How to Quit Percocets and Skip Withdraws?
Question by Pamela: How to quit percocets and skip withdraws?
Okay, first and foremost I’d like to say that this question is not about me, so please don’t leave negative comments. This is a real question that is affecting someone I love and we don’t know what to do about it. My boyfriend of four years got into a bad car accident 2 years ago, he had several surgeries with many broken bones, and just as we all know, percocets were prescribed to ease the pain. At first all he did was sleep on them, he said that it was great he could sleep right through the recovery process since he was in pain constantly even with the drug. he would sleep, wake up and take another just to go back to sleep. I thought this was fine, he was covered in scars and casts, he would scream in his sleep from “fire” he could feel in his feet (knee surgery). This caused him to take more than his recommended dosage, because the sleepiness and pain killing affect was no longer working as well, so the doctor increased his dosage. He started at 5/325 every 4-6 hours, but his pain would come back before that time frame. So the doctor gave him 10mg/325 4X a day. He is allergic to morphine, and patches made him sick to his stomach. I thought this was normal, and he would be okay. After 2 weeks the doctor started cutting his dosage, at the sixth week he was given a non narcotic pain reliever. He insisted that his pain was still severe and that he needed the opioid, not the other stuff. He went to our PC doctor, and told him what was going on and got another script for percocets. After about six months the PC cut him off, telling him that he needed pain management, that he could no longer prescribe for him. I was elated, because I could see that these drugs that were supposed to help him weren’t, they were turning him into a couch potato, someone with no motivation and someone that seemed severely miserable all the time. He itched constantly, and I noticed that he was taking way more than prescribed when I would find empty bottles that were supposed to last a month and only a week had gone by. I also noticed he was taking the yellow oblong ones, which are 10mg and I know he was only being prescribed 5. When confronted he told me that he was getting them from someone else, that if he didn’t take them the withdraw symptoms were too much to handle and that he was going to wean off them himself, he didn’t need them, he only took them because the “yawns” and the aches, and the depression were too much for him to handle and that he couldn’t function without them. He said he would wean off them himself, by slowly cutting back the dosage until he didn’t need them anymore. At first he was, I noticed he wasn’t taking nearly as many (he was up to 70mg daily so he’s told me), down to about 20mg. But as soon as things would go bad, I mean ANYTHING, a fight between us, bills have him stressed, he cant sleep he pops them like candy. Then he says he has to repeat the “weaning” process. We have both come to terms hes addicted, and I know that he never wanted this. He was successful, he had goals, and he lived life to the fullest. Now all he does is sleep all day, he’s unmotivated, he’s lazy, his work (he’s self employed) has become one of the least of his priorities. He cant seem to concentrate, he admitted to me once that it seems his mind isn’t the same, he’s depressed. I know he wants to stop, he hates it. I see him try, then he cant seem to stop yawning and he’s miserable so he takes one just to make it stop. He refuses to go into treatment, he refuses to go on medication because he says they are just as bad. (methadone he believes they give, although I thought that was for heroine). He keeps saying, “Im gonna stop, I will I don’t need outside help” but its been two years. He is on the inside, he doesn’t see how different he is. Does anyone know how to get off this drug safely? Or any advice for him? Not leave him, this isn’t about me. He wont talk to anyone about it, he wont admit it to anyone. He wants to do it by himself, but now i know he cant. He just cant….
Best answer:
Answer by barry
PAINKILLER ADDICTION:
If they are similar to Vicodin, which is a combination of an opiate, and acetaminophen, then you can try weaning off slowly. See www.drugs.com and the label/insert about yours.
A previous answer follows: Google: “pain killer addiction; resources; (your location)”
Try hypnosis, as shown, and join a support group; go there when the urge to abuse it occurs.
View http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/6.html about addictions, and the post about weaning off, on page 3.
Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind.
85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, try the free hypnosis for addictions, (kindly make a modest donation, if helped; they rely on them to keep the free service going) and hypnosisdownloads.com has: Cloud Nine, Be happy every day, and several on pain. Use only 1, or 2 at a time.
Expect to feel bad for a few days, to a week. Codeine is derived from the opium poppy, as is heroin, and the opiates added to analgesics/pain killers, so you could take it for a short while read the label.
Have things to keep you occupied (if you are capable). Google “support groups; pain killer addiction”. http://dailystrength may have some, or Myspace, Yahoo, or Google groups.
Drink chamomile tea; no milk, or cream, for the first week or so. Ibuprofen is the gentlest analgesic/pain killer on internal organs, but even so, regular users have 3 times the general risk of stroke (www.mercola.com).
Answer by Hunter Dixon
Ask him to slowly ween down off the purchased pain medication. It sounds to me like he is buying vicodin 10mg. These things arn’t too strong. Let him to continue to take it for a week, then ween him down by giving him 3/4 of a pill for a week. Then give him 1/2 a pill and so on. If it dosn’t work ask a doctor, remember doctors dont tell anyone about confidential stuff.
Can you please help me out on this question http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111018005252AA2Vx79