Joined: 29 Nov 2004 Posts: 1 Location: philadelphia
Perc Addiction - I Am Terrified Posted: 11-29-04 19:16pm
Ok, I am a 31 year old woman. I have a
full time job but about a year and a half
ago when I was working at a bar I
discovered the percocet. It started out
innocent enough - one here and there.
Now I am spending close to 150 - 300
dollars a week on pain meds on the street.
I don't take them for pain, I take them to
get high. I started off w/ a perc 5 to
get high... Now I need 10 sometimes 15
milligrams to get me high. I use
sometimes 30 - 45 mg's a day.
I have tried countless times to get off of
them.. But all of my friends and
aquaintances always have them and I always
buy them.
When I go more than 12 hours w/o a
percocet, I get shaky, nauseous, headache,
dizzy and feel irritable and tired.
Now, if I could sleep for a week and stop
taking these stupid things that would be
great.
But I have to work a full time job and
take care of two kids.
I never thought in a million years that I
would ever be addcited to anything except
for cigarettes, and I quit smoking no
problem twice!
My friends tried to ween me off of them by
giving me smaller doses every so many
days.. But I would just go to someone
else and get them.
I keep looking for withdrawl info. Like,
how long does it take, and how long do I
have to feel like crap until I feel
better. But I can't find anything.
It is the awful stomach knot I especially
can't handle.
I really need help.
Darlene
|
j-me
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Posts: 7 Location: holland,mi
Perc Addiction Posted: 12-21-04 07:52am
Opiates are the toughest drug to quit, I
have been clean for over two years and it
has not been easy,i still have dreams
about it. Once you get past the frist 90
days it gets alot easier,some advice for
you is to take benedryl at night for those
nights that your restless and cant
sleep,it really does work and make sure
that you eat alot of small meals ,vitamins
also helped me ,i took b complex and it
helped with the lack of energy
problem,painkillers gave me alot of energy
so when I stopped I had none. Stay strong
and the best of luck to you
|
happywomannow
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Washington, DC
Get Help Posted: 01-19-05 22:02pm
You need help to get straightened up. I
never thought i'd be addicted to adderall
and i"m thrilled I could get off of it.
Do you have insurance? You can go as an
outpatient or in somewhere for treatment.
You have to do it for yourself and your
body.
You'll be surprised when you're happy and
healthy and off of percocette. People
will notice the difference. Please call
the health line at your insurance soon.
Or go to an na meeting.
|
cwillix
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 4
Tips On Getting Off the Percs... Posted: 01-23-05 06:14am
Quick background on me before I offer my
thoughts. I hope my input is useful.
I have been doing drugs, since the age of
13. Daily since 18. I just turned 29.
I've been addicted to nicotine,
marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, and morphine.
I know what you're going through.
Here's my thoughts, I hope they help.
1st) nicotine is considered by many to be
the most addicitve substances in the
world. You've broken the addiction to
nicotine, you can definitely break your
addiction to oxycodone (the ingredient is
percoset). I've personally broken the
addiction to nicotine and morphine.
Nicotine is harder in terms of willpower
to quit than morphine (heroin).
2nd) taper yourself off the drugs. Start
at 45mgs/day, go to 40, then to 35 etc....
This will help get over the mental
addiction because you won't be achieving
the "high" but you won't get withdrawls.
Talk to your doctor, there is a drug he /
she can prescribe that will prevent your
body from felling the "high" from opiates.
You can eat them w/out getting high, but
avoiding the physicalwithdrawl.
3rd) plan a 1 week vacation from work.
Use this time to detox off the drugs.
The rough part only last a few days. If
you can afford it, check yourself into
detox - they actually can knock you out
for a couple days while the opiates run
their course. If you do it on your own,
have someone who can help you through it.
A friend to sit with you. It would
probably be best not to let your kids see
you during this time. It's going to be a
tough 3 to 5 days. You won't be yourself
(i think if kids saw a parent this sick /
depressed it would be traumatic). When I
detoxed of morphine I lost control of my
emotions for 45 minute spurts every few
hours. I was sick (like a bad flu) and
somewhat in pain. Just remember it's
temporary.
4th) figure out why you want to quit.
Make visual reminders and keep them on
hand in your everyday life. Pictures of
your kids. Money? You're spending
$6,000 - $12,000 / year to be in a good
mood. What else would you want to do with
that $$?
5th) pick a date to quit. Nothing
immeadate, nothing drastic. Mentally
prepare for it (and taper off).
6th) go to your doctor and have your liver
enzymes tested. 45mgs of percoset for
1.5yrs have done their damage. This may
scare you - a good motivator (you also
need to take meds to repair your liver -
even if you don't quit the drugs do this).
Cyrrosis of the liver is irreversible.
Hela it before it's too late.
During detox:
the most important thing to remember is
that the problems aren't real. Your
brains chemistry is going back to normal.
If there was a situation or an event that
triggered the drug use, be prepared to
face it. Those emotions are buried way
down. And they will come up quick.
Take hot baths or sit in a hottub. Your
body will experience some pan, this helps.
Don't isolate yourself. Go outside as
much as possible and walk around. Try to
read books. All of your thoughts and
energy will be focused inward, which will
intensify the negative feelings.
Document the struggle. Write a journal
about how bad you feel, take pictures of
your self, record your voice talking to
yourself. When you get the urge to do
pers again, refer back to thse materials.
They will bring back the pain of detox
and make doing the drugs seem less
appealing.
Here's some supplements available at any
drugstore that will help:
l-tyrosine - replenishes dopamine.
5-htp - replenishes serotonin
st. Johns wort - increases serotonin
(the drugs have thrown your brain's
production way out of whack).
Melatonin - induces rem sleep (the good
sleep where your body recharges).
Hope this helps. I detoxed off morphine
(active ingredient in heroin). Days 1
thru 3 were the roughes. By day 4 I was
on the other side of it. By day 6 I was
back at work (i works in sales cold
calling all day).
|
cwillix
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 4
...some More Thoughts Posted: 01-23-05 06:46am
You mentioned you were looking for the
specifics on how long it takes. Day 1 is
rough. Sickness, generally uncomfortable,
depression. Days 2 thru 4 to 6 are
pretty much hell. Don't spend too much
energy reading up on the specifics
symptoms, you will only program yourself
to experience these symptoms. After 5/6
days it gets better.
Seek medical help if possible. There are
a lot of things available to make detoxing
much more bearable.
You might need to find new friends.
Mabye move? It sounds harsh, but as long
as the drugs are available, your likely to
do them.
What if you loose your connection? This
is how many heroin addicts get started.
That drug is just as dangerous as the
people you have to deal with to get it.
The risk of overdose is very high because
you never know how much your putting in
your system (unlike prescription drugs)
i wish you the best with your addiction.
Just remember a lot of people have been
addicted to those drugs, and a lot have
succesfully quit. If you want it bad
enough, you can too.
|
eddieeddie
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Massachusetts
Perc Addiction Posted: 02-26-06 12:11pm
Tell the so called freinds if they give
them to you -you will not pay for them
-theyll end up getting burned -take a week
off -go to Dr. On 4th day w/flu like
symptoms and get a note for work -buy
immodiumand benadryl for sleep -lipton cup
of doup or roman noodles -and pray-theres
nobody to blame honey--you can do it-i
promise -but stay away from the suppliers
:o
|
fatfamily02
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Jul 2005 Posts: 3050 Location: Georgia, USA
Re: ...some More Thoughts Posted: 02-26-06 12:35pm
cwillix
wrote:
you mentioned you were
looking for the specifics on how long it
takes. Day 1 is rough. Sickness,
generally uncomfortable, depression.
Days 2 thru 4 to 6 are pretty much hell.
Don't spend too much energy reading up on
the specifics symptoms, you will only
program yourself to experience these
symptoms. After 5/6 days it gets
better.
Seek medical help if possible. There
are a lot of things available to make
detoxing much more bearable.
You might need to find new friends.
Mabye move? It sounds harsh, but as
long as the drugs are available, your
likely to do them.
What if you loose your connection? This
is how many heroin addicts get started.
That drug is just as dangerous as the
people you have to deal with to get it.
The risk of overdose is very high because
you never know how much your putting in
your system (unlike prescription drugs)
i wish you the best with your addiction.
Just remember a lot of people have been
addicted to those drugs, and a lot have
succesfully quit. If you want it bad
enough, you can
too.
thank you for being so helpful. Im glad
you have found recovery.
|
kittycat18
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 32
Posted: 03-15-06 01:52am
Hello, I am glad that you recognize that
you need help. I'm not trying to scare
you at all or be health forum, but maybe
this will help. My father was perscribed
percs while battling cancer. I'm not sure
what the dosage was on them, but I know it
was very high. After living on them for
over a year (and oxycotin as well) he
seriously became like crazy. Obviously,
the cancer had something to do with this,
but those narcotics seriously mess up your
brain if you take too much for too long.
I understand what you are going through,
after my father eventually passed away I
did take some of the percs....They are
awesome haha, but not worth it. I'm sure
you can get over this addiction.
Especially, considering that you quit
smoking, I wish I could. Good luck!!
|
mickey10528
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: connecticut
Perc Addiction Posted: 03-22-06 02:43am
Your addiction isnt bad at all yet why are
you doing percs if you dont get high buy
oxycontin they are cheaper
|
mickey10528
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: connecticut
Re: Perc Addiction - I Am Terrified Posted: 05-06-06 19:43pm
Dear darlene,
I am 22 years old and have had
used percocets for about 4-5 months, I was
also spending about 150-300 a week on
pills and recently went and got back from
a detox program and discovered a miracle
pill. It prob saved my life from
stepping farther into another addiction.
The pilled is called soboxone. The first
day of starting my detox I had to be in
moderate withdrawals because if you use
this pill while you are on percocet or any
other opiate you will get sick. But the
first day I took it every withdrawal went
away except I was a little cold. At the
time I was using about 200-250 mg and I
couldnt believe what it did for me. If
you dont want to go to a detox program you
can do it yourself if you go to a doc and
ask him/her for a referral to a detox
doctor. If your too embarassed and could
get soboxone on the street, this is what
detox programs give to you:
day:
1: 8 mg
2: 16 mg
3: 12 mg
4: 8 mg
5: 4 mg
detox is the first step to recovery. You
must know you are a drug addict and you
are use to having that drug there and when
all opiates are out your system your mind
isnt used to it and you have to retrain
your mind and programs and support groups
about addiction will help
|
mindash
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 9
Posted: 03-04-08 23:42pm
i've cold turkeyed a 30mg a day xanax
addiction that spanned 3 years, and a 4
year 90mg a day morphine habit that i was
also taking vicodin and percaset daily as
well
1.the detox cold turkey for me lasted 2
weeks.
2.drug addicts dont get first in line for
liver transplants
3."But I have to take care of two kids.
"--love is a do word shown through action
and sacrifice
4. dont feel bad that your and addict and
your 2 children will suffer because of
this because if you do your more likely to
use it as an excuse to justify becoming
more depressed and just plain give up.
im sorry for your plight but self
dicipline is something that even an addict
can learn.
i may not abuse xanax or painkillers
anymore but for years now i've taken them
as prescribed with no problems. instead of
30mg of xanax a day i take 1mg or less for
anxiety issuesand instead of waking up and
snorting 30mg of morphine followed by
eating 50mg of viocdin i wake up and eat
10mg of vicodin 4 times a day or less for
various chronic pain problems and anymore
i dont even enjoy the high they give, it's
almost as if i've outgrown it for lack of
a better term and so can you if you want
to and really care for these children.
actions speak louder than words
|
Business man
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 1
Posted: 03-12-08 12:48pm
I have also figured out that I am
dependent on pills. It started just like
the rest I guess, a few here and there.
Now, its as soon as I get up and get the
kids to daycare while on my way to work. I
own a business, yet I am not wealthy and
my habit is costing me around $300.00 to
$400.00 a week. I am afraid that my wife
(who also uses on a limited basis) will
find that my part time habit is no longer
a part time habit. I have used most every
street drug out there, and never have I
had a issue stopping, but these pills have
taken over my life. I have two great kids
and a hard working wife, and the pills are
the only thing I think about from the time
I wake, to the time I go to bed.
Now, my use is effecting my work habits. I
can longer work effectively without them
and I am afraid.