Advice needed

[Footblplaya]

Hi,
I am an 18 yr old high school senior. I have been taking prescription pain killers for about 3 yrs now. It started as just a fun thing to do on weekends but has turned into a serious addiction. I have been taking about 50 mg of hydrocodone a day. Sometimes I would take oxycontin or percocet if I had the money to buy it. On the weekends I would usually take a lot more, sometimes as much as 150 mg in one night. It got to the point that I was taking money from my parent's checking account. Last year right before Christmas I took so much money that we couldn't afford to buy gifts for Christmas. I love my parents very much and felt horrible about what I had done. My addiction was so strong that it drove me to repetedly take money from my parents. Last week I took $955 from my parent's account to buy oxycontin. It was so much money that it almost drained my parent's checking account. I decided last friday would be the last time that I used. So today is the second day without drugs. I know that I have have a long and painful road ahead but I am determined to stay clean. I was just wondering if you had any advice to help me get through this. I have no idea what is in store for me as far as withdraw symptoms and I was wondering if you could educate me. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.
-Cody

[dominosarah]

Hi Cody.....This part will be rough for a few days.  Vomiting and diarrhea are pretty common things.  If you like Gatorade get some of that.  You have to stay hydrated.  Getting up and moving around will also help.  Force yourself if you have to.  Hot baths or showers will help with the aches and pains.  I would seriously consider checking into some sort of recovery care.  With addiction getting clean is the easy part, staying clean is the hard part.  After the wd's the mental game kicks in.  You need to learn the tools to stay clean.  There will be alot of temptations thrown at you due to your age and you need to know how to deal with them.  I am really happy you are putting a stop to this and reaching out for help.  You can do this~~~ sara

[Lucky2bAlive]

Another thing I don't understand..you say that you have been taking money from your parents for over a year now. And that you took $955 from there checking this week. They are aware of your problem and support you. They have not said anything about the fact that you spent 1000$ on oxy in there money in one week. They arent mad about it, concerned? You need to tell them to cut you off. Get rid of whatever access you have to there accounts if you are SERIOUS about quitting. It will only get worse if you dont quit now.

[Lucky2bAlive]

You need to find a benzo to calm you down. If it gets out of hand I would get professional help or the ER. It's pretty strange that you sick to the point of throwing up from only 50mg hydro per day. I did not vomit from 600mg oxy a day but that might just be your stomach. Get anti-nasua medicated asap and immodium. And try and get xanax or ativan to help with the anxiety and sleep. Do not work yourself up more then you need to. Stay calm. Sit in a hot bath for an hour and just relax. This will all pass. Stay hydrated.

[Jaybay]

Get into a hot bath now, and drink lots and lots of water.  

[Footblplaya]

So, I just had my first round of throwing up. I have a very bad headach, I am sweating like crazy, and I feel very nervous and anxious. Anyone that has any advice on how to ease these symptoms, please let me know.

[Footblplaya]

Thanks for the help I would love to talk to you more tomarrow like you said I will be on in the evening

[Footblplaya]

Yes, my parents are aware of my addiction. They don't fully understand how I could spend that much money on drugs or the pressures of addiction. They are very loving and support me fully in my decision to get clean. I still find comfort in confiding in people who have been through this and understand what I am going through. Thanks for the advice.
- Cody  

[IBKleen]

Come on out here and talk hun. As I said, I am off to bed in a minute but members here can help you with home remedies to help ease the withdrawal symptoms. I can barely type right now I am so tired so hang with these good folks here and they will support you, ok?

Hang in there....

[ashleyd123]

Congratulations are in order for you!! Thats very strong and wise of you!! You should be so proud!!
Next thing is this: Stay strong and know that you can do this! You are already into day 2 and you keep getting stronger everyday!

Are you having any symptoms at all? Because withdrawal symptoms are so different for everyone.

You really need a good support group to keep you motivated! (preferably a friend or family) but, if you find that hard then you need to keep posting !
god bless you!! ashley

[Jaybay]

Congratulations on your decision to stop using drugs.  There is a whole lot more to recovery than detox.  Taking drugs is only a symptom of addiction.  If you don't ask for the mental therapy at the same time, your odds of staying clean are lower.

How much do your parents know about your addiction?  Surely they see the checking account balance going down, so how do you explain that to them?  If they know what you are doing with the money, then you need to go to them for REAL help.  Since you are 18, you are probably still on their insurance policy and can probably get excellent professional help for your recovery.  

You know, confession really is good for the soul, and that's doubly true for an addict.  Admitting that you have a problem AND asking for help gets you halfway to a sober and healthy life.  Then the daily work begins.  You may be surprised at how much support you'll receive from your parents and others in your life if you only ask for it.  :-)

[hellc@mst]

Hi Cody. First i really want to commend you for realising early on that you have a serious problem that demands immediate intervention. This is a mature realisation that many here were unable to identify until much later and after tremendous heartache. Well done.

As far as withdrawals go, read the health pages here on the top right of the page, specifically the Thomas Recipe. The Thomas Recipe lists some OTC medicines which can help to mitigate the severity of your withdrawal symptoms.

Expexct to feel as though you have come down with a really bad flu. Muscle cramps, diarhea, insomnia are the most debilitating physical symptoms. You may find that you begin to sneeze a lot, are emotionally fragile and feel extremely lethargic. These are all normal and should peak 3-4 days after your last pill and will gradually subside every day thereafter. Post here regularly for support and try and find an ally( preferably a parent) who you can confide in when you are feeling especially vulnerable to relapse or just need someone to shoot the breeze with.

All the best. Kind regards Jeremy.

[IBKleen]

Hi & Welcome,

You are day 2 without anything and you have no withdrawal symptoms? Are you feeling sick at all?