cditt
Stranger
Reged: 12/13/01
Posts: 17
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Sorry in advance...I know this probably isn't the right place for this post. Anyway, I've been taking Oxycontin for about a month and want to get off of it. I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow to see if there's anything that can help with the withdrawl symptoms. I realize it's going to be a tough weak of detoxing regardless, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this and might be able to provide me with some suggestions in terms of meds that can help reduce the severity of the withdrawl symptoms.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate anyone's input as I am not looking forward to the up and coming detox period.
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LumbarSpasm
Silent Chaos
Reged: 05/07/02
Posts: 1538
Loc: USA
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Your doctor should be able to help you.
I'm sure that the doc will step you off.
Good luck!
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LumbarSpasm
Or just a pain in the butt?!
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MWouk
Journeyman
Reged: 08/28/03
Posts: 82
Loc: Up & Down I - 95
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That is really a tough one, but if you see your doctor I'm sure you will get help, good luck!
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MWouk
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t_oshan2003
Enthusiast
Reged: 10/17/03
Posts: 299
Loc: East
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I agree it will be tough but luckily you were only taking it for a month so you should be able to get off smooth. You're doc will know the best.
Good luck!
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BRIAN220
Member
Reged: 08/27/02
Posts: 149
Loc: NorthEast
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The Doc will know the best. He will probobaly taper your dose down, just make sure you follow his directions exactly as stated. How much were you taking per day? Its not terrible but just imagine having the flu for a week or so. I have never taken Oxy but the withdrawl I hear is simiular to Ultram but lasts longer. If anyone has taken Ultram for only a few weeks and then stopped Im sure they can vouch for me that you feel like absolute Best if kept off the board for a week. I know claritan D helps for me. It has the psuedophedrine in it to help give you back a little energy along with an antihistamine to help with the allergy like symptoms. I have also heard that there is a benzo that is supposed to help alot by unrestricting the blood vesels. Cant remember what one though. Plesae dont take my word for any of this but bring it up with your Doc.
Good luck,
Brian
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omega55
Enthusiast
Reged: 12/03/02
Posts: 254
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If you've only been on Oxycontin for a month I don't think you'll be experiencing any withdrawal symptoms, but I could be wrong. Withdraw symtoms ususally come from long term use of the drug and at high or numerous doses. Nonetheless, you can easily get off of them yourself by simply taking a little less each day. Talk to your doc if you think you can't step down the doses on your own and, or, if you think that you might be addicted to them.
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cditt
Stranger
Reged: 12/13/01
Posts: 17
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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I was hoping there wouldn't be any withdrawl either, but I tried to stop cold turkey last week from 80mgs a day. By day three I was ready to put a bullet in my brain (but instead put an OC in my mouth). I'm hoping my doc will give me methadone, as I've heard that works great so long as you don't take it for more than a couple weeks. If not that, I'm hoping there's some prescription drug out there that can at least ease the pain (hopefully something non-narcotic).
Thanks for everyone's help. I'm going to see the doc in an hour. Wish me luck!
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cditt
Stranger
Reged: 12/13/01
Posts: 17
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Just an update for those of you who were nice enough to help me out. My Doctor (who is now my personal hero) was kind enough to give me a 3 week supply of Methadone to slowly get me off the OC. If anyone lives in Phoenix and needs a very caring Doctor, let me know.
Thanks everyone. 
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guitardude
Old Hand
Reged: 09/11/02
Posts: 421
Loc: midwest
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Im no doctor but one month of oxycontin followed by 3 weeks of methadone? From what I've heard Methadone is more addicting than heroin and the withdrawls can last much longer. If you developed that kind of addiction on the oxy as fast as you did, I would be very careful with the Methadone. Not trying to be a wise Best if kept off the board, just concerned. 
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"once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
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Corrie
Board Addict
Reged: 07/16/02
Posts: 362
Loc: Southeast US
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Hi,
I've heard that in standard detox centers, i.e. hospitals, retreats (as if), etc. do use methadone and/or Subutex for a week after discontinuation of short acting opiates. I think 3 weeks is pushing it a bit, but that's just MHO.
I might start this on another thread, but think it's important to go on a 'holiday' every 3-6 months just to clear my system out so my meds work better. I was thinking about using buprenorphine for 1 week and then stopping.
I wondered if anyone had any similar experiences, and what the length of these long acting, opioid mixed agonist-antagonist (I'm not exactly sure what Methadone is classified as, but bupe is considered this) medications should be used for in regard to detoxing. I did use bupe on several occasions, but did so for a month and had quite a hard time with the withdrawals, so I'm thinking that the shorter the duration of usage, the better the outcome. Like Guitardude mentioned, Methadone is one of the hardest medications to come off of, those w/d's are literally hellish from what I've heard and if one can avoid it (for others it's a lifesaver), I would do so. They do use Methadone for pain treatment as well, and it works wonderfully because of its' long acting benefits (you generally only dose once a day).
Any information is appreciated!
And good luck cditt with your detox. It sounds as if you have the right mindset and are going about this the best way. Take care. 
Corrie
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TwG
Journeyman
Reged: 06/17/02
Posts: 68
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You get withdrawl after 7-20 days of consistent opiate use, most people will get withdrawl symptoms after 2 weeks of use. After 1 month of consistent OC use you will go thru withdrawl no matter what, I would suggest going on bupe.
http://buprenorphine.samhsa.gov/bwns_locator/index.html
Is how you locate a doctor that can prescribe it for addiction. You could also go on short term methadone detox for 60 or 90 days, but that would probally end up being a little harsher overall than only 30 days of oxycodone addiction. I wish you the best of luck, just hang in there. If possible, try and detox cold turkey as it is the cheapest method and is the best motivation to stay clean (if you want to stay clean), if you don't care, just do the bupe.
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TwG
Journeyman
Reged: 06/17/02
Posts: 68
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I just read that he gave you a 20 day supply of methadone, that really isn't the best method of detox, you will end up going thru a less harsh withdrawl, but it will last longer. If possible, I would try and get on bupe.
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phinny
Enthusiast
Reged: 04/09/02
Posts: 247
Loc: Canada
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AFAIK, there is nothing that equates to an oxy wd. I just went two weeks, and I gave up. I wasn't even close to the end of the suffering. "Having the flu" is no way to describe this - I was wishing for death. I'm glad you got help from your Doctor to do this, but let me say two things: consider yourself lucky you only have a month's use to detox from, and taking done for a month of use is not wise or necessary. Taper, then quit - leave the done alone. It is not appropriate for a doctor to prescribe done for something like this. People think Doctor may "know best" - yes, the right doctor perhaps - this should not be given to a GP. At least he tried, many won't touch you.
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Sherman, set the way-back machine to 1970.
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willbebig
Stranger
Reged: 10/21/03
Posts: 4
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I really feel for anybody that has gone through this. I am tring to stop mathadone, and have been un successful. I am now taking the advice of a pharmacist by shaving alittle off each pill slowly over two months. I'm down to 1 1/2 pills a day. Not bad for starting at 3 3 times a day.
Good luck!!!
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Did you have an opiate dependence before this, cditt? I'm assuming you did if you were taking 80 a day. If you were completely opiate-naive, then this changes things, as coping with your withdrawal could be done with a small taper, some benzos for sleep and anxiety, maybe Lomotil here and there for the diarrhea. If you had absolutely no experience at all with opiates before this, then 3 weeks of methadone is waaay overkill.
If you were on opiates before you started taking oxy, and you can give us the timeframe and dosage, we can give you better advice on coping with withdrawal.
-yawkaw
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cditt
Stranger
Reged: 12/13/01
Posts: 17
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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I had gone through Oxy WD's once before after being on it for a couple months. It was pure hell and I literally wanted to kill myself. I took Methadone for about 15 days, slowly downing the dosage, and was fine. I had a little trouble sleeping for a couple days after stopping the meth, but that was it. I started taking the Meth today and feel great. I'm sure it's different for everyone, but for me, OC withdrawl is 1000 times worse than Methadone withdrawl. Plus I think the secret with Methadone is don't take it more than a month. Just my opinion. Good luck all.
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Trampy
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/02/02
Posts: 1230
Loc: Southwest U.S.
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Quote:
... Taper, then quit - leave the done alone. It is not appropriate for a doctor to prescribe done for something like this. People think Doctor may "know best" - yes, the right doctor perhaps - this should not be given to a GP. At least he tried, many won't touch you.
Yes! That is the best advice i've seen on this thread so far. Your doctor was too easy for your own good. After just a month of OCs, there's no reason whatsoever to switch you to a different (and more addicting) pain killer.
Subutex/Suboxone would also make no sense unless you've been on opiates for a long time. A month is nothing for most of us.
It's ridiculous (and probably illegal) for your doctor to give you three weeks of methadone for your opiate detox. Any doctor with a DEA license can prescribe methadone for pain ... but you say it was given to you for oxycodone detox. Only detox clinics licensed by your state can legally prescribe methadone for detox or maintenance. The federal law is the same for both purposes. Your doctor should have continued with the oxycodone (writing "for pain") but with a strict taper that would probably begin with lower-dose OCs (the smallest is 10 mg) and maybe end up with you taking just one 5-mg O-IR a day for a few days, because you can't split an OC. As long as it says on the prescription that it's being given for pain, it's 100% legal (and the standard of care) to taper you down from the high-dose OCs.
Switching drugs (to methadone) puts your doctor into the realm of detox, which is highly regulated and monitored, and it's also defintely illegal unless he's practicing out of a methadone detox clinic. If he falsely wrote the methadone scrip for pain while the real pupose was intended to be detox, he breaking the law. And Bupe is off limits unless he's board certified in addiction or took the 1-day FDA Bupe school.
I'll bet anything that your doctor has no training or certification for dealing with drug addiction. Take your methadone scrip (or pills .. if you've filled it) back to your doctor for destruction and ask him to give you a taper schedule with oxycodone that ends up with just one OC 10 a day for the last few days. Have him write the schedule on the scrip and copy it on your calendar and check off the pills as you take them. That'd be a much more reasonable (and legal) approach.
Methadone is harder to kick than oxycodone. The only reason to use methadone for short-term rapid (like a week or two) detox is its long halflife where its long halflife helps with the tapering because it's going away from your body very gradually, making the decrease less noticeable.
Not only is your doctor breaking the law, but if your opiate dependence gets so bad from the methadone that you end up resorting to unprescribed opiates, you probably have grounds for a malpractice lawsuit, on the claim that he caused your continued addiction by giving you the methadone illegally.
Trampy
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Your mileage may vary ...
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willbebig
Stranger
Reged: 10/21/03
Posts: 4
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Yes benzos help but I can not take them. I had to just do it. It was a long time, I could have done it faster but I didn't want to. I've been on vicodin, perccet, oxy IR, oxycontin, and methadone 90mg a day. I've been on these meds for years! I couldn't just stop. I couldn't go 6 hours without breaking into cold sweats. I was bad, but now I'm better- good for me!! Thank you.
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night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
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Quote:
I'm sure it's different for everyone, but for me, OC withdrawl is 1000 times worse than Methadone withdrawl. Plus I think the secret with Methadone is don't take it more than a month.
I've taken just about every long-acting strong opiate out there, including Oxycontin, MSContin, and methadone. I was on methadone for 9 years. Methadone withdrawal is so much worse than either of the contins!!!
Please, please, please, do LOTS of research on methadone before thinking of that as an alternative. It definitely will stave off withdrawal from OC, but if you stay on it very long, expect serious problems trying to get off of it.
I am trying to switch from methadone (which really stinks for chronic pain--especially new or breakthrough pain) and it has taken me on the worst W/D ride of my life!!!
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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
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