Aa
Why is this so hard??
Short history then I want to explain my dilema. So much incredible information here. 12 years ago suffered compression fractures t11-t12 and fractured left femoral neck. Had surgery to repair hip but none to do anything about compression fractures in back. Lots of rest and pain meds that I have been on for >10 years. I have had my wife dispense my meds for over 10 years as I found out early they are easy to take faster than your prescription allows. With all of the PT, Chiros, accupuncture, steroid injections, nothing has given relief like the meds. I take 40 mg. daily (5 mg tabs as needed) and 30 mg oxycontin at night. Same dose for many years. Does not seem like a lot compared to some I've read here. Since the switch to OP formulation, sleeping at night has become more difficult. Did some research and found OP works a little differently and may not release all meds. For some reason I was waking with anxiety like when you forget your pills and miss a dose. It was at this time my wife and I discussed tapering down and maybe stop narcotics if the back allows.
Here is where I find a problem. I started by tapering 5 mg a day. Did it for a week and then thought to go to 10mg less. It's been 3 weeks and I feel this low grade anxiety that just won't go away until I take 5-10 mg of oxycodone. I can't imagine tapering in a way I think is slow, but feeling the anxiety that seems to comes with less medication. It would be an awful long time to taper and feel this way. Has so many years of pain management with meds messed up dopamine or endorphins that bad. I've read some journals and tapering plans, but WOW, I did not expect to feel so crappy while still having some available opiates in my system. Makes me wonder if I will be able to do this at all. I have a contract with pain management that has never been broken and I stick to my script with help in managing it so I don't think I'm some kind of crazy addict, but maybe an addict none the less. After reading all of the horror stories about opiates I sure would like to try and see where I'm at in the scheme of things. What can I do or is there just no "easy" way? Thanks
Here is where I find a problem. I started by tapering 5 mg a day. Did it for a week and then thought to go to 10mg less. It's been 3 weeks and I feel this low grade anxiety that just won't go away until I take 5-10 mg of oxycodone. I can't imagine tapering in a way I think is slow, but feeling the anxiety that seems to comes with less medication. It would be an awful long time to taper and feel this way. Has so many years of pain management with meds messed up dopamine or endorphins that bad. I've read some journals and tapering plans, but WOW, I did not expect to feel so crappy while still having some available opiates in my system. Makes me wonder if I will be able to do this at all. I have a contract with pain management that has never been broken and I stick to my script with help in managing it so I don't think I'm some kind of crazy addict, but maybe an addict none the less. After reading all of the horror stories about opiates I sure would like to try and see where I'm at in the scheme of things. What can I do or is there just no "easy" way? Thanks
Yea, kind of over thinking it all and letting doubt creep in. Thanks for posting!
hey !! it sounds like your not going to let yourself rest until you see for yourself if you can do this.. withdrawal is bad, but as you can see from this forum, it is doable. make a plan.. either taper or jump off at a lower dose. get some supplies to help you thru, like the thomas recipie, immodium (read the peice on withdrawal in the suboxone fact sheet at the bottom of the page ) also read the amino acid protocol.get some gatoraid, some ensure, in case you can't eat, line up a couple of sauna's, take walks...It's like a bad flu...you can always go back on the pills, but you'll need to give yourself at least a month until you come out of the fog. also go to the top of the page and click on the orange post sign to start new post. I have missed alot of your post because they're on an old thread. and most important keep on posting. whichever way you decide to go we're rootin for you.
You'll never know your true pain until you completely have been off the meds for a few weeks. Initially the pain will amp up to get your brain to dole out the meds. My vote is to give it a try, but do it with a DR. on board since you do have some real issues, pick a day, get your supplies, ask your wife if she'll lend you support and get busy. I have been off hydro's for 1 year.It took me 3 solid tries to finally make it stick. I prolonged getting completely pill free as I added ativan while detoxing and took it for to long (try not to do this). Words can not describe the difference I feel being pill free. Think winning the lottery, winning the world series, finding out they forund a cure for the cancer you've been battling.....I may be dramatic here, but this is what I feel. Still have my down days, but I can manage them WITHOUT GUILT.As my friend Free says, once we realize we have a problem, we can no longer have the high we once had. Then we just take to feel well.
Thanks for your encouragement. It is greatly appreciated. I know I sound like a broken record and what I post and feel is miniscule compared to others and what they are going thru. I think my next step will be to continue to taper using immediate release instead of timed release. At least the symptoms will go away more quickly and maybe I won't become as discouraged. I gotta keep trying to make a go of this. How long have you been off pills and do you feel as good/better than before you started, aside from any physical pain that is.
I understand everything you are saying. You want a guarantee of a worth while payoff for your efforts. I get that. I can only relate my journey. The pills started a s a lifesaver . but within 2 years they turned on me in a really bad way. The endorphins and dopamine was all screwed up. My energy off pills was very low, my original pain was doubly as painful on the pills (rebound or something). All I have to offer is that you can't do these forever without something having to give. This has to be your choice. It makes it hard when you have pills that are freely prescribed? Losing the pills has been my most gradifiying experience of my entire life except for having my kids. Honestly. Keep posting.... your decision will be clear one way or another, Routing for you!
I was thinking about this last night. When in the beginning stages of withdrawing while just tapering, the feeling of contentedness of just being is gone or hard to find. That trying to go a bit more before the next dose brings only a little of what I would expect from full blown withdrawal. Basically, I'm afraid. That's as simple as I can put it. I don't have to do it but I want to and I don't know why. I'm angry at the Dr.s for not explaining the nature of opiate use and discontinuing. I feel stuck and don't know if I can make endorphins or dopamine anymore. I'm being a wuss at attempting to quit and can't get rid of the nagging feeling I'd be better served by stopping the meds. I am trying to find the motivation to jump and not doing well at just doing it. I read the posts of those going through it and admire their commitment when they keep going. But it sounds an awful experience. I am looking for threads on people who wanted to quit and have assurance from their perspective that they were glad they did. Not finding as many, but seems the ones who do it sure feel good about it.
Sorry, I just read your thread and see you have gone the tapering route. C/T seems like your best option in my opinion. Let us know what your plan is and we are here to hold you up and pull you through. xx
Only you can decide if the benefit of being on pills outweighs the negative. I had the benifit of watching my mom and sister decline over the years directly related to pill use. With such an apparent reminder daily it made continuing my pill use a self suicide. For me it came down to just being afraid of w/d's, once I wrapped my head around that and accepted that I was not going to be feeling very spiffy for a bit, I jumped in. Give it a solid try and after a couple weeks if your pain in unmanageable then talk to your Dr. about a plan "B". Have you ever tried to taper? Sounds like your wike could hold your meds?
Mostly confused. I think I know what's best to do but am having a hard time committing.Thank you for asking.
Oh, and comments from people who have quit seem to imply it's the greatest thing they could have ever done. I have asked if my condition seems to adversely effect family life and have been told only when I'm cutting back. Seems I'm a lot less patient and energetic. Want to know if I'm better off without, which many say they are.
Thanks for reply! I've stuck to my schedule for years and PM has even offered to increase my dose which I always decline. Yes, I have compression fractures t11-t12 with recommended fusion t11-s1. Have been recommended to have c6 disc replacement. Multiple ineffective ESI's, Chiro, accupuncture,TENS unit, cervical traction device, PT with dry needling for trigger point release currently ongoing and somewhat helpful for rt. cervical radiculopathy Pills have helped to be more functional for years and started after my daughter's class project to draw her parents showed me in bed on a heating pad. Her perception of me was such that I needed to do something to become more functional. I work in medical field and lower back surgery is very last option. I would consider cervical surgery if/when EMG shows changes to the point where I have to save the functioning of my right arm before nerve involvement gets to that point. Pills don't interfere with daily life other than I am dependent and trips, etc. always involve making sure you bring the pills. Have had family member steal pills on occasion which led to having to put them in a safe. Googling one day a few years back exposed me to the nature of opiates and dependency and addiction. I find myself wondering about damage or changes to normal neurotransmitter function especially dopamine and endorphins which I know have been significantly altered.
One day I thought I'd try cutting back and was quite dismayed at the physical and mental effects of missing even one or two scheduled doses. Started reading so many addiction threads that I began thinking what is this all doing to me. It was scary to read others' experiences. Motivation is, simply put, these are helpful meds, but basically they take over part of your life. My wife wonders why I want to quit, but it comes down to if I find treatment helpful to a point where pain is manageable, stopping the medication seems to be a bigger problem than the original condition. I may have never started this if I didn't come across this site googling pain management info. It's in the back of my mind ever since.
One day I thought I'd try cutting back and was quite dismayed at the physical and mental effects of missing even one or two scheduled doses. Started reading so many addiction threads that I began thinking what is this all doing to me. It was scary to read others' experiences. Motivation is, simply put, these are helpful meds, but basically they take over part of your life. My wife wonders why I want to quit, but it comes down to if I find treatment helpful to a point where pain is manageable, stopping the medication seems to be a bigger problem than the original condition. I may have never started this if I didn't come across this site googling pain management info. It's in the back of my mind ever since.
Hi Kinda, Your post reminded me of my feelings at the time I was using. I had almost resigned myself to thinking I needed to be on pills for the rest of my life. I had some medical issues that seemed debilitating, but when I totally got off the pills they were nothing more that a small nuisance . This will be very hard for you when your able to get pills at a weak moment which you will certainly have during detox. Your wife sounds like a caring, kind individual that doesn't want you to suffer during this process. Truth is, you will suffer but I promise you it will be worth every bit of it in the long run. One question....do you stick to your prescribed med schedule? Do you have real pain? Are pills interfereing with your daily life? What is your motivation for quitting?
Maybe I need to make it less of a choice on my part. My wife is supportive and does encourage me to "just go a little longer-you can do it". She doesn't really completely understand though why I want to do this. Sometimes I don't even know why. I read encouraging things about how great people feel once it's all said and done and I think I'm just tired of being dependent on meds the way that opiates make you dependent. Is this better to do by making it so there isn't a choice? I just don't know....
The doctor doesn't limit my script that much and leaves it more up to me. Understands that I want to give it a go but hasn't cut my pills/month yet. It's more of my decision and a good luck thing and when I'm comfortable, will adjust script. Says if I need anything to alleviate symptoms to just give him a call and he's there to do what he can. I may be reading too many addiction threads. I can see where it would be uncomfortable to have to just stop without any choice as to how. I have to admit, from what I've experienced just by forgetting pills on a trip somewhere that it scares me. Just a bit of normal everyday type stress seems overwhelming even in the very beginning stages of withdrawal. I've never really had to go through it in all of the years I've been in pain management.
That was a sweet thing to call your wife.
Cold turkey stinks. No doubt about that but if you want off then you will have to make a decision to do it. The withdrawal will last a few days and you will see the light. PAWS should not be a concern. It very, very, very rarely happens and if it does it is 6 months out. Worry about today and what you are going to do. Can you tell your doctor that the taper is more like a leap from a cliff? Maybe he will set you up with something that is doable.
Cold turkey stinks. No doubt about that but if you want off then you will have to make a decision to do it. The withdrawal will last a few days and you will see the light. PAWS should not be a concern. It very, very, very rarely happens and if it does it is 6 months out. Worry about today and what you are going to do. Can you tell your doctor that the taper is more like a leap from a cliff? Maybe he will set you up with something that is doable.
Thanks for reply. Been having my meds dispensed by my best friend for a long time. I've asked PCP about tapering schedule before, and I'd be done if I did it as fast as he thinks it can be done. Cold Turkey is what so many say, but I can't seem to wrap my head around having to put up with the symptoms. Been on meds for >10 yrs. and PAWS threads dishearten me. I find myself doubting if I can do this. Sooo conflicted right now.
Welcome back. There is no way to avoid withdrawal so you may as well set your mind to that. Tapering would probably make it easier but it is tricky as you already know. Do you have anyone who can hold and dispense the medication? If so, ask your doctor for a tapering schedule and begin with that.
Make sure that you have an alternative pain treatment plan in place as well. So many people come off of their meds and find they are still in pain and go back to them. Set yourself up for success.
Make sure that you have an alternative pain treatment plan in place as well. So many people come off of their meds and find they are still in pain and go back to them. Set yourself up for success.
OK, Now I am stuck. I have been on a lower dose of oxycontin for a long time-6+ months. I can't get past 40 mg a day without feeling the effects. Would it be better to do this tapering with oxycodone or an IR med instead? I can get either med from my PM doc. Taking a 10 mg tablet every six hours. It's at about 5 hours that I can really start to feel jumpy, and slightly agitated at any type of stress. I know I said earlier that I don't care how long it takes, but this medication is tough. All of the withdrawal threads scare the c@#p out of me. Anyone with any experience would be appreciated.
It's been some time but I am at 35-40 mg/day. I was trying to rush things and kinda stuck on this I gotta get off of these kick. I'm more comfortable taking it slow and sticking to a regular schedule with the help of my wife. Looks like I'm just going to take it slow and easy. I know I could go cold turkey but even then, the long term effects of withdrawal until brain chemistry is more close to normal, if there ever is such a thing, can take years. So the question is if I see a MD and can do this slowly and painlessly as possible, why not. When the day comes where I take my final pill, I know that will not be the end of it, just the start of something new and possibly more difficult than slowly tapering. I'm just not in as big of a rush.
See if your doctor can give you Clonidine. It is a blood pressure medication but it helps with opiate withdrawals.
Still at 50mg, sometimes 45 and on some days 55. I feel much better at 55mg than at 50 or 45. I don't know why 5mg makes such a difference. I'm not having a lot of withdrawal symptoms at 45 or 50mg, just an unsettled feeling if you know what I mean. Amazingly just 5 mg makes a huge difference as far as just feeling good versus unsettled. I'm thinking of just going with a two year plan if that's what it takes. Unfortunately (or fortunately) having another surgery for disc replacement. Pain seems to be worse but I'm on this "want to get off these meds" kick even though they help with getting around easier and doing more things with the family that sometimes isn't as doable without.
hi and welcome back. many people find a taper is very hard to stick with. the withdrawal is much longer.going cold turkey is more intense but the acute physical symptoms will be over in about 7 days. are you still at 50mg
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