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401095 tn?1351391770

Is CT or Tapering best

Been seeing lots of questions about this as of late.....thinking all personalities ar different

As a rule tho...do you guys think it is easier to taper vs CT if u r at a dose of 100 mgs or less without a support person?

Also if they r a true addict at a lower dose like 100 mgs or less...is the torture of tapering really the best way to go?

Also does flushing your pills help you conquer (mentally) this awful animal?
22 Responses
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495284 tn?1333894042
COMMUNITY LEADER
I had to go ct as i had no willpower whatsoever.  I was glad i did that as i got it all over at once.  I had just made up my mind that whatever kind of sick i was going to be was what i had to go thru to get off the pills.

Helpful - 0
711290 tn?1231258904
From my experience, taper as low as you can go till you start feeling uncomfortable.
Then Cold Turkey!
Ross
Helpful - 0
306455 tn?1288862071
I could never even get thru 1 day of tapering. Instead, I'd end up caving and taking more than I usually would.  You gotta give credit to those that got threw a taper plan, those are some major strong willed people......not me, lol.
I think most people will know pretty quick if they can handle a taper plan. I've seen a lot of them start and then just say $crew-it and go cold turkey.
Ask yourself....Do you rip a band-aid off fast or do you peel it off slowly?   LOL, me? I leave it on til it falls off its self. lol
Helpful - 0
442658 tn?1563386491
i could never taper...tried back in march and failed by consuming way too many.  i must be a weak person...ct was the only way for me.  we are all different and if a person can taper i think wds would be less severe...mm
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I want to answer this even though i never really got into pills. I have no doubt if i would have to go c/t cause my taper would result in double doses, my willpower for drugs is not too good, lol. For all of you that can that takes a lot of strength. I did flush cocaine once and i cried after, lmao. i remember the feeling in my stomach after and it made me sick to do, but at the same time made me proud and gave me a lot more confidence in my recovery.
Helpful - 0
710513 tn?1247522479
I have to think it depends on alot of factors...I can only speak for myself and I never did more than 75mg in a day VIKES. and my typical dose was 45-50mgs per day.. on Dec 1 st I decided to stop which was not the first time I thouhgt about it....I thought i would try and taper by 25 % per week as I had had a coversation with my Dr. a few months before (only casual didn't want him pulling the rug out from under me) the 25% per week was what he recommended as standard protocol.. for whatever that's worth....

So on Dec 1 I tried to reduce 25% on the 2nd & 3rd ......I couldn't do it and I may have taken more than normal... on the 4th I took on 3 pills on the 5th I took 1 and decided it was now or never.  I do not believe I could successfully taper off....and perhaps my dosage was low enough so I didn't really need to.

That day  went CT.......I won't say it was easy but it's 14 days later and I feel good....I think i have the physical behind me...Still a little anxious at times but gettiing better everyday.

Whichever method you try just do it....don't look back there is a bright beautiful world out there...get out and enjoy it.....in sobriety.

Good luck and best wishes.

Jambo

Helpful - 0
710513 tn?1247522479
Sorry to add to that pevious post, but i did want to answer the Flushing question....I could not have made it through if I had not flushed my last 48 (remember i always counted them and knew exactly how many i had) on day 3 or maybe 4....I flushed them after reading a post on this board.  I don't know about liberating but it was a commitment which is what i needed...and I look back ten days and I know I would not have made it this far if i had not FLUSHED....

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This is a great question.  I feel I may be a candidate for CT as well.  I am taking Tramadol right now..stopping after Christmas as I have to travel next week with 13yr old and all the advice I have gotten from the board I need atleast a good w/end by myself..so decided to do it end of December (child with ex, work slow..so now or never..)...

I have not done this yet but got me thinking...I am a recovered alcoholic and to me tapering is like trying to cut back on drinks...no way in hell :)..!  I am sober now..but back in the days of drinking and trying to stop..moderation was more hard.  To try to "control" your obsession for it was worse than just stopping and removing your mind from it completely.

I think that is what tapering does...we know that we have more...we also (I think) blow up in our minds the fact we cut back on our usual doseage so I think we actually make it worse than it really is (in our minds)..for me, anyway, my mind would think as soon as I felt alittle cranky or tired..(gee, it must be because my dose was cut back)..if I would have taken a full pill this wouldnt have happened...

good post.
Helpful - 0
401095 tn?1351391770
I did like giz said..when i tried to taper i would end up taking more that day!  it was very frustrating and a humiliating experience for me...hats off to those who can do this successfully...i do like th Bandaid analogy....rip it of quickly is what i always do!  LOL
Helpful - 0
712802 tn?1274645485
I'm trying to taper right now and it is like slow torture. I am going to try to go CT now; I've only been tapering three days. :(  My problem is that I have chronic pain. The pain dissappeared when I started on the Methadone, but reading about the WDs from Meth sacred me and now I'm trying to stop. The pain is coming back some and I'm getting scared. I will try not to give in and see if I can manage the pain wo meds. To answer your question, though - tapering is hard. I don't think the WDs will cause me to go back on the Meth, but the pain might. I'm hoping for surgery soon to implant a neuro-stimulator. If I can hold on until then maybe I want need the Meth any more anyway.
Sorry to ramble off topic! I'm thinking out loud and trying to figure things out in my mind. Right now everything seems like such a mess. I'm scared to flush though because if the pain comes back I'm up the creek w/o meds.
Helpful - 0
684343 tn?1231430840
My d.o.c was xanax and let me tell you, I WISH I would have tapered instead of went cold turkey. I ended up having a terrible withdraw siezure,  giving myself a bad concussion!!!!  Depending on your d.o.c  and your access to a doctor, AND your support system, maybe you could do it cold turkey. Just use alot of caution. I flushed 90 xanax the day I went into detox/rehab and cried like a baby but I felt more confident in the end, knowing I could over-power those little pills. Whatever method you choose, you have all of us here in this forum rooting for ya. Good luck!!!
Helpful - 0
374690 tn?1224552589
Without a doubt c/t for me! I could NEVER taper, no way!! I set a date that worked with hubby's schedule, which ended up leaving me too hand over 100+ pills.OUCH!!!! I went c/t straight from 200mgs.of hydro a day! I survived & am clean 11 months! YEAH!!
Helpful - 0
230262 tn?1316645934
i never could taper. Ate them up like candy til they were gone everytime.

i have a Q for the folks who DID actually do a taper...did it really make your WD that much better? was the pain and other symptoms significantly less? Or were you still miserable after you were finally out of pills for a couple days?  
Helpful - 0
702286 tn?1239011660
i am way too much of a fiend to even entertain the tapering method and i know this about myself. always been this way. thomas recipe and a FEW valium from my doctor have gotten me to day 13. if i can do it, i know you can. best of luck. blessed be, sway
Helpful - 0
710423 tn?1271161074
I flushed them yesterday! It was day 4 and I just got scared that I was going to use over the daily stress of the havoc I have caused....so i flushed em...today I regret it, but somehow feel its for the best. I am going to use OTC sleep meds for 3 days until this torture of leg pain goes away. I am using Thomas recipe and aminos...probably wont be on much.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
tapering vs cold turkey.i think alot depends on what med.you were on.you dont want to go cold turkey on benzos.you can die.as far as opiates,its almost impossible to die while detoxing.i also couldn't taper when i was alone,only in detox where you have no choice.some people need to be medically detoxed,it can be extremely dangerous depending on your own situation,either way it's a tough road
Helpful - 0
684343 tn?1231430840
What stevo35 said is pretty much what I was trying to say...It sounded like people got angry with me for saying I would have rather tapered than go cold turkey like I went..but i was in a medical facility and I had a severe siezure from cold turkey, so you have to understand why I am against it. I never even asked what you were tapering from...my mistake.. whatever you choose i am sure you can do it!
Helpful - 0
401095 tn?1351391770
i was vague..and was speaking of narcotics and not taking into account that not all are narcotic addicts..benzo users should never ct..and neiter should high dose tram users...tapering is a must for safety purposes...sorry for thinking inside my own little world guys
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had a 3 week taper from patches and percs...no way I could ct with patches.  After 3 weeks, 1 week shy of my schedule, I quit.  Funny looking back..I would set my watch alarm to remind me when I needed to dose on the taper even if I didn't feel like I needed the med at the time.  I had to work during this time, business trips, etc and couldn't afford to ct.  If you can taper, then I think the shock on your system is much less than ct.

Just my experience..
Guy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I know that when it comes  to my pills, I can not taper.  I have no will power.  If the pills are here, I am going to eat them.  I asked a neighbor to hold them for me, but she never locks the house and I went over and got my pills.  CT with the coke was the only way for me.  I do not know how you would measure tapering coke.  Buy and do smaller and smaller bags each day?  Tell me how it could be done.
Helpful - 0
401095 tn?1351391770
only a fellow coke user could really answer u but most do not taper off of coke as it is not physically addicting...most do not taper successfully off narcotics either in the end cos it is frustrating as heck...alcoholics do not taper off of alcohol either..perhaps giz will get this or maybe pm him
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I to have chronic back and hip pain.  It is hard to go off your meds if you do not have a plan in place to deal with your meds.  call you pain dr, tell them what you feel you need to do .  They can prescribe or even recommend what you can do or take for your chronic pain.  I was always told my pain was in my head.  I am so glad to finally find a few Drs who would finally agree with me.  I was very happy taking the Vicoprofin pills, then the new pain Dr started me on oxy 20 mgs.  I should have sad no thanks.  He did not want to give them to me because of all the motrin in the pills.  I really wish I had insisted no on the oxy.
IF you are serious about getting off find a support group.  Most of us have pill friends, find some non pill poppers or find one or two you know who have given up the pills and use their experience to help you.  I know which ever way you go you can do this.
Helpful - 0
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495284 tn?1333894042
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