Percocet side effects and withdrawal, please help!

[nancy]

I have been on Percocet for 4 months for a herniated disk.  I was taking half a day, then one a day, then up to 6 a day.  Then I started having awful side effects.  My back pain got worse, my tongue was swelling some, and had stomach pain too.  Then I had my lumbar injection and the pain got worse.  I am scared this is an allergic reaction.  I had my lumbar steroid injection, and the pain got worse, so my Dr prescribed Tylenol 4.  I haven't taken the Percocet in over a day now, as it has scared me.  I took the Tylenol 4 only twice yesterday.  Last night however, I woke up drenched in cold sweat.  Is this from stopping the Percocet?  My bowel movements have even changed color to a lighter shade, and that's what scared me too.  I am trying to get off these myself, and want to know what I am going to end up going through.    Do I need to not take the Tylenol 4 too?  Now, I am scared to take anything, but also don't want to die from taking the Percocet when the pain gets bad.  If a take half a Xanax, will that help to get through this?  This is terrible, and I don't wish this on anyone.

[steve]

Hello: Sounds like withdrawal to me. I have been there and done that. Percocet, actually it's the asprin in the percs that hurts your stomach.  Tylenol 4 can be hard on the stomach too. I'm no doctor, as for what you will go through if you stop. It will be uncomfortable for a couple of days. Then you should be fine. I have major back problems myself so i've been through taking opiates(that's what percocet is) and it's hard stopping them. You also have to take more everyday because your tolerance builds. So now I'm not taking anything, I would rather deal with the pain then deal with drug addiction. Even if you don't get mentally addicted, sooner or later you will become physically dependant.  It's a catch 22.         Did you tell your doctor about your concerns?  Hopefully he knows what he;s doing.

                                        let me know what's happening.                        
                                         Steve

[Mike to Brighty, Brian et al]

Percocet has Acetaminophen - NOT Apsirin. That's PercoDAN.

[Brian Stevens]

your right on when you said that taking a opiate for chronic pain is not the same as addiction.  Many of the symptoms can and are the same such as tolerance and dependence.  Drug addicts and chronic pain patience  Are as different as ketchup and mustard.  Not much of a correlation but you get my drift.

[bob]

Nancy I know you must feel terrible but it sounds like this opiate thing is something new for you. You spoke more of your concern about drugs than your back pain. I think this is a good sign. If you had a bad withdraw problem you would not have to ask you would know exactly what it was.I ran into serious problems with a percocet type drug as well.I also had some very strange reactions to this medication ie bowels; tongue; pins and needles etc.I hope you make the right decisions regarding your condition at this point.I have to go to a clinic when I finish tapering off a little bit more. This is something I dread doing and its all because I was not looking where I was going.I fell in a hole tore a tendon had surgery got addicted to oxycontin and now I just feel terrible. I hope you feel better and please watch where you are going. Bob

[nancy]

I still feel awful.  Took a nap, and woke up drenched in cold sweat.  I don't have the shakes outside, but feel them on the inside.  I feel completely drained.  I decided to stop them myself, because I am afraid I was having a bad reaction to the Percocet.  I took them for the pain, not for them to take over me.  This is terrible, but I've gone 19 hours now without Percocet or codeine, and hope I can make it.

[bob]

Hang in there girl you will be ok Bob

[Mike to Brighty, Brian et al]

This might not fly with some of you, but if you really want to know if you're "hooked" - take your usual dose of Percoset and see if you feel better. If you do, it's withdrawal. If you don't, it's something else.

[Nancy to Bob]

Sounds like we were having the same kind of reactions to the drugs.  That is what scares me, the fact that the reactions were making me feel as worse as my pain.  As for the pain, I don't know what to do, but hang in there, as I am trying to do til the opiates get out of my system.  I hope you have luck as well.  This is HELL.  This forum is great, at least others can relate to what I am going through and share our experiences.

[Nancy to Bob]

I have thought of that idea, trust me, but why go through the chance of adding more side effects again, plus putting opiates back in my system.  Trust me, the idea has crossed my mind all day....just take half a pill and see if it helps.  Then (I hope it is my better sense) takes over, and I put it back in the bottle.

[bob]

Nancy I would just like to say that when i take the oxycontin i feel almost as bad as i do when i dont. That is the reason i am trying to quit. it seems that until i am free there will be no peace. I am at 70mg per day when i get to 30mg i will be treated as an out patient. The hospital where i work is in need of my services and i cannot get any time off. Its going to be rough but it just has to be. You will feel better in a few days. I am hoping by July 1st that i will be free of opiates. keep posting Bob

[To Nancy from Elizabeth]

Nancy, if your strong enough to do it the best way is to taper of the meds. a few days at a time. I was taking hydrocodne, it's pretty much the same as percocet just not quite as strong, I went to my M.D. and he gave me 40 tabs to taper off. I started off with 2tabs  3 times a day for 7 days then 1 tab 3 times a day and so on. If you can do that it is so much better, I tried to just quit(cold turkey) and the withdrawls were so bad I did not even last 24 hours! good luck whatever you do, and to everyone here as well!!!

[Nancy to Bob]

well, here it is almost midnight.  I am cold all the time, but guess it will get better.  I wish they had a chat room here, would be lots easier to talk to everyone.  I keep lying down, but can't sleep, stomach aches, back aches, which is from the disk, am scared for when I do sleep, cause of the sweats.  Hope you make it, but I know you will, cause you are already trying.  I am dreading getting another epidural injection on Thurs, but if it helps, will be a bonus...

[steve]

Hang in there Nancy it will be gone soon.  It leaves sometimes as fast as it comes on. All the sudden you will be over it. As long as you don't put it back in your system.  Good luck.

[bob]

Nancy I was thinking of you today. How is your back pain? Have you been feeling any better with your withdraw? It has been almost two days by my calculations since you have used anything. It should be better soon. I am getting close to D day I am now down to 60mg only 30 to go. I feel that nervous feeling on the inside but I have reduced 40% in the last 10 days. I have to say that so far so good if the rest is as easy I may well be ahead of schedule. I hope you are well Bob

[Nancy to Bob]

Well, I slipped a little today.  Had to clean house, big mistake, I know my back can't take the bending over, so I took 1 pill.  I hope that won't mess me up too much.  I don't plan on taking any more today.  Hopefully it will ease the discomfort from everything in some way.  I didn't have as many cold sweats last night, which was a bonus.  I just hope I haven't messed things up by taking 1 pill for relief.  Hope you are doing well Bob, my heart goes out to you.  Keep me posted please.  And Steve, thank you so much for your support.  You are the only people I can confide in.

[bob]

The pain is bad one pill is not a slip one pill is good for true pain i had to do it everyone on here had to do it i probably will use one pill when necessary. keep on course you are doing good. Everything will be ok but remember the bad effects when you increase over a period of time. BOB

[Nancy to Bob]

Bob, you are a Godsend.  Well, I don't know....my pain is worse since I broke down and took one this afternoon, so now I think I will try not to take any more.  I'm having company tomorrow, which I dread going through, and have to return to work Monday after 3 days off, so hope things go well.  We are all truly a mess aren't we?  Hopefully we will both get through this.  I still want to know why they don't have a chat room for this forum.

[annie]

I am going to try and be brief, basically I got started taking tyl number3 then moved to vicodin es, I was given it for a valid reason, (lots of dental problems).  Problem is I started really liking it, it made me happy and relaxed more then anyone who has not "enjoyed" the effects could ever understand.  I have never been given enough at a time to get hooked, at least physically.  BUt I have found that I have went in for made up things and it seems to work only maybe 10 percent of the time, but when I really do need it, for instance I have a dry socket now, my dentist will say no because he thinks I have used to much etc.
THat is the first half of my question, when I have probably used him to call things in when I have not needed to, now when I do need something, I can not.  The second part is, whenever I do get them- I feel great when I take them, I am never sick feeling never anything but healthy and happy but no matter if I take them for 2 days or 2 weeks, when I am out of them, I get uncontrollably crabby, emotional, chills, sweats, basic flu symptoms, is this in my head or becasue my body has been use to them in the past, even now just taking them for a normal amount of time it could cause withdrawls.  
No matter what I say when I go in, all I ever get is muscle relaxers which do nothing for me.   I do not understand how people get prescribed such high amounts or any at all I guess.
SOmeone please respond to me.
THank you-

[Nancy to Bob]

Well Annie, you are addicted.  You don't think you are, but your body is.  You have all the symptoms of withdrawal that I have, only I was starting to have them before I even cut down on taking them.  And when you ask for them, when you don't need them, then you are also psychologically addicted.  It is awful, trust me I know.  Instead of going cold turkey, like I started, I am just taking one a day now, and it seems to help.  But, am gonna have to ask dr for a new script to get off of these, if that makes sense, cause only have a few left.  Good luck I feel for you.  I never knew so many people were addicted to pain killers, from being in actual pain, until I found this site, and it is a blessing to share with others going through the same thing.

[Gee to Nancy]

Hi Nancy,  

I have to say that my thoughts are with you at this rough time, and to Bob too.  The withdrawal is so difficult, but you will feel so incredibly great when you're through them.
Nancy, the fact that you are going through this while you still have pills in the house is a great thing.  The fact that you didn't immediately turn to one to get rid of the withdrawals and the fact that it shows just how committed you are to quitting.  I've gone through withdrawals, but really, when I HAD to because I was out of them.  I don't know that I could've done it if I had them in the house.  But I did get outpatient treatment and feel like a new person.

Good luck!!  You'll be great!

[Nancy to Bob]

Well, I made it through work today, and didn't take a pill until I got off, so I think I'm doing pretty good.  I just hope that after my procedure Thurs, that I will be in less pain and won't think about taking anything, but I doubt it.  I hurt worse last time after the procedure than I did before.  Thank you all for your comments and help.

[bob]

Nancy congradulations one day at a time they always say.I hope you do well with your procedure. I also waited until i got home today which was a big step. That means I can do it again tomorrow.I felt terrible but only in a different way at work. I feel better knowing that I went to work without taking anything.I think you will start to feel better at night now that some time has went by.My plan is to reduce the amount that I take when I get home every day. good luck BOB

[Nancy to Bob]

So glad to hear from you, I was beginning to get worried.  I went again today, til I got home, to take 1 pill, but I do have to say, it makes me feel different now, than it use to, which is good.  I hope so that you keep it up yourself and get off them for good.  I don't know if I'll have the procedure done on Thursday now or not because now they say I have to make a deductible, which I did not have to the first time.  Makes no sense to me, but will find out tomorrow.  Hang in there, I will be praying for you too.

[Cristi to Nancy]

Nancy,
  Hi.I was addicted to Vicodin for almost two years and have been through what you are going through many times. What I am writing to tell you is about a book that was of great help to me. It is called: Prescription Drug Abuse - The Hidden Epidemic. Rod Colvin is the Author. If you can find it I highly reccomend reading it! Good luck and hang in there.  -Cristi