Hey and thanks for all the responses today. I am working up the nerve for this fight I have ahead of me. I am wondering if anyone has the time to tell me about WD symptoms. All I am doing is sitting around and thinking about these terrible feelings I am having.
I don't think I can work for a few days, as I am figuring to just stop taking the vicodin. Anyway, I have a doctor appointment in about two hours and I don't know what to tell him. It's a real b*%ch to deal with the shame and embarrassment of this. I am lost and I feel awful.
mrjer, When I finally got to the point that I told my doctor I was past being embarrassed and ashamed. I knew I needed help and was sick and didn't care what anyone thought of me. Just be honest with your doctor and yourself if you really this. Good luck, Shantel
Tell him that you have found yourself addicted to vicoden. that is enough.
There are meds (sub) and also clonadine (a blood pressure med) that can help. I would suggest trying it without sub; sub is another medicine to contend with ...just later.
Anyway, wd for me wasn't fun; I got extrememly irritable, fatigued, restless, anxious, and lots of stomach problems. I felt so out of it for a while. There are also the night sweats....yuck. The good news is that it will pass....
Lots of hot baths and immodium AD...and you can do this.it will pass....
There are meds (sub) and also clonadine (a blood pressure med) that can help. I would suggest trying it without sub; sub is another medicine to contend with ...just later.
Anyway, wd for me wasn't fun; I got extrememly irritable, fatigued, restless, anxious, and lots of stomach problems. I felt so out of it for a while. There are also the night sweats....yuck. The good news is that it will pass....
Lots of hot baths and immodium AD...and you can do this.it will pass....
Mrjr quotes-"It's a real b*%ch to deal with the shame and embarrassment of this. I am lost and I feel awful."
Would you feel shame and embarrasement if you had diabetes?
Your addict is screaming at you right now.It wants you to feel shame and humiliation because that is the only way it can convince you to keep popping pills.
I've been there.We have all been there.It does not have to continue.
I'm totally with LB on this.Tell your doctor the truth.It will be so empowering and give you some resolve that will get you through the next few days.
There is nothing to feel shame about.
You are simply a sick person trying to get well.You are not a bad person trying to get good.
Would you feel shame and embarrasement if you had diabetes?
Your addict is screaming at you right now.It wants you to feel shame and humiliation because that is the only way it can convince you to keep popping pills.
I've been there.We have all been there.It does not have to continue.
I'm totally with LB on this.Tell your doctor the truth.It will be so empowering and give you some resolve that will get you through the next few days.
There is nothing to feel shame about.
You are simply a sick person trying to get well.You are not a bad person trying to get good.
Guilt and shame only weaken us, anyway. IT is so counterproductive for an addict. I think that we beat ourselves up way to much; there is a dose of accoutablity and honesty that will accompany getting clean, but we addicts can take it into overdrive.
Tim is right; it is a disease. Your disease wants you to stay stuck in it....
Sounds to me like you have the components of addiction; now just beathe and ask for help.
I hope I made sense...
Tim is right; it is a disease. Your disease wants you to stay stuck in it....
Sounds to me like you have the components of addiction; now just beathe and ask for help.
I hope I made sense...
I took 2 weeks off work and just told my boss I had the flu. It felt like a really bad FLU. Hot and cold, anxious and depressed, the runs and the worst kind of tiredness during the day but no sleep an night.
I took 5mgs valium, twice a day for the first week. Quinine tablet at night took away the restless legs completely. Lots of water and basically hid from the world apart from this bored and my family.
Within 3 weeks I felt fantastic. But I will tell you, you must have face to face support cause it is the cravings that will bring you down if you don't.
As they did me. Time and time again.
Good Luck. Stopping is the easy part.
Wendy
I took 5mgs valium, twice a day for the first week. Quinine tablet at night took away the restless legs completely. Lots of water and basically hid from the world apart from this bored and my family.
Within 3 weeks I felt fantastic. But I will tell you, you must have face to face support cause it is the cravings that will bring you down if you don't.
As they did me. Time and time again.
Good Luck. Stopping is the easy part.
Wendy
i believe a part of getting clean is coming clean. friends, family, and physicians. i also believe that in order to stay clean, you have to cut all ties with your sources...sometimes those are also friends, family and physicians.
like lisa (cowgirl) has said: "you must be willing to go to ANY lengths necessary in order to get clean and stay clean".
in my experience...withdrawals were like being punchy all the time. it was not a good experience...but on the back side of all of that, i have my clarity...which is so much better than any high. today i am clean...which means i have a shot at a clean tomorrow...and i want tomorrow too.
good luck to you. hang in there.
with respect,
sarah (not feeling clever)
like lisa (cowgirl) has said: "you must be willing to go to ANY lengths necessary in order to get clean and stay clean".
in my experience...withdrawals were like being punchy all the time. it was not a good experience...but on the back side of all of that, i have my clarity...which is so much better than any high. today i am clean...which means i have a shot at a clean tomorrow...and i want tomorrow too.
good luck to you. hang in there.
with respect,
sarah (not feeling clever)
What did Withdrawl feel like to me?? Well I have been through a few different withdrawls. What withdrawl is to one person may not be what it is to the next. It depends on the pain medication and how much your taking when you stop.
The most painful was the methadone withdrawl I experienced in 2002. That one was long and drawn out. I suffered a great deal physically with that one even though I tapered down to 2 1/2 mgs before quitting. I had SEVERE body aches, headaches, diarrhea, sweating, cramping, weight loss, restless legs from HELL and anxiety. You name it and I had it.
I have been through a Percocet withdrawl in 1998 which was not much fun but not quite as painful as methadone. It didn't last as long either. Again I was on a very low dose when I quit. I have been through a couple vicodin withdrawls one lasted longer than the other. Physically!! I survived both of them.
The mental part was always the hardest for me. You know when the cravings start to hit and you start to think you can just take " ONE ". That seems to last a while and when most people need face to face support. I was fortunate enough to have friend's and family help me. Some people need NA/AA meetings and Sponser's. That may be something you want to look into. I will put a link at the bottom of this post, so you can find one in your area. IF your intertested.
I would suggest joining a gym. I am sure physically you will NOT feel like working out the 1st week. You might not feel like it the 2nd week. It will take a while for your energy to gradually increase. It will increase a lot faster if you start working out. Even if that means walking and not joining a gym. Eating healthy, drinking water and taking multi-vitamins are good as well.
Here is a list of things that might help you during your detox. I wrote this January of this year. I combined many OTC medications that people here have used to help them get through withdrawl. Click here to read and be sure you ask your doctor before taking any over the counter medications.
http://addictionrecoveryguide.com/m...419&hl=otc+meds
The top of the list would be these:
Immodium AD ( Stops Diarrhea)
Vitamins
Motrin
Banana's ( Potassium is good for restless legs)
Water and Exercise
Take it one hour at a time and THINK POSITIVE. That is the most important thing. It MAY NOT be as bad as you think it will be. The last vicodin withdrawl I went through was nothing like I thought it would be. Sure I had some anxiety, a little bowel problems and lack of energy but it wasn't to awful. It wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. Everyday that went by it got a little better. The mind if a powerful thing. Think POSITIVE and you'll get through it. Keep telling yourself that your WORTH IT and your YOUR GOING TO GET THROUGH IT.. Cause you will and all of us will be here for you to lean on....
Here is the NA Locator-
http://portaltools.na.org/portaltoo...ols/MeetingLoc/
Good luck, Rae
The most painful was the methadone withdrawl I experienced in 2002. That one was long and drawn out. I suffered a great deal physically with that one even though I tapered down to 2 1/2 mgs before quitting. I had SEVERE body aches, headaches, diarrhea, sweating, cramping, weight loss, restless legs from HELL and anxiety. You name it and I had it.
I have been through a Percocet withdrawl in 1998 which was not much fun but not quite as painful as methadone. It didn't last as long either. Again I was on a very low dose when I quit. I have been through a couple vicodin withdrawls one lasted longer than the other. Physically!! I survived both of them.
The mental part was always the hardest for me. You know when the cravings start to hit and you start to think you can just take " ONE ". That seems to last a while and when most people need face to face support. I was fortunate enough to have friend's and family help me. Some people need NA/AA meetings and Sponser's. That may be something you want to look into. I will put a link at the bottom of this post, so you can find one in your area. IF your intertested.
I would suggest joining a gym. I am sure physically you will NOT feel like working out the 1st week. You might not feel like it the 2nd week. It will take a while for your energy to gradually increase. It will increase a lot faster if you start working out. Even if that means walking and not joining a gym. Eating healthy, drinking water and taking multi-vitamins are good as well.
Here is a list of things that might help you during your detox. I wrote this January of this year. I combined many OTC medications that people here have used to help them get through withdrawl. Click here to read and be sure you ask your doctor before taking any over the counter medications.
http://addictionrecoveryguide.com/m...419&hl=otc+meds
The top of the list would be these:
Immodium AD ( Stops Diarrhea)
Vitamins
Motrin
Banana's ( Potassium is good for restless legs)
Water and Exercise
Take it one hour at a time and THINK POSITIVE. That is the most important thing. It MAY NOT be as bad as you think it will be. The last vicodin withdrawl I went through was nothing like I thought it would be. Sure I had some anxiety, a little bowel problems and lack of energy but it wasn't to awful. It wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. Everyday that went by it got a little better. The mind if a powerful thing. Think POSITIVE and you'll get through it. Keep telling yourself that your WORTH IT and your YOUR GOING TO GET THROUGH IT.. Cause you will and all of us will be here for you to lean on....
Here is the NA Locator-
http://portaltools.na.org/portaltoo...ols/MeetingLoc/
Good luck, Rae
i had really bad poo poo problems. (sorry guys, twas true!)
I WROTE about my experience - everyday i documented how i felt. not that i need to look through the pages now (i will anyway to remember more vividly)- i was depressed/emotional/wishy-washy, bathroom problems - couldn't sleep / tossed & turned - sweat - hot/cold on off - chills - basically just felt sick. people get sick sometimes.....after about 3 days though ... the chills subsided - i started to 'stabalize' - woke up not feeling like i wanted to die or grab a bottle of pills. that's an awesome feeling! waking up & NOT needing a pill to get out of bed.
YOU HAVE to tell yourself YOU WANT THIS. YOU WANT TO BE SOBER. i literally looked at myself in the mirror & said outloud "skeeter YOU WANT THIS!" "quit crying babygirl - you're doing it!!!!" "I'M stronger than I think!!!!"
seriously - sounds nuts - but it helped me tremendously.
and don't do it alone. call a hotline and let it out. tell your family - a close friend - or even us. just don't torture yourself & do it yourself. don't be ashamed. that's silly. talking outloud helps tremendously.
as tim put it, don't be ashamed.
xoxooxoxoxoxoxoox
I WROTE about my experience - everyday i documented how i felt. not that i need to look through the pages now (i will anyway to remember more vividly)- i was depressed/emotional/wishy-washy, bathroom problems - couldn't sleep / tossed & turned - sweat - hot/cold on off - chills - basically just felt sick. people get sick sometimes.....after about 3 days though ... the chills subsided - i started to 'stabalize' - woke up not feeling like i wanted to die or grab a bottle of pills. that's an awesome feeling! waking up & NOT needing a pill to get out of bed.
YOU HAVE to tell yourself YOU WANT THIS. YOU WANT TO BE SOBER. i literally looked at myself in the mirror & said outloud "skeeter YOU WANT THIS!" "quit crying babygirl - you're doing it!!!!" "I'M stronger than I think!!!!"
seriously - sounds nuts - but it helped me tremendously.
and don't do it alone. call a hotline and let it out. tell your family - a close friend - or even us. just don't torture yourself & do it yourself. don't be ashamed. that's silly. talking outloud helps tremendously.
as tim put it, don't be ashamed.
xoxooxoxoxoxoxoox
and CUT THOSE TIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO IMPORTANT!!!!!
SO IMPORTANT!!!!!
Hello Jer and Welcome:
All I can say is it was horrible! Horrible, horrible! How did you make out at the doctor's this afternoon? I read on another thread where you had decided to go C/T This was also the route I have gone many times...I think as long as you don't have any health issues, get your OTC stuff in the house and baby yourself over the next week or so you will be able to make it through the physical withdrawals...Now for the mental? Can you get some f2f support? You will find that the physical, as horrible as it is, is the easy part. The emotional and mental issues require work and support. Please don't do this all alone.
Keep posting....
Much support and prayers,
Jan
All I can say is it was horrible! Horrible, horrible! How did you make out at the doctor's this afternoon? I read on another thread where you had decided to go C/T This was also the route I have gone many times...I think as long as you don't have any health issues, get your OTC stuff in the house and baby yourself over the next week or so you will be able to make it through the physical withdrawals...Now for the mental? Can you get some f2f support? You will find that the physical, as horrible as it is, is the easy part. The emotional and mental issues require work and support. Please don't do this all alone.
Keep posting....
Much support and prayers,
Jan
