lortab withdrawal

[rfactor]

how does one deal with the mental part of withdrawal?( from hydrocodone which i have been using for years, low amt--4/a day)  depression, no self-esteem,social anxiety  etc. started taking wellbutrin about 2 weeks ago.

[Dustin2484]

today is day 2 without any loratabs and somas...i feel horrible...ive been trying to think of different ways to get money so i can get some more...i have been taking about 10 tabs and 10 somas a day for the past 9 years....i am really ready to quit and stop letting these demons hold me down..ive wasted numerous amounts of money on this habbit and ive even stole money for my addiction...i feel like a loser and im ready to be opiate free

[Genevil]

Hi, All. It's 5:12 AM CST and today will be my fourth full day without lortabs. I started in 2005 following severe back pain after having given birth to a (beautiful!) baby girl. I quickly progressed from 3-4 per day to upwards of 20-30 10/500mg lortabs every day. I have attempted detox on my own three or four times to no avail, I don't think I ever made it past day two. I have to say, this time has been no means "easy" but nowhere near as terrible as the first few times. Tiredness, sneezing, mild RLS. I have loaded myself with water (NO theravitamin) The only real lingering side effect I'm experiencing is "head-fuzziness." I expect that by day five-seven I should be feeling pretty well on my way to normal, aside from the cravings. This is in no way meant to be taken as a typical detox, but I did want to put it out there in case some were considering withdrawing might have been scared off by the doom-and-gloom of the "prepare yourself for a two-three week flu." I was a detox nurse for several years, and one point many made is very true - no two detoxes are alike. What may take one person no time can take the next two weeks. Feel free to contact me with any questions. best of luck on your journey!!!

[Lillac1]

i was just on them only for week, due to migraine, but have no intentions of taking anymore because it was a temporary problem....

[donewitis]

You should go to the top of screen and click on New Post. This one is from 2006. You will get alot more feedback if you do this. Why are you taking them? Have you had a procedure? There are many variables..are you in much pain..etc..  By reading here I have come to understand that anyone who uses narcotics/opiates for an extended length of time will become dependant on them...and if you are addicted (need more and more..chasing a high) it doesnt matter, there is no difference between addicted/dependant because if you are trying to stop using the withdrawals are the same. So, as soon as you can..get off them. Try something OTC..see if that helps the pain. Im going in blind here because I don't know your situation..there is a pain management site for those with long term excruciating pain..I just get the feeling that is not the issue for you. I wish you the best..and would not wish w/d symptoms on anyone...they are awful.

[Lillac1]

I was wondering if 2 lortabs daily for a week, is harming me in any way???

[discouraged80]

I have been on percocet 10 for over 3 years due to a car wreck. I have pain in my right hip, right leg, neck. The pain is worse sometimes to the point I have to take an extra pain pill. Bad thing they have me taking 5 per day. I am tired of taking the medication. I need advise on how to take myself off the medication but I am afraid of the effects it will cause. I can not afford to lay up in bed. If I do achieve getting off the meds is there any possibility that my pain will be controllable? What can I expect as I come off the meds as far as the side effects? Is there any meds that I can take to make things go easier? Because of major panic attacks my doctor has me on klonipin twice a day plus ambien 10 mg for my chronic insomia. You see I am under a lot of stress. I lost my sister and brother 99 days apart (age 42 & 44), my mother in law is starting to have dementia, I run a business for someone, will start school in  Jan 2011, my husband is a minister, my daughter and sons have kids and always expect me to take cae of things the kids nee(if I don't the kids do with out, we ae not talking about toys) I just eel doomed. I do not want to live like this. It is not a life to live. Can someone help,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Dara20]

I have been taking lortab 10--about 5-8 a day for a 1 1/2 year. I want to stop but Im scared of the withdrawals I havent gone a full day without at least one pill since I started taking them for back pain. I get a full prescription tomorrow and I know that if I dont make a step towards stoping soon I wont. -----How do I wing myself off? Take my prescribed amount? Then try taking less? Or just take less everyday??

[brandy681]

I know this is an old thread but I thought I would post my experience.

I would switch between Vicoprofen (Vicodon but with Advil) and Lortabs....

I took them for 2-3 short months. I started taking 2 10's a day and then by the last 2-3 weeks was up to 4 a day.

I got off and it has been 9 days. I would say 3 days was painful and symptoms lasted a total of 7 days. I was great on day 4!!!!!!! Then day 5-7 I was bad again. I think because I had some alcohol to cope with pain.

I have never been addicted to anything.. No Cig's, alcohol, drugs, etc....

The only symptoms I had was slight chills, BAD pain, and really deppressed. It was still HELLISH........ (slight craving of drug) That's is gone now. Thank GOD!!!

I did not have diarreah until yesterday and it is still ongoing.... BUT that is my only symptom... and slight flushing on my face yesterday

Never had any of the following.. NO sneezing, NO vomiting, etc....


Today is heaven.. I feel like I am my old self again! I will never never never take these again... I had relapsed once after only taking them for 3-4 weeks. I could not believe I was addicted.... But my symptoms lasted only 3 days then..

I will not relapse this time, especially because now I am unable to get anymore from my dr.

[bmdad]

You posted on a old thread that may get overlooked. You should start your own thread so it is dedicated to you. At the top of the page click on the green box that says "post a question". You will get so much support from all of the wonderful people here!

[jfun]

my daughter finally admitted she is addicted to lortab for the third time; this time she has really hit rock bottom with the real possibility of losing her fiance and her finances in a horrible mess; she took money from him as well as us but today admitted all to her psychiatrist and last night to us.....she wants to beat this for the last damn time....how can me and her dad help her best?????? thanx so much for any advice; i am a nurse but still feel so helpless...she takes zoloft, adderall, ativan and now has been given a few days of xanax to try to keep the hallucinations at bay.....

[TrayCee]

I've always said-   never underestimate the power of prayer

[loulou30]

i took lortab for 3 years and was up to 8 to 10 a day when i went to rehab.  when i got out i did good for about a year until i went to the dr for a sinus infection and the dr gave me hc cough syrup and the adddiction started again. i started taking lortabs again but only 3 or 4 a day for about 6 months when i decided to stop before it got back to where i was before.  the only thing that got me through it this time was God. im on day 3 which is usually the worst day and i feel great! pray for strength and God will get u through cause the only thing that is making you crave is the devil.

[MaqDad]

I have been taking 10-12 tabs a day for about 4 years.. Today is my 3rd day cold turkey!! I feel like I am dying. Last night I paced the floors all night long, NO sleep at all, diarrhea, Nausea, vomiting, severe leg and back cramps, today it has moved to my upper back, shoulders, head, stomach.. Any help at all in dealing with how long these severe symptoms will last?? PLEASE

[Notavailable]

well i think im addicted to lortabs it started off in april of 2008 when my mom was getting percocet for her pain and i started taking them about 2 - aday then after she passed i started taking lortab probably about the same amount 2- aday of the 7.5s then that all ended in january of 09 when i couldnt get the 7.5s so i started taking 5mg 2 aday up until about maybe a month ago i was taking 2- aday of the 5mgs now i only take maybe a half or a whole a day my question is do yall think i will be able to go cold turkey and kinda be ok from the w/ds and how long do they last

[heidilicious]

I have been on Loretabs now for about 2 months, about 8 10mg a day due to an injury to my back (that is still bad, 3 buldged discs)....and my ortho doctor switched me the other day from the Loretabs to Davrocet (which doesn't help my pain at all, it only makes me sleepy)....
Help....should I be honest with the doctor and tell him that the Darvocet just doesn't help?? I don't want to be addicted to pain pills but right now with my buldged discs I am so much pain.....I go to the doctor this afternoon......Omg....I am in so much pain.....I am already having withdrawls from the loretabs (last one I took was yesterday morning) so it's been 24 hours.....sick to my stomach, diherra, and feeling really crappy.......any advise/?

[aldiek]

I finally read somthing that I can relate to.  Today is day two, but is it?  I am taking xanex and darvocet, darvocet is like methadone, it is helping me by not letting my legs cramp and your all so on cue about the deppression.  I actually took 120 tramodol about three weeks ago cause I couldn't get any tabs, i ended up in the er for four days, that sucked bad, but i don't want to go through this ****, it is like i take it to be normal....I haven't left my house in two days out of pure fear of people and facing the lights, they really irritate me.   I tried taking allot of darvocets and it made me sick so it's not like the tabs at all.  God Please Help Me.

[Sithtiger]

Hi, tasha....I've stopped before and I'm about to again.  No matter what anyone says or promises, you're not going to believe them, but you need to trust them.  I've been addicted to Vicodin for 14 years and earlier this year I was off for a whole 6 weeks.

The bad news is that the next 2 or 3 days will be the worst....worse than you felt today.  The good news is that it will get better.....much better.  It will take about 2 weeks (maybe less) to start feeling human again.

I've got a recommendation of some medication that will help you.  It's called Clonidine.  It will be different for different people, but for me it probably cut the withdrawal pain in half.  Now it's only for the physical withdrawal, but that will help you mentally too, because if you feel better physically, you will mentally.  It helped me both ways.  It will allow you to handle the depression.  You won't feel overwhelmed.

I've not had very good luck with meds but Clonidine helped me immensely and is going to again in about a week, where I'll be where you are....again.  Don't worry if you relapse....most people do, but don't use that to relapse, but know if you do, it's not the end of the world.

When I was off the Vics at the 6 week period, I felt.....well not great, but not to bad....I could smile, even laugh.  My downfall was that I was feeling better and I wanted to celebrate and feel even better.  As you know if you haven't taken any opiates for a while and then take them.....Whoa!  Talk about an intense rush of euphoria.  Don't make the same mistake I did and 'celebrate' by way of drugs!

Also, I would encourage you that if there's a way to 'cut' your supply off, then do it.  If a doctor is giving them to you as is my case, tell him/her what's going on.  Yeah, it's going to suck at first but this will help keep you from getting it from your doctor of course.  Sure, you could doctor shop, but that requires you to think and the likelihood of you not doing again.

Going of opiates and probably any addictive drug is like losing a family member or friend.  We actually grieve as if someone close has died.  Just remember, this is temporary and the rewards far outweigh the temporary pain.  I'm writing this to myself as much as you, but I know it's true because I've gone through it enough where I know it gets much better.  I can't wait to be off this **** for a year and see how much better I feel.  You're stronger than you think you are.  

I'm a very emotional person and emotions are good, but sometimes they can lead you astray.  Getting off opiates is one time they're screw with you.  No matter how bad you feel, know that it's the addiction talking and it will go away!

[tasha2898]

i have been on about 20-30 10's a day and today is my second day cold turkey. Im dealing with the leg cramps and insomnia but the depresion is overwhelming. I feel like I'd rather die than go through this process. Because what if I do and relapse. I kinda feel like I'm going to be a **** up forever. I dont know. Im just going through the motions but I dont feel very optimistic about this at all

[papariver55]

10..10,s a day...cant function without them...dont know what to do...feell i might die if i don,t have them....help me please

[bojo123]

This Lortab nightmare is hell. It's hell because I know I need to get off, but I don't want to. It has come to the point that I can't function normally without them. I am not a stupid person.....I know the consequences. I am a white collar professional, have a wonderful home, expensive car and the best of everything. I don't have "hard times" or financial problems. I live in this nightmare by myself. No One, and I mean NO ONE knows my little secret. I have become quite the "hiding" specialist, carefully placing my "stash" in potted plants, under furniture, articles of clothing, you name it! This is so my husband doesn't find it. If he did, I promise you, DIVORCE! I have come to the conclusion that I am never going to feel normal again, and I daydream about the days that I lived a normal existance. I ran out of my last pill today....I am on 10 mg  at 4 a day. I have 12 days to refill time...... I am trying to come up with a "creative excuse" to get my pharmacy to refill me, but they are not stupid people. Yeah, I fit the profile.....white female, white collar, mid 30's. How am I going to make it through these next 10-12 days?  I have you all beat, by the way. I forgot to mention that I supplement my prescription with 100 more Vicodin that I buy at a cool $700 a month. So, what is that , like 12 a day? I am such a prize.....
I can't stop, and yeah, I know the consequences. I just thought this might make some of you feel MUCH better about your 2-4 a day problem. At least you are not liars. It is mental...but mostly physical. I feel like I will die.....

[luckie01]

Sneezing is all a part of it. Ive been on them 4 years, doctor says I will have to be on them for the rest of my life, but i try to quit sometimes, and sneezing is usually the first thing I notice.

[jamie47]

  This is day 9 for me (off lortab 10- 10 a day!!) and today I feel achy muscles and joints, sneezing and runny nose, also very tired. My day 6 was the best, I mean I woke up feeling on top of the world, what happened to that now?? I am back to all the above and have not taken any lortab- an occaisional zanax when I get heart palps. I have a muscle relaxers, but it makes me even more tired, so I quit taking them. My vice now is to have 2-3 corona's at night- I wonder if that's why I feel like I stepped backwards-any body experience that? I just have no energy. I have been eating alot better and drinking lots of fluids. I wan to go back to work so bad but it scares me too. I also have experienced the depression and that is the worst part of it for me because I am such an upbeat person and always happy (even before the pills) I have cried a lot and am so tired of that. I tell myself well don't fell sorry for yourself stupid. I knew what I was doing taking the pills, but that depression is awful. I watch t.v. and any sad thing or song gets to me soooooo bad.I have been trying to stay busy cleaning my house and it's hard with no energy. I lay on the couch sometimes and just wait for time to pass and think about things. I hate this addiction, but I'm day 9 and am determined to beat it. I have had thoughts of calling someone and just get a couple of pills, but didn't give in because of disappointing myself (and others that are supportive of me in my recovery). I had both my numbers changed so that all my pill head friends couldn't tempt me!! Misery loves company you know!! I deleted their numbers in my speed dial also. After taking pills for 1 1/2 years, I wonder how long until normal is here?? I hear 2 weeks, then -I hear 1 month, I also wonder if every persons experience is different. Who knows!!  I just know I am sooooooooooo miserable going through this that if ever in the future I think I want a lortab, I will remind myself of this hell that I have lived in getting over them!!
  Thanks to all who wrote back answers and recomendations, this site actually helps in that I can relate to other people and know that I am not alone in this damned withdrawl. Good luck to all, and remember that you can do it, If I can, everybody should be able to!!
                      Jamie47

[cattalina]

Hi Jaime - welcome to the forum!  The detox process definitely gets worse before it gets better... but it does get better.  The zanax could help you thru this but I wouldn't reccommend continuing to take it afterwards, if you can avoid it - do.  You might want to stay away from darvocet as it is also an opiate.  No sense in going thru this to get of the lortabs then get right onto darvocet.  More people should be along shortly - I'm sure they'll have better advice!  Hang in there.

[jamie47]

Well, I took my last tab at 5 pm yesterday, so here it comes. I got up this morning and it hasn't hit yet but I know it is coming.I already feel lethargic, and some tummy trouble which seems to be normal anymore anyway!! I have muscle relaxers and zanax that I do not abuse. I only abused the lortab. A friend told me that the zanax will be my best friend thru this as I can sleep thru it- what do you think? I only take 1 mg a day of zanax and rarely take muscle relaxers as they make me sleepy- maybe they would help more- I remember the cramping and pain in every joint in my body.I also heard to drink lots of water. I know that it is not going to be easy, I have been thru it twice already. Also I have legit back pain thats why I started taking them and I let it get out of hand for the high. I have heard that after taking so many lortabs that any non narcotic pain reliever wont work. I want to ask my Dr for darvocet n-100 or motrin 800- what do you think? I also want to be honest with him about my taking to much- is that a good idea or not? I don't want to go to a rehab center- I want to do this at home. I have friends that are supportive and will be checking on me. Please write back and let me know what you think- Jamie