Vicodin Addiction Withdrawal, How Long? Does It Ever End?

[BenMyer]

Hi all, I would just like to say that I have been lurking on this site for awhile now before finally deciding to kick my habit. I have been addicted to Vicodin on and off for around 2 1/2 years. I recently decided it was time to stop after having taken it for 3 months straight. I just did not like what I was becoming, and what this drug was doing to my life in general. I always told myself that the habit I had (I never called it an addiction even though it was) was under control, and I could stop at any time, well I was wrong for 2 years. No reason existed for me to take it other than the relaxation the drug gave me. My dosage would be roughly around 2 to 3 pills in the evening just to relax, and help me sleep. I never went over 2 to 3 pills thankfully.

I decided to stop cold turkey 6 days ago due to the fact that it was having an impact on my work, my social life, and my time with my child. It is something I am not proud of having done, so I had to stop. I have stopped before as I stated, but this time I was determined. The withdrawals were miserable, something I never expected, but only heard about. It started with a very very strong craving for the drug the first 2 days, and constant muscle aches, along with sleepless nights. All along this time the urge to swallow some pills was always on my mind. I was dizzy sometimes, had hot flashes, and was cold all the time. To try to combat the sleepless nights, I used Advil, which didn't help. The mental said of the withdrawal is much worse than the physical pains. After 6 days now, I think I am starting to return back to my normal self. I feel more alert, sharper, and overall a different person. Today I have only thought about the drug maybe a few times, but without the horrible cravings I had during the mid-week. I know that this is just the tip of the iceberg on what to expect on my long road to being clean.

The questions I have are, how long will the urge to take a pill or two last? Does it ever really go away?

Thank you,
Ben

[intheminus]

Tramadol is an opoid (which means that it is a synthetic opiate-like substance). When I am prescribed pain meds for any reason,I always ask my doc to prescribe that instead of opiates...Docs always agree to do it and never give me a problem with it. It is legal and is not addictive like true opiates. I used it to kick my vicodin habit and it worked great. They don't prescribe it very much in the USA for some reason, but you can buy it online fairly easily (It is not illegal to buy or take here...except for maybe in a few states you need a scrip)...it is prescribed as a vet medicine a lot, i noticed (my dog was prescribed this med for a skin rash..lol..and NO i DID NOT take her pills. lol.)

[Chessg]

I was a heroin user back in the 80s. I never used a needle, which allowed my denial but sniffing heroin 2 to 3 days a week for over 5 years was a big problem. At first, I had it under control. I would've get high on a Fri. Or Sat. Night. Done. No withdrawal symtems, no urges till next week. Then do it again. 1 day became 2 days a week. Fri. And Sat. Was party time... Then came the withdrawal symtems. Mostly involuntary profuse sweating. Beside the general crappy depressed feeling.  This would start Sun. And last to either Tues. Or Wed. I did that for over 5 years. Well after many years of self sobriety. I now have the problem of not being able to take any  kind of pain medication more than once without having the sweats and sleepless nights. I have arthritis herniated and bulging discs.etc etc. Any suggestions?   In pain   with no gain.

[worried878]

Physical wds from your dose should be well less than a week.  Seems as if u used to relax, many use for nrg.  It is common to crave them at the times u used to take them for a while but it passes.  I was a daytime user, so nights were a breeze for me during wd.  Exercise helped me alot and the thomas recipe as well in the health pages.
I know it sounds strange, but many hydro users are also using alot of tylenol as well.  Sometimes the body is also in mild wd from tylenol too.  Sometimes taking a tylenol may help vs sumpin like advil.  Just a suggestion.
There are some great natural sleep aids like valerian root and melatonin available at the store...some use benadryl OTC.

Good luck to u
and skim thru the health pages...lots of great info there  (:

[jparks04]

not sure if anyones reading this old thread but reading and posting here sure made me feel better yesterday (yesterday was day 2 no pills).

I felt pretty crappy last night drank 1 1/2 liters of water, took some sea minerals, and went outside and forced myself to jog. I would jog for a block, then walk a block, then jog a block.
came home took a hot bath with epsom salt. used the light weights
I took a hit of weed last night. (pot makes me pretty sleepy)

Last night I even saw a friend who I know had pills in his pocket. My whole body was cringing and burning. I did not bring the subject up... **** that was hard. Something that helped keep me from
bringing up the subject was the way he looked. He had kind of darkness under his eyes
and he looked fidgety. It reminded me that pills do not really make you feel good...
they just make you want more pills.

I woke up this morning and feel really good... wow what a feeling and a relief.
I took my last pill on sunday morning at 10am. It is now wednesday morning.
I am so happy I did not take one last night.

Now I know my usual tough times are in the late afternoon. In the past I have even thought
that if I could have a prescription that would allow me to walk-in, sign something, and walk out with one 7.5mg pill between the hours of 3pm and 7pm it would be an ideal situation.
I still have pretty painful neuropathy (which got me on the pain pills in the first place) and I am going to have to deal with that.

Again my tips for reducing vicodin withdrawals

• put a rubberband around your wrist. when you are having pain and thoughts of
breaking down, pull that rubberband and snap it hard into your wrist. remember
the pain it causes you to get off of them and that you don't want to feel this pain again.
I might have to wear this rubberband on my wrist for a long time.

• Sea Minerals - they might be one of the great cures of all time.
liquid form, they taste unbelievably horrible. I mean really bad.
Put a teaspoon into a shake with a banana, some protein powder & milk.
add a little honey and a small piece of ginger.

• as I mentioned above USE THE 5LB WEIGHTS
when you are feeling horrible it is hard to do but go pick them up and just start
lifting them, curls 30 times, over your head 30 times. It will keep you occupied for a few minutes
and moving your muscles and joints around will help with the wd pains.

• drink lots of water. distilled water is supposed to help leach things from your blood. might be
a crock, but for the next week or so I am drinking 1 1/2 liters of distilled water and 1 liter of regular water each day.

[jparks04]

no doubt it helps to read others stories...

I was taking 1 or 2 percs or vicodin a day, would skip a day or two here and there, feel like crap... skipped a couple of weeks this fall mostly because I could not get any, but then i'd get another bottle of that crap and was back on the train.

I just came off maybe 60 days of doing 1 or 2 of them every day, its been almost 48 hours, nobody knows about this but me... it was my secret addiction... so it is my secret withdrawal... it *****.

a few things that seem to help
hot tub
take small 5lb weights and lift them in all directions for 2 or 3 minutes every time you feel the horrible cringes just go grab those little weights.

I am mentally saying to myself that it is just like having the Flu - there is nothing I can really do about it and it is going to last for 5,6,7 days.

I think i'm going to get through the physical part I hope I can deal with the long-term.

[roughroad]

Glad to see lots of people giving helpful advice on this. I just made my decision to stop yesterday after my last pill at 1pm. I was using vic for the last year and a half to help me move past my divorce and have the energy to keep up with two small kids. Well I realized in the last 6months that even though I was only taking about 2pills a day sometimes as much as 4 that I was addicted. It made me feel like I was just trying to get through everyday and not really living. Sure there is that rush at first but it doesn't last. I made the decision all by myself and it ***** to have nobody to talk to about it because nobody knew I was even taking them. I thought I was invincible....superwoman. I couldn't get addicted, I had it under control. Well this time I was wrong. I really hope to feel like my old self soon because I don't even remember what that was like. I can't even describe how I feel today. Exhausted, sick, achy, depressed, and I can't function.
Is it possible I could feel normal soon? I need to be a more attentive mom who isn't so moody and I try my best but it breaks my heart to know that I am all they have and I am not as calm and supportive as they need me to be.  ugh!!

as of now I am 1 1/2 days over this s**t. I don't ever want to take them again!