How to wean off Loratab safely?

[Doramae]

I would appreciate help weaning off Loratab 5/500 I take 1tab q4-6 hrs only in day time & 1mg of Ativan to help me get to sleep for pain caused by Rotator cuff tear (l) shoulder and Arthritis in verterbrae of spine. Dr gave me a Cortisone shot today in the shoulder joint and I need to know if Cortisone is helping or if the Loratab is masking the pain. Also taking it for knee osteo- arthritis and pain from a bad tram-flap reconstruction. I need to get off all drugs like, loratab, can't stand side-effects. Any help out there. need a chart saying how much to cut the pills each day, safely. It doesn't seem like I'm taking that much med but trying to go cold turkey is miserable, nausea headaches, irribility etc. I just am very sensitve to pain meds can't take advil & other anti- inflamtary etc., they cause GERD,am about at my wits end. the issues with chronic  pain started in 2ooo. that 11yrs of being the Dr's experiment it seems. I know they are probably out of options for me. How  can Chronic pain be delt with when you can"T take any for very long periods of time?

[Doramae]

Thank you for your advice. will ask dr. about enteric coated asa but I do have bruising issues so we'll see. appreciate your response. doramae

[Doramae]

Thank you for your advice. will ask dr. about enteric coated asa but I do have bruising issues so we'll see. appreciate your response. doramae

[Doramae]

Thank you for advice. cortisone is helping. Doramae

[femmy29]

Hi Dora,

Mary gave some excellent advice on tapering and I agree with all that she recommended to you.  In place of the intolerable medicines, you could try enteric coated aspirin.  I know of another pain patient that can't handle the stomach issues that come with taking anti-inflammatories and he swears that the only thing that doesn't irritate his stomach is enteric coated aspirin.   Be sure to discuss this with your physician before trying it as some folks are not candidates to take aspirin long term as it is also a blood thinner.

Best of luck and I hope the injection helps too.  Take care.

femmy

[marycarmel]

We can't give taper schedules here; it's against the rules.  Your doctor can help you with tapering off.  However, as a general rule, when tapering, the slower the better.  As you cut back, wait at least a few days at the dose you cut to until you're table.  If you have w/d symptoms, you're tapering too fast.

CT is awful.  When I wanted to get off to see where my real pain is, I tapered (off a lot of stuff.)  Tapering can be hard since you can have withdrawals symptoms.  THey are usually mild (or mild to moderate) but you tend to be in and out of withdrawals through the taper.  Since you're not on too high of a dose, it shouldn't be too bad.

Hope the injection helped.