Aa
taking 15+ lortab 10's per day
Hi, this is my first time posting and im kinda nervous. I have been taking anywhere from 10-15 lortab 10's per day, I was in a bad car accident about 2 years ago and since then developed bad migraines and back aches, my dr gave me some imitrex for the migraines but it makes me feel really weird so I dont take them. I have been on lortabs for about a year and a half. I cant blame anyone but myself for this, but I wish my dr wasnt so fast to write out scripts and wouldve worned me about the side effects and the dependance they would cause. My dr retired about 4 months ago so now I am forced to buy the pills on the street, I was used to filling my scripts every 30 days for 150 pills and costinf me 20 bucks now I pay 350 for 100 pills, this is getting very expensivve....my question to everyone is how do I stop, I dont know if I'm physically dependant on the pills, I think its more of a mental thing. I wake up do the normal routine and about 11 am take my first 5 then by 2 I take another 4, by 5 I take another 3 then toward the end of the day I take my last 2 or 3, I really dont get a buzz anymore unless I take 6 for the first dose, I really dont like living like this but for some reason I cant stop, it also makes me smoke more cigs for some reason when I take the pills, kinda like when I go out drinking, I know I dont want to keep taking 15 lortabs a day for the rest of my life....I have a very hectic work schedule and it really helps calm me down and help with my anxiety, I am also taking effexor xr 75mg per day and was taking xanex at night but have stopped that.....is anybody else having similiar routines....I know I'm not alone, what are you guys doing to try to get off the pills? Any help would be great....Thanks everyone
Yes you def have a problem. I was taking 4/10's at a clip and still wasn't getting high. That is what got me out of bed and functioning normally. I am on day 1 of being clean, it isn't easy but if you are determined you can do it. I wish you the best of luck and keep posting. I did a rapid taper this time to get myself off of them because a month ago I went cold turkey and ended up back at square one within a week. You have to do what works for you. I went from 200mg every (20/10's) to 30 mg a day for 4 days and then last night at 6 I took my last dose of 15mg. It has been tough. I have had the runs all week and of course anxiety. Today my first day without anything has been alright so far. I am only now starting to get restless. I have 20 min left of work and then I can go home. If you get extreme restlessness like I do, take a hot bath, also flexaril works too. That will help you to get to sleep.
Wow, I just posted last night and already so many comments...thanks for all the advice and suggestions, I'm going to get off the pills but I'm gonna have to do it slowly. I just got another 200 last night so i'm hoping these will be my last 200, its funny because when I'm off work, I sleep in and get my day going around 12, I usually dont take any pills til like 2 or 3, but I run a business and its very hectic so when i'm working I usually start in the am like 10 or 11, I was taking xanex for about 2 years and just one day stopped, I did have wd symptoms but they went away after about 3 days and now I'm fine, I can sleep at night w out taking anything.....the wd's from the effexor is absolutely crazy, I'm trying to cut back a lot but every 3rd day I get these weird snapping sensations in my brain and I just feel really weird so i have to take one 75mg pill just to feel normal....I would never suggest anybody starting effexor EVER!!!! that drug is horrible, but I'm doing 1 75mg pill every other day and it seems to be working ok, but if I miss a dose its the end of the world for sure!!!!, I live in Las Vegas, so if anybody else lives in the area thats going through the same things let me know maybe we can get some kind of group together....Thanks again for all the postings
I've taken approx the same rnumber as you for 14 years except mine are vicodin es I've only been trying for 5 days and relapsed already I think I was cutting down too fast Maybe cold turkey works for some but i'm going to try again much more slowly. Could have something to do with the long time of my habit good luck to you
Hi Im on a similiar dose as you. I take a time released compound of hydro 30mg 3x a day. but I took them too fast this month. I cannot get more until March 7. I only have 3 left. I ct today until 5 oclock i had to take on because I had plans to go out with some friends for dinner. I am going to ct tomorrow with none. I have to go out and function Saturday, Sunday and Monday evening. So I guess I'll save my last 3 for then. I felt terrible today. I am sick and tired of playing this game with myself and I am sick of running out and running low and having to taper till I get more only to get more and take too many and start this **** all over again. I've been doing this for 3 years and I am wanting to get healthy but feel like I never will while doing this with pills. Im about 25 lbs over weight and I would love to get this weight off and be free of these meds. It would be cool if we could maybe do this together.
Boy do I know that roller coaster you are on, and my heart bleeds for you. The biggest thing is realizing you are an addict, that it isn't your fault you where you are- but if you want any kind of life outside of chasing a bottle of pills, it is your responsibility to make hard changes. Being here is a good start. Only another addict can understand where you are and both the hope and fear and exhaustion you are going through. My 25 year habit was also a prescription opiate one, and my usage looked a lot like yours. The APAP in the Lortab was killing my liver, so my Neuro moved me up to straight opiates.
There isn't a really easy way out of where you are. I spent years trying to play the "I'll taper myself off" game, and supplementing with alcohol and all that. No-one can tell you your path to freedom, but I can tell you what is keeping me on mine. That is, the only thing living life sober is living life using.
I am one of those super-addicts no-one hears about. I went to college, I run operations for a multimillion dollar company- always exceeded performance expectations at school, was super-MOM- baking cupcakes for school, sewing Halloween costumes- and I did NONE of it sober for years. What I didn't do is take care of myself. I used the drugs to cover all of those needs and exhaustions.
Since you have been using daily for so long, I don't recommend you go cold turkey. Nor try to taper yourself. Call a doctor, get some advice. I strongly recommend a drug called Suboxone- it fills the opiate receptors for long periods so does two things a) eases withdrawal symptoms and b) if you do "fail" and take your lortab, there are no neurotransmitters for it to bind to so it washes out of your system without giving you the high or starting your withdrawal clock all over again. Drink lots of fluids. Read a lot about withdrawal so you can understand what your body is going through and how long it is likely to last. If you can take time from work to detox- in hospital or with someone you trust I recommend it. An addict alone is always in bad company. I wish you luck, and if you want to get clean you can. Find others who understand what you are going through. Opiates are my drug of choice, but I've found more kinship in AA rooms. Never forget- addiction is a disease, not a weakness.
There isn't a really easy way out of where you are. I spent years trying to play the "I'll taper myself off" game, and supplementing with alcohol and all that. No-one can tell you your path to freedom, but I can tell you what is keeping me on mine. That is, the only thing living life sober is living life using.
I am one of those super-addicts no-one hears about. I went to college, I run operations for a multimillion dollar company- always exceeded performance expectations at school, was super-MOM- baking cupcakes for school, sewing Halloween costumes- and I did NONE of it sober for years. What I didn't do is take care of myself. I used the drugs to cover all of those needs and exhaustions.
Since you have been using daily for so long, I don't recommend you go cold turkey. Nor try to taper yourself. Call a doctor, get some advice. I strongly recommend a drug called Suboxone- it fills the opiate receptors for long periods so does two things a) eases withdrawal symptoms and b) if you do "fail" and take your lortab, there are no neurotransmitters for it to bind to so it washes out of your system without giving you the high or starting your withdrawal clock all over again. Drink lots of fluids. Read a lot about withdrawal so you can understand what your body is going through and how long it is likely to last. If you can take time from work to detox- in hospital or with someone you trust I recommend it. An addict alone is always in bad company. I wish you luck, and if you want to get clean you can. Find others who understand what you are going through. Opiates are my drug of choice, but I've found more kinship in AA rooms. Never forget- addiction is a disease, not a weakness.
Lots of great advice on here...lots of help and support as well...I was a hydrocodone user as well...I love the word WAS! Keep posting...
hi amgbenz. welcome to the forum and i am so glad you decided to get free of the pills. youve herd about the different possibilities for quiting. think about it let us know what you decide. the sooner you get started the better. you can definatley do this. the forum is great for helping you out. keep posting
cathy
cathy
welcome....i was also taking the same dose as you...I was on them for about 3 yrs...The last yr is when i got up to that many..i am glad u found missy who takes thems sort of the way you do..For me it was always one at a time, or one a half, never at a certain time of the day , but again i am not sure if that matters, when it comes to detox but it may...
i will make 7 months clean on the 4th or march...I was so glad to find this site as i felt so alone, and really though i was....
I do think anyone who is strong enough to do a taper , makes the w/d's so much better..For me i did a quick taper and i really don't think i could of did a good one, because if i had them i would take them...now, unless you have someone you can trust to give them to you..
the w/d's are not pleasent but they will not kill you, but u also have to be sure you have no underlying health issues..
For me i am a heart patient , so i had to be very carefull, and monitor my blood pressure , and i wore a heart monitor for a week....
There is alot of info in some profiles here...clonodine helped me so much...
but that has to be presribed by a doctor...
Do u have a week that you can take off of work?
I know some that did work through it and my hat goes off to them, i could not make it too work, and said i had a bad flu....
We are here for you, and i promise like is so much better without these poison pills!!
r2r
i will make 7 months clean on the 4th or march...I was so glad to find this site as i felt so alone, and really though i was....
I do think anyone who is strong enough to do a taper , makes the w/d's so much better..For me i did a quick taper and i really don't think i could of did a good one, because if i had them i would take them...now, unless you have someone you can trust to give them to you..
the w/d's are not pleasent but they will not kill you, but u also have to be sure you have no underlying health issues..
For me i am a heart patient , so i had to be very carefull, and monitor my blood pressure , and i wore a heart monitor for a week....
There is alot of info in some profiles here...clonodine helped me so much...
but that has to be presribed by a doctor...
Do u have a week that you can take off of work?
I know some that did work through it and my hat goes off to them, i could not make it too work, and said i had a bad flu....
We are here for you, and i promise like is so much better without these poison pills!!
r2r
Welcome to the forum! You came to the right place. You too cando this. YOu will find lots of support and people wih similar problems to realte to. Keep posting.
swtbreezie
swtbreezie
You are definitely abusing them. You say it is mental but have you ever tried to quit? I think you will find that your are physically hooked too. There are basically 3 ways to quit. Cold turkey and tough it out and be done with it in a week. Taper off them and fell a bit bad for several weeks. Or make an appt with a Dr that can prescribe Suboxone. You can find a Dr on naatb.org or suboxone.com
Welcome to the forum. I took vicodins and xanax.I tapered off of both of them. YOU can go ct (cold trukey) or taper (gradually decrease the dose). Taper is less brutal but takes longer. you still have wds but they are milder. i decided to stop when i wasn't getting the buzz anymore...(talk about $$$... i pd $6 apiece! God..I try not to think about that..how freakin crazy was that?!?!?!)
Anyway...do NOT go ct off xanax...that has to be tapered or you can have seizures.
How much xanax are you taking per day?
Reading the posts on here helped me get prepared mentally and gave me the support i needed.
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! No time like the present!!!
Let us know what you want to do.
Anyway...do NOT go ct off xanax...that has to be tapered or you can have seizures.
How much xanax are you taking per day?
Reading the posts on here helped me get prepared mentally and gave me the support i needed.
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! No time like the present!!!
Let us know what you want to do.
Well I have a similar schedule that I was doing (stopping today) I would wake up to take 4 pills 1st thing around like 6:00 then around 9:00 take another 2 or 3 then another 2 around 1-2:00 then another 2 around 5 or 6 I also take 75 mg of Effexor and 30mg of Buspar for anxiety and the I take 200mg of Trazadone at night to help me sleep. I am just doing the cold turkey thing I went and got all the things listed on the Thomas recipe which you can find posted on here (vitamins, epsom salt, Immodium and lots of hot baths) I have heard them say that the worst as far as physical withdraws which feel like a really bad flu are over in about 5-7 days. I am just looking atas though I have the flu and thats that. The mental aspects of it I will deal with after I get threw the physical sickness. You have found the best place for advice and support everyone on here is awsome and so understanding and helpful. Good Luck and Post Post Post!
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