I HATE VICODIN! please help

[maplid]

   I had scoliosis surgery 12 years ago and had a significan amount of residual back pain-- long story short, a year ago, my doctor gave me a prescription of vicodin with 5 refills and here I am... I have been reading your posts and want help, I am reaching out.  
    I still have a significant amount of back pain, that I think can be releived by OTC meds but cannot get off the vicodin.  I asked my doc to decrease my dose to the 2.5's, and that was two months ago.  I had WD symptoms after that... I am now down to 4, 2.5 vicodin a day and have been for a week. I have 20 vicodin left and want to taper so I do not have horrific WD symptoms.  I want to STOP and never take these again, I would rather live with pain...  when I went through WD in the past I had horrific diarrhea, horrific RLS and COULD NOT SLEEP.  I work night shift and am in school full time and NEED SLEEP.  Do you think flexeril will help me sleep?  What would be the best thing for me to do to get off of these evil pills.
   I am 5 foot and about 95 pounds so even the 2.5 is a lot for me, although i am used to it by now...  please help, any suggestions??  What can help me sleep?? I am desperate, I want myself back!

[tnbrowneyes]

well you have seen what wd's are. tapering im sure you will still have some those maybe not as bad but still im sure some will hit ya.
for sleep..try melatonin or something PM. The RLS try heat
take imdium , eat fruits like bananna's and take vitamins(but not too many) drink lots of water. green tea with ginseng gives you a lil energy and also helps clean the body out. keep posting and asking questions and take it day by day.
the flexerils..for me..and not everyone does the same..i took one when i couldnt sleep and my wd's overpowered it. i was still up all night but so tired. so i just took the mel and seemed to work better for me.
someone esle on here will have better or more advice im sure.
good luck

[justlikeyou]

this forum has a lot of good advice.

and some bad advise.

my recent personal experience is that the pain i had when i was still taking pills actually WENT AWAY when i stopped taking the pills?

i dont understand that but its true. something about our body / mind making up the pain to get more pills i believe?

w/ds suck bad, there are drugs available that may make your w/ds easier, but not completely easy, there will be lots of suffering involved if you want your life back.

do it, its worth it.

[oxysbliss]

I think Im horrible remembering names lol when responding
welcome...You've come to a good place with many different areas of advice with a very broad persepctive....So be patient...with what you read...and just try things as you go

Fladdict who is usually here for a bit..Did a taper...and a taper is acommittment but can be done.......You will need help though...and someone close to home..if you can...She has amazing information on herbs, and things that are natural for ht emost part...She is just getting off Sub only being on it for a short period of time and she is doing AMAZING from what I have read...So look for her name..and ask...She has ideas for sleep as well..

I totally understand..I need sleep in my life..I was veyr lucky taht my life was boring as heck while I was in wds...and slowly it got busier with the people around me..its been at its own pace so Im gratefull.....I HAD TO SMOKE POT...in order to sleep..and even still I have issues around sleep...since I recently quit that too just over 2weeks ago...so I am in a process as well..

I still take the odd perc here and there...Because I am in alot of pain some days and cant barely move...However I just came from a daily habit from anywhere to 20 ...20s in a day..or 4 80s...or amixture of all of them..whatever I could pop or put up my nose

It took me since Jan to get where I am today...and let me tell you its been a process....a long one...and having a healthy aspect on life...REALLY DOES HELP..So does JOURNALLing..thought you maybe tired of reading and writing from school..its a great way to keep track of yourself and get yoru perspective on you and your life......So that's some of my advice

Hang in there, things will get better and people will be around to answer you....some suggest a taper, or c.t but you have to become honest with yourself and try...........a desire to stop is all you need..and you can grow on that...

Anyways, I have to go for now..I hope this helps for now...Hang in there....and just keep writing if you have to..
Oh yes....Green teas help take out toxians..even though I was in pain I would try really hard to walk and get exerice...STay away from sugar which is hard but lol I can do somedays lol as long as Im not pmsing....lol.....lots of water...and there is a ton else......
There is stuff for REstless leg I just dont really remember all the information..Sorry abou thtat...just know that your not alone...and someone is always around to help!! INcluding me

Happy Thoughts and Prayers

[Tim2H]

I think you are making a wise decision to quit the pills. You have to really commit yourself to this. I know how you are feeling right now and it is going to be hard for the first 5-7 days. I felt physically better after that although the mental part of it is harder for me. There are many people on this forum that can give you some good advice. I think the flexeril is a muscle relaxer and maybe will help with the aches and pains. For sleep I used dramamin, benadryl and tylenol pm. Not at the same time!!! You should have some OC cough syrup on hand because I had a really bad night cough. The Thomas Recipe helps too as I have read on the forum. Someone can paste it for you. I would make sure to have all the needed remedies available before you start. I drank smoothies for the first week or so and had some postassium on hand for dehydration. You will receive many posts today to help you. Stick to the board and let the forum help you through this. God Bless and give a shout out if you ever need a helping hand. This is the best thing you can do for yourself. You will get through this.

Tim

[tnbrowneyes]

touching base about the pains going away...yes yes
before when i took hydro's i would mow or do something and hurt like hadies..
i was like..ok i need these because i hurt..but now..yesterday i mowed my yard and cleaned some carptet and not an ounce of pain.
i agree its like the drugs brainwash you to feel however they want you to so you take more. just wanted to let ya know i agree with ya there.

[JeffinNC]

Ask you doctor about prescribing you clonidine. Withdrawls elevate your blood pressure which adds to most all your symptoms. Clonidine will lower bp and hopefully help you get through this a little easier.

[FLaddict]

I would first start by taking your pills on a time schedule. say every 4 hours. or whatever fits you best.. stay that way for a few days. If you have not been taking them on a schedule this will allow your body to adjust to a time frame. Next start spreading your doses farther apart each day by 20 min.. each day adding 20min on to the schedule. so If you were originally supposed to take it at 4 then 420 then 440 then 5pm... in three days you have moved your doses an hour apart.. keep going you will get to the point where a whole dose will be eliminated. when you get to two a day I would break em in half and take 4 halfs a day. then eliminate a half then another.. you will have some slight withdrawl but you will be able to function

[MrMojo]

Thank God, I thought I was the only one going through this. I stopped taking codeine a week ago today. I was taking over 60 pills a day and decided enough was enough and went cold turkey. Only thing is no one told me about withdrawal symptoms!! The headaches and sleepless nights are the worst. Luckily they have subsided over the last day and today I think I am starting to feel better (please!). I have kept my addiction secret from my wife, friends and family. Had to make up a fake illness to explain why I was so ill. i just to be rid of this evil drug.

[fishmeal]

JeffNC got it right with the colonidine.... It helped me so much especially with sleep.

[maplid]

   I only  have 20 pills left and I am going to begin tomorrow only taking 1 per day at bedtime and hopefully that will be ok...  I have no idea how I got into this heap of a mess.  I have severe scoliosis and i think dr's are so quick to write me a script cause just looking at my back is painful...  It is not that noticable until I bend over...    
   For a while I thought I was fine, taking all of these Vicoden, but now I realize that they are ruining my life--in some aspects.  I get moody, irritable, and I just hate coming off of these things.  Thank goodness I only have 2.5's which I think may make it a little easier.  But I know what people are saying, when i wd, the people I used to talk to A LOT, seem annoying and not as enjoyable, I have so much energy on vicodin, feel great and have no pain.  I CANNOT SLEEP which is soooooo utterly irritating, I sweat, and my RLS is out of control...
   I would ask my dr for prescriptions for clonidine or subutex, but I am in the medical field, a nurse and live in a very rural community.  I see a counselor once every two weeks and I have not even told her...  THIS will be the topic of our discussion next week!  Thank you eveyone for being so kind and supportive, I could cry...