hello all... i have had many surguries (knee, hip, back, neck) over the past 4 1/2 yrs resulting in minimal pain relief. i've been on norco (10/325) for the entire 4 1/2 years. started at 4/day, then 6, then 8, then 10, then 12... doctor prescribed. when i hit 12, i knew i needed to change doctors. went back down to 8/day. in the past few years the pills started to be less effective. i realized i was taking them to prevent myself from feeling like crap... later realizing that what i was feeling was prob withdrawl symptoms inbetween doses. i have a stomache ache all the time, no energy, headaches, no sex drive, have become a hermit, and all with minimal pain relief. i don't know what came over me, but 5 days ago i decided to taper down my dose until i am norco free. after reading the horror stories about "cold turkey" detox, i thought tapering down would ease the pain. i feel like i have the flu. and my anxiety is through the roof (benzos help me sleep thru the night). tomorrow i go down to 4 pills, then 3 1/2, then 3 and so on. i have been taking epsom salt baths. they temporarily help. any suggestions as to how to ease the muscle pain? what to do to just pass the time inbetween doses? (i'm always watching the clock... minute by minute!) is tapering down better than cold turkey? i feel like i am just dragging out the agony. i never thought i would be in this situation. please help! i am new to this site... hope someone answers.
Responses (4)
Hi justfranblue,
Opiate WD can be a hellish experience! Yet fear not, there are things you can do to ease the pain of WD. Please google The Thomas Recipe for a list of otc and rx meds you may need while in withdrawal. Also google Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, this explains the "mental" part of withdrawal. You may find yourself depressed, and the anxiety you describe is classic in opiate withdrawal, so the benzos will help with that. Do be careful with benzos as they can be addictive, which I am sure you know already.
I went cold turkey off of OxyContin (160mgs prescribed, never abused) and it takes TIME to get better! I also had to take an antidepressant for a while, for I found myself quite clinically depressed.
Hot baths can help with muscle aches and restless legs. Try putting a pillow between your knees when you sleep, I found that quite helpful.
Hey justfranblue,
Yes, what you are going through is no fun. You may need to taper more slowly between dosage reductions such as stay at one dose for as much as a week before trying to lower again. Sweetlemon has given you the best advice such as googling the Thomas recipe. I can't really add anymore. We are here for you and will help you every step of the way. You can do this!! There are loads of people who are on this site who have been through this so keep on posting.
Congratulations on your decision to become opiate free,
Laurie
I advise a tapered withdrawal. If you don't have enough left to do that, you might consider seeing a pain management specialist, tell him what you want to do, and see if he will assist. I was on Percocet (7.5/325) for four and a half months after being diagnosed with lymphoma. At one point, I was taking 11 pills per day for pain. After my oncologist refused to prescribe any more narcotics in early October, I saw a pain management doctor who prescribed enough Percocet to help me do a tapered withdrawal. I'm now down to 3 Percocets per day and, based on my withdrawal schedule, I will be completely off these things by November 4th. So far, I have had few withdrawal symptoms
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to laurieshay and sweetlemon... thank you for your responses. no one knows i am going thru this withdrawl and it helps to be able to talk to someone. i have been on celexa for depression for several years and i think that is the reason that depression is not one of my withdrawl symptoms. i am doing this detox quickly b/c i am just over these meds! what i am noticing is that my neck pain is not as bad as it used to be. can opiates affect my perception of pain? also this helps... my first dose in the morning i take 2 ways. half i swallow and the other half i take sublingual. it gets into my system faster and eases the nausia and gastrointestinal discomfort more quickly. today i am at 4 pills (10 mg). my husband thinks i have the flu. i am ashamed to tell him about my wds. he is going to be so excited when i do tell him i am off my meds though! chatting with you really helps! thank you thank you thank you!!!
You are very very welcome!! We are here for you and support your decisions 100%. Keep us posted often.
what do you think about my question on pain perception? if you take opiates for a long time can they actually make you MORE sensitive to pain? can your pain receptors get confused and make you feel like you r in more pain than u actually are? thanks again. i feel like this is a one way street... me asking all the ?? and you guys helping me. i don't mean to be selfish! watching the clock for my next dose... one hour to go. time moves so slowly when u r detoxing!
Hey justfranblue,
Not sure of the correct answer to your question, I know that they can make a headache worse if taken for too long but not sure about your kinda pain. Long term use of opiates does affect the body's natural pain relieveing mechanism which then has to "heal" and become effective again so my hunch is yes to your question.
Hang in there and keep posting,
Laurie