Getting off Oxycodone

[FreshStart4MeNow]

Hello everyone - I've been lurking and I wonder if I could get some help with my problem.

I have been suffering with muscle and joint aches/pain and am now (finally) being diagnosed with some type of autoimmune connective tissue disease - most likely Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I have been complaining of the excruciating pain to my MD for about 6-8 months and she basically did nothing but treat me badly - basically saying it was the stress of caring for my terminally ill father, working two jobs, having an infant, etc. and to modify my lifestyle until the past month when I pleaded with her to look further and she ran some labs which discovered the auto-immune antibodies.

Anyway for the past 6-8 months the pain has been so excruciating I have resorted to using OxyCodone (Immediate Release) without a prescription.  It started as 5 mg once/day and now it is up to 12-15 5 mg tabs daily.  I now have no more access and I want to get off of them.  I have about 30 5 mg tabs left as well as Ultram which my MD wants me to take for the pain, Xanax and Trazodone.  I want to get off the medication so bad.  I'm not sure how to go about it.  I am not taking any of the above meds now except the Oxycodone.   Will any of them lessen the withdrawal symptoms?  What do I expect for withdrawal symptoms - and for how long?  I'm so afraid.  I have to function I have a young child and a family to take care of.

Will any of the other medication help me to get off the oxycodone?  I can't tell anyone I am taking it because I am so ashamed.

I want to be medication free when I see my rheumatologist which in 7 days - is this possible?  What do I do?  I can't believe I'm posting this - I am so ashamed.

Thanks for any help.  

[FreshStart4MeNow]

Hi SnakeJones

Thanks for your caring comment - I am not afraid of a drug screen.  I want to be med free before seeing the rheumy because I want him to be able to see my symptoms as they are without medication - because they are bad!  I suffer so much with joint stiffness and pain every day.   It takes an hour to get on my own two feet in the morning.  

Before trying medication I begged my doctor to help me in other ways (non-drug) - I have  gone to physical therapy, a chiropractor, a counselor (in case it was mental) and even spent $2,500.00 on a brand new bed because she said that was what was causing my muscle pain... and nothing has seemed to work.  

I have never upped medication on my own without prescription before.  I only did it with the percocet because I was needing more to achieve the same level of pain relief.  

I am seeing a counselor to deal with the death of my father - I cared for him for about 1.5 years before he passed away.  We lived in the same house.  I miss him terribly.  

I'm trying to be gentle with myself - but I am notoriously hard on myself... I am the caretaker - I am the breadwinner - Everyone in my life expects me to do everything - I rarely catch a break.  

I've even thought about checking into an inpatient psych just to get a break.

I carry so much shame and self-loathing because of all of this... why can't i just be a normal 29 year old... and enjoy my life.

[snakejones]

Hi, honey, welcome to the forum. I'm so sorry that we have to meet this way, but I am so glad you are here!  Perhaps if you had had an understanding, nurturing doctor to help you instead of the self-opinionated one with a God complex and a one-size-fits-all attitude, you might have never had to come here in the first place. I cannot believe her comment about Percocet! What an idiot. I'm curious--why do you want to detox in time for your rheumatologist appointment? Are you going to confide in them about your Oxycontin intake? Are you afraid they're going to do a drug screen on you or something? Although new rheumatology patients normally receive a lot of bloodwork and other workups if needed to give the new doctor a good picture of what's going on, they just do not do drug screens unless they have some kind of suspicion. Does your woman doctor have any idea that you take Oxycontin now?
Yes, you can use Ultram to detox quite nicely from the Oxycontin, but you need to know this right up front---you must take them at proper dosage and do NOT add to the dose. Tramadol is notorious for causing grand mal seizures in patients who abuse them. Since you are also on other drugs, this ups the ante for the seizures even more if you abuse tramadol. The sleeping med and the Xanax--fine for now, but don't take more than you have to. You cannot afford to be taking these kinds of drugs together and increasing them without something awful happening. You must be patient when getting off the Oxycontin--even with the other drugs to help you will feel some discomfort, whether physical, mental, or emotional, so be ready and do NOT take more medication if you have a bad day. I am so glad you are going to a rheumatologist! They have many drugs/treatments to offer patients, and most have a genuine sense of caring about their clients, since almost all of them are suffering physically and the doctors are a daily witness to that suffering. And they can refer you to a pain clinic if need be--they also have other treatment modalities besides pain meds. I hope your new doctor is the best! You deserve some real help and some real understanding. And I am so sorry for the loss of your daddy---I cared for my mother for 2 1/2 years in the home until her death last December, so I think I understand how you may be feeling. Right now you've just got to take things one at a time, one day at a time. Don't be overwhelmed, honey. You have help here and you have a new doctor, so things are looking up a little, no? I wish you all the best and a easy detox if you do decide to go through with it.

[Luckytwice]

Plus, you can cut right down on the oxy if your are taking the tramidol, and prob not have any wd's  it's an opiate as well

[Luckytwice]

The rheumatologist I went to put me on an antibiotic for a year. Now I got no teef

[Luckytwice]

Don't be afraid to use the tramidol, if you need it you need it, simple as that.

[FreshStart4MeNow]

I think I'm going to use the Ultram - the pain is intolerable without any medication at all- it's been five hours since my last oxy and my joints are hurting so bad I am in tears.  I become tolerant to the ultram then my doctor can help me get off of it since they are the ones who gave it to me...

The xanax is to deal with the anxiety since losing my dad - so I definitely need that - hopefully it will help with my w/d symptoms.

Trazodone was given to me by a therapist to sleep since losing my dad.  She was aware of all other meds on my profile.  I haven't taken it yet.  I'll probably hold off.

I'm too young to be on all these meds -  I just want to feel normal again.  Being in constant pain everyday really wears you down.  I can't wait to see what the rheumatologist says.

I just want to see the rheumatologist next week and get his opinion.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

[Innerstrength67]

I'm sirry to hear about the loss of your father. That's very difficult to deal with on top of your medical issues. Ok, so you are probably an addict because you taking pills that are not prescribed to you and increasing your dose. Thank God you don't get high from them because that's a whole other issue to deal with. I loved my Vicodin high but my tolerance kept going up hense my pill consumption kept going up as well.

Is there any way you can be totally honest with your dr. At this point maybe you should because you don't want this life and addiction thrives on lies and secrecy.

I know you feel shameful but try and be gentle with yourself. You just wanted out of pain and fell into this merry go round of pills.

Hope this helps. Stick around here. Everyone here is great and will give you great advice.

[Luckytwice]

here is the amino acid protocol link

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/Amino-Acid-Protocol/show/15?cid=66

The ones you want to get are: L-tyrosine, Sam-e (don't take with 5HTP)
L-glutamine, B- vitamin Complex (or multi vitamin with it included) Vitamin c-1000mg)

You should be able to get them all at walmart, or another store that sells herbal remedies and vitamins. There are cheap, but oh so helpfull

[Luckytwice]

I had to quit off of 480mg oxy a day, and I'll tell you right now, it wasn't  fun.

Don't keep taking them and think you are just going to quit. If you do, your heading for a train wreck major disaster.

You are going to have to do a fast taper, and it isn't going to be fun.
But without a refill, you don't have much choice,

I had a heart attack trying to cold turkey off 480mg, so you don't want to do that.

If you can manage,  cut to 1/4 of what you are taking now. You will feel some withdrawls, but that will let you down slower and not cause so much problems.

Then use all the methods we use here to soften the blow, so to speak, of withdrawals.
Imodium, gatoraide, Amino acids,  multi vitamins with Bcomplex,   and vitamin C.

You are at least lucky that your dosage isn't too high. You should be able to manage without full blown withdrawals if you start immediately.
This gives you 8 days and a final leap that isn't off too tall a building.

I wouldn't take any of those other meds,  But i would run and get Imodium, and some of the amino acid supplements listed on the amino acid protocol link at the bottom of the page, as well as the multi vitamins and vitamin c.

You should be able to get through it ok.

[overopiates]

A couple things u may want to get a new doctor as urs seems to not listen or take what u say seriously(ur pain,what works etc).How has ANY DR not heard of percs helping w/pain.Also she is throwing trazadone at u for pain that works way less for pain,is as addictive as percs,WAY harder to come off of than percs.Just my opinion u need to have a Dr who listens to u and if u had u would've found out a lot sooner what was causing the pain.Can I ask r u taking this amount and getting a buzz?
Yes its possible2get off that amount n about4-6days c/t.What I'm trying to figure out is if u NEED meds that r strong to work w/ur pain,if ur getting high or just pain relief.

[FreshStart4MeNow]

I feel that I've crossed the line because I'm taking so much medicine - and it's medicine that's not prescribed to me.  

I'm embarassed.  I definitely feel anxiety when I don't take them after 6 or so hours.  

I just want to do what the doctor's want me to do and not to self- medicate.  I was just in so much agony - I didn't know what to do.

An issue that complicates it is that I cannot take any NSAIDS - which are typical 1st line drugs for rheumatoid arthritis.  She gave me percocet one time and it was the only thing that SOMEWHAT relieved the pain - and after that I just wanted to be pain free so bad I just kept taking them.  

She won't give me percocet any more because she says "there are no studies that show it is proven to help with my kind of pain".

Honestly - I kept upping the dosage I believe because of tolerance - because I do not even feel a high from it at all.

I can't help but feel shame.  I can't believe this happened so fast.  It probably doesn't help that I lost my father a week ago.  I am at a very low point right now.

Congratulations on your detox.  I hope I can detox and function.

[Innerstrength67]

Hi freshstart, please try and not feel ashamed. I know that's a tall order because most addicts feel that way but... It makes everything your dealing with so much worse. You have real physical pain and there is nothing wring with taking medicine, however, do you feel you have now crossed over the line from taking it only when needed or continuing to increase your dose. If you want to get off of the pills than it's possible. There are a lot of people who will respond with tremendous experience. But you also need to be safe about it. It's always good to be honest with your dr but sounds like you have a difficult situation in that regard.
Hang in there. Someone will come along with some answers for you.
I'm on day 4 coming off of a lot of Vicodin. It's possible but be safe!
Hugzzzzz