trying to get off pain medication

[brookely]

I need help too. Whats the best way to wean off narcotic pain medication?

[momma0608]

hey brookely!  i def. can relate to what you are talking about!!  i have some of the same habits myself.  i too have a son, he's 16 months old and i feel like in order to have the energy to be that "picture perfect mom" i need to take my pills (i have the issue with lortab) at my worst point i was taking about 20ish 5mg a day.  if i had anything at all to do or if i ate or anything i was like "ok, take more b/c you will prob. need the boost and energy"  i can agree its the worst feeling ever to be being controlled by this.  i recently decided to taper off myself.  i went from 20 to about 10 then down to 5 pills a day.  i recently had a screw up and went back to taking 10 pills a day so, i am kind of starting over.  i will tell you this,  tapering takes a lot of will power but, it's very do-able!  my focus is my son and that i don't want him to one day ask me why i take all of these pills and what's wrong with me and so on.  he's my everything and i don't want to loose him.  you can def. do this and you are NOT alone!!  i can see that you have the want and the drive to do this... take your time with it. the one thing i've been told by my dr. is that if you rush it too much, the next time you get a script you will want to jump back to what you were taking to get that feeling of normalcy again.  that's what happened to me (along with a huge ovarian cyst)  like i said you can do this and the end result is so worth it!  good luck and if you need to talk or anything i am here and i know what you are going through!
God Bless!

[brookely]

i really appriciate the comments yall. I really do. Yes, for me tapering is hard too. I have really good intentions to taper everyday, but then i get to the point to where i say to myself, " uhm, ok i'll just take one more and then i wont take another for a while" and then guess what happens, something will stress me out or i'll have to do an activity that requires energy and then take another, then another. then the next thing you know, you look in your bottle and say "crud, i sqrewed up again, i'll start over tomorrow no matter what the harshness, i will relax and do nothing therefore i wont have to take the extended amount". But everyday is the same for me. I'll get to my last 2 and try to find ways to get some more. That way i feel better about having a handful, due to tapering. It might sound weired, but if I know i'm completely out, i'll panic and wont do anything but think of how to get more. If i do have some, a good amount, thats when i want and think i'll take less today, but at least i have some just in case. I feel safe or something knowing " that just in case" i need 1 or a couple, i'll have them. golly, what a wonderful life to lead. my normal routine is somewhat like this........ i wake up, take 2 percs, with a stacker, then after i eat in the morning or whatever, i immediatly take 2 1/2 more. ( i don't know why, but everytime i eat, i have to have a pain pill if i'm hurting or not) i don't know why, but everytime i eat, i do that afterward. because after eating, i'll feel tired and that way i feel like i'm starting over again with a boost, and go about my day. On my medication, i am "normal". i don't get high or anything, it's just a weired habit i do. if i didn't do this everytime i ate i probably wouldn't take a lot through out the day. but thats the cycle i go through. does anyone else do this? or is it just me? anyways, i don't take them at night before sleeping, they don't make me sleepy, and i think it's a waste of pill if i were to do that. I only take pills to function and be active. Oh i don;'t know yall. No matter what i's all crazy. I can't seem to break the cycle. I think constantly, whyy can i be those people who just take reg. meds over the counter and be good that way. I'd give anything to take something i could get ALL the time and it would be affordable, and of course NON- NARCOTIC. can you guys stay with me on this, because i will be starting tomorrow to taper way down. I have toi work, so i at least have to be up beat for that, then when i get home, i'll settle down. thanks everyone, let me know if you can relate to anything i've said here. talk to you soon bye

[leeisgettingclean]

plaease dont consider done or sub for this. You are at a low level and this stuff would only make a BIG problem. If you must taper, i would drop right away to the lowest level you can handle, maybe 5 or 7 a day, break them in halfs so you feel like you are takin more than you are, every few days drop a half a pill and in a few weeks you be free!

[Dknd4v]

i can understand where u are coming from on so many levels. PM me and we can chat. It is always helpful to talk to someone who has been where u are and can lend an ear or eye lol to listen to what u r feeling at this very moment.

[brookely]

well in my case, i started out slow 2 years ago, and today i'm taking about 11 to 13 pills a day. I can't help it, i don't know what else to do. i live with my family, and i am raising my son too. i'm scared, because i know what is to feel like ****, becasue i have no pills. it is a very selfish addiction for anyone who is on narcotics. i think i'm physically dependant on them. and  always run out earlier than i should. then i buy the rest. I HATE IT  so much. i remember a time that i didn't even know what a narcotic was, and back then when my son was younger i had all the enrgy in the world, and never relied on anything to get me through the day. now i'm so addicted i can't phathom what it would be like NOT to have these. why did i not know better. i hate the way i feel when i don't have them. i like to do things, and be a great mom. I'm always on the go, i homeschool him as well, when he's out of school. I can't think or be happy if i can't take my meds. BUT i would love to be normal again, the way i was before my addiction. what have i done to myself? please, i need someone to talk too. i need to change.

[worried878]

U r taking 5 mgs of percs a day?  it is hard to taper off of 5 mgs unless u got to 1/2 a day for a while then stop..perhaps u r taking several 5 mgs pills a day?  I would think so...as a rule tapering is hard for a true addict and u did not say whether u were physically dependent or an addict..also..as a rule anything less than 100 mgs a day is often easier to ct than taper for an addict..in fact tapering is hard without help for an addict at any dose..more info needed...making a plan including aftercare is always important for an addict/mentally and physically dependent person

[Dknd4v]

Its hard to suggest the right thing. There are options out there if you have tried your hardest cold turkey n weaning with no success. Their is suboxon or merthadone but those are very potent drugs and im not even sure with the amount your taking if a doctor would even consider giving you them. I would talk to a methadone clinic or a suboxone doctor and see what they say. Also you should look into a detox facility that has aftercare. Do you have any family or otherwise support? Does anyone else know? its ok if not, their are meetings if your unable to talk to the close people around you about it, (for now).

[brookely]

I'm taking ( prescribed ) perc 5's, oxycodone. I've been on them for 2 years, for bulging disks, in back. So actually I know what w/d are like to be honest. i just can't do it cold turkey. I'm laid up all day, and i'm a single parent, and i have to keep up with my child. I can't do ANYTHING if i don't take my meds. But then again, I can't keep relying on a dang pill to get me through the day EVERYDAY. it gets old. of course i'm scared to get off them. then my pain comes back, and can barely move. what do i do?

[Dknd4v]

how much r u taking and of wat? r u addicted or just dont want to take them anymore? ur doctor should b able to help u with this.. or r u not wanting to tell him/scared/nervous?