scaredtostp

Hi everyone, I am a successful buisness man with a great life and all the things a man could want, except, the dreaded addiction to opiates. I am terrified to stop using them as when i do for 12 hours or so, I feel terrible, anxiety, sweats, fatigue, the whole deal, Ive been using for around 6 months and am now up to 12-16 percocets per day. I recently had a high liver enzyme and now i must stop this addiction. What is the best way to do this as i need to be alert and not under the weather for long, is there a solution. I knew so much better than to start using these pills for energy, that is what i remembered them giving me around 2 years ago when i got my first script of oxy ir. now i need to stop and am beating myself up inside not knowing what to do.....please help

emmer

Welcome.
First step,go to NA. Repeat that step over and over and over.

Keep posting and reaching out, too.

bval

Welcome to SR.com my friend. Most of us around here have been right where you are ... at one point ... or at many points ...

The good news is ... getting off of 12-15 percs a day should not be too terribly horrible. It takes about 4-5 days of feeling under the weather. This is, I'm sorry to say, entirely unavoidable. You can potentially cut down on the severity of the symptoms slightly by seeing a doctor for some comfort meds ... clonidine is real popular, my doc also gave me some neurontin ... both of which helped me cope, but they damn sure didn't put me a frame of mind where I would've been happy to go to work or take care of children or anything of that nature.

Hot baths, lots of fluids, advil, and some unisom or nyquil to sleep ... these things also help.

But the fact is, you've already made your bed, my friend. Now it's time to lie in it for a few days and take care of yourself. Whatever your reason is that you can't be 'under the weather for long', I suggest you weigh the seriousness of that obligation against the value of your LIFE.

Fear of withdrawals what keeps 99% of us addicts enslaved for so long ... and all that happens is ... we just make the situation worse by not stopping, because we're afraid to stop. Think to yourself ... WHEN is this going to end ... if not NOW?

And a +1 on the 'meetings' idea. It's a very good one. That's why I took that advice, and now have 20 months clean. And for about 3 years, I was doing what you now do in an entire day ... just to get out of bed in the morning. So ... if I can do this thing, so can you!

Again, welcome to SR.com. Keep posting, we're here for ya man.

karabear77

Hello Scared,

Do I ever know how you feel! I would like to give you some peace of mind if possible. You say you are taking 12-16 Percs a day. That is what they started me on when I first injured my back. That was 3 years ago...now I am trying to get clean off of 200 Mg of Oxycontin, 50 mcg Fentanyl patch (1 every 48 hours), and 100 mg of Norco which is a stronger version of Vicoden without all the tylenol. YOU DONT WANT TO END UP HERE~~~ And it only took me 3 years to get here. Not to mention that my DH got caught up in this mess too..tell me that doesnt cause some problems when one of us runs out early or we get greedy. He is getting ready to start the methadone clinic next Monday because it is so out of control...as for me, I am going to get my bunch needed spinal fusion and then I am done!!! I did stop taking the meds when I was where you are and I was uncomfortable for a few days, but at least you can get out at this point. We are all here for you and support you through this battle. It sucks, but remember going through detox cant kill you, but the pills can. I am in healthcare and know that when you amylace/lypase start to rise and your kidney it affected, it is only a matter of time before you are hooked up to dialysis machine waiting for a transplant. Our bodies are very resiliant and you have a chance to heal your body before it becomes an issue. Take this as a warning sign. You will be so happy you did.

kittens5

Welcome to the forum. We aren't allowed to give medical advice, but I'd say if you go to your doctor, he/she may have some helpful suggestions to get you off the medication. From my experience, a medically supervised withdrawal is much better than trying to go it alone. Just my opinion, as someone who works in the medical field and is going through it herself.

Also, to give you some hope.....
In December my liver enzymes were elevated (pretty high) and I just had labs re-done, and my enzymes are back no normal!! That was just from 6 weeks of not drinking or using! I was taking more pills than you, and for a longer time, but I was also drinking, which didn't help those liver enzymes at all! However, since 1/1/06, with my doctors supervision, I've been able to stay off the oxycodone & alcohol!!! I also go to meetings, which help SOOOO much!! I can't stress it enough...meetings are the key to success!!! This forum is full of good information, keep coming back.......it works!

-Elaine-

Stagebear

Hi, Scared:
I'm Bear, been off percs for 48 days. I know well the fear. I was also a successful professional. Lost some of that because I made terrible decisions associated with my addiction. BUT, my life is far better today, not using.
Are you familiar with 12-step programs? It may not work for everyone but it is a great start when you're scared and feeling as though this can't be done.
Medically, as kittens said, you need to consult a professional. Advice here is only each person's best guess. There are some who have detoxed at home, but it's a tougher road than seeking professional help.
It comes down to "what are we willing to do now to avoid worse problems later?"
Keep posting. We care.

Hoping you'll stick around, I remain,

UncleChunky

HI Scared
My story is similar to yours. It is day 5 for me, percs = oxy same thing. I wont lie, it isn't easy. My own experience is body aches, high anxiety, sweats. It gets easier physically. I combated my illness with advil, orange juice, water, and sleep easy. For the mental aspect, you cant do it alone, you need support of a spouse or by going to a meeting. Unfortunatly where I live the closest meeting is 80 miles away. I am going to see a counselor tomorrow and my wife has been a tremendous support, upset yes. It will take time to earn trust back.
If you need to be high functional for work, if you have the option choose to stop on a Thursday, take Friday off. This gives you 2 days on the weekend. Stretch it to Monday off if you can take it off.
You have to be serious tho, you really got to want it. Otherwise 10-12 will become 14-16 and it will just get harder.
I dont mean to make this thread about me. I just wanted to give you my perspective on the issue and how it is for someone like yourself with a professional career, family, everything a guy could want.
I wish you the best

scaredtostp

Wow, I guess I am not alone in this battle at all, like i said, when I think about stopping, I get all sweaty and feel winded, this must be anxiety I guess. Im afraid that the withdrawls will last so long and im also afraid to fail so i have not stopped. These little white chalky pills seem to give so much energy. I know when you say it will only get worse if I dont stop. When I started i would only take 2-3 a day to give me the energy, not the high. I guess the energy must be from the high, how long will the withdrawls last and when will i get my energy back, I cant be laid up for long. I have heard of methadone and suboxone, not sure how these work but If I took this would I lose the energy. Im not sure what to do, the worst and easiest thing to do is keep using but that is not an option. I am going to see a methadone information session this up comming week, not sure what to do. Thank you for all the encouraging words of kindness and to the ones that have stopped, you are very strong people.....
I will be checking in often, thanks again

Stagebear

I am not a doctor, but I will tell you I benefited from a five day suboxone detox. I do not take them currently, they were given to me in a partial hospital setting. I did not experience strong withdrawal symptoms and am opiate free today.

As far an the energy level you crave, you can achieve normal levels of energy. You may never get that "superhuman" feeling again but remember that is not normal. For you, it's lethal. You're already experiencing the rapid slide of addiction. How far do you want to go? Wanna lose you job? I did. Wanna nearly lose your home and family? I nearly did. Sold my car, you name it. And I was employed and making decent money.


This is a time for action on your part, not paralysis. Find an experienced doctor and get some help, now.

From one who knows where it goes,

scaredtostp

really only five days on suboxone and no withdrawl, id like to do that..... will look into it. thank you

Stagebear

Keep posting here. Keep letting us know how you're doing. It helps.

kj3880

I was unable to stop oxy without going on suboxone replacement therapy for a time, although I did try to taper on my own. I'm not saying you would have to have suboxone, there are people who can go without and get clean, but if cold-turkey and tapering don't get you there, it may be something to consider. Let me know if you think about doing a suboxone program. There is a lot to consider there.
KJ

jets467

Hello Scaredtostop, I went tru in Jan the same thing and I also have a business but my problem was I have a wife and kids also and my wife didn't know I was taking these (I was taking at least 160 mg oxycotin a day and a few 10/325 vicodins) , My advise in Cold Turkey , Make sure you don't have any around and truly be done with it. The withdrawals don't last that long , The 1st day being the worst , I tried tapering off but it was just dragging it out, So I just decided that when I was done with whatever I had I would stop and tell my wife I have the Flu- The 1st night of not doing them you wont sleep , Lots of sweating , The worst is the restless legs you just keep rolling around , Just keep taking hot baths (Also potassium -You can eat bananas if you cant find potassium pills and I found some restless leg pills at Rite Aid also at Walgreens) I am not sure if these will work because I went tru the 1st night without anything and after that I bought these for the 2nd night and it was better. all the nights after the 1st felt like the flu with absolutely no energy, Lots of night sweats very little sleep after the 3rd night it started getting better,Once you get addicted to this stuff you can never touch it again (I learned this from my freinds on this board- All the people that are posting also helped me-This was a fantastic support system for the whole time)- So make sure if a Doctor tries to prescribe these to you ever again say No because you will have to go tru this again, Just go tru it this once and be done with it forever- Its not worth it and you will be so much happier - I already feel I am enjoying people a lot more and more friendlier to everyone, I am also running my business much better. Just know whats to come and deal with it, It will be the best decision you made or you will destroy your life- Habits start off as cobwebs and turn into cables - You have only been doing this for 6 months so they are still cobwebs it will just get harder everyday if you dont stop now. Good Luck

scaredtostp

I appreciate all of the caring people who have posted to help me see that im still early in this addiction which should make my withdrawls less painful, HOPEFULLY, but still there nonetheless. I am still scared of the withdrawls and feeling lousy for a long time, afraid of the anxiety and the emotions that will come out, I tried a small effort to stop ct about a month and a half ago, felt tired, sore stomach, runs, sweats and was crying for no apparant reason. I dont know why i was so emotional. Then I needed to be at my best and gave in and within one hour after giving into the meds, I felt normal again, happy and no tears, what a roller coaster ride to say the least, that is why I have not tried to stop again....I feel so helpless and like a failure, a weak person ect and I dont want to feel like that again

fuster

I know a lot of people who stop using opiates, but only a few who stayed off them long term (more than 2 years). ASAM states that for all substance abuse disorders, those who remain abstinent longer than 2 years is a mere 2%. That puts the odds of you staying off those pills very slim. You have to do everything you can to succeed. Those whom I know who had the best success (staying off prescription pain meds) first had a professional substance abuse assessment, then did the recommended treatment and continued after they were done with treatment by attending 12 Step meetings for life. Not a bad alternative to being a prisoner of a small pill and having all the bad stuff that goes with it. You can always get more pills. So don't underestimate the importance of a proper assessment and working a real recovery plan that professional treatment can help you with. Otherwise it is like driving a car without insurance. The only people who really feel OK with that are those who think nothing bad will happen while they are driving, and we all know that is stupid thinking.

Get better and get a spiritual program and you can never worry again, guaranteed.

Stagebear

I wholeheartedly agree with the need for assessment and meetings. But when referring to meetings, treatment, etc. I am careful not to say things like "for life", which is a whole lot to wrap ones head around when first getting clean and has never even attended a meeting.

My personal recovery commitment to myself, my family and friends is for life. How I accomplish that is strictly a day at a time.
Statistics are also a little scary in early recovery. It's also tough to really compile them accurately, since the ASAM would certainly see many more relapsers than they would people who stayed abstinent.

Bottom line for my friend scaredtostp: You are still not talking about action. What do you now have in mind?

scaredtostp

Wow, those statistics are not good, actually terrible. Why are they so low, if that is the case, the programs are not really working well at all, I would not put my money on a 2% chance on anything, that would be a very high risk,

Hi Bear, I am going to a methadone info session on March 3 to see what that is about, they said I would have to go to the pharmacy every day to get my dose which is a pain but if it works its not so bad, I cant wait to get off these damn pills, they are controlling my life now, they never used to before I started to think about stopping, now its always on my mind. dammit. I was also given the option of taking codine contin and gradually weaning of of it, which type of program would work the best as I must stop, last night I woke up and my lower legs were full of sweat....weird

Stagebear

I can't offer an opinion on "what's best" because I only know what's posted here and I am not a doctor. You only posted about limited, short term use. Methadone can be an extreme step unless there is a deeper history. But, again, that's my stab at this based on what you've posted.
Any action you take with a professional right now is a positive one.

Angelic17

Hi Scared to stop. I was addicted to opiates for 10 years. When I finally decided to stop I went to my Doctor and told him honestly about my situation. He immediately prescribed suboxone. Suboxone is a drug that blocks the withdrawal receptors in your brain and allows you to stop using opiates without withdrawal symptoms. However, you cannot rely on suboxone to do the work for you. You must do the work. And it is difficult. Opiates stimulate all the pleasure sensors in your brain, and when you first stop you feel pretty horrible. The suboxone helps with that. But in my case I only took 2 suboxone and after the second day, I did it without anything. I just quit. I felt weak and tired for a couple of months until my brain started making it's own dopamine again. You can do this. It's not as bad as you think. Addiction is physical, but MOSTLY MENTAL. Stay away from people who use, and just dont take the pills. Every day is a milestone and you will get better. That's a guarantee. Good Luck and God Bless. Prayer is one of the things that helped me. I have been clean for 3 years and 9 months now. If I can do it, you can do it. I took vicodins, and percocettes, and oxycontins when I could. I am so happy and normal now. It is good to be free and not let a substance run my life. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. :praying

scaredtostp

Thanks again, wow, only two days of suboxone, my guess is you really wanted to stop this foolishness and did not want a crutch to rely on, I guess trading one drug for another, even if the doctor prescribes it, is still another drug.Im going to listen in on the methadone clinic as I know I have an addictive personality so we will see how it works, and i was told that with the methadone clinic you get the support system too, in canada these treatment facilities are free and covered by medicare and also methadone is covered under my drug plan. I think I just need that bit of a push to get off of these pills, something to take the withdrawls away would be useful as this would let me cope and get used to not using the percocet on a daily basis. The lady at the treatment facility is an awsome understanding personm, i met with her today and she is just as caring as all of you great caring people, she thinks i should be free of these soon, I did not take them in the first place to cover up my life, my life is great, i mean was great, I only took them to experiment with them and they turned into this.......What a huge mistake this has turned out to have been....I just wanted to get high and have a good time, welll boys and girls, if you see this, that good time is not worth the mental suffering and the self pitty these pills bring to one, they can reduce a person from being on top of the world to being at the lowest point in ones life, dont try it, it is not worth your health and the mental abuse you will face.........