I need HELP!!! I don't know how to taper from 4 vicodin a day!
Cut one out of each day for a week or just toss them all.
Like first week, take 4 every day
Second week , take 3 every day
Third week, take 2 every day
Fourth week, take 1 every day and
Fifth week be DONE.......
GOOD LUCK..........STICK AROUND AND YOU WILL GET SOME MORE ADVICE, PROBABLY BETTER THAN MINE.
Like first week, take 4 every day
Second week , take 3 every day
Third week, take 2 every day
Fourth week, take 1 every day and
Fifth week be DONE.......
GOOD LUCK..........STICK AROUND AND YOU WILL GET SOME MORE ADVICE, PROBABLY BETTER THAN MINE.
Four a day isnt that hard to come off of.. If you want to taper listen to what the other post said, but you should be able to quit that C/T (cold turkey), with minimal physical side effects.. Tapering works but if you dont have a doctor to work the program chances are you won't be able to do it yourself.. well i wish you luck..
What florida girl said was a good taper use that you shouldnt have any wds using that method or have very very little.
Hi Burned, I'm not an advocate of tapering (even though I did it myself). Having been through the experience I am able to see it for what it is. You are only prolonging the inevitable. I can sort of see it on huge doses but that's not the case with you.
We are so frightened by w/d that we go to great lengths to avoid it. Recently I watched a friend do this. Each week she lowered her dose. Each week she went through w/d. Her w/d was no worse than it would have been to just stop c/t. When she got down to two a day, I told her how ridiculous all that was. It took her two months with plenty of discomfort to do what she could have done in a few days. See the insanity?
If you're determined to taper then I would suggest that you start by the lowest dose you can take without going into w/d. Can you manage just taking two? Then start there. Take that for a few days then go to one. No matter how you do it you are going to experience some lousy days when it's all said and done. Easier to just do it.
Good luck.
Love, Kat
We are so frightened by w/d that we go to great lengths to avoid it. Recently I watched a friend do this. Each week she lowered her dose. Each week she went through w/d. Her w/d was no worse than it would have been to just stop c/t. When she got down to two a day, I told her how ridiculous all that was. It took her two months with plenty of discomfort to do what she could have done in a few days. See the insanity?
If you're determined to taper then I would suggest that you start by the lowest dose you can take without going into w/d. Can you manage just taking two? Then start there. Take that for a few days then go to one. No matter how you do it you are going to experience some lousy days when it's all said and done. Easier to just do it.
Good luck.
Love, Kat
I really appreciate the suggestions....keep 'em coming because I NEED YOU right now. I didn't even know this site existed until last night when i stumbled across it. Here's my story...I am 42 yrs old and will have 18 yrs of sobriety (alcohol) next month. I really have had no problem with any thing over the years (very lucky)...however, MAJOR dental problems this year....I have been taking at least four vicodins/percocets or oxycodone's per day since May 1. All the pain is now gone and I find I am having major difficulty getting off. First of all, I look forward to the buzz..but I'm willing to give that up....my problem is when I go more than 4-6 hours w/o a pill....I feel awful...pain in my head, anxious, etc. I don't want to call my doc for obvious reasons and I do want to be able to take these safely again someday should I have surgery...etc. Please help me thru this.
You have been giben very good advice and trust if you can quit the booze you can quit the pills too there are no DT's and s*** like that it doesnt even look like you were abusing the pills amount wise but I totally understand where you are coming frokmand keep going to your meetings!!! That is always a big help!!1
Hi Burned,
opiate addiction really has a way of sneaking up on us. Congradulations on your sobriety with alcohol. You did that, you can do this too. Those symptoms you're feeling won't last. If you stop taking the vicodin you can expect a few lousy days but then it's over. You'll be back to your normal self. Of course then a new battle begins, staying clean.
Just curious, how did you stay clean from alcohol?
Love, Kat
opiate addiction really has a way of sneaking up on us. Congradulations on your sobriety with alcohol. You did that, you can do this too. Those symptoms you're feeling won't last. If you stop taking the vicodin you can expect a few lousy days but then it's over. You'll be back to your normal self. Of course then a new battle begins, staying clean.
Just curious, how did you stay clean from alcohol?
Love, Kat
Hi Burned
If you're taking pills for the buzz, have you picked up a white chip yet? Just curious. My sponsor had 16 years without booze and picked up pills for a buzz and picked up a white chip when she got off them. Just curious how things work in your part of the country.
If you're taking pills for the buzz, have you picked up a white chip yet? Just curious. My sponsor had 16 years without booze and picked up pills for a buzz and picked up a white chip when she got off them. Just curious how things work in your part of the country.
I got off alcohol with a great support system and AA. I am too ashamed to admit this "failure" to anyone as people in the program "look up to me..."
Not my business, ya know, to thine own self be true, but what about self honesty? It's nice to be looked up to for having time but if you are honest about it, wouldn't you think people would admire your humility? I know I'd have a guilty conscience over it but that's me. I'm not trying to get on your a$$, just remembering what I've been taught. BTW Flush the pills. Get them out of your house. Go thru a week of feeling fluish and you'll be fine. Drink plenty of water. Pray. And get some immodium.
Burned, you really need to tell your group about your addiction. Get that monkey off of your back. You will feel so much better for getting honest and look, most of us know that we just trade addictions. That is why we are addicts. Don't worry about needing meds in the future, just deal with the present as it is delivered to you.
Take Care.
Take Care.
Hi Burned,
Thanks for admitting to yourself and to us that you have a problem with pills. I know many, many recovering alcoholics and addicts who relapsed because they started taking prescription meds and it got away from them. Many lived with the pain and shame without ever admitting to their support system what was really going on.
Have you ever gone to NA? I've heard several people share that after they admitted they were using pills, they felt more comfortable in NA than they did in AA.
(note: PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS TURN INTO AN AA vs. NA DEBATE... both programs work brilliantly for their resepctive members)
Hang in,
Matt
Thanks for admitting to yourself and to us that you have a problem with pills. I know many, many recovering alcoholics and addicts who relapsed because they started taking prescription meds and it got away from them. Many lived with the pain and shame without ever admitting to their support system what was really going on.
Have you ever gone to NA? I've heard several people share that after they admitted they were using pills, they felt more comfortable in NA than they did in AA.
(note: PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS TURN INTO AN AA vs. NA DEBATE... both programs work brilliantly for their resepctive members)
Hang in,
Matt
If A/A helped you, then it seems that the same meetings or N/A would be the way to go, I'll just say meetings.
I don't want to minimize your problem at all - I'm glad you see 4 a day as a big problem (they really are - I started with (1) a week) but in my 30's - it lead to a 15-20 a day Lortab addiction. So, with a tapering schedule, I doubt the W/D's should be too bad - don't know - I had to do the CT route and you know the meetings work for you. I think you know what you need to do.
Please keep posting and reading. Love to hear how it's going.
Jean
I don't want to minimize your problem at all - I'm glad you see 4 a day as a big problem (they really are - I started with (1) a week) but in my 30's - it lead to a 15-20 a day Lortab addiction. So, with a tapering schedule, I doubt the W/D's should be too bad - don't know - I had to do the CT route and you know the meetings work for you. I think you know what you need to do.
Please keep posting and reading. Love to hear how it's going.
Jean
Hi Burned, welcome to the board. Be honest with your AA group. You need their support right now... they will understand. I am an active member with AA and i depended on their support last week... i almost blew a year's worth of sobriety with a script i recieved for my oral surgery. Thanks to their support and those on this board i can honestly say i am still clean. I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you come out and tell them what is going on in your life right now.
Love and God Bless,
Bri :)
Love and God Bless,
Bri :)
Burned-Your not the first one in AA who relapsed from pills.It happens a lot.One of the reasons I like NA is that they include alcohol as a drug whereas AA only focuses on one drug,alcohol.
Im not bashing AA because I use to go.12 steps are universal.But at least in NA they really make a point that a drug is a drug.Whether your sipping a smart little libation with a cute umbrella or tooting up a big line of coke,your altering your state of conciousness.I know some people in NA who occassionaly drink and get away with it.You have to make that choice.
Good Luck
Im not bashing AA because I use to go.12 steps are universal.But at least in NA they really make a point that a drug is a drug.Whether your sipping a smart little libation with a cute umbrella or tooting up a big line of coke,your altering your state of conciousness.I know some people in NA who occassionaly drink and get away with it.You have to make that choice.
Good Luck
I'm really struggling but I pray I'll end the day at 31/2 oxys instead of 4. I took some cold medicine that took away he awful headache and body aches...I'm certain that I can lick this like I did the alcohol 18 yrs ago. The difference was I was never physically addidcted to alcohol.....no w/d...this is a first.
Thanks for listening,
Maeve
Thanks for listening,
Maeve
Hi Burned, 14+ years no alcohol for me, 18 months no pills, so I know where you're coming from. In my view -- and it's only my view -- the most important thing for you right now is getting off the pills completely and feeling GOOD about doing it. All the white chip, mea culpa, group confession stuff can come later, if you want. For now, get quit and develop a plan to stay quit. You can deal with white chips and confessions later. But I think you know by now that the pills are insidious as hell -- much more so than alcohol or smoking, for me at least. I've needed to work hard on the mental addiction to get the 18 months I've gotten so far, and I have no doubt that I'll have to remain vigilante.
I second what several have said -- I'd flush them if you've truly had enough, or finish them out after shutting off all your sources. If you need to taper, keep it as short as possible, a couple of days at each reduced dose, and make sure you have a finite quantity of pills left -- just enough to finish. Personally, I think a taper from your low dose will just prolong the w/d for you, but hey, whatever works. I think you're probably only looking at a couple of days of flu-like systems, given the amount and length of time you've been using.
Glad you're here. Stay positive, no matter what. None
I second what several have said -- I'd flush them if you've truly had enough, or finish them out after shutting off all your sources. If you need to taper, keep it as short as possible, a couple of days at each reduced dose, and make sure you have a finite quantity of pills left -- just enough to finish. Personally, I think a taper from your low dose will just prolong the w/d for you, but hey, whatever works. I think you're probably only looking at a couple of days of flu-like systems, given the amount and length of time you've been using.
Glad you're here. Stay positive, no matter what. None
Maeve
Hang in there. It does get better. For me though, tapering never worked. When I started to feel bad, I would just take more. I never did have much will power when it came to pills, or booze for that matter. Have you told your doctor you are quitting pills?
Hang in there. It does get better. For me though, tapering never worked. When I started to feel bad, I would just take more. I never did have much will power when it came to pills, or booze for that matter. Have you told your doctor you are quitting pills?
