johng
Board Addict
Reged: 02/13/03
Posts: 351
Loc: great lakes
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I stoped hydro 3 days ago very lttle in the way of tappering. how long do the gooses pimples/ chills not feeling good last. and how long till I know that the incress in pain is not W/D and the real pain?????
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Ask and it will be given to you Matthew 7:7
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14stones
Board Addict
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 336
Loc: On the beach in California
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Hi, first off, hang in there. They won't last allot longer. In my experience they will last a week or two at most. It will depend on how much you were taking and how long you used them. If you can get any excersize do so. It helps allot. I also recommend immodium ad. (try taking 5 to 7 a day and then take a few more if you need to.) It has med value in helping the symptoms. You could also go to your doc and ask him (or her) for help. There are several ways for them to help you off of them.
Secondly, if you do a search here you will find more info then you could ever want to on the subject. Give it a look and best of luck to you. You WILL make it and be alright at the end. Keep your head up. I also hope that your pain is gone or you will be right back here again. (I mean as in having to use and then quit the meds)
You can do it. We all have to once in awhile if not for good and you will get a ton of support here to help you through it. Hang in there.
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Go that way really fast, if something gets in your way.....TURN! Always look on the bright side of life.
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guitardude
Old Hand
Reged: 09/11/02
Posts: 421
Loc: midwest
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For me hydro W/D was over for the most part in about 4 days and I was using pretty heavy. I still felt a little shaky for a few days after that, but within a week I was pretty much back to normal..... except for my mind telling me how nice a good dose would be! Hang in there, you should have the worst of it over.
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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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Sky_Queen
Fly Girl
Reged: 12/03/02
Posts: 1962
Loc: Texas
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That is an interesting question you ask. You see, I didn't know in the beginning that one of the withdrawal symptoms was pain and muscle weakness, so I wondered the same thing myself. My first hydro holiday I did after about 4 to 5 days the withdrawal went away, and my pain came back full force, which is why I need the hydro to begin with. It's a viscous cycle, and I don't take the hydro holidays as serious as I used to. I just take a break now and again to get my tolerance back down so the hydro works good, if I don't take breaks now and then I just need more and more to control my pain. I've finally just resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to need pain medication for the rest of my life, so you have to put it all in perspective. Best of luck.
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moonbeam
Member
Reged: 05/23/03
Posts: 175
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I had read on the board that Immodium was good to take for the W/D's. I kinda poo-pooed the idea until I tried it, and it really does help. I stopped cold turkey, but made sure that I had some medicine left (just in case I couldn't handle it) and started taking the Immodium immediately. I started with about 10mgs and went up from there (I found that at about 20-25mgs kepted the w/d's away completely). I didn't believe that it would really work until I tried it myself. I had absolutely no w/d symptoms at all. Unbelievable but true. In fact, I felt pretty darn good and was able to avoid the hot/cold flashes, night sweats, body aches, muscle cramps, diarrhea, and restless leg syndrome. I just made sure to force a lot of water, apple juice, cranberry juice, Metamucil. It did constipate me, but not any worse than the medicine itself.
I am 5'6", 125lbs and this dose worked for me. I've heard others say that they took more or less so I don't know if body weight and matabolism has a lot to do with it, but I do know that it worked wonders for me personally.
I guess you just have to experiment with what the right amount of Immodium will work for you. I'm no doctor and I was concerned with taking this high amount of Immodium, but it worked, so I can't complain.
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Day 3 is the worst, so hang in there. Once you make it through the week, be prepared to feel a little mentally out of it. It's normal to be depressed and have cravings, and this is where you will need your willpower. The depression is unresponsive to a lot of antidepressants for some people, though wellbutrin seems to work.
Are you getting off it for good, or just taking a med holiday? If you are trying to get off it for good, just keep in mind that the depression/boredom is cauesd by the opiates and is not what you are really feeling. Lomotil, a diarrhea med, actually has a demerol analog in it, and is great for w/d, you can really knock out some of the physical w/d symptoms. If you go to a doctor and tell them you've had excessive diarrhea for 2 weeks, you can ask for it by name and get it- i believe it's a schedule IV, but it barely crossed the blood brain barrier, so it works great for diarrhea and the physical side of things. I'd highly recommend it. You might also want something for insomnia, whether a short run of ambien or some kinda benzo to keep your head relatively straight and to help you sleep.
Good luck, and make sure to congratulate yourself when you finally get through it.
-yawkaw
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johng
Board Addict
Reged: 02/13/03
Posts: 351
Loc: great lakes
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Thanks to all for the kindness. I can not tell my S/O she is a firm stiff upper lip type and has a hard time understanding the pain I feel.
The background I did not include was that I had a L5/S1 fussion. now I am left with some nerve damage and the main side effect is shooting pain. the MD has been very free with the vicoprofen which for me has helped alot more then the vicodin. the only problem is that he never gives me enough meds. he always gives me 80 tabs 1-2 every 4-6 hours. well I take two and 1/2 every 5 hours ( I have been on hydro off and more on for over two years and have a big tolerance to it. I am afraid to bring this up, i don,t want him to get cold feet and cut me off. I can not afford a OP except very realery.
so you see I always run out early but this is the first time I had W/D ( maybe because it was so effective for me). the last two times I ran out I had placed an order with tropical to carry me through.
all thoes math gyros pls help, if I receveid a script on the 14th when could I ask for a refill with out upseting the MD I am supposed to take 2 every 4-6 hours.
would tues the 26th be too early per instuction??
the only reason I ask for this is that the vicoprofin has helped soo much I am able to normal activites w/o pain or worring about flaring something up.
Thanks to all it makes me feel better that I am not alone and bleessings to all who responded.....
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Ask and it will be given to you Matthew 7:7
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Is your script meant to be taken every day? If so, then is barely a 10 day supply, so the 26th would be fine. If that's supposed to last the whole month, then obviously that's not enough time.
If you take 2.5, every 4 hours, that's about 90 mg per day. That's also a lot of ibuprofen. You might want to tell him the pain is getting worse, or that the vicoprofen is not working as well as it used to. You might very well get switched to a 10 mg pill. How long have you been on vicoprofen from this doctor? You gotta watch out for stomach, that is quite a bit of ibuprofen you're taking.
-yawkaw
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Corrie
Board Addict
Reged: 07/16/02
Posts: 362
Loc: Southeast US
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I agree with Yawkaw, that is quite a bit of Ibuprofen, although I have been told by my own physician that I can take in excess of what you're taking now, but just plain Ibuprofen of course.
I've also been on pain meds for the past 2.5 years, and have developed a tolerance and have to go for a week or two without (using buprenorphine usually to ease symptoms and pain in my back) hydro, so I can empathize with you. I was told about 2 years ago that certain amino acids/vitamins and minerals can help immensely with w/d. I believe there is also information listed on this site pertaining to what I take when I abstain from pain meds.
L-Tyrosine (I started with 1000 mgs.), coupled with Vitamin B6 for absorption first thing in the morning before breakfast really helps with depression and fatigue. Also, a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement containing Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper and Magnesium help immensely. I've found hot baths taken throughout the day to be so important, that I nearly live in there and am considering buying a hottub or jacuzzi.
I also know that my normal pain level is magnified and tripled when I have to stop taking my pain medication, so I try to assess the pain level after about a week off of the hydro to really see where my pain level lies.
In addition (and I rarely if ever feel like doing this when I'm going through withdrawal symptoms), I find doing Yoga and exercising to be really helpful, as they get your natural endorphins flowing.
Take care, and let us know how you're doing.
Corrie
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nubbit9
Stranger
Reged: 06/16/03
Posts: 8
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I think the cravings can last for up to 10 days and 3 weeks to get it compltely out of your system.
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potatoboy99
Permanent Fixture
Reged: 02/04/03
Posts: 1198
Loc: Deep North (East)
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Quote:
If you can get any excersize do so. It helps allot. I also recommend immodium ad. (try taking 5 to 7 a day and then take a few more if you need to.) It has med value in helping the symptoms.....
Immodium is actually a non-euphoric opiate, which is why it works so well with w/d symptoms! I learned this in a thread here a couple of months ago. I found it very hard to believe at first, but it's true.
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johng
Board Addict
Reged: 02/13/03
Posts: 351
Loc: great lakes
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I now beleive it is rue pain and not W?D. at church today I could not stand for long on my feet I had to keep switching from foot to foot. a person asked if I eas standing on hot coals. I will call my MD monday for a refill. also I can barley stand to much famil time w?O stopping to sit down so every one think of meee.
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Ask and it will be given to you Matthew 7:7
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Hang in there johng! I am going through exactly what you are going through except I am a day behind you. Keep us posted on how you are doing and do tell your doc that you should probably get something like a 10mg perc or 10mg hydro for your pain if it's that bad. PM if you need to talk about it. Listen to yawkaw he knows what he is talking about! 
Train 
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Trampy
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/02/02
Posts: 1217
Loc: Southwest U.S.
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Quote:
Lomotil, a diarrhea med, actually has a demerol analog in it, and is great for w/d, you can really knock out some of the physical w/d symptoms. -yawkaw
Imodium AD was recently made OTC and descheduled. So you can give it a try without seeing a doctor. Big TV ad campaign to sell the stuff. Loperamide used to be a controlled substance because technically it's an opiate. It would certainly ease the GI symptoms of withdrawal.
Lomotil (diphenoxylate) is similar in structure to meperidine (Demerol) but dipenoxylate is still a C-V and available only by prescription.
Trampy
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Your mileage may vary ...
Edited by Trampy (08/24/03 07:56 PM)
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tracerb
Board Addict
Reged: 03/21/03
Posts: 322
Loc: USA
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I must be doing goot because by day 3 I'm feeling fine.
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Not to split hairs here, but Schedule V's may be purchased over-the-counter by signing the narcotics register, no prescription neccessary. But never go by federal scheduling guidelines; what's in your actual state is what matters. Almost all states have Lomotil as a schedule IV, so yes you'll have to go to a doctor for it- but it's worth it, don't suffer with Immodium! Lomotil is so easy to get from a doctor, though, just say you've had excessive diarrhea, you don't know what's causing it, and you need some some relief, the diarrhea isn't very responsive to immodium. You can even ask for Lomotil by name, it's that acceptable. You will thank me if you use Lomotil, trust me on that one
There is no comparing Lomotil to Immodium. People who don't have a tolerance to opiates can get high off Lomotil, and if it weren't for the atropine in the pill, it would be possible to inject it and get extremely high (the atropine is in there for that very purpose). Immodium will just get rid of the diarrhea and minor stomach cramps. Enough Lomotil will bring w/d to a standstill (but watch out for the atropine, and don't overdo it).
Immodium does not cross the blood-brain-barrier at all. Lomotil does only in small amounts because it's very slightly fat soluble.
One last thing. If you take enough Lomotil to kill the physical withdrawal, you won't be making a bowel movement for a looooooooong time. So watch yourself.
-yawkaw
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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How much Lomotil do you recommend taking in a 24 hour period? Thanks in advance!!
Train
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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That really depends on body weight and how much you need to take. I personally knew someone who took 12 of them once a day, coming off a 160 mg oxy habit. That much atropine isn't healthy, but he's still alive. Some people are sensitive to atropine and others aren't. I myself can't tell that there is any in there, but i've never gone about 7-8. To be safe, take a little extra than what's indicated and see how you feel. Be careful incrementing dosage from there. The atropine is in there to discourage intravenous use, but a large amount orally will still cause a problem.
-yawkaw
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