll get through it. I have been snapping and short for the past 2 days...my daughter got screamed at yesterday morning...not proud, but I'm not perfect. I had to get over the idea of being perfect mommy...I know that I need to be a less-than-perfect mommy for a week or so in order to go back to being a good mommy, you know?

that's the first thingI had to let go of to get through all of this.

I think my dream last night was therapeutic too, lol..i dreamed I smacked my husband around for running off with another girl. I would never hit him in real life but I woke up feeling a sense of release, LOL

[mellie4]

Congrats on another day for you!!!  I hope today goes well.  It's so hard with kids.  My kids are older so it's easier.  I've been really snappy, too, but I've told them that I'm tapering off this medicine and I don't feel good.  Much harder with little ones.

I really relate to all your feelings about pain management.  I hate my pain but I hate the meds more.  They did help the pain a little but the've stunted me so emotionally.

How's your pain level through all this?  Are you getting the so-called rebound pain?  Mine's been bad through the taper but I figure eventually it will reset to my real pain level.  When my doctor is back next week, I'm asking for a stellate-ganglion block to see if it will help with some of the pain.  It's given me some temporary relief in the past.  (And my doctor doesn't want me to come off either.  But I think I'm slowly getting her to see why I want to do this.)

I'm sorry your doctor isn't working with you on this.  Will you keep this doctor or are you going to try to find someone else to help you with your pain?

[Ashelen]

Thanks Mellie! I have almost 48 hrs under my belt and then I'll be on the notorious and dreaded "Day 3" - but if this is as bad as it's goin to get, I got off way too easy.

My pain is pretty bad, but I just ate some bread and I'm about to take 800mg ibuprofen and see how it goes(stomach too touchy for the toradol)....it's definitely not as bad as I thought it would be though.

I do have a bit of advice for anyone just starting/thinking about starting...abandon your dignity and any self-images you have of being the perfect wife/mommy/son/daughter/husband/father.....honestly, it's OK to be a basket case (and have some really gross things happen with your body!) for a few days....but then it's over.

I feel like my head is clear for the first time in a long time. definitely still withdrawing but...I see the light onthe horizon.

[Dav125]

Your doing extremely well from what your describing...And your advice is dead on target..Wd's are a "very" humbling experience and thats part of the key to success..Being able to practice humility....You still may have a few bumps but on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say your in the 3 maybe 4 range with 10 being the worst of what could have been...I'm glad for you..:)