Life is great now

[GreatLife]

I just wanted to post here and say how wonderfull this site has helped me. I have been coming here for months. I have never posted anything here but I did follow a'lot of other peoples advice and now I am 8 days clean and not having any more withdrawls. ( The first 3 days were hell).  I was taking Hydro's, Oxy's pretty much anything I can get my hands on. I was up to 90 mgs a day for almost 2 years. I tried tapering but knowing I had the pills I just had to take them, So I quit cold turkey with the thompson reciepe. IT WORKS. All I want to say is thanks for your posts as other people do read them and it does HELP.

[ChiTownGirl]

Wow, glad you made it and welcome to the forum!   I too am starting a full blown detox this weekend and am pretty scared of the WD symptoms.  I go stir crazy if I dont take a pill every 6 hours, even if it is only 1 pill.  I am consumed all day by how many pills I have, how many can I take, when can I get more, where can I get more, etc, etc. etc.  Complete madness.  I am ready to quit though, I kinda got in trouble due to my pill usage and really dont have any option but to quit.  Glad to hear your success story, however I am not doing the Thomas Recipe route, I have never taken any vitamins and will not start now.  I instead have clonidine, trazadone and bentyl to help lessen some of the symptoms of my WD this weekend.  I took 2 trazadone last night because I am almost completely out of my pills, I have like 6 left of Norco 10/325 and want to save them for when I absolutely cannot handle the WD symptoms, but the trazadone really helped calm me down and helped with the restless legs I usually get in the early AM.  I was able to take 1 norco at exactly 7:30 PM last night and made it all the way to 6:00 am this morning without having my usual tensing of my entire body and legs.  That is probably the worst along with the anxiety. Anyhow, keep posting and let us know how you are doing!  CTG.

[suzieneedshelp]

Sweetie...u cAnt take any narcotics during withdrawAl or you start all over!  Thats like an alcoholic saying.. ill just keep some booze handy if i need it...NOT!

i KNOW JUST WHERE U ARE COMING FROM THOUGH.  i TRIED TO KEEP SOME STADOL ON HAND JUST IN CASE I NEEDED IT..well it will call to you 24/7 and if you have any refills they call to you too.  and eventually you take em.. not cuz u need to either!
THAT is how i failed my first detox effort!
This addiction is a disease you know!  And your mind will play tricks on you convincing u to take more or take your stash.  
Peace to you  my dear... get rid of those pills!
Dont put yoursefl thru that torture and then relapse like me!
Peace again!
Suzie

[harlem]

I want life to be great too!!Today is my second day of not taking ultram/ultracet. I have been taking these pills on and off (mostly on) for almost 2 years now. I work for a dr. and can get them very easily in sample form. I have drained myself in all of my efforts of trying to obtain these pills and maintain my composure when the stash gets low. I need some support from anyone who can lend a hand. I am only 25, and the mother of a 3 year old, and I just cannot do this anymore. I am actually very happy and looking forward to completing the rest of my life w/out using these type of pills. They were prescribed to me for legitimate pain and the next thing i knew i was taking them everyday just to maintain the "euphoric" feeling. When i attempted to get off of them 2 years ago, i suffered from a severe withdrawal and decided it would be better to keep on them. Obviously this cannot be done in good conscience or good health so now is the time for me to begin a new day! Please, i'd appreciate any feedback. Any advice or true stories about the same situation is so appreciated.... Thank you

[theGolden1]

Dear Chi ... you are doing great in cutting down on the opiods.
Keep going and don't let anyone rain on your parade. I know you will reach your goals in due time. I just wish I could feel as hopeful. But that's the beauty of ultram .... it's like fly paper. I have yet to hear a sucessful ultram detox story....

Dear Suzie ... I'm sure Chi realizes that she is not "clean" but
is pleased with her progress. How much ultram were you taking and how are you coming off? I don't want to drag my detox out too long .... or I get discouraged and give up. I do have a life to live ... Goldie

[theGolden1]

If you are 25 years old ..... you can get off ultram. You will recover without too much problem. Just get some addiction help. The trouble with this drug is it stays in the stystem a long time. My email is ***@**** . I'll send you the information I have so far .... Good Luck

[suzieneedshelp]

Hey!  How r u?  I am doing ok.  I was taking about 8 a day and then cut down to 6 thne 4 then off em.  
As for Chitown, and ME!  ALL I KNOW IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD AND EXPERIENCED.  we CANT JUST TAKE A LITTLE!  It is the nature of the beast and the disease for most.  Nor can we keep some on hand just in case...
Do u go to NA or AA?  I think they are great programs if you find the right group for you.  
I am very very nauseated today and dry heaves.  Shaking and vibrating brain.  But i will be ok!
Love, hugs!
Suzie

[suzieneedshelp]

It is admirable wut u are going to do!  You have already achieved a great milestone admitting it is a problem and desiring to get off the devil!  Let us know how we can help and how u r plz.. keep posting!
Suzie

[teeitup]

Read all the post even if the lead question does not pertain to you. There are great stories and ways different people have either quit all together or cut back. Good luck!

teeitup

[FINISHED!!]

Chi,
Again, I MUST agree with Suzie. You will only be climbing a greasy ladder if you detox to the point where you just KNOW you can't handle the withdrawls & reach for a pill or two. One step up is NEVER worth two steps down. If you get 24 hours into your detox & take just ONE PILL, all that pain & misery you just suffered for that day shoot right down the toilet. You MUST go into this ready to tackle the withdrawls & all WITHOUT any of the pills that you're battling. Trust me on this one. I detoxed with a whole bottle of Vicodin ES in the house & after the first day I convinced myself that taking two pills when I get up certainly won't hurt my recovery...especially since I was taking 5 or 6 at a time, 4 or 5 times a day. Guess what? I felt a WHOLE LOT better for the greater part of the morning...until those pills wore off. Then I ACTUALLY felt WORSE than I did the prior day. That's when I KNEW that this had to be done without ANY pills other than immodium to keep me off of the toilet. I successfully completed my withdrawls with the remainder of my meds in the house but I was SO ready to be clean that I honestly knew in my heart that I would not, under any circumstance take another for withdrawls. You REALLY CAN DO THIS CHI...without your security balnket in the house.

Again Chi...you are in my prayers & I have the GREATEST faith in you for your upcoming battles. Please keep us posted & be VERY careful with what you do with those 6 pills. Mine is only advice & concern. You seem to have already siked yourself out regarding the symptoms of detox, making them worse than they'll actually be. I'd REALLY hate to see you prolong this uncomfortable experience by taking just one pill to help ease the pain & slipping back to the beginning of a vicious circle.

TAKE CARE CHI...BE STRONG!!!

FINISHED!!

[hippy]

hey everyone , i all is well.
the withdrawls from ultram and ultracet are no fun.
one thing is for sure tho , we make out to be worse then it really is before we do take the plunge at kicking.
the worst is the restless leg at night in the 1st week.
waking up in the middle of the night or not even getting much sleep at all is always the hard part. when we do go through this it is a real good idea to get right into the hot bath tub,
sometimes we may have to do this a couple time at night .
so don't get to upset about it. the bath will feel wonderful
while you in it.
the depression and painc during thr day seems worse then it is ,
it will pass after a week   so try not to pay to much attention to it, and keep busy.
for those who are willing a few L-tyrosine and b-6 really do help
with the with drawls in week one.
in any event just do what ever you have to to get through weeek one then try to start moving around , walk, ride a bike.
whatever. in time your natraul endorphins will slowly start to
kick in a little each day,
dot forget to eat and take imodium for the runs,
the runs in week one will deplete your body of all your nutrients
and electolites and this will make the with drawls worse then they have to be. gator aid help to restore the lost electolites.

well peace to everyone//////////hippy

[lifeisbetter]

After detoxing basically every way possible ie, cold turkey, self weaning (ha) hospital detox and then finally the rapid detox I referred to in above post, I'll tell you what happened to me and what worked best. I literally tried to detox myself at home at least 25 times (not counting the forced "mini detoxes" I went through while trying to get more.) The first time seemed bad at the time but I had nothing to gage it by. I can tell you for me each subsequent withdrawel period became more painful for a longer period of time. Suzieneedshelp and Finished! are right about not taking any narcotic while you detox. There is a catch to that though. They give you small doses of opiates in the hospital and take you down a little more humanly than cold turkey...but... there is no way to get more. If I ever had a refill coming to me and I tried to detox at home by trying to take a few remaining pills I'd saved "in case it gets too bad" I would take that dose and like they said in the other posts it would trigger me and I would absolutely have to get the refill. If, however you have no way to get any opiate for at least 2 weeks preferably more, You may be able to get some badly needed relief by taking a dose "when it gets terribly hard to take"  actually if you have enough, one pill every 6 hours on day one, one every 8 hours the next day and one every 12 the third taking one final pill 24 hours as your last pill is a prescribed means of detox in some hospitals. (I'm also a registered nurse so I've been through detox from both sides, this method really is a protocol that has been used for detox... among many and with other meds as well, such as clonidine and specific meds for symtom relief as they occur.) Realize though, that you will go through another withdrawel after that last pill but it makes the detox more tolerable and gives you a slightly better chance at being succesful. You absolutely must give the pills to your husband and you can not have any access to more pills not even a remote chance. I am only telling you this from alot of unfortunate detox experiences of my own. You seem really strong and determined to do this. Everybody has their own experience and does what works for them. This is just one suggestion among many of the great ones that have been posted here. Good luck this weekend and how did you do today? Keep posting when you can, I've seen how much your supported here. I'll keep you in my prayers. Take care

[saveyourself]

Fear of WD,

How many of us have continued useing, tapering, picking up 36 hours after determinred this was it? I won't use no matter what.  Then the cycle starts all over,  I will quit next month or next week.

I have 33 days clean from any opiate, the thomas recipe helped me, however, my Dr, who I got honest with sent me to his adickionoligist, She reccomenned methadone, been there done that in 88. I am an addict who had 7 years clean in NA became successful and thought I could drink socially.  Within a year I was an alkie and also got addicted to gambling in a huge way, with huge losses.

My parents died in 2000, leaving a selection of pain pills, I took my first lora tab two days before my Dad's funeral. Hadn't used pills in years because I drank.

Months later, I found out I had a disease that required a chemo like treatment for 6 months, I was cured, but was left with an oxy and perc habit.  This went on for 14 months, 400 mgs of oxy, 120mgs of percs, a day just to feel normal.  I was seeing multible DR.s and thought of quitting everyday.  That day finally came in the first week of DEC. 2002  I thought WD would be over by Christmas.  I still have them.  But,I have a freedom I haven't had for 2 yrs.

My addictionoligist, which there are many, it is a growing indusry, Choose carefully if you go this route.  Mine was chosen for me. I am now tapering off of klonopin, been on it a month,stopped cold turkey and now understand the pain and insanity of WD from benzos.  She also put me on Efflexor, anti depressent.  Bottom line is I am going to be drug free by the end of the month.  I am tired all the time, from the prescribed pills.  There is not a drug on the planet I haven't tried and liked at first, when it stopped working I substituted another drug.

I am a recovering addict who goes to an NA meeting everyday, because it works for me.  I know I have blown brain circuts and my brain is never in a normal state.  My solution and answer was to humble my self, go to meetings, get my sponser and work the 12 steps.  I am on step 1.  I have reaquainted myself with some real friends that I chose to leave when I started to drink and stopped meetings and fellowship of people fighting this disease successfully.

I am also a business owner, a husband and a father of two daughters. Met my wife in recovery 14 yrs ago. I would be consider well to do with all the trapping and toys.  Yet in debt, like everyone else.  On the outside I am normal, when I am using, I have gratitude for none of the gifts I have been blessed with.  My only thoghts revolve around how many and how long my pills will last.  I expect with the quantity and length of time I was using, my WD will last 5 or 6 months just like methadone WD in 88.  The legitamate pain I have I will learn to live with, those that have to use pain meds as prescribed to live a normal life my prayers are with you.

Jeez, I don't post for a few days and I write a book.  To the people who are new, there are some very caring, loving people who got me through my first week of WD, to those that helped me thank you, I never would have made it through the first week without you, you know who you are. There is life after drugs, it just most of us believe the lie of the pills for way to long.  
Strength and Honor
Greg

[suzieneedshelp]

Excellent post!   Your personal experience is where it is at for those needing knowledge and support. Ty for sharing.  I am in withdrawal now and i know soon it will be over!  This is my real withdrawal now... And my last!
Peace to you!
Suzie

[MrsRat]

I read your post on the other thread where you said you were in the hospital recently.  I'm so sorry to hear what you have been thru.  I am also a person who didn't know the damage that taking a simple over the counter drug, such as Mortrin or Advil, could do.  I was taking them both after moving to a new state to try to handle my pain, which at that point I had no idea was from.  I just knew I hurt all the time and dropped down to 72 pounds. I was at the point I couldn't walk on my own and my hubby had to carry me from where I was sitting to where I needed to go.  These days I have my own wheelchair the insurance company bought me for the bad days when I need it. I even have wheelie bars on it, it's just way too cool. (If you were looking, I was that idiot in the wheelchair earlier tonight doing donuts in the middle of the parking lot. LOL.)

When I did get a doctor who believed I hurt and he ran a CT scan, small bowel series, and colonoscopy. They found that a foot of my small bowel was 90% closed up on the inside with scar tissue and the outside of it was covered with a U shaped web of scar tissue that held it on one place instead of letting it move freely so food could go thru me and be absorbed. (Sheesh, talk about run on sentences.)  I actually have a picture the surgeon took for me of the little over a foot of small bowel he removed should anyone want to see it. I have Crohn's Disease and Fibromyalgia.  I am always in pain.  I'm not sure the level you would say it is, all I know is when it's not under control with the pain meds, I will pass out from it.  My hubby has picked me off the floor many times in the past till we finally got me on a system of meds to keep it under control.

I hope you never have to be in a position again where you have to take Mortrin or Advil type drugs.  They seem so innocent, but they can cause major problems to those prone to immuno diseases such as myself.  I hate to hear of anyone going thru what I have to live with daily.  While you hear of how bad tylenol is for your liver, taken in less than 2000 mg. a day, it won't do the damage Mortrin or Advil will they tell me.  Tylenol is the only over the counter type medicine I can take should I need it.  I don't these days cause I am classified as a disabled Chronic pain patient.  We have finally after years of searching, found the meds I can take that get rid of the pain.  My Crohn's is finally in remission too, after 4 years of pure hell, but the Fibro is always there.  I do have small Crohn's flares too, when I have stress in my life.

Believe me, you will feel so much better after your surgery.  You also shouldn't have to take pain meds again as I have to.  Ulcers don't come back usually, unless the original reason that caused them is still happening in your body and they aren't incurable like Crohn's or Fibro is.  I wish you well and will pray your surgery goes smoothly and you aren't in pain for very long, if at all, afterwards.  I am Christian as you are, know you are in my prayers as you go thru this time in your life.

[hippy]

your post was touched my heart.
i  have only seen your fun side.
my prayers are with them all so.
peace  hippy////michael

[DubeMechanic]

Its so good to see all these posts of folks who took the plunge. Im on day 8 (more or less, the 100 ugH fentanyl patch I was on for over a year stays in your skin for 12-24 hours after the patch is removed) and I feel pretty good. Definately feeling better and better each day. I did cheat the first few days with a mini taper, had 4 oc 40s and 8 percs that I tapered with the first 4 days. I still have 2 percs and 15 codien pills that I havent touched in 3 days now. Yippee!

After 5 days I got some klonopin and somas to help with sleep as I had to work thurs and fri but other that that Im free! Still have 5 klonopins and havent touched them either in two days.

I didnt use the Thomas Recipe except for vitimins and later the klonopins (a benzo) but looking back I wish Id had the klonopins earlier as they definately help the jitters and sleep. Somas are a muscle relaxer and may help with RLS although mine were mild.. come to think of it, the whole ordeal was mild compared to what I thought it would be. Took 3 days off work hiding under the "flu."

One thing I havent seen here is a bit of preparing you might want to look into. Stock up on easy to eat and easy to fix meals.. stuff that can be haeted and served in the same container.. soups, microwave breakfasts, even sport shakes or something just to make sure you get some food. If youre like me you wont want to cook or do dishes or much of anything.

Great job everyone!

God Bless

DM

[Jennibean]

Guys I have a question about oxycontin. I said I would never break a pill but now I think I am going to. I have a zillion oxycontin tablets because my Dr put me on it but I never really took it and so they accumulated for a time. Now yesterday I didn't get to the Dr to get my regular oxycodone so I am wondering if I have 20mg tabs of oxycontin and I break it in half will that break teh time release systym and also is it exactly like taking 20mg of percocet? In my mind there shouldn't be a difference so it seems ok to do since I take 40mg of percocet at a time usually. I will not break my 80mg oxycontins that woudl be too much but would it really be that awful to break the 20's if it is exactly like taking what I normally take anyway? I just want to know if it is exactly the same if it transfers mg for mg. I wouldn't want to take 40mg of broken oxycontin if for some reason it really equals more than 40mg of percocet. Am I making sense? Anyway please let me know because I really need to take it soon for pain and before withdrawal starts, I do not like taking the oxycontin whole because it is long lasting it is alot harder to withdrawal from and I am in the process of tapering. I usually take 40mg at a time 6 times a day and I am down to 4 times a day now. Thanks for any responses
Jen

[vikequeen]

Harlem I am curious to know what kind of euphoric feeling you got from ultram? I take them and get nothing, not that I am taking them to get high I am taking them to detox, its what teh detox clinic uses, how many were you taking at a time? how many should I take to detox from vicodin? Love Baddgirl

[Jennibean]

People who start off taking ultram usually notice some euphoria because it does cause some however it is not nearly as strong as vicodin or percocet so somebody who is use to the euphoria of vicodin would probably not consider ultram to be very euphoric. Does that make sense? Also be careful with the ultram you deffinately do not want to take more of that it can be more dangerous actually it is more dangerous to withdrawal from than vicodin. It lowers the seizure threshold. I really think that some changes are going to made soon concerning ultram. As of now it is not considered a scheduled narcotic but as the FDA and Dr's learn that it is causing addiction and that detox from it should really be done under medical supervision the labeling will be changed I am certain. In our detox center that I used to work for many people had seizures coming off of ultram and although ultram is not as pleasant to take as the other pain meds it seems more unpleasant to come off of.

Jen

[DubeMechanic]

Ive been reading some threads and some folks have asked what the equivilant (sp?) doses of various drugs are. MrMicheal gave me a web site that listed that a few months back:

http://www.globalrph.com/narcotic.htm

Hope this helps. I dont know if Ive even read it right, perhaps someone could check it out and explain it.

God Bless

DM

[DubeMechanic]

Ive cut OC 40s in half and quarters (also 100 mg morphine pills too) and while I dont know for sure, as long as its a clean break (not crushing or chewing) it seems to work. I believe (again, not sure) that the mix inside the pill is a combo of fast and slow disolving compounds. So 1/2 an OC 40 is about the same as an OC 20.

Again, Im not a doc, just a user but Ive done it many many times and it seemed to work fine. I didnt get a buzz so it couldnt of disolved all at once. And with the morphine pills Ive sliced up it was the same. Just dont chew or crush them, make a nice clean break.

Id be careful the first time, every one is different.

Hope this helps

God Bless

DM

[Jennibean]

I think I want to break the time release. I am down to taking 8 percocet at a time from taking 12 so I want to crush 2 20's to make that equal 8 percocet or 40mg of percocet. I just want to make sure it will be exactly the same. If 40mg oc is actually more than 40mg of percocet when crushed then I won't do it but if it is the same I am going to do it. If you crush oxycontin and you get it all at once is it exactly like taking regular percocet? Because regular percocet is immediate release and so would the oxycontin be if you crushed it right? I am not looking to take more just to coninue taking what I am currently taking until I see my Dr. Or I could even go down to crushing just one 20 to taper from there. I will not take it whole I have come off of it before and it is hell. I also have no interest in snorting it etc. Does anyone know if it is the same as taking regular percocet if you take teh same exact mg of crushed oc? God I sound like a terrible addict. I am actually but again I have been tapering and am trying to coninue.
Jen

[harlem]

it's funny, when i first started on the ultram i felt woozy and strange. i got a bit nervous b/c i had never used anything for pain b/f (unless you count the stuff they gave me when i was in labor!!) so i used them w/ caution. b/f i knew it though, i realized "hey, this stuff makes me feel so good"... i can't explain it in very good terms, i just know it made me feel good. i was trying to lose the last 10-15 pounds (baby weight) from the pregnancy and saw the weight fall right off after a few months. but then i got down to a skeletal 115 (i am 5' 8"). so of course, that was one thing i was thinking... "hmmm, i lost weight and if i stop, i will gain"... needless to say, i NEEDED to gain b/c i looked freaky. and i had never had a problem w/ my weight as far as looking in the mirror and thinking bad about what i saw. i've always been pretty thin. ok this is so far off from what you asked though.
i guess it just made me feel fuzzy, happy, muscles felt relaxed and it gave me so much energy. that was the best part actually- the energy boost. so i was full of this great energy and also feeling so relaxed and fuzzy. i hate even writing about this though- it is really just such a terrible thing. i never set out to get addicted... it just came to me one day when i realized if i stopped i'd be sick. then i'd try to take less (i was up to 7-10 pills a day) and get shaky and feel sick. i detoxed hard off of that. then i found ultracet to be just as good. it is a combo of tramadol and tylenol. i had it for my back. i totally knew it was probably the same type of thing and took it anyway. i should have declined and asked for something w/ NO tramadol.
anyway, it is ironic reading about all of the vicodin stories b/c i had taken one or 2 of those to sub for the ultracet i didn't have and that did NOTHING for me. i think the tramadol is what i am severely addicted to. it is very surprising to hear they give that to detox from other drugs. there are so many lawsuits out there pending over this one drug. it is addictive and the manufacturers claim it is not. to hell w/ their bs opinion. let's see one of their family members get addicted and see if the opinion remains the same....

[harlem]

Thank you so much for responding to me. I went on a forum once when my dad was dying from cancer and it was like a cocoon of support so i should not be surprised to see the same thing here. I feel good today. I actually have been surprised by the way my body is handling this, this time anyway. i have been looking at it in terms of minutes going by- NOT hours or days and definitely NOT in terms of the far off future... too overwhelming! I haven't slept much (is it from the pills or my son getting up 10 times to go pee.... hmmm?! ha ha!) but it is doable. the bath thing really does help. it takes me away from the chills. i do have a question or maybe more of an observation... i keep feeling very light headed, like when your blood sugar gets low or you've drank too much coffee w/ nothing in your stomach.... so i have been shoving food down my throat thinking this will fix the feeling. and it doesn't. it just makes me feel like **** for overeating! i think something was mentioned about b-6? is this a vitamin? what does it help w/? again, thanks to all of you. it shows a lot when people who know nothing about each other will get on a website simply for the sole purpose of helping others. i think this is the saving grace for everyone. i know it was for me w/ my dad dying and is now. thank you.....