Trying to quit Vic, rebound headaches unbearable

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MvingForwrd

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A few years ago I had to relocate from L.A. to Arizona (hubby's job transferred him). I started with a new neurologist, who put me on Vicodin for my chronic headaches and migraines. (I'm unfortunately not able to tolerate triptan drugs, Topamax, etc). Anyway, he didn't warn me about rebound headaches, and I ended up taking the stuff every day for almost two years now. The doctors out here prescribe narcotics like they're skittles, so he just kept giving it to me and citing "quality of life."

Well, hubby's job is now taking us back to L.A. in a few months. The doctors out there won't hand out opiates like candy, so I HAVE to get off the Vic. (Neurologist tried to talk me out of it - sorry, I WANT OFF).

So far I've managed to taper from 3-4 pills a day to just one, but the rebound headaches are relentless and severe. The Dr. gave me Fioricet to help with the pain. I hate to take it, feel like I may be trading one addiction for another. But I've kicked Fioricet before and it's MUCH easier to get off of. My doctor in L.A. used to give me Fioricet for my headaches, so there's a chance that I may be kept on that anyway.

My battle right now is getting off of this Vic. I AM having some withdrawal symptoms. When I wake up in the morning I feel shaky and generally wonky until I take some, but I'm down to one pill a day now, so I think I can taper off and end the withdrawals. The issue is the pain. I'm just dying here. Has anyone else gone through this? I'm wondering how long this will last. I've read that you need to have the drug completely out of your system for a good week before it stops, and I'm still not off the drug. I'd really like to hasten the taper, so I can end the pain. At one pill a day, is it safe to now taper quickly?

Any suggestions, worRAB of encouragement, ANYTHING would be appreciated. I'm stuck out in a hick town with no frienRAB or support groups, so I'm having to go it alone. Unfortunately not getting any support from my husband. As long as I look fine, he thinks I'm fine, and just doesn't get what I'm going through.

UGH! Okay, I really needed to vent. Thanks.
 
Is it normal to feel completely wonked out of your mind when going off of Vic?

Now that I've cut down to a low dose (what I feel is the final step in the taper), I've felt just awful, like I have some kind of weird flu. I can't concentrate, can't get anything done. I just want to go to bed and hope that I'll feel better when I wake up in the morning.

Granted, a small amount of this may be from the Fioricet that my doc gave me to help with the pain, but I've taken Fioricet before and not had this feeling.

Is this my body trying to cope with not having Vic in my system after two years? I feel like total crap. Just hoping that there is an end in sight, and that I'll feel "normal" again soon.
 
pb,
welcome! I don't have experience with headaches though I have LOTS of experience with vicoden/norco/hydro in general. It seems like you are taking a therapeutic dose and haven't been abusing like many of us have. I was up to 180mg sometimes 200mg per day for almost 2 yrs. You are only on 15-20mg of vic if you were taking 3-4 pills daily. So, now that you are down to one, i think you're pretty safe to taper quickly. Like perhaps half a tab for a couple days then half every other day for a couple days then jump off. Just a suggestion but it sounRAB like your doing pretty well with the exception of the rebound headaches?
I hope someone else can give you some advice re: the headaches b/c I just don't know about that part....Good luck!

KEW
 
Thanks so much. I'll try this.

The headaches aren't abating at all. I'm afraid they they will get worse before they get better. I'm not completely off the Vic yet, so once I finally stop, I would think that the headaches will get worse, or at least remain at this level for several weeks to come.

I remeraber you mentioning acupuncture in another post and will look into that. I'm in a small town, so may have trouble finding someone, but may be back in L.A. soon, and there will certainly be someone there.

I'm not having any cravings at all, outside of the need for pain relief, so that's good. I'm going to call my psych after the holiday and see if this jittering may be anxiety. On top of the Vic tapering, I have a parent with terminal cancer, and an impending move (or not, if we can't sell our house), so my stress level is at an all time high. It's possible that I just need to increase my Klonopin for a few weeks, but need to talk to her first. I don't want to self-diagnose, and end up in even worse shape.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa . . .

Thanks you guys, for helping me out. :)
 
do not give up!!! i i took vicodin for one year for chronic and debilitating migraines- i usually took them for 7 days in a row during the worst time of the headache then went off for 3 weeks- the rebound HA's at first were not that bad but months into the vicodin they were excruciating along with the nausea and exhaustion and feeling like well i just suffered through my migraine and now i have another just as bad headache :-( after going on like this and the rebounRAB only getting worse my doctor took me off the vicodin cold turkey and i was sick as a dog for about 10 days but at the end of 2 weeks i was a new person- the sun was bright- the air smelled clean and i was lovin life again- luckily the fioricet worked perfectly for me until i had my surgery and i have not taken another narcotic since (16 years ago) hang in there- come to the boarRAB often and remind yourself- YOU CAN DO IT!!!
 
Crud, it just occurred to me that the Fioricet my neuro gave me to help with the headaches is loaded with caffeine. I used to take a Butalbital compound that was caffeine free. I should probably call him too and see if he can change the script.
 
Looks like you're right (thank goodness). I'm doing better than expected, at least with regard to withdrawals. I've been at 1-1/4 for the past few days, and so far no withdrawal symptoms. The headaches are absolutely killing me, but I'm not getting any more of the tired confused wonky feeling. I think my body is beginning to let go of the drug.

The hardest part is knowing that just one vic would give me some relief from these headaches, even for just a few hours. And worse, I know when I finally stop altogether, the headaches will intensify.

I'm going to see my PCP next week, and may ask her if I can come in daily for an injection of Toradol for a week or so while I'm going through this. That's a non-narcotic drug that I've used for my migraines, so I think it might help. Otherwise, there's little I can do. I have the Fioricet, but it doesn't help much because my body is rebounding to vic, and vic is what my body wants to stop the pain.

I have to keep moving . . . stay away from the computer, walk around outside, do housework . . . anything to keep me active. The pain is worse when I'm sitting idle, so I have to keep moving.
 
I have a question. For those of you who have experienced rebound headaches, maybe you have some insight.

I made it through an entire week at 1-1/2 vics. Considering that I was at 3-4 last week, I think that's pretty major, so I'm feeling REALLY happy about that. But the rebound headaches are absolutely disabling me.

I'm wondering if the rebounRAB will cease once my body adjusts to the lower dose of vic. If so, then it might work better for me to stay at the current level for a few weeks to give myself a rest before starting the next taper level. I hate to prolong things, but I can't live my life with this level of pain. I need a break for at least a few days so that I can get some things done. I've just been sitting here all week,a blob, not able to get out my chair. The pain is SO bad. If I could get a break for even a couple of days, it might energize me and help me prepare to taper down to the next level. Right now, I'm so desperate to stop the pain, that I'm afraid I'll break down and take a pill. :(
 
MF,
I think you really need to go a bit easier on yourself....I'm all for going the "softer, easier way" if possible...call me a wimp but unecessary suffering is foolish as far as I'm concerned. If your taper takes a month longer, or two months longer than you'd like it to, so what? Sitting there able to do nothing in mind-nurabing pain does nothing for anyone, especially you. If the only way you can get relief is to stay at your dose or up it slightly, I think you need to do it until you reach another plateau. Your drop to 1.5 from 3 or 4 last week is pretty big.
Is there anything at all, that's non-narcotic, that can ease the pain of the rebound headaches? I'm not a headache sufferer, knock on wood, and thankful for it but sorry I don't have advice for you on that. Take care of yourself.....I think the more we tough it out thinking we're "so strong" or we have to "suffer the pain" or there won't be any gain, are messages from another generation. Sometimes living with all that suffering leaRAB one to try and end the suffering because it becomes just too much.
Try to go a little bit easier...you will get there! Way to go on making so much progress!

KEW
 
I have the jitters really bad, like I've had too much coffee. I'm not sure if this is W/RAB or anxiety. I have generalized anxiety disorder, and am currently under a great deal of stress, so it could be that.

BUT, if it IS a withdrawal symptom, how long can I expect it to last?
 
mvingforwrd- please forgive me if i have in any way made you think i am not
100% supportive of your anquish- i truly truly am and if i upset you i apologise deeply and sincerely- i guess i feel so much empathy and pain for you and i so want you to be able to get yourself better- detox is so horrible and when i read that someone is suffering so much i just want them to feel better and put the pain behind them- that was my message but it came off in the wrong way- please know you are living through hell and i am so sorry for all of the awful things you are feeling- i did not mean in any way to contribute to your feeling worse- i am supportive and always will be of anyone going through this awful time in their life-
 
I think the rebound headaches might be starting to abate. The last two days, I have not woken up with a headache. Yesterday I was up for three hours before I started feeling headache pain. Today, I've been up for four hours, and am just starting to get a headache.

That said, once the headaches come on, they're still fierce. BUT, something is changing. Could be the weather, or could be my body letting go of the drug. Time will tell, but I'm optimistic. Now holding at 1 Vic a day (split in half, twice a day), so the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
 
Kew, thanks so much! Even though I feel like an addict, I've never exceeded my prescribed dose. But when you start to get the shakes, and HAVE to take that pill everyday, it's hard to not feel like an addict.

Okay, so I'm going to start with 1/2 tab tomorrow. For the first time in ages I actually have two entire weeks with a clear calendar - no appointments of any kind, so I can stay home. This is the best time for me to be fighting this. Hopefully this board can give me the support I need to get through it.
 
Mving, I'm glad you are feeling better. A little bright spot here and there gives us the incentive to keep going! You're THIS close...keep up the great work.
 
That's exactly it. I'm not celebrating the fact that I have a lot of pills, and I certainly don't intend on taking them all. If my taper goes as planned, I won't need ANY of the refills.

I also need to clarify that my neuro didn't give me a year's supply in terms of 12 refills. He gave me 2-3 months worth, at his dose, which is something like "not to exceed 8 per day." At my current rate of taper, that translates to year's worth, and enough to buy me the time I need to do a gradual taper (that's what I meant when I said I had a year's supply - I guess I should have been more specific). I had hoped to quit quickly, and I tried, but it's become painfully evident that tapering is going to be necessary. As kewood said, I'm putting myself through a lot of unnecessary suffering. I'm not in a position to just sit at home and ride out that suffering. I have a part-time job, a home business, a class starting next week, family obligations, and now an impending move. I HAVE to be able to function.

I have a world of respect for people who are able to go CT, my body isn't going to allow that. My doctor recommended a taper, as have many people on this board, and taper seems like the right approach for ME. More than anything in the world, I want OFF of this drug. Approaching it the wrong may result in failure. I'm just trying to do this the right way. That's all.

Readerroz and Kewood (and others who posted earlier), I want to thank you for your very sound advice and your amazing worRAB of encouragement. This board became a source of anguish for me today, so if I don't return, I just want you to know that.
 
Thanks, ritualangst, for showing me the light at the end of the tunnel. My neurologist told me that vic can actually intensify the pain when taken for too long, so the longer it's taken, the more severe the rebound headaches.

For the last two days I've taken 1/2 tab to help with the withdrawals. I think today I will try 1/4. I have a good pill slicer, so can try going in small increments like that. Hopefully that will work for me.
 
Thanks so much, Kew. Yeah, I have to slow down. If I fall off the wagon a few times, then okay. I've been in a panic about getting off the Vic because I'm moving back to L.A., where it's near impossible to get Vic for migraines, so I was fearing a forced cold turkey withdrawal. PLUS, there are support groups out there, and clinics where I could get shots of something non-narcotic, like Toradol, to ease the pain. Where I am in AZ, there's no place to turn for help. In fact, my neuro actually told me that I would have an easier time of it in a big city because of clinics to aid with such things.

You're not a wimp at all. You're totally right about the foolishness of inflicting unnecessary suffering on myself. I'm being too impatient. I just talked to a friend today who had back surgery last year, and had gotten addicted to Vic. I had NO idea that she had gone through the same thing. But she also told me that I had to be patient. This drug is insanely powerful, and I can't kick it in a day.

My neurologist did give me Fioricet for the headaches, but that's also addictive, so i have to be careful. Migraine meRAB (like Imitrex) won't work, because these are headaches and not migraines. So maybe the best way to manage the headaches is to chill out and quit trying to be superwoman, and give myself a little more time. I'm VERY determined, so I know I'll get there eventually. It may end up two months instead of two days, but so be it. The idea is not to frustrate myself so badly that I give up. I have to make this as easy on myself as possible, so I can remain positive enough to keep on fighting.

Appreciate the worRAB of encouragement. :)
 
crochetmama,

Please support the concerns of the original poster, and start a new thread for your own questions.

Your post is moved to a new thread:
"How to discuss with husband?"
 
coffee is the WORST for withdrawl! it will pass but coffee takes 24 hours to get out of your blood. when i was coming off the Vic i drank so much coffee that it made my thinking and my body hurt so much worse. its so hard to say no to the hot cup of coffee, but it really will make the crazys worse. drinks lots of water and keep movieng!!! you can do this! from what i have read you are really doing a great JOB! yea you!!!!
derlinda
 
Dear one, for some reason I seemed to be drawn to pomegranite juice during the early days of my detox and I drank about a quart a day. Granted, it's a tad expensive, but it somehow felt "curative."

Are the headaches not abating at all yet? I know how awful they are. Another expensive approach is acupuncture. I had one treatment, and had little seed patches placed in my right ear that I'm supposed to press from time to time. The cravings just seemed to vanish, and the headaches were blessedly relieved, too. Every time my head starts to hurt, I press each patch and it's like a miracle, the pain stops.

I *so* feel for you. The pain can be just blinding.

As to the "crazies," well, I understand those, too. I am having a very hard time concentrating still and it's harder to accomplish what I must do.

You are *not* alone.
 
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