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How long does it take to detox of Vicodin?
Hello,
After knee surgery 31/2 years ago I was put on Vicodin. Little did I know I would get hooked. I never really thought about it, since my doctor was giving it to me and I took it how he told me to. Well today is day 2 and night 3 of not having any vicodin. I have terriable legg cramps, sweets and I can not sleep. How long does this last? It is driving me crazy. I do not have any cravings for the vicodin. Just the withdraws are killing me. I have been drinking water and taking baths. But it doesn't help any.
I'm thinking about going to the emergency room and see if they can help me with my withdraws. I have heard about a pill that helps, but then I'm scared of taking another pill as well.
Please let me know how long this is going to last..........
After knee surgery 31/2 years ago I was put on Vicodin. Little did I know I would get hooked. I never really thought about it, since my doctor was giving it to me and I took it how he told me to. Well today is day 2 and night 3 of not having any vicodin. I have terriable legg cramps, sweets and I can not sleep. How long does this last? It is driving me crazy. I do not have any cravings for the vicodin. Just the withdraws are killing me. I have been drinking water and taking baths. But it doesn't help any.
I'm thinking about going to the emergency room and see if they can help me with my withdraws. I have heard about a pill that helps, but then I'm scared of taking another pill as well.
Please let me know how long this is going to last..........
I had drinking problems too, way before the vicodin problem. I was spiralling downhill with the drinking and basically hit bottom and just said f__k itl, no more! That was 17 yrs ago. Since then I have built an international business, have a great family, and got my self esteem back. AA helped me and is a wonderful organization but TO ME it is kind of a cult and will keep you connected to that lifestyle for the rest of your life. I quit going to meetings after about a yr and got on about my business.
The pain killers came much later. My wife died 6 yrs ago of pancreatic cancer and all these drugs were there and I used them on a very disciplined basis to help with the anquish and pain. These were super drugs (morphine, oxycontine, etc) and it took me about 4 mths to get hooked and I locked myself in my house and sweated it out. It was an experience I weirdly enjoyed and when I kicked it I was so proud of myself.
Two yrs ago I was suffering from some pain for a life of very physical activity in the army, ranching.... I started taking vicodin and really enjoyed the feeling I got from them, I was having some business problems and kept using them after I no longer needed them for pain. I never took more than 3-4 7.5mgs a day and really enjoyed it for 2+ yrs. I thought this was an easy and safe high after what I had been through- "piece of cake". Then it caught up with me a couple of mths ago. I tried cold turkey like before and went 5 days without sleep, RLS all over my body and I looked on here and found the Thomas Recipe.
I am now clean and realize you can't keep "cleaning up" and go back for a little more "euphoria"- it just doesn't work that way and it will eventually kill you and leave you with a legacy that will not be kind.
This is a wonderful forum and if you actually read these life experiences you will wake up to the fact you CANNOT WIN using artificial highs- nothing but a crutch and another nail in your coffin.
I feel I am the luckiest man in the world to have survived what I have put myself through and hopefully will never experience another addiction to any controlling substance again for the rest of my life.
The pain killers came much later. My wife died 6 yrs ago of pancreatic cancer and all these drugs were there and I used them on a very disciplined basis to help with the anquish and pain. These were super drugs (morphine, oxycontine, etc) and it took me about 4 mths to get hooked and I locked myself in my house and sweated it out. It was an experience I weirdly enjoyed and when I kicked it I was so proud of myself.
Two yrs ago I was suffering from some pain for a life of very physical activity in the army, ranching.... I started taking vicodin and really enjoyed the feeling I got from them, I was having some business problems and kept using them after I no longer needed them for pain. I never took more than 3-4 7.5mgs a day and really enjoyed it for 2+ yrs. I thought this was an easy and safe high after what I had been through- "piece of cake". Then it caught up with me a couple of mths ago. I tried cold turkey like before and went 5 days without sleep, RLS all over my body and I looked on here and found the Thomas Recipe.
I am now clean and realize you can't keep "cleaning up" and go back for a little more "euphoria"- it just doesn't work that way and it will eventually kill you and leave you with a legacy that will not be kind.
This is a wonderful forum and if you actually read these life experiences you will wake up to the fact you CANNOT WIN using artificial highs- nothing but a crutch and another nail in your coffin.
I feel I am the luckiest man in the world to have survived what I have put myself through and hopefully will never experience another addiction to any controlling substance again for the rest of my life.
Ive been using pain killers and drinking for many years. Stopping and starting as I go. This time I made it up to 12/5mg a day. I use the Thomas recipe for quitting each time. This time hurts a bit more. I'm down to 5 per day. And the sweats and irritable bowels have started. A bit shaky. I take about 2 at noon. And three with 8mg of lorazepam. This helps keep the terrible nights at bay a little. By day 5 I'll be off everything, hopefully. Except the lorazepam as I'll continue that for a week longer at 6mg. In the end, I'll be sober and I'll wait for a good while until my tolerance level is obsolete and I can have a drink and a pill once or twice a week. I usually maintain this level for about 6 months until I dry out again. Usually before I get over 4 pills. This is my third time where it got out of hand and I waited too long to stop before all the terrible withdrawals come with the quitting. As I get older this lifestyle too gets old. Not sure what I'll do after this detox. Life is short and I've never liked to put on the breaks. And though with time I know this vicious cycle will grow tiresome, I'll keep it up as long as I can. Good luck to those of you, who like me are trying to detox.
I am on day 23 with the help of Valium and day 12 with zero Norcos, my vision is blurred sometimes and I have good and bad days, but I know the worst is over, I smell things, I feel things and I love it, but my head is still cloudy and I just keep moving forward, I am stretching and exercising, my sleep is ok, and I am finding I feel very good at times and very bad at times, and but I just keep moving forward, I am back to my AA/NA meetings , I was sober for years, have not drank in 8 , but got addicted to Norcos, I was at about 15 or so a day and was just fine, I can not wait till the fog in my head is gone, I am hoping by Monday I fell 100% better than I do today, everyday is better.
HUlihan1
HUlihan1
Krazy43,
Here it is. I weened myself off (over a month) and had little to no discomfort. I used xanax at night to sleep and that worked well. I could have done it much faster but chose the slower, easier mode. I have gone cold turkey with alcohol and pain killers before. I went cold turkey on this at first and after 5 days without a minute of sleep I went this way.
Good luck and God Bless
Thomas Recipe
Taper your Vicodin (or other opiate) dose as much as you can before hand, and if possible take some time off from work or any other obligations you might have.
What you need:
1.Valium or any other type of benzodiazepine like Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax etc…
2.Immodiun.
3.L-Tyrosine.
4.Mineral supplement that contains at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium and Potassium. You may not find a supplement that contains all of these together. If not, then buy separately.
5.Vitamin B6.
6.Access to hot showers or baths.
Putting it all into action:
“Start the vitamin/mineral supplement right away (or the first day you can keep it down), preferably with food. Potassium early in the detox is important to help relieve RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). Bananas are a good source of potassium if you can’t find a supplement for it.
Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you’re aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn’t need the Valium after day 4 or 5.
During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.
Use the Imodium aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don’t take it, however, if you don’t need it.
At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the “coffee jitters,” consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help.
Continue to take the vitamin/mineral supplement with breakfast.
As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.
- Thomas”
Here it is. I weened myself off (over a month) and had little to no discomfort. I used xanax at night to sleep and that worked well. I could have done it much faster but chose the slower, easier mode. I have gone cold turkey with alcohol and pain killers before. I went cold turkey on this at first and after 5 days without a minute of sleep I went this way.
Good luck and God Bless
Thomas Recipe
Taper your Vicodin (or other opiate) dose as much as you can before hand, and if possible take some time off from work or any other obligations you might have.
What you need:
1.Valium or any other type of benzodiazepine like Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax etc…
2.Immodiun.
3.L-Tyrosine.
4.Mineral supplement that contains at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium and Potassium. You may not find a supplement that contains all of these together. If not, then buy separately.
5.Vitamin B6.
6.Access to hot showers or baths.
Putting it all into action:
“Start the vitamin/mineral supplement right away (or the first day you can keep it down), preferably with food. Potassium early in the detox is important to help relieve RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). Bananas are a good source of potassium if you can’t find a supplement for it.
Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you’re aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn’t need the Valium after day 4 or 5.
During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.
Use the Imodium aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don’t take it, however, if you don’t need it.
At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the “coffee jitters,” consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help.
Continue to take the vitamin/mineral supplement with breakfast.
As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.
- Thomas”
Crazylife, if you are seriously wanting to stop...take yourself to the ER. Tell them what you have been taking, your withdrawal symptoms, etc. I was prescribed clonidine for the withdrawal symptoms of taking 20 per day. They also pumped me full of fluid since I was dehydrated. It took a lot to take myself there. I went alone, and I myself am in the closet with my addiciton. NO ONE knows about it at all. I'm on Day 5 today, and I feel a TON better... no anxiety, I can sleep, I still have to make myself eat, i'm thinking less of taking pills, although still want them, I know I can think through it, and NOT take them. My life and all I have in it is way too important to let this S*$t control my life. Good Luck, and if you are truly serious and want to power through it, it's mostly in your mind.
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