Hi,
I wish you the best of luck. You can Google "The Thomas Recipe". It's a helpful blend of supplements, hot baths and a few benzos that can ease withdrawal symptoms. It won't make it fun; just bearable. Here's somebody's version of it below:
(I would add that the L-Tyrosine is only to be used if you feel like you need more energy at some point--probably Not right away)
Ara
Detox Recipe:
This is my cold turkey detox recipe for
Lortabs/Norco/Vicodin (yes, with the right combo of drugs and non-drug therapies, you can detox yourself from this drug) I know because I developed this formula in order to detox myself from a seventy-five (yes, 75) vicodin per day habit. So here it is. If you're going to do it, follow it to the letter or it won't work. The one RX drug you will need to make it really work is some kind of benzo like
valium (recommended),
klonopin, librium,
xanax,
ativan (etc). So, if you have any relatives that can help you out with one of these drugs (or a doctor, of course) the benzos will help make the results much more successful....but if you can't, the recipe can still work.
Here's my tried and true do-it-yourself "cold turkey" detox protocol
Supplies you will need first:
As many Valium, Xanax, Librium, Ativan, Klonopin as you can get your hands on
First Day off opiates: Use enough Valium or whatever to, if possible, sleep through most of the first couple of days. Then start decreasing the dose until your down to nothing in about 5 or 6 days. You will have to do the math. The Valium or one of its sister drugs will help tremendously with the anxiety and, somewhat, with the body aches. Valium will make you eat like a pig and, when withdrawing from narcotics, one usually craves sweets, so I'd be ready to indulge myself with lots of treats, along with some good "escapist" movies to take your mind off of everything. That has always helped me.
VERY IMPORTANT: Around-the-clock access to either hot baths or Jacuzzi
-speaking of the damn thigh cramps that seem to love to show up in the middle of the night, have that hot bath or Jacuzzi at the ready. Don't hesitate to spend the majority of the week in that "hot" water if that is what it takes to get you through it. You may be wrinkled , but you will have your sanity. Don't underestimate what the hot baths can do to relieve the withdrawal discomfort. They really, really work. Heating pads between the thighs can help with those cramps, too, but not nearly as much as the hot baths.
-Brand Name Immodium (over the counter at the supermarket..don't ask me why, but the brand name just works better)
-if your a normal Lortab, Vicodin addict, you will be getting the runs by no later than the second or third day off the Lortab. In my experience, it's and especially unpleasant variety. At the first impulse, take two or three Immodium and respond to returning urges with two tabs. It's important that you do it at the slightest rumblings from your guts. Immodium is also in the opioid class drug and, even though it's action is mostly confined to that part of the brain that affects bowel motility, I noticed a slight relief from the overall withdrawal feeling when I took the Immodium--just don't overdose on the stuff thinking it will relieve all the withdrawal -it won't -it will just constipate the hell out of you at very high doses. Stick to the dosages I recommend.
Now this is very important to short-and long term recovery-I can't emphasize this enough ...L-Tyrosine (NOT L-Lysine) (qty 50 of the 500 mg caps)- an amino acid freely available at the health food store. Costs about $12 bucks a bottle.
WHY?
Chronic use of narcotics depletes the brain of several critical neurotransmitters responsible for well-being and mental performance and attitude. Plus:
Bottle of 100 mg B6 caps (the B6 helps the L-Tyrosine be absorbed)
Plus: high potency
magnesium and zinc supplements. You may have to buy each in separate pills.
My experience de-toxing with L-Tyrosine says take 4000 (four thousand) mg (8X500 mg caps of L-Tyrosine) with two 100 mg B6 caps along with your zinc/magnesium supplement every day for your "detox" week to provide your brain with the raw materials it needs to replenish its stores of these neurotransmitters. Many feel the difference on the first dose (I did, big time).
****Take it on an empty stomach, either first thing in the morning, or at bedtime. You can continue this regimen after the first week if it continues to make you feel good. I continue to use the L-Tyrosine every other day with very few exceptions, although now I cut my dose to 1500 mg of L-Tyrosine. I cut down on the dosage because it can cause the runs at high doses. But for your first week, you need the high dose of L-Tyrosine and should just put up with the runs. It only happens once after each dose (if it happens at all) and it's not the "burning runs" that you get from withdrawal. It also happens within the first hour and won't return, so its something you can plan on. Also, the Immodium just might cancel out the runs, anyway. So, its liveable at least for that first week. Besides. the L-Tyrosine will make you feel so damn good so quickly, you won't care! You'll be looking forward to your morning L-Tyrosine dose, believe me! L-Tyrosine will make you fell alert without being nervous, peaceful without feeling sedated, and just generally GOOD, despite the withdrawal. Its truly THE discovery of opiate withdrawal therapy.
-Multi-Vitamins (most junkies don't eat too well, so this one's just good common sense)
According to some literature, you also need to add copper, phosphorus, and Vitamin C to fully complete the dopamine, norepinephrine conversion. You might have to do some hunting at the health food store to find the right vitamin or vitamins to supply all this stuff. Health food stores generally carry Multi's that, instead of carrying every vitamin known to man, carry instead all the "metals" we need such as copper. Magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, etc. I easily found a multiple that contained large doses of zinc, magnesium, copper, Vitamin C, and lots of other things for very little money. In any event, I got a very good result from just the L-Tyrosine and B6 alone. Don't let any difficulty finding the whole laundry list of minerals and metals stop you from using the L-Tyrosine and B6 --it works like gangbusters anyway!
Remember, all the details of this recipe are necessary to complete recovery!
WARNING: Avoid L-Tyrosine if you're on an SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
such as
Prozac,
Effexor,
Paxil, all those kinds of psychiatric mood elevators, etc.
Need help with withdrawls 
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