getting off painkillers

[benrock]

been taking 4-5 day for 2 yrs now , whats the best way to come off without withdrwal , tried to stop cold turkey and i feel like shit after a few hrs like i got the flu , went 2 days and could not take it , please help , thanks

[par excellence.]

taper yourself off... cut the dose little by little until you're down to nothing.

[anna]

Hi.I work inDr. Waismann clinic, we havehelped hundreds of people with percocet/percodan addiction. The treatment we provide is called ANR, itseffective and safe way toget rid of the dependency.You may visit our website www.megama.comfor further info. Take care! Edited by: anna

[kat714]

I am getting ready to try and withdraw from hydrocodone 10's myself. I've been taking 7-8 of them everyday for the past 2 1/2 years. When you say taper down, I think I need to do it slowly, like maybe start with 6 1/2 for 4 days, then 6, then 5 1/2 amd so on...tapering a half dosedown every 4 days. This is the only way I think it will work for me. I have some tramadol and xanax to use when I get the hydro's down to 2 a day, to mix in with the hydro's and/or take the place of where I use to take the extra hydro's and maybe extend taking the xanax and tramadol for a week after I no longer am taking the hydro and then stop everything after that.
I think I can handle the "sick" physcial withdraws. What gets me is other withdraws. I can't hardly handle the anxiety, the craving, the restlessness, shaking inside, feeling like I am going up the wall, carwling in my skin and wanting to beat the sh*t out of something..that's my main problem when I try to taper or go without. Am I the only one that thinks these things are worse than the actual sickness you get? I sometimes feel like I am going crazy.

[bogumil]

I heard the following can help. Bring yourself close to WD, like as long as it doesnt become too uncomfortable. Then take a dose that is smaller than what you would usually take.Edited by: bogumil

[benrock]

anymore i need help here

[jimdandy]

the thing about kicking any drug, is that the discomfort, whether intense or slight, is not permanent. drug addicts, a category in which i include myself, have anintense fear of feeling uncomfortable, forgetting that this always passes-sometimes quickly and sometimes not-but never fear, it is not and can not be permanent. i have kicked many times, tapéring and cold turkey ,and in my personal experience have found tapering to only prolong the misery.


jsut stop, feel the pain for a while (yeah feeling so good all that time has a price to pay, now or later, we all gotta pay...) and get on with your life. really, you can do it.

[JBRONCFAN]

Have to agree with the last post. I also recommend suboxone to
reduce the worst withdrawals. Cold turkery from 80mgs/day oxy is
horrible. With suboxone, not only did I have zero withdrawals
but, mind was clear for the first time in a long time. No more
cravings, no more constant search for drugs. I couldn't believe
how much time I spent searching for it until I took suboxone.
Gotta only take it no more than a few weeks or you get hooked on it and
have the same hard time coming down. I was on for 1.5 weeks, 5
days later, I definitely feel withdrawals but not near as bad as cold
turkey would have been. But like the last post said, EVENTUALLY,
you have to pay the piper so tapering does just prolong the
inevitable. Suboxone definitely gave me much less withdrawals to
deal with AND really cleared my mind, like reset it.

[gottabefree]

I am in the same boat as kat. I have used for almost 2 years. I have tried both, and for me, tapering was easier. I took 6-8 Lorcets a day (sometimes a few more). I have quit 3 times. I am on a taper now, that has me down to 1.5-2 lorcets a day. My symptoms are anxiousness, tired but don't sleep well,weak legs, stomach aches, head aches (gone now), and light-headedness, and extreme nervousness. I have been reducing my dosage by 5mg every 3 days. Hope to be completely done in a week. Hope to feel better too.


Hard part for me is that takinghas become a ritual. I get up, pop a pill or 2, and a cup of coffee. An hour later I am awake. Without the ritual, I feel like crap. But, I feel like crap anyways!!!


At the point I wouldn't increase my dosages (2-310/650's barely gave me anything), the above symptoms came on. So, I was withdrawing even when taking 6-8 a day. I think that is what they call tolerance/toxicity.


Plus, while taking the hydros, I have quit exercising, and my work and health has truly suffered. Plus I quit casual drinking, becuase I didn't want to blow out my liver. I miss having beer or a good drink now and then. I never had a problem with drinking so I feel that once off of the Hydros, I truly hope to have my life back.


If you have kids, they want you around for a while. That's my motivation. Or, if you just want to feel "right" again, the only way is to be done with it. I feel now, that I will be done on my own, or it (the addiction) will "do me in".


The WDs this time around have been the hardest. As a matter of fact, each time I quit, was harder than the previous time. Why put yourself through it? Once you choose to stay off, just do it!


SIDE NOTE: A few folks think I might have some other medical 'condition' given I have light-headedness, general malaise andvision disturbances (occasional blurring). Even when I was taking. Any ideas?








Good Luck.Edited by: gottabefree

[Markins]

Hey, I had a question about this topic - figured I'd post it here rather than make a new post.


You guys seem to be talking mostly about oxycontin, which I'd never touch, but I have come across a chance or two to try xanax or vicodin. How addictive are these drugs? I'm trying to avoid the problem you guys are discussing altogether, but at the same time I'd be curious to try that. (I'm also kinda worried my friends are going to look at me more and more as a druggy, but that's another topic entirely.)


What about methadone? That's the other thing I was debating givin a go once or twice, but I dont' want to if its really addictive.


Thanks for all the answers to my questions in the past, by the way.

[Colby]

I have A very tough time trying to quit oxy, and when I do I get really bad coughs, which I cough up flem, and feel like shit, but when I do it, i feel great and dont get sick its when i only stop for like 2-3 days then it hits me, any idea why? I dont like getting sick because of a drug... kinda scares me

[sunra]

I am speaking here as an innocent, never having had any had any serious withdrawl problems but for those who have serious problems you might want to consider researching the tryptamine ibogaine. It has been used clinically to aid heroin withdrawl [URL=http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=1948]
and may also possibly help synthetic opiate withdrawl.I belive that there may also be other information on this substance in this forum.

[hippie_lain]

Kratom is a good substitute for any opiate from what i heard

[helios]

As you can see....I have found you because I am addicted to HC.
14-20 a day for 2 years and now it is time to stop. I have
suffered w/d but only because I could not reorder due to time
restrictions on my perscription. I'm not talking about something
that most of you already don't know about.



My business has gone to hell, and I'm damn near bankrupt...not because
of the money spent for HC but because when I'm high, I am just totally
unmotivated to do anything. It's kinda like clinical depression
but I don't feel bad. I will not do as stated above and just
"tough it out". When I am in full blown w/d, I cannot do
anything. A minute seems like an eternity but if I can summon
superhuman strength and go do something I usually feel some
better.



I have gotton some tramadol from a friend and it does help greatly
without the narcotic effect...I suffer almost no w/d...but that is
still a perscription drug. I have been reading with interest
about Kratom and I think I will order some via the internet and try
it. ANYTHING but w/d. I wa hoping to get some input from
you because going thru w/d is not an option...neither is thousands of
dollars for a treatment. I will try the tapering thing, but I
need to hear from you guys.



helios

[kat714]

I was doing really well with withdrawing from hydro by taking the tramadol. I was able to finally stop taking the hydro for 3 weeks and was just on the tramadol. But everytime I tried to stop the tramadol and take nothing, then I started feeling the same way I did when I tried to stop the Hydros', so I ended up slipping and I went back to the hydro's, and now I am trying to stop taking the hydro's again, by taking the tramadol again and I am then going to try coming off of them (tramadol) with xanax.

I hate taking the tramadol because they give me bad headaches all the time. Does it do that to you too? I do find that tramadol definetly helps keep me from going into full WD's when I run out of Lortab though

[Muirner]

I agree with a post up near the top, wein yourself off of it. They do this with people who are addicited to Herion with methadone. To taper them off they cut the dose by 3mg a day. If you could cut your dose a little bit every day then you should be able to get yourself off of the pain killers with smaller effects.


Muirner

[insanity]

damn those are some crazy amounts of hydro you people will be taking. isn't there any neg effects on body from doing that much ?

[helios]

Yeah, little matter of liver failure...not such a big deal. Wait, I only have one...right? shit.



I went to the County health clinic 3 days ago and just spilled my
guts. Told them I couldn't go to my doctor because I had been
lying to him for over a year to get my HC's. got a caseworker
within 30 minutes...a PA with a mideastern name...I didn't give a shit
if it was osama-friggin-bin Laden. He got me into see a county
doctor and without any real questions or lectures, he gave me an Rx for
suboxone or "bupe". this stuff is wonderful.



I am a worthless human being when in W/D...totally worthless.
This goes under my tounge and within 10 minutes the nose drys up, the
jumpy legs stop and more than anything else, I can SLEEP! I am
paying for them out of pocket because I don't want my insurance company
knowing that I am a drug addict. It works differently for
different people so I can't say everyone does well with it but damn...I
feel sober. I can't remember what it was like to get up in the
morning, do my coffee and smokes then go to work.



Funny thing, it was a british company that developed this and the
American government is not hyping it because they have so much money in
the methadone treatment facilities. Anyone serious about putting
down the oxy or HC might wanna take a look at this. They are
expensive but I would cut off a finger instead of going into WD.

[LostInSpace]

Hi Folks,


I would like to add my two cents if you don't mind.


I was a very heavy heroin user for about 5 or 6 years (time tends to
leave your memory after banging all day for years), and I tried to stop
many times.


I tried cold turkey, backing it down slowly (will never happen),
hospitals, etc...


The only thing that worked was hitting the road.


I ended up about 400 miles from home when the w/d hit hard, and
I ended up in a tent in the middle of no-where for about a week or
so.


That's all that ever worked.


Now, with that being said, as a good junkie always will, I tend to
get myself in trouble from time to time because that frickin' beast
(my addiction) always gets me to believing I can now handle a
little something from time to time.


Now, I have not went back to H, but poppy seeds & poppies are
just as bad when it comes to something grabbing you by the balls
and holding on really frickin tight.


Anyway, I stumbled onto Kratom awhile back, and the stuff works
wonders for w/d's.


My experience with Kratom was that I had to take about 4 or 5
doses before it actually started working.


By that I mean, it s almost like my body had to learn how to use
the stuff. The first few times felt like nothing was happening, but
by the 4th or 5th time, I was totally out of my w/d's, and I felt
really great.


I wish I would have known about this stuff when I was kicking H.


I would suggest that you at least give Kratom a try for about 10
doses (not all at once).


Look for the super strength Kratom. Don't get the leaf, or just plain
powder, find extra super duty strength. (you get the point)


That is my suggestion for you all who are getting ready to kick, I
hope it works out for you.


PeaceEdited by: LostInSpace

[windysan]

I just had a sponsee go to rehab to get off oxys and hydros. She did the suboxone therapy for about 5 or 6 days and had an fairly easy time of it. I'm a big believer in medical detox then rehab(28 days). It's a real bitch any way you do it. Good luck to you and check out the Rational Recovery website.

[cfurr44]

I am in my 5th week of soberness of a hella bad oxy habit (800mg day) thats 10 80mg pills per day shot up in my viens.


I tried to quit about a hundred times in the 3 years i was addicted. It sucks and can be the worst thing i the world.


This time i got smart. I asked for help and got it and it made everything so easy. I got my in laws to help me but if you dont' want anyone to know do this...


Call around your city and talk to doctors, tell them you have been on painkillers for so long and you need help quitting. Tell them you have never tried to quit but you are very serious, tell them you are going to live somewhere else (other city) which you need to do for about 30 days.


I found a few doctors to help and the one I see is so cool about it. He gave me methadone for the 30 days and getting clean was easy. cOME to find out i only needed the methadone for 7 days to get through the rough shit and now i feel great.


QUITTING IS THE SHIT ONCE YOU FINALLY DO IT FOR REAL!!!!

[daveman]

wow thats a long time to be doin painkillers id imagine it woudl be very very hard to stop cold turkey, if not impossible, the only way to really stop is to not be able to get the drug anymore, aslong as you are able to get it you will get it.