Increased tolerance is the number one problem for those who take pain meds - eventually it catches up with everyone. There are only a few ways to reduce the effects of tolerance. If you take a pain pill more often, as needed, as opposed to taking more of them at one time, it will slightly extend the amount of time it takes for tolerance to build up. Instead of taking two or three at once, take only one at a time but take them more often. This will usually only make a slight difference, but at least it will slow down the buildup of tolerance to some extent.

It isn't a good idea to go beyond 60-70 mgs of hydrocodone a day -- if you need more then you should either get a stronger drug like timed-release oxycodone or morphine, or you should detox. The best drug to detox with for a lot of people is buprenorphine. If your daily dose of opiates is too high, bupe can throw you into w-d's so be careful with it, start out with no more than 1 mg at a time.

Tramadol is another alternative, but you won't get much reduction in tolerance if you take more than 150 mg per day. The need for pain relief during detox is something that each person has to find a way to deal with, some can do it and others find it impossible.

Potentiation is an option that some people find to be useful, sometimes taking an acid reducer/inhibitor like tagamet or even plain tums can make a dose of hydro a little stronger or longer lasting, but the effects are different for everyone.

Detox, or at least titration of your dose, is usually the best and often it is the only realistic option. As someone already stated, you'll never get back to that original level of potency of small doses, but you can at least get back to a lower dose. Taking half a tablet at a time, just enough to ward off w-d's, or substituting some other opioid, is the best way, the fastest way is to just go "cold turkey," which is really no fun at all. You should get noticable reduction in tolerance after a week or so of titration, 2-3 weeks can produce a significant amount of reduction.

The final insult is that with each cycle of tolerance/detox, the time it takes for tolerance to come back is shortened. This is why doctors generally try to avoid long-term use of opiates.

At any rate, I wish you success, this is a great place for support, lots of people here have been where you are and can offer lots of good suggestions and support.