How to taper off and how long

[TEW0113]

HELP. This site look like exactly what I was hoping to find.  I have had 7 surgeries in 2.5 years.  I had a double mastectomy with breast cancer, then every complication possible in reconstruction.   Right before my cancer diagnosis I had back surgery for a herniated disc.  I have permanent nerve damage in my back.  I flew off a horse.
I have been on pain pill for 5 years.  I don't no I can stand the pain without any but I go thru my prescription way too fast, then for a week and a half I suffer or buy some from a friend which I cannot afford. Plus it goes against everything I am, I 50 years old.  I now have a gagliano cyst behind my knee cap, I wake up all night trying to straighten my knees.  

I am supposed to take 5 Norco a day.  I take more like 10....Still the pain stays, but I've been reading that sometimes the more you take the worse your pain is????
If I start weining off can someone tell me how many I should go down and and stay on, then go down again...For me it's more mental plus I have too much darn time on my hands.  My last surgery was 6 weeks ago and it seems that this one is a success so I am looking hard for a job.  I tend to isolate myself with depression...

I guess I'm just glad I found a place to let my guilt out.  
Thank you in advance for any help...

[wendall2840]

Hi Tew

Welcome to the site.  It has been a life saver for me.  I first posted about 3 weeks ago in a panic.  I don't normally have panic attacks but the guilt and gut feeling that I knew I was in over my head with the pain meds really hit.  I don't often post but the fact that you injured yourself on a horse and have too much time on your hands definitely resonated with me.  I started to taper as it was the only thing I could imagine doing at the time. Reading about the w/d scared the heck out of me. I also told some of my close friends and a family member and it gave me the courage to proceed. The guilt was eating me up alive. Everyone was more understanding than I could have ever imagined.  That and this site have got me to the place where I'm about ready to quit completely. So much of this is mental and you can't beat yourself up. I started VERy conciously noticing how my pain was instead of just popping  a pill. I also followed the Thomas recipe and I really think the vitamins have helped to prepare me. I wish you lots of love and prayers.  If you want to message we can talk more.

[ricart70]

Hi and welcome !!  Sorry you are going through all of this. We are not allowed
to give out taper schedules on here but we can say that dropping slowly over a period of weeks is the best if you can do that but any weaning will make things easier.  You can do this and just keep posting and let us know what's going on. Have you read the Thomas recipe ?   Staying hydrated during this process is the most important thing. Also eating even if you don't want to is also very important. Imodium is another thing that you need to pick up .Take plenty of it in the beginning. it will help with all of the symptoms.   Hang in there and keep posting ok.   Ric