TheCliff

I've been on a fairly low dose of Hycodan for about one year. For the most part, I've taken about 20cc (ml) per day, afraid of draining out my supply -(My pharmacy would not refill before the due date!) and I hated calling my MD to bother her for a refill RX every time my refills ran out. I crossed my fingers every time i asked her, hoping she'd just write out the script and I could be on my way. Well. That ended just the other day. She is concerned that I've been on it for a long time and afraid of what it's doing to my body. Today was the very first day in about a year that i have been without Hycodan. I am trying to see this as a blessing rather than a detox. Here are a few questions, as I have never been addicted (other than cigarettes, which i kicked a very long time ago) Am I really in danger of experiencing withdrawl, or am I worried for nothing?

1. Can I detox naturally, using herbs (dandelion root, herbal teas, milk thistle...) or do you guys think I would need more than this? I have not taken more than 20cc/day (maybe at the very max, 30cc, or three tablespoons on occassion).

2. Did anyone out there notice a real increase in body aches?I mean real achiness that makes it hard to move...

3. And emotionally, do you think on that "small" dose I'm going to experience depression?

Any ideas out there would be very appreciated...I am so glad I stumbled upon this site!
Thank you all so much

CarolD

Welcome to SR....

Members will be along to share with you
Glad you found us!

bval

Welcome to the boards!

How many mg of hydrocodone does this dosage amount to?

Body aches are very much a symptom of withdrawals from opioids. PAIN in general, actually.

Along with watery eyes, fever and all other attendant flu-like symptoms, depression, nervous and unproductive energy, unexplainable states of panic or near-panic, insomnia, anorexia, frequent yawning and sneezing ...

After year on hydrocodone, even in (what I'm guessing amounts to) a pretty small dose, and without any sort of 'tapering' toward the end, I'd bet you'll experience all of these symptoms, but they should all be relatively mild, and they should be over pretty quickly. Just pretend you're sick with the flu for a few days, and it shouldn't be long at all before you're right as rain!

madriley

I ould like to start off first by saying congratulations on not having any previous problems. Unfortunately, it does seem like you have become dependent on Hycodan. Even though you are taking a low dose, you have been taking it for a year so your body has "rearranged" itself to include a daily dose of this narcotic.
Did your doctor discuss options with you before stopping your prescription? Did she wean you off or just stop it at once?
I do not know if you will feel any withdrawals from this as everyone is different, I've heard people who have been on heroin or coke for years say that when they finally decided to stop they just stopped and had no problems at all. Of course they could be bs'ing but who knows? Because you were on a low dose it's possible you might not feel anything. I do not have any personal experience with Hycodan so I am not sure.
Withdrawals can include anything from depression, anxiety, aches, headaches, sleeplessness, nausea, cold sweats, shaking, vomiting, etc.
If you do have any withdrawal symptoms I would not think they would be on the extreme side of withdrawal.
If you are not comfortable with what you are feeling you should call your doctor and let her know that you need to do this a different way. She could also give you something to make you more comfortable during the transition if you do get depressed or have anxiety or get some leg cramps, stuff like that.
I hoped this helped at lease a little bit!!
Good luck and we're all here for you whenever you need us!

madriley

Oh yeah, I wanted to ask why your doctor had you on this syrup for so long? Hycodan is not supposed to be prescribed to someone for more than a few weeks. It kind of sounds like your doc is the one that messed up and is now trying to cover for herself. Just make sure that you do not get worse in the process.

TheCliff

Thank you guys. Well, I should have added that I was also not using it just for the dry cough that I was having, esp. at night. For most of this period i was taking the syrup in the am (which really helped me get going AND helped my back pain.) and then usually 10cc in the afternoon. But I really did feel like it assisted me in more ways than physically, I suppose. To the other questions, no, my MD just abruptly decided she did not want me on the Hycodan any longer As far as what i was actually ingesting as hydrocodone, that was about 20-25mg/day. Each teaspoon =5 mg of hydrocodone plus the Homatropine. I actually fell within normal range of amounts used, but as I said, i've been taking this for a year...

ccgirl2

Wow. A hycodan thread. That's the med that got me started on this horrible road many years ago. Believe it or not, its commonly prescribed for dogs with cough conditions and I had a dog with one. She lived with it for years. Her doctor kept upping her dose (ok I lied and said her cough was getting worse; it wasnt) and I was taking the rest.

Pretty twisted, huh?


You're not alone.

bval

Oh, yeah. One more thing I forgot to mention ... I hope you're well stocked up on bathroom tissue. You'll wanna do that ... if you see what I'm sayin'...

5-6 vicodin's worth of hydrocodone a day, everyday, for a year, is definitely enough to throw you for a pretty significant loop when abruptly curtailed in this manner. Esp. cause it sounds like it'll be your first time w/opioid withdrawals in your life. It can be pretty ... um, 'disconcerting' shall we say?

May want to make sure you have the following on hand (apart from the TP): Naproxen or Ibuprofen, Immodium AD (you may need a bit more than one at a time, too), something to help you sleep at night like Unisom or Nyquil (something with doxylamine succinate, NOT with diphenhydramine, which doesn't work for withdrawal insomnia in my experience), a lot of water or gatorade, some 'comfort food', i.e. easy-on-the-stomach kinda stuff that you REALLY LIKE to eat (cause you ain't gonna want to eat much of anything), some blankets to keep you warm, cause you're gonna get chilled REALLY easily, and some movies to watch to pass the time (which is going to creep by incredibly slowly here).

You may also wanna take a couple days off work if you can. You're going to be sick. It's nearly identical to the flu, though, nothing you can't handle, the world won't come to an end, you aren't gonna die or anything ... you may just ... feel like that for little while here. Hang tough, it can be done, trust me

ccgirl2

bv mentioned comfort foods. Try to eat them. Sweet stuff appealed to me when this happened. Ice cream. I think it was the coolness; it soothed my stomache.

I rented a bunch of movies too and saved my energy for the essentials like taking care of my kids when they got home from school.

vicodaniel

I'm 3 weeks along on a cold turkey hydro withdrawal, you will not be comfortable, but you can do it.

ccgirl2

I remember someone at rehab saying "Opiate withdrawal won't kill you; you'll just wish sometimes it had" lol. I promise you will be able to smile again. Then laugh.

TheCliff

All very helpful replies~thank you all!
Well, my first night absolutely sucked. Before I even read bvaljalo's advice, I did indeed take Nyquil caps (2, in the proper dosage, lol) and still had only 2 hours of sleep. I am already thankfully stocked up on some good DVD's I've been wanting to watch for a while. And thankfully, I do not have to work until the weekend I didn't take the Immodium b/c I felt I needed to let my system clear out all the hydrocodone, etc. I am indeed using more TP than usual, lol...And although I have never had a problem with alcohol, I decided against any red wine with dinner, and actually don't even have any in the house for a while. This will probably be better for my stomach, i guess. And right again about the wanting comfort or "easy" foods....I have been living on english muffins and corn toasties, lol.
I will try to get my life straightened out little by little here...So yes, every single thing you said was true!!! I am so grateful I am not alone here, guys.
*rambling alert* My husband has never had a problem with any substance, not even cigarrettes, and in the past, whenever he was prescribed pain meds, he took them judiciously and never went through this. Now that I'm writing this i can admit I would ask him for a Vicodin here and there, and how much better my run or swim would feel. I told him the truth- I had pain, and i needed to jog or whatever, and not only would my back feel better- but it really made me workout better....wow...I'm a freaking addict...I am glad there are no pain meds in this house right now.
So he has no understanding about this, although I am going to talk with him at length about it tonight. All he knows is that i'm being impossible and trying to detox. In the meantime I will follow all of you guys' advice, and take the Advil, etc. And watch a lot of my fav. shows...

TheCliff

Feeling a little better- baked a lot tonight, lol. My family was pretty shocked with my return to the kitchen! However, remembering last night's experience is worrying me. It's only a little after 8pm here but I dread a sleepless night and the flu symptoms. Maybe, God Willing, tonight will be a little better

:praying

vicodaniel

Good luck sweetie ! I have 3 weeks today it can be done watched more old movies than I can remember. This is a process, every movie, everyday you put behind you makes you better. I understand about your husband, my wife takes the meds as directed for a few days then stops. I gobbled up any extras she had. I could work, workout do everything like a madman while I was on them.Believe me you will love it when you get your first glimpses of your real self and your real life.Only people who have dealt with it like everybody here can really understand. God bless !!

Stubborn1

Everyone is different so you do what you think you need to. You have my support. A weekend and the worst should be over. You can do it.

TheCliff

Last night was A LOT better- I actually got about 7 hours I can't say I don't still crave the syrup...but I try to switch gears quickly and get busy with something. Since I'm an avid runner, I'm going to go for a long one today and hope for the best. I get to spend the rest of the day with my kids due to the observance of Veterans Day.

And BTW thank you Veterans for your service to our nation
Have a relaxing blessed day

TheCliff

getting better and better

I am so happy to be going on Day 7- yaaaay! I notice already my runs are easier, my breathing less labored. I never realized just what the hydrocodone was doing to me, respiratory-wise, on even so normal a dose. But I really feel covered in prayers, so thank you...they are working

vicodaniel

You are doing great. Just beware that you will continue to have some sort of symptoms for a while. Your brain chemistry has been changed. It takes time to get it straightened out.

ccgirl2

Good for you! Daniel is right. Some symptoms will linger, especially the mental ones and perhaps the sleep issues. You're on the downhill slope for the physical stuff though.

Maybe when you're feeling well enough, you could maybe think about attending a meeting? Believe me, you will be glad you did.

TheCliff

I have so much to write. I can't believe I have been on hydrocodone, in different forms, for this long. I am on 40mg a day now, in a pain management program. I have so much to say. Now, in 2012, i am up you-know- what's-creek...because my appointment falls a week past my monthly supply will be depleted. *So just going 25 hours without the Norco (10mg hydro/325 acetaminophen) is not fun, not at all. You know , I looked back at my posts spanning over 5 years,and can see how this is an ongoing problem for me. I can defend myself for using the meds judiciously, being that I was diagnosed with lupus, degenerative disc disease, Sjogrens and arthritis in 2009... But I haven't been taking the meds as prescribed. Maybe I used to. Not anymore. Obviously I took more, not to get a euphoric feeling but because I do have real pain. But in reality, i still didn't follow the prescribers orders. And that is why I now am panicking. I am so glad I wrote about the hycodan years ago, because I see things with a little more perspective now. I also learned how frightening it is that hydrocodone FITS my brain like nothing else. I don't like Percocet, or anything else they tried me on after a few surgeries I've had. Even morphine, after a leg surgery did nothing for my pain, or my brain! *I love Vicodin. =( Maybe too much. Now I'm worried.