Norco Detox... I need help :(

[KelleyMack]

Hey all... I'm new to this forum... I just found it today and man, you guys are great. I'm in the same boat as a lot of you. I'm a stay at home Mom of two small children, and I started taking Vicodin about 7 months ago for chronic tendonitus, (5/500) and then after a few months of taking the vicodin (and loving the crap out of it) I found a doctor who prescribed me Norco 10/325. (Norco is the same as Vicodin, just a higher dose of the hydrocodone and a lower dose of the acetaminophen.) He would prescribe me 180 a time which is a one month supply, (if you take 6 per day). Which I was doing for about a month or so until I had to up the dosage due to the fact that I was building a tolerance. I loved the way hydrocodone would kill my pain, and at the same time give me such a great feeling! Everything the hydrocodone was doing for me I loved... It made me want to stop drinking my beloved wine at night, (I loved to have about a bottle a night not because I'm an alchoholic, but I love the taste and of course the little buz that comes with it after a long day with kiddos.) The Norco's also helped me to loose 35 pounds, the clarity and focus it gave me was so great, not to mention it helped considerably with prior stomach issues. (IBS) I found myself looking SO forward to taking my next dose, it just lightened up my life so much. Before I knew it, I was up to 12 Norco's a day. And since my husband was seeing the same doctor too, I convinced my husband to ask our doctor to prescribe him some Norco's also since I had to take so much and was building a tolerance. I thouroughly convinced my husband that I would not get addicted and that it was just a temperary solution until I had surgery on my hand to fix my tendonitus. Well... About 3 weeks ago, I was going through my pill bottles and noticed how fast I had been flying through my pills. I counted them and figured that I have been taking 20-25 pills a day!!! It scared me. It scared me BAD. So I decided to start tapering. Never worked. At the end of every night I would give myself this great big "pep talk" and had every intention of tapering the next day. Well, then my husband discovered how many I was taking. He is worried sick, and so am I. I can't seem to taper. The aggravation I develope after a few pills wears off is SO bad, that I just pop a few more to take the edge off. Then the cycle starts all over again. So this morning... I decided to go cold turkey.... Wow wow wow. I've never felt anything like that in my life. After a few hours of being awake and not taking any Norco's, I was doing ok, and thought, yep, I can do this. Oh boy.... Within the next few minutes I was laying on the couch with the wierdest cold and hot sweats I've ever had. It felt like ice water was rushing through my veins and my skin was on fire. Then, nausea hit me like a ton of bricks. I ran to my pill bottle so fast to wash a few down to kill that horrendous pain of withdrawl. I want to get off of this so bad. But I'm scared... I just got a mere taste of what it was like to withdrawl only for minutes.... Any advice would help me so so so so much. I just want my normal life back.... :(

[Tamethepain]

Hey KM
The way you feel is normal. Your body & brain are craving. Ativan is ok to take the edge off - the Thomas recipe uses Valium or xanex I think. Get into a hot bath of shower, try some warm milk (sounds gross but the L-Tryptophan may help) try to eat something. Go for a short walk if you can. Day 3 was always the worst for me but by day four I was starting to feel a little more human. Don't give in to the cravings. You may feel as though you can't go on but it does pass. It is exhausting to do this over & over. Ask yourself if you want to go thru this again. Remember too that there is a very great danger of Tylenol poisoning which can be fatal. At the rate you (& I) were going that was a very real possibility. Proud of you! We are all suffering together. Some of us are just further along in the process. XOXOX

[freedom007]

Terribly typical...unfortunately.  I called it feeling "soul-less"...you just feel empty.  But, little by little, your personality will start to shine through.  It takes longer than the physical stuff...at least for me.  But, like everything else...it comes back...and when it does...it's better than any false high those pills can give you.

Just another trick the brain will play to make you want to use...


Stay strong...you can do this...

[KelleyMack]

Hi all... Well I'm about half way through my second day... Yeah, I would have to agreee that day two is much harder than day one was. I did have a few teaspoons of that cough syrup last night and it did help me sleep a little. Definiely do NOT want it today. It's not so much the aches and pains that are so bad, for me it's the depression. Crippling depression... Has anyone else gone through this as well? I can't stop crying and feeling so sad. I doubled up on my prozac today... Not sure if I should have done that, but I'm really struggling here. My mother in Law gave me .5 mgs of Ativan. (Anti anxiety meds). I hope that that doesn't derail my hard work, but the saddness and anxiety is KILLING me. I feel like I'll never be happy again. Any advice would help so much. Thanks everyone for responding to me, you all are helping me so much. Love and Blessings, ~Kelley~

[Tamethepain]

Hey KM! Don't try the cough syrup. The dextromathorphan in it may make you feel worse once the codeine fix subsides & may make your withdrawl symptoms worse. I know, I tried it & I felt as though I had entered the 9th ring of hades! Truly not worth it. The only thing I could keep down for a few days was protein shakes (Atkins don't taste too bad & unlike slimfast don't contain sugar so there is no sudden drop) sips of orange juice with calcium (Tropicana very easy on stomach) & cremated toast (black). When your appetite comes back, indulge it! That is when I felt hopeful again. I was horribly constipated for the first 6 days & had to take fiberlax. Today the diarrhea has begun but again I feel relieved that I haven't shut down my bowels or my renal system due to Tylenol od! Hands no longer twitchy, not anxious, HUNGRY!! By the way, depression is a major effect when detoxing & recovering. I am on Zoloft 100mg per day & have been on antidepressants for 20 years. You may even have depression & not know it because you've been self medicating (like me) for so long. Talk to that dr about anxiety meds but stay away from Valium & xanex as they are addicting. You can do this. Breate thru each moment & string them together.

[jp2001]

Congrats, at this point you must be on day two!  

I would have to caution against the codeine syrup.  Codeine is from the poppy as well, and while I'm in no way certified to make this call, I'd assume that taking it is going to appease your opiad need, and cause w/d's to be more prevelant in your next day.  It may make it go back to day one type of feelings.

I see you posted that at 9:50pm last night, so at this point you probably know if you feel better or worse today.

Regarding today:  
Day two brings you about halfway through the worst of it.  This is the part of your recovery where you should lean on us the most.  In a day or two, you ARE, no question about it, going to start feeling your body and mind recover.  I know you don't necessarily feel that this morning.  Take your vitamins, and hold on...just get through every 10 minutes.  Stay active, take a few walks(force yourself, I know you don't want to go out walking).  

In such a short while, you are going to be through the tough part, and it gets /much/ easier.

I'm on day 8...I made it a full week!  I can't tell you how much better I feel, physically.  At work, for the first time in a while, I felt SHARP.  I was wittier than I've ever been.  

This IS GETTING better Kelley, and you CAN do it!

[yambag6969]

One word: Suboxone.

I had a 500-700mg/day oxy habit and started an 8 month suboxone regimen (slowly ramping down from 24mg/day, currrently 2 months in and down to 16mg/day of suboxone).  It is a miracle drug in my mind....no w/d's whatsoever and if you ween slowly (over 8 months w/ my doctor), you'll be all set.  Good luck.