I want to be off of Vicodin, so scared of the withdrawal

[sonya923]

The best way to wean off of Vicodine ES, I have been taking it on and off for the last year.  And feel very addicted and am starting to worry about the effect it is having on me. Any suggestions would greatly appreciated.

[sonya923]

Thank you very much for all your information and sharing your story, it  means so much.  What do I have to look forward to, the anxiety is going to the worst

[gnarly_1]

HI and welcome to the forum....well your in a jam that many of us have found our self"s in
your addicted to narcotics...first off your not alone...there are many here that are exactly
where you are and many like myself that no longer live in active addiction...first off dont be frighted by withdrawals ....there the answer not the problem and there fare worst in our minds then they actually are in reality ...granted there not comfortable to go thew but there only temporary...think of it as having the flu for a few days ...that is as close of an explanation I can give you of how it is to go thew withdrawals that + some anxiety...a lot of witch is caused by the very fear of the withdrawals them self...it is very doable there are 2 schools of thought out on how to do it 1 you can taper you usage by like a pill every 3 days and start to space out the time between doses...this way works for some...I personally tapered off methadone it takes a lot of discipline and perseverance to taper off any narcotic hence is why so many chose to just stop go cold turkey and get it over with....both ways you will have to go thew withdrawals but by tapering there usually not as sever but on the other hand you sorta have a period of drawn out minor withdrawals so you have to decide witch way best suits you..once you decide you plan go a head and do it ..normally the physical stuff is over with in 4 to 6 days then its just the mental stuff you have to grind out...we recommend aftercare to everyone that does this..it is critical for long term sobriety ...its never to soon to check out an N/A meeting or to hook up with a substance abuse conslor this will help you as you learn the life skills to walk a clean and sober lifestyle ...good luck to you keep posting you will find a lot of support here we want all that try to succeed....Gnarly                  

[sonya923]

I am taking 8-10 a day for severe Arthritis in both knees, yes I do get them from my Doctor.  The RX is not for this many though, I usually will run out before the end of the month.  

[taperme]

How much are you taking per day? Are you getting from a doctor? And why are you on them? If you can tell us a little more about why you are using and how much we can give you more help. Take a look at the health pages on the right, there is a lot of information. The good news is that you realize there may be a problem. The sooner you address it the better it will be for you. Keep posting and asking questions.

[Bad_Obsession]

How much were you taking, if you don't mind me asking?  I was on a 20+ pill per day habit just a week ago.  10 mgs too- I think Vicodin ES is 7.5 mg if I'm not mistaken.  If you want my opinion, I would say just bite the bullet and deal with the withdrawl.  The majority of the bad stuff would be over in 4 days or so.  Maybe a little longer.  It depends on how much you were using also.