Thanks for the input everyone. As I stated, I do medically need these medications still while my nerves in both legs heal and hopefully my back pain subsides. I have decided that as of now I am going to try and eliminate 15 mg per day every few days until I find out the level of pain management that allows me to be able to get around the house and make it up and down stairs to use the restroom without crying. I figure if I can lower my dose and keep my pain levels at a 5 or a 6 I'll be about where I need to be. Hopefully I am not setting myself up for failure tapering too fast but so far today I am doing just fine dropping 15mg.
Thanks again for the help. Hopefully I get healed up soon and can taper all the way off these meds though I think I want to have my knee surgeries I need done before this. I have torn acl's in both knees from motocross injuries which resulted in my shoulder and back problems also. I remember when I was young telling my father that I just wanted to race bikes for a living and he always responded by saying "how many old motocross racers do you see?". I see his point now.
They do make 15 mg oxy if you find 10 mg too much of a taper at some point. I wish you much luck.
OK, I just went back and throughly re-read the part about your experience with the doctor... maybe they'll listen to you if you absolutely insist that this is how you want to do it. You may have some leverage in that department, since this taper is your idea, not his/hers.
I aplogize... I'm in the process of heading out for the holidays and was distracted when I posted earlier..
I'd recommend cutting the contins only as a last resort. I'm sure that the medication is equally distributed, i.e., if you cut a 30 into thirds, each piece will contain 10 mg. But, you know that once they're cut, they won't work the same way. Can you work with your doctor to reduce your contin by 10 mg per day, per week? Say. week one you go to 2 20s & 2 10s, then week two 2 20s, etc, decreasing by 10 mg per week. While doing that, use the codones like you've been doing. After you're tapered off the contins, work on tapering the codones in the same way.
That's what I'm doing, although from a much higher starting point on the contins. I'm on week two and it's working so far. I'm combining the taper schedule with the Thomas Recipe and I'm feeling great! I particularly recommend getting the L-Tyrosine and B vitimins, which are giving me a lot of energy and helping to keep my mood elevated.
I'm about to hit the road, but will check in later tonight. Best of luck to you. I know this isn't easy and takes a lot of courage. I've already had periods where I feel like my old self, which is giving me a lot of hope and motivation to keep on going.
Lisa
I posted above that I take 2-60mg oxycontin and 4-15mg oxycodone for breakthrough pain. I realize that if I break the oxycontin up the time release is gone and that is why I have not done it, that and I am not sure if the amount of medication to filler ratio is equally distributed throughout the pill. I wouldn't want to take 1/4 of the pill only later to find out that this quarter contained most or all of the medication. I don't think breaking these up is something I want to get into though.
Thanks for the advice so far. Anymore help is appreciated.
Beta
I am also tapering from Oxycontin. Because the time release property is loctated in the coating of the pill, you can't cut them and expect them to work like the whole pill will. You don't say what strength you're using, so I can't suggest a taper for you. 10 mg per week would probably be good though. If it's at all possible, work with your doctor on this.
Good luck to you!
Most people cut down one pill a week. the reason you can't cut the oxycodone is it is time released and you will get too much at a time if you cut or break them. work out a plan cut out one pill a week, that gives your body time to get use to the lower dose and the w/d arent as bad. good luck! there will be others on later that might have more advise.