Is there any hope to getting off Norco?

[captainblah]

I won't bore you with my medical history just that I started taking Norco innocently enough and now 10 years later I'm still taking them.  I've tried to get off of them (though I have no idea how I would deal with my pain) and have failed every time.  I can't deal with my pain alone let alone with the horrific withdrawals.

I NEED to know there is hope!  I have read many posts about people who are on day 3, 5 or 10 of their detox and for the valiant decision to quit I salute you and your courage, but what I am looking for is the experiences of those who have been sober for a long time; those people who dealt with the withdrawals and the anxiety and the feeling that they've lost their best friend when they quit and how they coped.  Those of you who have made it are the key to guys like me who are standing at the doorstep of recovery and scared to walk through.  I remember when I very first started taking Norco for my pain and I ran out and didn't have insurance to see the doctor, it wasn't really a big deal.  Withdrawals never even occurred to me.  In fact I remember the most amazing feeling of clarity and awareness.  I long to feel that clarity again.  Is it still out there?

[Here4support]

I say the biggest thing is not CONSTANTLY being consumed with the things. Constantly thinking about them, when you can take more, the first thing you think of waking up, wondering if you have enough with you to last when you leave house, when can you get more, having them last, the panic, the worry blah blah blah. It's consuming and that pissed me off. You miss out on everything around you because the urge, the temptation, the thoughts of getting high or for some of us, just keep from feeling like poo trumps all the good stuff. Not fair. Not fair for family and friends or yourself to miss out. It wasn't until I was out  of the circus did I realize this was one of the MANY reasons I was happy to be out of the rat race. I thought the pills enhanced good moments, helped bad ones and made me happy. Wrong. So wrong. That feeling lasted about 30 minutes, that's it. Then it was back to thinking about them and not that "good moment" that was happening that I should be enjoying!  See what I'm saying?! Think back before the pills. There is a good life, you know it exists, it's getting back to that person before pills. I also think all the crap and feeling bad you have to endure with w/d and the fight to stay clean in the beginning makes you appreciate all that goodness and gratefulness when you start feeling better! It's there, greatness and feeling good and so cliche' being "free" is oh so good. Just gotta want it, be ready for it and to fight for it because those pills will try and convince you otherwise and believe me, so much better without!! Stick around. Ask question, pick brains. Lots of folks around here can help you and give advice.

[ricart70]

Hi Captain.   I tried and tried to get off of narcotics and I failed but I kept trying. I remember the first time I was able to string together about a month and I then realized that the key to feeling better was that I had to put in the time. A week didn't cut it,a month didn't quite do it either but I really really felt a ton better after 90 days. I have had some relapses (which I regret) but I have managed to stay completely clean of anything and everything for more than four out of the last five years. I also have depression (the kind that makes me uninterested in things-not the sad crying kind )  but it is a walk in the park compared to the first few weeks of detox.  I now have 502 days clean and I feel really good. If I can help you please message me. You can do this my friend. Take it day by day.

[Sonrissa]

Hi captain, and welcome to the forum! I agree with everything ariley said. And I can attest to the fact that once you are off the pain pills for a while, you will in fact have less pain. When I first stopped taking them, my pain was worse and I thought that there was no way I could live like that. However, much to my surprise, the further I got away from the pills, the less I felt pain. It's really true!

Take care, I wish you the best. Please keep posting for advice and support.

[ariley13]

Hi there and welcome! I don't know if I consider it a long time, but I have been clean for almost 8 months. I also started taking pain meds for a host of medical issues, the main one being a crippled back from a rollover accident. I deal with pain issues daily, some days being worse than others. I can honestly tell you that the more time you put between you and the opiates, the less pain you will have. It is very hard at first when you quit because your body and mind are screaming for more pills. Please look into opiate induced hyperalgesia. This is a phenomena that occurs with chronic pain patients who are on long term opiate use. Basically the brain begins to trick the body into thinking it has much more pain that it actually has in an attempt to get more and more pain meds. Often times chronic pain sufferers will have less pain off of the meds than they did while on them. I can report that this does happen. My pain is way better than it was 8 months ago. If you are serious about wanting to quit, the first thing I would suggest is to discuss this with your doctor. Be 100% honest and upfront with them. This will help to cut off your sources and they may be able to suggest a taper plan to make things easier. Another biggie is to tell your family and friends what is going on. It's important to set up a solid support system and to tell our secret, otherwise we will just use behind our secret. We need people to hold us accountable. Please stick around here. This is a great community and a fantastic place to get advice, support, and encouragement. We will be here for you every step along the way on your journey to a clean and happy life. Please take care and keep your head up. You can do this!!