recovery

[ljohn1945]

I'm addicted to the pain killer vicodin, my usage is approx. 4 to 6 pills a day for 5+ years, is it possible to wean
myself off of this mess? I have experienced the burning feet, tingling tounge, chills and runny nose, I have so far been
able to limit myself to this amount rarely exceeding, however, it is getting worse and I need help. I dont't have a problem getting a script for it.
     I have seen a posting requesting an answer to a question about a drug to combat wd,s, I have a friend who is a judge and runs a very successful drug court and he stated the his court administers a drug called visiral, I'm not sure if that is the correct spelling, but he claims that it immediately arrests the craving for opiates, in his words, it is a miracle drug, one dosage type thing. Unfortunately I,m not in a position to come out to my Dr., family, & and friends.
  I'm a 63 yr. old male that was given this med for severe pain resulting in deterioating spine and back due to injuries I suffered yrs. ago in Viet Nam. Any help is greatly appreciated & God Speed to all out there fioghting this insidious disease

[wannabefree330]

Tapering takes a great deal of willpower but many have been able to successfully quit by taking this route.  I could not taper.  If i have pills, I take handfulls...never been able to take as prescribed!  If you find yourself taking more than your written out taper (as worried suggests) hand your pills over to a friend or family member you trust and one you cannot manipulate into giving you more.  If you can stick to the taper, you may have some minor discomfort, but will be drastically different than going CT and having w/d hit you all at once.  Congratulations for recognizing your addiction, and the willingness to change that!!!  You will be so happy to finally have your life back and not be a slave to these evil pills.  Welcome to the site, and keep us posted.

[worried878]

there is a great article on tapering in the health pages...the thomas recipe is also very helpful....it is good to write urself out a taper...pick a quit day and stick to it...i was not good at keeping my hands off my pills and handed them over to a friend....had 4 days off and got it over with...i was at 80 mg a day.....u can do this and lots of support here...keep posting

[ljohn1945]

I'm amazed at the quick response and am heartened already by your support and I will keep posting and will update my profile

[Korley]

I would stay away from the so called miracle drug. I know we want instant gratification, but that isn't how it works. If I were you I would ct it. The hardest part for me was the mental, but you will get through it, and come out feeling so much better and more alive! Keep posting!

[kitty_sacca]

Hey there!  I am/was in your same boat, with the same amount and for about the same duration.  I was taking 7.5mg pills, 4 times daily.  I was not brave enough to tough out the CT route, and tapered.  I reduced the 4 pills by half right away....took 4 half pills.  That got me past the hardest part, but you need to be tough.  After about a week, reduced that to 3/8 of a pill 4 times a day, then the next week, to 1/2, and so on until I was taking 1/8 of a pill and then quit.  It's slower, but it's what worked for me.  

Feel free to keep in touch.  Everyone here is so kind and caring!  Good luck!  You can do it!!  And it feels great!  

[addictedme]

Never heard of that drug but I"d be leary of anything referred to as a miricle drug since there are none. If your an addict weaning will be hard but your not really taking alot so cold turkey with the things that will be suggested to you is very doable. Sounds great to say just take this pill and everything will be all better and addiction will just be like a bad dream but it doesnt work like that for an addict. keep posting,,you"ll get alot of advice and opinions,,gl

[bandnmom]

WElcome. Of course its possible to do a taper. I myself went CT but many here have tapered. Someone will come along and give you great advice on how to do it. Anything is possible as long as you truely want it. Good luck to you and stay strong. It is a fight but so worth it at the end!!