Cold Turkey off Oxycontin - How Long?

[MikeH]

I am in my fifth day of dropping pain pills cold turkey, after my back surgery last week took my pain away. I was on prescribed pain med for about a year, during which surgery had to be delayed because my cardiologist said I had to stay on Plavix a year after stents January 2016. I am 70 years old and have never used addictive drugs of any kind until now.

I took steps to try to avoid addiction. Many days I would tolerate significant pain just so I would not become addicted. But wham! It may be milder because of my efforts but it is bad. Daytimes are best because I can stay in motion, which seems to help. But nights and any time I have to sit still are bad. The best description I have heard is that it feels like your body is going to burst through your skin. I have to roll every thirty seconds all night long, and finally may drift off when I become totally exhausted.
I have probably slept fitfully for six hours total the last three nights. I had to walk out of church Sunday to keep from screaming at sitting still.

I left the hospital with a prescription for 120 more pills. My orthopedic surgeon says perhaps I should taper off, three pills a day for a while (which is one more than I took most days when I was in pain), then two, then one. But my stubborn nature and strong will says I am going to do this. Why prolong it?

I want the voice of experience. If anyone has been through this, my question is, how long can I expect it to last? My daughter, a wild child in her youth who used about everything, says a month but it tapers off during that time.

My advice is that anyone who starts using these things recreationally is absolutely nuts!

 

[wazu013]

The fact that your habit was fairly minimal you should be feeling fewer symptoms pretty soon. If you have diarrhea take imodium for it. Take some vitamins especially vitamin B. CoQ 10 will help the cramps if you have any. Find some sort of food that tastes good like fruit or yogurt. Keep hydrated!
Time is a healer.
Good luck

 

[Goose 7279]

I am in my fifth day of dropping pain pills cold turkey, after my back surgery last week took my pain away. I was on prescribed pain med for about a year, during which surgery had to be delayed because my cardiologist said I had to stay on Plavix a year after stents January 2016. I am 70 years old and have never used addictive drugs of any kind until now.

I took steps to try to avoid addiction. Many days I would tolerate significant pain just so I would not become addicted. But wham! It may be milder because of my efforts but it is bad. Daytimes are best because I can stay in motion, which seems to help. But nights and any time I have to sit still are bad. The best description I have heard is that it feels like your body is going to burst through your skin. I have to roll every thirty seconds all night long, and finally may drift off when I become totally exhausted.
I have probably slept fitfully for six hours total the last three nights. I had to walk out of church Sunday to keep from screaming at sitting still.

I left the hospital with a prescription for 120 more pills. My orthopedic surgeon says perhaps I should taper off, three pills a day for a while (which is one more than I took most days when I was in pain), then two, then one. But my stubborn nature and strong will says I am going to do this. Why prolong it?

I want the voice of experience. If anyone has been through this, my question is, how long can I expect it to last? My daughter, a wild child in her youth who used about everything, says a month but it tapers off during that time.

My advice is that anyone who starts using these things recreationally is absolutely nuts!

Yea you are getting close just hold strong. About two weeks of hell and then a month will get pretty well straightened out but you will still have sleep problemms for a few months. No where near the sleep problems your expierencing now. If you can keep busy and wear yourself out completely it helps because the idle time is what makes it worse. Good luck friend its a hell i wouldnt wish on anyone.

 

[Noctis3880]

I only broke my left leg in 2 places, but I had similar concerns that you did about becoming addicted to painkillers, but I feel those concerns were largely unfounded since I at least experienced no particular cravings to take the drug, nor did it feel especially different than simply popping Tylenol to me(no sense of euphoria or anything).

I was prescribed Hydrocodone, which is said to be less likely to be abused. You can bring up the subject with your doctor and see if you can have that one prescribed instead. I agree with the concept of weeding off the drug instead of going cold turkey. The ability to sleep well is something that, in my experience, helps with healing and overall health. My suggestion if anything would be to try to rough it out during the day when you're awake, then take the recommended dose at night to help you sleep. You can then try to take a smaller dose and see if you can sleep fine with less.

 

[Lapedog]

I only broke my left leg in 2 places, but I had similar concerns that you did about becoming addicted to painkillers, but I feel those concerns were largely unfounded since I at least experienced no particular cravings to take the drug, nor did it feel especially different than simply popping Tylenol to me(no sense of euphoria or anything).

I was prescribed Hydrocodone, which is said to be less likely to be abused. You can bring up the subject with your doctor and see if you can have that one prescribed instead. I agree with the concept of weeding off the drug instead of going cold turkey. The ability to sleep well is something that, in my experience, helps with healing and overall health. My suggestion if anything would be to try to rough it out during the day when you're awake, then take the recommended dose at night to help you sleep. You can then try to take a smaller dose and see if you can sleep fine with less.

Different people react to different drugs differently. Two people can take the same dose in the same way for the same length and one will get hooked and the other won't. This is due to different brains which have different ammounts of certain types of receptors largely due to genetics. Some people are predisposed to getting hooked on opiates, some are more likely to get hooked on coke or amphetamines and others still are suseptible to becoming alcoholics.

 

[Noctis3880]

Different people react to different drugs differently. Two people can take the same dose in the same way for the same length and one will get hooked and the other won't. This is due to different brains which have different ammounts of certain types of receptors largely due to genetics. Some people are predisposed to getting hooked on opiates, some are more likely to get hooked on coke or amphetamines and others still are suseptible to becoming alcoholics.

The odds are 1 in 500 of becoming addicted, with the risk being less if you have no history of addiction.

The entire point of the use of narcotics is that the benefits outweigh the risks. Being in a constant state of pain is not good for your health either. Also, Alabama generally does not allow the use of weed. The CBD oil itself is legal, but I understand that you need to have a pretty debilitating condition like epilepsy or some other condition that is resistant to conventional medication to be prescribed that.

 

[palonej]

If you are able to keep busy during the day, and eat......anything, you aren't that bad. Believe it or not, your symptoms are mild. You don't say what the strength of your prescription is, so it's hard to judge how bad the train will continue running you over.
Your daughter is right.......a month of hell. Though hell really doesn't do it justice. It is MUCH worse.
If you insist on going cold turkey you can literally bring on other bad health issues......very high blood pressure, bad weight loss, dehydration etc.
Don't be a hero......ween yourself off very slowly.
Good luck brother!

PS......this is coming from someone who knows.

 

[22-rimfire]

No help here, but I hope this passes quickly. I've only taken pain killers other than your over the counter stuff a couple times in my life. I still have bottles of Oxicodone and Hydrocodone from procedures that were done last fall. Never took a single pill.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

I broke my back in a car accident about four years ago, and was given oxycontin and oxycodeine, tramadol etc. Had several impacted wisdom teeth two years ago and root canals last year, and got more pain meds. Pain meds bind you up, and don't do a darn thing after a while (pain doesn't go away and you get a mild feeling of good to go for a few minutes). I am going to be undergoing bariatric surgery, and they want to give me pain meds. I am in agony right now because of no pain meds since Christmas, and mild liver disease from too many ibuprofen or acetaminophen pills. A coworker found some Dollar Tree menthol medicated rubs, the only thing that seems to help.

I'm so glad that oxy made me sick as a dog, I stopped the pain pills, much to the chagrin of my doctor, who asked how the no pain meds was working out for me. But afterwards, he would not fill my pain pill rx anymore. Tramadol pills were a way of life until a couple years ago. One at night to even sleep.

Unfortunately, you will have to either go off them cold turkey, or get assistance weaning off of them. I've got degenerative spinal disease, very bad lately. I'm 37, I'm doing the bariatric surgery to take as much weight off my back as I can. I'm taking a walk at lunch to just get my mind off the pain. Good luck.

 

[ATJ999]

If you can get past the 7-14 days, you can make it the rest easily. The first week is the worst, then the physical symptoms will start to taper off and the psych(feeling low, no energy, sometimes uncontrolled emotions) will take a little while longer, but like others said, try and not focus on that stuff, just stay busy. Some physical/light psych stuff will last longer like restless leg syndrome, trouble sleeping, weird dreams, cold sweats. But, it will fade. Hang in there, you have definitely gone through some of the hardest parts, and the rest will be over soon. It fades, just tough it out! Just be lucky you were not using them for 10+ years, or doing something like H. I'm sure you can imagine now how rough it is for those people getting off that crap! Even coming off codeine or Vicodin is awful!! All of it is bad news... Great for relieving pain though, but for short term.
One upside for me was I was young coming off them, I know to stay away. Another was my sex drive increase 100 fold getting off them. Dang, women never looked SO good!

Imodium, fluids, multi-vitamins, Ibuprofen(your favorite OTC pain reliever), time. You can do it!

 

[Noctis3880]

Imodium, fluids, multi-vitamins, Ibuprofen(your favorite OTC pain reliever), time. You can do it!

Not sure how necessary it is for me to mention this, but you'll want to make sure your OTC pain reliever and your prescription pain killers don't overlap at any point, because they interact. Hydrocodone is a mix between Oxycodone and Acetaminophen(Tylenol), and that was what was prescribed to me. Worked much better than the pure Oxy.

 

[noob93]

In my experience it took between 5 to 10 days of strong withdrawals to start feeling better. After that it should gradually get better day by day.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Shoot. I'm addicted to caffeine. I've quit for years before, but recently my migraines (which went away for 20 or so years)) have returned, and become worse, and make quitting caffeine much worse! I went 5 days with vomiting and blinding migraines before giving up and going back to daily caffeine. Quitting something like oxy (or other painkiller) would be hell for me! I have a bad back, and have avoided pain killers because I know how hard it would be for me to quit!

I feel for you.

I'll do short term pain killers but try to avoid, and minimize.


As a defense attorney, I've seen more lives ruined than I care to count.

 

[ATJ999]

Hydrocodone is hydrocodone. Vicodin is hydrocodone with acetaminophen(Tylenol), Oxycodone comes in 5 major forms, Oxycontin(time released oxycodone), oxycodone(instant release), Percocet or generic(Oxycodone with acetaminophen), Percodan(Oxycodone with Aspirin), Oxynorm(Liquid Oxycodone hydrochloride). Just to be clear.

But, if you went cold turkey, then you don't have to worry about it, just take whatever OTC works best for you. And that does not interfere with your other non-narcotic meds.

 

[Noctis3880]

Shoot. I'm addicted to caffeine. I've quit for years before, but recently my migraines (which went away for 20 or so years)) have returned, and become worse, and make quitting caffeine much worse! I went 5 days with vomiting and blinding migraines before giving up and going back to daily caffeine. Quitting something like oxy (or other painkiller) would be hell for me! I have a bad back, and have avoided pain killers because I know how hard it would be for me to quit!

I feel for you.

I'll do short term pain killers but try to avoid, and minimize.


As a defense attorney, I've seen more lives ruined than I care to count.

Lol, must be an awful lot of coffee every day. I'm addicted too and drink a cup or two pretty much every day, but stopping only gives me headaches and maybe causes me to sleep more than usual for a day or two.

I generally find it helpful to just stop for a few days every 2 months so my tolerance doesn't build up to something absurd.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Lol, must be an awful lot of coffee every day. I'm addicted too and drink a cup or two pretty much every day, but stopping only gives me headaches and maybe causes me to sleep more than usual for a day or two.

I generally find it helpful to just stop for a few days every 2 months so my tolerance doesn't build up to something absurd.

It is about 6 pops a day (I don't normally drink it I take it in pill form normally. It is 1.5 pills a day. (Correlates to 1.5 cups of coffee a day).

I don't drink coffee.

 

[Noctis3880]

It is about 6 pops a day (I don't normally drink it I take it in pill form normally. It is 1.5 pills a day. (Correlates to 1.5 cups of coffee a day).

I don't drink coffee.

Caffeine without coffee is like... having babies without sex.

 

[larstetens]

Hi all,

I don't post much(hardly ever), but
I'd like to "chime in here"if I may regarding analgesia(pain relief)....I understand you're in pain(big surgery especially if it was an open procedure as opposed to an MIS/minimally invasive surgery), but as a Nurse who used to scrub/specialize in Neurosurgery/spine surgery you need to keep your pain in check. You get absolutely NO brownie points for being "stoic" mate.

We have an old saying....."if you feel better you'll heal better"....so getting off of pain meds "cold turkey"....whilst sounding good(in theory).....isn't really helping you recover properly...so if you want to get off OC(fair enough), you really need to find a suitable alternativeI(your surgeon/Gp should be able to help you with this). I still spend over 90% + of my time in the Operating Theatre dealing with spine surgery, but in a different capacity now.

Regarding "smoking" of any kind....is NOT a good idea...smoking of any sort can have severe consequences on your healing and potentially slow the healing process significantly...this is not an opinion....this is/has been extensively researched....and the evidence against smoking before/after surgery is irrefutable(sorry to be so blunt-no pun intended)........

So be smart and informed and please talk to your Surgeon/GP before taking any "drastic" measures. I think everyone here is truly looking out for your best interest and trying to help you.....look after yourself and it does take time as everyone has said.










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[Rhinoknives1]

Being a man that has had three spine surgeries and lives in controlled chronic pain. I suggest that you go see a PAIN MANAGEMENT DOCTOR! They will be able guide you through tapering off and help you deal with any residual pain and how to deal with it.

 

[RichardBay]

I have been clean and sober almost 13 years.
Hard drugs and alcohol abuse with the shakes / DTs/ when I went to long without using. Getting right hurt. I thought I could not get through an hour without thinking about drugs. Let alone a day. After a few weeks cold turkey I still just wanted to feel normal. It took about 30days to feel much better. So try an hang in there every day is kinda better. If you just want to clear your head and talk try AA or NA and be honest.

If you want to talk you can call me 925-658-8835 Rich
Keep your head up.