Scared

I have just discovered this site and I want to share my story. I have been hooked on norco 10's for over a year now. For the last 6 months my habit progressed to 10-18 daily, depending on availability and how much money I could spare. A month ago I decided I've had enough and gave my pills to my boyfriend who has gotten me down to 4 a day. I took my last pill Friday afternoon and started on effexor and my doctor gave me 30 darvocets which I have been taking the s*** out of for the last 3 days but to my surprise I am not freaking out over the lack of my norcos. I have 5 darvs left, is that what is keeping my withdraws away or is it the effexor? I'm so afraid that when these pain pills are gone I'm going to start freaking out because I've done so well all weekend long. I've tried to quit before and I just could'nt do it for even a day. This is my 3rd day but tomorrow morning with no darvocets is all that misery going to come back??? Thanks for listening, Harmony
Harmony,
Congrats for finding this site, and for attempting to stop. I don't know much about darvocet, but personally I think you should just get it over with. If you don't need the meds for real reasons (like me), then stop, go through a few days of h***, and be done.
Like you I was hooked on the pills, but for the past 10 months I was taking them like crazy, always making sure I had some. But I never had enough.
Since I have stopped cold turkey (I couldn't be trusted to taper), I have noticed how great it is not to be a slave to these pills. I don't have to lie to anyone to get them, and I don't have to make plans to get them. It is great.
-britney
Harmony,
Why did the doctor give you darvocet did he know you wanted to get off your pain pills......To tell you the truth darvocet is addictive and it is helping with withdrawl because it is related somehow to codiene I think. Once you are out of pills I think you will find withdrawl setting in. Don't panic......you can do this......won't be the best few days you had but many many people have done it and survived quite well. The anti-depressant though may help you some but not real sure on that.....anyone out there know about that.
Just remember to take it one day at a time.......
Tina
Harmony,
First let me say congratulations on your decision to quit and second on telling the significant person in your life about your problem... both of these things takes a great amount of courage and fortitude many on here have not had the courage yet to tell there loved ones about there problem so take stock in your accomplishment. These qualities of courage and fortitude will serve you will in the coming days and months.

Now to your questions. Oh how I wish I had an easy answer or a quick fix for your withdrawl concerns, but I dont. Withdrawl is just part of the it. There are some on here that will beg to differ with me on that fact but I will stand firm in my belief that w/d is part of the recovery process. I am not saying that limiting it is bad but it is part of it... Having said that in answer to your direct question, I took effexor for months while I was using and I still had w/d so I can almost deffinately guaruntee it is the darvocets that are holding off the onset as they are also a very weak opiate. Withdrawls, at least the worst part of the physical symptoms last for about 72 hours and then begin to wain. It is three days and you have weaned from the larger dose already. This will help to lesson them to a degree.

Part of the battle on the w/d discomfort is in the mind. Many have admitted on this very board that the fear of them was worse than they really were. I am not saying that they are not bad.. They are but your mind can set you up for failure. Fear is a very powerful thing but so is resolve. If you set yourself up and look at the calender or a clock and just keep saying to yourself by this date I will feel better and really believe it like you have never believed anything before in your life. Then you will.. Believe that you can handle this 'flu' ... Know that you are stronger than this disease and this withdrawl. But if you believe that you simply cant that you are too fragile to do it .. that it is too painful... then well...... All I am saying is you have to make the decision and then just do it... dont look back .. just do it... You have to get your mind on board.

I believe that there is a survival instinct in all of us and once we know deep down that the drugs will kill us if we dont take back control and that we cant do it alone but that we can do it....

I promise you if you get clean, although it will not be the most pleasant experience you have ever had it might be the most rewarding in the long run..

I hope this hasnt sounded too harsh... but this is about life and death... you choose.... I know you can do it...

Good luck and God Bless..
Teresa
Harmony, I agree with Teresa. I've been on them a short while and didn't take a whole heck of a lot, but I had a painful withdrawl from Xanax so my mind is racing because of it. I'm tapering also. I had some bad wd's last night and I'm tapering, so SOME of it must of been in my head. I'm sure the physical part is there too, but I, like you, am very afraid. What you'll find with the board is you'll get a lot of different opinions, and most are pretty darn good. Stick around.

BTW- Anyone, do you notice when you take these things you grind your teeth? I am for sure..
Thanks for the kind words of hope you guys. My doctor put me on effexor and darvocets on friday because I have hep c and have been on peg-intron and ribavirin for 10 weeks now. The shots make my body ache, so thats why he gave me darocets, He does not know about my norco addiction. I am too embarressed to admit to that. With all the bloodwork he does, I'm surprised he has'nt said anything. The shots also cause depression, thats why I take the other. I' so screwed up and scared with 5 daros left , I don't want to go to the bank in the morning and head to my connections place. When I took darvocets before they did nothing to me, like an asprin. I pray to God I can do this!!! Harmony
Harmony,

Getting down to 4/day from 10-18 per day is a great accomplishment -- I could only taper down to 6 norcos per day, then had to go cold turkey because I couldn't follow schedule. Giving the pills to your BF was smart. Darvocet is a much weaker pain med than the Norco 10s that you were taking, and although it's an opiate, it is different (chemically) from the hydro; in other words, it may have helped ease the w/d during the first few days, but its not the same as taking an equal amount of hydro. I would look at it as a further taper. My guess -- and it's only that, a guess, b/c I'm no doctor -- is that your w/d symptoms will be mild compared to most, once the darvocet runs out. As Teresa said, though, nothing really good comes without some pain or discomfort -- at least some flu symptoms, maybe a little sleeplessness. But I bet you've endured a lot worse in your time. Hang in and keep your mind distracted -- the payoff for getting off the pills will be tremendous! M.