Please tell me How To Detox off Opiates
 

I am trying to detox off Oxycontin. I will start in a few days. I will not go AA and I will not go to my doctor. So, I have about 30 Lortabs. My plan is to take 3 Lortabs in the morning for a few days, then 2 and then 1 and then 1/2 and so on. Is this a reasonable way to get off opiates or do I need more time. I have been treated with Oxycontin and Lortabs for about 2 years. I am trying to avoid the detox which causes me to throw up and I am very sleepy and unmotivated. Is there anything that can help those things? Please everyone who has had experience, respond. I am not going to go to outside help or advice from my doctor. I just want to do this on my own!

I also tried ......
 

..... many many times (!!) to detox off opiates on my own. I even went upto 3 weeks without any after the detox. However - the listlessness laziness tiredness dysphoria never totally went away, and I always ended up starting to use again. I am now in recovery since 11 months after using opiates on and off (more on) for 16 years. The problem with the 3 then 2 then 1 then 1/2 solution is that it indicates you are thinking too much. Thinking requires a brain. And that is where the addiction/dependence lies. The diseased brain cannot heal itself. Anyway good luck with the detox.

Your saying it won't work? See I have lost my health insurance for a few months and I will NOT spend a ton of money on these things. I am ready to quit. I just need to make sure I don't get sick - the barfing etc. I have gone a few days without OXys and I felt pretty good but I've never weaned off of opiates totally. So if I'm feeling good, I think I should be able to just narrow it down to nothing. I just need the best formula to do so.

If you really want this - like I did - I know that I thought that I could wein myself off of opiate pills as well !! And I failed miserably time & time again. Outpatient therapy didn't work for me either !! I know for me the only this that work was detox with prescription help from a treatment center. Followed by a thorough inpatient treatment program !! Thats for me though, I can't diagnois you as a real addict that suffers from both components of the disease of addiction - which is the mental & physical aspects (mental - obession of the mind - physical - physically dependent). I just know that I thought that I could wein off opiate pill & I thought that I could stay at how with meds from outpatient therapy for the withdrawls !! And after a certain amount of time, I just could handle it anymore. I believe the disease - when it told me that I could do this - It was just lying to me - and being very sneaky & patient so that I'd use again !!! All I have is my experience - when I say for myself & many others that I've talked to, the appraoch that you want to take hasn't proven itself very high on the success rater !!!

Yeah, I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no way around wds from opiates. You can try to lessen the severety of them, but you will have to go through a rough time in order to get off them. I have done countless home detoxes, some worse than others. But, as the earlier posters mentioned, the physical wds (sick, achey, etc) are actually the easy part (IMO), it's the weeks afterward, the mental aspect.

You have said you don't want mettings ro doctors help, so you need to find something that works for you. I finally gave up and went to a suboxone doctor - it aviods the wds and does give youa chance to restructure your life and your thinking so will have a better chance at surving once you get off the sub.

But, in all honesty, you do ending up substituting one drug (the suboxone) for another. The wds from sub are not supposed to be as bad physically, and I feel I will have a much better chance at staying clean, now that I have been living without being 'high' for many months.

I have essentially overhauled my entire life, and althogh I am on the sub, feel like I have been living life as a sober person (the good and the bad). Also seeing a therapist to help learn new tools for living life on life's terms...

I wish you all the best! I know how tough it is...

I think it's best to seek out medical advice from a medical professional. Everyone is different and everyone experiences withdrawals differently. Though you may not want to try AA or NA I would suggest trying to find a means of support via a counselor, spiritual advisor, or someone who's been there for support.

I think I can overcome the mental part - I'm really kind of sick of being high all the time. But I just moved here, started a new job and I just can not be out sick. So I will try what I have said, going down slowly and if that doesn't work I will call my doctor. My mother had taken pain pills for legitimate pain for years and got herself off of them by going down slowly. I know it can be done. Wish me luck and your advice is appreciated.