Hydrocodone withdrawel

[Scared179]

I need some advice on tapering off of hydrocodone 10/325. Been taking a few of them a day and want to know how to taper off of them and will I feel withdrawels symptoms by doing it that way? I have gone c/t before and it stinks and I am hoping this will be different. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Whollymolythathurt]

I'm thinking Scared179 is no longer around. I just noticed I posted to a 4 year old post. I just looked at the month & day when I first responded on the 21st.

Maybe I wasn't as good as I thought.  :-)

[Viciouscycle]

Hi, dromamine or motion sickness medicine will help a lot with the nausea. I take it everyday.

[bill12345678910]

would love to hear from you just to know how you are if you have started or not on your taper plan trust me i understand if you could'nt do it i have relapsed so i get it don't be lol (scared) i'm not judging you would like to share with you if you are up to it

[bill12345678910]

how are you feeling i am hanging on im on my first day of my plan and are doing ok im real jittery. i am scared to go cold turkey and also feel am not able to be that strong i hope your doing well one day at a time!

[Whollymolythathurt]

I too came off 3 yrs of 10/325 Hydro (6-10/day).  Like many of you its a double edged sword since i needed it for every arthritis out there due to 25 years of abusing my body physically & going through 20 surgeries. As an athlete i lived in the gym & when coming off the hydro i couldn't even look at the place.  Bending over to put my shoes on & dealing with my 3 & 6 yrs olds was a BEAR!  But they were the main reason i had to get off this roller-coaster.

I'm here to tell you it gets better.  Like many have said just take it easy & get your nutrition & take it an hour at a time if needed.  I did.  I'm a neat freak & toys & stuff all over the house drove me up a wall & I could do nothing about it.  The physical w/d's are the easy part in my opinion...the mental is tougher.  I still battle it when i wake up & can hardly move.  I tell myself "this is your fault".  At least i'm sleeping though as i know many of you are still having this problem.

keep up the fight..Its gets better each day.  Sometimes barely...but better.

[bill12345678910]

i as well am feeling the way yall are you are not alone we are with you

[ItsA_LongRoad]

I have the same story and the same feelings.  Just know you are not alone.

[Scared179]

I feel like such a loser, why can't I do this. I want to feel better and it is day 4 of being off hydros and percs. I wanted to taper but was too hard. I just feel so helpless and I want to be there for my family and my job. I am nauseous all day long and cant sleep to well since I am restless at night which I expected since I have been through this before. I am on them because of my arthritis and I feel better being on them but always manage to take a little more than prescribed and manage to run short every month but I am not increasing all the time. Its a vicious cycle. What to do? Right now I am just wishing this nausea would stop. Any ideas? Thanks for listening.

[Radiostar55]

How are you doing today?

[meemums]

I too am tapering off Hydrocodone.  I've been on it for about a year for severe, chronic pain from osteoarthritis in my right hip that completely crippled me.  I had total hip replacement just over a month ago.  I REALLY needed that pain medicine while I was recovering from the surgery though!  Now the pain's almost gone, except when I do physical therapy, and I need to get OFF this narcotic!  I just started my taper yesterday.  I've been on the liquid form.  So, I have a little brown prescription BOTTLE calling my name.  LOL!  I've devised a plan to taper.  You may have already seen my thread "weaning off Hydrocodone?"  My surgeon told me to taper down every three days.  I'm not sure if he's the best one to advise me or not though.  Anyway, I'm on 3 oz./day today and tomorrow I'll step down to 2.5 oz. for three days.  I only take a few milliliters every 2-3 hours.  I hope I can do this and it works.  I'm having my surgeon's office prescribe me the medicine for only 3 days at a time.  This way I don't have a HUGE bottle full in the cabinet calling my name.  I only have a small amount here and I know it has to last three days.  **fingers crossed that this works**  I like the idea that I can measure the liquid and taper by decreasing the amount by a couple of milliliters at a time using a tiny plastic dose cup with measurements on the side.  Even with my plan I find I crave more almost as soon as I take it!  **so frustrating**

[Life2010]

I have not had a perc since Saturday. I feel ok, as the w/d's came and (hopefully) went. This was the 1st time i weened myself down, and now - nothing. All my past attempts (three in the past yr), I stayed out of work for 3 days and basically did whatever i could to sleep thru it all. However, once I woke up from my 3 day 'coma'; i was right back where i started... My problem now: It wont leave my mind! Its almost like my brain is programed to believe, "if you want to get work done, take a pill", "if you want to focus, take a pill"... Im trying to inhale and exhale. Im trying to tell myself, i will be right back were i started if I get one. Then the devil sits on the shoulder and says, "just one"...
I sat and read my journal last night dated Dec 2008. I had entrys begging for strentgh to get thru this. One entry would say that I havent had a pill in days, then the next would say; I gave in! When i was reading and 1st saw that I quit (as i didnt even remember), I would get happy and confident. Then reading how i kept giving in, took my confidence away. I havent been able to STAY clean in so long. Why is now any different? I mean, I feel like im at a different place in my life. Anger comes to the surface - why am I supporting someone else by giving them all my money. I dont want them to have my money.. those sentences have helped (a little).
Im hoping someone can say something that will click in my already programed brain to just say No!!!

[FawnB75]

Hello, I am 10 days off 10/325 Norcos after takin g them for 5 years, it has not been easy but for day 10 it's being done. Don't look too far a head, make acommitment for 1 day every day so you don't get overwhelmed. Also I had my husband help me taper because like others I am an Addict and I could'nt do it on my own, if you have someone that you can confied in and trust have them help you and distribute them to you, and then when your down to a low dose you just have to quit. Stay in bed a couple days and watch movies but, after that get outside a little more each day, get the fresh air, keep your mind busy!! Good Luck, this is a great place to get everything out and talk to others who are going through the same thing you are cause lets face it if you've never been there you can't fullly understand!!!
~Brightest Blessings~

[Danny111]

Tapering just means gradually lowering the amount you are taking until you are at a very low dosage and then just quitting.  For instance if you are taking five a day you would lower that to four a day for a week or so and then three a day and then two and then one and then none.  Your withdrawal symtoms will probably depend on how long you have been taking them and how many you have been taking per day.

I have tried tapering and it didn't work for me, in part because I felt like it was just drawing out the whole quitting process and prolonging the withdrawal symptoms.  The one time I did try cutting back gradually I felt milder withdrawals than quitting cold turkey but again they would have lasted much longer.  c/t wd's last a week or two.

Althought I don't care for tapering there are people here who seem to have used it successfully.  Each person should choose whatever works best for them.  Hopefully someone who has used tapering successfully will post a reply shortly.

I strongly suggest you continue coming to this site and posting and reading posts.  It has been incredibly helpful to many people including myself.  There are many supportive people on here who have gone through all you have and probably worse.

[GA Guy]

Also, start working on aftercare immediately and get yourself prepared. Get to a meeting or a counselor. As long as you have the desire to quit, you can go to a meeting while weening. Withdrawals is the easy part, the hard part comes after the withdrawals.

[Amaryllis1974]

Hey and welcome!!
I am on day 6 of zero hydros. I was eating up to 40 per day, and I weaned pretty quickly, but it was quickly, or death.

If you are taking a few a day, I would suggest cutting them in half, and reducing by half a pill each day for 2-3 days, then repeat.

I could never do it alone. I had someone hold them and give them to me as per the schedule. It has to be someone you trust WONT cave when you feel the urge to up the usage, or chase the high.

I had to will myself to NOT want that high again, for I knew if I had it once, I would be using full force by days end.

I felt WD because I cut down quick. You may have some discomfort, but it wont be nearly as bad as CT. I will say this though....counting hours til your next dose on a taper can be just as INTENSE AND PAINFUL as quitting CT.

Much luck.
Oh, I flushed the remaining ones when I got down to 3 per day.....Just an FYI.
Keep posting...keep US posted.
Amy

[GA Guy]

I'd say that if you're taking less than 10 a day I'd just cold turkey. Weening never worked for me because I'm an addict. As long as they were around, they called my name. If you want to ween, I'd start by getting my dose as low as possible first. Most addicts can reduce their dose by a quarter or more without significant withdrawals. After a couple of days at your lowest dose possible, then reduce by a pill or so every 3 or 4 days. Take your doses divided out during the day...no big doses at once. They key is to stave off withdrawals, not produce a high. If you're getting a high, you're taking them too close together or taking too much.

[lori5997]

I tried tapering but didn't slowly enough because I started to feel w/d effects and didn't have the will power to not take more to relieve them  i could be wrong but with just a few a day (for how long though?) you shouldn't feel THAT severe of withdrawals, keep posting on here it is so helpful--be prepared to not do much, my physical ailments weren't severe but my mind couldn't function and I had NO energy(as you probably know from before)  take care and keep in touch!