Vicodin withdrawal, please help

[crazycoco]

As I type this I am crying.. I just got through a Benzo withdrawal, Klonopin and Xanax.. It was hell! I only took it for my horrible anxiety, I never abused it but because I took it for so long my body depended on it. Benzo withdrawal is way worse than Vicodin withdrawal but I can't take any of this anymore. I was diagnosed with ovarian cysts, one of them ruptured causing extreme pain, all over pelvic area as well as down my legs. I was prescribed Vicodin, apparently I got addicted. It's been a week and I can't do it, it isn't getting any better. I'm still in a lot of pain due to the cysts but I've been taking Ibuprofen which barely helps. Do I get back on the Vicodin and wean off? What do I do? Good news is I have had little to no physical withdrawal symptoms.. My stomach cramps occasionally and sometimes I shake.. The rest is all mental. My mind is clouded, I am going crazy, my anxiety is out of control.. I'm not me. I wish I would fall into a coma until this was over. I want to get better for me but more importantly for my young child. Each day is the same, I can hardly function. Someone please help.

[crazycoco]

None of that has helped thus far.. My anxiety just comes and goes, and I get paranoid. A lot of it is out of my control. Like I said, I would be fine if the mental cloudiness would go away. I have a feeling I will be like this for awhile though and I really don't know how to manage.

[atthebeach]

also taking baths with Epsom salts,valerian root, sleepy time tea, melatonin helps to relax you.
time will be your best healer, keep on keepin on.
keep pushing forward, one day at a time.............

[atthebeach]

if you felt fine and were done with the benzo withdrawal which by the way is great. the anxiety is from the vicodin withdrawal.
opiate withdrawal does cause anxiety and the fogginess that you described.

please take the suggestions I mentioned above. if you are at one week you should be starting to feel better soon.
don't give up the fight now, you are doing awesome.
keep yourself busy, mind and body.
make sure you eat it is important.
if you cant sleep at night don't lay there and get more anxious get up and watch tv, a movie, clean the house, whatever.
keep posting for support and with any questions you have,
sending prayers, peace, and encouragement,
congrats on your clean time.
Debbie

[VICourageous]

What I have experienced is when we give up any Substances our brain and body starts to heal and this does take time..There are a billion transmitter in the brain and certain drugs hit certain receptors as well. So when we put another drug in our body the brain and the body will go through another w/d. I do think it has something do do with the hydos but in that case you should be over this soon. Just make sure you are keeping hydrated and doing all the vit/min. Magnz, Calcium, and Potassium is good for sleep as vit D can be too.You well be fine in no time..Just hang on tight.
Bless

[MojoAlbum]

Ok. My big mouth needs to say something here too. So much for my comfortable lurking!  
I came off Xanax about 2 years ago. I am 4 days clean from hydros. I am also having a physical reaction bodily that I had coming off the Xanax. It seems to happen several times per day. So, I have just been giving my body enough time to adjust and not worrying. But, I do have that same reaction!  

[crazycoco]

I wasn't on that much - 5/500 mg.. Like I said, I can't recall how much I took per day but it was more than I was supposed to. It got to the point where Vicodin was the only thing that helped for my pain so I would take them whenever. I have been off of Benzos for a few months now. I am able to eat, not much and I rarely have an appetite but I haven't thrown up. Yes my anxiety came back once I stopped the Vicodin. I was fine once I weaned off of benzos. I had very minimum anxiety, I was sleeping fine, I wasn't feeling crazy or mentally clouded, etc. It all started back when I got on and then off of the Vicodin.

[crazycoco]

Thank you. I don't understand... the benzo withdrawals came back? Because I weaned off of them with the supervision of my dr. I was fine when I weaned off completely. I felt normal.. I didn't start feeling like this until I started taking the Vicodin, I noticed when I would go a day or two without taking them, I got these symptoms again. If this is from the benzos, what do I do? I have read it can take a long time (sometimes up to a year) to feel normal again. I don't think I can do that.

I don't do anything for my anxiety now except the occasional melatonin or otc sleeping pill. I just try to handle it. I would feel fine if this mental cloudiness would go away. It really hinders everything. I do have support; my husband is great. He'll stay up with me when he can but he works night shift, so I am alone most nights and it drives me crazy. He also doesn't understand much of this, so there's only so much he can do.
What can I do? I can't live like this and I don't understand how benzo withdrawals can just come back when I was doing so well.

[atthebeach]

how much vicodin were you on?
how long has it been since your benzo taper?
have you been able to eat?
make sure you keep yourself hydrated, with juice, water, Gatorade,
drinking boost, ensure, muscle milk, protein shakes.
fruits, veggies, and lots of protein.
move around as much as possible and get in as much exercise as you can.

did the anxiety only start again once you stopped the vics?

[crazycoco]

I have been off of benzos for a long time now.. I got to the point where I didn't need to take the very small amount I was taking. I felt fine for awhile, then I started taking Vicodin. Once I stopped taking the Vicodin, all of this started.

[EvolverU]

Hi there & Welcome. I believe atthebeach & VIC are absolutely on the $$ when they suggest that your  rebound anxiety is an aftereffect of the benzo withdrawal. It DOES take a long time. I have a feeling that you weren't really that physically addicted to the opiate as your w/d's were minimal. The shaking that you mentioned is usually a benzo symptom. It takes time for the brain/body system to heal from the trauma that long term use of these chemicals cause.

It sounds to me like you're alone in all this. Is there a way that you can get some counseling  for the anxiety & just for support  while you're healing? I'm thinking of someone who won't just prescribe something for you but will teach you alternative ways of dealing with your anxiety.

You're in the right place & I'm so glad you reached out! You're NOT alone, here. I think it's wonderful that you want to do this for yourself & your child despite the complications. We're here for you!

[VICourageous]

I 100% agree with atthebeach. I came off c/t from Methadone, Adderral and Klons. My anxiety was on the moon for a long time. My detox took more months then any other opiates. To this day almost 11m later I now find out the the reason it was so long was because of the benzo. I also did not know how serious it could be to go c/t from a benzo until I got on here. I am telling you that the benzo is a whole other ballgame and it does play on the mind. I read it hits the Gabba Transmitter. So when we are poly users we have to deal with the fact that we hit more transmitter then just one drug. I wish you the best. BUT I will say it will get better both Mentally and Physically. Maybe give it some time and if you still feel depressed try a AD for a short time..Meanwhile there are all kinds of natural things that can help rebalanced the brain out..Its like Brain food. Magnz is a blessing in itself.
Bless

[atthebeach]

How long has it been since you tapered down from the benzos? Benzo withdrawal takes a long time. What you said of feeling disconnected from reality is from the benzo withdrawal.
Have you been back to the doctors since you stopped the benzos? If you have bad anxiety what are you doing to control it now?
Many times anxiety will actually get worse being on benzos for a long time. Are you seeing a therapist? Keeping yourself busy? Are you exercising?

Maybe you should hold off on the Vic withdrawal for awhile until you stabilize from the benzos w/d.
Keep the faith. Take it one day at a time.

[ariley13]

So, the physical stuff has pretty much passed. The mental stuff can be very rough. Everyone is different as far as how long it lasts. What you are describing is very common and it does pass. I can promise you that. The reason you needed to taper off of the Xanax is because it can be dangerous to stop Benzos cold turkey. Like you said, the w/ds are way worse than opiate w/ds. At this point, trying to taper off of the Vicodin when you have already been off for a week and it is all out of your system is pointless. Try to be patient and take this a day at a time. Even an hour or a minute at a time if you need to. Maybe check out some aftercare. NA/AA meetings, counseling, even this site can help some. This will all pass and you will be clearheaded and free. No more being numbed out to everything. You are doing a fantastic job! You've made it a week and made it through the worst of the physical w/ds. Keep hanging in there, and pushing through. The rest will level out. If you find you are still having a really hard time and can't take it, you can always discuss this with your doctor and see what they recommend.

[crazycoco]

Well, the only thing that got me off of the Xanax was weaning. I quit that cold turkey for a few weeks and it was hell on Earth, I was in and out of the ER like crazy. Once I got back on a low dose, I was able to wean myself correctly. I haven't been on Vicodin for that long, it was the regular 5/500 mg. I can't recall how many I took a day, but it wasn't a lot like most of the stories I have read. Whats troubling me most is the mental side effects, I can't function day to day like this. I wake up every morning and feel the same as I did the day before. I'm not myself, I'm disconnected from reality. It's hard to be positive about any of this, not to mention I already suffer from an anxiety disorder.

[ariley13]

Hi there! I know all about the ovarian cysts. They are so painful. How much Vicodin where you taking and how long have you been taking it? That will make a difference on how long it takes for the physical withdrawls to go away. Whatever you do, do not start taking them again! If you do, you will just have to go through this all over again.  There is no point is starting them again just to taper at this point. If you have been completely off of them and all other opiates for a week, your symptoms should be peaking (or already have peaked) and you should be very close to being through the worst of this. Just hang on! Stay close to this site. We are here for you. It's a great place for support, encouragement, and info. What symptoms are the most troubling to you right now? Keep talking and we can help you through this. You are not alone.