withdrawal

[Sue13]

I have been taking from 2-10 hydrocodone a day for over a year now (originally prescribed for pain. I want to quit. Is there an effective way to taper off, and if so how do I go from 10-0, how many days will it take, can anything help?

Also, how bad will the symptoms be? I am leaving for a trip to europe Tuesday and would like to think I can be done with this by then.

Sue

[TroubledSon]

Congrats on hanging tough and taking down the dose. U said in ur original post that you had first been prescribed vicodin for pain, but I assume now you're getting it from non-Rx sources, or is your doctor helping you out because of the habit you picked up?  Either way, I found that the best accompaniment to dose-tapering is a benzodiazepine- lorazepam, clonazepam, diazepam, etc. Everyone is different but I'd figure that the kind of w/d's off of hyrdrocodone would respond well to that class of drugs. If you're taking a flight to Europe, you can tell you're doc you're deathly afraid of flying and get a Xanax prescription, order the stuff from foreign producers online (some of those are the real deal), or just get hooked up on the illict market.

What I would do is set my alarm two hours earlier than I needed to be up, take a benzo, fall back asleep and wake up with less of that clutching stress, sadness, and muscle/bone pain that can all make withdrawal pretty unpleasant.

Where are you going in Europe?

PS- Why was my query post about the withdrawl-cure substrance with the strange visual side effects removed from this forum? Is there a more appropriate section for me to direct the question- I think it might be of use to people, not just people who are seeing wierd lights during detox but people looking for a substance that will lessen the severity of withdrawal and the even nastier so-called PAWS

[againnot]

Someone said in all these posts to only take with you the allotted amount of pills for that day in your taper.  I personally found this to be the only way I could taper.  When I went to work...if I was down to 4 pills/day...that is ALL I had with me....not the whole bottle.  For me...that helped alot instead of staring at a whole bottle and thinking...well....one more won't hurt....
sleeplesss

[kane332]

congrats! i just read through your post i hope you had a good trip.you are doing great and your almost there,down to two a day you're so close.how bad are your withdrawls?i personally just went through 10 days of w/d's and i caved in now i have to start completely over.sux big time.my drug of choice is methadone though so you're w/d's hopefully will not last that long.

[Sue13]

Checking in...Well it is almost Halloween, and I am down to (not happily) two pills per day. Tramydol is deadly, I think--the worst!! No help and I feel like a zombie. Going to try to keep it at two for a week or so, then down to 1 1/2...

Guess I am a chicken, but it seems that it takes about a year to be free of this stuff.

blah...blah....

[GoingToMakeIt]

Look into amino acids. SamE, 5htp, L-Tyrosine, L-Glutamine and Omega3s all help with mood. Don't necessarily take all at once.

[Sue13]

Well, I am back from my trip and still on the hydrocodone. I really want to get off this stuff but I am afraid of what I will find when the depression hits. I certainly don't want to go on another drug for depression.

I am going to try the tapering off again (only using it when I can't stand it anymore) and hopefully quitting without too much trouble.

But the lingering effects? What are people's experience with feeling "normal" again?

Sue

[GoingToMakeIt]

I sent you a note, but it said; Please go to the top of page and hit the 'Post a Question' and start a new post so we can answer your questions directly. Also look on the right side of page for the Health Pages and find the Thomas Recipe. It deals with remedies to ease the cold turkey withdrawals.

[jameron]

Hello everyone... I am trying to help my boyfriend through his addiction with the use of vicodin, and he is getting upset with me in asking all these questions I am asking to better understand what he is going through to quit cold turkey.  I was wondering if you can help me through this rough time that he is going through?   Is there anything that he can do to help ease his mind?

[Sue13]

JoAnn, how do I PM you (still finding a way around this site). Better yet, I would like to keep in touch with a few people via here or email in a sort of support group format. Is there a support group here that is dealing with withdrawal from these pain meds, such that we could hold each other's hands, as it were?

Thanks for any help,
Sue

[joann1975]

Well....we are all different....I was up to 20 possibly 25 7.5's per day....took awhile to get there .... and figured out I wasn't even remembering stuff!!! It was rough!

Anyway....my taper ended up during vacation to my brothers house... I had tapered to 10 per day and was down to I think 8 or so....then I just quickly got it done while there b/c I was distracted w/my family.... when I got home I jumped off at 2pills a day... I was kinda sick but not too bad.

It's do-able! You can do this! If you want to chat PM me!
JoAnn

[Sue13]

I am actually amazed at all the posts; thanks everyone. From my previous experience ct it was miserable for about three days and then got better. The distraction of a vacation will no doubt help. Although they are prescribed for legitimate pain, I amsure I have gone way beyond that, and at this point I think I would perfer the pain to the addiction.

But I don't wand to fall apart on the trip, so I will be careful to have some with me. I guess in my naivite I thought I could taper off one a day and it would be fine...maybe getting rid of that last "shot" as it were will be harder than I think.

Yesterday was nine, going to try for 6 (or less) today. Man, if I ever get off this stuff, never again!

How much is a really bad habit? I thought 10 was pretty bad...

[docnomore]

Just stop cold when you can take a few days off. It vicodin not morphine or something stronger. You have to go through a few bad days and then it's over

[worried878]

Ok...I see you have been taking them for more than a year...if u have been taking a dose like 10 a day for over a year this taper is extremely fast if u want to feel withdrawal free and i dont see it happening...the temptation will be to take the percs and trams to feel well,,,I am not sure if ur goal is to quit narcotics or to quit hydros...if ur goal is to be clean i would not take the other pills...but like said above...a vacation is not a prime time to quit for many...good luck and u will get this done ....keep posting

[worried878]

You can go to your medhelp and click on your posts...it will have a list of posts that you have posted on or any questions you have posted...or scan the first and second page and see  if it is there

tramadol is a synthetic narcotic...percocet is actually oxycodpne which is classified as stronger than hydrocodone......if u r taking these drugs with you and taking them...it would not be like you have quit narcotics....i agree with most here that a trip is not the best time to quit but u know urself better than we do and u probably know how u feel when u quit if u have done it before...i think u may find urself being pretty uncomfortable when u get down to 4 a day or less if u have been on them for a whle...i forgot if u had been taking them for years or months or what...everyone is different and if this is your plan i wish u luck....do be creful with the trams and oxys as they are just as habitforming as the hydros....keep us posted

[enemy48]

You must have your meds in prescription bottle, and not one over 6 months old, and not over the quantity.  Deinitely in carry on bag.

Best wishes w/the taper, and as brokenback said bring lots of immodium.  That will be horrible in an airline toilet.

I do agree that a trip w/take your mind off of the withdrawals.  I do hope you're strong enough to do the taper, because you may put yourself in a situation that can ruin the trip if you don't stick with it.

As for going directly to this thread, in your profile, it will show all post created by you.

[Sue13]

Another question of a practical nature: how do I take these drugs with me? Do they have to be in their prescription bottles? Do I take them in my carryon?

Somehow I feel with all the help I have gotten here I can do this! Took my first one this morning (seems to take away the jitters) so if I am going to have 6, tha means the next is at... 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, 9PM  hmm, that's it.

Re: navigating this site, how do I get to this thread from the login?

[Sue13]

Well, the last time I tried to quit ct I should have stuck with it because I was throught the worst (jumping out of my skin) but at least I was almost done. Then I got a new prescription. I d want to quit this stuff, for good.

The doctor also prescribed tramydol (which I have not been taking).

As far as how much, 10 a day is pretty accurate. As we all know, after a short while you need more and more. But I am going on this trip, perhaps the fact that I am having fun will help. What I DO NOT want to do is start to drink alcohol again (I'll be in France). Sooo, cutting down from 10 (yesterday), what is a logical plan? I do have valium and percoset (neither of which do I use).

I just want to be free of all of these mood changers. I am thinking 6 today, 5 tomorrow, 4 Saturday, 3 Sunday, 2 Monday, and 1 Tuesday. Then none on the trip. Is this realistic? Then I have 18 left. I really take them now because it has been easing depression. I really would like to learn to live without all this stuff.

Of course now I have the percoset, tramydol, and valium (don't like that one-makes me more depressed). What I really am afraid of is the alcohol, which I haven't done in a long time, thanks to the "relief" pills give me.

Wish I had never found out about any of these things...

[fibromama]

broknbck: brings up a very valid point,,,,taking your mind off the circumstance helps a great deal

[fibromama]

I wouldnt suggest stopping or tappering right before your trip,,like others said on the post your going to have flu like syptoms and depression,anxiety.  If you do decide to tapper or CT ask a doc for some Phenergan a anti-nausea it helps wonders also helps anxiety and sleep problems you get from w/d,,benadryl and melatonin are good for bed time.  And yes drink plenty of water.  Good luck to you and keep everyone posted on your outcome.  Have a wonderful trip (gotta extra ticket) :)

[broknbck]

oh, if you decide to take the trip while you are tappering- make sure to bring some amodium with you at all times. you may be needing it. but with a tapper it is usually able to control with 1 or 2 amodiums.

good luck and have fun!

[broknbck]

well going on a trip while you are tappering might just help. because you will feel some withdrawl while tappering. i actually planned a trip for when i would be tappering to help with the depression and just feeling crappy. because you are doing fun things and are usually with favortie people you like. these things bring your endorphins up and get your mind off the pills.

i was taking 3 pills 3 times a day. so my first change was only 2 times a day and 2 pills. that went on for a couple of weeks. then down to 1 1/2 pills twice a day. and when it was half a pill twice a day i quit. they were 10mg. hydrocodone.  took 1 month to taper. and when i quit it was not that bad.

[NautyOne]

Is it 2 or 10 ??  first you have to be real about the amount you are taking.......2 should be relatively easy to taper if not just quit, but 10 is a whole different ballpark.

figure out you average daily consumption and you will get better advice.

Nauty..........

[worried878]

2 to 10 is a big range...do u need 2 a day or do u need 10 a day?   if u feel ok on 2 a day i would taper from there...is u usually take 10 a day i would tpaper from there...if u take 2  a day as a norm...ct would probably be the easiest way when u have a few days of down time...if ur use is erratic u may want to pick a median like 5 a day and go down from there...tapering or ct would workk for u but u do need some down time when u quit

[merrymaria]

HI  WISHING YOU GOOD LUCK.  I WENT CT AND IM ON DAY 5 FEELING A LITTLE BETTER BUT NO ENERGY AND VERY DEPRESSED BUT THIS TOO WILL PASS.  ITS JUST SO GOOD TO BE PERCOCET FREE.  I WAS UP TO EATING 10 A DAY WHEN I KNEW I HAD A PROBLEM AND DECIDED TO END THIS HELL N JULY 4TH WHEN I TOOK MY LAST PERC.  IT WILL GET BETTER.  WRITE ME IF YOU D LIKE AND OTS OF LUCK TO YOU   LOVE, MARIA