Trying To Taper Off Norco

[NorcoHelpPlease]

I started taking Vicodin 4 years ago for traumatic arthritis of my right knee .I went through a total knee replacement which caused pulmonary embolism . I was started on Oxycodone and Vicodin post surgery .I had a lot of pain it was a 6 hour knee replacement versus the normal 2 to 3 hours and I still don't know why .I discontinued the Oxy whenI ran out because by then the pain was manageable with Vicodin .Two years ago my doctor bumped me up to Norco 10/325 because the Vicodin was no longer working well .My knee has still is chronically painful and swollen and xrays show that it is not the implant but possibly my bodies reaction to the metal...who knows .
I decided that I will not be a slave to these pills any longer ! No more watching the clock or planning my days by when a pill is due .I started tapering a 3 weeks ago and have gone from 8-10 pills in 24 hours to 5 in 24 hours .It is now becoming more difficult for me that is why I am here asking for help...or support .I read the forums and get encouragement but I am scared of life off pills .I know hat sounds strange to some but that is how I feel .I have 39 1/2 pills left at this point .I am scared that I will not make it through the taper but I have too get off these pills . I cut myself off from my prescription permanently though I getting 180 once a month from my doc .There are no more pills available and that was the hardest thing for me to do but I did .I can not get them in the country where I am because they dont exist here .Do you think I have enough pills to get off without withdrawel ?I get so anxious and start WD symptoms just 2 hours after my lat pill now and it is getting tougher to  wait for the time to pass until next pill is due .

[ricart70]

Hi Jilly !  You can post your own thread if you want to.  Go to the top of the page and click post a question.  You will then have your very own dedicated thread and you can make some new friends and maybe get some tips.  AWESOME JOB on the 21 days !!    I also posted on day 21 for the first time as I was in no condition to post before that lol

[PillyJilly]

I did it...I am now 21 days Norco clean ! I have  cravings now and then that come out of no where and still have tummy issues and anxiety here and there.The worst for me was the nightmarish restless body especially at night .
I learned that the Benedryl was making it worse so I had to stop that.
I am freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :-))))))

[VICourageous]

You are just fine..We will be here for you even if you do a taper..I am glad you will be able to do this..Sounds good..I went c/t from 3 crazy meds about a year ago and at my age it was no walk in the park..Just stay with us..I have noticed it has been very slow around here lately..I even was just going in to check my Mail..We do not judge anybody around here on whatever there decision may be..We even care about people who come and go out on a relapse..As long as they get back up on that horse and ride again..SO just keep checking your post from time to time..We seemed to have been waving in & out..Football was tonight too..
Bless

[NorcoHelpPlease]

Just wanted to thank you for your response spider . Good luck and blessings .I have asked that my account be cancelled at this point .

[NorcoHelpPlease]

I am disappointed because I thought this was a good place to get help and encouragement .I was getting it until I said that I couldnt CT .
Congrats to all who make it good luck to those who are tapering .

[NorcoHelpPlease]

I forgot to add that I found out my dad has cancer Saturday morning and my brother in law who had a surgery to remove 3/4 of his stomach removed due to esophageal cancer is ill again .I feel like I live in crazy world right now .

[NorcoHelpPlease]

I had a really bad day yesterday...even had an argument with my normally very supportive husband . I am still tapering down and now I am at 2 per 24 hours .The argument started because I verbalized that I wasnt sure it was such a good idea for me to go off Norco without being on something like Zoloft because of my issues with PTSD C,anxiety,panic attacks and pain issues . then add to that unbelievably the poor guy would not kiss my lips lol.OMG I have lost my freaking mind .I have hip and knee pain that is now worse than I thought it would be because it was coveredd by the Norcos for years and makes it difficult for me to walk .I am taking 800 mg motrin or I cant move .My fibro has flared up,I developed a canker sore from hell on upper inside edge of my bottom lip which makes it difficult to impossible to eat,thrush and a yeast infection .I am dosing with Imodium for the trots and practically gargling with yogurt for the thrush and using it for it for the yeast at the north pole.I was sooooo looking forward to sexy time with my talented hubby (needed the endorphin's) lol but for obvious reasons it was not to not to be .I have horrible night terrrors several times a month sometimes nightly for spells of time .We found a frog in our backyard which I loved because it was the first I had seen here .We started talking about frogs which he does not like, I said to him...I would still marry you were a frog(stupid I know) but we are newly weds lol. Oh this was a cuddly time getting ready to sleep convo...and he says to me...would you still marry me if I were a preying mantis which I have horrific fears off .I am one of these people that sees an image of whatever the subject is...it is a curse in some cases .So I them lay in the dark with images of my man being a big green bug .Needless to say I had nightmares several times that night and the next night it was nightmares about Dexter a t.v. show that he likes and I watched with him though I shouldnt have .Soooo no sleep that night either .

I cried all day...yes that is possible and yes I have that talent .I then had the added guilt of making him miserable right along with me .I finally took an Oxzepam to get it together the first in 3 months .

It just was an awful weekend,between all that and feeling sick  and emotional from the withdrawels .We made up...we are good at forgiving one another and talking it out .I am just all over the place emotionally and feeling like an idiot for being such a baby in my own eyes .I deal with isolation here in the Netherlands,no friends whatsoever,cant drive here no dutch license,and I am alone all day .We are moving back to the states next year so I can work and be around family and friends etc .Things are just difficult right now and the Norco helped me with not feeling so much emotional pain as well...lie an old friend .I am ashamed to say that I feel that way .But I know that I need off of this crutch ....and I am doing it but it tis not an easy thing for me .Sorry this is so long....

[NorcoHelpPlease]

Thanks for the support....good luck to you all...Feelig isnt for me ...goodbye

[spider6]

Hi there girl,
first time for me chirping in........you did NOT fail...please don't have that mindset, it is counterproductive to you psyche.

Look, you need to follow your doctor's orders, nobody is going to argue that.  You did not go through the w/d for no reason.....you learned something valuable.......even more of a reason to EVENTUALLY get cleaned up but that will be a decided plan between you and your physician.

Stay on the MH site......as it will help keep your spirits up for sure.
I wish you much peace and health and hope to watch you succeed in your journey,  however that journey is to designed to be travelled.

Smile.....nowhere to go but face up to the Sun.
hugs.

[NorcoHelpPlease]

I meant even though I "wasnt" feeling good...my eyes were clearer ...brighter.

[NorcoHelpPlease]

Epic fail here...I started having problems with my arrythmia and so I called my doctor .I was told to stop the CT and go back to the Norco 1 pill in the a.m. and 1/2 every 6 to 8 hours for a few days the keep tapering NO CT for me .I tried really hard to stick to the jump 2 days ago but it is too hard on my body .I feel like I failed but I dont want to be dead either and my beta blocker is increased until I am done and off the Norco for a while .

I feel like I went thru what I have as far as WD for no reason...but I tried to put my own Big Girl panties on and they fell down :-(
I will keep going just not CT for me...it is too dangerous for me . I have had Pulmonary Embolisms and a heart attack in the past which I wasnt even aware of until my pre knee replacement physical .So I will comply with docs orders .I wish I could say I got some enjoyment out of taking a pill again but it was bitter sweet .I feel like I am poisoning myself now...I want soooooooooooooooo badly to be 100% clean .My mind was getting clearer and even though I was feeling good my husband said my eyes were brighter :-) Im here for a while...thanks peeps .

[NorcoHelpPlease]

Thank you...it is tough but doing it sometimes 30 seconds at a time .My husband took today off to be with me .I am just checking in..thank you so much for the support.  :-)

[Bubbleguppie100]

I am so, so proud of you! I love it. So awesome that you flushed those demon pills. I was also addicted to Norco. I took anywhere from 6-10 a day. So, I understand what you're going thru. Keep up the good fight! We are here if you need us. Xoxo

[ROSYouralright]

Look at you!! Your doing it!! It will be over before you know it! Hang on tight!

[NorcoHelpPlease]

HI...pill free for 24 hours reporting here...it was a rough evening...ll of a sudden it was like a switch flipped and on came the tears and being emotional and scared and the tummy burning .I wanted a pill so bad and I wanted to explain how I was feeling and why I was crying but as you all know there is no explaining this monster that comes from inside and torments your mind and physical being with a craving . But my hubby wrapped me in his arms and was there for me until I was o.k. again . I think crying it out is cathartic and must produce some kind of chemical or hormone that is soothing or maybe it just chases out the anxiety I dont know .But I felt better after that except it hurts to see the tears in his eyes and I hate that he has to go thru this too with me .I am so lucky and blessed to have him in my life .
My Norco use was getting out of control because I was medicating culture shock and isoltion in a foreign country away from family and friends ,grandkids,a job etc .Then the PTSD Complex that I deal with too .It got so much easier t take and extra three or four pills a day on top of my allowed 6-8 pills per day .These pills make you into a liar...you even lie to yourself about how many you have had and what time you had the last one .
I am so done with these pills...I will go thru whatever I have to ..to get clean and stay clean .I want to go to Narc-anon but it is in
dutch language here and my dutch is not good enough to follow .I have 12 step books with me here as I was in the OA program a long time ago .
I woke up every hour on the hour but I slept in between on my cocktail of Melatonin,Benedry and Ibuprofen and sleepy time tea extra .
It will be a long day for me as my husband had to be at work really early today so he is gone already .I will be checking in here a lot but dont want to bug or irritate anyone .
Thanks for being here .

[Pat1956100]

Hi there,
You may go right into full withdrawals because of your taper.  You were probably in withdrawals while you were tapering because of how fast you did it, so they are hitting you hard right away.
That could be good news because it will be over sooner.  You just didn't get a chance to prepare.
Your husband will be coming home with the pills.  Are you going to be able to flush those as well?
Keep posting, no matter what.

[NorcoHelpPlease]

All I can say thru the tears and anxiety is I will never do this to myself again.No pills since 5:45 this morning,had to take Imodium already .Not feeling well and the mental craving blows .Thank God for my husband and you all .I cant do this alone .

[NorcoHelpPlease]

Well it will be 9 hours in 10 minutes since my last pill and I am doing o.k. so far .The chills are coming and going and I am going to go shower and nap .Ive not gone longer than 5 hours in over a year because they start calling my name at hour 4 except if I am sleeping .Even then the buggers wake me up to top off .TTYL

[toothfairie]

CONGRATS on flushing those pills!  we love the flushing parties around here!!  way to go girl!!!!  i did the same thing and it felt good!!  now no temptations!!  so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!

[marycarmel]

You'll get through it.  I did that once, flushed them.  But I was on a ton of things at high doses.  It was not my best thought out plan.  But you've been tapering and have got down to a lower dose and that should help a lot.  Keep posting; it helps.

[NorcoHelpPlease]

O.K. I know that you are not supposed to do this but I did...so sue me..I flush the pillssssssssss .Oh crab...yes I did that..deep breath....its done no going back .

[NorcoHelpPlease]

Hi...I am in Holland the Netherlands but I am bi-coastal lol.My family and I are from California but I live with my husband here until we go back to the States next spring for good .I married a dutchman a year ago .
We have a 9 hour time difference from the west coast .
I hope that you are able to sleep some soon .
I went cold turkey from 6 pills a day a year and a half ago but not by choice .My meds got lost in the international mail for two months .I have been through the WDs before and I had horrific restless body esp at night .I think I can handle this better at this point and I am feeling like this tapering is dragging it out now .
I havent gotten out of the chair to destroy these two pills yet...but here I gooooooooooooooooooooooooooo lol.

[Ann2497]

haha Donkey Kong.....have you tried to quit before cold turkey?  Some people find that is the only way to go.  I have done both (taper and CT).  From a large dose (for me 5 per day), it was easier to taper as I don't do well with anxiety.   I tapered to 1/2 a pill a day - it sounds crazy to me now.

Are you on the east coast?  I couldn't sleep.

[NorcoHelpPlease]

My official last pill was at 5:45 this morning...it is on like donkey kong !! :-)