I have been taking pain pills (vicodin,percocet,oxy's) for about a year now. Recently I have been taking percocet because of a surgery. I was wondering how long the withdrawal symptoms last. I was taking about 40mg of percocet a day. I just got another prescription and have given them to my wife. She will control them and wean me off of them. I told my doctor that I had a problem and he was kind enough to write another script as long as my wife was controlling them and trying to get me off them. I was looking for advice on the best way to do this. I have a 2 yr old and want my life back! Please help! The percocets I was given was 7.5mg. I got 60 of them and don't know the best way to wean off of them. I am down to 20mg a day.
Hi and welcome,
I don't know how good my advice is, but I will try to give some insight. Are you still experiencing pain from the surgury? If not then there is no real reason to be taking the medication..I may be wrong, but even if you wean down you will still go through withdrawel symptoms. Withdrawel is different with everyone as far as how bad it is and how long it lasts. I have been an addict for almost two years I became addicted after a major surgury my drug of choice was vicoden and I took as much as 30 7.5/500 to 10/500 in one day..I have went through withdrawel more times than I can count and each time it was a little different although you get the common symptoms..shakiness, irritability, depression, nausea, vomitting, headache the list goes on...I have went to inpatient detox which is a safe and what some people might say the easy way out...and then I detox at home and I find that to be really bad for me just b/c I became soo depressed even suicidal. You would think going through hell(detox) would set you straight, but it doesn't. If the addiction is bad and you feel you can't cope with the withdrawel than I would suggest an inpatient setting to safely detox and you don't experience the withdrawel symptoms nearly as bad. I wish you the best of luck and I hope i have helped some. Keep us posted on what you decide to do.
Michelle
I don't know how good my advice is, but I will try to give some insight. Are you still experiencing pain from the surgury? If not then there is no real reason to be taking the medication..I may be wrong, but even if you wean down you will still go through withdrawel symptoms. Withdrawel is different with everyone as far as how bad it is and how long it lasts. I have been an addict for almost two years I became addicted after a major surgury my drug of choice was vicoden and I took as much as 30 7.5/500 to 10/500 in one day..I have went through withdrawel more times than I can count and each time it was a little different although you get the common symptoms..shakiness, irritability, depression, nausea, vomitting, headache the list goes on...I have went to inpatient detox which is a safe and what some people might say the easy way out...and then I detox at home and I find that to be really bad for me just b/c I became soo depressed even suicidal. You would think going through hell(detox) would set you straight, but it doesn't. If the addiction is bad and you feel you can't cope with the withdrawel than I would suggest an inpatient setting to safely detox and you don't experience the withdrawel symptoms nearly as bad. I wish you the best of luck and I hope i have helped some. Keep us posted on what you decide to do.
Michelle
Yeah, no way around it, you are going to feel poorly for a brief period. But after that brief period of discomfort, you will have your life back. I have been tapering rather quickly, and I have been feeling kind of crappy, but I know that in the end it will be worth not sneaking around my family, friends, clients just to get more pills.
So, Keepthefaith, keep the faith. Stay strong.
JR
So, Keepthefaith, keep the faith. Stay strong.
JR
Thank you for the kind words. I am really scared but know I need to kick this habit. I am gonna tough it out since I don't go back to work until mid January. I am going to try and go down to 10mg a day for a week, 5mg a day for a week and then nothing. I know it will be tough but I have to do this for my daughter and my wife. I will let you guys know my progress. My wife used to be an addict and has been clean for about 8 months now. She is a strong woman and one that will stand by my side. I never hid anything from her because I hate lying. Knowing that she is in my corner will help me tremendously. Thanks so much for the advice.
Hello, welsome to the board.I think thats the best thing you could of done was give those pills to your wife, really, this was theres no temptation..how are you doing today?, still have pain from the surgery? look we are all here for ya, we are just a post away after all we can not do this alone, please take care and the BEST OF LUCK to you.. seems like there are so many people going thru the same situation so your not alone, hang in there & i will keep you in my preyers as well!!!
I still have some pain from the surgery but I get better and better every day. I am down to 20mg of percocet a day and don't have any problems sleeping, and I don't crave more. After the holiday I am going to go down to 10mg a day for 5 days. Then go to 5mg a day for a week and then stop. Mr Dr. said I would experience some WD symptoms but it would not be nearly as bad if I went from 40mg a day to nothing. I really appreciate everyone sharing their thoughts and it makes me feel better knowing that I am not the only one who has a problem. I just decided that it is time for me to stop. At one point I was actually buying 100 pills a week from a friend who knows someone who sells them. At $5 a pill that is not CHEAP! I feel comfort knowing I can come here when I need advice or just some encouragement. Thank you all...
Hi Faith,
If you're down to 20mg a day from 40-50mg per day, you're already doing very well. Telling your doctor about your problem, then giving the scrip to another person to dispense -- all really wise. Your really seem to have thought this out, and your determination shows. If your wife is in recovery, i guess you're aware that the mental addiction needs continuing treatment....but first things first. Good luck to you. Keep us posted. M.
If you're down to 20mg a day from 40-50mg per day, you're already doing very well. Telling your doctor about your problem, then giving the scrip to another person to dispense -- all really wise. Your really seem to have thought this out, and your determination shows. If your wife is in recovery, i guess you're aware that the mental addiction needs continuing treatment....but first things first. Good luck to you. Keep us posted. M.
Sounds like you already have everything under control and your plan in motion... Going from 40 to 20mg is very good. I would go to 15mg for a few days before jumping down to 10 from 20 but that's just my opinion. You may do just fine doing as you plan. I weaned down to 5mg and stopped taking percocet back in 1998.... It really wasn't all that bad. I jut took lots of vitamins in place of the pills.... Good luck to you!! Rae
I am so glad I found this message board. You guys have no idea how much the things you say help me fight this addiction. It came to a point that I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw. I am not only doing this for myself. My wife and daughter are the motivation I need to pull me through this. Thanks you all very much. I will keep you posted!
Gotta, I too am just learning how to look in the mirror again..
I don't know about percs, but it can take a while to feel normal...so just be prepared. Hot baths, positive people, being kind to yourself and low stress level, and exersize I have found to help..
The other part is staying stopped...these pills have a strange way of hanging out in the cobwebs of your mind..
there are good support systems like aa or na..if you have never been, it might be a good idea to try..
Good luck, and welcome.
Kerry
I don't know about percs, but it can take a while to feel normal...so just be prepared. Hot baths, positive people, being kind to yourself and low stress level, and exersize I have found to help..
The other part is staying stopped...these pills have a strange way of hanging out in the cobwebs of your mind..
there are good support systems like aa or na..if you have never been, it might be a good idea to try..
Good luck, and welcome.
Kerry
several years ago I was on 10 percs a day, My shrink said I would be fine takeing one less each day. I didnt think this was good for me so I dropped 1 pill every 2 days and after the end of this schedual i was fine , no wds whatsoever . When I got down to 2 pill I did that for 3 days 2 pills for 3 days and 1 pill for 3 days. The best advise she gave me was to take one before bed and this seemed to help Good luck Ray
Ramon was right..... If I were you, I would take one pill in the morning and then one pill in the evening, before bed, because that's when withdrawal symptoms seem to be their worse... Then cut down to just one before bed...
But if you're only taking 20mg a day, that's not a whole lot...... There are some people who take 300mg a day and get through this just fine..... I'm on Day 2 of withdrawals right now (when I tapered down, I was still taking 70mg a day) and it isn't that bad. To me, when I sit and think about how bad I feel, I feel worse.... but when I have the attitude "This isn't so bad," I really don't get that many bad symptoms...
You can do this...... You have the desire and the motivation and that's going to see you through this.
Good luck.
But if you're only taking 20mg a day, that's not a whole lot...... There are some people who take 300mg a day and get through this just fine..... I'm on Day 2 of withdrawals right now (when I tapered down, I was still taking 70mg a day) and it isn't that bad. To me, when I sit and think about how bad I feel, I feel worse.... but when I have the attitude "This isn't so bad," I really don't get that many bad symptoms...
You can do this...... You have the desire and the motivation and that's going to see you through this.
Good luck.
