Hello,
I'm new to this so please bear with me. I will try not to rattle on.
I'm 44 yrs old and have rheumatoid arthritis along with a couple of other systemic diseases. My rheumatologist started me on vicodin several years ago but "upgraded" me to oxycontin approximately four years ago. He also prescribed oxycodone for breakthrough pain.
I've been at the same dose the whole time. I took four tablets of ten mg a day, (oxycontin) and four, 5mg oxycodone.
Three weeks ago I started my detox. I decided I wanted to know what the real me truly felt like under all this anesthesia. It truly has helped me with a lot of pain, but many times I know I've not wanted to participate in things because I feel so tired due to the grogginess of the medications.
I want to FEEL again.
I began my detox by cutting the 40mgs of oxycontin, to 20.
I cut my 20mgs of oxycodone to ten. This was surprisingly easy.
So, I decided to go down again and cut out another oxycontin and just take one at night, and two 5mgs of oxydone a day. Total, 15mgs.
That was a bit rough. That was the second week.
Not quite into the third week, I went to two, five miligrams of oxycodone.
That has been hell and there I am stuck. I've been there for about five days.
I almost feel like I'm losing track of time.
It's strange. I feel like I was so much better able to function on the medication than I am now.
My withdrawals have included all of the misery of nausea but no vomiting, diarreah, (thank God for imodium), anxiety out the whazoo! night sweats but those seemed to pass after the second week.
Anxiety and rapid heart beat seem to be my worst problem next to ungodly headaches.
I get so weak I can barely move. I just want to rest.
Is this normal?
My doctor wanted to prescribe 4mg of tizanadine. I told him 2mg was fine and I've only used it twice when I felt my heart was beating out of my chest.
I broke it in half and only used 1mg.
I want to decrease another 5mg but I don't think my body is ready.
Am I just postponing the inevitable or being prudent?
My doctor told me to slow down but I don't know.
I am also on prednisone as well as other RA medications to help slow the degeneration of the disease and help fight inflammation.
I'm drinking lots of water and staying away from caffeine. I've cut my daily coffee intake from two cups to about a half a cup. And I'm trying to drink lots of OJ.
I really appreciate any insight.
Thank you.
This is a beautiful website.
xo
K.
Achy,
Welcome to the board here!! I have found so much inspiration just from reading the stories of others here!! It truly is a wonderful site!!
Sounds to me like you are doing very well. Your taper seems fast to me, but that is just my opinion. If your end goal is to get to zero meds, listen to your body as you taper down. If you are feeling rough, maybe slow the taper for a bit and then continue down again. Is you Dr helping you?? (I think you said yes, correct?)
Hate to cut this short, but I am finally sleepy and need to crawl into bed while I feel the possibility of sleep is here.
Will post more to you tomorrow.....
Good luck and welcome again!!!
:-)
Swizzle
Welcome to the board here!! I have found so much inspiration just from reading the stories of others here!! It truly is a wonderful site!!
Sounds to me like you are doing very well. Your taper seems fast to me, but that is just my opinion. If your end goal is to get to zero meds, listen to your body as you taper down. If you are feeling rough, maybe slow the taper for a bit and then continue down again. Is you Dr helping you?? (I think you said yes, correct?)
Hate to cut this short, but I am finally sleepy and need to crawl into bed while I feel the possibility of sleep is here.
Will post more to you tomorrow.....
Good luck and welcome again!!!
:-)
Swizzle
Achy, you are going through typical withdrawl symptoms. You may as well go ahead and quit the small doses of oxy-contin and percocet because they are not doing you any good at this stage.
The reason you want to rest all of the time is that you body has quit making several essential chemicals necessary for energy and optimism because the drug was doing that for you. But the small doses you are taking won't do it, either. My fear for you is that the longer you take those small doses, the longer it will be before your body begins making those chemicals on its own again.
Happily you havent' been abusing the pain meds like I was, it doesn't sound like. I actually believe you are an amazing person. Most of us came to the stage you are at because the pain pills would no longer do anything at all, regardless of how many we took.
Today is starting my 15th day since my last dose. I actually had some energy yesterday, not much, but a lot more than I had had in the previous 13 days! Today it was actually easy to get out of the bed when the alarm went off. So I can say that after two weeks after my last dose I began to feel better.
One good thing, is that since you're going through withdrawls now, you shouldn't feel too many ill effects after stopping the dosage you're on now.
God bless you, and the very best wishes for a success in your plan.
Please understand, also, that everyone has similar experiences, but no two people are identical, and the above is just my experience. Your mileage my vary. Batteries not included. Some assembly required.
The reason you want to rest all of the time is that you body has quit making several essential chemicals necessary for energy and optimism because the drug was doing that for you. But the small doses you are taking won't do it, either. My fear for you is that the longer you take those small doses, the longer it will be before your body begins making those chemicals on its own again.
Happily you havent' been abusing the pain meds like I was, it doesn't sound like. I actually believe you are an amazing person. Most of us came to the stage you are at because the pain pills would no longer do anything at all, regardless of how many we took.
Today is starting my 15th day since my last dose. I actually had some energy yesterday, not much, but a lot more than I had had in the previous 13 days! Today it was actually easy to get out of the bed when the alarm went off. So I can say that after two weeks after my last dose I began to feel better.
One good thing, is that since you're going through withdrawls now, you shouldn't feel too many ill effects after stopping the dosage you're on now.
God bless you, and the very best wishes for a success in your plan.
Please understand, also, that everyone has similar experiences, but no two people are identical, and the above is just my experience. Your mileage my vary. Batteries not included. Some assembly required.
Welcome to the board, Achey! I pray that your w/d will be easy to bear. Keep in mind that you need to pray for relief from pain.
I've said my prayers for you.
God Bless You,
Janet
I've said my prayers for you.
God Bless You,
Janet
Janet,
Thank you for your prayers, I need them.
Spirituality is a huge part of my life. I have devotions and Bible study every night before bed and it always helps to center and calm me. Prayer is my conduit to God and reminds me He is near. It's hard, because right now, I feel more alone than ever before.
My husband can't seem to wrap his mind around what I'm feeling or going through and I think that hurts worse than anything.
Now, I've got two extreme end opinions: Swizzle, you feel I'm tapering fast and Patriarch, you feel I need to get it over with.
I do very much appreciate both of your insights. I just don't know what to do!!!
I'm terrified.
My doctor does want me to slow down because my bp shot through the roof and continues to do so twice a day when it comes time for my 5mg dose. It's absurd after the much higher dose I was on.
On one hand, I wish my body would get used to it THEN I could try again. The thing that scares me is RA is systemic, it affects not just joints but organs, i.e., heart, lungs, etc. and I've had some heart problems. Everytime my heart starts pounding, I get terrified.
But when this happens, I just close my eyes, breathe very slowly and calmly, begin meditating on God, and reminding myself it's going to be okay.
Something else that helps me is hot water packs. They are so soothing to me.
I have a root canal today (if they finish) and a home inspection tomorrow (we're selling). Just thinking of when to do it.....
Patriarch, when I cut out the doses, should I cut out one or both? And when I do, normally, how long does it take to rid myself of the oxydone?
How long will I go through this awful stuff I'm going through?
You're right, I never abused the meds. Always took correctly. Just so tired of being chained to them. I think when it clicked in my head, and this may sound silly, is when I thought, what if terrorists hit and I wasn't able to get my pain pills. Would I go through withdrawl?
And is that something I'd be wanting to deal with at a time like that?
LOL
Weird, but true.
Thank you everyone.
Hanging by a thread.
Achy
Thank you for your prayers, I need them.
Spirituality is a huge part of my life. I have devotions and Bible study every night before bed and it always helps to center and calm me. Prayer is my conduit to God and reminds me He is near. It's hard, because right now, I feel more alone than ever before.
My husband can't seem to wrap his mind around what I'm feeling or going through and I think that hurts worse than anything.
Now, I've got two extreme end opinions: Swizzle, you feel I'm tapering fast and Patriarch, you feel I need to get it over with.
I do very much appreciate both of your insights. I just don't know what to do!!!
I'm terrified.
My doctor does want me to slow down because my bp shot through the roof and continues to do so twice a day when it comes time for my 5mg dose. It's absurd after the much higher dose I was on.
On one hand, I wish my body would get used to it THEN I could try again. The thing that scares me is RA is systemic, it affects not just joints but organs, i.e., heart, lungs, etc. and I've had some heart problems. Everytime my heart starts pounding, I get terrified.
But when this happens, I just close my eyes, breathe very slowly and calmly, begin meditating on God, and reminding myself it's going to be okay.
Something else that helps me is hot water packs. They are so soothing to me.
I have a root canal today (if they finish) and a home inspection tomorrow (we're selling). Just thinking of when to do it.....
Patriarch, when I cut out the doses, should I cut out one or both? And when I do, normally, how long does it take to rid myself of the oxydone?
How long will I go through this awful stuff I'm going through?
You're right, I never abused the meds. Always took correctly. Just so tired of being chained to them. I think when it clicked in my head, and this may sound silly, is when I thought, what if terrorists hit and I wasn't able to get my pain pills. Would I go through withdrawl?
And is that something I'd be wanting to deal with at a time like that?
LOL
Weird, but true.
Thank you everyone.
Hanging by a thread.
Achy
hi achy, and welcome! i too have ra and was on percocet for 2 years for it as well as a few other things (had cts surgery+took it for non medical reasons) anyway i think you are doing great with your taper. i wanted to coment on your one statement, you said you thought you function better when you take your pills. i to thought that at one time, i thought i was super woman. but i really wasn't. i have been completely off the perc's for 8 days and for the first time in 2 years i can see things for what they really are. sorry i have to cut this short, i need to disconnect to use the fax, i will be back shortly
ok, back to where i was. how bad is your ra? and how long have you been taking pain meds for it?(sorry if you already posted the time frame) i guess naperson and stuff like that dosen't work for you?
Again, achy, this just my opinion, and remember I've only been clean for 14 days now. So I could be wrong on a lot of this. But here's what I feel.
I'd stop it all and just go on and get it over with. By taking the low doses of both, you are only prolonging the agony. Once you stop, I think you'll be pretty much cleaned out in 72-96 hours. Your withdrawls... I couldn't begin to guess how long that would take, but I wouldn't think any more than 4 or 5 days at the most.
Although you'll feel like death warmed over for those 5 days, it should begin to get better after the 5th day and start seeing some improvement in your outlook on life.
I'll add you to the list of people I'm praying for, and may God give you the strength you need to get this done.
Love, and best of luck.
James (Pat)
I'd stop it all and just go on and get it over with. By taking the low doses of both, you are only prolonging the agony. Once you stop, I think you'll be pretty much cleaned out in 72-96 hours. Your withdrawls... I couldn't begin to guess how long that would take, but I wouldn't think any more than 4 or 5 days at the most.
Although you'll feel like death warmed over for those 5 days, it should begin to get better after the 5th day and start seeing some improvement in your outlook on life.
I'll add you to the list of people I'm praying for, and may God give you the strength you need to get this done.
Love, and best of luck.
James (Pat)
Angela,
When I mentioned feeling like I was doing better on the meds, I meant only in comparison to right at this moment, durig detox. :o)
I do believe that clarity will be a joy because I also mentioned how I'd not participate in things out of sluggishness due to the meds. I want to live life again. However, I've never experienced the flares like I am now either! The pain medicines really do help with pain, let's face it.
My hips and knees are flaring awful. And my hands and feet are so swollen.
But I'm pluggin' on.
I was dx with RA in 95. I started on Voltaren and progressed to plaquenil and eventually ended up taking the biologic injections such as methotrexate, enbrel, kineret & humira. I've taken arava and azulfidine. Some of them worked for a time and eventually quit working. Arava and azulfidine were very toxic to my body. Humira put me in anaphalactic reaction. The injectables were good and worked to a point but I had constant infections so would have to go off to take antibiotics and ended up being on the antibiotics longer than the meds. It just wasn't healthy so my RD put me on plaquenil and prednisone for maintanence. I'm too high risk for remicade but I'm praying that I can try the new Rituxin that isn't approved yet. It doesn't cause cancer like so many others. In fact, it fights cancer!!
Mine is severe but with little deformity. We began early treatment so I've been fortunate. My grandfather had RA and was completely crippled. In his day, aspirin was the only medicine. He wouldn't have used gold salts and such.
What about you? Can you share about your RA?
James,
I do appreciate so much your help.
I spoke with my doctor and he asked me to not reduce for at least a week, preferrably two. He said my body is still getting rid of the oxycontin.
I've been on pain meds for about six or seven years, the oxycontin and oxycodone for almost 4.
Today was the best day yet. I see the wisdom in what he's saying. I want off these drugs. But I want to do it wisely. He just doesn't want to see me end up in the hospital and neither do I!
Thank you for your prayers. I surely need them. Sometimes, when I wake from a dead sleep, my heart is racing and pounding and I can't imagine why. It's like I had a bad dream or something must have awakened me.... but no, it's just lovely detox. Wow, who would have thought such a thing.
Hang in there. We're doing this together. You have all the drugs out of you at 14 days. I can't say that. I'm weaning. But I still feel very proud. This takes courage. I never knew.
I think we're all very brave.
Hugs all around.
xo
Achy
When I mentioned feeling like I was doing better on the meds, I meant only in comparison to right at this moment, durig detox. :o)
I do believe that clarity will be a joy because I also mentioned how I'd not participate in things out of sluggishness due to the meds. I want to live life again. However, I've never experienced the flares like I am now either! The pain medicines really do help with pain, let's face it.
My hips and knees are flaring awful. And my hands and feet are so swollen.
But I'm pluggin' on.
I was dx with RA in 95. I started on Voltaren and progressed to plaquenil and eventually ended up taking the biologic injections such as methotrexate, enbrel, kineret & humira. I've taken arava and azulfidine. Some of them worked for a time and eventually quit working. Arava and azulfidine were very toxic to my body. Humira put me in anaphalactic reaction. The injectables were good and worked to a point but I had constant infections so would have to go off to take antibiotics and ended up being on the antibiotics longer than the meds. It just wasn't healthy so my RD put me on plaquenil and prednisone for maintanence. I'm too high risk for remicade but I'm praying that I can try the new Rituxin that isn't approved yet. It doesn't cause cancer like so many others. In fact, it fights cancer!!
Mine is severe but with little deformity. We began early treatment so I've been fortunate. My grandfather had RA and was completely crippled. In his day, aspirin was the only medicine. He wouldn't have used gold salts and such.
What about you? Can you share about your RA?
James,
I do appreciate so much your help.
I spoke with my doctor and he asked me to not reduce for at least a week, preferrably two. He said my body is still getting rid of the oxycontin.
I've been on pain meds for about six or seven years, the oxycontin and oxycodone for almost 4.
Today was the best day yet. I see the wisdom in what he's saying. I want off these drugs. But I want to do it wisely. He just doesn't want to see me end up in the hospital and neither do I!
Thank you for your prayers. I surely need them. Sometimes, when I wake from a dead sleep, my heart is racing and pounding and I can't imagine why. It's like I had a bad dream or something must have awakened me.... but no, it's just lovely detox. Wow, who would have thought such a thing.
Hang in there. We're doing this together. You have all the drugs out of you at 14 days. I can't say that. I'm weaning. But I still feel very proud. This takes courage. I never knew.
I think we're all very brave.
Hugs all around.
xo
Achy
Achy, thank goodness you called your doc and you feel good about what he told you. That should help you peace of mind considerably.
Yep, we're all going through this together, regardless if we've been clean for 9 days or 90. Doesn't matter. I'll prop up anyone that needs a kind word, and there are plenty of others that would do the same for me.
I posted last Friday about my poor dog dying and the memory of being at the vet's with her during her last minutes. You should have seen the replies I got on that topic, I thought it would make the board either sink from the weight of it, or float for the number of tears shed over it.
You're in good hands with us. Well, wait, even before the pills I was somewhat clumsy. Everyone else has good hands.
Yep, we're all going through this together, regardless if we've been clean for 9 days or 90. Doesn't matter. I'll prop up anyone that needs a kind word, and there are plenty of others that would do the same for me.
I posted last Friday about my poor dog dying and the memory of being at the vet's with her during her last minutes. You should have seen the replies I got on that topic, I thought it would make the board either sink from the weight of it, or float for the number of tears shed over it.
You're in good hands with us. Well, wait, even before the pills I was somewhat clumsy. Everyone else has good hands.
James you are so sweet.
I'm soo sorry about the loss of your dog.
Our furbabies are our family, I know.
I have/had a cat but we will be moving out of state soon and my son
who is 25 asked me if he could have him.
That gave me pause.
But I readily did so because my son will be alone here now and our cat
is like family. He's nine years old.
Your replies give me a lot of comfort. I always look to see if someone has answered my posts. The first three weeks of this detox was so lonely.
I never thought of going online for answers OR support. Suddenly, when
I felt desperate in my spirit, I began searching the net.
Someone led me to this site and I thank God. It's nice not to be alone.
Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss.
xo
Achy
I'm soo sorry about the loss of your dog.
Our furbabies are our family, I know.
I have/had a cat but we will be moving out of state soon and my son
who is 25 asked me if he could have him.
That gave me pause.
But I readily did so because my son will be alone here now and our cat
is like family. He's nine years old.
Your replies give me a lot of comfort. I always look to see if someone has answered my posts. The first three weeks of this detox was so lonely.
I never thought of going online for answers OR support. Suddenly, when
I felt desperate in my spirit, I began searching the net.
Someone led me to this site and I thank God. It's nice not to be alone.
Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss.
xo
Achy
Achey Joints,
Glad to see your here ;o). Take care, and listen to your Dr., your doing a GREAT JOB!!! I am glad you had a good day. Take care, Best Wishes
Glad to see your here ;o). Take care, and listen to your Dr., your doing a GREAT JOB!!! I am glad you had a good day. Take care, Best Wishes