Vicodin Addiction

[sue]

I am embarrassed to admit that I am 42 years old and addicted to Vicodin ES - sometimes up to 10 tablets a day. It started over 5 years ago after a pinched nerve in my back.  I have since developed chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia although I am not sure if the addiction has brought on the problem.  Before that I worked out 6 days a week and taught aerobics.  My injury and subsequent problems brought on depression and low self esteem as well as weight gain and I found the Vicodin gave me a "euphoric feeling" and I could get through the day.  What I found amazing is that my doctor kept okaying my prescriptions.  I have tried many times to quit - sometimes as long as two weeks but the utter exhaustion and depression made it hard to keep going.  Through this I have managed a full time job and taking care of a teenager.  I am now afraid of the long term damage I may have done to my body.  I have started working out again with an attitude of "I'm going to do it this time."  My question is - how long can I expect to feel pretty tired and edgy, etc. from the withdrawl symptoms?  I have recently started Wellbrutrin for depression which seems to work fairly well and I have no side effects.  Your answers and encouragement will help...thanks.

[youngELDER]

I am on day 2 of my withdraws and the thing that is the hardest to deal with id the leg craps and not being able to sleep... the deluded feeling of "everything is going to be alright" that vicodin gives you will be the hardest to kick. Its been about almost two years now since I was introduced to the pill. It started as a weekend fun thing... you know lets pop a few vics and watch a scary movie... then it turned to going to the ends of the earth to find them... I feel so depressed and upset with myself that I let it get this bad :(

[flunkie]

hi pals. I 've iust had to kick codeine . Addicted fot 20 years. I tapered starting feb
By march I reached zero ..
Its april  and I feel good. Its not completely over .
My job is physical.  I did not stop working! No one ever noticed .

Youtube's
Aaroncohen
helped me a whole bunch.
look him up.


Its tough for long termers.
It might be 4 days of unpleasantness for some.
I quit cold turkey 15 years ago.
It took more than 2 month to feel normal.

Stupid me I started taking them again.

[Bob77460]

Dear John my name is Bob I've bin taking 10/325 norco ( vicodine) for over 5 years now for back pain. I was diagnosed last year with degenerative spine disease as I noticed my pain increased. Over the years I built up a tolerance n I was taking up to 16 pills a day if not more. Recently I was reading up on vicodine and found out long time users, your body gets use to and needs the vicodine and if it doesn't get it your body will mimic pain so you will take more. So I quit cold turkey, withdraw was not bad only 4 days and I'm in a lot less pain now then when I was taking the vicodine. My life is getting back to normal and can control my pain with tylenol and aleve. Give it a try keep your head up and stay strong you can do it I did. Feeling a lot better Bob!              

[meeeee519]

I am a 42 year old woman. I am reading all the these post and wow does all of this sound so firmiliar.
This is my story.
5 years ago I was diaganosed with fibromyalgia with denerative disk disease,2 years ago I was t-boned in a car accident and have 5 herniated disk a tear in my spinal cord and crushing of my vertebraes.
6 months ago i broke my tibia and fibia bone and the doc has still not done the surgery cuz I smoke.
I did not have Ins for my leg but got a doc that saw me anyway. He has had me on 750 norco's for 6 months, I do partially blame him cuz he just keeps throwing pain pills at me instaed of doing the surgery.
I have been in hellish pain for many years with no help from doc's so I had to self medicate to help the pain. I finally started seeing a neurologist just 2 months ago  from the car accident.
He is now having me take 10 norcos 500 a day and then his PA knocked me down to 3 a day .
I have thee worste migraines from the car accident for the last 2 years.
I am VERY sensitive to medications, My allergy list is huge.
My headaches were finally going away when I was taking the 10 a day as prscribed, when the PA knocked me way down I am now getting the headaches bad again.
I also go to PT and WT, it does make the pain worse.
OKAY- This is my dilema
I am SICK N TIRED of these stupid pills running my life.
BUT- I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I want of them but I still need surgery on my leg- reconstrutive suergery and I have to have 5 vertebraes fused together in my neck. So what would be the point of getting off the pills if they are just gonna put me back on them after my surgeries?
I am realiy at a loss !!!!!!!!
And I dont want to go threw the withdraws !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I dont know if anyone will understand this but I have a MAJOR fobia to puking. I would rather die than puke. I understand no one likes to puke but this is way more than i dont like it. I would rather someone shoot me in the head than to puke- lol
I know that sounds crazy but its fact.
So what advice is there?
I appreciate any adivce- Thank you.

[trappt]

Hi I'm 22 years old and I've been taking 10-15 vicodin a day. I cant tell you all how much I want to stop taking these darn things...  It's ruining my relationship with my significant other, ruining me financially, and mentally.  When withdrawal starts I always go back to using and the highs are getting shorter and shorter everytime.  My family doesn't even know and I don't know how to tell them because they would probably cut me out of there lives if they knew.  The longest I've been without these friggin things is 1 week in two years. I've never been addicted to anything till I came across these meds.  I really want to stop but everytime I try it feels like there's no reason to keep on living, which ***** because I know I'm capable of so much more than just taking pills all day...  Sometimes I wonder how the hell I let these things get ahold of me...  These forums do offer a lot of inspiration but it all seems to go out the window as soon as I wake up in the morning.  If anyone has any advise, stories, solutions, tips, pointers, all is appreciated. Thanks and the best of luck to all of us who are ruled by this evil...

P.S. the FDA are the biggest drug pushers in the world.

[freelysurrendering]

Also I just wanted to say that you posted to an oldere post .go to the top of the page and post a new thread ...hang in there girl    I'm pulling for you...