Question Concerning Withdrawals

I am curious to know what others think about what makes the withdrawals worse...do you think length of time using or amount? Or both? I don't whether people who taper down have less of a rough time then those who ct from a larger amount....I personally think the longer you've been using the worse it is..but I could be wrong. Either way I am tapering before detox to make it easier. I can't believe the last time I went I was taking 1 1/2 pills a day...thjat is nothing compared to this time(talk about escalation) Just knowing I am going is a huge mental relief for me..I often think of Reddog who cted off a similar amount...what respect I have for him! And he is still clean. I am gonna get on this board one day to tell you all I am too. Can't wait. Love, Sharonn
Good luck Sharonn!

Hi Sharonn;

I'm really not sure myself. All I know is last time I used it lasted about 3 months and I was up to 150 mg per day. When I got caught (we were on vacation) my wife gave me a dozen pills to last for five days until we got back home. At least that way I could have something to help me "get by" while staying with the in-laws in Florida. But it didn't help much, and when we got home I went ct. It was by far the worst wd's I've ever had. I'll never forget it - don't want to!

Good luck to you!

Jim
((((((((((((((((SHARON)))))))))))))))))

your gonna be ok.......
you can do this...........

if there is anything i can do to help.............
i will.

love
thumper
Good Morning Sharon.
Excellent question.
Here is my theory.Now remember,it's based on my experience and not on any kind of scientific research.It's subjective.Others may have different experiences.
It's also based on opiate use.


I think it has to do with age and the length of time you've used drugs from a historical standpoint.I don't believe it matters on the specific opiate.Opiates all have the same effect on brain receptors.There is an article I posted in 2004 called "Your Brain on Opiates".

There is a primitive part of the brain that remembers euphoria,pain,fright etc.
I know when I first started abusing pain killers,I would go on runs for a week,stop and take a break for a month or two.Sometimes I've even gone 6 months.I never got that sick.I don't even remember too many w/d's.I was in my 30's.

As I reached my 40's,I noticed when I would go on binges,I would be sick for 2-3 days after.This is the first time it hit me that I was becoming physically addicted.I was a little older and also the amount of opiates increased exponentially with each binge.I started getting Percocet 10's instead of Percodan.I discovered Oxycontin in the 90's.I immediately started snorting them and then had a nurse who showed me how to bang them.
We are now in the 2000.

I did have moments of sobriety through this period,I had as much as 5 years at one point.This is the cleancher..........after 5 years of sobriety,It took about a week for my tolerance to jump up where I left off and then go further.
The brain remembers

I want to cut this short because in order for me to explain the whole story I would need a whole hour.
I hope this helps,Sharon

I'll sum up with this.
length of time using + age+health factors might explain how bad your w/d's are going to be.I don't even think its neccessarily the amount.
tim, u are amazing.

thank u for the sharing and giving that u do.............

thumper
Thanks...believe me ...I know there are gonna be withdrawls...so I am tapering. Thank you again. S
Hi Sharon,

I think withdrawels are so individual, but for me it does help to taper off. The problem I have is not talking someone into giving me more while I'm tapering! I also notice that my withrawels seem to be directly related to how much I was doing and what I was taking. My worst withdrawels ever where from Morphine and tussinox, but they weren't so good either when I was up to 20- 10mg Hydrocodone/ day. Even so, if I prepared myself physchologically and prayed alot sometimes I was amazed it went better then expected.

Right now I am taking 10-10mg vicodin/day and tapering down and planning my withdrawel. I expect it will kick in tomorrow evening. (the withdrawels). You are not alone.

Mookie
Mookie was my nickname in high school...lol...I admire your willingness to get it over with....I will pray for you. I no longer have the feeling of hopelessness that I had. What Tim said was so true...the brain remembers. Once you play with opiates you are never the same. I don't care what anyone says...my tolerance shot up after six months. My "pain Dr." insists that you can get pain relief at the same dose for years...Ha! I started on 4/5mg. a day and went up to 90 mgs. by December(May-Dec) That's why I want off now...before a year goes by. Best of luck...you sound determined...I know you will make it. Love, Sharonn
Sharon, you remain in my prayers, I hope that rehab is the answer that you are looking for. Keep up the good work honey! Don't forget, I'm only an email away..
Janet..you are an angel...I have gone from 90 to 60 mgs and I have hope, Thanks...Love, S
sharon and mookie..........

i am praying for you both..............

*thumper
HI,
Sharonn it has been a sometime since i have checked in hi to you tim,bullwinkle i think you might remember me Little h here' and a big wellcome to thumperlove, sharonn i just wanted to say about tappering, tim is right about how long ect..ect.. i had been through tappering and it does work i did it from 19 tyl 3's aday down to none with the help and support of you guys on this board and family it worked i have been clean for a couple of years and the withdrawals were easier for me' by tappering i tryied as you might remember back then c/t but because i had been on them for so many years i ended up having a sevier seizier wich was almost deadly for my heart so i had to tapper. i went to 3 differnt docs and they all said the same for me at least tappering was the best way the withdrawals and having been on the pain pills so long at that time c/t was not for me and i am only giving you my opinion and what worked for me' i know we are all differnt' but i had surgery over a year ago i ended up with otiroperoses oh' i can never remember how to spell that LOL.. but my doctor wanted to put me on morepheen NO WAY i asked him if he was nuts That was one road i was not going to go down' so because the pain was so bad and the pain is worse in the winter the docs suggested to me and my hubby who was a great great help in helping me to tapper along with you dear angels, with close watch put me back on tyl 3 my docs wanted me to take 4 aday i decided on 2 aday i stick with that and my doctors think because i had tappered back then it has helped me to learn to stay on this amount and there are days i do not have to take any but that is my point sharonn and i am speaking from my exsperience on tappering only and for me the tappering helped get me through the withdrawals there are some that can go c/t but for me it was not an option it almost killed me it was to much strain on my body but tappering back then has now gave me the strength to only take the pain pill if realy needed and for me it is working so i just wanted to let you know hang in there girl it can be done i pray you do not mind dear sharonn i just wanted to share my point of tappering please take care .
Hugs Little H.

P.S
Bless you all you know who you all are that remember me and to the new members hang in there it can be done and this is the board you want to go to for support i have tried back then other addiction sites but i thank god each and every day for helping me to come accross this site these members care and they are there for you, yes i had my family support a great hubby to help me through but as i said when i first found this site i needed others who knew what i was going through as much as my family was there for me they had no idea how to truly help and what i was dealing with and i know my family was going through hell right along with me worrying about me but i knew i needed to find others who were going through it and that is what saved my life sorry for such along post i hope you do not mind please for give me but i wanted to let you all know about how this board and the angels on it helped me through you have come to the right place dear hearts.
Hugs LH
Bump for Sharonn.
thank you LH........
Bless your dear heart..........

thumper
Welcome back Little Hano.
I remember you.Stick around.You could give back your experience with tapering.A lot of people come on here asking and I couldn't do it so we need some folks that went through it.

Sharon-I didn't have any success tapering but there are people that do.You can't get in a hurry and be impatient with it.If you are going to go that route....easy does it.It seems like the slower you drop,the easier it is on your system.
I know you want to get it over with in your head,but the body will not cooperate.

I have no doubt you will figure it out.
I think with tapering it is a sense of torture... I have access to many pills and I have pain plus withdrawals...but you know what? When you are truly ready and your head is in the right place it feels like a wonderful achievement with every little drop. You have to have a lot of patience as it is slow...but if I went any faster I know I would say "Screw it" so I can live with this. It took 6 months to get here and even when I went into detox I wasn't much better than if I had detoxed at home....BECAUSE..they replaced my doc with another opioid(Ultram) so I went home with wd's. It is very important if temptation and craving are a problem..this is MY choice...no reason except I am really sick of it and want control over my body. If it hurts...well....I suppose w/o a crutch I will be forced to take better care of myself. Example...today I felt crappy and sweaty when I got up...took my pill and was better in 1/2 hour. By lunchtime I was sweaty and in pain so I took 1/2...I had the option to take the other 1/2...but I could deal. After grocery shopping I was hurting...took 1(used to take 2) and instead of running around to put everything away I asked for help, made some tea, and proceeded to my sofa. Behavior modification. I have to stop being a perfectionist...very bad...made me want to medicate to clean and overdo....WRONG!Little H....so nice to hear from you...thank you for all your help.May I ak how long it took for you to taper and if you had wd' when you finally stopped? Thank you. Love, Sharonn
Sharon

As many have said here,I dont think that there is one type of withdrawal for all, i think it depends on an awful lot of things, and having said that, I think that how bad we might PERCEIVE it to be can even come into play...

Attitude is everything, so trying to keep a positive mind and not 2nd guess how awful its going to be can help...try to remember that many many many people have gone through, and survived withdrawal and have experienced what you are now( will ) feeling and have lived to talk about it..

I had a friend that was very addicted to her pain pills...when she came to me and told me she was stopping,I was shocked...unlike me she couldnt even get up in the morning without first taking a pill...so i was pretty surprised at her matter of fact attitude about quitting..

She had started for legit. reasons- Chrones disease....but had surgery and hadnt been in pain anymore for the last 6 months of taking the pills...she jut felt better taking them felt they gave her more energy, and a better frame of mind..( funny i know but thats what she shared with me at the time..)

I have posted on her before, so dont want to bore everyone with the minute details...but with plans to go away in several months to Europe with her new boyfriend..she started and STUCK with her taper..

Didnt think twice, wasnt torn about wanting to catch a buzz..she was dedicated to getting off them..and she was going to do it..

Point is, she tapered down to NOTHING, and in the last few days, felt nothing more then feeling a bit tired....watching her do that was a great experience for me..it stuck wih me all these years and I thought of her often when I too was ready to break the chains/bonds that the pills had on me...

So do I think it makes a difference to taper???? Helll ya I do...IF you can taper..tapering works and makes sence...slowly removing yourself off a drug makes sense...

The question is if you CAN self taper...its not easy, most people have a really hard time doing it alone, but it can be done...you just have to be 100% ready and committed...."Do or Die" mindset...

i tried to taper 100 times and failed 100 times before i finally did it...but that 101th time..i was 100% ready and or not willing to settle for anything less then success....to be free from the whole need a pill mindset...

Someone ( wish i could remember who) had posted; try it out- see if you like the way you feel once your off of the pills, you can always go back on them if you think life sucks when your not on them...

For some reason, that 'clicked" and that thought, made me feel more in control and brought comfort to me when i was feeling horrible...I wanted to see, to remember what it felt like to live without the aid of a narcotic, and the only way to do that was to keep going...

it was that posters statement, you ca always go back however that for some reason really made me feel better about the whole experience..lol

Wish i could remember who that poster was and thank them..

Sorry for rattling on...when your ready and willing, you can do this..it IS doable..


Keep posting, we are here for you..

Hugs

Ali
Hi,
Sharonn it took sometime' and there were times i got so tired in my mind i thought at that time it was taking to blasted long' and my family could tell i was getting ready to give up' but the withdrawals thank goodness were very little because i was tappering very slowly but it felt like forever now i know it was the best way for me' my son talk to me one day and said mom can i ask you something about this tapering thing i never hide my addiction my sons knew my hubby and i told them about what was going on with me and they wanted to help me anyway he said at the time mom you are tired because you say it is taking to long but if you stop tappering won't the time still go by each day and the next day will still pass time won't stop so if you are getting tired of tappering because you think it is taking to long thats just an excuse because the time won't stop if you give up time will go by but we won't have you mom because you gave up on us not time well back then sharonn it made alot of sense' so i stuck with it.
the tappering scedual my doc had me on was cut back at first 1/2 a pill aday' instead of 18 pills a day it was cut down to 17and a 1/2 pills a day i started with the morning dose in stead of 4 +1/2 pills in the morning wich was the amount i normaly took i took 4 pills' 1/2 a pill less in the morning so i cut down to 3 +1/2 pills less in total for that first week, the secound week i cut back my morning and my secound dose i took at noon 1/2 a pill less wich added to 1 pill less aday i was taking 4 1/2 pills 4 times aday so the first 2 doses the first in the morning les 1/2 a pill and the noon dose also 1/2 a pill less so in all by the end of the secound week i was taking 7 pills less in a two week period and the thrid week was the late afternoon dose again 1/2 a pill less in all for three weeks added up to 10 1/2 pills less but the forth week for my last dose every evening was 1 whole pill so in 1 month i was cut down to 14 pills less but statring the 5 week he cut me down to 1 full pill every dose wich was 4 less pills aday and by the end of the fifth week added to 28 pills in total but by the six week it got easier for me i tappered 7 less aday untill i was down to none, i know sharonn it seems like along time but it was so worth it as i said it saved my life and some addicts can tapper faster but for me this is what had worked and i hope this has helped, i hope i did not confuse you to much my spelling realy stinks LOL but if you have any more Q? Please feel free to ask
HUG
Little H.
HI,
Alicap you are a dear how are you.
Hugs Little H
Good luck with your taper Sharon

Wendy