Perocet withdraw

[DandMe]

I've been on pain medication for several years, my doc is now cutting me off.  I'm scared to death about the withdraws.  I've been told to take clonidine to help with the symptoms, not sure if that is the trick.  I also have zanaxx and sleeping meds also.  I've called my doc to ask for more meds and to let him know about the withdraw symptom's I've had so far.  I have 14 perocets 10mg, I've tried to cut back from my usual 6 per day to 2 1/2 for the last 2 days and I'm already feeling bad.  Chest pains, sweating, upset stomach, pain, crying, depression and thought of sucide and such.  Help  I feel like my losing my mind.

[DandMe]

Thanks, I am going to get back on my antidepressant tomorrow.  I have had so many weird thought going through my head today.  I'm having panic attacks, chest pains, chills and  stomach pain.  I've already given my hubby my pill bottle and asked him to  hide it from me. I really want to tear the house apart til i find them, but I never find his hiding spots anyways, still trying to tough it out.  I took a xanax, but it's not helping much. Thanks to all for the support.  This is an awsome site.

[flmagi]

You may want to talk to your doctor about getting on a good anti-depressant. Your depression may get worse during withdrawals and for a little while after. If you have suicidal thoughts, a anti-depressant might be very important.
As for your pain, pain meds can make pain seem worse, believe it or not. They stop the body from producing it's own natural pain killers. It may take up to 2 weeks after stopping all pain meds for your body to start producing again. So your pain is going to seem extreme, but if you can get threw it, you may find your pain is actually deal-able with over the counter pain meds. You'd be surprised how many people found this to be true.
You're in for a ruff few days when you stop the pills totally, but you can get threw it. Be strong and remember any weird thoughts in your head will pass.
The Clonidine does help with withdrawals. Just be careful not to over due them, they are a mild blood presure med, commonly used for withdrawals.
Except the fact that you're not going to be the families strong one for a little bit and will need some help from others. There is no shame in needing help, it's what makes us human and not super people.
Good luck to you and hang in there.

[DandMe]

My doc only told me he was cutting me off when I tried to get a refill.  I'm trying the tapper method.  I only have enough to taper 2 days at a time, but I feel ready for this. I"m still very scared and depressed, but I've talked to my family and  asked for their support.  I've sent them all emails and talked to them about what to expect while I withdraw.  
Did you go cold turkey?  You still have to try to take care of your self for when this is over and you feel like taking part in life.  I've had sucide thoughts, but I know this has to get better.  Of course I say this while I still have pills.  Today is the day I start taking 2 pills.  It's 10:30 and I usually have taken 2 by now.  I'm trying to hold off til I feel like I have to have it.  I plan to give my hubby the bottle when I get down to 1  day. Thanks for all your support. I've gotten more support from this site than any of my friends and family.

[sophie776]

Wow, did the doctor tell you ahead of time he was planning to do that? That's awful considering how long he prescribed it. The tramadol may help you with both issues. It could help with the pain, and the withdrawals. I am no expert, but maybe it would be a good idea to take a little every day if the withdrawals mess you up too much, then just stop taking the tramadol too. I had an Rx for that also but I didn't feel like it helped with the pain, I also didn't get any kind of relaxing effect off of it, so if you are the same it may be way easier to stop taking it. It still has effect on opiate receptors in the brain. Be careful not to take more than prescribed, it can cause seizures in higher dosed. If you can make it through the week without anything, or with a little xanax that would be even better. I am hoping getting back on zoloft will help me with all of this, I have been so depressed and I have lost about 20lbs in a month. My stomach hurts 24/7. I usually have a pretty good appetite. I don't even know if cutting back on the vicodin is causing that. Good luck with everything, feel free to email me anytime! Please let us know how you are doing!

[DandMe]

I did tell my doc that I wanted to use the taper off method, but they acted and treated me like I was drug seeking.  I tried to tell them about the withdraw symptoms and the nurse just cut me off saying she wasn't arguing with me. My doc was given me 100 perocet 10 every 25 days for 8 months. I was given a script f or ultram, but I"ve heard it is just as hard to withdraw from as the other pain pills.  I'm trying not to fill them.  I"ve already talked to my older kids(ages 22, 19, 18) about what is about to happen and asked for their support,, so I guess we'll see I'm going on monday to an ortho for the shoulder and neck pain, and I was referred to pain management.  But really all I'm doing is putting off what I really need to do anyways.  I really want to see a therapist, but I'm not good at showing or telling anyone how i really feel. Thanks for all your support

[sophie776]

Clonidine was what that nurse mentioned to me, I saw her again today and asked. I guess it is a blood pressure med. but helps with withdrawals. I asked her if I could take it while I am cutting back or if I have to wait until I am completely off. She said she didn't know for sure and would have to get back to me. When she does I'll let you know. I still think it's ridiculous of your doctor to just cut you off, especially if they have been prescribing it long term. They know what that will do to a person. Have you told them that you want to wean off and will try whatever they suggest? It's a pretty sound argument, they should make a plan with you to get off of it. I would be very assertive about that, I would even mention your mental health issues and how you are concerned about what will happen. Hypothetically they could be held responsible if something happened to you. Have you been taking any xanax while you were experiencing withdrawals?  I actually ran out of pain meds in May and I was taking about 4 or 5 7.5mg's a day, I went for 4 days. I felt pretty bad but I still went to school and everything. Tylenol for arthritis helped. I should have just told the doc. I wanted to quit then, but I didn't think about it. Actually just recently is the first time I've realized what an issue it is. I had the acupuncture today and I can't tell if it did anything yet, she said she may have to do it a whole bunch of times. As far as you seeing a therapist, I don't know where you live, but usually there are places that will work with you or if your income is low enough it is free. Mine's free since I'm a starving artist and student at the moment. Low enough can mean up to about $40,000 a year for a dual income family. Just check out what is available in your area.It would probably help you a LOT to be able to talk to someone about this face to face. If you have to just go off Sunday try the tylenol and maybe look up that Thomas' list, a lot of people mention it. It suggests a few over the counter things, plus xanax or valium, and some vitamins.

[DandMe]

I'm not out of pills yet, I had cut back to 2 per day.  I did that for 3 days and I was miserable.  I'm back up to 4 per day.  I will be completly out by Saturday.  You are right, I need to keep bugging my doc, but I was afraid that I would look like I was drug seeking.  What am I suppose to do about the real pain I have?  I may be making excuses, but I feel like I could accept being cut off if the pain was gone.  I have heard that clonidine would help and I have some, but I can't find the dosage that is used. As for my shoulder impingement pain medication, celabrex and pt is the recommended treatment, which of what I'm doing.   But my doc wont give me anymore of the pain meds. I was think about a couselor but money is real tight and really I can't even afford the pt, but am trying to see if it helps.  I'm desperate for the shoulder and back pain to go away.  I feel so stupid, I've had this pain for almost a year,but while the doc was giving me pain meds, I didn't do any of the streching exercises or antinflmatory meds, I just sat around taking my meds and loving the buzz. I can't believe that I've gotten myself here.  

[sophie776]

Are you out of pills yet? When I mentioned telling your doctor about your suicidal tendencies I just meant telling him/her. Your children would not need to know, and your husband already knows right? I see a psychiatric nurse as well as a doctor, the last time I saw the nurse she mentioned that there was something she could give me to help if I ever plan to get off of the vicodin. I am not sure what it was, and I have not been able to get in to see her yet, but I will try to find out. Are you taking medication for your disorder? I think that trying to get help from your doctor or somewhere else would be the strong thing to do. It will help you get control back. (Since you mentioned being expected to be the strong one). There is an herb I read about called Kratom that is legal and can be ordered online that is supposed to help with opiate withdrawal quite a bit. I guess it also can be addictive but not nearly as easily. I was going to order some but I decided not to add anything else to my current cocktail of medication. I can completely relate to the crying all the time, I usually wake up sad, and spend the day crying on and off. Plus getting panic attacks doesn't help, I had to cancel a class I teach this week because I didn't know if I could hold it together in front of the students. You may need to keep bugging your doctor, if you don't act like it is a big deal then they may assume it isn't. I keep telling myself that most of what I am dealing with is chemical and it sounds like your issue may be also. I am hoping that when I get my brain chemistry balanced out I will be much better. I still am/ may be sad about my recent breakup, but being sad is ok. I am having acupuncture tomorrow (well today actually, it's after midnight) for the vicodin withdrawal. It is also supposed to help your general mood. I will let you know how it goes, it may be something you could try too!

[DandMe]

Thank you for your concern,  Even having the thoughts of killing myself, I know that the er or any other kind of support is out of the question becasue of my family.  I have moved all the meds that are tempting me.  I know I can't do anything to harm myself.  I have no one to care for my disable child.   Yes I know that didn't stop me a few month's ago.  I just have to find away to get through it. Coming off the meds are making the thought louder, I'm miserable. My thoughts are racing, my stomache is hurting me and i'm having chest pain. I have a house full of people and I can't find a quiet place to get my thought together. So I'm hoping the support I'm getting here will help.  Thanks all for listening.

[leeisgettingclean]

the only reason i mentioned E.R. is because if you read the ladies post she says she is considering"killing herself" i do think the be an E.R. peoblem

[DandMe]

Thanks for the support.  I wish I could tell my dr about the sucide tendencies or anyone else for that matter.  In my family I'm suppose to be the stronge one.  I'm afraid for my kids to know because of how it will make them feel.  I have a bipolar/ emotionally delayed child also, plus an adopted child.  I did call my dr to ask for help with the withdraw symptoms, but haven't had a call back.  I have a shoulder impingement and is going to pt 3X a week, so I still have REAL pain, but I'm addicted to the pain meds also.  I don't have anyone to really talk to, and really have a hard time expressing how I really feel anyways.  I'm so scared for my family to see me in this situation.  I've tried to get back to the gym to exercise, but I have no motivation, all I want to do is cry and I'm so upset at everyone, esp my friend who knows how bad i'm feeling.  She has the same addiction, and has hundreds of pain meds, I thought that she was a good enough friend to help me wean off (I don't have enough of my own to do it right.) but she just acts like it's no big deal (because she isnt going through it).  I feel stuck b/w a rock and a hard place.

[sophie776]

I am currently trying to wean off of Norco. What has sucked for me was that I was really depressed before I started weaning, and crying a lot. So now I can't tell what is from the withdrawals and what is from me just being depressed. I think it's kinda crappy of your doctor to just cut you off, when they start you on a med, they should have a plan to help you get off on it too. But I guess that rarely happens. I can't wait to get off of this stuff, but since I already have a pretty bad anxiety disorder I don't think cold turkey would be the right route for me. Do you consider yourself an addict to them or are you physically dependent? The difference I suppose is that if you are addicted then weaning would be harder because it requires self control. I wonder if you explained to your doctor that you have had suicidal tendencies in the past and you are worried that this will escalate them if he/she would be willing to help you wean off instead. Also I have heard a lot about suboxone, I guess it totally takes away withdrawals. Maybe you should see if there is a clinic in your area and if you find yourself losing it, I mean mentally, you could go there. At this point I am avoiding doing that because I don't want to replace one drug with another, but I have heard great stories about it. So far I haven't had much trouble cutting back as far as desire to take more goes...I just have been super anxious and depressed. But like I said I felt like that before I even started this. I read about something called Thomas List for opiate withdrawal, it has some things that may help. You can find it online.The xanax is probably very helpful at this point for you, I wouldn't worry much about having to take that. You can deal with getting off of that later if you need to. I have been taking it as needed for years and have never needed it on an every day basis for very long. Right now I take a tiny bit before bed, and a tiny bit if I feel like I am getting a panic attack and it has helped a lot. Something else I found is that when I get super edgy and on the verge of panic if I exercise a whole bunch it calms me down a lot. Good luck! Please keep us informed, you definitely are not alone!

[worried878]

the narcotics can be quit withou emergency situation help..simply taper/tho not simple for an addict to taper alone/but pick a day and QUIT..than xanax will need to be slowy tapered with ur drs help,,,cant just ct long term benzo use...get the narcs off ur plate then worry bout the benzo later on....fear can paralyze u..it can make u pick choices u would not have made had u were not afraid

It is hard for u to know right now that u r afraid of the least worry from true narcotic wd and release...u r basically afraid of flu like symptoms u have had several times inur life/real flu's  we lived  felt cruddy but made it...ur fear is of the unknown...read the healh pages and learn about paws..learn the importance of follow up..most importantly.....learn what u need to be afraid of...and physical wds is not it...read and lern

[DandMe]

Thanks, I'm looking for all the support i can get right now.  My husband, friends and family are not much help now even though they have their own vises.  My emotions are running high, I'm under so much stress with out the pill issue. I want to be off the the pain meds, but I'm not feeling very strong now.  I've tried sucide several times in the past, and most recently several months ago, but my husband reacted like "what the hell is wrong with you and you just need to stop".  I can't let my children know that I'm this week,so I feel like I can't really go out side of the home for support and there is none here.

[leeisgettingclean]

only one way to get over the withdrawals is to go threw them , and yeah that s*cks but the truth is just that. The good thing is the fact they only last about 5 days and they regaurdless of what you feel are not going to kill you. The meds you have should help minimize them somewhat, but nothing will take them away like getting em over with! You have lots of support on here, we are all going threw the same things just at differant times in our lifes. All the syptoms you talked about sound like classic w/ds, however if you are really thinkin of sucide you should get off here and go straight to E.R., nothing  is worth killing yourself. You have to do whats right for yourself, however at some point you will have to get clean, cant be an active addict forever, so you should just go ahead and start getting clean today, no time like today!!