Good afternoon all. Found this site last night, and was drawn back to it today. I'm in the process of "tappering off" Norco's.(down from 20 a day to 8 yesterday, and plan for 6 today) For whatever reason I feel compelled to write on this board. I want to thank each and every one of you who posted their experiences and helpful tips on how to cope with these miserable systems. I'm not even sure that cutting down a bit everyday is gonna keep the wolf at bay. So many of us have done that before. We're always sick and making excuses for why. I did it in Jan. Had no choice. Imagine being on a cruise ship for 8 days and on day 3 you realize your in BIG TROUBLE cause you're not gonna make it on what you brought. Complete panic! By the end of the trip it was only a couple a day, then I was breaking them in half. Keeping busy helped but it sucked. There was a light at the end of the tunnel though cause I got a taste of normalcy. But of course I blew it once I was home. It's just so much easier to get what needs to be done in the day with these pills. I am superwoman who can go and go. I have made up my mind though this week. I can't let this run my life anymore. I'd rather deal with my back problems in pain than be sick all the time. It all started cause I need Fusion Surgery and don't have the means to fix my back. Reading back through this, it all kinda sounds silly. But just being able to express this to someone I think helps. But my one and only question really is... Will cutting back help withdrawl? It seemed to before, but the last couple of days, I don't seem to think to clearly. Or is it what I fear, and no matter what I have to buckle down and prepare to have the "flu" no matter what? I don't ever want to see one of those little yellow pills again. The last few days there is no "high", only enough to keep my heart from racing out of control and the sweats away. I aplogize for this post turning out to be a mini - novel. Just wanted to thank every one for their honesty, and sharing their experiences. My prayers go out to all.
D~
Kitty,
Welcome to the board! I think your doing a great job. Keep weaning down and getting your body used to having less and less. I would cut down 1 per week if you can. Or even every 5-7 days. If the pain is too much then you can always cut back 5 mgs at a time. Weaning really helped me. I quit taking vic's Feb 2nd and I weaned down to 5-10 mgs a day then stopped. I actually stayed at that amount for a couple months before I stopped because I just wasn't ready to quit. Ya know you just have to be sick and tired to do something about it. Yes withdrawl wasn't any fun but it wasn't all that bad either. I made it through it. Staying clean has been a sturggle for me. If I said it wasn't I would be lying. I still think it would be nice to take a pill here and there for energy.I know I can't. I have relapsed many times in the past after getting clean for while. I know that if I fooled myself into thinking I could handle 1 pill it would turn into a habit again, which I don't want. Stick to your taper plan and stop when you feel comfortable. There are many OTC medications that will ease your discomfort. The good things about withdrawls are they don't last forever and life can be great just being yourself. Keep posting.. Have a good day! Rae
Welcome to the board! I think your doing a great job. Keep weaning down and getting your body used to having less and less. I would cut down 1 per week if you can. Or even every 5-7 days. If the pain is too much then you can always cut back 5 mgs at a time. Weaning really helped me. I quit taking vic's Feb 2nd and I weaned down to 5-10 mgs a day then stopped. I actually stayed at that amount for a couple months before I stopped because I just wasn't ready to quit. Ya know you just have to be sick and tired to do something about it. Yes withdrawl wasn't any fun but it wasn't all that bad either. I made it through it. Staying clean has been a sturggle for me. If I said it wasn't I would be lying. I still think it would be nice to take a pill here and there for energy.I know I can't. I have relapsed many times in the past after getting clean for while. I know that if I fooled myself into thinking I could handle 1 pill it would turn into a habit again, which I don't want. Stick to your taper plan and stop when you feel comfortable. There are many OTC medications that will ease your discomfort. The good things about withdrawls are they don't last forever and life can be great just being yourself. Keep posting.. Have a good day! Rae
Welcome, you are in the right place.
Kerry
Kerry
Rae,
Thank you for your support! It's 3:20 and I've only had 4 today. My sciatic nerve is screaming, my hands are clammy, but I'm not giving in this soon. Thanks for the advice on slowly cutting down. I know the slower I do it, the less my body will freak out, but I so want to be done with this. What I didn't post before, is that my live in boyfriend is also addicted, so that makes it so much harder. Even if I run out, he's got them somewhere. He claims he gonna stop... we'll see. For him it seems more mental than for me. Anywho, it has been nice being able to at least put this to words. That alone seems to help with the anxiousness of the whole thing. I refuse to live a lie any more.
sctlandprincess@email.com
Thank you for your support! It's 3:20 and I've only had 4 today. My sciatic nerve is screaming, my hands are clammy, but I'm not giving in this soon. Thanks for the advice on slowly cutting down. I know the slower I do it, the less my body will freak out, but I so want to be done with this. What I didn't post before, is that my live in boyfriend is also addicted, so that makes it so much harder. Even if I run out, he's got them somewhere. He claims he gonna stop... we'll see. For him it seems more mental than for me. Anywho, it has been nice being able to at least put this to words. That alone seems to help with the anxiousness of the whole thing. I refuse to live a lie any more.
sctlandprincess@email.com
Kerry,
Thanks to you also. I've spent a lot of time last night and today reading through older posts. I've seen you around. There was a reason I found this last night:) This is gonna help in a big way to feel much less isolated!
D~
Thanks to you also. I've spent a lot of time last night and today reading through older posts. I've seen you around. There was a reason I found this last night:) This is gonna help in a big way to feel much less isolated!
D~
Kitty, it can be done. I was there....now I am not. I am on suboxone, but I am free of those opiates...it is pretty damn good to be free. Sobriety has it's moments.
Just hang around, and post away...don't be shy.
Kerry
Just hang around, and post away...don't be shy.
Kerry
Hi Kitty, I'm a fusion aptient/ with bone graft 13 years ago. The thing with a fusion is all the motion is then placed on the discs above. I've now got 2 ruptured above the fusion and was put on oxy. Quit 18 days ago...no fun. But you are so right. So many of us go on for the right reasons, but the insidious nature of opiates is that you will always need more just to feel right. One of the main reasons I wanted to quit was that panic when you realize you might miss a dose or two. Always having to plan like it's mother's milk (which it was!) You've done a good thing coming here. SOme will help, some have their own thing going. I'm coming off a bad night and morning and will be here all day (day off...yeaah!) I will say that the anticipation of quitting is it's own kind of hell...I kind of trained myself to not think if it too much. Keep in touch...keep tapering...keep trying. The pain just might get better. I discovered the oxy (i was crushing) made my joints swell something terrible and alot of my pain is better.. SOme here say that now 800 motrin works for them. Plus look at all the people out there who can do it w/o. God Bless you Kitty and hang on!
Kitty
I do not have the severe pain that you do but I did start taking hydros for my sciatcia pain. My doctor would give it out like no tommorow. He would always offer me referals to the chiropractor, or physical therapist, etc... I knew I would never go because I started needed those pills everday not only for the days that damn burning was happening. I knew I had a problem but Hey the doctor game me the pills so they can't be that bad right HA!!! After a while I started combining my hydros with somas and 222's ( a lower form of tylenol with codeine), Hey I was doing great right???? Then I woke up and found I couldn't remember things from the past few days. I was looking at video that I had shot of my son and he said "Mom remember when we did this the other day" I could not remember filming that, I also started snapping for no reason super woman at night and bitchy during the mornings, all of a sudden I was snapping even when I had been on the pills. That was it for me I did not want my wonderful family to go thru this any longer. So I quit or should say I weaned off them, now honestly I do still take the somas 3 a day but they too will be gone soon but I am off all the opiates and I am excersising and feel pretty damn good. I had the "flu" for a while but there are many otc which will help. I am still an addict and will always be one but for now I am winning this battle and hope to soon win the war. Now you hang in there you were brought to this site for a reason keep reading and be ready you will know when your time comes and then go for it
Good luck
Ro
I do not have the severe pain that you do but I did start taking hydros for my sciatcia pain. My doctor would give it out like no tommorow. He would always offer me referals to the chiropractor, or physical therapist, etc... I knew I would never go because I started needed those pills everday not only for the days that damn burning was happening. I knew I had a problem but Hey the doctor game me the pills so they can't be that bad right HA!!! After a while I started combining my hydros with somas and 222's ( a lower form of tylenol with codeine), Hey I was doing great right???? Then I woke up and found I couldn't remember things from the past few days. I was looking at video that I had shot of my son and he said "Mom remember when we did this the other day" I could not remember filming that, I also started snapping for no reason super woman at night and bitchy during the mornings, all of a sudden I was snapping even when I had been on the pills. That was it for me I did not want my wonderful family to go thru this any longer. So I quit or should say I weaned off them, now honestly I do still take the somas 3 a day but they too will be gone soon but I am off all the opiates and I am excersising and feel pretty damn good. I had the "flu" for a while but there are many otc which will help. I am still an addict and will always be one but for now I am winning this battle and hope to soon win the war. Now you hang in there you were brought to this site for a reason keep reading and be ready you will know when your time comes and then go for it
Good luck
Ro
Thank you Ro. Having so many people be open and honest has been the best medicine so far. I do believe I came across this site for a reason. I too was on Soma, but that's been gone awhile. Dr. switched me to Xanax for why, who the hell knows anymore. He over prescribed me as it is, although at the time I didn't know that. Which doesn't even matter anymore once you start dr. shopping. I still hope tapering works, but its tough knowing that they are there. I'm cutting out one of my dr's, suppose to go mon. but cancelled the appointment. Feel positive about that. I think as long as I stay busy, it will be easier. Can't just sit around thinking and analyzing every withdrwal symptom I'm having. If I start getting anxiety attacks, I go for a walk or clean something.
Congrats on all your progress:)
D~
Congrats on all your progress:)
D~
Kitty
Thanks for your post to my thread "Scared". I just wanted to say be careful with the xanax because I have read that those can be really dangerous to wd from. God knows we don't need anything else to come off of : )
We can do this. I would send you my email address but I just moved and right now I am using some one else's computer so I don't have my email set up yet. I will follow your post's and maybe the two of us together can get some where with this.
Take care,
Lou
Thanks for your post to my thread "Scared". I just wanted to say be careful with the xanax because I have read that those can be really dangerous to wd from. God knows we don't need anything else to come off of : )
We can do this. I would send you my email address but I just moved and right now I am using some one else's computer so I don't have my email set up yet. I will follow your post's and maybe the two of us together can get some where with this.
Take care,
Lou
You're the best Lou!! I know xanax w/d is very dangerous. I'm down to 1/2, to a 1/4 @ night only. But I'm afraid to w/d cause then I know that I'll use them throughout the day. What a mess! Anyways, gotta go run some errands, but I'll be looking for you. I definatley think beating this is gonna require a team effort. I may be staring at a screen, but I'll hold your hand the whole way.
Email when ever you need to. Sctlandprincess@email.com
D~
Email when ever you need to. Sctlandprincess@email.com
D~
I just read the posts on this topic and I was wondering if you guys know if trazodone is same as xanax. I have been having to take those to get some sleep at night. Also what do you do when you have anxiety and how long does it usually last. I agree not good to replace one addiction for another.
Kitty
You poor dear. I think your case and intodeep is different from many of us. It seems like your pain is unbearable. Thank God you said no to the oxys I hear that is unbelievable to w/d from. For me I often found my sciatcia was worse when I stopped the pills, but I think that was because I was so tense from w/d that is the part you need to get past that awful "flu" everything hurts feeling. Can you explain to your doctor that you are afraid of becoming addicted to pain pills and can he offer something that is non-addictive. Good luck I'll check back for you tonight.
Ro
You poor dear. I think your case and intodeep is different from many of us. It seems like your pain is unbearable. Thank God you said no to the oxys I hear that is unbelievable to w/d from. For me I often found my sciatcia was worse when I stopped the pills, but I think that was because I was so tense from w/d that is the part you need to get past that awful "flu" everything hurts feeling. Can you explain to your doctor that you are afraid of becoming addicted to pain pills and can he offer something that is non-addictive. Good luck I'll check back for you tonight.
Ro
My Dr. is now also giving me 800mg Motrin to help with some of the pain and inflamation. But it's just not the same. I was taking that before the other pain meds, but wanted something stonger cause it wan't working for me at all. Now I've been on narco so long, my body is totally hooked. But is so nice to be able to walk again! It's a double edged sword I'm afraid, and I just don't know which is worse anymore. I'm so lost and confused. But I know for sure, I don't want to abuse them anymore, and don't want to have to take them just to feel normal, when my back's not screaming too loud that day. I'm taking them more to not get sick than anything now. This is BS!
