where to beging quiting vicodine?

[bleek824]

I've been taking vicodine for 4 yrs now. it all started for fun,the feeling of the high i was taking 2 10/500 3-4 times a day. I knew I had a problem when i started so I tried to quit but I was unsuccesful. I was in a car accident a couple of moths later not a bad one but bad enough that I started having back problems. I started seeing a pain doctor and she prescribed 7.5/325 four times a day,I only take 3 a day though with 5 hours a part. I dont abuse them I dont even take them as prescribed but I hate the fact that I take them. I see that I'm a complete person I don't hang out with friend like go out for a drink because I don't want to mix alcohol and painkillers.I want to quit coldturkey but I don't know if I can beause of my work schedule and I have no clue of the wds symtopms and if I can tolerate them at work. today I only had 2 instead of three one at 10am and the other one at 11pm I took some advil in between. my plan and question is i'm off this coming monday and tuesday and I was planning on having my last one on saturday since sunday is a short day. is that smart and would I be better by wednsday? I know I won't be completely but having the first 3 days to my self to try to manage the wds. or should I just taper off and if so how would I do it? I'm scared but I know that it will pay in the long run. I also have a heart diseasse mitral valve prolapse not a serious one but still a dissease and I'm afraid of how my heart will take it.I take atenelol for my heart and clonasepam for anxiety. I am 31 yrs old and I know that this is not my life I want the life that I had before I was introduce to pain killers. Please help. thank you.

[bleek824]

Thank you both I will be speaking with my doctor so she can put me on some type of plan to taper off. I will be on here posting every day letting all of you know how its coming along. It feels really good to be able to talk to some one a bout this. I also here for support for you guys. Again thanks for your immediate response.

[dedicatedtostop]

I must say I agree... I would speak to a dr, from a nurse and addicts point of view. Atenelol is for high blood pressure. If it were anyone else, I would say jump in, do it CT and get it out of the way. That's just my opinion.

But seriously from a nurses perspective I really really feel that you need to speak with a dr. They will understand and they will HELP you.

You can do it, and we will all be right here for you.

Congrats on your decision to change your life, it's a GREAT choice!

[laurel453]

Hi, welcome here, bleek.. to be honest, with a heart medical condition, i would talk to your doctor and do the slowest taper... the detoxing process will affect your BP and this is something to be very careful with your condition, imo. Detoxing ct is quite stressful for the body and you don't need this, the fact that you don't abuse them and don't even take all the doses prescribed tells me that you can follow a slow taper with no problem, be safe now and you will be helping yourself more than anything else.

Besides, you are asking about what to expect when quitting, there are a frame of time depending oo the time of using, the doses, etc  but it mostly last about a week, you will go through a very bad flu like process... headaches, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, lack of sleep, RLS, anxiety, muscle cramps and aches, some fever, mental cravings... i am sure i am forgetting something but this is it... the taper will give  much weaker symptoms than quitting ct. The problem with tapering is that most of us are unable of following it, we abused the pills and have problems with sticking to a plan unless someone holds the pills for us and even so...

anyway, we will be supporting you here through it !!!