Shanti Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I'm going to hold off for quite a while for my Xanax taper. Since I had the Nerve Ablation on my spine, and I'm going to have some kind of capsicum treatment that is long term pain relief on my neuropathy, I'm going to taper off the Vicodin. I know this forum isn't for this type of med w/d, but maybe someone has ideas and can help me with a plan. I want to do this as painlessly as possible and I have all the Vicodin I need. I currently take 8 pills a day (i know, bad me). The strength is 5/500. Any suggestions? Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012. Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38) My Paxil Website My Intro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbarannamated Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Shanti, I don't have precise taper advice but, if it eases your mind a bit, I found oxycodone much easier to taper off of than Pristiq. Hydrocodone is less potent than oxycodone, I believe. I was anticipating much worse and I think that suggestion of a horrible withdrawal caused anxiety. I did use Suboxone occasionally for pain after oxy, but not as the bridge as some use it. Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 4, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 4, 2012 The 10% taper approach still holds. Sounds like you might be able to cut up tabs, at least for a while. At 8 tabs a day, what I might do is reduce by a quarter of a tab at a time (3%) until I get to 3 tabs. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanti Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 Alright. 10% sounds like a plan. I think though with Vicodin I can do it faster. I know that when people c/t off of it, their symptoms are usually gone in 2 weeks to a month at most. Barb, it's good to hear you didn't have trouble. I've done this before, but I wasn't taking so much and not this long. Thank you both. Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012. Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38) My Paxil Website My Intro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 4, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 4, 2012 Everyone is different, but my experience getting off opiods, one being Vicodin, was similar to Barb's. Sigh... 2.5 years out, I'm still coming off diazepam while opiods are a distant memory. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 4, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 4, 2012 Shanti, please don't take any shortcuts. It's pretty clear your nervous system is very sensitive in a number of ways! This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdt Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I have five family members who were taking oxycontin... time release pain meds...it has been changed to oxyneo a new pill supposedly not easy to cut. I have been looking for information on how to withdraw from this medication. Since this pill cannot be cut are there any ideas on how to withdraw? I guess at first they could go down in dose if there is a 10% drop dose available I am not sure there is but eventually they are going to hit the wall of a drug that cannot be cut. Is the wait time of 4-6 wks I know it is general and body response is the rule to follow but for starting out is this about the rate to wait in between? One family member was switched to morphine when the new drug was brought to the market. Is getting off morphine the same? She is having surgery soon and the idea according to her doctor is to lower the dose of morphine after the surgery. One last question are doctors as clueless about pain med withdrawal as they are about antidepressant withdrawal? Is this going to be as bad for them as my cold turkey off Effexor I am so scared for them... I know it is not ct they won't do that I don't think but is still unnerves me. Does anyone have a trusted site for withdrawing from pain meds or is this thread it? WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG Had a car accident in 85 Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89 Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above. One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbarannamated Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Btdt, I was on opiates for about 8 years, the last being oxycodone (immediate release form of Oxycontin). I was never on an excessive dose (~3/day of low dose). I tapered down to 1/2 pill/day without problem. I probably could have jumped from there, but I still needed something for pain control, so my doc switched me to Suboxone which I took as needed (1/2 pill a few times per week) and eventually down to 1/2 pill a few times/month. I ran out and haven't had it for a few years. I was using acupuncture, chiropractic and regular massage also. My point ... getting off of opiates was, for me (and others I've read about), relatively easy compared to Pristiq and all of the bizarre symptoms and twists and turns that go on for years. I have taken hydrocodone on occasion (wrist fracture) since stopping oxycodone and had no problems, stopped with no issues. It is PREDICTABLE. My suggestions: - switch to immediate release oxycodone which can be cut. - switch to hydrocodone which is less potent and can be cut. There are several formulations of hydrocodone with varying amounts of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. NORCO has the lowest amount of acetaminophen. - consider Suboxone which can also be cut to taper. - try not to worry. As far as awareness by doctors... it's my belief from personal experience that opiate addiction and detox is hyped to the point that many doctors are afraid to offer effective pain control to appropriate candidates. They are switching to Cymbalta or other SNRIs which must be taken every day ($$$ for pharma) because they are perceived as safer and with no addiction / dependence potential or withdrawal issues. Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdt Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Btdt,I was on opiates for about 8 years, the last being oxycodone (immediate release form of Oxycontin). I was never on an excessive dose (~3/day of low dose). I tapered down to 1/2 pill/day without problem. I probably could have jumped from there, but I still needed something for pain control, so my doc switched me to Suboxone which I took as needed (1/2 pill a few times per week) and eventually down to 1/2 pill a few times/month. I ran out and haven't had it for a few years. I was using acupuncture, chiropractic and regular massage also.My point ... getting off of opiates was, for me (and others I've read about), relatively easy compared to Pristiq and all of the bizarre symptoms and twists and turns that go on for years. I have taken hydrocodone on occasion (wrist fracture) since stopping oxycodone and had no problems, stopped with no issues. It is PREDICTABLE.My suggestions:- switch to immediate release oxycodone which can be cut.- switch to hydrocodone which is less potent and can be cut. There are several formulations of hydrocodone with varying amounts of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. NORCO has the lowest amount of acetaminophen.- consider Suboxone which can also be cut to taper.- try not to worry. :)As far as awareness by doctors... it's my belief from personal experience that opiate addiction and detox is hyped to the point that many doctors are afraid to offer effective pain control to appropriate candidates. They are switching to Cymbalta or other SNRIs which must be taken every day ($$$ for pharma) because they are perceived as safer and with no addiction / dependence potential or withdrawal issues. Thanks you for the advice I will pass it on. It seems like a large number of people until you know I have 7 siblings and spouses and kids my family is huge by today`s standards. I was particularly worried because I have read that all opiates increase the serotonin in the brain... I was afraid they were headed to where I have been with effexor withdrawal. I went cold turkey bad idea I learned too late... afraid for them and their families. Pain is the reason I was put on prozac all those years ago... so I know what you mean they are really pushing the snri drugs for pain control still pushing amitriptyline too... I have talked so much about antidepressant withdrawal you would think nobody who knows me would even consider taking them but they do. I hope they don`t slide on over to the ssri route but if they do there is not much I can do about it. Mostly I think most people I talk to who have not lived thru withdrawal don`t believe me or think I am exaggerating when in fact I am minimizing so as not to appear unbelievable. Thanks for you help. WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG Had a car accident in 85 Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89 Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above. One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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