Taking 100+ LORTABS a day!?!?

[HydroAddict79]

Hey guyz-

I am having a problem convincing my other half/FRIENDS/family that some people actually do build tollerance(sp?) up and have to take MORE & MORE pills to get that high....? correct! If you know of anyone or you yourself have done this PLEASE reply here. Tell your story & give some GOOD advice....


I am still having to take (5) milagrams a day just to feel "ok" and productive. I was up to taking anywhere from 4-10 lortabs a day. I know that there are other people here who ARE WAY MORE WORSE off then i am and my heart & prayers go out to these folks. Someone knocked me on my other post and basicly said what i am going thru is NOTHING. Shady & bitter people get NOWHERE in life. Anyways....I am trying to convince my friends that are on these things that YOU DO HAVE TO TAKE MORE & MORE as you go. I would like to show them this thread/post just so they know what they are DEALING with and that it is a FACT.

Thanks again :-)

[ThreeGraces]

but maybe you could also point out that they are headed for severe liver toxicity. Lortab contains acetaminophen besides the hydrocodone. Regular strength is 5/500. The level of danger for liver toxicity from tylenol is 4000 mg a day - so only 8 a day!!!!! Taking that much consistently over time and buh-bye liver.


like I said, probably won't convince anyone, but thought I'd try :soapbox

[BrokenSpirit]

Hi Hydro!!
I went through the same thing with Soma & Fioricet. With the Soma, I was up to taking 30 of them a day. My cousin would take 1/2 of a pill & she would pass out. I built up an extremely high tolerance. With Fioricet, I was taking 10-12 of them daily.
There's a song by Guns "N Roses called Mr. Brownstone.... there's a line in the song that goes "I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do it so the little got more & more".... that pretty much describes it. A little didn't do it for me anymore. I had built up that tolerance. When I relapsed, I STILL needed more to feel it.
As for that person who knocked you.... ignore them. I went through something similar at a meeting once. Some people don't consider Soma a full-on narcotic. Well, it's caused me many blackouts, among numerous other VERY serious problems I won't get into here. The truth is, I am an addict, and from reading your other posts, you admit to being one too, correct?? So forget about that other person. And for that matter.... don't worry about convincing your friends. YOU know the truth. I understand that you would like for THEM to understand.... that's why I responded to this thread. So I hope that maybe I've helped a little??
But please take care of yourself. I keep reading that you're cutting down, but so far, I haven't seen that you've stopped yet. What's going on with that? Are you planning on stopping? And if you are, when?? I've been thinking about you, so I thought I'd ask.

[Gooch]

I had the experience of building tolerances to the drugs I did. With the frequency that addicts use it takes more and more dope to get the buzz. I had a friend that wore a t-shirt that said "In search of teh eternal buzz". Some of my recovering friends maintain that we all chased the first high throughout our active addiction adn that all of the combining, substitution, and increasing amounts were in effect an attempt on our part to recapture the first hit.

[Dawn10]

When I was at the height of my addiction I was taking 6-10 vicodan a day and as nurse I knew the ramifications, but the need for them was stronger than running from the danger of them. Yes, tolerance Does occur. And the more you take the more you need to get the buzz. I have been clean for 6 years. I no longer ever take anything with tylenol in it. I don't want to risk damaging my liver.
Find some literature for your family to read. Educate them. If you are in therapy, have your counsleor find you some material for them to read. I did that with my family as I entered recovery and it helped them understand the disease of addiction.
Good luck!

[HydroAddict79]

Broken spirit-

Hey! I actually have not even had a 5 milagram today. The cravings are CRAZY and it's all that seems to be on my mind today. The 5 milagram did not give me a high at all it just helps "ALITTLE" with the withdrawls...YES i admitt 100% percent that i am an addict & that i have a PROBLEM..uh-huh. These pills are the hardest thing to let go of (so it seems) I am alittle depressed & having hot flashes..Ugh! I hope that by tomorrow i am not feeling WORSE then today. I have been doing the whole "tampering" process...One day i'll have a 5 mg lortab & the next day NOTHING. This has been going on for FOUR days now. I only take the 5 when i start spazzing out really bad (withdrawls) I hope this was the way to WEEN....Hopefully i can get thru tomorrow without the 5 mg like i did today. Anywayz....Thanks for your concerns & replys....This forum helps me alot...ESP: When i see people who reply to MY LIFE.....Thanks for ALL of your help.


Peace Out

Sincerely,

Ben the addict

[BrokenSpirit]

Hey Ben!!
I am SOOOO proud of you for not taking that pill today!!!! ((((((((HUGS)))))))) I KNOW how hard it is. When I stopped taking Soma, I didn't sleep for 3 whole months. I was OBSESSED with getting more. Same with the Fiorocet. I didn't have the luxury of withdrawling off of them slowly.... both times I was caught with them & my family & the cops (2nd time) took them away. I was so sick the 2nd time, throwing up all night, sweats, shakes, night hallucinations.... it was awful!!
I've never taken Lortabs, but the best advice I can give you now, since you haven't taken any today, and the dosage is small is to just stop taking it. You should be fine. The only reason my symptoms were so severe was because I was on an extremely high dose and wasn't able to wean off, like you.
You said yourself in another post that you thought the cravings were pretty much all mental, didn't you?? So keep that in mind. IF you have the strength, flush those pills!! I myself could never do that, but I hope you can. You should be fine to completely stop taking them now.
As for your moods, that's perfectly normal.... I was moody as he!! for the longest time, lol. I don't know if there's a way around that one!! I'm on an anti-depressant and an anti-anxiety.... both non-narcotic. BUT.... they don't start to work for a few weeks after you begin taking them. IF you need them
Please keep posting here & let us know how you're doing. You're in my prayers Ben. I know first hand how impossible & overwhelming this seems. It's SO easy to just give in to the desire. Please don't. It just gets worse. Trust me on this. I almost died because of it. I don't want anything to happen to you.

[ashley80]

Ben, I am a hydrocodone addict. My tolerance increased dramatically after taking fairly low doses intermittently for a few years. I ended up at over 150 mgs per day. I know others who have taken as much 250-300 mgs per day just to try to get a "buzz."

You are right, tolerance develops VERY quickly on these things with daily use. They are wickedly addictive.

I'm glad you are tapering your dose. You should be proud of your accomplishment, it's not an easy thing to do.

Do you have any plans for staying clean once you get all the opiates out of your system??
Ashley

[BrokenSpirit]

Hi Ben!! How have you been doing?? I've been thing about you lately & just want to know if you're okay. Just check in, okay?

[ElaineMarie]

Hey Joe,

I'm new here. I see that you are on a very low dosage. And, that you are even not taking the 5mg on some days. Please just do it Joe. Let it go, and let it go for good. Just stop...flush whatever you have. You shouldn't have any major wd's. Go to meetings and be proud of yourself. You are at a perfect time to get clean and never go back. Try to do it...I know you can. Start going to meetings...lot's of them. And, before you know it things will just get better and better.

You don't want to keep hanging on to that 5mg pill. I'm taking 30 plus and wish I were down to just a 5mg. I have faith in you. Just do it. This is your chance. Please consider taking it; you can be clean for good and live the life you deserve. Just don't forget that know matter how many we take, we are all the same as addicts. Don't feel like you are any less than the rest of us because of your low dosage. An addiction, no matter what the dosage, is a addiction. Do it! Go to meetings. Be the person you deserve to be. You've already come this far. Don't give up. I pray that I can be where you are some day soon.

Sending you strength to do it.

xxoo,
ElaineMarie