Hydrocodone Addiction - Need help

I was addicted (and still an addict) to oxycodone for 6 years and oxycontin for the last 2. When I finally got help I was up to 160mg. of oxys a day just to maintain. I'm a 32yr old mother of 3 kids. the last one was carried through my addiction. Its an all consumming thing. It makes everyday all about one thing "scoring your fix". I almost lost everything I really don't know how i didn't. But anyway I too live in a small town far away from anything. There's no groups no anything just like you. You have the best tool the internet and if you also have the determination I'm sure you can get off those life sucking thing before you get any worse and it always gets worse. I finally found a suboxone dr. about an hour away and that is how doing it that and staying away from everybody i used to know. Good luck!

I found out today my wife takes a 10mg Hydrocodone a couple times a day. She started with 5mg tabs but that stopped working so she upped it to a 10mg. Its been like this for about a year, maybe a little less. She does it to help numb some depression from an event that happened in her life about a year ago. She can go a few days without them but as soon as they are available to her she takes them again.

Does this sound like an addiction? If so and the amount she is taking is accurate, should the withdrawel symptoms be less severe?

The only danger is that she will abuse them further. The withdrawal from this sort of minor addiction is pretty much a weak 3 day flu. However, if used on a regular basis for over a year (even only 10mg of hydrocodone 3 times a day) the initial 7 day withdrawal (about 3 days of which are the hardest and then the other 4 are gradually getting better) is not the biggest concern. Repair of opiate receptors takes time. Even after the initial withdrawal, blood pressure, pupil dilation and neuronal activity will not return to normal for up to 8 months. The only way she will quit is if she decides to herself though. The best you can do is educate her. A hydrocodone addiction is not much different than a heroin addiction if you ignore the dangers of administering the drug via injection. At least heroin doesn't have acetaminophen in it :-P

PS: If you are going through a tough withdrawal, you can temporarily ease the pain with imodium. The active ingredient is loperamide HCL which is an opiate (the same class of drug) but it doesn't pass the blood brain barrier so causes no high. It is over-the-counter and satisfies your body's cravings for opiates somewhat. However, it will make the withdrawal last a bit longer so try not to. I do not recommend taking any benzos like xanax, klonipin, valium to help because these are even worse addictions to have as the withdrawal can be fatal if you get in too deep. The other thing you can do is to take diphenhydramine (benadryl) to help with the sneezing and runny nose/eyes as well as to help you sleep at night. Also, remember that if you have a hydrocodone addiction you are likely also addicted to tylenol slightly so take tylenol while going through withdrawal to nullify this as well as to prevent fevers. The only other suggestion I have is to not return to drug use for many months (because it takes that long for your body to reset) and there is potential for a withdrawal syndrome to develop easier the more you've used them in the past without taking many months off.

After a surgery a few years ago I have struggled off and on with hydrocodone use. Initially I only took what was prescribed, but later I started getting them from my mom (who is terminally ill) because I remembered the feeling they once gave me. Now I feel as if I can't quit taking them; I feel like I need them just to get out of bed. I have went as long as four days without them, which was pure hell, but I always start again because the craving is so strong. After a couple of days without them I become a very mean person to the ones I love. I don't want my husband or kids to know about my problem; I just want to quit. When I'm taking the hydrocodone I feel in a better mood and am able to get more done. Is there something to help with the cravings? I have a very demanding job and can't afford to miss more than a day or two of work. I also have three kids to take care of. In the past after surgeries I was always able to quit without a problem and consider myself a very strong willed person. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Just tough it out until it gets better and internalize that hydros aren't that fun anyway when you need them just to feel normal. You have to just be sick without them and goto work that way and maybe on day 2 or 3 take a day off work because that's usually the worst. There is a stage where you still feel sick but everything seems funny. Once this happens, you know that within 24 hours you will be getting better and from there on out it's recovery rather than withdrawal. 1 bad week is worth not needing them to function. Just make sure that even after a few weeks if you still don't feel totally okay (maybe slight fatigue) it will get better but it takes time to completely recover. Eventually you won't even think about taking pills as a solution. Good luck; remember if a man can summit everest without legs, you can quit pills (there are a lot more extraordinary things that humans are capable of).

I am tired of these pills i need them to get up,work,be happy i can't function without them i want my life back i am going to start tomorrow first day without i know its going to be hard i have done before only because i did'nt have any this time i have about 20 but want to quit. I need to feel alive agin i want to be able to smile without having to be high. :'(

Hi,I have had female problems and surgeries for them since I was 14 and am now 39. They gave me lots of narc. pain pills and I NEVER thought that I would become addicted to them.
Well I did and it got so bad that I was taking them every three hours and could not last much longer than that befor going into withdrawl.
Everyone said that withdrawl starts 24-48 hours after stopping them,but with me it was within 5-6 hours and I was withdrawing. So bad that I couldnt barely think or put my head up.
I HAD TO HAVE MY PILLS and I COULDNT let myself run out!!!!
That meant VERY LONG hours and miles on the road and that is all I will say. I even dragged my husband into it and had him getting them for me!
He had a security clearance and worked with military intellingence and I was so worried that I would be found out and that he would be in trouble,so I never got help and this continued for years.
Well I went into the base hospital to actually quit smoking and they have a addiction councelor that talks to you. He took one look at me and he knew something was wrong. I was 95 pounds and I actually had someone think that I was smacked in the eyes because of the dark circles.
Well he asked me if anything was happening and I broke down and told him. I was taken to the er and then my husband was given direct orders to take me to an in -patient treatment center,which I agreed to.
I was clean for a week or two and thought that I was fine and no longer needed help. I WAS VERY WRONG! I walked away from that treatment center because I wanted to go home,against there advice and plees with me to stay.
I was using again in no time!
I went into anouther treatment center and that didnt work for me eather because my withdrawl just NEVER seemed like they would go away.
I was having VERY BAD headaches and they NEVER stopped. Everyone in na and everywhere would just tell me to hold on and to deal with them,but that is always easier said than done! Plus I was never sleeping.When you get clean your body has to learn how to go to sleep on its own again. My pain issues that I had befor the addiction were also there still too.
I really felt lost. I wanted to be clean but not in pain all of the time. And the withdrawls just wouldn't stop! Or I would get too sick of them and use befor they could stop?
Anyways my doctor suggested methadone. He felt that in my situation and with the pain iss. that that would be the best way.
Well now I have been on Methadone for 8 years now and I will say that ALL of them have been opiate free! But now I feel stuck on Methadone!
It has been nice though not chasing the pills for hundreds of miles all the time and all over the place though! I have had a nice rest.
But I am ready for change.
I have not been idle like alot of methadone patients are. What I meen is that I have gone to NA and I have done the steps and I do something towards being clean EVERYDAY! The thing that bothers me with methadone is that they get on it and do nothing else! If you want to be clean and to stay clean you need to work on the issues that got you there.
For those that are newly clean,it is hard,very hard but try to stick with it and get a support net work,go to na! And if you feel that you just cant make it then try and seek treatment. They have in- patient and out- patient.
The doctor and the treatment centers gave me clonadine. I think I spelled that right? It is a patch or pills but the patch works better for withdrawl.
It helps block a lot of the withdrawl symptoms and helps a ton!!!!
If you go inpatient they help your withdrawls with valium and clonadine.Some doctors will give you that for at home withdrawl too.
So dont just suffer if the withdrawls are bad,see the doctor and tell them!
They can be very helpful. And stay the course!!!! Change does happen,even if it seems slow comming sometimes! Just keep working at it.
Sometimes we fail ,but if you do don't let that stop you! Just try again and right away! Failures can be lessons and stepping stones!

I've been on 60mg-240mg of hydrocodone for over a year now.

I want to at least reduce my dosage to 60mg per day because I do have pain but every time I reduce I get horrible withdrawls.

Doctor prescribed:

Klonopin 1mg x 3

Soma 250mg x3-4

tramadol 50mg x6

any help?

I had a bad cough so I went to a clinic in my city and was given Hydrocodone Bitar. I didn't know anything about the medication but I did wonder if it was like Oxycodone which I had been on 2 years ago for severe pain with 3 abscesses but never got addicted to that. But since this was in liquid form (the Hydrocodone) and given to me by a doctor for a cough, I thought nothing of it and took it til the bottle was done. I noticed near the end I forgot a spoon so I just took the dose right from the bottle (I have done that with cough suppressants before) but I must have taken too much because I was very tired while out at a job coach session and had to drive home and I knew I didn't feel safe doing so but got home okay. After that I have not been able to sleep normally anymore.

After 3 days of trying to sleep like a normal problem I figured out the connection and dug out the empty bottle from the trash to take with me to show a doctor to try to get help (a different one as I have lost confidence in the doc I went to last time who gave me this). I am furious as I have never been addicted to anything ever in my life (except smoking which I was able to quit after 10 years without any aids). It is not like I have never been on pain killers before. I have taken T3 and T4, morphine and oxycodone but never had an issue. I think it was because they were in pill form but this Hydrocodone was in liquid form and I over dosed. (Actually I once took a 2nd dose of Morphine too soon because I was in so much pain but I just got sick and vomited it up .. never got addicted).

Why is Hydrocodone Bitar so much different? Why am I going through this? Why didn't the doctor (this is in Canada) warn me? >;)

I had a bad cough so I went to a clinic in my city and was given Hydrocodone Bitar. I didn't know anything about the medication but I did wonder if it was like Oxycodone which I had been on 2 years ago for severe pain with 3 abscesses but never got addicted to that. But since this was in liquid form (the Hydrocodone) and given to me by a doctor for a cough, I thought nothing of it and took it til the bottle was done. I noticed near the end I forgot a spoon so I just took the dose right from the bottle (I have done that with cough suppressants before) but I must have taken too much because I was very tired while out at a job coach session and had to drive home and I knew I didn't feel safe doing so but got home okay. After that I have not been able to sleep normally anymore.

After 3 days of trying to sleep like a normal problem I figured out the connection and dug out the empty bottle from the trash to take with me to show a doctor to try to get help (a different one as I have lost confidence in the doc I went to last time who gave me this). I am furious as I have never been addicted to anything ever in my life (except smoking which I was able to quit after 10 years without any aids). It is not like I have never been on pain killers before. I have taken T3 and T4, morphine and oxycodone but never had an issue. I think it was because they were in pill form but this Hydrocodone was in liquid form and I over dosed. (Actually I once took a 2nd dose of Morphine too soon because I was in so much pain but I just got sick and vomited it up .. never got addicted).

Why is Hydrocodone Bitar so much different? Why am I going through this? Why didn't the doctor (this is in Canada) warn me?

(By the way how can I get ahold of an admin here? I signed up under a name where no one will know me but I screwed up my email address because I am dyslexic and I can't activate it so I had to reregister under this name which I don't want to use)

o.O this is a very bad drug to get addictit too. i swear iwish people never would have tried that drug. included my self i have to get help it only gets worst the symptoms are terrible the feeling makes you feel like your going to die.!!!!!!!! it scarry im still trying to figure out how to get off them without getting addicit to another drug? can someone answere that question for me?

There is no magic potion for quitting Hydrocodone. I have been using Lortabs illegally (without prescription) for over 4 years. I take 4-6 Lortab 10/500 a day. It started out as a way to party, a recreational type thing. After a few months I began taking them at work because I thought it helped my concentration and they seemed to make me more interested in what I was doing. After six months I was using from first thing in the morning till last thing at night. At this time I still thought it was recreational, boy was I wrong.

At the end of year 1 I decided not to spend the $300.00 - $400.00 it cost me to buy them from my guy. I was broke and needed the money for other things, I didn't think it would matter if I missed a month. OOPS! Day one wasn't bad, day two I thought I had the flu, day three I was curled up in a ball. I didn't realize what my problem was until I took a Lortab my girlfriend gave me to help with my "flu". Instantly better. Instantly!

I immediately ran to my guy and spent the money. The problem I had now was that I new I was addicted, I also new what withdrawal felt like. From that day forward I refused to run out. It completely controlled my life. I began monitoring my use so that I new exactly how many I had and when I would run out. I called my guy early every month to make sure we met in time to avoid the problem. I began hiding them so that nobody else would take any. I was an addict, I am an addict.

On January 1st 2010 I decided to quit for good. I made it 14 days and then relapsed, I am currently 10 days clean. As an addict this could be a problem the rest of my life but withdrawal is so bad that it is becoming easier to not want the drugs anymore. For those of you thinking about quitting, this is what to expect.

Day 1 - You will feel a little tired, Lethargic, apathetic and achy. You may get an itchy nose and begin sneezing. You may notice some chills but for the most part you'll just want to lay in bed all day. You'll begin getting hot and cold flashes at night. I mean severe sweating and extreme cold.

Day 2 - (The worst for me). Sleep will not come easy and chances are you didn't sleep well last night. The hot and cold flashes will pretty much turn into extreme chills throughout the day. Itchy nose, throat and eyes will be common as well as sneezing. Diarrhea is almost guaranteed, bad diarrhea, drink lots of fluids. Total and complete lack of energy will keep you in bed or on the couch all day. It will feel like a really bad flu.

Day 3 - Is pretty much the same as day 2 but not as bad. You'll have little more energy and the diarrhea pretty much stops. The rest of the symptoms remain but they are not as overpowering.

Day 4 - For me this is the beginning of recovery. This is the first day that I eat somewhat normally. My chills pretty much subside and the head cold symptoms can be treated with over the counter meds. Even though I am still Lethargic I have enough energy to go outside and do something. I can finally hold a conversation again. My head begins to clear.

Day 5 and on - For me the 5th day pretty much wraps up my physical withdrawal symptoms. Even though they tend to pop up again unexpectedly the worst is by far over with. Now it's just fighting the mental addiction.

Everyones experiences will vary but I have noticed that the symptoms are pretty much identical. Don't be afraid of the withdrawal, it WILL end. It does not last for ever. Don't be fooled, there is no magic wand, you will fight withdrawal in some form. The best advice I can give you is ween yourself off over the course of a week. Try to plan your first day completely clean on a Friday so that you have Saturday and Sunday to fight the worst of it. (or whatever your weekend is). Drink lots of fluids and try to avoid any social activities. It's not easy but it can be done. Don't let the pills control your life. I know how it feels and i know you can do it. Keep your head up!

I had an addiction to hydro for a year, only 40 mg a day with the occational 30 mg oxycodone up my nose. i began to crave it and felt strong withdraws. I stopped the pills and felt the need to smoke weed for relief and escape the shitty feeling. I smoked all day until slowing down to no weed. I went into a servere depression after a couple days of being sober.. i felt so down i didn't leave my room for weeks and stopped hanging out with my friends. now im taking anti depressants (Lexapro). its been more than thirty days and I'm feeling a lot better! it took the lexapro only two days to make me feel a relief. now i can finally concintrate on my school work. i still feel like pills has taken my personality.. i find it difficult to comunicate on a personal level and fear social situations. but i also tried: LSD, and mushrooms. does any one feel like social sitiuations are difficult like i do?

I have been taking Loreset 10s now for 10 years. I don't know how too come off.  I hate the withdrawals so I just take more.  I know I need help.  But I'm a single mom and have to work so I can't go into treatment programs.  Does anyone have any advise.  Help.

MY STORY IS IM 24 YEARS OF AGE AGIRL WHOS HAS BEEN A OPIATE ADDICT SINCE I WAS 18, YOU WOULDNT BE ABLE TO TELL I HOLD AMAZING JOB HAV E LOBELY AMAZING FRINDS AND FAMILY COME FROM AMAZING BACKGROUND LITERALLY. BUT INSIDE THIS GIRL IS AN ADDICT IWAS SENT TO AREHAB IN 2010 STAYED CLEAN UP UNTIL WHAT 2 WEAKS AGO I WENT TOATIM MCGRAW CONCERT AND DECIDED  LETS DO SOME NORCOS   LETS HAVE SOME FUN!  WELL I TOOK 8 THAT NIGHT, DANCED MY ASS OFF HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE. NORCOS HAVE THE EFFECT THAT I HAVE ENERGY THE TOTAL OPPOSITE FROM SOME POEPLE WHO  DONT EVEN WANNA LEAVE THE HOUSE, IT GIVES ME SECURITY , CONFIDENCE,SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY IM LACKING. WELL ITS BEEN  2 WEAKS NOW I TAPPERED DOWN TO   6 THEN GONNA DO 5THEN    4  THEN   3      THEN GONE....... WELL WTF IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD I KEEP GETTING WEAKER THINKING IM GONNA GO THROUGH WITHDRAWLS LIKE NO OTHER THIS IS WHATS MAKING MENOT WANNA STOP. SOMEONE HELP ME,  TELL ME ITS NOT GONNA BE SO BAD, BY ME DOING THIS FOR FUN I FEEL LIKE I DIVED RIGHT BACK IN THE DEEP END ........  I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO        I REALLY DONT       HELP