Do you wein from opiates?

[ms marfil]

Should I have weined from opiates, like for instance, down to tylenol 3, then tylenol 2, then off? 

[forme]

Ms Marfil,Alot of us have done this in so many different ways.The most important is that we do it.If you feel that you can taper down,Then you should do that.I tapered down before i stopped taking the pills and i feel that it worked for me.Everyone is different in how they handle getting off the opiates.How many mg's a day do you take and how much is each dose that you take ? I will help you anyway i can,Im here for you everyday.
                                Godbless,
                                                     Forme

[ms marfil]

Forme, I take 2 oxycocets a day and a few regular strength tylenol or advil inbetween....

However, I am running out of oxy so on Monday I will find out if my doctor is going to renew or not, I don't think he wants to...then I won't have to worry about weining down as I will have no choice.

[forme]

Hello Ms Marifil,2 oxysets is not alot so i dont think you are going to have to much trouble getting off of those.The mental part of this is probly the hardest part.Our brain is so used to taking the opiate and wants us to take them just to make us feel normal,Thats how this opiate addiction gets us.In the back of our mind our brain is just saying take a pill and we will feel better.Our pain is so much worse when we dont take the pill.As we get the opiates out of our system we get horrible pain all over our bodys,Thats our mind saying take a pill and we will feel better.Getting past that is the hardest and is why alot of us dont stop taking the pills.Im almost at 10 weeks now and i had bad pain for about 2 weeks when i stopped taking the pills.I can truely say that the most of the pain i was having was due to my brain saying take a pill.I know how hard this addiction is to beat,But i also know you can beat this.You must be strong and do this for yourself.You will start to feel better and have less pain than you do now.Just getting past that couple weeks is the hardest.Your bigger than that little pill and you can do this.Hang in there,I am here for support.
                                                    Godbless you,
                                                                        Forme

[right there]

Hi, everybody! thank you so much for bring here.
     I am a newbie to this site. My situation is that since roughly 2 weeks ago I have been weaning from oxycontin 80's twice daily and now I am  down to 5mg percocet twice daily. Yes I feel like crap,diahrrea: taking antidiarreal,lots of Gatorade,dry crackers,and for the muscle pain one quarter of a 350 mg soma every 3 hrs,as well as Ibuprophen,as I have numerous back injuries from previous athletics, abuse from violent husband, car accidents,etc. the meds are prescribed except the muscle relaxer and a daily one-quarter of a valium for when I feel agitated.I am not normally a benzo or muscle relaxer popper,but they seem to help,as suggested by many like me who detoxed in the past. I don't want to snap at my 9 year old, and my husband, 20 yrs clean is now being supportive, am I doing okay like this? My prof medical job is on hold and I attempted 48 hr detox in a free facility,but it  was unbearable. Cant afford Suboxen,but one user said it only postpones withdrawl for the most part, I attend meetings (NA/AA),went to a rehab for 41 days 2 yrs ago,I learned a lot, but my pain and addict personality took me back after nine mos. clean. I got into a pain clinic,and up to now I have used as prescribed oxy 80 mg twice daily,but my behavior show it ,especially w/ alcohol,my first drug. I am spiritual and have also recovering addicts support in church and of course,I pray. I hope the consequenses I suffer now will keep me on track. My prior situation in rehab didnt stick well,at that time I only took 4 percocets daily tops,and had no consequnce of withdrawl. Will I make it? I need good advice-Thanks from Right There

[jagannatha]

Hi Right There,

Sounds to me like you are doing great. Down to taking 5mg Percosets twice a day is wonderful! I tapered off of Oxycodone over a period of about a month and was wearing a 12 mcg Fentanyl patch. When I went off both, the withdrawal was much easier than when I had cold turkeyed 5 years ago -- off Percoset, can't remember the dose but it was fairly high.

The slower the taper, the easier the withdrawal is the general rule. And I've read that doing it cycles of every 3 days is the best way for the brain to handle it. So from where you are now, you could either shave a little off each pill for 3 day, then shave a little more for the next 3 days, etc. That might be the easiest way to do it. At some point, you may feel ready to just stop taking them, but you know if you did that right now, you'd be in for a little harsher withdrawal.

Keep drinking lots of water and if you can exercise, that will help tremendously. I'm about 5 weeks out now and I'm still having sleep issues, but Fentanyl is tough to get off. You can expect, once you go off, to have 3 - 5 days of anxiety and the more acute withdrawal symptoms, and the the post acute withdrawal syndrome, depending on how long you've been using.

I've had a hard time tolerating alcohol as I've gone through withdrawal, and I've heard that before. But everyone is different.

Keep doing what you're doing. You are definitely on the right track toward freedom!

Jag