Need to quit, not sure how to

[frogmom]

I have been prescribed vicodin for back and knee pain for years,  until recently, i was good and followed the doctors directions.  Now, I have been sneaking an extra pill in the morning and sometime taking 2 more when I wake up at night from sleep. from when I was first prescribed, my dosage has gone from 2 bills to 4pills,....finally 8 pills, alghouth I oanly take 7.  They are the 5 mg ones. I want to stop and would like to get an idea of a taper schedule that would get me off these pills.  I have found a level headed friend to help me adhere to the taper, she will hold my pills.I need to know how quidkly or slowly I should go down a pill and how many days should I allow between reductions.  Please help if you can, I am praying that I can taper down enough to stop on Columbus day week, when I will have a whole week without work resposibilites.
In regard to how sick I will be, how many days will I not be able to take care of kids dogs and husband?I am the taxi driver, chef, financial officer and coach, all rolled into one.  I don't want to disappoint any of them.
If any one here has had experience with withdrawing gradually from a dosage of 7 5 mill pills daily, please let me know.THank you all-this forum is my lifeline

[frogmom]

Thanks all for your kind words and support.  I had my home computer crash and could not afford to replace it-I don't have any privacy at work, so I cannot respond from there.  It is a month later, and so far I have managed to get down to 3.5 pills a day.Tried not to take any last Saturday, felt awful about 12 hours after last dose.  So, I took one.

I told my doctor that I was concerned about the how many I was taking and he said that he was not worried, that with the pain level that I have had and the amount of time that I was on the pills (almost 4 years) that my dosage level did not amount to a real problem.  I don't like being dependent on them.He said to stop the vicodin, and just take one of a new pill.  He then wrote me a prescription for diloudid (don' know if I spelled that right) took it once and I was zonkered. Called doc.Flushed pills and went back to vicodin.  The doc says to  taper down till I am off them for a month or so.  Then go  back at lower dosage.  That if I do that every couple of months, I won't need to increase my dosage,  but still get pain relief.  Does this make sense to anyone...I am not seeing how this will help me get off them-just means that I feel crappy all the time.  I think in two weeks, I will just stop.  I thought I could just do a bunch of motrin, but dr says that is worse for my blood pressure.....What do you guys do for pain now that you're not taking an opiate based pain meds?

[flmagi]

If you do the taper plan that Ga Guy suggested, you will probably have very little withdrawals at all. Your body will adjust very easily, dropping down 1/2 a pill each week. You may feel slight fatigue for a few days, but a slow and low taper is the most comfortable way to do this, as long as you can stay the course. Having your friend hold your pills and give you your doses is a great idea and will keep you in line. Just make sure your friend won't cave in if you ask for more pills. Stick with you plan.
Post often and let us know how your doing.
Good luck.

[mr.lucky66]

That's what I did once and it worked. I made up little packets with the dates on them for 5 or 6 days of reducing amounts of pills and my mother doled them out to me. Man how I miss her...

[worried878]

i see u typing that u r on 40 mgs a day..5mg x 7-8 pills...that is a cold turkey dose..if u want to tapwer then be sure u hand ur pills over to dole out daily if u r a true addict..ur dose is low enuf to just put down..there is no painless way to quit..if u have the discipline to taper then do so...but most suffer wds during a taper...it depends on ur personality..do u like to just get it over with or drag stuff out? we are all different..so ur plan is important..if u do a taper write it out day be day..pick a QUIT day and stick to it no matter what..let us know how u r doing...and be safe

[DEANMACHINE12]

from my experience, reducing just gets me back to wanting to do alot to get as high as what everyone likes to experience, I am on my 3rd day right now, waiting as long as i can, and then doing a little bump of a suboxone, excuse my term, however i feel great! my 2nd day did a little piece at 1pm, then today did at about 4pm, I can already tell. I was doing 80-140mg of oxycodone a day everyday for over 10 months. and i just had enough, committed to myself to stop this. and tomorrow will be my 4th day, and going to try to not do any suboxone.

[GA Guy]

As mentioned above, that could be a little slow..but, it's up to you. You may want to try reducing a pill a week. Hopefully withdrawals will be minimal at most....but, just keep pushing through. It will be worth it.

[mr.lucky66]

The above way may be too slow. You could just stop without tapering and probably be ok with just some over the counter meds. Since you have kids and don't want to be sick maybe try cutting down 1 pill a day and you should be too bad. all the best

[frogmom]

Thanks, I know that everyone would have to be different, but am hoping that it won;t be as awful as going cold turkey,,,,,i lasted 18 hours and caved
so i would start by going down to like a little under 6.5 a day at first
Next wee would go to 6
next week would go to 5,5
Next week would go to 5
next week would go to 4.4
Net week 4
next week a littlt over 3.5
Is that how it should be done?  When will I start feeling withdrawals?

[GA Guy]

Nobody will be able to answer your questions about length of withdrawal. Especially on a taper. People are just so different in their reactions. I can tell you that a safe taper would be 10 percent a week. Reduce your dose by 10 percent a day for a week. Then next week do another 10 percent. You should have a nice slow taper that way.