stuck in a rut

[steveo30]

i can't seem to be able to drop down to 7 tabs.i started at 10,did pretty good until i got to 7.last night i woke up twice and had to change the sheets,i was sweating but also freezing.i couldn't take it so i did my 8th.i cant afford to fail this time.holidays are here and i dont want to go through this again.holidays seem to make things much harder.i feel shame and a failure.holidays should be fun,especially with family.hopefully i can do this.i think i,m tapering properly,its just a *****

[steveo30]

i haven't even been honest with you guys and i don't even see you.what the heck is wrong with me.i'm drinking every day 10to12beers.i take 2 mg's of xanax throughout the day and once in awhile i'll do somas but not to often. i really am down to 8 lortabs now and i will keep up with my taper i hope.ifeel better already getting that off my mind.i think that i've been so overwhelmed lately my bad habits are still around.i may not have lied but i sure left out alot

[worried878]

even if u CT nmow u will feel ok physically in less than a week at ur dose...mentally it will take a while...but if u have a problem sticking to ur taper..hand them over..if u cant do that then flush em and ct..sub should be a last resort if ur will power just can not hang or u have relapsed over and over

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

You should be able to taper or cold turkey that dose without the subs ....... I agree that you should keep some shirts or whatever to change into during the night - that was a horrid thing to deal with - the night sweats and all .......  good advice about the 1/2 a pill also - when you get toward the bottom, if you drop a standard pill you might go too far - most sage advice says 10% per week ... so keep the percent of dose in mind and not exclusively the number of pills.......it is different - and more different the fewer pills you do ....

[steveo30]

i started my taper at 10 -10mg's of lortab for 5 days then9 for 5 days then 8 for 5 days and so on.i will try what you said.thanks.i'm just trying to avoid the suboxone way.i've heard to many nightmares

[wannabefree330]

How long has it been since you began your taper?  If you can't go from 8 pills down to 7, try going down to 7 1/2?  Taper by 1/2 pills every few days.  While the sweats/chills are a bummer, remember you're not experiencing full w/d so, if you can't take off from work it is the better route....it just prolongs the w/d symptoms.  Also, remember that while you may have to change your clothes a few times each night, after the 2nd night your body has adjusted.  If you don't get someone to hold your stash now, you'll never continue dropping your dose.  I can guarantee from personal experience....the w/d symptoms will always be uncomfortable enough to take 'just one more'.  

Try dropping by 1/2 a pill and see how that helps.

[refusingbondage]

Hi Steveo.  Good advice above.  You may want to try just CT and be done with it... to me, tapering is so difficult.. even with having someone hold them for you... I always stayed in minor withdrawal while tapering .. whereas CT - BAM it was awful but it was it wasnt soo prolonged (cept with sub but thats a diff ballgame).. But that is just me... some people have a lot of success tapering and most docs recommend it.  If you must, I would def take OC's advice and have someone hold for you...It is very unlikely that as an addict you can keep yourself from taking that extra pill just to avoid that sweating/freezing, achy feeling.. which no doubt will come while tapering. No matter what - stay strong and be determined.  You can do this.  Its hard but you will feel so much better once your done tapering, done with withdrawal, etc. You just gotta hold on.  All the best to you.  

[ochooked]

Hi Stevo---  Just a suggestion but it sounds like you are trying to taper without someone to dispense your pills.  I do not know anyone who was able to quit this way ---  most on here say that "if I got em, I take em"  --  It just becomes so difficult and we all know that we cannot taper ourselves.  If you are down to only 7, the next step (if you cannot get someone to dispense for you) is to just CT it.  Yes, it will feel like cr*ap for a few days but if you can just call in sick with a case of really bad flu for a week, it will all be over with.  Wish you well man --  I congratulate you on what you have done so far;  hope you can make it the rest of the way -- - Keep reminding yourself why it was you decided to quit --- if you need help remembering - - just ask anyone on the site.  all the best.

[dominosarah]

I dont know much about tapering so cant help ya out there but i do know the sweating and chills are part of getting off the pills.  When i was wd'ing i just looked at it like it was one more way to get these pills out of my system.  Its no fun but something that will happen.  Stay strong and keep fighting this............sara