lortab cold turkey withdrawals

At midnight I go into Day 10 CT.  Well, maybe that's not technically true as I had one tablet 3 days ago but it didn't reinitiate withdrawal symptoms, just continued exhaustion and woohoo a new symptom in this adventure, crazy paranoia.  Am once again blown away by how destructive hydrocodone is to the psyche. Anyway, today is the first day I've been able to really see the sunshine and hold an intelligent conversation.  My guts are a disaster, am still weak, still trembly and very very tired - cycling between feeling clear & optimistic to foggy, grey and as if my body is covered in sandbags.  Have a lot of dizzy spells especially lying down when I also feel like I'm rocking with my pulse - actually called my brother to see there was an earthquake going on.  He laughed, 'Naw, it's just you.'  

In case anyone's interesting in life after the craziness of initial detox, here goes. 

Hi, these are the things that I did and used during my narcotics withdrawals.  I just thought I would post this to help others.  I remember that I had so many questions and concerns.  I hope this helps.  PLEASE REMEMBER THAT I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL AND I DO RECOMMEND ANYONE GO TO DETOX, REHAB OR A DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING TO DO THIS ALONE!  

-        - Immodium AD Liquid (liquid works better and double the dose for the 1st 6 days)- Diahhrea and jitters

-        -  Robotussin DM (or anything with “Dextromethorphan” in it) – help to sleep and calm you

-        -  Benadryl or similar – help to sleep

-        -  Aleve or similar (Ibuprofen did NOT work or Tylenol) - pain

-        -  Aveeno Bath Oats for Hot tub - pain

-        -  Icy Hot or similar for Calf aches and femur pain

-        -  Sleeping pills (if you can’t get a prescription then get something over the counter) – restless legs and arms, pain and JUST sleep

-        -  Xanax or Tramadol, or/and Valuim (if you have a Dr) – jitters and that wiggen out feeling

-        -  Vitamins: Niacin flush free-1000mg day, Ester C-double dose, B Complex-recommended dose, Alpha Lipoic Acid-recommended dose

-        -  Lots of soup, fruit and POPSICLES (popsicles are good because they are easy to get, eat and good for you)

-        -  Exercise, any moving around and getting up is exercise (although it is difficult to get up and move, it really does help to do so)

-        -  Rent  upbeat movies, watch Addiction shows (it helped me to stay focused)

-        -  Have someone available for you if possible.  I really think if I had had someone with me all the time for at least the first 6 days, I would have done even better.

            GOOD LUCK to you and remember this is only what worked for me.  I did many many months of research on the internet to come up with this and made adjustments to what worked for me.

         I feel so much better now and I know you will too!

On day 2 of cold turkey withdraws and feel like total c**p. No energy, massive headache, massive body aches, restless legs, irritability, hard time focusing, even my teeth hurt. I went through cocaine withdraws many years ago and it wasn't this bad. Certainly hope it ends soon, I don't think I can take this for very long.

Im going through withdrawls and ITS WORSE THAN CONTRACTIONS!!!  I didnt mean to get addicted :( Im sure no one does ): Its like it happened OUT OF KNOW WHERE!! Iv Called out to GOD! Iv cryed out to my mom 2 states away , and mary and jesus, Ect.. Iv never had an addictive personality , I am 25 and dont drink. I hide this from my husband and all my family . I broke my husbands trust and hurt my family :( I call the out patient doctor 2moro, WISH ME LUCK!! I need him to see me soon :( Its causeing so0o0 many problems. The Withdraws are so bad, I felt like people were stabbing me with knife's * PLease PLease , If anyone is taking them Please seek help and STOP taking them or wing yourself off * Witch was 2 hard for me** Good luck to everyone who is having the same problems and I am. Atleast I can acually tell people whats going on ~~ Thanks everyone. Your posts helped me alot. I am not alone, and neither are you*

I hope everything goes well for you. It can destroy the most important things in your life one way or another. I luckily stopped cold turkey and am at day 3 with the w/d symptoms sunsiding. I did as much research as possible (with most credit going to the 'Thomas Recipie") It was a rough couple of days after i quit but here is how I went about it.

-In the morning Take 1000 mg of L-Tyrosine and a Zinc/Magnesium suppliment (from health food shop) and 200mg of B6 vitamin (grocery store or pharmacy) but do not eat anything for atleast an hour after taking them. These are the raw materials that the w/d has taken away and that your body needs to be able to function.

-Hot showers as much as possible

-Icy-Hot for your legs and arms to keep cramping to a minimum

-Running or walking on the treadmill if possible

-Lots of water or as much as you can stand

-Nyquil at night to help you sleep as much as possible

The worst pain for me was the stomach pains. This hurt worse than anything. The only thing i found to make it stop is a non-narcotic pain reliever called Ultram. I had an old script for it and it worked wonders. Like i said this is day 3 of quiting cold turkey and i feel a million times better. Once you get to that point it is such a rewarding feeling. Stay strong guys, it wont last long.

I am 32 yrs of age, and been addicted to Lortab now for about 9 years. Earlier in life I had to deal with an uncle who was addicted to Oxycotine and a aunt who was a drunk. I would always preach to them and tell them that guys its a liquid and a pill. If y ou dont want to take it then DO NOT. Shortly after I developed a huge kidney stone and my doctor gave me Percocet 10 mg. Qty 90. Well you can imagine what happened next. I had a friend that actually snorted pills and I to started doing this. after about 3 years of orally taking as well as snorting I develpoed a severe pain in my nose and face. Basically my septum had started to rot away. For 4 years str8 I thought I was dying. To stop the pain my my noseI would have to snort another pill. When I ran out of medications and my nose started burning again, I would go INTO SEVER FITs with the pain. It felt as if someone was sticking a hot red pole in my nose. My eye would swell, I would go crazy. I could not sleep in a bed for 4 years because of t he pain. I had done so many pills that 120 tablets would only last me 3 days. Being in Houston there aer no DR shoppers laws and Wellness Pain clinics everywhere. I could walk in pay75 dollars walk out get my meds and walk 2 doors down to another clinic.  In June 2011 I was arrested after going to a pharmacy. I had 120 lortab and 120 Soma. I was arrested on a warrant for not paying a cab driver that I had fought with. They took me to jail and took my medication and checked it into my property. Prior to be arrested I had taken like 8 tabs and 3 soma. At the Houston Jail it was like hell. I got there at 1030 in the morning and did not get to medical until 330 am the next morning. I went from tank to tank with other imates. I was withdrawling severely. Finally I spoke to the Doctor told them that I was taking lortab for past severeal years for pain. They gave me a taper dose of Tylenol 3 2 x's day. I was only in jail for 3 days, but what was odd was I actually prayed to GOD that I would not hurt with my head and nose. I DIDNT. After g etting out I never snorted another pill. I WAS TAKING 40-45 tabs a day. CALL ME A LIAR but it is TRUE. Now I am clean. It was not easy. I vomited, sh*t myself, cried, the pain was severe in my legs, as well as restless. A doctor friend of mine said that is what they reffered to as KICKING THE HABIT back in the day. The worse for me was the restless legs. I could not sleep at all. It was not easy, but I never want to look at another pill in my life. I hope each and everyone of you with an addiction seeking help, puts your life in the hands of GOD and understands your family loves and needs you. I wish you well.

This is my 3rd update.  Been keeping up with this thread for almost a year now. First posted back in May 2011 I think.  I have Ulcerative Colitis, and had used lortab to keep pain and symptoms in check since I was diagnosed in 2008. I'm happy to say I have still been off lortab, it's been 9 months?  Yeah.  From the last post I will tell you, first 2 weeks are the hardest.  There really is no magic bullet for dealing with the withdrawals.  Sorry but it's true.    Best thing to do, eat breakfast, take a good quality multi-vitamin, lots of fluids, PLENTY of sunlight and vitamin D, EXERCISE (the more vigorous the better) this releases natural endorphins that will almost instantly alleviate the worst withdrawals symptoms.  If you live or work with people, you WILL have emotional issues, you will be cranky or angry, sad and depressed.  Have the strength to tell the people around you that you are tapering off a medication and you may not seem right for a few weeks.  They will support you, I promise.   If you have the option, try to taper off the drug, little at a time till you're down to half a pill, take a half one day, then non the next, half the next day, then non the next, do this a few times, it will help.

 I don't know when any storeys I read were written or how anyone is doing but thereis a way SUBOXONE It takes the withdrawls away.They aren't cheep but neither is loatab. Find a doctor and tell him you take more than you do because they are making more money off the visit than the drug.

Sorry to say the drug is about 400.00 also. Great country we live in.I took about 6 to 8 10s a day. They are sublingual so they work fast. don't over take mainly because of the expense. Wish I knew all this. Took me twice to be serious.  God Help and Bless You all. Jesus forgives and doesn't judge romans 10;8

Wow... I am taking eight to ten a day and i have tried.cold turkey and cant do it.... I am goin to try cutting back uintil i.am free of them. I find myself taking them out of boredoim and that sucks.

I just said a prayer and i feel your pain lots of us do

I am 41 and give anesthesia for a living. About a month ago I started to have terrible neck pain, left shoulder pain, left elbow pain and problems in my left hand. I had an MRI done and I was found to have a herniated disc at C6-C7 and surgery was indicated. 2 weeks prior to surgery I just could not take the pain anymore and Advil and Tylenol were not helping so I started taking Lortab. I had the 10's and I would split one in 1/2, take one every 3-4 hours when the pain would come on strong again. I was using the med as indicated and the thought of addiction or withdrawals from Lortab after the surgery NEVER entered my mind. I had an ACDF of C6-C7 and left the surgery center totally pain free! I just couldnt believe how good I felt and the surgery was a HUGE success imo. The day after surgery, my brother and I went to eat lunch and I started to feel terrible. The best way I could describe it is I felt like I had the flu. It came on quickly and strong and I just couldnt understand it. My brother had had many operations in the past and suggested in may be due to not taking the Lortab anymore. I thought there was no way it could be that but because I felt so bad I decided to take a 1/2 Lortab and see. Within 30 minutes of taking the Lortab I felt 100% better. I just couldnt believe it. Recognizing I was experiencing withdrawals I decided to stop taking the Lortabs 100%. Thats just how I do things. Its been 8 days since my surgery, 7 since I took the 1/2 Lortab, and I am still having some withdrawals symptoms. Initially my symptoms were...runny nose, severe depression, lack of appetite, insomnia, feeling hot one second then cold another and never being able to get comfortable temperature wise, and I had this smell and taste where everything I ate tasted the same and everything I smelled tasted the same. It was like a metal taste and smell. The smell was horridly pungunt when I urinated. As of right now, the symptoms I still have are a runny nose and still having that taste and smell. The first 2-3 days of not taking any Lortab were pure hell. But I am 100% back to my normal self and feel great. This experience caused me to have a totally new perspective on pain medication. To think I had this horrible experience with just taking Lortab for 2 weeks and using it as indicated actually is very scary to me because I was very lucky to get in and have my surgery when I did. To think I could have been on this stuff for months...omg. Thank God I wasnt. I want to make 2 points as I finish up. One, even if you take this medication as directed, your body can become quickly addicted. It happened to me in 2 weeks. Two, if you are taking Lortab, get off it. Yes, it will be extremely hard but Im here to tell you, you can do it. Confide with trusted family and friends, let them know the situation, ask for their help and encouragement and just do it. Im back to my happy, loving life self. Make the decision to get this horrible drug out of your life and free yourself of it. In the end you will be so thankful you did.

I am a 32 year old female and have been taking Lortab for 4 years. I am a PhD student and work full-time and have been using Lortab as a crutch to get through my busy days. I have been taking 30-60mg per day. My doctor prescribes me 180 (10mg) per month and I don't have a reason to be taking them. I give my husband about half of my script and my husband is also prescribed 60 (7.5) per month. We go through 240 Lortab in 24 days. I have tried stopping a few times over the coarse of the past 4 years, but never truly felt ready until now. Lortab used to be my best friend and eventually it became my enemy and I didn't enjoy opening the bottle anymore. I have been trapped in the cycle of "I deserve it, I work hard" to "I feel guilty". Both my husband and I decided to go cold turkey and I am on Day 6 and he is on Day 5. Instead of living in misery together (i.e. withdrawals), I have been staying at my family's house(s). It's really hard for me to see my spouse not feel well (and vice versa) so we believe being separated for the worst of it is for the best. My family and friends have been so supportive and my saving grace. I've received a steady flow of texts, phone calls, and back rubs, and I don't think I would be able to do this without the love. Anyway, the following is what I have been going through and what I have done to get through it:

Day 1: Chills, nausea, achiness (joints and muscles), and no energy. I bundled up, cranked the heat, took hot showers, and laid on the couch as much as possible. I went for a hike in the late afternoon when I started to feel really crappy (around hour 20 since my last Lortab), and that ameliorated some of my symptoms. I alternated Advil and Tylenol every 4-6 hours to ease the body aches. In part, I believe that simply taking a pill assists with the emotional attachment to being a pill head. I ate very little because physiologically I knew that my digestive system would be upset from the lack of an opiate. I would highly recommend not eating much on Day 1. I took Xanax to help me sleep.

Day 2: In summary, pretty awful. Chills continued, no energy, tearful, achey (joints and muscles), slight diarrhea despite not eating much, nausea. Again, I bundled up in my warmest clothes and laid under 3-4 blankets. I drank hot tea. I took hot showers. Because my energy was so low, I was only able to take short walks. I felt dizzy and had orthostatic hypotension. I drank as much powerade as I could. I cried when I felt like I needed to. I relied on my family and friend's strength and belief in me to get through the day. I repeated the mantra "die, Lortab, die" over and over. I watched a lot of movies and read a book. Again, I took Xanax to sleep. Food was not really an option on Day 2. I continued with Advil and Tylenol every 4-6 hours. I had a killer headache in the evening - nothing made that better.

Day 3: More of the same but my energy level increased since Day 2. My ability to concentrate was quite diminished, so I continued to watch movies and read. I was able to go for a short hike and do a few simple Yoga poses. I still did not have an appetite but tried eating very light foods. Unfortunately, eating resulted in diarrhea, so I continued drinking powerade. The achiness had ceased by Day 3. I was taking less Advil and Tylenol. The chills continued but not as frequent as Day 2. I was emotional throughout the day but not as labile as Day 2. I really started to notice how clear my head was.

Day 4: I felt back to my usual self in the morning. As the day carried on, I noticed chills. Eating was still a challenge. Anytime I ate, I had diarrhea. My energy level was markedly better. I was slightly emotional but again, asked for hugs and high fives as needed.

Day 5: the best I felt in a year! The chills visited a few times an hour and I felt hungry. Unfortunately, I still had diarrhea after eating. I started to feel pretty crappy around 5 - kind of overwhelmed. The chills were really intense in the late evening, so I went back to bundling up.

Day 6: just started and I feel good except for the chills. I hope they go away soon...

Hang in there, friends. If I can do this, anyone can. I have not had any cravings, but again, I think it's because I was really ready to be done with Lortab. Good luck and be well.

Well.. I didnt mean for this to be a reply, but I am new to this site and cant not figure out how to get my own post.. But I am hoping and praying this sight helps me some..

This will be sort of long since I'm going to tell you all about myself. I am a 25 yr old mother of 2. I'm a college student and stay at home mother. One of my children is a special needs child, she is 4yrs old.. so there's a lot of stress involved with her care at times, my other child is a typical 3 yr old lil boy full of energy. I am very kind hearted, honest person.. But over the past 2 years I have become addicted to lortabs.. I am ashamed and humiliated even to admit that.. but its time for me to face it and its true. My addiction began 2 yrs ago when I breast augmentation surgery and got prescribed 100, 10mg lortabs.. I went and had my script filled 3 days prior to surgery so after surgery I could come straight home to rest since the pain of after the surgery was unbearable. Well I had never been a drug abuser of any sort or had even taken lortabs aside from basic things like dental work, strep throat, etc.. Well for whatever reason I decided I would take one pill every night until my surgery to start buliding it up in my system so maybe after surgery was done I wouldnt be in so much pain & I wouldnt be nauseated if I gained a little tolerance to them.. cause any time in the past I had to take pain meds they made me so sick at my stomach I would throw up.. I didnt want to be pucking and in pain.. Its a dumb idea I had but its what I did. After itching to death and feeling sick to my stomach so bad, I called my drs office and told them I couldnt take the lortabs and needed something different.... So then they gave me a script for another 100 percocet... 200 pain pills... Ugg.. well... 2 nights prior to surgery my boyfriend and I had decided we would both take one.. Because of how chattery and "good feeling" that had made me feel the night before. Even though it caused me to be sick at my stomach the "high" was well.. worth it. After taking lortabs/percocets for about a week the sick stomach feeling went away anyway. Anyhow.. the reason my boyfriend and I had started taking them those first couple nights is because it made us open up to each other and talk a lot, stay up late, gave us energy, it was just fun..unfortunately. A few days later when surgery had came, I was in tons of pain so obviously took my pain meds as needed for about a week, but slowly began feeling better.. Still having a lot of pains meds left.. I continued taking them even though I didnt really need them anymore.. I just like the "energy" they gave me. I started out just taking one a day.. So it was no big deal to me. . In my head I was just taking them because I had them.. so might as well. Little did I know I was at that point causing myself to be where I am at now 2 years later. After a month or so I got to where I was taking 2 a day.. Now I am at a point where I take 2-5 a day. Which isnt an extreme amount.. but its the fact that I am taking them even though I dont need them.. Im still taking pain pills everyday.. I am buying them off the street.. And if theres a day I dont have them, I feel awful. Like I dont even wanna move. Having all the resposibilities I have in my life is what has made taking lortabs so easy for me.. cause they give me so much energy and help to reduce my stress.. Its a bad good for me. Its awful. Today is the first day I havent taken any.. I want to quit before it gets even worse. I feel like s**m today.. and I want to take another one so bad just to feel that energy.. but I am trying my damndest not to! This habbit of mine is a secret too which makes it hard to have no one to confide in.. my boyfriend got slightly addticted to them for awhile to but eventually realized it was dumb and he stopped but I have been continuing to take them everyday. I want to stop taking them soo bad. Another problem I run into is because my 85 year old grandma moved in with me recently because I am the one who takes care of her and all her medical and daily care. Well she gets prescribed 120 10mg lortabs every month. Now I would never take away something from my grandmother that she needs however she doesnt take all of them every month there are extra so they are "in my hands" way to easily. Like I said no one knows about my problem.. so I cant just have someone else take control of her meds.. needless to say there is no one else that can take her of care anyway... I know I can stop Ive just got to try and learn how to cope. My big problem is like I said... I have such a busy life and so much to maintain and that energy they give me is what I seek. Ive never found anything that helps me through my day like they do. . Like I said today is the first day I havent taken any.. and Ive had really low energy. I read on here that sometimes tremadol helps with the withdraw symptoms.. I luckily had some from a recent shoulder injury. . I can honestly say I think it did help some. So that was a little relief. Im concerned about the hole process.. If im going to be able to stop.. if im ever going to feel ok again.. how im going to get energy giving up this habit... so many questions and fears i have that I dont know what to do with. If any of you personally knew me.. you would be shocked that I am someone going through this. Im such a sweet "innocent" person. Im everyone in my familes glue. What am i going to do with myself? I have this dumb thought that my heart wants me to quit this habit but then this demon in my head saying.. why quit, they help you feel better, they arent causing me any physical health issuses.. yet, my gma has been taking them for 40 years and her livers still ok. Thats dumb but thats how my demon try to make this logical for me.. Well... theres my story. Im not happy about it and Im really ashamed but Its time for me to turn to someone for help..

I've been taking them for over about a year and a half.  I have been wanting to quit too,  but scared of going through the withdrawals again.  I had to go a couple of days without them awhile back,  and I was a basket case.  I take at the most, 15 milligrams a day, some times its only 10 milligrams.  I get the blue 10's and split them in half,  I've never taken a whole pill at one time.  I start my day off with a half,  then around lunch or later I have another half,  and around 5 or 6p.m. I have my last half.  I'm just sick of depending on them,  I freak out when I think I'm gonna run out,  my 'supplier' isn't reliable and it makes me sick that I've let someone have that much control over my life.   I'm thinking I'm going to try and work my way down to at least a half a pill a day and from there every other day..... I don't even know if thats possible though.