new here...oxycodone problem

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mel486

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Welcome to the group Philly Bro!

I was also on oxycodone due to a neck injury and I was taking between 60 - 80 mg/day when I began to stop because my pain diminished. For the amount you are taking, I would suggest you consult your doctor and work out a plan. Personally, I do not like the suboxone approach, because it is substituting one addictive opiate for another. If you want to be clean, you need to get off all opiates. That means a long taper for you, dropping a little at a time and allowing your body to body to get used to the lower dose. You have to taper by reducing the total dose, not the individual pills and you will have to split pills in pieces at times to get the proper dose. Everybody's body is different and can handle the taper better or worse than the next person. You have to start on a plan, stick to it and let us know if you have questions or concerns.

Oxy w/d's are not fun and somewhere along the taper down to Zero, you will get them. I use that memory of my w/d's to make sure I never take it again. You may want to reduce down to 120 mg/day and see how your body reacts, then down to 115 mg and continue to reduce a little at a time and each time, wait a few days and see how your reacts. If you start having w/d's that you absolutely can't stand, go up to the last dose and take that a little longer and then drop down again. When you start having w/d's on a regular basis, try reducing no more than 10% at a time or increase the time you are on the new dose. You are looking at months ahead of you. Also, if the w/d's get too bad, a doctor may prescribe clonidine or Valium or a sleeping pill to help.

You're setting out on a very rough trip, but it is worth it at the end! I didn't know how the Oxy effected me and my family until I was completely off of it. I feel alive now!! Good Luck to you and let us know how you are doing. You will have more questions as the process goes along - we've been there and we're here to help.
 
Hi...I'm new here and I've been really impressed with the help on this board. I'm a 42 yr. old male with an oxycodone problem. I'm doing 125mg/day and I would like some advice. Should I try to taper or maybe try suboxone? I have been doing oxy for about 9 months but only at 125/day for a month. I feel so scared and ashamed. I have a very strong will power but I'm not sure that counts for much against this demon. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
 
well i would not minumize that amount thats alot, i was taking 30 to 40 mgs a day , for about the same amount of time ,an i chose taper i new it was just a matter of time an 50 60 an more , i was taking it for pain from a bike wreck,i was able to taper it is up to you though , if it was to get high ,you might want to try the sub ,it is very mentaly addictive ,your doing the right thing though selfwill has nothing to do with it , if you cant taper try sub ,good luck scott
 
Thanks for the reply and thoughts "denon". I am on my first day of taper from Oxy. Today I am taking 120mg and I plan to wait 3-4 days and reduce to 110mg then 3-4 days to 100mg and so on. I would appreciate any and all advice and thought as to this being the right way. If anyone has experience with this I look forward to your thoughts. Too slow, too fast, etc. Also, if anyone has ideas about dealing with the anxiety please let me know. I eat very well, excercise daily and keep busy with work. I am not looking to get "high" anymore but just seek to feel normal. I know that I am in for a long journey back to normal but I am determined. I know that is probably months away. I don't drink nor do I take any other drugs. I really appreciate everyone's responses. Most on here are very thoughtful and knowledgable and I covet your input immensely!
 
Hello Philly

Glad to see you aboard here. Also glad to see you investigating how to get off the Oxycodone. Good for you.

I was also on Oxycodone when I finally committed to getting clean of all opiates and benzos. ( I was also on Xanax). I was on then much longer than you (about 12 years), but my Oxycodone use was about 60mg a day when I made my plan to put my life back together. As 56789 pointed out, 125 mgs a day is quite a bit. While I believe Suboxone is the right path for some, I also believe it easily takes us from one addiction to another. I have not read any stories here on the board where it wasn't just as difficult to get off of as any other opiate. Do your research before deciding the right path for you, okay?

For me, I chose a long and slow taper from Oxycodone. Even with that, it was not by any means a symptom free path. However, my starting point was not a good one as I had had a complete breakdown before starting the taper and was already a mess. So although your dose may be higher, it seems you are in a better place to start.

I mapped out a strategy with my family doctor. The first cut was probably a 20% cut on both the Oxycodone and the Xanax. Bad start! That night I went into full blown withdrawal and experienced seizures. I truly was never before as frightened as I was that night. It took me nearly 2 weeks to begin to level off physically and mentally to any degree at all. The doctor and I tweaked the plan.... no more tapering on the Xanax and a slower taper on the Oxycodone. I came off the Oxy at about 10% each cut and stayed put for a week to ten days before cutting again. I had to break pills into 1/2s, 1/4s and even sometimes crush them to measure out a dose, but it was relatively easy to do. It took me a few months to get off. At one point about half way through, I had to stay put for nearly three weeks to get level again. I got antsy towarRAB the end, but stayed steadfast to the 10% cut.

There were times of anxiety after cuts during which I would cry hard. I learned to breathe my way through these times and though I hated them, I was able to cope with them. Some cuts were not difficult while others were. Bowels were loose throughout so I always had a supply of Immodium at the ready. Jumpy legs at night sometimes plagued me. Hot baths helped this. Also, the second post on this board, titled Sample Home Detox, provided a wealth of info regarding helpful things during detox. Its suggestions are great whether going cold turkey or taper. Take some time to read it.

The fear. Friend, we all are terrified beforehand. Do not feel alone in this. Please understand that it is so a part of what we feel as we get ready to erabark on a path that will restore our lives. Don't doubt for a minute... you can do this. The fear leaves as we involve ourselves in restoring out whole being by getting clean. It is a time when we must be selfish in order to survive. We have to concentrate on ourselves and keep gathering tools to help us. By the way, one of the biggest tools is physical activity. When we think we can not possibly move a muscle is the tiome when we have to dig deep and push, push to go for a walk, sweep a floor, workout at the gym.

The shame. Ah, another popular feeling among us! Smiles. I am going to tell you straight up here... the only shame you need to feel is the shame of not confronting a problem and working to solve it. Since you have already mastered this one, let shame go. There is no place for it right now in the mind.. there is only room in there to concentrate on how to find restoration and peace again.

Okay, Friend, enough for now. I am sure you will have more questions and thoughts. Stay with us as you work through this. You are so welcome here.

With all hope
reach
 
Wow.... My first post.

Hey bud. I'm a Jersey guy here. Age 38, and have had quite a few run ins with drugs myself. Including a perocet habbit that had hit 80mg a day. It is GREAT to hear the determination in your voice to make a change. I went the Suboxone route myself since I wasnt getting the perc through propper channels and it was costing a fortune. Personally, I think Suboxone is easier and a bit safer for tapering since there is no high, and no way to splurge if you hit a point of frustration; but it is still a strong, addictive opiate that has a longer half life, and takes a while to walk away from in the end.

Unfortunatley, from past experience, this ( Opiates ) is NOT an easy drug to walk away from.

The good news.... I did it. It can be done and that feeling of clear headed, wide eyed does come back.

All of the advice in these posts are spot on !!

A few pointers for now, that worked for me. Stay busy. This was HUGE for me. The days go faster if you have a lot to do. Eat right, exercise, take vitamins.... LOTS of vitamins. From what I have read, you cant overdose on vitamins. Your body will flush out what it cant use. I took 5 X what the label said. Kick start your body!

And Beyond what you can physically do.... Think about popping into an NA ( Narcotics Anonomous ) meeting. There is no reason to do this alone. There are THOUSANRAB or people going through excatly what you are, or that have already gone through it and won. I can not stress how much this was a part of me beating my habbits. And I am not a "druggie" by the term LOL. I am 38, married, self employed, father of 2, a volunteer fireman and YES, I was addicted to percocet. Thank God and my frienRAB that I am no longer.



Hey Bud.... Hang in there. You are already HUGE STEPS into this. You are commited to a change.!!

Keep posting man!! It will give you a place to ease your mind and find more and more pointers.

Pauly C
 
Pauly...thanks so much for the reply. I would love to know the details of your fight. How long were you addicted? What was the suboxone experience like? Any difficulty taking your first dose of sub? And so much more. Thanks so much for your encouragement...I need it bad! We sound very similar (lifestyles) and I would love to hear back from you bro.

Thanks...
 
Thanks denon, PaulyC and kewood. I'm seriously weighing everything. I still have some questions. What side effects or drawbacks are there to sub. I've read that some have to deal with major headaches and depression. Some have reported that they are falling asleep every 5 mins. Some talk about trying to adjust for weeks. How about anxiety/panic attacks? Any truth to any of these claims for you. I mean I know everyone is different, but what about your personal experiences. I run my own business so right now I can deal very well...well you know what I mean (besides being an addict). The Dr. I talked to said that she also uses Clonidine and a sleeping pill if necessary. Did you all need any of these peripheral meRAB to help supplement the sub? Did you suffer any bad symptoms in the beginning or while on sub?

Anxiously waiting for your thoughts...and thank you soooo much.

Phillybro
 
Hi, Phillybro,

Well, we're in this together. I'm at 90-120 mg hydrocodone a day, but in all honesty, it's usually 120 mg. About 30-60 days ago I jumped to the 120. I really have no idea why I did a 30 mg leap instead of just going up 10 mg (1 pill), but here I am. Afraid and wondering why in the world I ever got to this point. So, I really support your moving toward detox before you bump it up again.

This board pointed out I shouldn't try to do this alone, so I looked into NA meetings and found a local area that has get togethers every day of the week. I think that's the next step after acknowledging there's a problem.

I come here early every morning then again in the evening. Until I actually walk through the door of my first meeting this is all I've got and I'm grateful I found the folks here.

Keep coming back.
 
Well it's been a few days and I've been tapering down from 120mg/day oxy and it's a sloooow process. I really just want this over! Anyway, I've made a decision and I contacted the sub Dr. that I spoke about and I set an appt. up for Tuesday at 630pm. I will take my last dose around 6am and try to get through the day. I am nervous and excited. She explained to me that everything is confidential and that she will prescribe other meRAB if I need them. Any thoughts on what to expect the first day/week of this would be great! I can't express how much I appreciate everyone's thoughts and support.

Thanks,

Phillybro
 
Hi Philly

Buddy, it was anxiety that hit you and scared the bejeesus outta you. They sure stink, don't they? In withdrawal, the brain sometimes signals a large release of adrenaline and the result is that racing heart. It can often feel like a shortness of breath also. These are the episodes of anxiety I wrote about earlier. In withdrawal, they are going to occur. We have so supressed our brains mechanisms to produce certain chemicals when we are on opiates and the brain kind of jump starts sometimes while it relearns to function. Actually, if you read your own worRAB, you will see that in a couple of minutes you 'calmed down.' When the anxiety peaks like this, the breathing techniques can help so much. In, out, in, out, slow and steady, in and out. I hated them passionately, but understanding I wasn't going to die from them at all kept me with enough presence of mind to help myself through them.

As far as the Suboxone, Philly, I really can not advise you. Just a choice you are going to have to make. I see it as a drug that contains opiate and has properties that do not allow for a high. It provides some abusers time to get their heaRAB on straight concerning addiction and allows them to move into sober thinking so that when they do come off, they stay off all drugs. However, every story I have read has shown me that Suboxone is no different than any other opiate to get off of concerning withdrawals. So I guess the real question to ask yourself would be, "Is my thinking really sober thinking? Am I ready to kiss opiates goodbye permanently?" For me, sober thinking came fully into play long before I took my last pill. I believe that is why I was able to remain steadfast and never cheat on my tapers.

Whatever you decide concerning Suboxone will not change one iota my support for you. I just don't want you to make any decision based on fear. Make the decision based on knowledge. Do your research, okay?

Got your back, Buddy
reach
 
glad to hear every thing is going well, good job . my friend says its like makeing huge changes right away, but still alot of work to be done, i tell him kidingley , man i should have tryed it, but thats ok , my cravings have been removed via god an step 2. have a good day. scott my friend roy said hi, he is the guy takeing the sub hes not a computer guy:):wave: i told him you never know , i did not no anything about computers till 5 years ago ,an still pretty much dont , well any 1 can surf the net oh he is at 29 days an says his head is realey clearing up
 
Your body will let you know if you are going too fast - trust me!!! I tapered too fast and I suffered withdrawals during the process, but even though I was miserable back then, I'm glad I did it now. I just wanted to get off of Oxy at the time. I'm not the type of person that likes taking prescriptions for any reason. Also, looking back... I would have worked with a addition management doctor if I had the chance. Most family doctors don't deal with withdrawals because they don't see it that often. Keep it up - it looks like you have a good plan for now. When you get to lower doses see how your body handles the changes.
 
good luck with your taper , should you need it, the sub it will be there sub is nothing like full opoiRAB an its to bad some have a closed minRAB to this med wich is not a sub , it is a tool that goes with councling selfhelp an so on, i did not like suboxone either , but i have a friend that just could not get off his $200 a day habbit relapce after relapce , he could go no longer than 2 or 3 days , it has been 35 days , with hardly no wd , i researched this for him ,he does not have a computer , i can see the change in him , yes like any other opoid , he will need to taper off 1 day , but with alot less wd then methadone or oxy or H , in his case , the med is designed so that it cant be abused , as easy as most opoiRAB , the taper is real slow so that the wd is 8 to 10 times less for some , its almost imposible to overdose on , an only has a minamal ceiling effect my friend says it just makes him feel normal , i say what do you meen normal he said like life was before he started drugs , some do have a hard time finding the right dose , my friend hit on the right dose within hours , an a few weeks of min discomfort , he said it took all his wd symtems away , an his energy is alot better i know i work with him , it does not drag him down , the taper take it slow if you can you can do it , you may need more support than just this board:) oh best of all no mental cravings , an it acts like a painkiller for some with pain issues depression , these are not what the med is for but my friend said hay it takes care of his cronic back pain , an depresion
 
Thanks to all for the response. I started last nite with my taper and I'm determined to see it through to the finish. I can't wait for the day to be free of this. I know from what I've read on here that it will not be easy, but I'm determined. I guess I'm about to find out how strong I am in this regard. I do need as much support as possible as I haven't told anyone except on here. You all will be my support. Thank you "reachout" for your worRAB of support. "Readerroz" please keep me posted and we can be there for each other. If you want we can taper together and support each other that way. I am here if you need me. I've decided to hold off on going to Dr. for sub for now. I want to taper for a few weeks and see how far I can get - hopefully all the way.

Write back.
 
Hey There Philly

Just stopping in with wishes for a good day. Hope all is well.

reach
 
Thank you Reach! I am truly sick of these things(pills). Maybe I tried to go a little too fast in my first couple of days but I really hate these pills. I can't wait to be in your position. Questions. How often did you get these kinRAB of anxiety/panic attacks? How severe? How long did they last typically?

Today I went to GNC and got some Omega3 fish oil tabs 1000mg and Magnesium 250mg. Are these any good? Any advice on taking these supps? I am also cutting down my coffee intake.

As I said, I would love to taper these pills on my own, but if I have to deal with intense panic attacks like that everyday I just can't do it. The lady Dr. that I spoke to today was very nice and giving with her time on the phone. I am voraciously reading up on suboxone so I can make a decision tomorrow, as she would like to start me on them Tuesday. One good thing the Dr. said was that she thought that I would only have to be on them to get past the first few weeks then I could taper. She also uses Clonidine and a sleeping pill.

Thanks for being here.
 
Sitting here at work with my first Domino's Pasta Bowl.... Talk about addiction!

Anyway.
I think it is a very fine line when people describe "Problems" with Suboxone. How is to know that the side effect is from the Suboxone...and not from lack of Opiates? Does that make sense? The body does NOT LIKE a change in Opiate levels. Many people have different WD symptoms. I do get head aches when I cut back on Opiates... And that does change whether it’s a cut on perc...or sub. For the most part... you are dealing with the same "BASE" drug. An Opiate. The Naltrexone in Suboxone is a bit tricky. It can give me the sweats a bit. But it's there to keep people from binging or using the Suboxone to get high.
The "Falling asleep" aka nodding off. I have gotten that...but again. Is it a side effect of Suboxone OR a side effect of the body adapting to a new Opiate level?

Depression... I dont know. I do know that depression is quite common after stopping Opiates ( during the taper process and when done ) It can take the brain quite some time to return to normal. Dopamine levels may be lower, receptors being week, technical jurabo . .. There are quite a few stories of people taking Suboxone for long perios of time, having no emotions. Not exactly depressed, but just blah. As much as it can nurab out pain, it nurabs out feeling too.

From what I recall the only side effect of Suboxone, where the same as those of Percocet.

Something to think about... How you feeling? If your body is catching up to the cut back from 2 days ago..... Maybe give it a few days. I don’t want you to feel like I push Suboxone, but I have taken it... And tapered off to 4 mg a day from 18 mg

PaulyC
 
Thanks Pauly...I guess my question is did you need any other meRAB while on sub to supplement? How bad were your side effects? The nodding, etc. Did you gain weight? Problems with lethargy? Also, how long were you on it before you started to taper? Any problems with tapering slowly?

Thanks
 
Well last nite at 630pm I had my first appt. with the Dr. for my suboxone induction. I took my last dose of 30mg oxycodone IR at 1am. So I had waited 17 hrs. to withdrawal. I had a bit of a hard time during the day with anxiety and restless legs and arms but I made it. My withdrawal had actually subsided quite a bit when I got to the Dr. office and I started my first dose of sub (4mg) at 7pm. For the first hour or so I felt absolutely no change and I was very worried. What if I'm the exception and this doesn't work???! I was released from the Drs office with instructions to take another 4mg around 830pm. She also gave me some clonidine and trazodone if I needed them for sleep. So I took my second dose at 830pm and in 20 mins I was feeling fine. Pretty good actually. Relief! As the nite went on I felt better and better. I was SHOCKED at how good I felt. Not high...just good. Last nite I slept very well on 8mg of sub and nothing else. I woke up around 8am and took my first full 8mg pill. Today I am feeling quite normal and very happy to not have to worry about taking oxy. I told my Dr. that I want to take sub very conservatively and try to wean off asap. She said she is willing to help me do this and if I have any problems we can slow it down. I am to take 12mg on days 2 and 3, 10mg on days 4 and 5 and 8mg on days 6 and 7. My next appt. is Wed 6/17.

I am so thankful to all on this site who supported and encouraged me...reach, denon, kewood, PaulyC. Thank you all so much. This is my first BIG step in breaking free of the prison of addiction. Next I will go to an AA/NA meeting. I am on my way!

If anyone has any questions or further thoughts or suggestions for me...I'm ALL ears.

God bless...
 
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