Hi dying to quit
Tapering off pain pills helps to soften the landing, but from my experience you can't completely escape withdrawal. I've tapered off prescription opiates more times than I can count, and what I do know is that it'll never be any easier than NOW...guaranteed.
I too suffer from chronic pain and migraines. What I found was that after I developed a dependence and the drugs stopped working, the pain actually worsened. It will take some time, but once you get past the withdrawal, their may be other ways to manage your pain.
Just hang in there and remember you've been on this stuff for five years so it's gonna take sometime for your system to get back to normal.
Good luck to you.