How long lasts Oxycontin withdrawal?

day five i was able to sleep on my own right through the night.
its a process friend. im on day 10 and feel great.
i have even gained weight. stay strong and look up. you will be back to normall soon

ok cool thank you for the support. I wish you the best.

Same to you brother.
Maybe ask your doc for some muscle relaxers that help with sleep. The shitiest part is the muscle aches and lack of sleep. I got some sleep aid and tylonol muscle and body from walmart. It helped but I wish I got somthing from the docs.
But check out the thomas recipe I think it worked well for me.

I'm writing this in the hopes that it helps anyone who is considering a regimen of synthetic opiates in order to alleviate chronic pain.

My story began when I was very young and started to produce kidney stones.  I've had stones ranging in size from a few millimeters to the size of a golf ball.  On average, I pass a stone every two weeks.   The first time I had an extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy performed was several years ago.  The surgery, which was expected to last about 1 hour, ended up lasting 2 and a half.  When I woke from the general anesthesia, I had a catheter inserted in me and was told to drink lots of fluids and go home.   My wife told me that during the ride home, I passed out from the pain twice.  Apart from the pain, I don't remember it much.

By the time I had this surgery, I had already been taking 5mg percocets as needed for kidney stone pain.  Eventually, the 5 mg tablets did nothing and my doctor upped them to 10 mg.  The urologist who performed the surgery also gave me valium and additional oxycodone, stating that these were addictive, but due to the length of the procedure, it'd take some time for my kidneys to heal.  On any given day over the next month, I was taking about 60 - 80 mgs of synthetic opiates to help with the pain.

After the catheter was removed, the pain got progressively worse.  I worked with my doctor and a Nephrologist to come up with a plan to help manage the pain.  I believe that something went wrong during the lithotripsy and nerves were damaged, since the pain is constant and severe (lower back, front & groin).  Currently, under a legally-required pain management specialist, I am now taking 3 X 20mg oxycontin ER tablets per day plus 2 Roxycodone 20mg IP tablets to manage the constant pain in my kidneys.

Herein lies my problem:  I absolutely DETEST these pills.  I feel like my life is dictated by when I take the next dose.  I can't even go to a movie without carrying around three prescription bottles in my jacket (I'm also on Xanax for panic attacks caused by the pain).  I am always in a cloud; it's like I'm here but I'm not here.  I suppose I'm what you could call a functional addict.  This is difficult for me to admit to myself, since I possess a high level of education, I work in a position that requires concentration and involves risk.  I've never had a problem doing my job, but I always feel like it's the pain or it's the pills; CHOOSE. 

Over the past week or so, I've been weaning myself from a 100mg per day opiate regimen to 20 mg per day and I'm approximately 18 hours into my self-imposed cold-turkey (sort of) sobriety.  Last night, I slept for about 3 hours.  I took a double dose of Ambien, a Benedryl and an OTC sleep med, but I've been up since 1:30 AM.  I've been kicking the air, punching the bed, walking around, dribbling pee, vocalizing like I have Tourette Syndrome, sneezing, coughing and spending most of my time on the toilet.  I've been drinking a ton of water, which has popped loose at least one stone, maybe two, but I'm determined not to let that get me back on the pills. 

I've quit before and managed to stay off the drugs for several months.  Being sober seems like a very distant memory; the pain in my side was there, but I felt AWAKE and ALIVE.  Eventually, I went back to the pills because the pain from the conveyor belt of stones got to be too much.  What's different this time?  I don't know.  All I do know is that I don't want to be using these drugs anymore.  The companies that make them and market them are creating a society of addicted zombies.  It's insanity beyond description.  I keep thinking to myself that I only need a week, maybe two, and then I'm out.  Right now my chest is pounding, I'm coughing, I feel like I'm dying, but I'm owning that and I'm going to see where it takes me. 

If you stumbled on this website to see what opiate addiction is all about, there it is.  It's not what you read in Wikipedia, it's not what they tell you on Purdue Pharma's website; it's HERE.  Don't get caught up in it, because it will take you and turn you into a different person.  Getting off of it is like running the gauntlet and you won't finish unscathed.  I wish everyone who's trying to get this monkey off their back the best.  I just want to get back to normal, even if it's painful.  I've lost a lot of years on these drugs and I'd like to get my life back.

Update: Okay, I'm three days in. I've had maybe nine hours of sleep since I stopped taking the pills. I spend as much time on the toilet as in bed, I've taken about 10 baths, and have lost almost 20 pounds in the last week (I simply can't eat anything). There's a terrible plastic taste in my mouth and if I'm not drinking water, I get cotton mouth and cough like crazy. Listerine helps a little, but not enough. Nyquil just makes me jittery. I've had a pounding migraine since I started tapering my dosages. I'm hoping that will subside sometime in the next few days (it's not as bad today as it was last night). I've been sneezing a LOT, which I suppose is to be expected, given that flu-like symptoms have been reported as a result of cessation. My body continues to spasm when I'm laying down, but it's much less prevalent than it was in the first 48 hours. That being said, my mind is feeling tack-sharp. Emotionally, I'm drained, but I truly believe that the benefits of having a clear head far outweigh any of the negatives related to being on opiates all the time. This morning, as I was driving to work, I felt much more aware of everything going on, which forces me to consider that when on opiates, despite being convinced that I was in control of everything, I probably wasn't. That's a VERY sobering thought to me, and provides me with all the more incentive to continue this process. I have plenty of pills available and the temptation is always there, but unless I'm passing a stone, I'm not going to touch that stuff, and then, I'm only going to take as little as is required to receive effective relief. I'm not looking forward to putting another pill in my mouth, but I know that eventually, the pain's just going to make me have to cave. The chronic pain in my kidneys and groin is always there, and lately, I've been grinding my teeth because of it, but I'm just going to try to own that. I don't plan on being on Oxys 24/7 ever again. I thought quitting cigarettes was hard, but that was NOTHING compared to the hell you go through coming off of these Oxy pills. I'm not going down this path again.

the first three days are the worst i imagine your feeling much better now since its been a couple of days. im on day 9 and everything feels back to normal except with some cravings occasionally but its not hard to focus elsewhere. since day 4 or 5 i gained about 10 pounds. iv been eating a lot and also lifting weights. do anything to raise the amount of dopamine in your brain whether it be lifting or masturbating. and once your in the clear take up weight lifting or jogging or something. it will become your new addiction and the best addiction you can have. hope all is well and you didnt relapse in the 2 day gap.

Hello
I can say that I was taking Roxycodine for nearly four years before I stopped. At first it was just 8mg of Hydromorphene the switched over to the above mentioned. I tritated from 30mg once a day to 120 mg a day during that four year period.I live overseas and have to go back to the states for the medicine. As I knew in November of 2012 I would run out in 60 days I got worried. It had happened two before and it was horrible. Thus I looked for a tappering down protocal on the internet. The truth is I wanted to stop before I ran out as a statement of will power to myself. The other reason being was I could not take the chance of the body going into shock and the possibility of having to be in hospital.

I did follow the program I got from the net. During the month of January, when I began the program, i was able to make the first two weeks without any pain pills. Since that time I have taken a total of 30mg per week. Even though I ahd the pills on hand I did not take them-otherswise what was the point. Since then I have decided to take the remaining 30 pills and store them with a friend.

The whole point of this story is you can do-but plan ahead and work your way down. Not easy but it is possible. You have to be ready before you being the process.

Good luck-John Marlon

It's normal to be scared. I went to a pain specialist for suboxone because I was afraid to just go cold turkey off 100gs of oxy's a day. I thought you could die from it too! The doctor reassured me that you can't die from withdrawing from it. I have been on the suboxone from day one of quiting the oxy's and it's almost a week. Wed will be a week and I feel better and the cravings are almost nil to none. It's a miricle drug! I am not sure about being CLEAN thou, because I am thinking about going back to my NA program and they all say, a drug is a drug is a drug....So, I don't know??I just know I'm not a slave to oxy's anymore and I have money!!! :-)!!! Good luck to you, I hope this was helpful?

Ya I hear you.
I did it cold turkey and its been like three weeks and I still feel some paws symptoms. I wish I coould avoid the withdrawls all together that sucked. But I'm back to work and ya I have some money. I don't know how oxycodone differs from our canadian oxycontin but I was doing lethal amounts of up to six 80's a day wich is the highest they make. I was buying them off the streets at sometimes 50-60$ a pill just so I can move and go to work. I'm at day 18 today and I'm soooo f'n happy to say that I put oxy's behind me.
Well done to the rest of you to have been able to do the same.
Good luck to you's who are just starting

Hi and thanks for the email. No I was not scared since I had run out of meds before. The difference this time was that I tapered down, so when the time came that I elected to stop it was not that much of a shock. Still, not fun at all, but not dangerous either. Since then I have been taking about 30mg once a week. I am not going to get my prescription refilled when I head back to the states either. The truth is I can't stand the side effect of sweating. The short tem memory loss bothers me greatly as I am once again a studentt. But the sweating is killer.
I did consider the suboxone but can not get it over here. That leaves me with just somehow learning to live with the pain. I was taking it for nealry four years and I just feel it time to look for a different method of dealing with my problem.

Good luck and thanks again. john marlon

tapering down is the way to go. I have been using for 3 years i quit a couple times early on and started back using. I treid to go cold trukey from doing 7 or 8 roxi 30s a day and let me tell you that was some kind of hell. You have to get down to one a day or less if you want to have a chance of quiting. It is still going to suck for 3 or 4 days. Hot cold flashes, restless legs, no energy, no sleep, and just plain feel like sh*t. I recomend lots of niquil to help sleep.

I hope that you are doing well, and were able to kick the dependency. Your story is incredible and I'm sending you lots of good karma. Just heartbreaking... I turned to this blog because I was searching for answers about Oxy withdrawal. This issue feels like a dirty little secret among the medical community. Most doctors either don't want to talk about, or don't have insight into it because they don't treat the person holistically. My doctor didn't warn me about withdrawal and when I called the office, they said that I came off the meds too early and encouraged me to stay on them for a full six weeks. Really? Then what... go through the c**p I'm going now only worse because my body will be more dependent on this alien substance? I am just 3.5 weeks out from knee replacement surgery at the ripe old age of 46. I decided that after 3.5 weeks, it was time to get my life back. I quit the Oxycontin and Oxycodone, and moved towards Tylenol for pain. I had been an absolute zombie at work (went back at 8 days post-op, big mistake) and for the first time understood what it was like to be a high functioning junkie. Now at 36 hours off the stuff, I've been in a serious state of withdrawal the entire time, with all the symptoms that many of you have described. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for those of you who have been on Oxy for years and at much higher dosages than me. I am personally blown away by how difficult it is for me to get through the withdrawal and I now have clarity around why so many people suffer from pill addiction. I never understood it before, and I feel ignorant that I had no real understanding of painkillers and how easy it is to get hooked to manage pain. I have such respect for everyone who wrote about their relationship with Oxy, and wish everyone on this site all the best. Take it one day at a time.

Robin
Bravo for you. Stopping before running out shows a real desire not to be on them. Honestly, where all is said and done that is what it takes. Mentally you have already won the ballte. If you can not stop in your mind first then how can the body follow.
Best of luck-john marlon

these posts hav helped me so much im on day 2 of detox frm 150 mgs a day for three years been to hell and back but starting to get beter i think this web site should b givin to people by there doctor when thy start detox thank u so so much death to opiates i say

it really bad but its better to do it now im in day 2 i feel like hell like im dieing but i just say to my self all things with god and i get threw it i get sad mad upset and dont no whY cry u will feel hopeless and weak and very sick but u can do it i no how u feel i got cut open 13 times and i will have pain for the rest of my life pain killers are real bad it help at 1st then it push it out ur boby and ur boby need more or worst other drugs u start to look for it when ur gone threw withdraw do it its better not to be on that sh*t