Need some support

[Nellie1919]

I have been taking 4-6 5/500mg vics for the past 2 years (and about 2 per day for the 2 years before that). I was in a car accident 4 years ago that caused some permanent damage to my spine, and my pain doctor feels I'll have to be on some sort of pain meds the rest of my life. I'm 36 and the idea of staying on this drug scares me. I decided to stop cold turkey to see how much pain I'm really in. I'm on day 3 (63 hours and counting) and so far it's been more of a mental battle. My stomach just started getting a little funny today but I have Imodium for that. When will I start feeling better? And if I'm already having a mental battle with myself, will it only get worse? My husband is fantastically supportive, and we've been praying together for strength to get through this. Any words of advice would be appreciated!

[Nellie1919]

Thanks so much for the kind words and support! I've found that if I stay busy I can fight the mental battle. So, I got up and took my nieces to a movie last night. Feeling good so far today - hopefully the good feeling continues! It really does help to have support from the family!

[dominosarah]

Congrats on 3 days!!  That is a great accomplishment!

Your brain will play some games with you for awhile.  Rebound pain is very common.  The longer you are off the meds the better idea you will have as to your pain level.  Alot of us found out our pain actually got better the longer we were off the meds.  You are very lucky to have a supportive husband on your side.  That will help a ton.  Keep us updated on how you are doing~

[Comingclean2012]

Hi Nellie and congrats on making it to day 3! I know it doesn't seem like a long time but for those of us that have quit an opiate cold turkey, 3 days seems like 3 weeks! It sounds like you weren't taking a huge amount so I am betting your battle will be more mental than physical! Try taking valerian root and Benadryl for anxiety! It helped me quite a bit. For the time being you should concentrate on just not using for the next hour instead of the day. It helped me more in the beginning thinking of it in those terms to fight the psychological want of the pills. You could even do from minute to minute if that helps better. I will be honest and let you know that I still have days with moments that I want to use but they are few and far between! I am on day 52 clean from Percocet and fentanyl. When you find yourself thinking about using try getting up and doing something, even if its just walking around the house picking up the normal clutter we all end up with. Anything to take your mind off using! Good luck and stay strong! You will probably be through the worst of it within the next few days! Hugs!
Keri

[YesLife4Me]

Hi Nellie & Welcome to this wonderful forum.   What you are experiencing is completely normal.   Our minds have to recalibrate themselves after detoxing.  It is both a physical and mental process.   The cravings keep coming at you for a while but lesson over time.  Today is 25 days and those thoughts still creep in from time to time throughout the days.  Not as much as the first week.  Read as many posts as you can on here for advice and keep posting when you are struggling.  I have a post on here that I bumped yesterday for newcomers that is probably a couple pages back on what to expect after acute withdraws subside.  I hope you find it helpful.  You can always go to my page and find it on there too.   Congrats on 3 days and taking your life back!   Staying on those only takes over your life.