Withdrawl from long term use of narcotic pain killers

[shelby]

I am thankful to have found this site, as I find this a very difficult subject to talk to anyone about. Reading eveyones stories helps me feel not so alone. Here's mine. I was diagnosed with a life threatening cancer about five years ago. I was treated aggressively and apparently successfully, but the treatment left me with some chronic pain. I have been taking ms contin and oxycodone for breakthrough ever since. In addition to controlling the pain, I liked the feeling it gave me. Rather than feeling tired all the time ,I seemed to have more energy, plus a feeling of wellbeing when facing a very difficult time. Well, it looks as though the cancer is not going to get me and I want to finally put that chapter behind me and get on with life. Through it all I have maintained a busy professional life as well as being a wife and mother of school age children. So, about three days ago I cut my dosages in half, and its been rough. I think what I am experiencing is textbook withdrawl; leg cramps, diarrhea, feeling cold all the time, and inability to sleep. I think that is the worst, when the whole house is asleep and I am up and down, in the bed, on the couch etc, etc. I suppose I should ask my Doc about this but I have to admit I am ashamed to. My docs and the nurses have been great and have never made me bad, so I guess it is just my hang-up. I had to laugh when I read on one of the postings that this tendency to try and do it yourself is often part of the problem! Thats me, hard headed. Thanks for listening.

[miquey]

After five years, I've finally worked up the courage and realized that I need help....I'm only 25 years old..will be 26 next month..and my life has gone a full 180..i used to be such a good person..after years of being teased in high school, I made it--never missed a day..worked 50 plus hrs just to get myself through college to have my dream of being a foreign language teacher..in my 2nd year of college when i was bar tending, someone (who is now a friend of mine, which makes this harder) gave me a vicodin for pain that i had with a hernia that i had for 3 years..i didn't have benefits to get surgery..so i seen that as my "cure" of pain..never was i told that they were addicting..boy, after taking my first one i felt great..i thought, "wow, takes away the pain and my shyness"..it had taken me 2 years to realize that i was addicted when I experiened my first withdrawl..i just thought i was sick..but that's when i learned it was withdrawl..i stopped for only a few days and realized i had a problem--bc i missed them..i should had stopped then, but i went back..now, 5 years later..i'm no longer teaching bc i can't handle putting my students thru hell for days i don't have a pill...and i was such a good teacher..i never dared to tell anyone--especially my family bc i'm so afraid of what they will think..the only people who know are the people who supply it..and they always make me feel like "you know, it's so common nowadays..don't say you're gonna quit and don't"..and then they don't call me for a while till i call them for more..i pray for everyone..my next step of courage is just to finally go to meetings to get my life back..the worst thing is feeling like a prisoner in your own body and feeling like your soul is dying..sometimes i get the strength to go a week w/o them..but though the physical withdrawl is hell..i think the mental part is worse..bc after a week i have all these feelings returning and just don't know how to handle them..i'll stop now bc i know i'm typing a lot..i pray for everyone and i will keep in touch..i pray that we give each other strength  to beat whatever is driving us to continue taking these pills...Love ya all..

mike

[coaster1]

I'm really glad I found this website. I was taking 10 to 15 lorcets a day for over a year. It got to where I had to take 3 just to get up in the morn. In addition I started drinking and smoking after going for yrs without those vices. On July 5th 07 I went to my doctor for help to get off the pills and had to pay $65.00 just to be told that there was nothing he could do to help me. So I went home and suffered. It was much worse than I expected. The depression is the worst part. It's been a month and a half and I feel alot better, but still very weak. Does anyone know how long this will last. I talked to a Doctor who was addicted to this stuff and he said it was 3 months to feel normal for him.

Chuck

[Rayy]

Hi, everyone im new here. Yall seem like a great group of people. ive been takinbg pills for bout 5 years nows and the alst two years ive gotten so bad that im losing my mind i have no memory im screwing up at work at home my family nearly has turned there backs on me ive been taking 150 to 300 mgs of OC, VIcodin, lorcets, norcols, Ms contins for the last year  im on my thrid tim e quitting right now as we speak and im on day two i feel terrible. this is the worst withdrawals ive ever felt before. ive woke up everymorning for a year now in pain because i have no drugs in me. addiction to this stuff is the worst. biggest regret of my life. and i was wondering if anyone knows ways of keeping the withdrawals to a mininum i know its not good to quit cold turkey thats its life threatening but at this point if i keep eating its life threatening  i misss the old me before i started taking these things  please right back id like to know ow to kepp the withdrawals down while doin so cold turkey or jsut to keep my mind busy any ideas?  

                                                       Thankyou everyone Ray

[Cyan]

I am trying to get off pain meds but can't seem to do it.  I have an chance to use methadone to detox off the oxycodone, but does anyone know if while on the methadone i will be able to clean the oxycodone out of my system or once of the methadone will i just have the same cravings and withdrawl symptoms.  I know that it is also adictive, but i would plan on only using it for a few days.  Does anyone know if this will work?

[LovelyLucia]

All you can do is gradually cut your dose down a little everyday, like cut the pills in fractions...but you may need somebody else that isn't addicted, to hold your meds for you. And maybe some antianxiety meds would also help out with the withdrawals.

[refump]

i have a back injury from 2003. since then i have been taking 2-40mg of slow release oxy, 1-10mg of oxy at 7 in the morning i then take 8-10 percs  for breakthrough pain and then 2-40mg of slow release oxy, 1-10mg of oxy at 7 in the evening. i have been doing this for the last 2 years.  i have depression and memory loss as well i get very confused at times during the day. i had back surgery in May of 2007 and i have to get off the pills as i can not take the side effects anymore. i am so scared and find i make things up to hide the memory loss and then forget what i have said. how do i get off and still conrol the pain. i want to be free of this and feel so lost.  is the effects normal and will i get better.  thx so much  Marty