Help! "Twas the night before withdrawals...

[piperlaurie]

Hey everyone,

Tomorrow (Monday) is the day that I'm supposed to stop taking the Vicodin (7.5/750 8 x p/day) I've been using ONLY 10 days to help with methadone withdrawals (I was taking 25 mg of methadone for 10 months). I'm supposed to wait 12-24 hours before being inducted into the Sub via an FDA study I'm enrolled in.

The hope was by this 11-day mark, there would be more Vicodin in my system than methadone thereby making an easier (and faster) transition into Sub. I chose this route because I knew I could not go from methadone straight to Suboxone because I'd never make it to the 36-hour mark required for methadone to suboxone vs. only 12-24 hours for vicodin.

Nonetheless, the prospect of facing even 12 hours of going cold turkey off of Vicodin (and no doubt some residue methadone) is not a pleasant one for me. I'm really not good with pain--as with most redheads, I have a very low tolerance to it.

I have on hand leftover bottles of various meds--some of which I've only used once or twice. My $64,000 question is this:

Can I use any or all of these meds to help me with my 12-14 hour withdrawal (I can't tolerate going more than that) without Suboxone kicking them out of my system thereby causing the feared precipitated withdrawal? Keep in mind I'd only be using these meds over a 12-hour period--hardly long enough to cause Sub to react to them (if they would anyway.)

Here is what I have:

Tramadol HCL 50 MG (Pain killer--very low opiate)
Flexeril 10 Mg. (Muscle relaxer I think)
Morphine Sulf 30 MG
Mylan 5050 (Temazepam)-A Benzy used for sleep


Any help would be greatly appreciate. This is an urgent decision I need to make tonight, though I will also ask the FDA doctor in the morning if he returns my phone call in a timely manner which he may not.

Thanks!

[Cats Meow]

Don't take any opioids, as you know you have to be in w/d's, otherwise you are postponing the inevitable. You can take the Flexeril and the Temazepam; your first 24hrs won't be too bad, w/d's kick in hard on the second day, by then you'll be inducted and have some relief with the Sub. Day one of w/d's normally you get your last good day of sleep, so get comfortable, cuddle up, turn on the TV, avoid caffeine and plan on napping all day, it shouldn't be too bad at all. Wednesday you're going to be 100%, feeling great, and all your worries will be behind you. No need to worry about anything.
Save your Flex and Tems until you really need it, then when you feel that you do, wait an extra hour or two before you take it, you'll feel it comfort you even more.
Good luck, and tell us how it goes.

[piperlaurie]

Thanks, Cats. Good advice. It's great to have so many helpful and supportive people out there. The good news is I really only need to be in 12 hours of withdrawal with Vicodin--by then I'll be just about at the right place on the PAWS scale for them to let me be inducted into the Sub. That was, after all, my whole point in switching from methadone to Vicodin for 10 days--so that I could go through 12-14 hours of withdrawal vs. 36-48!

People who've done it say 12 hours will most likely be enough. Actually, I went from Vicodin to Sub before (then was put on methadone which I wish had never happened) and had 0 hours of withdrawal because I somehow missed the doctor's instructions. He was shocked that the Sub didn't throw me into acute withdrawals--in fact, I felt great. It must have been God is all I can say!

Nonetheless, I will do it the "right" way this time--don't want to take any chances.

Thanks again...I'll let you know how it goes. I'm really looking forward to the 30-day mark when I can be off of opiates--once and for all.

Don't take any opioids, as you know you have to be in w/d's, otherwise you are postponing the inevitable. You can take the Flexeril and the Temazepam; your first 24hrs won't be too bad, w/d's kick in hard on the second day, by then you'll be inducted and have some relief with the Sub. Day one of w/d's normally you get your last good day of sleep, so get comfortable, cuddle up, turn on the TV, avoid caffeine and plan on napping all day, it shouldn't be too bad at all. Wednesday you're going to be 100%, feeling great, and all your worries will be behind you. No need to worry about anything.
Save your Flex and Tems until you really need it, then when you feel that you do, wait an extra hour or two before you take it, you'll feel it comfort you even more.
Good luck, and tell us how it goes.