Aa
HELP PLEASE :(
I'm a mom of 4 beautiful kids and I've been taking vicodin for 7 years (more on and off) I was in a terrible accident and broke my neck and back in 5 places. I have been wanting to stop taking them for years and am needing more and more everyday. I'm very scared of what will happen if I don't stop, but I'm scared of what's going to happen if I do. I lost my sister 7 years ago to a herion overdose. She left behind 2 children. I don't want that to happen to me! I'm affraid of what the withdrawl will be like and if I will be able to do it with the kids home. I feel like I'm not a good mother because I'm always in a "cloud"
Can someone please give me some advice and honest answers?? I'm scared that I'm not strong enough to deal with the pain...
Can someone please give me some advice and honest answers?? I'm scared that I'm not strong enough to deal with the pain...
Just a note to let you know that I asked if you could live without opiate pain meds because of all of your health conditions not because I think you are an addict that can't stop. Many people with chronic pain are going to pain mgmt clinics where they are taking pain meds for very long periods of time.
Also I asked if you had a date to stop and I hadn't read your post where you are trying to come up with a date to stop. Given your history of use. You will probably feel really bad for 3 - 5 days but everyone is different. i don't want to scare you and would ask others to give their opinions. If you got some Clonidine that would help. Xanex will help you sleep. Are you having Thanksgiving dinner at your house?
Also I asked if you had a date to stop and I hadn't read your post where you are trying to come up with a date to stop. Given your history of use. You will probably feel really bad for 3 - 5 days but everyone is different. i don't want to scare you and would ask others to give their opinions. If you got some Clonidine that would help. Xanex will help you sleep. Are you having Thanksgiving dinner at your house?
That is great. Have you decided when you are going to start your detox? Have you read about the Thomas Recipe yet?
Of course! I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I don't want to need anything to be normal!
I came here for help from others that have beaten this!
I came here for help from others that have beaten this!
I take xanax once a day at bedtime and I take a quarter of a "bar". I'm not as conserned with those considering I do not take as many as perscribed. I could very easily give those up in exchange for a "sleep aid"
I'd also be more concerned about xanax. You have to slowly reduce those over a long period of time if you want to stop taking those.
Personally, I don't know why so many people go on that stuff, it's a bad drug.
But this is America- everyone thinks a pill will solve all their problems, rather than reassessing their diatary needs that are 9 times out of 10 the root of their health problems, whether it be sleep, anxiety, depression, etc.
Personally, I don't know why so many people go on that stuff, it's a bad drug.
But this is America- everyone thinks a pill will solve all their problems, rather than reassessing their diatary needs that are 9 times out of 10 the root of their health problems, whether it be sleep, anxiety, depression, etc.
Perhaps you should talk to your doctor about getting on somthing else, preferably without acetaminophen or ibuprofen in it.
If you have chronic pain, there is nothing "bad" about having to take an opiate for pain management, even though it is unavoidable that you will develop a physical dependence to it.
I would be more concerned about taking all that acetaminophen than a physical dependence for something you may need.
Dying of liver failure from acetaminophen overdose will leave your children without a mother just the same as a person who OD's on heroin.
If you do need the pain relief for chronic pain, then just make sure you switch off to different acting opiates every few years when they stop being as effective, rather than increasing doses. A good pain management doc will keep you pain under control without making you feel like a Zombie, and help you life the best life as possible where you can have maximum mobility, and enjoy life with your kids.
If you are miserable with pain, stuck in bed and crabby, you won't be spending quality time with your children either, so if you need pain management, you shouldn't be afraid of taking an opiate just because of it's physical dependence issue. Just be well educated about opiate use to make sure your doc is giving you the best treatment possible and helping you find another formulation when a particular opiate isn't working for you
anymore.
Many people live productive happy lives even though they need to use opiates for chronic pain, the key is to know when you need to change medications when you become to tolerant to the one you are taking.
Talking to your doctor should be your first priority rather than worrying yourself because of all the misinformation about opiates there is out there.
I would be far more concerned about the amount of acetaminophen you are taking daily. The amount of actual opiate you are taking for the pain your type of injuries can cause isn't really a whole lot, although you'd probably have better pain management taking a slow release single action opiate= oxycontin- (pills without acetaminophen or ibuprofen) rather than the fast acting form (oxycodone) that you are taking now.
Talk to your doc about it and see what he recomends. He may switch you to another considering you have been taking oxy for 7 years now. You should not have any withdrawal problems switching to another type of opiate.
If you have chronic pain, there is nothing "bad" about having to take an opiate for pain management, even though it is unavoidable that you will develop a physical dependence to it.
I would be more concerned about taking all that acetaminophen than a physical dependence for something you may need.
Dying of liver failure from acetaminophen overdose will leave your children without a mother just the same as a person who OD's on heroin.
If you do need the pain relief for chronic pain, then just make sure you switch off to different acting opiates every few years when they stop being as effective, rather than increasing doses. A good pain management doc will keep you pain under control without making you feel like a Zombie, and help you life the best life as possible where you can have maximum mobility, and enjoy life with your kids.
If you are miserable with pain, stuck in bed and crabby, you won't be spending quality time with your children either, so if you need pain management, you shouldn't be afraid of taking an opiate just because of it's physical dependence issue. Just be well educated about opiate use to make sure your doc is giving you the best treatment possible and helping you find another formulation when a particular opiate isn't working for you
anymore.
Many people live productive happy lives even though they need to use opiates for chronic pain, the key is to know when you need to change medications when you become to tolerant to the one you are taking.
Talking to your doctor should be your first priority rather than worrying yourself because of all the misinformation about opiates there is out there.
I would be far more concerned about the amount of acetaminophen you are taking daily. The amount of actual opiate you are taking for the pain your type of injuries can cause isn't really a whole lot, although you'd probably have better pain management taking a slow release single action opiate= oxycontin- (pills without acetaminophen or ibuprofen) rather than the fast acting form (oxycodone) that you are taking now.
Talk to your doc about it and see what he recomends. He may switch you to another considering you have been taking oxy for 7 years now. You should not have any withdrawal problems switching to another type of opiate.
one more thing...I could NEVER taper either!! If they're here...I take them!! I wish I were that strong, but with me it's all or nothing. It might've been easier if I could cut my amount in half and THEN go ct, but I don't think I can
I think that I have it in my mind that I will go through the same severity of withdrawl that I witnessed my sister go through...I'm expecting the worst. Will this be like heroin withdrawl?
Oh no, I'm not pregnant!! LOL!! I already have 4 children, although I think if I were I would have that much more power behind me to do this sucessfully!! I would prefer not to contact my dr about this only because I have a "team" of dr's and do not want this in my file. Medicallly I also have MS, scoliosis, spina bifida aculta, deteriation, herniation, buldging disks, arthritis...the list goes on. I would rather do this on my own (in my own shame)???
Is that wrong?
Is that wrong?
I was not pregnant when I quit. You will need about 5 days of down time. The 3 and 4th day tend to be the suckiest! :) Actually, some people manage to work because they have to and most have said that work actually helped them keep their minds off of their w/d. I am sure others will chime in with good advice to help you. Check with your doctor about what in the Thomas Recipe you can take with pregnancy and get ready. Get the gatorade and foods you like (easy simple things) in the house. Some will tell you to taper...but you need to remember that a lot of us can't taper. Man, I could not. If you can GREAT. You can talk to your dr. about a plan to do that.
How do I know when the right time is to stop? Do I just pick a random day or take school, holidays and family functions into consideration? I feel like I'm making excuses pushing the date off, but I really just want to make sure it's the right time so I have a fair chance with few as possible obsticles...PLEASE HELP!! I don't know what I'm doing. This is my FIRST attempt at stopping taking pills. I haven't gone ONE day in 7 years without. SCARED :(
Pain comes in all shapes and sizes. Pain of the heart, of the body and of the soul. The pills keep us from experiencing the reality of the pain and it becomes our coping skill instead of dealing with the reality of the pain. Be prepared...you will continue to grieve..but you will be able to find new ways to cope with the pain of life....running away from it....just keeps you running. It never goes away until we stop and confront it. When you are ready you will do it. You have taken the first important step and reached out for help.
Those are wonderful statements...it's nice (in a bad way I know) to have someone that has felt the same loss.
I horrible that I lectured her and came down on her for her mistakes only to make the same one! I can't believe that I didn't learn from her mistakes after I seen the consequences!! I'm scared that I will subject my kids to the same loss. Seeing her lifeless body and knowing the struggle that she went through. I'm disappointed in myself as a sister, mother, wife...everything that I am
I just want this battle to be fought and won!!
I horrible that I lectured her and came down on her for her mistakes only to make the same one! I can't believe that I didn't learn from her mistakes after I seen the consequences!! I'm scared that I will subject my kids to the same loss. Seeing her lifeless body and knowing the struggle that she went through. I'm disappointed in myself as a sister, mother, wife...everything that I am
I just want this battle to be fought and won!!
You will be able to deal with your sister's death. The feelings are going to come up when you stop the pills but you will be ready for it. Some of the statements people told me that helped me get over my sisters death were the following "Your sister would not want to see you ruining your life by continuing to grieve over her death. She would want you to move on and smile when you thought of her and not cry."
I have also lost so much weight and have tried everything to gain...I'm hoping that after my "flu" I will not stuggle with this as much??
I do not have a set date. I've been thinking all night about it and keep coming up with "if I start Monday what if I'm sick for Thanksgiving with ALL the family"
Any advise for me? Innerstrength67 CONGRATS on your days clean!! That's amazing!! Is this your first attempt at this? How long were you on norco?
Any advise for me? Innerstrength67 CONGRATS on your days clean!! That's amazing!! Is this your first attempt at this? How long were you on norco?
It is truely amazing to me to hear all of this wonderful advice and words of kindness in the matter of minutes from you guys how I've never met...you all are extremely helpful in helping really take this step that I've been dreading for years!! Just THANK YOU!!! As I'm sitting here crying because strangers can reach my life through this computer and probably save my life with more ease than someone that lives in my house!!
You have made me think that I can really do this and that my fate will not be the same as my sister's...
I don't think I deal with depression now. Although I don't think that I have delt much the last 7+ years. I am affraid that I won't know how to deal with emotion the same and that the death of my sister will be a hurdle that I can't clear...
You have made me think that I can really do this and that my fate will not be the same as my sister's...
I don't think I deal with depression now. Although I don't think that I have delt much the last 7+ years. I am affraid that I won't know how to deal with emotion the same and that the death of my sister will be a hurdle that I can't clear...
Ann and littlebit give great advice. Your not alone anymore. You have us and believe me, we have all felt shame, guilt, remorse, disgust. You name it girl, it's been felt here.
You don't have to live this way anymore. You don't know what your pain level truly is and you can only find out by getting clean. I know your terrified, don't know how your going to get through one day without pain meds, in a fog all the time. But this is a merry go round that just keeps spinning faster and faster.
You will keep increasing your doses. That's just the way it goes.
There is also the issue of your liver. These drugs when taken for long periods of time and or large doses are toxic to the liver.
We just want you to get clean and be healthy.
You can do this. I was taking 20-30 Vicodin per day. I'm 47 days clean.
You don't have to live this way anymore. You don't know what your pain level truly is and you can only find out by getting clean. I know your terrified, don't know how your going to get through one day without pain meds, in a fog all the time. But this is a merry go round that just keeps spinning faster and faster.
You will keep increasing your doses. That's just the way it goes.
There is also the issue of your liver. These drugs when taken for long periods of time and or large doses are toxic to the liver.
We just want you to get clean and be healthy.
You can do this. I was taking 20-30 Vicodin per day. I'm 47 days clean.
I understand the cloud thing. After awhile you are so numbed you can't feel anything. About 3 weeks after I quit..I started to feel again. My first real laugh was amazing. This was posted to me when I first came here and it really helped me understand what my brain was going thru.
You have to remember how opiates work, and why you feel depressed etc. when you quit taking them and after you are over the withdrawals.
Opiates bound to the opioid receptors in your brain and body. They release their artificial endorphins to them, and block the bodies natural endorphins. After a while the neurons that produce the body's natural endorphins disappear. There is no need for them so they just don't rejuvenate like they would normally.
When you stop taking the opiates, they leave your opioid receptors bare, and they are calling out for your body's natural endorphins, but there isn't any there at first. You body has to repopulate the neurons that make them, and this takes time.
Endorphins like dopamine control your moods, anxiety, sadness, anger, happiness, pain etc.
You will slowly get your "old self" back as these neurons repopulate and begin increasing their endorphins production. After being off the opiates for a month, they should be about 45-50% of normal, and be back to normal within a year.
So hang in there, you will feel better and better as the months roll by.
Try keep busy and keep your mind focused on positive things instead of dwelling on the depression, anxiety, etc. that are only temporary and will disappear as your endorphins return to normal.
You have to remember how opiates work, and why you feel depressed etc. when you quit taking them and after you are over the withdrawals.
Opiates bound to the opioid receptors in your brain and body. They release their artificial endorphins to them, and block the bodies natural endorphins. After a while the neurons that produce the body's natural endorphins disappear. There is no need for them so they just don't rejuvenate like they would normally.
When you stop taking the opiates, they leave your opioid receptors bare, and they are calling out for your body's natural endorphins, but there isn't any there at first. You body has to repopulate the neurons that make them, and this takes time.
Endorphins like dopamine control your moods, anxiety, sadness, anger, happiness, pain etc.
You will slowly get your "old self" back as these neurons repopulate and begin increasing their endorphins production. After being off the opiates for a month, they should be about 45-50% of normal, and be back to normal within a year.
So hang in there, you will feel better and better as the months roll by.
Try keep busy and keep your mind focused on positive things instead of dwelling on the depression, anxiety, etc. that are only temporary and will disappear as your endorphins return to normal.
Ann gave you some good advice...I will add mine some will overlap!
I kept telling myself...YOU HAVE the FLU! It will be over and I will feel so much better. My brain seemed to get that and settled down a little. It is hard, but doable! The Thomas Recipe (bottom of the page under Health Pages as Gnarly said will help. I did not to the tranquilizers and had to cut back on the Ltryosine, but the rest really helped. Imodium, Imodium, Imodium (liquid or pills if the liquid can't be found or you can't swallow it) will help. I took double the dosage for a few days (personal choice) and it helped so much..even with the withdrawals in general and the opiate trots which sucked.
Hydrate and eat! Even if it is just a little every hour or so. You have to eat something to keep your energy up as much as possible.
If you have Restless legs..it is hit or miss what works. Walking seemed to help me some. Hot bath with epsom salts..a little. I finally had to get my doctor to refill my restless legs meds (non addictive) to get some sleep. If nothing works,your doctor might help.
One hour at a time is all anyone can ask. After 2 weeks it gets a little better and I started to say, One day at a time! Your brain will do all sorts of things to get you to take a pill. I found if I was hungry..the cravings got worse. I would try to eat a banana, a few grapes or a few crackers to get that under control.
Good for you. I hope all goes well. You have made a good start coming here....this site has helped me so much!!! Keep posting!!!!!
I kept telling myself...YOU HAVE the FLU! It will be over and I will feel so much better. My brain seemed to get that and settled down a little. It is hard, but doable! The Thomas Recipe (bottom of the page under Health Pages as Gnarly said will help. I did not to the tranquilizers and had to cut back on the Ltryosine, but the rest really helped. Imodium, Imodium, Imodium (liquid or pills if the liquid can't be found or you can't swallow it) will help. I took double the dosage for a few days (personal choice) and it helped so much..even with the withdrawals in general and the opiate trots which sucked.
Hydrate and eat! Even if it is just a little every hour or so. You have to eat something to keep your energy up as much as possible.
If you have Restless legs..it is hit or miss what works. Walking seemed to help me some. Hot bath with epsom salts..a little. I finally had to get my doctor to refill my restless legs meds (non addictive) to get some sleep. If nothing works,your doctor might help.
One hour at a time is all anyone can ask. After 2 weeks it gets a little better and I started to say, One day at a time! Your brain will do all sorts of things to get you to take a pill. I found if I was hungry..the cravings got worse. I would try to eat a banana, a few grapes or a few crackers to get that under control.
Good for you. I hope all goes well. You have made a good start coming here....this site has helped me so much!!! Keep posting!!!!!
It is dangerous to quit the xanax cold turkey. How long have you been taking them? Do not stop the xanax without telling your dr of your plans first. Are you comfortable telling your dr you want to stop the norco? ask him for Clonidine. it is a blood pressure med that is well known for its helpfulness in opiate WD. it is used in many rehab centers. I used it during my WD and so have others on this forum.
Look up the Thomas Recipe in the bottom right hand corner of this page under Health Pages. Go to the health food store and pharmacy to buy the necessary items.
Are you prone to depression? Read the article below under Health Pages titled "Foods That Increase Dopamine Naturally." Go to the grocery store and buy Gatorade and your favorite healthy foods.
You will have flu symptoms for about 3 - 5 days. Do you have a date in mind where you can plan this "flu"? Do you have someone to help with the kids? Don't be scared. We will all help you thru this.
Look up the Thomas Recipe in the bottom right hand corner of this page under Health Pages. Go to the health food store and pharmacy to buy the necessary items.
Are you prone to depression? Read the article below under Health Pages titled "Foods That Increase Dopamine Naturally." Go to the grocery store and buy Gatorade and your favorite healthy foods.
You will have flu symptoms for about 3 - 5 days. Do you have a date in mind where you can plan this "flu"? Do you have someone to help with the kids? Don't be scared. We will all help you thru this.
I only take the xanax at night and I don't think that I will have a problem stopping if I just ask my dr to give me something to sleep like ambien or something.
I am worried about the norco. My dr. only prescribes me so many a month, when I run out early (which I always do) I will get them from someone else. That's why I would think it's best for me to quit cold turkey because if I have them here, I take more and more.
I am worried about the norco. My dr. only prescribes me so many a month, when I run out early (which I always do) I will get them from someone else. That's why I would think it's best for me to quit cold turkey because if I have them here, I take more and more.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
