[nekoinu]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone might be able to give me some advice, I recently had a lung removed through my back due to lung cancer and have been taking Lortab 7.5/500 (previously 10/500) about 6-10 tablets a day since January 2004. About 2 weeks ago, I had spoken to a nurse over the telephone about getting my prescription refilled and she talked to me like a drug addict and was extremely rude to me and refused to ask the doctor for a refill. After about 4 days of going cold turkey I thought I was going to lose my mind. I couldn't sleep, wasn't eating, my legs kept kicking all the time, twitching, had constant "shivers" and other such lovely symptoms.

Out of desperation, I made another call to the doctor and actually was able to speak to the doctor himself and he said it was too premature to have me taken off of the medication and quickly prescribed me 90 pills. I just got that refilled again the other day. Now, my question is, does anyone know of a way that I can stop taking these lortabs with a minimal withdrawl problem? I honestly do not want to be on this stuff anymore if I can possibly help it, but I know that what I went through the last time was not much fun. I thought that maybe there are certain vitamins or suppliments I could take, or maybe tapering off gradualy might be the answer, or possibly a combination of both. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[ea71279]

Hi, I've been on and off perscrption pain killers for about 3 years for a back disorder, the best way Ive found to step off of one is to taper. To cut cold turkey is just to hard, and can make you physically sick sometimes, and in some cases needs to be done under doctor's supervision. Always try and talk to a Dr. about refills. Nurses, and pharmacies sometimes don't understand and you end up getting treated like a junkie. Ive been told a million times to be aware of addiction. Right now I'm on 30mg of MS Contin twice daily, and 500 mg of Vicodin about 3-4 times per day. Sometimes you just gotta be thick skinned!!
I hoped this helped..

[paulyboy]

have you considered alternative medicine perhaps.

[Nialldc]

quote:Originally posted by ea71279

Hi, I've been on and off perscrption pain killers for about 3 years for a back disorder, the best way Ive found to step off of one is to taper. To cut cold turkey is just to hard, and can make you physically sick sometimes, and in some cases needs to be done under doctor's supervision. Always try and talk to a Dr. about refills. Nurses, and pharmacies sometimes don't understand and you end up getting treated like a junkie. Ive been told a million times to be aware of addiction. Right now I'm on 30mg of MS Contin twice daily, and 500 mg of Vicodin about 3-4 times per day. Sometimes you just gotta be thick skinned!!
I hoped this helped..

[miguel]

Sorry to say but you are hooked, hydrocone is addictive. My suggestion is to go to an internal medicine physician or to a pain clinic where the MD is familiar with the color of PAIN. You need to back-off progressively over the period of many months. Unfortunately, at this level, the only resorts are 2: an implanted morphine pump (provided you are not allergic to that drug, you find-out when the check is made by injecting a small dose directly in the lower spine canal), or continue with Lortab gradually limiting the pills down to about 3/day. By the way, Vicodin ES is also similar to Lortab. I prefer taking the 7.5/750, the last number is the amount of tylenol in the tab. I've taken the stuff for the last 20+ years because of a thoraxic fusion left me with chronic pain. I worked down to 3/day and that seems to work OK. To manage your pain, keep yourself busy during the day and save the hydrocone for your rest. Use tylenol during the day. Good luck and God Bless...there's hope in Jesus, make him your Lord by accepting Him in your heart as your Savior. This hurting earth-suit will soon go away when He calls us home.

[jnygaard]

Hi,

I also was taking this for a few years.

What I did was to taper off very very slowly. I cut down to one pill a day cut into 6 pieces. Then l gradually tried to put more time in between each pill so eventually I was taking less than one pill a day. I then switched to Darvocet for a few days. Darvocet is supposed to be a weaker narcotic than Hydrocone is. Then I just stopped the Darvocet and never took another narcotic again.

It wasn't easy, but I did it and so can you. In a few weeks, I was getting over the withdrawal but the drug had caused a lot of other problems in my body which I am now dealing with.

I hope this helps. Please email me if you need to.
Martha

[prisnusber]

This is my first post. I don't even know if I'm in the correct section. I'm looking for information/support/advice regarding drug addiction and withdrawing from narcotics. I suffer from chronic back pain since 1995. In the late 90's I was addicted enough the doctor put me in the hospital and stopped cold turkey, experiencing the horrible withdrawal symptoms we all know. I stopped taking medication for years. I started taking them again at the beginning of the year, moving from Vicodin 5/500 to Roxicodone (oxycodone) 30 mg. four times a day (120 mg/day). I decided to stop as my pain has improved and I'm seeing my pain doctor tomorrow to go over what we're going to do. Any tips, suggestions, advice, etc. will greatly be appreciated. The doctor said she has patients that have quit cold turkey and some that have tapered off. I'm not sure I can do the tapering off, think that if I have them, I'll take them. On the other hand, I do not want to experience the miserable withdrawal symptoms. Doc says she can prescribe other stuff to help me. Like what would that be? Please tell me ya'll experiences regarding this. Thanks! (By the way, I'm taking some time off from work to help me during this.)

[LADYRET]

This is to the original letter writer. You are definitely addicted! Six to ten pills a day is way too much to take. I would try to cut down on how many I took a day. Try something less addictive for in between when the Lortab is wearing off. If I can make a suggestion. Go to Walmart and get the big bottle of Co-Q-10 and take at least 200 mg a day. Take it faithfully every day. It may take a month or more, but you will gradually start noticing a decrease in your pain. I have a ruptured disk with a pinched sciatic nerve and had to quit work in 2000 because of it(I had been a nurse for 30 years.) I started taking the Co-Q-10 for something else, and just noticed one day that my back and legs didn,t bother me like it use to at all. Good luck and God bless you!

Donna

[lydiap009]

what is it? And what does it say is in it? I have sciatica and tendonitis and chronic bursitis and osteoperosis. so, im willing to try anything.