painkiller withdrawal

[emmy22]

hey guys. I have only posted once before-last week. my name is emily and for about four years i have been on and off painkillers, mostly vicodin es and tylenol with codeine#3. I have endometriosis and anyway, my last pill was two weeks ago today. I am nervous because even after two weeks, i am still so tired- i feel like i have to take a nap in the middle of the day, and i am sluggish all the time. I was taking 4-6 pills a day on and off(on for a few months, off for a few weeks, etc.)When i try to relax, i still have the feeling of restless leg syndrome, even after two weeks, but it is not as bad as before. Also, what are my chances of liver damage after the amount of pills i have taken? I am really scared, and i am also scared about the funny heartbeat that occured when i took the pills, although it has subsided a whole lot since i stopped. can anyone help??? Thanks    Emily from NH

[hippy]

hi emily, the answetr to question is none.
taht being said you are alould to take up to 8 pills a day.
that is the max ,after tyhat you risk problems with liver and kidneys.
it is the acetametaphine in the vikes and perc's and codene 3"S
taht is most damaging the same as tylonol the sime stuff we tahe for headaches.

[Francoise]

There are people here who would kill for your problems. You're so close to being totally done with drugs, your story will likely bring tears to the eyes of most people here. Just don't let your guard down, don't get cocky; drugs can still get you.

Find Thomas' recipe and take all the supplements and vitamins and stuff on there. You'll feel better fast.

Unless someone else posts the recipe here for you, you can find it at:

http://pub37.ezboard.com/bthenewaddictionmedicineforum

You may have to register, I disremember. But got for it. You have the envy of everyone I feel sure.

-francois

[Waking up]

hey emily i live in N.H. too

[Sis1]

Hey Emmy,
I had the same question as you did in reference to pills having a harmful effect on your liver. I had been taking various pain killers for a long time, and still do. It wasn't until recently I started to think about my health. I went to the doctors a couple days ago, I didn't tell them anything about my pill usage, but told them I had lack of energy, trouble remembering things and that I was sleeping alot. They preformed a blood test on me, which I haven't got the results yet. When I asked what they were testing for, the nurse mentioned a bunch of things and something about my liver. So I'm hoping if i've done anything harmful to my liver, it will show up in these tests. I don't want to have to tell my doctor that I've been abusing prescription drugs. Anyway, for those of you who are interested in knowing about how the tests are conducted i'll fill you in. When testing is done it involves checking your liver for deposits that are calcified. They show up in x-ray as white spots and are irreversible. I don't know if that's the only possible test, I hope not! But could be.

[sissy101]

I just want to know how does everyone deal with the stomach upset?  I took 4 vicoden at once, once and I thought I was going to die!! The stomach pain was unbearable.

[tex3]

Congratulations! While you might feel that you still have a ways to go, you really are past the worst, the physical WD. It takes weeks for your body to start functioning on its own again, producing endorphins and getting your neurotransmitters back to normal. That's why you feel so bad still. But remember how far you've come. I strongly recommend the recipe mentioned here, at least the multi-vit and the l-tyrosone (I'd get a formula that is N-Acetyl L-tyrosone - it absorbs better and you don't need as much). I started on that two weeks or so after quitting the pills, and my outlook and energy changed dramatically and quickly. Also, get some exercise, even if you don't want to at all. Get out of the house. When you feel better physically - and you will - you can really focus on the mental stuff. Read as much as you can about this, so you understand what is happening to you, and why you got to where you are. In time you will realize that you've become a different person, a happier person, more alive and responsive. Please hang in there and know that it does get better, soon.
tracy

[memikey]

Just a quick two bits:

Regarding vitamins, it is very possible to feel even worse if taking too much of one of the "B" vitamins, because too much of the others, your body flushes it out, but B's are fat soluble and you can actually have a very unpleasant toxic reaction from just one (over) dose.

For best results, stay away from anything that boasts more than 100% of the USRDA (U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance) of any of the B vitamins in the list.

--memikey

[percsnomas]

Sorry to cut in on your thread Emily... but I just wanted to thank tex3 for his post Aug. 13..C2.  Same kind of advice as above, just longer.

tex3: I printed your advice and read it everyday, and thanks to you AND everyone here, I'm coming up on 2 weeks off Percs and feel amazingly good(AND DETERMINED).

Just Thanks!!

[percsnomas]

Oops!!
Just read some more posts, to find "him" is in fact her.
SORRY TRACEY but still THANKS

[percsnomas]

It's too early...sorry "Tracy"

[pjn]

Hey Everyone,
I've been off vics for 13 days now. My back really hurts between my shoulder blades. Could this be liver damage? Helppppp.

[Runnin' Out]

I am using (hydro 10 - 7.5's per day)) and am also very concerned about liver/kidney damage related to going over the 4000 mg per day limit of acetaminophen. I admire and envy the fact that you're clean. I read something about cold water filtration and how you can possibly seperate the hydro from the acetaminophen but I don't know how it works.  If ther's any one out there that can let me  know if this is a decent option, it would be greatly appreciated.  I kicked a 120mg/day habit a couple years ago.  The aches will subside soon.  You're thru the worst of it.  I hope you don't relapse as I have.  It's such a draining and shameful thing to me  to be a slave to (something).  Keep up the good work.  I'm not a medical expert but it doesn't seem like you'll have any lasting damage from your usage.  Good luck to you!!

[tex3]

Thanks for that! You made my day....and I'm glad to hear you're doing so well. Keep it up, and always remember how far you've come. You should feel very good about yourself!
tracy

[Sisack]

I've been abusing Vicodin for 15 mos straight.  It started with 3-4 per day and ended with 9-10 the last two months.  It's my Day 12 and I too am soooo drained/fatigued.  I realize I should try and exercise but I swear some hours it is all I can to just stand for any length of time.  I have NO appetite whatsoever and I realize this lends to my drained feeling.  Please give me some indication when this fatigue feeling will end.  I attend NA mtgs (oddly I feel better at nite) and the first 48 hour withdrawal is over.  Should I get my liver checked due to the tylenol?  I've flirted with old exposure to Hep C and never knew I had it--this is the nature of addiction...I really don't want Kaiser to know I had this heavy addiction going.  Please answer anyone.

[Jessica5683]

Hey Everyone,
Well, I have ten pills left which will last me till tomorrow morning and though I have some refills left on the scription I'm NOT going to get it refilled. I will do my best to stop taking them and bare the withdraws. Although, I'm scared shitless to do this and scared I will give in and get my script refilled I'm gonna try really hard. I fooled myself thinking I could tapper down LMAO yah right!!!!!! No will power here!!!!!!! I guess thats all just wanted to post. Take care all I'm off to a few weeks in hell and then some. Jessica

[a549056]

hello folks. my name is tom. i went and got myself strung out on oxycodone. been bout 3yrs now. i been tryin to get off them. i'm getting them off the street. the withdrawls are a real killer, huh? i would like to join this group in hope of talking things thru with folks who understand. right now, i took a few pills so i could get on this site and write. when im withdrawing, i can hardly get on the computer, but since i found this group maybe i can change that. i hope to get help here and maybe help others too. my e-mail is: ***@****  anyone feel free to mail me anytime. thanks and lets all hang in there.

tom

[a549056]

heres how i feel when not taking the oxycodone. i'll explain it as good as possible--- first off, my stomach hurts, real weak all over, parinoid--of what i have no idea., everything hurts, like my joints,head, arms burn. then diarreah, sneezing, runny nose, dont want to do NOTHING. tv not interesting, not hungary, start sweating, then i'm cold. i get scared of going to work. scared something will happen and i wont be able to handle it. scared to drive in traffic. the parinoia bothers me the most. does anyone else get real parinoid? well, i recon thats it for now. thanks for listining.

tom

[a549056]

well, its about 4pm now. im startin ta feel "it" anyone out there?

[a549056]

well kid, want some company in hell? i'm headed there myself. went thru it once already. was clean for 72 days. really blew it fallin off the wagon. but, it CAN be done. God be with you

[a549056]

13 days!! your doin great. i had the same pain in my back when i quit the first time. it went away after a while. i dont think its liver but ya might wanna have your liver enzymes checked. keep up the good work---

[PING]

HOW COME TAKING 3-10 MG'S OF OXYCONTIN IS SO BAD, MY DR SAY'S TAKE THEM THAT WAY, ISN'T THAT SAFER THEN 2-20 MG'S A DAY? I HAVE NOICED A COUPLE OF POST ABOUT HOW BAD THE 3 A DAY IS BAD.
THANKS VERY MUCH, HAVE A GOOD EVEING.
                            LEE.

[percsnomas]

I simply read everything on this forum; and all the questions or concerns are addressed somewhere in here.
tex3 on August 13/02 (C2) has some amazingly upbeat insight that I kind of follow daily.... it really helped me thru the W/D'S.

I also was on Oxy's for about the same period; starting after my first back surgery; AND I CAN TELL YOU IT CAN BE DONE.

Just pull all the different suggestions (some physical, some mental) and put your plan into action.

Man after being completely off for a couple weeks(this is the first time I tried) I'm really starting to feel like my "old" self....Life before those ridiculous bastards.

Good luck...in the words of many others: "You're where you need to be to get off"
ps I tapered(with a friend holding the pills) over a 13 day period

[a549056]

how did you taper? now i take bout 10-15 pills a day. 5mg--little white ones. did you get parinoid during withdrawls? i remember the last time i quit. it seemed the 4th day was worsed. then on day 7 i was able to function. still a little pain, but i could do things. today i took 10 already :(  got more but hopefully aint gonna take them. man, the **** i get myself in to----talk at ya later
tom

[percsnomas]

Again I just wrote down my plan of attack:

There are lots of ways to do this....this is just what worked for me(and it only applies to Pain meds, specifically oxycodone which is what I was on for back pain mgmt..ie.NOT BENZO'S)

Plotted mg. of OXY on "y" axis & DAYS on "x" axis.
I simply stepped down to achieve ZERO mg. on or before day 14.
ie. Don't really care how you get there(whatever is easiest for you) just get there!!
Approx. 5 days before being at zero (was at ~ 12.5 to 17.5 mg Oxy) started Thomas Recipe.
I found tapering definately "drags out" the W/D but was kinda like an awful flu, and at least mentally seemed executeable.
The worst of the W/D's still came for the 3 days following last mg. of Oxy; but amazingly day 4 started to climb out, and continually improved from there.
I've read soooooo much about this stuff, that the "Ask a Doctor" web site, convinced me anything over about two weeks(again just talking about Oxy, Hydro..) IS JUST PROCRASTINATING.

I think you probably know already, there's lots of ways to skin the cat...Use all the info from this site. Good Luck