DrugBuyers.Com: One Monkey to another? Right or wrong?

As far as I am concerned, I do not think it is a moral issue at all. Physical dependence alone is enough reason to practice a form-fitting tapering schedule. (And we are not taking into account any possible psychological dependence or increased pain from the taper...)

Unlike many others on this board, I do not agree that oxycodone is any harder to kick than hydro, or even codeine for that matter as they are all relatively short-acting narcotics. Many people psych themselves out about withdrawal before any physical symptoms are present. With a poor (or forced) attitude regarding withdrawal, the person is likely to experience greater discomfort and cravings than someone who has a better attitude, or is doing it on their own without the fear of running out of meds, etc. A study done on hospitalized patients who were given opiates long-term inpatient (i.e. the burn unit) but who were not previous opiate users prior to the hospitalization fared extremely well when they were taken off the opioid meds because they didn't KNOW that the opiate cessation was causing the "flu-like" symptoms they had and, therefore, didn't get cravings. Just another example that there is definitely something to mind over matter.

Anyway, I don't recall whether your post about this subject before stated that you were only trying to get down to 1 10mg Percocet a day or if you were trying to get off them completely...the answer would make a huge difference in how you taper down/off. The hydro you are subbing for the other oxy doses should stave off the majority of the withdrawal symptoms. But, if the goal is to get down to just 1 oxy a day, the hydro will have to be phased out too. The best advice I would give (and I've been tapering off of methadone for two years now...) is to do it slowly, with much planning and emotional support (counseling, a support system of understanding friends or family, etc.) that you can use when you have a bad day. If you have the medication resources, do it as slowly as you need to. You are unlikely to be successful if you push too hard or try to taper too quickly. Withdrawal can be easily managed if you incrementally reduce your dose/s over a long period of time.

I don't feel bad at all about how long it has taken me to get from 100mgs to 3mgs a day. I DID it, and that's what counts. But I also have the advantage of a doctor who was willing to allow me to pace it on my own schedule and has consistently written for adjunctive medications to manage the worst of the withdrawal symptoms (namely blood pressure medications, sleeping medications and anti-nausea drugs.)

I wish you all the best.

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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.