can anyone tell me how long it is before you start to get withdrawals?does it depend on how long you've taken tabs or how much info would be a great help for me at this time many thanx xxx
Dede, I always had withdrawals start about 8 hours after my last dose, but I was abusing percs pretty bad, I needed a double dose every day when I woke up. My worst day was always the third day, I could never make it over that third day hump.
The fact that your asking leads me to believe you may not have bad withdrawals, if you had them you'd know it.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and hope you dont get them too bad.
JohnDee
The fact that your asking leads me to believe you may not have bad withdrawals, if you had them you'd know it.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and hope you dont get them too bad.
JohnDee
Dede, what was your drug of choice? I think you told me this already on another post, but I can't remember.....
JohnDee was on percs & he explained that one...... I never abused percocet, so if that is what you're addicted to, I don't know what to tell you to expect. I was addicted to hydrocodone - Norco/Lortab- and took anywhere from 15-20 a day towards the end of my run. I swore that I would start feeling withdrawal symptoms 3-4 hours after my last dose, but now I think that was pretty much all in my head. What I was feeling was probably more mental than anything else - I would get edgy & irritable & I'd start getting hot flashes....
The reason I think it was all mental is because when I went in to get on sub, I had not had any pain pills for 26 hours. I felt like crap, but the doctor could not even tell I was in withdrawals. I didn't have any symptoms except for just not feeling good.... that overall flu like feeling. They took my vitals and my blood pressure was only 100/70 & my pulse was in the 70s (my blood pressure is low anyway). Over the next hour, those two rose a little, but still nothing major. So after 26 hours, all I was experiencing was hot/cold chills, some sweating, and anxiety (and my legs were starting to hurt a little bit)
When I quit cold turkey in September, I drove 13 hours on day 2. I took something to make sure I didn't get diarrhea on the road & I took advil for headaches, but I didn't have any problems. I have heated seats and kept them on to help with backpain & cramps (it was the last week of August/early September in New Orleans.... it was crazy to have the heat on, but it helped) & I was fine my whole drive. I did not sleep the day before and could not sleep that night..... So, Day 2 - slight stomach problems, back pain, headache, insomnia, anxiety
Day 3 - I was miserable from lack of sleep more than anything else. I could NOT fall asleep. I was in a hotel w/my sister and the kids & I spent a few hours in the pool, but my body was so tired & so worn out that I had to go lie back down. I took a muscle relaxer and was able to sleep a little bit, maybe for 20 minutes, then I'd wake up, then fall back asleep. I was getting hot/cold chills & couldn't get comfortable. That night is when the withdrawals REALLY kicked in...... My blood pressure rose, I started getting these electrical jolts in my body, my heart started racing, I started sweating like crazy..... This would last for about an hour, then it would calm down, then it would start back up again. It was worse at night.
Day 4 - I drove home, about 7 hours. I did all the driving, just like before. I was taking something for diarrhea "just in case" (no one wants to have that happen at a rest area) and taking advil, but I was okay...... To me, doing something like driving or working actually HELPED me because it took my focus off of the withdrawals. My sister was in the car & would have driven if I needed her to, but I was really okay. I still couldn't sleep, my back hurt really bad, & I was still having that feeling like electricity was shooting through me, but that was all. That night, I started getting this feeling like something was crawling all over me.... kind of like little bugs, everything started tingling & it was so strange.... then I would get the "zaps".... I started feeling that I was going to have a stroke. I got really dizzy, I was having bad panic attacks, & every time I tried to lie down, my legs were kicking like crazy. I paced the floor a lot, had to change my clothes twice (from sweating so much....and I don't normally sweat), didn't sleep. I had no stomach cramps, no vomiting, no feeling of wanting to die, though it wasn't fun.
Day 5 - things started to get better. I still wasn't sleeping & the restless legs were still bad (I swear, I have never been so aware of my legs in my entire life), but the zaps were going away & the flu-like symptoms were lessening. I was drinking a lot of water & eating a lot of soup w/fresh vegetables, so that helped. I was still sweating & the chills were still there (I would put on sweatpants and socks and bundle up even though it was 95 degrees outside).
So, for me, at 15-20 hydrocodone a day, a 3 year habit, days 3-5 were the worst, though I was able to drive long distances & function through the bad parts. Hot baths were my best friend, especially for the chills and the restless legs. I expected A LOT worse & it never came, so I was lucky.
If you are on oxycontin or percocet, your withdrawals may be a lot more intense..... but I hope this post helps others out there addicted to hydrocodone and who are thinking about quitting but are really scared of doing it cold turkey. So many people have a fear of the unknown and are too afraid of withdrawals to kick their habit..... I hope this lets them see what to expect & to also see that it's not so bad they'll want to die (though that is a common thought for people withdrawing from methadone)
Everyone is different, but if you have to ask if you're feeling withdrawal symptoms, you probably aren't..... Just don't focus on it & you should be okay.
Good luck!
Danielle
JohnDee was on percs & he explained that one...... I never abused percocet, so if that is what you're addicted to, I don't know what to tell you to expect. I was addicted to hydrocodone - Norco/Lortab- and took anywhere from 15-20 a day towards the end of my run. I swore that I would start feeling withdrawal symptoms 3-4 hours after my last dose, but now I think that was pretty much all in my head. What I was feeling was probably more mental than anything else - I would get edgy & irritable & I'd start getting hot flashes....
The reason I think it was all mental is because when I went in to get on sub, I had not had any pain pills for 26 hours. I felt like crap, but the doctor could not even tell I was in withdrawals. I didn't have any symptoms except for just not feeling good.... that overall flu like feeling. They took my vitals and my blood pressure was only 100/70 & my pulse was in the 70s (my blood pressure is low anyway). Over the next hour, those two rose a little, but still nothing major. So after 26 hours, all I was experiencing was hot/cold chills, some sweating, and anxiety (and my legs were starting to hurt a little bit)
When I quit cold turkey in September, I drove 13 hours on day 2. I took something to make sure I didn't get diarrhea on the road & I took advil for headaches, but I didn't have any problems. I have heated seats and kept them on to help with backpain & cramps (it was the last week of August/early September in New Orleans.... it was crazy to have the heat on, but it helped) & I was fine my whole drive. I did not sleep the day before and could not sleep that night..... So, Day 2 - slight stomach problems, back pain, headache, insomnia, anxiety
Day 3 - I was miserable from lack of sleep more than anything else. I could NOT fall asleep. I was in a hotel w/my sister and the kids & I spent a few hours in the pool, but my body was so tired & so worn out that I had to go lie back down. I took a muscle relaxer and was able to sleep a little bit, maybe for 20 minutes, then I'd wake up, then fall back asleep. I was getting hot/cold chills & couldn't get comfortable. That night is when the withdrawals REALLY kicked in...... My blood pressure rose, I started getting these electrical jolts in my body, my heart started racing, I started sweating like crazy..... This would last for about an hour, then it would calm down, then it would start back up again. It was worse at night.
Day 4 - I drove home, about 7 hours. I did all the driving, just like before. I was taking something for diarrhea "just in case" (no one wants to have that happen at a rest area) and taking advil, but I was okay...... To me, doing something like driving or working actually HELPED me because it took my focus off of the withdrawals. My sister was in the car & would have driven if I needed her to, but I was really okay. I still couldn't sleep, my back hurt really bad, & I was still having that feeling like electricity was shooting through me, but that was all. That night, I started getting this feeling like something was crawling all over me.... kind of like little bugs, everything started tingling & it was so strange.... then I would get the "zaps".... I started feeling that I was going to have a stroke. I got really dizzy, I was having bad panic attacks, & every time I tried to lie down, my legs were kicking like crazy. I paced the floor a lot, had to change my clothes twice (from sweating so much....and I don't normally sweat), didn't sleep. I had no stomach cramps, no vomiting, no feeling of wanting to die, though it wasn't fun.
Day 5 - things started to get better. I still wasn't sleeping & the restless legs were still bad (I swear, I have never been so aware of my legs in my entire life), but the zaps were going away & the flu-like symptoms were lessening. I was drinking a lot of water & eating a lot of soup w/fresh vegetables, so that helped. I was still sweating & the chills were still there (I would put on sweatpants and socks and bundle up even though it was 95 degrees outside).
So, for me, at 15-20 hydrocodone a day, a 3 year habit, days 3-5 were the worst, though I was able to drive long distances & function through the bad parts. Hot baths were my best friend, especially for the chills and the restless legs. I expected A LOT worse & it never came, so I was lucky.
If you are on oxycontin or percocet, your withdrawals may be a lot more intense..... but I hope this post helps others out there addicted to hydrocodone and who are thinking about quitting but are really scared of doing it cold turkey. So many people have a fear of the unknown and are too afraid of withdrawals to kick their habit..... I hope this lets them see what to expect & to also see that it's not so bad they'll want to die (though that is a common thought for people withdrawing from methadone)
Everyone is different, but if you have to ask if you're feeling withdrawal symptoms, you probably aren't..... Just don't focus on it & you should be okay.
Good luck!
Danielle
Dede,
From what I have read about you, I doubt you are going to have any if you haven't yet. You did a rapid detox from 60-70 codiene pills a day then had a relapse 2 weeks ago and started taking 50mgs of oxy's. you haven't had any pills in 4 days and you aren't in any pain. Well consider yourself lucky up to this point. Maybe you didn't take enough for you to have withdrawls, who knows. Keep us posted.
Danielle,
I can relate to everything you just said. I have been in Hydro Hell a few times. I started scratching my head when you talked about the "little bug" feeling... I hated that. I would start freaking out. If I felt it in my hair, I would take a brush and start freakin,LOL Ha-Ha... Glad that's all behind us.
So how are you doing? Does the sub cause you any problems? Rae
From what I have read about you, I doubt you are going to have any if you haven't yet. You did a rapid detox from 60-70 codiene pills a day then had a relapse 2 weeks ago and started taking 50mgs of oxy's. you haven't had any pills in 4 days and you aren't in any pain. Well consider yourself lucky up to this point. Maybe you didn't take enough for you to have withdrawls, who knows. Keep us posted.
Danielle,
I can relate to everything you just said. I have been in Hydro Hell a few times. I started scratching my head when you talked about the "little bug" feeling... I hated that. I would start freaking out. If I felt it in my hair, I would take a brush and start freakin,LOL Ha-Ha... Glad that's all behind us.
So how are you doing? Does the sub cause you any problems? Rae
