I know it's a bad idea but...

[AS_Steve]

...after ten plus years of losing everything I finally decided that the only way I could taper down from 6-8 Oxy 40's per day was to have my best friend hold my pills and give me a weekly supply starting at 5 per day gradually working my way down to zero but I'm affraid that he might get addicted to them. He's taken them before for pain and I know that he has issues with alcohol but he promissed me that he will not start using them himself. I've tried quitting many times over the years but seeing as how I have a painful spinal disease my doc has always told me that I am a person who truly needs these drugs to get some quality of life but after a divorce, career loss and living for years with a clouded head I don't think that there is any quality at all in my life and I want to remember all of the good times that I share with my two children so I asked my best friend for his help. I'm hoping that him seeing how bad my life has become due to my addiction will make him not want to use them and I'm hoping I have the strength to tell my doc next month to cut my script to half of the 160 I've been getting every month for the last ten or so years.
  Being on this site and reading all of your stories has given me a new perspective on life and I think that you are all a great bunch of people that I hope I can talk to when I feel I need some help.

  Steve.

[nersayner]

aloha Steve...as an ex-opiate user i sympathize. but if i can do it anyone can. i was pretty chronic for years. hang in there and find some support in your neighborhood as well. life isnt over without drugs; its just the beginning...btw, just a suggestion, find a good place to detox. dangerous, if not impossible, to do on your own...take care dude.

[corey411]

Opiates are more important to quit than smoking and much more difficult. My son weht through over 5 months with rehab, a partial progrm which was a step down from rehab. Still no visitors unless they attend ameeting with his counselor and no leaving the boarding house. There was a rehab tech in the house at all times and phone calls were limited. After that was 2 months at a drug halfway house where you could only leave on a 4 hr pass only with someone who came and spent the first 4 hours with you in the halfway house. They were very strict and this was voluntary. They were not allowed sugar or caffine but were allowed to smoke. They felt that quitting both was detrimental and told them to wait until they mastered their addiction first. It's doubtful that if you quit smoking you will go through recovery from opiates and not start again. Get off the drugs, get some clean time and then worry about the smoking. Good luck to you and congratulations on your decision to get off of these pills. I was on hydros 10-12 a day for over 5 yrs. Quit ct and am almost at 11 weeks. You can do this. Corey

[triedeverymed]

Way to go!! I would find someone more trustworthy to hold the pills because if he takes them, your quitting cold turkey and that wouldn't been fun. I like the idea, you are on your way!! Good luck!

[10356]

Great job on the taper, congratulations on taking back your life.. I just wanted to chime in and let you know I'm pulling for you...

[lifesaride]

steve keep in mind as you do your taper, there is suboxone also you can use it for the withsrawls then taper off the subs

[bobby139]

I smoked alot more while taking pills...hopefully your freind will hold them for u and not use them...yes i think its a good idea to be honest w doctor i finally was and he helped me tapper off.
good luck to you
bobby

[limodan73]

Steve, the pills DO make you smoke more and the PILLS are the worst of the two evils. I believe you will have a dramatic decrease in want for the nicotine when you are in full blown W/D's. You'll probably smoke more when your tapering. Maybe even the first day of quiting. But, I believe the craving for the opiate will overcome the nicotine. Again, everyone is different. And, like I said, I still smoke a puff here and there. But, this is all off track. Just concentrate on the taper for now bro.lol. and keep posting. We all just want to see ya get better. God bless.

[dominosarah]

You are not alone here.  There are great people to help you thru everything here.  I am a smoker and my opiates made me smoke like a chimney.  I have now cut way back as i dont feel the need to smoke like that.  I do have to give this addiction up down the road but i decided to give up the pills first and foremost and it was a VERY good decision.

Welcome aboard.                    sara

[worried878]

A true friend would not take ur oxy's that u need for ur taper...i quit at the same time as my friend and she held mine for me and never touched them...and she was an addict and 5 years sober from alcohol....u know him better than anyone else of course...if u feel it will be a problem then switch to another person...the first person i asked was my next door neighbor due to convenience...when i asked her she told me she had tried to commit suicide the month before with pills...so she was out!  My friend never took one single pill that was mine during my taper

[todd247]

Is an opiate addiction easier to quit than a nicotine addiction? I would think just from a health standpoint if choosing one giving up smoking would be the better of two evils.

eom

[limodan73]

Just a quick responce steve. You probably won't want a cigarette when you are detoxing. I know that sounds nuts, but, you will only want that one thing. I smoked for over 20 years. I now have a puff or two. Once in a while after a meal or so. I don't fight it. But I don't crave it nearly enogh for it to be an issue. But, everyone is diff. Good luck.

[AS_Steve]

  I don't drink alcohol nor do I use any other type of drugs but I have been a long time smoker and I really want to give that up too. Should I try to give them both up at once or should I concentrate on my Oxy problem for now? I have a feeling that the Opiates make people smoke more for some reason sorta like how pot gives you the munchies (not that I would know). If I could get off of the Oxy's and give up smoking I'd run naked through my city jumping for joy and would have a new lease on life.

  A little extreme but I hope you get my point...ADDICTIONS SUCK!!!

  Steve

[AS_Steve]

  Just reading your responses makes me feel sooo good knowing that I'm not doing this alone, thanks everyone.

  Steve.

[ShatrdKY]

Wow!
That's a brave thing to do!
just be carefull! it could be dangerous!
I hope it all works out the way you plan!
Just remember; anytime you want to vent, talk about it or just scream! i'm here as a fellow addict.
Good For You!
Good Luck!

shatrdKY

[AS_Steve]

By the way, I've only taken 8 pills in the last two days so I've already cut down to about half of my usual...one more thing, I've been snorting them for the last year or so and I've put an end to that. Never though my life could get so bad.

  Steve

[limodan73]

Hi Steve, and welcome to the forum. First, congrats on you realizing and taking some steps to get clean. I can completely relate to what you feel about getting off the addiction treadmill. Now, as to your friend, I have to say, he is not the one who is addicted to these things. You are. You have to commit to concentrating on you. You have had this for a long time. Your friend will be fine. Should you OCCASIONALLY speak to him about it and maybe gage his responces? Yes. But, again, you are the one with this addiction, not him. So, I want to wish you good luck on the taper and keep posting. There are some great people on here. Do as much research you can and, I believe, Timing is everything. When it comes time to quit, try and give yourself the most down time to detox. You will need it. Good luck and God bless.