Finally kicked the habit, is this a way to keep it that way?
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Finally kicked the habit, is this a way to keep it that way?
I'll try to keep this short!
I've been on hydrocodone for about a year now. I had been taking a fairly small dose(5-20 mg a day, probably averaged out to 10 mg a day for a year) but the fact is that it was an addiction and a habit. Even on the days I didn't need it I had to take it or I'd be very irritable and not want to do anything all day but lay at home.
That was the exact opposite of my real personality and I knew I needed to stop. Along with the fact that I didn't need it every day anymore.
Starting last Friday(10 days ago) I had stopped using cold turkey. After about 72 hours(Sunday) I gave in and took 10 mg at one time. At this point I had given the pills to my mom to have her make sure I don't take too much.
Then, I had no used any for 72 more hours and on Wednesday I took just one 5 mg pill.
After Wednesday I started to feel much better! Finally, I actually said out loud that I felt normal. When I was using vicodin daily I would get tired after playing basketball for 10 minutes...yesterday I played in my league for the entire 40 minute game and felt great! The withdrawal has for the most part ended and my tolerance is starting to finally fall down!
Now, it's been 5 days since I last took vicodin and today I took one 5mg. It seems my tolerance is starting to drop(though not completely) but the most amazing thing to me is that it's been nearly 3 hours and it feels just as strong as it did after the 1 hour mark and I'm pain free! I remember when i was taking it daily that the effects and the painkilling would fade right after the 1 hour mark, extremely quick! Is that normal that when you take it for so long it stops working faster?
Anyways, my question for you all is this. I'm extremely happy to not be taking this medication daily and be feeling nearly 100%(probably at about a 90%
). However do understand that I have some pain that can't always be controlled by OTC. If I continue to take vicodin around once every week or so will my tolerance continue to drop and will I no longer have withdrawal? I don't want to repeat this process ever again!
Thanks!
I've been on hydrocodone for about a year now. I had been taking a fairly small dose(5-20 mg a day, probably averaged out to 10 mg a day for a year) but the fact is that it was an addiction and a habit. Even on the days I didn't need it I had to take it or I'd be very irritable and not want to do anything all day but lay at home.
That was the exact opposite of my real personality and I knew I needed to stop. Along with the fact that I didn't need it every day anymore.
Starting last Friday(10 days ago) I had stopped using cold turkey. After about 72 hours(Sunday) I gave in and took 10 mg at one time. At this point I had given the pills to my mom to have her make sure I don't take too much.
Then, I had no used any for 72 more hours and on Wednesday I took just one 5 mg pill.
After Wednesday I started to feel much better! Finally, I actually said out loud that I felt normal. When I was using vicodin daily I would get tired after playing basketball for 10 minutes...yesterday I played in my league for the entire 40 minute game and felt great! The withdrawal has for the most part ended and my tolerance is starting to finally fall down!
Now, it's been 5 days since I last took vicodin and today I took one 5mg. It seems my tolerance is starting to drop(though not completely) but the most amazing thing to me is that it's been nearly 3 hours and it feels just as strong as it did after the 1 hour mark and I'm pain free! I remember when i was taking it daily that the effects and the painkilling would fade right after the 1 hour mark, extremely quick! Is that normal that when you take it for so long it stops working faster?
Anyways, my question for you all is this. I'm extremely happy to not be taking this medication daily and be feeling nearly 100%(probably at about a 90%
). However do understand that I have some pain that can't always be controlled by OTC. If I continue to take vicodin around once every week or so will my tolerance continue to drop and will I no longer have withdrawal? I don't want to repeat this process ever again!Thanks!
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by Wantingit 
Before,
Do you have a legit reason to take the Vic's? If not don't take them, that is the only way to be sure you'll never have withdrawals again.
Do you have a legit reason to take the Vic's? If not don't take them, that is the only way to be sure you'll never have withdrawals again.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Iowa
Posts: 675
I notice that you joined Oct 2011. Was it for the same reason? Were you trying to withdraw at that time?
Have you had kidney stones for a year or were you taking the hydro for another reason? Are you forming new kidney stones or is this the original crop that has taken so long to be taken care of. My reason for all these questions is to ascertain if there is an endpoint to the pain/kidney stones or will this be a chronic thing for which you will be taking hydro.
Personally if it were me I would consider myself addicted as long as I was taking them as the threat of binging on them would always be there. One cannot (or I cannot) maintain the "iron grip" on using.
Have you had kidney stones for a year or were you taking the hydro for another reason? Are you forming new kidney stones or is this the original crop that has taken so long to be taken care of. My reason for all these questions is to ascertain if there is an endpoint to the pain/kidney stones or will this be a chronic thing for which you will be taking hydro.
Personally if it were me I would consider myself addicted as long as I was taking them as the threat of binging on them would always be there. One cannot (or I cannot) maintain the "iron grip" on using.
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by liv1ce
I notice that you joined Oct 2011. Was it for the same reason? Were you trying to withdraw at that time?
Have you had kidney stones for a year or were you taking the hydro for another reason? Are you forming new kidney stones or is this the original crop that has taken so long to be taken care of. My reason for all these questions is to ascertain if there is an endpoint to the pain/kidney stones or will this be a chronic thing for which you will be taking hydro.
Personally if it were me I would consider myself addicted as long as I was taking them as the threat of binging on them would always be there. One cannot (or I cannot) maintain the "iron grip" on using.
Have you had kidney stones for a year or were you taking the hydro for another reason? Are you forming new kidney stones or is this the original crop that has taken so long to be taken care of. My reason for all these questions is to ascertain if there is an endpoint to the pain/kidney stones or will this be a chronic thing for which you will be taking hydro.
Personally if it were me I would consider myself addicted as long as I was taking them as the threat of binging on them would always be there. One cannot (or I cannot) maintain the "iron grip" on using.
I had 3 very large ones. I had passed ones whole already. I have 2 more that I had surgery on to break up, the surgery worked well on one and not so well on the other. So essentially I have a lot of very small stones still waiting to comes out. They creep out slowly but from the looks of my last ultrasound things are progressing well
and although they are small, they're still extremely painful.When I had first registered I was taking a lot of hydro because I was passing the first stone whole which was 6MM(smaller then the other 2) which meant I was taking more medication then I have been recently, and stronger medication such as morphine in the hospital.
Like I had stated I no longer have any control over my medication, my mom has it all so there's no threat of binging anymore.
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 313
I'm gonna give the OP the benefit of the doubt and play devils advocate here. Not everyone has an addictive personality (like me) and can take narcotic meds responsibly. Not every day or week but as needed. OK, now the other side of the coin. My bet is that any regular use will develop a tolerance for the user requiring increased dosages and that usually doesn't end well. It's the inevitable truth with opies no matter how iron clad your personality and absence of addictive traits. Caveat emptor.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Iowa
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You must realize who your are asking questions/advice of here. Having someone else holding the "opies" to me just means I have to find another way to get what I need.
Agreeing again with FMTT. Any use develops tolerance and increased need.
Agreeing again with FMTT. Any use develops tolerance and increased need.
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by liv1ce
You must realize who your are asking questions/advice of here. Having someone else holding the "opies" to me just means I have to find another way to get what I need.
Agreeing again with FMTT. Any use develops tolerance and increased need.
Agreeing again with FMTT. Any use develops tolerance and increased need.
Should I possibly go find another forum to ask this on, I can't tell if that's what you're implying or not? I've never purchased anything off the streets nor do I even know how, I've never even had alcohol or ran out of a prescription before the refill.
The question I asked was all honest, I'm looking for advice on how to control my tolerance. I'm not claiming I have an iron will, I was just looking for honest advice...
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Join Date: May 2012
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No, you are in the correct forum and please don't misunderstand my words. I was merely indicating that many of us here would be considered "hard core" to others and interpret things differently or at least have behaved differently when left to our own devices. Most would also recognize that at one time we too were innocent in our pursuit or use of opiate drugs so no situation seems safe at first glance. The advice is still good.
So I am not suspicious of your intentions in asking the questions that you have. It is admirable and something many should consider when taking this kind of medication. You have also indicated a certain "dependency" in taking the medication because you felt irritable and unmotivated. That is exactly where many of us started.
So remain cautious as you are.
I hope I haven't put you off. Keep asking as there is always someone willing to talk.
So I am not suspicious of your intentions in asking the questions that you have. It is admirable and something many should consider when taking this kind of medication. You have also indicated a certain "dependency" in taking the medication because you felt irritable and unmotivated. That is exactly where many of us started.
So remain cautious as you are.
I hope I haven't put you off. Keep asking as there is always someone willing to talk.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by liv1ce
No, you are in the correct forum and please don't misunderstand my words. I was merely indicating that many of us here would be considered "hard core" to others and interpret things differently or at least have behaved differently when left to our own devices. Most would also recognize that at one time we too were innocent in our pursuit or use of opiate drugs so no situation seems safe at first glance. The advice is still good.
So I am not suspicious of your intentions in asking the questions that you have. It is admirable and something many should consider when taking this kind of medication. You have also indicated a certain "dependency" in taking the medication because you felt irritable and unmotivated. That is exactly where many of us started.
So remain cautious as you are.
I hope I haven't put you off. Keep asking as there is always someone willing to talk.
So I am not suspicious of your intentions in asking the questions that you have. It is admirable and something many should consider when taking this kind of medication. You have also indicated a certain "dependency" in taking the medication because you felt irritable and unmotivated. That is exactly where many of us started.
So remain cautious as you are.
I hope I haven't put you off. Keep asking as there is always someone willing to talk.
Well I guess that's the whole reason for the thread in the first place. I am quick to admit that I felt addicted to them and hated the feeling of it. To make it clear, now I feel for the most part fine without it ever since giving control of my medication over to someone else. The questions that I'm asking come from me knowing how it feels to be addicted and wanting to not go back there! Even at the height of my addiction when I had several prescriptions for Vicodin ES or Norco I never went above what was on the label, and never above 20 MG a day.
Mainly hoping to see if anyone here has had a similar experience where they were able to keep their usage under control and their tolerance as low as possible to avoid it growing into a problem.
Like my name states, I'm on this forum to be proactive and to stop a problem for spiraling out of control.
Thank you for your words
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by milroy
Im not a doc, but constipation when I was taking opiates was terrible. It feels good to be able to take a real pee again. I would imagine that may be good for you?
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 313
I'll never throw doubt at anyone's report of their circumstances but I will answer your questions honestly. You're asking questions about usage control over time to limit tolerance so I'll give you my experience. I was prescribed hydrocodone/APAP 5/500 for a bum back. That was almost 10 years ago and I thought I always took them responsibly. By this past February I was up to over 100mg/day of a hydro/oxycontin mix. I was still taking them as prescribed but time had eventually required the new dosages to achieve the initial results. If you take opiate meds regularly then you will develop increased tolerance to the drug. There's no way around that UNLESS you only take the meds once every week or two. Even then you'll develop tolerance but not as bad as more regular use. That's my experience. Good luck!
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