Aa
Tapering Formula
I can't believe I'm here. That is, I have been free from a heroine addiction for 9 years, have gotten married, have had 4 children (another on the way), finished degrees, certifications, become Vice President at a large bank, have nurtured a strong prayer life and have now found myself addicted to hydrocodone (approx. 200mg/ day). It all started when I was in a funk with myself/job/wife and "experimented" by trying to get a script online. It was easy. Well, it has progressed to the point where I am forging prescriptions, which seems too easy. I tried to quit a couple of months ago (this has been going on for approx. 6 months), was through the worst, and started it up again. Now, I'm so scared to quit (withdrawal was hell and I have large family who depends so heavily on my very active involvement. My wife has horrible morning sickness and I do absolutely everything home/child related before and during my bank job.
I'm rambling. Does anybody have credible advise regarding a tapering program? I've seen several "formulas" but some seem contradictory. Unfortunately, I can share this with absolutely no one. My wife is a no bull s--- type of gal, has no sympathy and would force a separation for a good long while (I don't see this as good for the kids, not to mention it would be devastating for me). I feel so selfish, so alone, and frightened that I may get caught for my illegal indiscretions (surely I must be missing something to think that prescription forgery is easy and painless).
Thank you for listening. I haven't mentioned this to anyone other than a priest. So lonely.
I'm rambling. Does anybody have credible advise regarding a tapering program? I've seen several "formulas" but some seem contradictory. Unfortunately, I can share this with absolutely no one. My wife is a no bull s--- type of gal, has no sympathy and would force a separation for a good long while (I don't see this as good for the kids, not to mention it would be devastating for me). I feel so selfish, so alone, and frightened that I may get caught for my illegal indiscretions (surely I must be missing something to think that prescription forgery is easy and painless).
Thank you for listening. I haven't mentioned this to anyone other than a priest. So lonely.
Clonidine is a blood pressure med.It will help the creepies,if you know what I mean.That shakey plugged into a electrical outlet feeling.Some of the other post in the last week
explained exactly what it does,But believe me it made my withdrawing from methadone much much easier.I took the pill
form but I hear the patch is good too.Good luck and I am here
when you call.Just be honest with the doc you see and if you have to force him to listen then do whatever it takes to make him/her realize just how serious you are.Have faith in God,for he willnever put on more than you can take.His words not mine!
peace,
bmac
explained exactly what it does,But believe me it made my withdrawing from methadone much much easier.I took the pill
form but I hear the patch is good too.Good luck and I am here
when you call.Just be honest with the doc you see and if you have to force him to listen then do whatever it takes to make him/her realize just how serious you are.Have faith in God,for he willnever put on more than you can take.His words not mine!
peace,
bmac
Thank you to the folks who have responded. I plan to start tapering tommorow. I will make an appointment with a doctor (my insurance for my new job kicks in in two days) to see about the clonidine patch that was mentioned. Could someone please explain what exactly the patch alleviates?
Also, that is some clear and sobering missive regarding the forgery aspect of my addiction. Clearly, life as I know it would be over should I get caught. Although, I have no legal record to date, the process alone would destroy so much of what I've worked towards. I'm known as a strong Christian, loving husband and dedicated father. To live so far from that misperception has me isolated in every way.
To whoever can remember, please make note of me in your prayers. Thank you.
Also, that is some clear and sobering missive regarding the forgery aspect of my addiction. Clearly, life as I know it would be over should I get caught. Although, I have no legal record to date, the process alone would destroy so much of what I've worked towards. I'm known as a strong Christian, loving husband and dedicated father. To live so far from that misperception has me isolated in every way.
To whoever can remember, please make note of me in your prayers. Thank you.
Sean, Tapering is not easy, there is absolutely no quick way to go about it. My suggestion to you is to decrease your pill usage by 1 per day. Have you given any thought to going to a doctor and explaining that you have become addicted and need a script for Clonidine? I did and boy am I glad that I went, the clonidine really helps with the WD process, makes it so it is tolerable!
Hang in there, you'll be alright. I have done the same thing as you by altering scripts and getting them online. I am deeply ashamed of it too.
Keep posting and talking about your addiction, it helps to know that we are not alone, you can easily make friends on this forum who will help you every step of the way. ChiGirl.
Hang in there, you'll be alright. I have done the same thing as you by altering scripts and getting them online. I am deeply ashamed of it too.
Keep posting and talking about your addiction, it helps to know that we are not alone, you can easily make friends on this forum who will help you every step of the way. ChiGirl.
Looks like you got some pretty good tapering advice. What I want to talk about is the forging. Before I "retired," I was busted 3 times in 15 years for telephonic rx forgery. All it takes is one suspicious pharmacist, and you've had it. Being bank VP will only make it harder on you. The more "accomplished" you are, the less sympathy, and more enmity, the court will have for you. They can charge you with a misdemeanor or make it a felony at their discretion. Did your heroin days include any busts? If they did, that will slant things toward the felony side. A forgery conviction will almost certainly finish your banking career. From the sound of it, you better have someone other than your wife to make your bail. It will be between 10 and 20K.
This kind of stuff is driven by the desperation you feel when WD makes its appearance. I know. Just keep in mind, you can do everything right on the script and still get busted. All you need to do is go to the wrong pharmacy too soon, and you're busted with a single phone call, led out of the pharmacy in handcuffs. They may or may not put you in the hospital ward. If they don't, well, you can imagine what WD will be like then. That phone call to your wife is going to be fun, too. If your wife divorces you over rx forgery, think of how you'll look to the court.
Sean, I'm not trying to scare you. You're obviously intelligent and educated (the two don't always go together, look at me), so I know you're capable of anticipating all this on your own. I'm just here to tell you that sooner or later they'll get you unless you shut it down now. The way it happens is, WD forces you into taking chances. It wills you to the pharmacy even if you know it's dangerous to hit that one on that day. Eventually, you just won't care. Then, they have you.
To us, or to me in any event, rx forgery doesn't mean much because I know addiction. I'm surprised, but relieved, that more addicts don't do it. But to anyone else, rx forgery sounds like quite the crime. People don't understand, and you can't make them understand.
If you want to start tapering now, but have to forge another scrip to get the meds needed, know that you can do it cold turkey. It's not easy, but the worst of it is over in less than a week. Also, the WD symptoms, as you know, mimic a very bad flu. If my life depended upon it, I know I could sell that to my wife. Think about it before you're in the squad car. If you want to write me privately, I'll give you any help I can managing WD. I'm at ***@****.
Thomas
This kind of stuff is driven by the desperation you feel when WD makes its appearance. I know. Just keep in mind, you can do everything right on the script and still get busted. All you need to do is go to the wrong pharmacy too soon, and you're busted with a single phone call, led out of the pharmacy in handcuffs. They may or may not put you in the hospital ward. If they don't, well, you can imagine what WD will be like then. That phone call to your wife is going to be fun, too. If your wife divorces you over rx forgery, think of how you'll look to the court.
Sean, I'm not trying to scare you. You're obviously intelligent and educated (the two don't always go together, look at me), so I know you're capable of anticipating all this on your own. I'm just here to tell you that sooner or later they'll get you unless you shut it down now. The way it happens is, WD forces you into taking chances. It wills you to the pharmacy even if you know it's dangerous to hit that one on that day. Eventually, you just won't care. Then, they have you.
To us, or to me in any event, rx forgery doesn't mean much because I know addiction. I'm surprised, but relieved, that more addicts don't do it. But to anyone else, rx forgery sounds like quite the crime. People don't understand, and you can't make them understand.
If you want to start tapering now, but have to forge another scrip to get the meds needed, know that you can do it cold turkey. It's not easy, but the worst of it is over in less than a week. Also, the WD symptoms, as you know, mimic a very bad flu. If my life depended upon it, I know I could sell that to my wife. Think about it before you're in the squad car. If you want to write me privately, I'll give you any help I can managing WD. I'm at ***@****.
Thomas
I meant my marriage suffered because my wife is just like yours.
She is a nurse and has to deal with 40 doctors and an operating
room 24/7.She does not like anything to do with drugs.If
you can't tell her,then don't.I did and jesus that was a
mistake.I tried methadone and didn't decrease right and took
myself off wrong.From what you say you are looking for a quick detox with hardly any withdrawals.I can't help you there.
But these boards will.Be patient,someone other than me will answer you.If you need me I am here.
bmac
She is a nurse and has to deal with 40 doctors and an operating
room 24/7.She does not like anything to do with drugs.If
you can't tell her,then don't.I did and jesus that was a
mistake.I tried methadone and didn't decrease right and took
myself off wrong.From what you say you are looking for a quick detox with hardly any withdrawals.I can't help you there.
But these boards will.Be patient,someone other than me will answer you.If you need me I am here.
bmac
Hi Sean,
I was addicted to heroin and methadone for approximately 6 years over ten years ago. Like you, when I cleaned up things started really going great. I returned to school and went all the way through for my Ph.D. The day I was leaving to return to the West Coast to begin my dissertation, I seriously injured my back (2 herniated discs, one severely between L4-L5--hitting against the sciatic nerve). I couldn't walk without a cane for about 6 months and was in terrible pain. I began taking vicodin to relieve the pain and stayed on them consistently for about 16 months. Now, I never took more medication than was prescribed, never doc shopped or did any of the "addict" type of things I did when I was using heroin, so for me, using the vicodin didn't interfere as much as it does for some, I think. But it did interfere enough to make me want to get off it. My back is at the point where it really flares up from time to time, but I don't need to be on constant painkillers, so I decided to go off the vicodin, which I have done through tapering. Here is the tapering schedule that I used, and it worked really well for me (when I began the taper I was using 6 vicodin per day. I started taking Thomas's "recipe" which I found here on the forum about a week before I started the taper.
Days 1 - 4: reduce 1 pill (6 to 5)
Days 5 - 8: reduce 1 pill (5 to 4)
Days 9 - 12: remained on 4 pills per day, but tarted breaking pills in 1/2 to get myself accustomed to taking smaller doses. 1 1 pill upon waking, 1/2 pill at noon, 1/2 pill at 3:00, 1/2 pill at 6:00, 1/2 pill at 9:00, 1 pill at bedtime.
Days 13 - 16: reduce by 1/2 pill (4 to 3 1/2). 1 in the a.m. upon waking, 1/2 at noon, 1/2 at 4:00, 1/2 at 8:00, 1 pill at bedtime.
Days 17 - 20: reduce by 1/2 pill (3 1/2 to 3). 1 in the a.m., 1/2 at 2:00 p.m., 1/2 at 7:00 p.m. 1 at bedtime.
Days 21 - 24: reduce by 1/2 pill (3 to 2 1/2). 1/2 in the a.m.,
1/2 at noon, 1/2 at 4:00, 1/2 at 8:00, 1/2 at bedtime.
Days 25 - 28: reduce by 1/2 pill (2 1/2 to 2). 1/2 in the a.m.
1/2 around 2:00 p.m., 1/2 around 7:00 p.m., 1/2 at bedtime.
Days 29 - 32: reduce by 1/2 pill (2 to 1 1/2). 1/2 in the a.m., 1/2 late afternoon, 1/2 in the evening.
Days 33 - 36: reduce by 1/2 pill (1 1/2 to 1). 1/2 in the a.m. and 1/2 in the p.m. After 4 days on this dose, I stopped completely and felt very little withdrawal. The harder for me was dealing with the pain in my back. I used Trazadone for sleep, exercised almost every day, did yoga and at very healthy food throughout the detox.
This worked really well for me; I have a lot of self-will, though and tapering doesn't work well for a lot of people. If you don't have the control to taper, then give the pills to someone you trust and have them dole them out.
I was addicted to heroin and methadone for approximately 6 years over ten years ago. Like you, when I cleaned up things started really going great. I returned to school and went all the way through for my Ph.D. The day I was leaving to return to the West Coast to begin my dissertation, I seriously injured my back (2 herniated discs, one severely between L4-L5--hitting against the sciatic nerve). I couldn't walk without a cane for about 6 months and was in terrible pain. I began taking vicodin to relieve the pain and stayed on them consistently for about 16 months. Now, I never took more medication than was prescribed, never doc shopped or did any of the "addict" type of things I did when I was using heroin, so for me, using the vicodin didn't interfere as much as it does for some, I think. But it did interfere enough to make me want to get off it. My back is at the point where it really flares up from time to time, but I don't need to be on constant painkillers, so I decided to go off the vicodin, which I have done through tapering. Here is the tapering schedule that I used, and it worked really well for me (when I began the taper I was using 6 vicodin per day. I started taking Thomas's "recipe" which I found here on the forum about a week before I started the taper.
Days 1 - 4: reduce 1 pill (6 to 5)
Days 5 - 8: reduce 1 pill (5 to 4)
Days 9 - 12: remained on 4 pills per day, but tarted breaking pills in 1/2 to get myself accustomed to taking smaller doses. 1 1 pill upon waking, 1/2 pill at noon, 1/2 pill at 3:00, 1/2 pill at 6:00, 1/2 pill at 9:00, 1 pill at bedtime.
Days 13 - 16: reduce by 1/2 pill (4 to 3 1/2). 1 in the a.m. upon waking, 1/2 at noon, 1/2 at 4:00, 1/2 at 8:00, 1 pill at bedtime.
Days 17 - 20: reduce by 1/2 pill (3 1/2 to 3). 1 in the a.m., 1/2 at 2:00 p.m., 1/2 at 7:00 p.m. 1 at bedtime.
Days 21 - 24: reduce by 1/2 pill (3 to 2 1/2). 1/2 in the a.m.,
1/2 at noon, 1/2 at 4:00, 1/2 at 8:00, 1/2 at bedtime.
Days 25 - 28: reduce by 1/2 pill (2 1/2 to 2). 1/2 in the a.m.
1/2 around 2:00 p.m., 1/2 around 7:00 p.m., 1/2 at bedtime.
Days 29 - 32: reduce by 1/2 pill (2 to 1 1/2). 1/2 in the a.m., 1/2 late afternoon, 1/2 in the evening.
Days 33 - 36: reduce by 1/2 pill (1 1/2 to 1). 1/2 in the a.m. and 1/2 in the p.m. After 4 days on this dose, I stopped completely and felt very little withdrawal. The harder for me was dealing with the pain in my back. I used Trazadone for sleep, exercised almost every day, did yoga and at very healthy food throughout the detox.
This worked really well for me; I have a lot of self-will, though and tapering doesn't work well for a lot of people. If you don't have the control to taper, then give the pills to someone you trust and have them dole them out.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
