Narcotic Withdrawal

T,

I'm glad you're connecting with what you're body is telling you.  Nerve pain simply sucks.  Don't be afraid of being an addict.....unless you had an issue with this before your DX.  I still have a script for the oxy on hand if I absolutely need it.  I like you had many issues coming off the pain meds due to surgery after surgery within a two yr. span.  My body kicked its heels at me something horrible.  I am on flexeril for the bad nerve pain the traditional (gabapentin) didn't touch it.  I heard the Lyrica is a good one for these issues.  I also started a med called celexa...which is helping ground me with all the anxiety and seems to be helping some of the issues with nerve pain.  Continue to express your concerns to your specialists.  And remember T it takes time to heal.....you've been through hell and back.  You're one tough cookie, and I hope they can find a good common ground to keep you out of pain and moving forward.  Hugs sent !  Katie

t, i don't know about the withdrawls but i wanted 2 wish u the best.  i'm sorry u have pain and the need 4 the meds.  i hope everything works out.

dj

T, as you know I'll be 6 months post treatment the beginning of August.  On Thursday I took my last Hydrocodin.  I was on Fentanyl patches, HYC and Adavan all at the same time.  The doc's took me off the patches first, a long slow process fraught with quite a few sleepless nights and then very slowly reduced my HYC ( I was on 30mg a day) until Thursday night of last week I took my last 5 mg.  I slept like crap on Friday and last night was no picnic either but I'm hoping that my body (mostly the receptors in the brain actually) will let it go tonight.

Anyway, the point is physical addiction is a common by product of our treatment and it's important to overcome the addiction by a slow supervised regimen.

Good luck buddy, as John says, you're close to abi normal now.

J.

fishmanpa said:

Insomnia

Hi Rick,

Good to see you post. Insomnia is one of the symptoms of narcotic withdrawl but you should be on the tail end if it was affecting you that way. The sunrise thing is what happened to me yesterday/today. The last dose of oxy was Friday around 5pm. Then I awoke this morning at 12:30am. I took a 5mg dose at around 2am and another around 6am after sunrise. I was able to get a few hours sleep this morning and about a 45 minute nap this afternoon. I'm staying on the narcs until I speak with my doctors in two weeks. 

With what you're dealing with it's no wonder you're having difficulty sleeping. I would definitely speak with your doctors about the insomnia. Perhaps they can give you something to help you sleep. 

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"

T, this is a subject I know a lot about.  Been down this road many times over the years and have learned a great deal about opiate pain meds.

For one, you are not an addict.  You have a physical chemical dependency to opiates.  Addicts overdue it and take more than prescribed, you don't so don't label yourself with that word.  Yes, your doctor should have warned you about withdrawal from opiates.  It does say right on the pamphlet you get from the pharmacy to not stop taking this medication w/o talking to your doctor.  But who reads that stuff?

Opiate withdrawal includes insomnia, diarrhea, restless leg syndrome (RLS), chills, bodyaches, and nausea, just to name a few.  The best way to taper yourself down would be to reduce your normal intake by 10% every 1-2 weeks.  You don't rush this.  You can ask for Requip.  That will help with the RLS and insomnia.  The drug makes you sleepy so two birds are hit with one script.  Time release Oxy's will need to be replaced with regular Oxycodone so you can start breaking them into smaller pieces.  Go from Oxycodone to Hydrocodone to Tramadol.  In that order.  Tramadol may be a mild non opiate drug but it does keep you from having withdrawals.

Keep in mind what Phrannie said.  It takes time for the brain to get used to not having the pleasure of opiates.  Exercise is the best remedy although it will be the last thing you will want to do.  Depression is another side effect but it's best to fight through it w/o going onto an anti-depressant.  

I took a pharmacology course in college and the one important thing I learned was that whatever a drug does while you take it, it will do the opposite when you stop.  It's called the swing effect.  Take a stimulant for too long and stop, you're tired.  Same thing with pain meds.  The pain comes back threefold in the beginning but lessens over time.  They are also a CNS depressant so it makes sense that you'll have insomnia.  Same with the bowels, etc.  That is why you taper down ever so slowly.  

Comfort meds from your doctor would be a mild benzodiazepine like Xanax or Valium. (go easy with those as they too are habit forming) Clonidine, which is an older blood pressure med that helps with anxiety and sleep.  And possibly some Ambien or whichever you prefer as a sleep med.  OTC stuff should be some Immodium for loose bowels, calming tea like Chamomile.  And maybe some vitamins.  That's the short list.  If you want the full one I'll have to go back and research.

Sorry for the book, but I hate to see anyone suffer needlessly.

"T", I wish you the very best with getting off of the pain meds. 

It is just so ironic that you should bring this up now.  Over the last couple of months I have read a few posts about the trouble with the meds.  I have been so very afraid of my brother taking them.  He had(s?) a problem with alcohol before his diagnosis/treatment.  I was afraid from the get go, that he would have a problem with the pain meds.  He has been trying very hard to avoid taking them, but just this past week, he was totally pressured into starting them by his wife and nurses.  I haven't asked them what he's taking, but I am so afraid of this happening to him.  You hear all of the time these horror stories about people, famous and otherwise, being addicted to pain medicines.  Of course I dont' want to see him or anyone else in pain, but the thought of adding pain med withdrawal to the mix makes me totally sick to my stomach.  I can't tell him what to do, but I know he has an addicting personality.  All you wonderful people have been through this.  Should I just keep quiet about my concerns and let him take the meds?  He rings the bell tomorrow.  If he has gotten this far . . .

~S~

getting off the pain meds was difficult for me too. i went off the oxy on my own without doctors approval about two weeks after treatment. looking back it probably was not the smartest thing i ever done. but i did it. i wanted to go back to work and could not function or remember things. at first i diidnt know what my body was telling me. i had bad neuropathy but didnt know what it was called - i couldnt sleep. what i can say now is that my neurapathy is almost completely gone, sometimes i will taks an abian to help me sleep as i still have issues sleeping and the lymphodema that once realy hung under my chin is almost gone. i still get pain once in a while but its nothing a moltrin cant handle. I think the moral of the story is stay on the meds as long as you have to and let your body heal, as you know it takes a lot of time to get better. i also notice that certain foods that i use to love cause severe irritation in my throat, so i stay away from those things. Keep fighting my fellow warrior. the months pass by quickly, and as they pass you fill take baby steps forward

"T",

Reading your post was like reliving what Kreg went through with the drug withdrawls. Yes, you do need to slowly wien yourself off of them....do NOT go cold turkey!

We were so disappointed when we called his nurse practioner about his pain and she kept say "exercise", "get on the treadmill", "walk" (as he was weining). She also mentioned to take ibruprofen. He did all of this faithfully everyday for about 5-7 days. The pain finally let up enough to be tolerable. So...we were a little skeptical about this working, but it did! 

Kreg's word of advice... "Patience".

Good luck,

~C