Safe to stop taking Vicodin?

[Cammie222]

Any help would be greatly appreciate.....I've been on Vicodin for 6 months.  I've been taking 2-4 daily of the 10's until about a week ago.  I decided to quit cold turkey and had some withdrawal symptoms.  I went 3 days without sleeping and had serious muscle pain.  Is this normal?  For the last few days I've been taking 1 or 2 a day and I started sleeping again.  Is there something I can take to help with the lack of sleep?  I've tried Ambien CR and Lunesta.  Neither work.  I've got to stop taking the Vicodin.  I don't really feel any mental connection to it.  I just feel the physical connection.  

[Cammie222]

I had been tapering but am feeling the effects of it.  I'm sure it was too fast to avoid all the withdrawals.  Then a few days ago i quit completely but returned to taking 1-2 a day because I was hurting sooooo bad and couldn't sleep.  The last one I've had was yesterday around 6 pm so I'm about 20 hours without any.  I don't want to screw this up but it's just like I can't think.......I keep thinking I'll take just a half of one but them I'm like that's just going to keep dragging it out.  Anyway, that's the story.  

By the way, how are you doing?

[charlenekt]

Did I read that you had been tapering? Doesn't tapering usually result in avoiding withdrawal? I thought that was the purpose.
kt

[charlenekt]

I worked as a nurse. So whenever I was going through this I always managed to get more pills at work. I ended up losing my license, obviously. The boards have approved my reinstatement but I keep putting it off out of fear. How did you sleep last night? I slept fine. I actually feel fine physically. Just no energy or motivation. I'm hiding it too, so 'faking' being interested in stuff with other people that I'm usually interested in cuz I'm usually on vicodin, is HARD.

[Cammie222]

I know exactly what you mean....when I take it I feel soooo motivated to do all kinds of things.  It's like it makes everything seem that much better.  I have absolutely no energy right now and can't talk to anyone about it.  I don't want anyone to know.  All I feel like doing is laying around and it's really getting on my nerves.  I'll just be glad when it's out of my system and I can sleep and I get some of my energy back.  

This is killing me trying to work.  They probably think I'm retarded at work right now.  

[Cammie222]

I'm not doing so great right now.  My head is killing me and tylenol is not touching it.  I'm not sure what to do.  I feel like my head's going to explode.  I don't know how I'm gonna do this.

[charlenekt]

what I hate most is the depression and not feeling like doing anything. On Vicodin, I LOVE to cook dinner, take the dog to the park, call and write people, go places, etc. Now all I want to do is hide in my room and hope the rest of the world forgets I exist for a few days.