coming off oxycontin

[overseas]

hi there, i had a car accident in december 05 and was hospitalised for 3 months. i broke both my legs my knee and pelvis. in the beginnining i was on 80mg twice a day. when i was discharged from hospital, i was on 20mg twice a day. i have exaggerated my pain to my doctor since being discharged and have had my dose increased from 20mg twice a day, then to 40mg twice a day, then to 80mg twice a day. for the last month i have been taking 160mg twice a day, chewing them up and swallowing them. i want to give them up and dont know where to start. i cant tell my doctor that i am chewing them for he may stop prescribing them i think altogether. what will happen if i return to swallowing them as prescribed and start to taper off slowly. since i am chewing them i cant work out if i can return safely to a normal routine,{by chewing them dont you get a higher dose at once}. please if anyone has been in this situation can you give me some advice. thankyou.

[C 80ABG]

it wont be dangerous to stop chewing them and start eating them but it would be dangerous to stop the regimen entirely. having that dosage of opiates (especially oxycodone) for the length of time causes not only addiction but dependancy. i know people who cannot wake up and put on their cloths even without an opiate. to stop them completley would provoke horrible withdrawls and you would be in an incredible ammount of pain.
because your central nervous system has been medicated so heavily for so long you would have to gradually reduce your dosage whening your body off the substance. all the nervs sending signals to your brain normally felt by your body everyday would be unbarabely painfull because the opiates have suppressed those signals for so long.
its good to be honest with your doctor- but i am in a simalar position so i know its not that easy. talk to your family and seek help for starters.

[toronto gal]

I can understand both of you.

I started taking percs several years back for some severe back problems. Well, I found out how good I felt on them and kept telling my doctor that the pain was geeting worse not better.
Then I was put on two-10 mg oxys per day.
It wasn't long before I found out that to crush them or chew them gave me a great feeling.
Again it wasn't long before I upped my dose, to five or six a day. Then I was using, and still am percs and oxy's.
I feel so good on these it feels scary to stop, however I know I must. I have been looking for work lately, and time my interviews, and miss many if I am on empty!
If you do really want to get off them, the safest way to go is to detox, where you are medically supervised. Some places taper you, others give you another medication to help with the w/d's.
I wish all of us good luck, and that's it for now

[MotherOfFormerOx yAbuser]

Do whatever you need to do to stop. Now. Stop what you're doing, and get help.
My son died 8/10 from oxy overdose. I had no idea he was using this 'recreationally'. He had a good job, many friends, and a close family he loved and who loved him dearly. I'm sure he thought he had it 'under control'.
If it happened to him, it can happen to anyone. He paid the ultimate price for his mistake. We will never be the same. Good for you recognizing you have a problem. Your next experience may kill you. It killed my son. Please get help. Now.

[Judy B]

overseas wrote:

hi there, i had a car accident in december 05 and was hospitalised for 3 months. i broke both my legs my knee and pelvis. in the beginnining i was on 80mg twice a day. when i was discharged from hospital, i was on 20mg twice a day. i have exaggerated my pain to my doctor since being discharged and have had my dose increased from 20mg twice a day, then to 40mg twice a day, then to 80mg twice a day. for the last month i have been taking 160mg twice a day, chewing them up and swallowing them. i want to give them up and dont know where to start. i cant tell my doctor that i am chewing them for he may stop prescribing them i think altogether. what will happen if i return to swallowing them as prescribed and start to taper off slowly. since i am chewing them i cant work out if i can return safely to a normal routine,{by chewing them dont you get a higher dose at once}. please if anyone has been in this situation can you give me some advice. thankyou.

its going to be rough getting off of these.you should talk to your doctor about metadone. it will help you with the withdrawls. which are not easy. trust me.

[overseas]

hi there, i just want to thank you all for replying to my post...its not going to be easy {giving the oxys up}
.. i have learnt alot from this forum...and intend to use some of the information when i decide to take the plunge...i have to get my head around the idea first..this i am finding difficult to do whilst i still have a supply.. goodluck to everyone here with whatever you are facing..we can all get through this. X

[Yada]

Never trade one opioid analgesic for another as a sobriety strategy. It never works. Get ready to not feel well for two weeks or more. If you cannot handle discomfort go into in- patient substance rehab. There they will offer other drugs to ease withdrawal symptoms. The truth is there is no way to stop the addiction but to stop using the drug. Another truth is that despite how bad you feel withdrawing from opioids the withdrawal will pass and it will not kill you. The continued use of the drug however, can.

[dannyboy]

Cold turkey is impractical if not impossible (at your current dose). I suggest you research a medicine called Suboxone. It's a partial opiate. You'll still have some withdrawal at first, but not as bad, and the suboxone is easier to taper off of.

[CRAZYHORSE]

yOU PEOPLE HAVE VERY LIGHT"LITE" ADDICTIONS COMPARED TO A LOT OF CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS. i CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SO AFRAID OF THE WITHDRAWALS OF SUCH LITE DOSAGES. i HAVE TAKEN 5 80MG. OXY'S THREE TIMES A DAY FOR THREE YEARS DUE TO A SEVERE BACK INJURY, AND TEN HIP SURGERIES. i ALSO TAKE 5- 40MG. METHADONES A DAY IN DIVIDED DOSAGES. iN ADDITION, i TAKE 4-5 30MG. OXYCODONE TABLETS UP TO 4 TIMES A DAY FOR BREAKTHRU PAIN. nOW, DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU ARE IN SUCH A BAD POSITION THAT YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR DETOX??? i AM CURRENTLY STARTING TO DETOX FROM ALL OF THIS...BUT VERY CAREFULLY, AS IT COULD BE FATAL, BUT i KNOW THE ADDICTION CAN BE BEAT. jUST TRUST IN YOURSELF, AND, MOSTLY, TRUST IN god TO HELP YOU DO THIS. iT COULD ALWAYS BE MUCH WORSE... BELIEVE THAT!!!

[overseas]

crazyhorse, you are mislead believing that a person who is taking a lesser amount {as yourself?} of an addictive drug could be over-reacting when contemplating detox and withdrawal. does this mean that a person taking a larger dose than yourself can tell you that you need not worry about your detox? i think we all have a right to express ourselves freely and openly on this forum without being prejudiced about the amount we take.

[toronto gal]

CRAZYHORSE wrote:

yOU PEOPLE HAVE VERY LIGHT"LITE" ADDICTIONS COMPARED TO A LOT OF CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS. i CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SO AFRAID OF THE WITHDRAWALS OF SUCH LITE DOSAGES. i HAVE TAKEN 5 80MG. OXY'S THREE TIMES A DAY FOR THREE YEARS DUE TO A SEVERE BACK INJURY, AND TEN HIP SURGERIES. i ALSO TAKE 5- 40MG. METHADONES A DAY IN DIVIDED DOSAGES. iN ADDITION, i TAKE 4-5 30MG. OXYCODONE TABLETS UP TO 4 TIMES A DAY FOR BREAKTHRU PAIN. nOW, DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU ARE IN SUCH A BAD POSITION THAT YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR DETOX??? i AM CURRENTLY STARTING TO DETOX FROM ALL OF THIS...BUT VERY CAREFULLY, AS IT COULD BE FATAL, BUT i KNOW THE ADDICTION CAN BE BEAT. jUST TRUST IN YOURSELF, AND, MOSTLY, TRUST IN god TO HELP YOU DO THIS. iT COULD ALWAYS BE MUCH WORSE... BELIEVE THAT!!!

Don't think you're being fair here. I could only hope that you mean no harm, yet your words not only undermine the other persons problem, they also start the heiarchy of drug use, which is very dangerous.
A person who feels her/his life is out of control, regardless of the amount being used is for all sakes and purposes in a similar situation as yourself.
Detox/withdrawal will be difficult, and there are facilities that can be of help.

[Druidskeep]

CRAZYHORSE wrote:

yOU PEOPLE HAVE VERY LIGHT"LITE" ADDICTIONS COMPARED TO A LOT OF CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS. i CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SO AFRAID OF THE WITHDRAWALS OF SUCH LITE DOSAGES. i HAVE TAKEN 5 80MG. OXY'S THREE TIMES A DAY FOR THREE YEARS DUE TO A SEVERE BACK INJURY, AND TEN HIP SURGERIES. i ALSO TAKE 5- 40MG. METHADONES A DAY IN DIVIDED DOSAGES. iN ADDITION, i TAKE 4-5 30MG. OXYCODONE TABLETS UP TO 4 TIMES A DAY FOR BREAKTHRU PAIN. nOW, DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU ARE IN SUCH A BAD POSITION THAT YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR DETOX??? i AM CURRENTLY STARTING TO DETOX FROM ALL OF THIS...BUT VERY CAREFULLY, AS IT COULD BE FATAL, BUT i KNOW THE ADDICTION CAN BE BEAT. jUST TRUST IN YOURSELF, AND, MOSTLY, TRUST IN god TO HELP YOU DO THIS. iT COULD ALWAYS BE MUCH WORSE... BELIEVE THAT!!!

There are no oxycodone pills at 30 mgs.

[unavailable]

I have been off Oxy for about 4 days now (cold turkey), and I feel like total crap. I had been taking anywhere from 20-80 mg a day and snorting it. I f anyone knows how long it will take me before I feel like I did before I got addicted to Oxy, please let me know.

[JAy]

Druidskeep wrote:

<quoted text>There are no oxycodone pills at 30 mgs.

There are 30mg Oxycodone pills mallinckrodt pharmaceuticals makes them and they have an imprint of [M] on one side and 30 on the other, small white round and scored. here is the link that proves it!

http://pharmaceuticals.mallinckrodt.com/Produ...

[overseas]

unavailable wrote:

I have been off Oxy for about 4 days now (cold turkey), and I feel like total crap. I had been taking anywhere from 20-80 mg a day and snorting it. I f anyone knows how long it will take me before I feel like I did before I got addicted to Oxy, please let me know.

i dont know.
hang in there mate...{you know} you will be so much better off oxy-free...

[john henry]

I'm on Oxycontin 40mg X2 a day, 80 total. I have taken a few 7.5 oxycodone for break through pain and seem to be doing good for now. I just started on the oxycontin recently after 5 years of neck and shoulder pain and 2 disks removed last October, 05. I have to ask why would anyone chew the oxycontin pills instead of swallowing them? I just need to know what lead you to do it....maybe it will keep others from ending up in your situation if we knew your reasons. Thanks and I wish you well.

overseas wrote:

hi there, i had a car accident in december 05 and was hospitalised for 3 months. i broke both my legs my knee and pelvis. in the beginnining i was on 80mg twice a day. when i was discharged from hospital, i was on 20mg twice a day. i have exaggerated my pain to my doctor since being discharged and have had my dose increased from 20mg twice a day, then to 40mg twice a day, then to 80mg twice a day. for the last month i have been taking 160mg twice a day, chewing them up and swallowing them. i want to give them up and dont know where to start. i cant tell my doctor that i am chewing them for he may stop prescribing them i think altogether. what will happen if i return to swallowing them as prescribed and start to taper off slowly. since i am chewing them i cant work out if i can return safely to a normal routine,{by chewing them dont you get a higher dose at once}. please if anyone has been in this situation can you give me some advice. thankyou.

[overseas]

hi john, when i was in hospital i learned {from someone}if you crush them up, all the oxycontin would be released at once...anyway before my accident i was drinking heavily...i have replaced the drinking with the oxyconyin...for me i have some other addiction issues to deal with...sometimes when you remove something out of your life you need to put something in its place...i did not choose the replacement very wisely...hope this helps.

[john henry]

Yes, your answer did help. I'd like to ask you a few more questions if you don't mind.... Do you still have pain from your accident? If so, how much oxycontin, taken as prescribed (swallowing not chewing) do you think it will take to handle it? And, what in the world does it feel like to chew 160 mg of oxycontin all at once...can you even move after doing it?

[overseas]

hi again, chewing 160mg makes me feel normal...no high etc...just keeps the demons away...as far as pain goes...well to be honest i dont know...maybe none...at 160mg a day i dont feel much at all...seeya john.

[Eric in Tucson]

Crazyhorse,

The dosage of narcotics that you are currently taking does not determine the amount of withdrawal issues you will suffer from.

Be it taking 100mg Q.I.D, or 20mg B.I.D, the withdrawal and side-effect profile is very similar.

In fact, at lesser dosages it is harder to reduce one's oxycontin, or narcotic usage, as each "mg" represents a higher percentage of their higher daily dosage.

For instance, reducing 10mg's off a 100mg daily dosage is only a 10% reduction. However, reducing 10mg's off a 50mg daily dosage represents a 20% reduction which is far to high for most people to handle, with any level of comfort.

However, I do agree with you that the fear of addiction is somewhat unfounded, when this drug is used for a medical purpose.

Overseas, I would simply start reducing the amount of oxycontin you are using. Simply tell your doctor you are ready to go down. Even if you continue to "chew" your drugs, you will still be able to discontinue their use over time.

However, if you do tell your doctor you're abusing your medication it's unlikely he will drop you as a patient because he is responsible legally for your abuse. He would likely help you, as this is part of his job and he is well trained in the area of addiction, as he likely sees this on a daily basis.

There are not many physicians that prescribe oxycontin, without helping patients who find themselves addicted, rather than dependent upon the drug.

Be strong, this is something you can do. And it is something you can do without! You do NOT need these drugs in your life to survive, and there are many ways in which you can slowly over a period of months, or even a year go off the drug at a level you are comfortable at. If you need to tell your doctor that you are still in pain, that is something you'll have to use your best judgement on.

But, if you go down to 150mg, then 140, then 130, then 125, then 120,,,you will be fine.....take your time...there is no such thing as going off oxycontin too slowly. PERIOD.

Good Luck, and try to realize in your hearts of heart that you're stronger than you think you are.

I too was at 160mg for many months, and at times had to crush 400mg pills at a time, due to pain, not addiction, but still I was able to work my way down, and it's only been 3.5 months since I was at 400mg.

I'm certainly not "above average" mentally or in any other faculty. You can do it. It is a choice, and if you're afraid of your doctor cutting you off, try letting your situation be known to a psychiatrist who can help mediate the situation.

This is what I did, and it worked very well. In fact my pain physician felt much more comfortable that I was working with a psychiatrist, as it took the burden of liability off his shoulders, somewhat.

Cheers,
Eric
Tucson, Arizona
USA