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oxycodone withdrawal help Part 2

Old 05-31-2011, 03:43 PM
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oxycodone withdrawal help Part 2

The last part of this thread is here.
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...l-help-21.html

First off, a general reminder to everyone:

Please remember guys:
although we welcome people sharing their experiences here, we do have a medical advice rule that we require everyone to abide by -

10. Medical Advice: No Posts giving medical advice, medication advice, or psychiatric advice. Do not use the forum to give or ask for professional medical or psychiatric advice. If you are a medical professional, please remember the forums and chat are for peer support only and not to be used for distributing professional medical advice and/or using the forum to represent your professional services. Medical and Psychiatric advice includes giving a diagnosis, treatment plan, medication advice and dosage suggestions, over the counter and natural home remedies that should be approved by medical professionals. Detox can be dangerous and life threatening at times. Please consult with your physician
thanks
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Old 06-02-2011, 07:11 AM
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Hello everyone.

Hello to everyone interested in continuing this thread.

The "oxycodone withdrawal help" thread is the first place I found help when I quit THE OX in December 2010. I came here sick and scared.

I am now in my sixth month clean, and feel better than I have in many years. The whole withdrawal thing is still very fresh in my memory, and there are so many people here who have helped me along the way in my recovery.

I am here to give back, and to share in any way others might find my experiences helpful. I try to give information, backed by resources for those who want to know more about addiction, as I did and still do.

But most of all, I have my experience with not just one, but several recoveries. As you will so often hear on this site, you never know how many recoveries you have left in you.

As for me, I don't know the answer to that, and so I am choosing to let this be the last one, recognized that recovery is not a state of being but a process that continues for the rest of our lives. It is an active and not a passive process.

So, get on board, all who would like to join me in that process.

FT
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Old 06-03-2011, 12:18 PM
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^I'm with you on that, went through it all about 4 times in 8 months. Now im about 3 weeks clean and i feel better than ever. I'm still lacking all the energy i once had but im hoping it will return with more time. After going through these withdraws i feel as if i can accomplish anything now. It was so hard on the body and the mind that now i feel like if i put my mind in it, i can do whatever i want!

Thanks everyone, my prayers go out to everyone struggling, remember it can only get better once these are out of your life.
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Old 07-14-2011, 01:46 AM
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Well here goes
I've been taking 20-40mg of oxycodone/oxycontin a day for about a year now this will be my first attempt to quit for good. A few months ago I had to leave the country and couldnt take anything for about a 2 week period and that first week was hell so I pretty much know what I'm in for. but me being dumb and not realizing how this was affecting my life then thought it would be ok to just start taking it again as soon as I got back. Big mistake. otherwise Any advice or support you guys on here can give me would be great It's been about a day now since I've had anything and It's not so bad right now I know tomorrows gonna be hell tho so wish me luck I don't want anything more than to rid my self of this horrible addiction
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Old 07-14-2011, 02:12 AM
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Originally Posted by cmmil146 View Post
Well here goes
I've been taking 20-40mg of oxycodone/oxycontin a day for about a year now this will be my first attempt to quit for good. A few months ago I had to leave the country and couldnt take anything for about a 2 week period and that first week was hell so I pretty much know what I'm in for. but me being dumb and not realizing how this was affecting my life then thought it would be ok to just start taking it again as soon as I got back. Big mistake. otherwise Any advice or support you guys on here can give me would be great It's been about a day now since I've had anything and It's not so bad right now I know tomorrows gonna be hell tho so wish me luck I don't want anything more than to rid my self of this horrible addiction
Hello, Welcome. We were on the same Medication. I am not a Doctor but I was taking 4 times what you are for 6 times longer and my Detox wasn't much worse than the flu (other than one day that was pretty bad because I was vomiting) otherwise the accute part of withdrawal lasted 5 days, the chronic part 7 days and the "wacked sleeping" and "lack of energy" persists for several months. (In m experience).

What you MIGHT experience: Night Sweats, Hot/Cold Flashes, Watery Eyes, Restlessness, Insomnia, Lack of Energy, Muscle Pain, Poor Appetite, Dry Mouth, BAD taste in my mouth, (Sensitivity to Smells/Tastes) and unless you are have robot, you WILL get Diarreah (Due to the low dose, I think you might dodge the vomiting and muscle pain all together or it will be mild if you do experience it.

Things that SHOULD HELP (that helped me): Gaterade/Vitamin Water (AVOID caffeine beverages-you'll already have enough trouble sleeping, Immodium for the Diarreah, Aspirin for the Pain, If you are working with a Physician- he may give you something for Anxiety, Vitamins (specifically C & B), tempid baths and you may not be able to sleep--you should still rest. If you get that bad taste in your mouth that no amount of brushing will make go away---keep your favorite hard candy around to suck on.

Don't get me wrong-- It isn't "pleasant" (the detox) but I read some HORROR stories about detox and they scared me off of detoxing for the longest time. I'm being brutally honest with you. I can't see yours being as rough as mine and in retrospect mine was just very uncomfortable, not brutal. (Maybe mentally brutal, but not physically other than day three)

Last but not least, you should work with a Doctor because if you were on opiates for a reason, (legit pain) - it will still be there when you stop if it's a chronic problem so you'll need a safeguard in place. I have nerve damage to my shoulder and back so I was also given muscle relaxants and a NON narcotic pain reliever. SO, definately see a Doctor if that is the case (it's always safer to see one regardless if you are detoxing). Toxing from opiates isn't dangerous like booze or benzos, but better to be monitored.

I'll say a prayer for ya~
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Old 09-27-2011, 09:42 PM
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This is my first post and my first time on here. I am taking 3 20mg oxycodone IR pills a day and have been for 4 months now. We have tried every NON-narcotic pain med my doctor can think of and she told me she felt better about me using Medical Marijuana than oxycodone, so we started the paper work (I live in Canada) to start Medical Marijuana with Health Canada, but my paper work is not going to be done until sometime in October, so she put me on the oxycodone until the paper work is done.
I knew about how hard it was if you abused oxycodone, and I swore I wouldn't and would take it as prescribed, and for the most part I have. There may have been a day here and a day there where I took an extra pill, but for the most part I have stayed on the prescribed dose of 3 20mg pills a day. This past week I have started to notice withdrawal symptoms even though I have not stopped the prescribed dose. I have started to sleep longer, started getting anxious and nervous when I wake up. It is harder to wake up and get going, I don't want to. This has come on rather fast really, I am shocked. I have never used this kind of medication before, so I don't know what to expect. I am scared really. I don't know if I need to start withdrawing now, so it doesn't get any worse, because I imagine what is going on is that my body is wanting more than what I am taking and is starting to show with withdrawal symptoms even though I have not stopped taking it. I don't want to go up in dosage anymore, I am starting to get scared of it, I also deal with panic attacks and it almost feels as if my anxiety level is going through the roof this past week.
I do have a prescription for xanax, which I don't use unless I need to, I manage my panic attacks pretty good with paxil 40mg a day, but I have access to xanax if I need it. I was thinking it might be best for me to just get off the oxycodone now, since my body seems to want more of it. Is this something normal, feeling this way after taking 3 20mg pills a day for 4 months? You body wants more or something? Or is this something new that is going on with me, I hope not, last thing I need really. I am in my third year of M.Div studies and I can't let my family and church down and in a way that is playing a lot on my mind, I didn't intend to get myself in this situation and I don't want anyone to know. I have full neuropathy in my feet, hands and legs. My hands are starting to really hurt me now, it used to be my feet and legs were the worst, but it has moved up to my hands as well, but I would almost rather deal with the pain than deal with how I am feeling right now, physically and emotionally. I don't know what to do really, and I was hoping I could chat or talk to people that have gone through this before, find some support and friendship.
I am thinking I better just tapper off the oxycodone, even though my body is wanting more and starting (I think) the withdrawal symptoms to get my attention. Is it better to withdrawal by tapering my dose down to say 3 10mg a day, then 2 10mg a day, then 2 5mg a day etc. or is it better to just get it over with and go cold turkey? The most days I can get off would be 5 in a row, is that going to be long enough for me to get through the rough part, so that even though I may not feel better, I will fill ok enough to go back to school and work?
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated and if I can help anyone else I would be more than happy to do so, I guess I could turn my own counseling training around on my self LOL (M.Div classes), but the first thing they teach you is that you need someone for yourself, I just don't have that around here. In this position, its hard to share your worries and concerns because people don't understand and tend to label you as a drug user, and that is so far from the truth. Anyway, thanks.

Blessings,
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Old 09-28-2011, 07:50 AM
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Hi sooners,

This is a HUGE question that needs to be addressed with your doctor right away. I can't give you medical advice about how you should dose a taper, but what I can tell you is that tapering is risky because it puts you into mini withdrawal, with the dope sickness that comes along with it, and since you are still in possession of pills, the tendency for most of us is to "fix" the dope sickness with more pills. It's just too hard for most of us to continue feeling sick when we have the pills in our hot little hands.

Your doc is very wise to have warned you about oxycodone and her concern for putting you on it. You are experiencing why she is worried about that.

What you are experiencing is something called "adaptation", where your body has become accustomed to the drug and no longer gets the same "rush" it gave you when you started. It also doesn't give the same level of pain relief as it did before. If you were going to be on oxycodone/oxycontin long term, the doc would probably respond by upping your dose, changing your opiates around, or changing the method of dose. But since the aim is for you not to be taking opiates, that would be a bad idea in my opinion. Unless you want to be "that minister who uses opiates". Maybe there are a bunch of them, but in my profession there aren't ANY unless they are in hiding.

Fortunately, your dose is still low enough and brief enough to where you will suffer withdrawals but for less time and probably less intensity. The reality of stopping opiates that have been going on for longer than a few DAYS is that most people will suffer withdrawal. When I had both knees replaced in 2009, the orthopedic nurse who was helping me told me that most of her patients had withdrawals and just thought they had come down with the flu for a few days after they quit the drug. Since most people passed it off as that and didn't give it another thought, their office didn't pursue any kind of special program to stop, although the usual method was to taper the patients off between postoperative and 3 weeks after surgery.

My strongest advice to you is "get off the train" before it leaves the station. Opiates are nothing to mess with, and you may be saving yourself months if not years of misery being addicted to a drug you had no intention of abusing. I started out with my surgeries and escalated my use afterwards. If had known then what I know now, I would NEVER have taken opiates after that 3rd postoperative week that MOST people after orthopedic surgery are usually able to do.

You'll get lots of support for quitting opiates on this forum. Good luck!

FT
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Old 09-29-2011, 07:39 PM
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Smile Thank You for your reply

Originally Posted by failedtaper View Post
Hi sooners,

This is a HUGE question that needs to be addressed with your doctor right away. I can't give you medical advice about how you should dose a taper, but what I can tell you is that tapering is risky because it puts you into mini withdrawal, with the dope sickness that comes along with it, and since you are still in possession of pills, the tendency for most of us is to "fix" the dope sickness with more pills. It's just too hard for most of us to continue feeling sick when we have the pills in our hot little hands.

FT

Thank you failedtaper for your helpful reply! It usually takes a week or so to get into see my doctor and I don't want to go another week taking these as today wasn't any better. I have heard (I hope it's true) that no one dies from stopping cold turkey in the posts I have read, but it feels like you are going to die. If that is the case, I am going to flush the rest of my medication down the toilet, so I don't take one while I go through this withdrawal process, let my wife in on what it is doing to me so I can have some support and 3 days of being able to stay in bed, showers, walks whatever I need to do to get through these days. I understand what you are saying about tapering and having access to the drug and I don't want to be going back and forth.

I am really worried enough , that I need to get off them and stay off them. I will make an appointment in the morning with my doctor, but like I said, I can't usually get in for at least a week, but I feel comfortable enough stopping them and I know she wouldn't have a problem with it. There's just no way of getting around the withdrawal sickness and I need to just get it done and over with. I have tomorrow through Sunday off, so hopefully I can be over the worst part, and even though I may feel horrible, be able to go to school and work on monday. If I shouldn't stop cold turkey, if people are wrong about it not killing you, then please let me know and I will just have to stay on the same dose and hang in their until I can get in to talk to my doctor, which will probably be at least a week. I refuse to take more to make this go away as I am scared of it now. If I am understanding you correctly, it's best to quit, go through the withdrawal sickness and just get it over with, don't have any of the drug around to be able to take when I am at my weakest point of the withdrawal.

No pressure and I know you can't tell me what to do. I understand this very clearly and any decision or action I take is of my own doing. But if you have any more experiences you want to share about what I am going to do, please share your thoughts and thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. I hope to kick this, I may just have to live with pain. I have most my life anyway, feel like that is my "Thorn in my side" to carry and everyone has problems, some worse than others, but life was never promised to be pain free (physically or mentally). I hope to be able to use this life experience to better myself as a minister , to help others in this type of situation no matter the substance or case and have a better understanding of what people with addictions go through.

Blessings,
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Old 09-30-2011, 07:22 AM
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Hi sooners,

I'd get that doctor appointment, and maybe they can squeeze you in if someone cancels.

Unless you have other health problems, the opiates are safer to withdraw from than benzos are. Benzo withdrawal can cause seizures. Opiates just make you sick. The sickness is actually a good sign the drug has left your system. Many people take things their doctor gives them to make the worst of them less bad (like the bad restlessness and insomnia), and there are OTC stomach aids many people take for stomach cramps. With your short duration of use, you're likely to have them in a more mild form, but everyone is different. The best thing to do is to plan to do NOTHING except watch old movies and drink fluids and eat soft foods for a week. Pretend like you have the worst flu in the world and make everybody leave you alone while you recover. You can PM me if you want, but I think you need more posts first.

As to the pain part, I've tried to help people understand that pain is largely subjective. It doesn't mean it isn't real -- far from it. It's real all right, but people cope with varying degrees of pain, and everyone has their own pain tolerance. Everyone has to decide for themselves what is an "acceptable" amount of pain they can live with. For example, some people live with far more pain than I've ever had to deal with, in the form of chronic migraines, or Crohn's disease, or worse arthritis than I have. Hardly any of those people are ever truly "pain free". They've just learned to cope.

That doesn't mean you have to learn to live in misery. There are lots of methods of pain control, and sometimes we contribute to our pain in ways we don't realize. Women in labor feel more pain when they tense their bodies, for example. There are both psychological and physical things you can do to reduce your pain level, with many kinds of pain. I have severe osteoarthritis, and I discovered while I was on oxys that I was taking pain medication for things I didn't used to find painful enough to use them for. Opiates actually reduce your tolerance to pain, both psychologically and chemically. You will find when you quit them that, AT FIRST, you feel pain more acutely because of this. Later, you'll discover that your pain tolerance improves off the opiates. I don't take anything for my severe joint pain most of the time, and when I do it's an excedrin. I have more potent non-steroidal-antiinflammatories I have been prescribed, but I prefer to defer their use for my most severe pain. I have pain at night when I sleep that awakens me. I have severe sciatica that I could probably have cortisone injections or surgery for, but I am measuring my risks and benefits and deferring that as much as possible, too.

I am no saint, but I am no woos either. I've just gotten old enough, and stupid enough a few times, to discover how much pain is "worth it" and how much deserves attention.

I do know I don't want my bus driver on opiates. Probably not my minister either. How about my doctor? Do I want him/her to be on opiates when I need them at their best? Some people opt out of life in a number of ways to permit their opiate use, or they use them in hiding to avoid public scrutiny. Either way, that's less than I want for my own life. I want to live it fully and unimpaired as much as possible.

I don't know if anything I've said is helpful. Maybe others here have something to say.

So, get in to the doc when you can and discuss this stuff. There's likely a way to make your life more physically comfortable that doesn't risk the use of opiates.

FT
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Old 09-30-2011, 01:00 PM
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I have done cold turkey from a lot more, it was horrible and tramatic and still haunts me to this day, on the other hand I have never gone back to oxy but lighter narcotcs but of course took to many as they made me feel normal again... tapering was not easy just proplonged misery... a year later I am still a mess, I have gone 5 months and felt like a walking dead... then doc gave me WAY to much methadone to start with no counseling to understand what was happening... had I known I may have made it... been told by other doctors that methadone or suboxone without proper counseling is a guarenteed failure... have read others experiance and suboxone SHORT TERM is a great help but long term is same boat your in now... if you have a doctor get their help! If he tells you all addictions are over in 5 days which so many still beleive, find another... something you should know about that most doctors won't tell you is PAWS... it is scary but if you understand what is happening you may have a chance... This will not be easy but other people have done it. Good luck and God Bless!
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Old 09-30-2011, 09:08 PM
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Question Question

Originally Posted by EaglesNest View Post
if you have a doctor get their help! If he tells you all addictions are over in 5 days which so many still believe, find another... something you should know about that most doctors won't tell you is PAWS... it is scary but if you understand what is happening you may have a chance...
Thank you for your reply EaglesNest. I was wondering if you would explain what "PAWS" is, I'm not understanding this. And I wanted to ask if your still having dope sickness withdrawal sickness after the 5 days. I know I will be battling "addiction" for life, but I was hoping to find a silver lining in the cloud, that after a period of time, if you don't take anymore pills, will the withdrawal sickness go away (e.g., blurry vision, vomiting, muscle pain, depression etc.)?

Blessings,
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Old 10-02-2011, 01:01 AM
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Hey Sooners, one of the members here graciously sent me some links that really give you a good handle on the PAWS phase.

PAWS is the acronym for Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms and depending on what your dosages were and the length of time you were using you may experience all or some of the ongoing symptoms or just breeze through them.

The important thing is to be aware of them - this phase of our recovery is tricky if we do not know what to expect. One thing to remember about the PAWS symptoms is that they are intermittent and you do not have to suffer continuously - just keep an eye on where you are at.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-ac...rawal_syndrome

http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org...withdrawal.htm

http://digital-dharma.net/post-acute...r-immediately/

Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome
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Old 10-02-2011, 10:02 AM
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Thank you Spica!!

I will look at these and thank you so much for posting a reply and helping.
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Old 10-02-2011, 10:04 AM
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The first three links come up 404 page not found, but the last two links come up, I am printing these off and will set down and read them through, thanks again!
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Old 10-02-2011, 12:40 PM
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Sorry about the links - if you type "Post Acute Withdrawal Symptom" into Google, ***** (insert your favorite search engine here) a bunch of great articles come up.

Some are better than others - while some just outline the symptoms other pages give suggestions for nutrition and relaxation. Don't let the time frames scare you - it seems that some of them can make the PAWS process sound scarier than it really is. I have been hanging with some recovering addicts that made my usage look like a walk in the park and they are three and four years clean and healthy and happy and all made it through detox and PAWS just fine - not to say there aren't bad days - but they quickly become fewer and farther between.

One thing that has helped me is forcing myself to walk a few blocks in the evening. This is a far cry from the 12 mile power bike rides I used to take every night before the oxy took over but every little bit of excercise helps - even if it is just a few push ups off the floor.

We are lucky to be living in the information age where this information is readily available to us. For me, I feel I have a fighting chance if I understand what I am going through. The people on this forum saved my behind when I was scared and sick and not quite sure I was going to make it through.

22 days off of the OXY road trip from hell and feelin' better every day!!!
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Old 10-02-2011, 12:53 PM
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Sometimes links get removed. Spica is right about Googling "Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome". It should get you some good reads.

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Old 10-02-2011, 05:14 PM
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Thumbs up Thanks

Thanks Spica and failedtaper!

I'm happy to hear your 22 days off the oxy and feeling better everyday Spica, that gives me hope. I am going to call and get an appointment to see my doctor on monday and discuss her thoughts on getting off the oxy. I have reading week coming up in two more weeks. We get a whole week off from university and that will be my best window to take the time it will require to go through the rough spot.

I talked to my wife a couple of days ago and I was telling her what Failedtaper and some friends were saying about how I will need to just pretend it is the worst flu I've ever had, stock up on movies, books, things to keep my mind busy, stock up on vitamins, bathroom medicine, nausea etc. and ask my loved ones to give me a week to get this stuff out of my system. She didn't realize what was going on because I don't like to scare her, but I will need her help and understanding. I told her more than likely I will be pretty sick for a week, but to not worry about it, I'm not going to die from it, it's just something I am going to have to go through and I will need her to be a single parent for a week. I don't really want my son to see me at my worst. I told her I would buy her dinner and a night out and also owe her some free time of her own, when I get better my boy and I can have a boys week and she can take some time for herself.

I can't thank you guys enough for posting on here and when reading week comes I will be posting my progress and looking for support and friendship. I also hope to be of help to others in the future, as you guys have been to me. Just to have people take the time to talk to you and share your experiences really makes a difference to someone that doesn't know and is going through this for the first time, I just wanted you to know that and that the time you take to post isn't waisted and helping others shows the great character you guys have.

Blessings,
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Old 10-02-2011, 07:39 PM
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Outstanding Sooners!!!

I look forward to hearing from you as you go through this process. There is nothing you can post here that will gross any of us out (maybe I should just speak for myself here...) but we have all been through it and it really does help to share when you are going through the worst of it.

We're here for you and wish you well as you get to the other side!!!
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Old 10-11-2011, 01:14 AM
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Question Day one getting of oxycodone

I was going to wait until reading week, so that I could have a week off to do this. This past week has been difficult on me, as my body is getting used to the prescribed 3 X 20 mg oxycodone IR a day and I am getting to where I can't function when I get up in the morning until I take a pill and I am finding the pills only last 2-3 hours at most, which is telling me I am building a tolerance to it. The past three days I have gone up on my medication, taking 90 mg - 100 mg a day instead of the prescribed 60 MG a day.

I can't wait until reading week any longer. I need to start now, with living in Canada, we have a Thanksgiving holiday on Monday so I have no classes and one of my professors is going to be gone on Thursday, so I have no classes, I think it is in my best interest to start now and not wait for reading week. I have two classes this week, but I am just going to have to miss them.

Day 1 I slept most the day up till 7:00 p.m. When I got up I started having panic attacks and I was able to talk my way down from them. I have a prescription for xanax that a rarely use, because I have been able to control my panic attacks with Paxil, but I had to take 2 mg of xanax and do some breathing exercises to get myself calmed down. I was able to get up and get something small to eat and ended up taking two more 0.5 xanax. My body hurts, I have a horrible headache and I am depressed to say the least.

I was hoping the xanax would put me back to sleep. I don't use them very often, so I thought by taking a total of 3 mg of xanax it would help me go back to sleep, but it has not. I tried going back to sleep around 1:00 a.m. and I thought I would be able to, but the RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) kicked in and no matter how I turned in bed I could not get rid of it. When I got back up from bed I had noticed I was also experiencing the RLS in my arms and it didn't matter what I did, I could not stop it.

Does anyone know what I can do for RLS?? I ate three bananas, but they didn't do anything.

It is now 4:00 a.m. in the morning and I had to break down. I promise I want OFF these horrible pills (Oxycodone IR) and I was use to taking anywhere from a minimum of 60 mg to 100 mg a day. I have heard it is not worth it to tapper off, as it prolongs the misery, but I had to use a pill cutter and take 10 mg of oxycodone in hopes it would at least give me a break on the RLS for the night. I swear I have NO INTENTIONS of using this crap again, but I have to get some sleep and the minute I lay down, my legs send shock waves through them and I am kicking my legs in bed, turning every 5 minutes and then have to get up. It has been 15 minutes since I took the 10 mg Oxycodone and I am already starting to feel the RLS simmer down and I am hoping I can go to bed now. My bowls are starting make noises and I can only expect they will be letting me have it in the morning.

How long until the RLS stops?? If I am usually on a dose of 60 mg - 100 mg of oxycodone IR a day, do you think it would be possible to just take 10 mg of oxycodone at bed time so I don't have to deal with the RLS while my body gets used to only having 10 mg in it's systems instead of 60 mg -100 mg a day and once I am over the worst of this withdrawal, then start to work on the 10 mg oxycodone before bed? I was surprised after not taking anything on the first day that my worst effects were panic attacks, sad feelings, depression etc. I was expecting to vomit, diarrhea, back pain just to name a few. I know my bowls probably won't let go until day 2, but I feel I can do this and not just for myself, but for my wife, son, church and extended family.

If anyone has any advice on dealing with the RLS in a way that I do not have to take a small dose of Oxycodone (10 mg) before bed, please let me know, as if I can find a way to deal with the RLS without having to take a small dose of Oxycodone I believe I can be completely clean by weeks end

Thanks for any help and God Bless
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Old 10-11-2011, 07:05 AM
  # 20 (permalink)  
FT
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Sooners,

Detox is not going to work for you if you are not prepared to be uncomfortable. And I mean REALLY uncomfortable. Including insomnia and RLS, plus a lot more.

Yes, indeedy, your tolerance level is building rapidly if you can't even keep the RLS away while taking your CURRENT dose of oxys. That you went UP on your dose is a reflection on how bad this situation really is. You are on your way to a really full blown addiction.

For detox to be successful, you need to prepare to be sick and have RLS big time for at LEAST a solid week. Detox often begins with RLS, restless body, and then builds to stomach cramps, bowel issues (both ways), cold sweats, crazy racing thoughts, EXTREME fatigue, and terrible insomnia. Plus body aches all over. I had bad joint aches, not the least of which was my severe arthritis talking to me.

One good reason NOT to wait for reading week is that you WON"T be able to read in detox if you are like many people. You just won't feel focused enough the first week to be able to retain anything you read. The next week seems ideal if you have no classes. You could stay home and BE SICK. EMBRACE IT. That may sound weird, but every minute of cold sweats and bowel problems means you are successfully detoxing, and the restlessness is just your body being deprived of the opiates. Feeling like crap is an unfortunately necessary part of getting off oxycodone.

My advice would be to stock up on juices and soups, probably yogurt and other easy to eat and digest things. LOTS of fluids are necessary in detox. Second, prepare to do NOTHING else but detox the first week. You not only won' t want to do anything, you probably won't be ABLE to do anything. If your first week isn't so bad, count your blessings.

Last, get RID of the pills. You can't use what you don't have. NO ACCESS is key to your success, especially in the first week when you will reach for more oxycodone, just like you did last night. Enlist the help of your loved ones to keep you from bailing on your plan, which you will probably do if you detox in secret.

Some doctors will give you something for the RLS, but nothing worked for mine. I was prescribed clonidine, which is a blood pressure medicine some docs use for detox, but it only made me feel weird. It helped me sleep a little, but not for very long. I just quit taking anything except lomotil for bowel issues (OTC Immodium). I can't tell you what to take, since that is not allowed. Those were just things my doctor told ME to take. You should ask your own doctor what YOU should take, if anything.

Time moves slowly when you are detoxing, so expect to feel like it will never end. It does end, though, and you will be so much better for it. I personally found going through withdrawal to be frightening and horrible, and coming here helped me a lot. I found comfort in knowing that other people had done this before I had and succeeded.

I am so much happier and better functioning off oxycodone. And I have severe osteoarthritis. My pain threshold is actually much improved OFF oxycodone. I didn't even realize it was making my pain worse until I had stopped for a few weeks. That's the other part of detox -- if you starting taking opiates for pain, you may fear increased pain off the drug. For the first few weeks that is true, as opiates cause you to feel pain more intensely when you don't take them, but only at first. That simmers down, and many people find they have less pain off the opiates than on them.

Good luck.

FT
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