best solution for norco addiction

[norcalang]

I've been taking norcos for about a year anywhere from 6-20/day.

I've tapered it down to 6-8/day and took my last norco at 10pm last night with 2 somas.

I woke up at 6am (i usually wake up in early am from early withdrawals) and took two more soma and a tramadol. I decided today is going to be the day, I made it until 11. I took a bath and 5 mg of methadone. after 30 mins I felt ok!

I made until 5ish and took another 5mg and tramadol. I now only have 3 1/2 10mgs. I plan on trying to tough it out with a couple soma to sleep and continue to take 5mg of methadone when I can't hang with the withdrawals any longer.

My friend says I'm only prolonging the pain because methadone is opiate therefor replacing it. My reasoning is clinics use it to rehab addicts so it must be helpful. I'm very aware that methadone is addictive and way worse withdrawal wise. Obviously with the amount/rate I'm going I only have enough for 3 days max.

Am I getting myself in worse hole? I've been taking detox tea, drinking tons of water and stocked on multi vits, potassium (for RLS), zinc, B complex, L-tyrosine and omega-3s as well as eating regular.

Any advise on making it through this successfully would be appreciated.

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

Please understand-- I do not believe in people trying to taper themselves off at home without a long term strategy.  I was once part of that folly-- I was sick over and over and over, thinking each time that 'this is the last time'.

It just doesn't work.  If you insist on doing it, there are plenty of people in the community forum who will give you their own special plan... but when you have tapered off and relapsed enough times that you are sick of that mess, seek help from a treatment professional-- in person-- and do EVERYTHING you can to follow directions.  Opiate dependence is a fatal illness, and is hard to kick even when you do everything RIGHT.  There are also plenty of posts in the archives that discuss the issue of opiate withdrawal.

[norcalang]

no ans yet but I'm on hour 38 and doing ok been taking 3-5mg/ of methadone aprox every  6 hours and I have no basically no withdrawals. Do feel weird and out of it from the methadone tho. Think I had a small hallucination yesterday (room shaking in the corner of apt). Going to continue with with whats working so far.
Tried to get to sleep with just a nip of a methadone (prob 1mg but didn't work so took the the other 4mg)