Aa
I need help with detoxing..
I'm a eighteen year old female who has been taking Lortab 10s & Percocet 7.5s for over three years now. It started out as help for my female cramps and almost immediately got attached. My entire family has been addicted to either narcotics, &/or alcohol. Plus in the neighborhood I live in their very easy to come across. After I ate my entire prescription in less than 3 days I started off by stealing more from my mother/grandmother. Then when that stopped working I started going out and buying them + anything else so I wouldn't have to feel the withdrawals. But now..three years later.. I've finally made the decision that I do have a huge problem. I'm only 18 and I'm about to graduate and I can't even get out of bed in the morning without continuously taking pills. I'll even take them to school with me! I just..need help. I can't keep living my life like this. I'm barely passing, I hardly talk to anyone, I'm on anti-depressants, sleep meds, everything. I just want the old me back. But I don't want any unnecessary pain.. I heard Clonidine helps with withdrawls, and I can get my hands on some of that. I'm trying to slowly taper but I just went from 3 pills a night to 2 and I'm already have leg aches, head aches, ghost bumps but sweating..
Thanks for answering! Recently i figured out it's easier to me to quit something if i know it's there. I'm a cutter, well a used to be a cutter, but will always be. But the fact that I know my razors are there, I haven't cut. I now have a perc in a bottle on my nightstand and just knowing it's there, it's helping me somehow. It's been three days now and it's still in the bottle. :) Without having to take clonidine. The most w/d symptoms i've had are the muscle aches, head aches, a runny nose, & I'm kinda digging at myself like harder than itching but idk if that's from that. Gypsy said that the worst physical symptoms are over in 4-7 days but i've heard that the first three days are?
Udo, you are correct, that's what I get for posting after being up for 43hours. I apologize CC I got Clonidine and clonzapam (generic Klonipin), swapped in my head. But like udo said clonidine is a BP meds andnot a street drug and you'd more than likely have to get it from a physician, you may be able to get it on the street but anything that can effect you BP, is not a good idea to buy as street med, there are so many dealers that now have the ability to make their own pills, you can buy a press off the internet and those meds can be cut with some pretty scary stuff.
I'm so happy that you talked to your mom, that is great that she has agreed to give you the support you need. I completely understand you not wanting to see a Dr, but I hope you consider it. Like I said prescription drug abuse (no matter where you got the pills), is escalating so much every year that most Dr's are understanding and do what they can w/o judgment. There are so many overdoses that can be avoided, that the majority of Dr's are willing to be supportive and help yu through the tough part. I know Lawyers, PhD's, power business men & woman and even doctors themselves that have fallen into the dark hole of addiction. I wont say anymore regarding seeing a doctor it is definitely your recovery and completely your choice.
Although both Lexapro and Trazadone are not addictive, you do have to taper down off from them, it is dangerous to discontinue these meds too quicly this can cause serious side effects including seizures, CVA's (trazadone is the worst of the two non addictive meds), they may be non. You really should get a Dr to help you with a taper schedule. It is just so dangerous to do on your own,
You are off to a good start, keep reaching out and dont be afraid or too proud to ask fior help, we all need someone to carry us once in a while. again sorry about the meds name mix up, I shoulld have read what yuo wrote more careflully...
Take Care, Gyosy
I'm so happy that you talked to your mom, that is great that she has agreed to give you the support you need. I completely understand you not wanting to see a Dr, but I hope you consider it. Like I said prescription drug abuse (no matter where you got the pills), is escalating so much every year that most Dr's are understanding and do what they can w/o judgment. There are so many overdoses that can be avoided, that the majority of Dr's are willing to be supportive and help yu through the tough part. I know Lawyers, PhD's, power business men & woman and even doctors themselves that have fallen into the dark hole of addiction. I wont say anymore regarding seeing a doctor it is definitely your recovery and completely your choice.
Although both Lexapro and Trazadone are not addictive, you do have to taper down off from them, it is dangerous to discontinue these meds too quicly this can cause serious side effects including seizures, CVA's (trazadone is the worst of the two non addictive meds), they may be non. You really should get a Dr to help you with a taper schedule. It is just so dangerous to do on your own,
You are off to a good start, keep reaching out and dont be afraid or too proud to ask fior help, we all need someone to carry us once in a while. again sorry about the meds name mix up, I shoulld have read what yuo wrote more careflully...
Take Care, Gyosy
I got from your original post that you are currently feeling alone in all this. It could not be further from the truth.I do not know the exact numbers, but I once read that in 2008, there was about 6 million people addicted to prescription drugs. Fast forward to now, and the number may be about 8 million; just a guess.
Everyone is afraid of withdrawals, and rightly so, they are not a walk in the park. There are many here who have went through them numerous times ( including myself), and while they honestly suck, you probably have felt that way before and it will not be anything new to you. It just lasts a little bit longer than a normal sickness.
I have went through countless withdrawals, some much more sever than yours, and many about the same. As long as you are committed to staying clean, nothing will prevent you from attaining that goal. We all had a reason for starting them, but we all also have a common reason for quitting!
You may find that once you are completely rid of all that medication, that any additional meds ( i.e. antideppressants, etc..) will become less of a need as well. I was prescribed all the same things in early sobriety, but had no use for them after a couple of months.
One more thing; there is no easy way out. You will have to face a detox in one fashion or another. It may be less severe if you take certain precautions, but will more likely be the same as if you just threw whatever you have left away. Consult your doctor to be sure that you are healthy enough to take on this challenge. I do not know of any doctors here, but there is enough experience for 1000 doctors; just cannot legally advise... You seem like you are young enough that your body will overcome this easily. It gets much harder the older you get, so get it out now while you can.
Everyone is afraid of withdrawals, and rightly so, they are not a walk in the park. There are many here who have went through them numerous times ( including myself), and while they honestly suck, you probably have felt that way before and it will not be anything new to you. It just lasts a little bit longer than a normal sickness.
I have went through countless withdrawals, some much more sever than yours, and many about the same. As long as you are committed to staying clean, nothing will prevent you from attaining that goal. We all had a reason for starting them, but we all also have a common reason for quitting!
You may find that once you are completely rid of all that medication, that any additional meds ( i.e. antideppressants, etc..) will become less of a need as well. I was prescribed all the same things in early sobriety, but had no use for them after a couple of months.
One more thing; there is no easy way out. You will have to face a detox in one fashion or another. It may be less severe if you take certain precautions, but will more likely be the same as if you just threw whatever you have left away. Consult your doctor to be sure that you are healthy enough to take on this challenge. I do not know of any doctors here, but there is enough experience for 1000 doctors; just cannot legally advise... You seem like you are young enough that your body will overcome this easily. It gets much harder the older you get, so get it out now while you can.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I am very happy you have your mom as a support system. You can be the one that makes it thru wd and into recovery. Just be very careful about the tapering. That is why we always recommend going to a doctor. We want you to be safe....Let us know how it is going. You can do this~~~sara
Gosh thats a mess of meds you got going there..Its possible that the non opiate meds your on might help the wd process but can't say I know this to be true as I have no experience with them..I would think the anti depressant would to a certain degree though.Be careful about clonidine.As Udoschoices says, it lowers one's bp to eleviate wd stress in one's system. Mainly taken at night to help restabilize sleep..It "is not" a sleeping pill....I was prescribed them..To take one or two of a 0.1 dose at bedtime..I also was given a very stern warning from my Dr..Do not abuse this med..Taking more than recommended could lead to a person lowering their bp to a point you could have a stroke..So be careful..On the subject of a taper, in my opinion it would help some if you can follow thru with getting your dose down to a minimum over at least a week and a half. Thats from experience. I tried a 5 day one time post surgery and it did not make much of a difference over a cold turkey experience I had prior..Your first 4 days are going to be the days that may hit you hard with physical aches,pains,stomach problems, racy mind, emotions all over the place just to make you aware. If you could coordinated quitting with, lets say, Easter school vacation,,that would be a good time to start..Those first few days might be tough..Then again, you may get lucky and feel like you have the flu for a couple days thats not full blown as opiate wd's are like a real bad case of the flu..
Talk to your mom some and ask away with any questions you have..I am not familar with all your meds being taken at the same time and the best approach to addressing the problem, but I am sure there are other's in here that are..
Talk to your mom some and ask away with any questions you have..I am not familar with all your meds being taken at the same time and the best approach to addressing the problem, but I am sure there are other's in here that are..
Oh Sweetie...this is hard! I'm glad your Mom is there to help you.
Okay...yes,if you can get some clonidine it will help a lot with the withdrawal. It lowers your b/p and will get you a bit drowsy.
Next,and this is important: DRINK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! Dehydration is so common and easy to avoid. It causes most withdrawal problems so get drinking water,juice,gatorade...
Fear is a problem here and attitude is everything so calm down and don't be afraid. You're young and that's in your favor. Just push through...we've all done it and survived!! It's not as horrible as you may think. Continue to take your other meds as prescribed. They'll actually help you.
You're in good hands with your Mom. Keep in touch with us and big hug to you!!
Okay...yes,if you can get some clonidine it will help a lot with the withdrawal. It lowers your b/p and will get you a bit drowsy.
Next,and this is important: DRINK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! Dehydration is so common and easy to avoid. It causes most withdrawal problems so get drinking water,juice,gatorade...
Fear is a problem here and attitude is everything so calm down and don't be afraid. You're young and that's in your favor. Just push through...we've all done it and survived!! It's not as horrible as you may think. Continue to take your other meds as prescribed. They'll actually help you.
You're in good hands with your Mom. Keep in touch with us and big hug to you!!
Yes, my biggest problem is opiates. I'm assuming, and hoping that I'm not addicted to anything else. I really don't want to go to my doctor about it.. I was just going to do an at-home kinda detox. I talked to my mom last night & she said she'd be my support system & she'll help me get off of them. I'm just terrified of withdrawls .. nobody in my family has been able to make their way through them..
Thanks for offering your advice. (:
Thanks for offering your advice. (:
Um, Clonidine is NOT a benzo it is a blood pressure med that helps ease WD symptoms. Klonopin is what you have it confused with, Gypsygirl- be careful mixing them up and recommending as benzos are potentially dangerous (well they are) and you don't want to swap one addiction for another. Clonidine isn't known as a street drug and is usually doc prescribed and you don't want to take too much it can lower your blood pressure too much so highly recommended to have a doc RX for you.....
Just wanted to clear that up as it was misleading and dangerous to mix-up and recommend...
Just wanted to clear that up as it was misleading and dangerous to mix-up and recommend...
I take 30 mg of Lexapro & I take 200 mg of Trazodone. < I get those from my psychiatrist. When it first began i would only take one a day for period cramps, and then I started taking them recreationaly and it raised up to almost 10 a day.. I got hooked either way,and I really don't want to go to a dr and talk about it..
Hi CC, first I want to commend you on recognizing you have a problem and making the decision to do something about it. That is the first and biggest step toward you getting clean. Do you have health insurance or are you able to see a doctor?
Clonidine is one of the better benzo to help with WD's, it had a really long half life so you don't need to take a lot for the purpose of W/Ding, it will help take the edge off, but it is also addictive and should be used carefully ( say one a day) or under a doctors supervision. I personally do not recommend buying meds off the street especially if they are to be used to come off from other meds. Since you are 18yo and if you are covered under your parents insurance, the doctor cannot discuss any treatment they give you without your consent. Do you think you have the strength to taper down from the meds you are on (I'm assuming that you biggest problem is opiates). Is that correct? Prescription drug use and abuse is such a big problem these days, that many doctors are willing to help you taper off or prescribe meds to help with the withdrawal.
If you do not have a way for a doctor to help you there are ways to make it a bit easier. If you click on the "Health Page" in the upper right corner there are some remedies that can help make this a bit easier. I recommend you read "Dr. Thomas Recipe" "Protocol for unassisted opiate withdrawal", but also read the other threads, especially the ones related to your drug of choice. You also might want to check out an NA meeting, the people there can help you stay on the path of recovery, give you support and if you think you are going to use they will be there to help you stay away. One of your biggest problems it sounds like is such easy access to these meds, which means you are going to have to make some major changes, like avoiding the places in your neighborhood that put you in a difficult position. I don't know if your friends are users but if they are, and you really want to get clean you may have to give up your using friends. As far as taking your parents/grandparents meds, do they suspect that you are doing this? And what do you think their reaction would be if you told them that you were prescribed narcotics for menses and ended up addicted. That you want to stop taking them and that it would help you if they found a place to keep their meds where you cannot find them?
I'm not going to lie, getting clean is difficult, and even more so if you have easy access to the drugs you are taking. The good news is that the worst of the physical W/D's are usually over in 4-7days. It feels like a severe case of the flu, but unlike the flu you know what will make you feel better, but you must keep reminding yourself that these pills are the cause of why you feel like crap, and that the longer you stay on them, and the more you take the worse the withdrawals will be.
It may not feel like it but you are catching this addiction early, and even though the W/D's feel awful, if you wait and continue to use it is going to be much worse.
Whether you use NA or some type of other support sytem, this is an important part of getting clean. If it were me I would tell at least one person that is in your life on a daily bases (a family member would be ideal), someone who cares enough to help you and someone you trust. Also, use this forum, there are A LOT of great people here to offer you support, whether you just need to vent or need someone to talk you out of using.
Remember to go to the health page, there is some great and helpful info there, and keep reaching out. Hang in there and ask for help when you need it, don't set yourself up to fall because you feel you bugging someone or because you feel to proud to ask. It will be nearly impossible to do this on your won.
I hope that you find you way back to the good life.
Take care & Good Luck, Gypsy
Clonidine is one of the better benzo to help with WD's, it had a really long half life so you don't need to take a lot for the purpose of W/Ding, it will help take the edge off, but it is also addictive and should be used carefully ( say one a day) or under a doctors supervision. I personally do not recommend buying meds off the street especially if they are to be used to come off from other meds. Since you are 18yo and if you are covered under your parents insurance, the doctor cannot discuss any treatment they give you without your consent. Do you think you have the strength to taper down from the meds you are on (I'm assuming that you biggest problem is opiates). Is that correct? Prescription drug use and abuse is such a big problem these days, that many doctors are willing to help you taper off or prescribe meds to help with the withdrawal.
If you do not have a way for a doctor to help you there are ways to make it a bit easier. If you click on the "Health Page" in the upper right corner there are some remedies that can help make this a bit easier. I recommend you read "Dr. Thomas Recipe" "Protocol for unassisted opiate withdrawal", but also read the other threads, especially the ones related to your drug of choice. You also might want to check out an NA meeting, the people there can help you stay on the path of recovery, give you support and if you think you are going to use they will be there to help you stay away. One of your biggest problems it sounds like is such easy access to these meds, which means you are going to have to make some major changes, like avoiding the places in your neighborhood that put you in a difficult position. I don't know if your friends are users but if they are, and you really want to get clean you may have to give up your using friends. As far as taking your parents/grandparents meds, do they suspect that you are doing this? And what do you think their reaction would be if you told them that you were prescribed narcotics for menses and ended up addicted. That you want to stop taking them and that it would help you if they found a place to keep their meds where you cannot find them?
I'm not going to lie, getting clean is difficult, and even more so if you have easy access to the drugs you are taking. The good news is that the worst of the physical W/D's are usually over in 4-7days. It feels like a severe case of the flu, but unlike the flu you know what will make you feel better, but you must keep reminding yourself that these pills are the cause of why you feel like crap, and that the longer you stay on them, and the more you take the worse the withdrawals will be.
It may not feel like it but you are catching this addiction early, and even though the W/D's feel awful, if you wait and continue to use it is going to be much worse.
Whether you use NA or some type of other support sytem, this is an important part of getting clean. If it were me I would tell at least one person that is in your life on a daily bases (a family member would be ideal), someone who cares enough to help you and someone you trust. Also, use this forum, there are A LOT of great people here to offer you support, whether you just need to vent or need someone to talk you out of using.
Remember to go to the health page, there is some great and helpful info there, and keep reaching out. Hang in there and ask for help when you need it, don't set yourself up to fall because you feel you bugging someone or because you feel to proud to ask. It will be nearly impossible to do this on your won.
I hope that you find you way back to the good life.
Take care & Good Luck, Gypsy
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome to the forum....What kind of antidepressant are you on? Do you get this from the doctor? What about the sleep meds? How much of the lortabs do you take a day? A bit more info would be helpful. You dont have to be a prisoner to these any more. We are here to support you~~sara
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