New to Boards-Need Some Advice

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verydisciplined

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Hello,

I am new to the board, but have been reading and studying your conversations for a while now. Let me give you a bit of my history: I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and have gone through a series of surgeries since then including lumpectomy, mastectomy, hysterectomy, and have had several complications and problems since then. I am finally feeling better, and am tapering off my Lortab. I am currently taking 4-10mg tabs daily (down from 5 last week), and am doing really well. I will step down again tomorrow, but am not sure if I should step to 35mg or 30mg? Any advice? My doctor is working with me, and I will see him again next Wednesday. However, I am trying to get a bit ahead, and want to minimize any withdrawal symptoms. I have not had any desire to take more than my step down dose, and have no cravings. I want to ensure that does not change, and I am a little nervous as my daily mgs get less and less that it will become harder on my body. Anybody have a good taper plan from this point forward?

Thanks!
 
Welcome to the board. The most common suggestion is to cut 10-20% depending on your body handles it. You may have to test yourself to see how well you handle it. I found that it was the lower doses that were the hardest for my body to adjust to (I was on Oxycodone). You can always step up to a higher dose if you experience withdrawals that you can't tolerate and work back down again. Like you said, talk to your doctor about it. Good Luck!
 
Your story is so incredible...you have been through so much. You are going to be successful... :)

SounRAB like we are similar in our lortab addiction....taking around the same amount daily. (ME-Day 6 no hydro cold turkey) The way my body has reacted has been all over the place so I understand your fear of taper down day. Hang in there...taper...you can do it...you have survived so much already.

Tip...if you can, when your achey from the taper...stretch for about 10 minutes! It does something to me that is near the feeling of euphoria, even if its only temporary. Just a thought. I am stretching a few times a day...it's helping alot.

Thanks for your story...best wishes!
 
Hello,

Thanks for the reply. May I ask why/what happened to make you regret being on suboxone? How long were you on it, or still taking it?
 
Thank you for your advice; I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my question. It has been a tough few years, and I feel like I finally beat stage-3 cancer (diagnosed in my early thirties with no family history), and I came out the other end with a lortab dependency. A couple months ago, I just decided I did not need to take them anymore (the crisis is over), and I was in for quite a shock when I began experiencing withdrawal symptoms. I think when that happens, it scares a person into continuing the medication to avoid that kind of uncomfortable feeling. I made an appt with my doctor and told him I want off, but need to taper down. He immediately wanted me to go from 5 day to 3, which was way too fast. I made an appt with another doctor in the area who specialized in this, and he agreed it is too fast and too hard on the body. He placed me on 4 per day, and I have really done well at that level of decrease.
 
Hi Denon,

Great to hear from you! Thanks for the advice; you are right about not rushing it. I do get anxious to move on, but find I get a bit nervous about how my body is going to rebel with each step down. However, I have been pleasantly surprised so far that the wd symptoms have been relatively manageable, and only last a couple days with each decrease. I hope that pattern continues as I continue weaning off.

Thanks for the support and kind worRAB. I am sending positive vibes to all.
 
Most doctors don't understand the withdrawals effects and how to have a patient detox off of these drugs. They don't realize that the taper has to be slow and planned. My family doctor admitted to me that I knew more about the drug (Oxy) and how to detoxify and the withdrawals that might occur than he did. I tell people now, If your doctor doesn't know, ask to see a doctor that is familiar with the drug and it's detoxification.
 
Hello,

I am new to the board, but posted a short intro and question on Friday. Today I am making my next stepdown in my taper schedule. I began with 5 lortab 10/500's daily, stepped down to 4 for one week, and now feel ready to step down to 3 per day. I had no big trouble stepping down from 5 to 4. I was anxious about the step down, but once I realized the dose reduction was no big shock to my body, I relaxed and went with it.

This all began a few years ago when I was diagnosed with stage-3 cancer at a very young age. I went through several surgeries, drastic chemo, radiation, had blood clots, and most recently knee surgery.

BTW, yesterday I broke my toe YIKES! That is not too bad, I have been through worse, but still a bit annoying :mad:

I am always a bit anxious when it is step-down day. It is not that I feel mentally like I cannot handle the reduced dose, I worry about how my body will respond.

I have a ton of support from my family and doctor, and have already discussed the possibility of suboxone with my doctor (he can prescribe the drug if necessary). However, I am trying to avoid going that route, as I just want this over, and do not want to face another taper off the sub.

I work two jobs and go to college for a third degree, and I do not want my goals sidelined.

I survived cancer, and it was no small journey. That damn cancer ruined many things in my life. My body is torn to pieces, I have many fewer body parts than I did when I began the cancer journey, but I still want the future that I was almost robbed of. This dependency on Lortab is just one more hurdle I must overcome.

Does anyone have any suggestions, advice etc. to assist me with this? Am I correct in thinking the suboxone should stay on the back burner for now? I know the option is there if I need it, but I am hoping I am doing the right thing by tapering. Since beginning my taper, I have found I am a very disciplined, and have not had one crurab more than my daily taper allowance. However, I feel a little punky for a couple days, but immodium and benedryl have been helpful.

BTW, I only got my prescriptions over the years from a single doctor, filled at a single pharmacy. When I decided I did not need the pills any longer, and tried to stop them, I was in for quite a shock when my body rebeled against me. I went to my doctor and told him I wanted to discontinue the pills, but when I tried I became ill. He looked at me like I was the enemy all of the sudden, and tried to drop me from 5 daily to 3 daily, and it was too harsh on my body. Because of my incredibly hectic schedule, I paniced and talked with a specialist who can prescribe suboxone. He will administer the sub, but we decided I should attempt a slower taper first. I will be working closely with him now, and hope to be successful. Again, I do not have the mental cravings, just my body that gets upset when I stop the med.

I need to hear some inspirational stories from some of you who have successfully tapered, and any tips you can offer me.

Thanks so much for listening, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Best Wishes!
 
Hi GonnaRecover,

Just thought I would check in and see how you are doing? You were on day 6 no hydro last time I saw you here. Are you still going strong? I am now down to 2 1/2tabs daily (22.50 mgs). My next step down is Monday, so we will see how it goes. I had a bit of wd's with the step down from 30 mgs to 22.50, but all in all, not too bad. I think I get myself worked up that it will be bad, and the power of the mind is incredible. When I mentioned to my doc that the wd symptoms increased a bit with this step down, he said I may need to consider suboxone. However, I am trying to avoid that if possible. Lots of mixed feelings seem to exist about suboxone, and I had been successful in sticking to my taper faithfully. At only just over two pills daily, suboxone does not really seem appropriate to me. Any opinions? I will post this question as a new thread too to see what others think of his suggestion.
 
Hello All,

I am relatively new to the board, posted a couple times at beginning of my Lortab taper. I just want to give an update and say I am going strong! I started at 10/500 mg Lortabs-5 per day. I am now starting on my 22.5 mgs daily (down over 50 percent) and doing well. I was taking the meRAB for about 3 years and it began after I was diagnosed with cancer. After a long series of surgeries, chemo, radiation, and complications, the pain meRAB were given freely by my primary. I have since switched primary docs, because I felt my old doc was writing the scripts with too much zest, and I wanted off. I am working with a great doc now, who can prescribe suboxone if needed. However, after meeting with him, we decided a slow, steady taper plan may be right for me. So far I am doing really well, and only have mild withdrawal symtoms the first fews days of each step down. My family is right behind me with the support that is so important when trying to wean off opiates. If you are trying to get off the meRAB, and have no support, I strongly urge you to tell someone. The support and understanding I have received from my family has really made all the difference. Although I have been through a lot medically in the past few years, I still need to ride this out, and going it alone is far too stressful. I was so naive about the addictive nature of pain meRAB, and when I felt I no longer needed them, I was in for a big wake-up call. I began to feel horrible, and it scared me into staying on them for longer than needed. The doctor I am working with is all about patient care, and wants me to feel comfortable while tapering. If I have insomnia, benadryl works well, and immodium helps with tummy problems. However, I am here to say a good taper plan is possible, but you must be disciplined to accomplish it. Since beginning my taper, I have stuck to the plan, and have never taken one bit more than the plan allows. In fact, I sometimes jump the gun and begin going lower a few days prior to my follow-up appt. My doc have me step down around 20-25 percent every two weeks. This has worked well for me, but after 7-10 days, I get impatient, and begin widdling it down a bit more. For those of you who are wondering if a taper plan is ever successful, I can tell you that, so far, mine is. I fully expect to taper off with success and put all this mess behind me. I will say that I do not have any mental cravings for the meRAB, so that is in my favor. My body seems to be dependent of the drug, but my mind is fully ready to leave it behind. I am looking at it as any other medication taken over a long period of time. After many medications are taken for an extended period, the patient must be tapered off. To me, this is no different. I am groving with the taper, and hope this gives confidence to even one person who is considering a taper plan.

Please find a doctor who has some experience with this (I found that doctors who can prescribe suboxone tend to be a bit more well versed). Take your time and find joy in each successful step in the process.

Peace and stay stong!
 
Hello Everyone,

I promised Reachout an update on my Lortab taper. Let me briefly recap: After a battle with stage-3 cancer, lots of surgeries, and horrible, painful treatments, I survived the cancer, but ended up with a Lortab dependency. I have been working on a taper from 50 mg daily of Lortab. I am currently on
15 mgs daily (70% reduction overall)! I am having some wd symptoms with this step down, but I am handling them as best I can. I am a little achy, and anxious, and a bit of sneezing, but mostly I am excited :D I can begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and hope I can soon be rid of all this. It seems like I have been tapering FOREVER, when in reality it has been about 7 weeks. I am getting anxious to be finished, but trying to exercise a little caution, and attempt to minimize the side effects. Anyone have any advice on how often I should step down at this point? I am getting pretty low now, and keep juggling around in my mind when I should jump off. I work full-time, so I need to keep things manageable if possible. I read the posts about the natural and OTC meRAB to assist with some of the side effects, and appreciate the posts.

My doc can prescribe suboxone, but I have been attempting a taper, and hope to avoid that route if possible. To be honest, I am a little scared of going the sub route, and hope I am going to successful with tapering. I am not even sure if it is applicable now that I am down to a pretty low dose? I know the odRAB are stacked against tapering, but I am bound and determined to see it through to the end.

My doc talked about sub as an option, but when I successfully made it down to 20mgs daily, he felt I was doing a great job with the taper (hope so).

Any tips or advice are always appreciated.

I am sending lots of great vibes to everyone on the board as always.
 
Hi There

I have been following your posts and think you are doing quite well on your tapering. I so agree with you that suboxone is not a great choice for you at this point. Like you, I was extremely disciplined in my tapering off of first Oxycodone and then Xanax. (Like you, I also began pain meRAB after a cancer ordeal, only I crossed a line in using them along the way).

As we use discipline to taper from addictive substances, it comes with using discipline to deal with the side effects of a taper. There will be withdrawal symptoms no matter how slow we go. I forced myself to think outside of the emotional box that withdrawal can cause. Each symptom that came after a step down became a symptom of healing to me. It is very much like we got through the chemo. We accepted the sick feelings that chemo can bring because we knew that each round was bringing us closer to a healing. We endured what we perhaps thought we could not because we understood that getting sicker sometimes is the path to getting better. Draw strength and knowledge from your cancer journey to give you wisdom and hope in the tapering journey.

Keep the cuts small... very small... as you work towarRAB the end of the taper. Try not to get antsy about the end and make drops that are too drastic. It is slow and long that is the path to a successful taper. Just like we learned ways to help corabat the effects of the chemo, we can learn ways to corabat the efects of withdrawal. Learn and practice breathing techniques to help quell the anxiety that hits. Understand the anxiety is a brain rebalancing...while it is not pleasant at all, but is a sign of restoration.

It is the percentage of a cut that determines how strongly we feel the effects. Try to stay in the 10% range as the amount of tabs taken daily decreases. At the very end of my tapers, I was smashing the tab into dust and eyeballing 1/16ths. Yes, it was a long, long ending, but I never had to 'jump' off but rather 'walked' off.

I wish you all the best in your efforts. Withdrawal is a process. It does come to an end. Know that and erabed it in your mind. The body and brain will amazingly retore themselves and peacefulness will come. I think that for many of us, the whole cancer journey enRAB with this last process.

God Bless
reach
 
Hi very disciplined. I have just completed a pretty quick taper myself (due to pills running low and deciding the time was right to quit!) If you see my post about my update on my taper, it has my original story and my current status.
Here is what I did to taper. I was using about the same amount you were and had 20 ten mg. lortab left. I split them into halves to make them 5 mg each and here is what I did:

(to save time, I just copied and pasted my old message that was put up about 2 days into my taper)

I split all my remaining hydros (so now they are all 5 mg of hydro each) and that gave me 40 pills to work with. I've been taking 1 of the halves every 5 hours (about 4 a day) for the past 2 days. My plan is this: For the next 16 days, I am tapering. Days 1-4: I will take four halves a day, Days 5-8: 3 halves a day, spread a little further out, or maybe take it in four doses, just each does being about 4mg instead of 5mg, Days 9-12: 2 halves a day either taken as 4 doses (split each pill into two doses) to keep the level of meRAB more constant, or just a two. Days 13-16: One pill a day, split into two doses. Then FREEDOM!

Well, it worked! I have been clean for just a handful of days, but very comfortable and so happy! I worry about staying clean, but will continue to take it one day at a time and savor the new quality of life. The taper kept me almost completely withdrawal-free. Aside of a little bowel trouble (nothing too terrible) and occasional chill bump attack, I was good. (no awful fatigue, achy muscles or any of that hell that I have had to go thru before when going cold turkey!).

Here is the thread that explains it all better. I hope some of it encourages you!

http://www.healtrabroadoarRAB.com/boarRAB/showthread.php?t=706985&page=2

best of luck to you and I am pulling for you!
 
Hello Very, and first off, I hope that your health is better -- gee, you have been through a lot. And congrats on sticking to your taper plan! I think the common thread among those of us who are trying to taper/quit/detox is that we are thoroughly disgusted. There's no arabivalence -- we want off. Keep up the great work and stay strong!
 
Hi Everyone!

A month or so ago, I posted here for the first time to discuss my hydro taper. Let me recap just a bit: I am a cancer survivor, and three years ago began a series of intense chemo, radiation, multiple surgeries etc. I was given Lortab 10/500 for pain associated with the cancer, treatments and surgeries. A few months ago, I decided I no longer need the pain meRAB, as I have been declared cancer-free (pretty impressive considering I was stage-3). When I tried to stop the pain meRAB, I was in for quite a surprise when wd's set in. I jumped right back on the meRAB, and have been attempting a doctor-assisted taper plan. My doctor can prescribe suboxone, but I have been avoiding that route. I began my taper at 50 mgs daily (5 pills). I went immediately down to 4 pills daily, with no problems. I then stepped down to 30 mgs (3 pills) daily, still with no real wd's.

I am now down to 2 1/2tabs daily (22.50 mgs). I had a bit of wd's with the step down from 30 mgs to 22.50, but all in all, not too bad. I think I get myself worked up that it will be bad, and the power of the mind is incredible. When I mentioned to my doc that the wd symptoms increased a bit with this step down, he said I may need to consider suboxone. However, I am trying to avoid that if possible. Lots of mixed feelings seem to exist about suboxone, and I had been successful in sticking to my taper faithfully. At only just over two pills daily, suboxone does not really seem appropriate to me.

Any opinions?
 
Hello ReachOut,

Your message speaks volumes to me. I have said many times: The cancer did not make me sick (I had no symptoms at the time of diagnosis), but the treatment to cure the cancer did. It makes me angry that I came through the cancer, but now have this to deal with. I did not tell my family for a while about the dependency on pain medication, because I already felt guilty for what I have put them through with the cancer. When I finally did talk with them about it, they were full of support and strength. I am a young woman, with a good job and bright future, I just need to clirab over this hurdle.

I was also thinking that at this now low daily dose, a 10 percent reduction at a time seems feasible. I see my doc on Monday, and will present my plan for the finish line. I would like to move down 10 percent every 7-8 days, for a 20 percent reduction every two weeks.

I do get anxious to end this taper, but will try to hold my horses, and just do it the right way.

Tell me, when you finally were completed with your taper, did you have wd's? If so, how bad were they? If I need to take a few days off work at the end of my taper, I want to be prepared to do that.

Thanks so much for your heartfelt post, it really means more than you know.
 
Hi Everyone,

As many of you know, I have been tapering off hydrocodone for the past couple months. I was down to 15 mgs a day (began taper at 50 mgs daily), and stopped the medication four days ago. I had no wd's to speak off, although I fully expected to. I cannot really understand why no wd's, and I never had mental cravings in the first place (had cancer, which was reason for the meRAB in the first place), so that has not been an issue. I was just tired of the taper, and felt I had done it long enough. I have been eating well, sleeping just fine, cleaning the house, out and about doing what neeRAB to be done daily etc.

Just wanted to give my update, and say I am glad it is now over.

Wishing everyone the very best.
 
Very Disciplined

I read your post here with great respect and admiration. A round of applause for successfully detoxing and doing it with style. I am so happy it is over for you! I don't know why there were not more withdrawals jumping from 15mgs, but I sure am glad for it.

Journeys begin and journeys end for us throughout our lives. This has been a long, connected one for you that started with the cancer and is now ending drug free and ready to seek the next journey. I hope the next one is a long one of well being and happiness for you. The lessons learned in all the past journeys are going to serve well in future ones. You are a strong and courageous woman and have handled what life has given you in a way that is an example to all of us.

Stay strong, stay well
Hugs
reach
 
Hi Not Perky,

My health is better, still some residual issues, but have been declared cancer-free :) I was pretty young when the cancer crept into my life, and with no family history, I never saw it coming. A couple years prior to the cancer, I was diagnosed with MS, so I never thought fate would deal a double blow like that, but I was wrong.

I also am disgusted, and anxious to get off the meRAB. I considered suboxone, because of my impatience to move on, but ultimately decided to try the taper method first, and see if I could avoid a replacement. However, knowing the option of sub is still there is comforting to me. I work two jobs and am working on another college degree (already have two), and I do a lot of volunteer work, so being flat out sick from wd is not an option for me. I hate feeling like I made it through the cancer battle, only to have this to battle too....it stinks.

Thanks for the message, and I will keep you posted on my progress.
 
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