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917008 tn?1251223979

Talking Tapering ...

Here's the deal: On about 80mg oxy a day, and I'm really sick of them. Wakes me up for a very early start at work., and then it's the trying to keep it going, sometimes carelessly, until night. Five months of this, and starting to hit 100mg a few days of 160mg (-- feel nothing special -- maybe get a bit high for an hour or so, then get sick from it). Weekends have actually been getting worse. Sitting around is not helpful for this mission.

Plan: Taper for two weeks, then pull a four-day weekend and jump off, do the c/t thing. Have a few T-3's, benzos, and the person I live with knows the score. How far down can I go in two (or three) weeks? I'm just fed up with this pointless dependence.

Snags: Work is pointless and the new "boss" is utterly incompetent. I'm expected to babysit -- no one has lasted more than a week with this person, and they've been moved. Not me. It is beyond depressing.

Speaking of depressing, I'm chronically depressed. They've had me on everything and combination thereof -- and gave up. So that's been hanging over this idea from the day I realized I was strung out again. The number of huge (and I mean huge here) stressors on me right now would have anyone quite upset.

So, let's see your plan, and see your stories please. I know it'll be a bit less messy if I can stick to a taper. Currently cut back to 20mg to get going in the morning. Don't really feel it, but if you start big, you need big to keep going.

Thanks.
10 Responses
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Avatar universal
good for you. Take it slow and keep going. Your closer then you think
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi KB: 1st of all Thanks for your post, I was beginning to think I was the only one here doing a Taper off oxycontin.  I have been on oxycontin for 3 years for neck pain (prescribed by the doctor) I got real sick and tired of being on these oxys anywhere from 80-120 mgs/every single day for 3 years.  My world revolved around my pills, I hated waking up in the morning needing 20 mg oc to start the day, another 20 mg by 11 am, etc., etc. This sucked.  My world kept getting smaller and smaller, and yes they gave me energy for a long time, they made me happy, but THEN they turned on me and made me extremely tired, all the time, and depressed and hopeless!  I found this website, with several questions about getting off oxys. Treatment is not an option for me and I wanted to know about suboxone. After gathering lots of info on the topic, I decided to taper off oxys myself and my goal is to NOT use suboxone.   I’m  not out the woods yet.

I am doing a very slow taper which was recommended here like this “reduce till you feel normal then reduce dosage again and go very very slowly”   So, I have managed to stay on this low dose for 35+ days and plan on continuing to reduce my dose, each time I feel normal. (Tuesdays I don’t work so I usually take a shot at it on Tuesdays).

This is not for everyone. I was never fiendish with my pills except for a month prior to finding this website, when I got together with an oxy user, who snorted them like crazy and I was right there with him, the after effects of snorting oxys are horrible, constantly seeking the pleasure monster and never ever reaching it. I haven’t sorted in 35 days) I guess I’m controlling it at this point, I have managed to stay on my taper plan without deviating for 35 days now.

And as far as the pain goes, I’m not in as much pain as I thought I would be in. The low dose is working better for my pain then the higher doses and I’m taking ibuprofen when I need to. And, so this is how I’m doing it.  Oh yea, and every day I ask God to remove my obsession with these pills, also going to AA/NA and coming to this website every day reading posts.  
Good luck to you
Helpful - 0
917008 tn?1251223979
Thanks for all your encouragement and advice ... putting off that morning "eye-opener" for a few hours and trying to keep busy.

I'll let you know how it's playing out.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

I think tapering is a graceful way to stop your meds without having to take additional meds (sub or methadone).  When I tapered, i stopped taking meds to get a baseline of how long I could go without any first.  My base was pretty weak...50 mins (I was on patches/percs...pretty heavy meds).  So for a taper...I cut all of my percs in half and:

1st 3 days - 1/2 pill every 50 min
next 3 days - 1/2 pill every 75 min
next 3 days - 1/2 pill every 140 min

until I arrived at 360 minutes and just stopped.  

There is an Amino Acid protocol in the Health Tips (right of the page).  The aminos help your body adjust as you stop opiates.  If you purchase a complex whey protein drink (or powder) that contains all of the aminos, you should be good; that's what I did and still do.

Most important aspect to all of this is having other outlets (for cravings) and a support system (this forum).  Most people will say quitting is easy but staying off meds is the hard part.

Almost 17 months clean now and going strong.

Take Care,

Guy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was taking at least 15 10mg of vicodin daily  for over two years and used the tapering method.
I did it this way, using 5/500
10 first day                                                      
8 second and third day
6 for two days
4 for three days
3.......for two more days
2....... For three days
1/2 twice daily for three day
then stopped all by the weekend,

I still had wd, but not as bad.  The worst was not being able to sleep,and the restlessness the first 10 days.
Today is my 22nd day opiate free!  I am sleeping better, have
most of my energyback and am proud of myself for making it this far without the help
of anyone but God and daily mediations.  I'm not saying it was easy, hell no, and I have a long way to go but I am on my way to a much cleaner and happier life.  God Bless.
Helpful - 0
926462 tn?1284819011
I.ve usually found that with any end...there must be a beginning. How did you get to this place?
Helpful - 0
926462 tn?1284819011
Are you writing a book?
Helpful - 0
917008 tn?1251223979
Well, thanks so much. I appreciate your support.

I would like to see some taperers tell their story -- I know it gets so annoying when you've cut down to your absolute minimum to function that you just stop, but it has to be timed for a weekend.

So, keep those thoughts and opinions coming in, folks, and thanks.
Helpful - 0
926462 tn?1284819011
You're off to a good start...you can't stand it and you don''t want this dictating your days. You're ahead already!  You know what you're schedule and expectations are...you know what you can do realisticaly to start tapering off. Taper, and substitute with somoething else...only you know how to start you're progress. You can do this! Hey, this is the best site, and I've probably not said enough. Good Luck.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
  I really wish there were some way you could get the depression under controll.  It is hard enough going through w/d, but being depressed to begin with makes it even more of a challenge!  I suffer from it myself, and even with Cymbalta x2 daily and remeron for sleep,  it would be hard to keep going without it for me!  Still having the craves at times, which really p*** me off to this day!!    Am glad I do not have to go back and start again, so I aught to look at the bright side!huh?
  I hope you can tapper,  some say they just had to jump, tappering wasn't something they felt like worked for them.  
Please post often and tell us how you're doing.  It sounds like life is really tough for you right now too so I hope you can be kind to yourself and take care.

El
Helpful - 0
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