Advanced Search
Welcome to Omgili,
Omgili (Oh My God I Love It ;) is a search engine for discussions. With Omgili you can find answers and solutions, debates, discussions, personal experiences, opinions and more... To learn more about Omgili click here.

This is a complete preview of the discussion as it was indexed by Omgili crawlers. Use this preview if the original discussion is unavailable.
Click here to view the original discussion.

Best Way to Taper Off Strong Pain Medicines! - alternative medicine Discussion Forum

Hi To Everyone, I've been on strong very strong pain meds for over two years for my back pain and Fibro.

My back feels a little better now and am still under pain management! I got off of the Oxycotin, twice a day!

Am still on 10/325 mg.

Of Percoset as needed, which sometimes is twice a day, along with Robaxin as needed.

That might be once a day, twice a day or none at all.

I also take Klonopan, 1 mg.

3 x day for panic attacks and have been on this for many years.

I take Wellbutin 150mg.

2xD also for depression. I started the real bad panic attacks and then depression about 3 months ago and it has gotten worse.

I started tapering off the pain meds about 2 months ago and my goal is to get off of them as needed!

It was working until I feel on the ice, while ice skating (which was dumb of me) with the grandchildren and injured my tailbone, so I had to start the Percocet again about 2 x day until the tailbone gets better.

I had already injured it 3 yrs.

Before, so this wasn't a good thing for me to have happen! My question is two foal!

One, can tapering off pain meds cause the panic attacks to get worse, as I find that if I take one pain pill or even a half one when the panic attacks start, it does help them a little.

Still not enough to get out of the house and not be depressed.

Only going to bed and sleep so that I don't know that they are going on! 2.

I've cut my pain pills in half to taper off them, like my doctor suggested, but sometimes still feel the craving to take them?

I've got a call into my Pain Management Dr.

To see if he knows of a better way to get off them? Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated! Linda T.

Back in the 90's , I lost the tip of my ring finger at the 1st knuckle. It felt like someone poured gasoline on it and lit it. I was only on meds for about 3 months and the doctors were getting stingy about giving me another prescription, and I could feel I was becoming dependent on them so after getting the last prescription for vicodin.

I started doing without during the day and just took anacin.

And I saved the vicodin for later so I could sleep.

And that's how I tapered off then stopped. ==== You may want try try that guys method about putting a small wadd of organic cotton in one ear at night when you go to bed.

It may help trigger your body to help heal itself.

It sounds weird, but for a few bucks, you may find it to be an odd and unexpected help.

I'd do it for a month or so, just to check it out....It sure won't make you broke trying it I'd do it, and I wouldn't give a rip what anyone thought about it either

I am a little unclear as to when you injured/(knocked your coccyx out of alignment) and I want to address this quickly.

If this little tip of your spine is tipped out of kilter, the pain from it can be quite terrible.

However, this can be easily put back into alignment by a chiropractor who knows what they are doing.

If this is the problem, the relief will be almost immediate, so I recommend you have this looked into, and I would guess your western medical doctor will think the chiro stuff is just witch doctor BS, which is too bad, because it can be extremely helpful. Now, for tapering off of opioids! You need to reduce the dosage over time, and since you are down to two pills a day, I would go down to half a pill twice a day for a week and then a half a pill once a day for a week, which you may have to extend to two weeks.

At this point, your body will have no problem letting go and the feelings you will be having will be anxiety over not having "my pain meds".

It it helpful to remind yourself that the Tylenol in Percocet is very damaging to your liver and kidneys, and that you love that body, so you are not going to continue putting that stuff in there. Percocet is fine for a few days here and there, but for weeks or months at a time, you will start cause liver damage. Treat yourself right and fix the cause of your pain rather than the symptom of the cause. Western medicine is about selling medicine and procedures, not healing the patient.

It is our responsibility to make sure we get the care that makes the healing happen. Be well

I just saw your other post, so now I know how you hurt your coxxyx. Can't make any diagnosis obviously, but I would bet dollars to donuts that your coxxyx is tipped off it's proper axis.

I knocked mine out jumping off a 9 foot fence.

I remember feeling a little funny shock, but shrugged it off.

Over the next few days, the muscle spasms I began to experience, made life less than stellar.

I was 29 and in really peak condition, so I was able to function, but I really hurt.

Things got worse over the next couple of months and I finally went to a chiro and told him what happened.

As I mentioned before, the relief was almost immediate. I may be off base here, but if I am not, you might just be on the path to having your life back.

You might have to go through a couple of chiropractors to find one who knows how to fix this if it is out.

If they say they can't put it back, they do not know what they are doing. If you can't handle a strong adjustment, there is another method that does not use much force, but is considerably more private and something a good chiropractor will discuss with you.

If this is the cause of your pain, I hope you will allow whatever method of adjustment it takes to get you back to the vibrant happy young lady I know you are. This is not dangerous stuff, just kind of weird having someone rotate your legs and back.

It works! Good luck :-)

Hi ColdShot, Don't have but a moment, have guest coming at noon.

What is anacin? I've had to go back up on pain meds, as I took 2 bad falls on my tailbone while ice skating with my grandsons, which in my "sort of fragile" condition should never have done!

I could not even sit, or even get in and out of bed for 2 weeks and only after a prednisone pack am I now even able to sit and that's on a v-cut cushion?

So, I had to go back on the Percoset and muscle relaxers full time again.

I will be seeing the pain management doctor next week.

It's better now, but do know that when I do something like that I suffer later and at 65 yrs.

I shouldn't have done it. Glad that your doing well, but have not heard of anacin?

I can't imagine the pain that you went through? I didn't see the post for the organic cotton and I sure would never care what anyone thinks anyway.

Just want to get off of pain meds, am looking for a new seat cushion to sit on and that will help tremendously!

I'll keep you posted later. Take care, Linda

Hi Richard C. I don't have but a moment as I have company coming at noon.

I injured my tailbone over 3 yrs.

Ago when I slipped in the dark coming down stairs and hit directly on the tailbone of the edge of the wood.

Also hit hip and then floor.

It's been over 3 yrs.

Ago and I still need a cushion to sit on if I'm sitting longer than an hour or so. This fall on the ice was 50% worse and I did it twice.

I'm 65, have numerous herniated and bulging disk in my lower back and S-1, along with I hurt my neck someway in the fall and they are pressing against nerves, so I can't turn my neck but so far.

Am waiting for the MRI results of both. I could not hardly get off a couch or in bed without so much pain that you didn't want to get up.

Thats better after the prednisone, wish I had went sooner, instead of waiting over 2 weeks.

I'm better now, but the fall affected the whole spine and body also.

I do have Fibro to go along with it. I've been to many chiropractors and had a lot of adjustments and at this point they have to be gentle as everything is so sensitive.

Trust me, I know about the side effects of pain meds, have blood work done and all is okay, thank God!

I'll be seeing the doctor next week hopefully and we can see exactly what has occured.

I also have osteoarthritis in both hips, so other than I'm perfectly okay? Your also a lot younger than me, I was a 30 yr.

Athlete, so know what its like to be in good shape so this is difficult for me to deal with, would love to play tennis again?

I will continue to check into it and let you know! Take care, Linda

Richard C. Yes the pain is terrible, but a little better now.

Still can't sit to long and am trying to find the best type of cushion to sit on?

I went to several stores, have had a foam cushion, V cut out in the past (it's worn out) and can't decide between the memory foam, gel combination, etc.

Have you had any experience with seat cushions? I had been doing the meds just like you mentioned, but the fall set me back again!

But I'll be back on that track real soon and keep you posted.

Trust me, I have tried to treat myself right, but do have a lot of major stress in my life and that affects a lot of things that I am going through. Linda

Hi Richard, The first diagnosis when I hit my tailbone on the edge of the wood stairs was, a hematoma!

Not sure what this one will be till I get the results of the MRI?

Will let you know? Thanks, Linda

Linda, popping in to say hello and give you a chuckle! Do you know why ponies can't sing? Because they are a little horse!

{:-) BTW, have you had any professional massage done on your lower back, butt, legs? Massage is a great way to break muscle spasm, release toxins from the muscle tissue and restore circulation. Also, gentle stretching and exercise to restore muscle tone is vital to climbing out of the abyss of pain. When the muscles lose their tone, they atrophy and the tissue becomes hypoxic (oxygen starved) which causes lots of pain.

Rebuilding the muscle's tone is an important, and unfortunately uncomfortable step in our process of recovery. I hope you will join me in gentle exercise...

Pushing ourselves a bit more each time to greater challenges.

A few more steps, a few more leg raises, until we climb out of this place and back into the warm glow of sunshine where we belong. I am in the process of this, and I know it is possible to get there.

I extend an invitation to you if you desire and if not, that is okay as well. Take care :-)

Hi Richard, Yes that is funny, since I am a singer myself, or at least was a few years ago!

We can always use a laugh, right? No, I haven't, but the orthopedic doctor had ordered it, along with ultrasound 3 X W.

For a month. I just haven't started as we are going through a major financial crisis right now. I've had massage many times before, sometimes I was in so much pain that the massage had to be so gentle and after I had it, I was much worse after the massage.

Had them done before and this guy comes to your hone and is very, very good but my body was in so much pain that nothing was working then. Do you have a special book to recommend that has the stretch's that you are referring to?

I have several books on backs, exercises, stretching also.

It just seems so hard for me to get started when I'm in this cycle of pain that I am in right now.

I hurt so bad last night, after having company for 4 days and getting in and out of cars that it put me over the edge and I had to take the oxycotin (low dose) again and I have been off of it for 2 months.

Even with that, I couldn't get any sleep till 2 AM. Yes, after being an athlete for 30 yrs.

I know about muscle tone and I've lost all of mine in my arms and legs and am a lot weaker physically, which I am not happy with at all!

So, I am very open to any suggestions, not sure how you are planning on telling me what to do?

Just let me know, okay? I have an appointment with my pain doctor this afternoon, as I've had to use more since I fell on the ice.

It's so hard to sit and am still looking for the best cushion to buy to sit on for this injured tailbone?

Any suggestions are certainly welcome.

Will wait to hear from you! Thanks for your concern and help! Linda Richard, I meant to say that with all the traveling, sitting and being on the go with my company (brother and his wife) that I am almost back to where I started when I fell on the ice.

What I meant to say also is, that with this money crisis, we might have to make a trip, thus I can't make an appointment to see the doctor in regards to the MRI.

So, I might know what we are doing by this evening, if we don't travel, I can make the appointment. Thanks, Linda

Hello! I came upon this forum somehow and was drawn to your post.

I will make this as brief as possible.

:) Regarding your injury, work with your orthopedist, physical therapist, and/or whatever practitioner you use to get this going in the best possible direction.

I suggest you get them all on the same page - like a "TEAM APPROACH" - nothing worse than being sent off in 4 different directions!

Let them each know the full list of people you are seeing so this can be best coordinated.

Very important! As far as pain meds.

The best way to get off them is well, to stop taking them.

This can be attained by slowly tapering down.

However, this approach takes much discipline.

It is very tempting to take an extra one here and there.

Then, before you know it, you're back where you started.

These meds are tricky little things!

Very addicting. You may need some help to do this.

One technique is to keep a good pain journal.

Rate your pain on a scale of 1 - 10 before you take your med.

Then, recheck it after 30-60 minutes.

Can recheck after 2 hours as well.

Note down things like the time of day you have the pain and take the med, what are you doing when you think of taking the med also, note your state of mind (your mood - use "mood words", like "relaxed", "angry", "content", "anxious", "frustrated", "bored", etc.).

This will enable you to examine/analyze your med routine after a period of time.

Look for the patterns!

Many people find this very, very enlightening. Addiction comes in all shapes and sizes.

That's the risk of taking them.

For the short term with an ACUTE situation, they are excellent.

However, there are many studies now that strongly suggest that opiate pain meds for a chronic condition actually INCREASE the pain perception.

I know this sounds odd - but, in simple terms, it causes something called "hypergesia", where you feel heightened pain perception. That's why it is so important to get on a good tapering schedule.

You may feel irritable or achy....tired...this is typical.

But it will pass after several days.

It WILL pass. Regarding your anxiety, yes, of course tapering and/or discontinuing your pain pills can provoke this - for both psysiological and psychological reasons.

Again, this is temporary. Regarding your Klonopin, long term use of these meds can actually increase your anxiety - like a "rebound" anxiety.

The problem I have with these meds (all benzodiazepines) is that they are extremely addicting, very difficult to detox from (never just quit cold - you need medical supervision to safely withdraw from these meds!), and most importantly: they contribute to this particular mentality that is too common in our world - the "magic pill" syndrome, the "quick fix".

These meds are wonderful - I don't disregard them at all, please don't misunderstand.

But what are we doing to cure the UNDERLYING CAUSE?

That's my concern.

Just taking pills forever is not addressing the issue.

An analogy would be taking Tums for a recurring stomach ache, day after day, without knowing the cause and treating it.

FACT: It is entirely possible to cure panic attacks, you do not have to be under the power of these awful attacks. As for depression, there are many ways to address this, too.

Long story short: some folks needs to be on antidepressants over the long term.

That's a neurochemical issue for many.

It has to do with many things.

But whether you are on them for the long term or not, depression can be treated with a combination of modalities.

Especially for the residual symptoms or for real resistant depression. I hope I have been able to help you some - I wish you good luck, whatever you choose to do! Take care.

Listen to Hemi-Sync CDs for pain management and relaxation/sleep.

New-mind.com carries a wide selection.

Addiction is multifacted.

I would also suggest hypnosis.

Best of luck to you.

Hi Again, I tried hypnosis a few times, many years ago and they can't get it to work for me.

I'll check into the CD that you mention.

Not sure of your comment about addiction being maltifacted? Thanks, Linda

Anacin is an over the counter aspirin that also has some caffeine in it to deliver the relief quicker. walgreens carries it

Hi ColdShot, Well at this point, I'm on more than Anacin!

When I fell on the ice, twice and hit my tail bone, I found out yesterday that it made one of the herniated disk a lot worse.

They are going to try 3 nerve blocks first, before we consider a disectomy (not sure if it's spelt right?) The whole situation has gotten much worse, I can't hardly sit at all and when I do, it's very hard to get up without pain.

I'm also walking crooked now because of a limp.

The bulge between the disk has really changed since the fall and is compressed now and resting on a nerve.

So, not sure what will come from this, but I will definitely take it slow, believe me. Thanks for the advice, I will give it a try. Linda

Linda, I am sorry to hear things are not going well :-( I had several "nerve blocks" done and it is simply a "Treat The Symptom" sort of thing and does nothing to address the problem whatsoever!! Do you have any sciatica(pain in the butt, down the leg and into the foot)? I had a severe herniation at L-5/S-1 and after four injections, all of which did absolutely nothing for me, I was forced to wait a very long time before I was allowed to have my surgery. My insurance would not pay for physical therapy unless I had surgery (STUPID!!) and they made me get a bunch of epidurals even after the first ones did nothing (STUPID!!!) which just wasted five months.

Then I had to wait over a month to get cleared for surgery and then I had to find a surgeon.

During all the waiting, nerve damage was taking place (in my case).

I finally had my surgery and the pain in the leg and foot was gone and the butt felt somewhat better.

As time went on I felt a bit better and started physical therapy, the third time there, the therapist decided he needed to "loosen me up" and he ruptured the disc that was just repaired.

I was not able to progress in my physical therapy and I slowly went downhill.

I asked why I was backsliding and was told "It takes time to get better.

Keep up the exercise!" While I had some pain in my butt leg and foot again, I was told it was a muscle spasm.

The pain became really bad and the surgeon ordered an MRI.

It showed a rupture, although he said it was a herniation, but I know a rupture because I researched it, and there was a HUGE thing squirting out of my disk space that was about five times the length of the previous herniation. I had to have another surgery and I now have permanent nerve damage and am on a very strong, long acting pain medicine that I have to take 4x a day.

It's a lot stronger than Oxycontin, but I do not feel any sort of spaciness from it, just a bit of pain relief, so that is okay. Anway, what I am getting at here, is that while surgery is something to consider, a diskectomy is only for treating sciatica.

What they will do, is snip the protrusion, make a little channel into the middle of the disk and remove the nucleus, which used to be the cushion in the center.

What happens, is over about 8 months to a year a mass of scar tissue fills in the space of the nucleus and this becomes the cushion that your vertebrae will ride on.

It is quite strong, but you need to be gentle and do the exercises religiously during this healing period or you will not heal properly.

A person needs muscle tone to keep the spine stable and to make movement comfortable.

Lose this and life is not very pleasant!

Ask me how I know.

I have two years of lost muscle tone I have to build back, and it is going slowly, hurts bad, I feel terrible, but I know it is the only way out of this terrible place and back to some sort of life. I think you need to discuss the option of serious physical therapy and whether or not this will get you in a comfortable place.

The person to talk to this about is NOT a surgeon or anyone who would steer you towards that option.

There are the rare surgeon who would steer you away from surgery and do everything for you to help you get healthy first.

This is the guy you need to find if you can! New England Baptist Hospital has a program called "Bad Back Boot Camp", and this is all about exercises geared towards strengthening the muscles needed to help someone with problems like ours. I have spoken to a few people who were nearly immobile and they went through this program and are now pain free years later. No surgery, no injections no nothing but hard exercise and tough work. I found out about this after everything I went through so it was too late.

Not to mention my insurance would not pay for it and I had already lost my life savings after the first year of this ordeal. Linda, please listen to me carefully... Surgery alone is not a cure!

Without rebuilding your lost muscle tone, you will still feel terrible.

You must take care of this no matter what you choose to do.

This is why I feel it is VITAL that you find out whether or not nerve damage is a concern without surgery.

If it is not, please get your muscle tone back first.

I know you are miserable, I know you feel like "WHY BOTHER", but you have to begin to climb those steps, ever so slowly at first if you have to.

Take your pain meds to get through the first couple of months of exercise so you can handle the discomfort you will encounter.

Then start the tapering off and keep working out, push yourself a little more each time.

Your body will tell you when to ease up, but if you feel no extra pain in the muscles you are working on, you are not pushing them hard enough.

Just be mindful of the injury and remember to stretch after working out and then ice your back for ten minutes to keep inflammation down. Part of the pain you feel is due to muscle atrophy, and it is very painful, I know because I am dealing with it right now and it is a bummer. The way to feel better is to gently work those muscles (which feels pretty crummy) and restore circulation.

This will allow the building of new muscle tissue which will bring more oxygen to the region which will help the muscle that is there now and will also help flush the toxins away that have built up in the tissue. I am not looking forward to more discomfort, but I am looking forward to a more comfortable future. Even if you decide to go with surgical intervention, the building of muscle tone will put you far ahead of the game.

I fear that if you get surgery before you build some muscle tone, you will feel so bad that you will not exercise at all, and then you will really be in trouble. So Linda, I apologize for rambling on, but I am concerned for you, my fellow sufferer. I wish the best for you and hope I haven't overloaded or spooked you with these writings. This is simply what I have learned from my own experiences and from my studies over the last two years. Be well, Richard

Thank you, Richard

Hi topnurse, Thanks for your advice and I will address it in a little while, their is a lot that I want to say and tell you, so it will take time.

No offense, I hope, but I do want to respond to Richards as his is very pertinent to what I am dealing with right now.

I can't get off the pain meds now due to the fall on the ice, as I am back to where I was, in fact worse, as now it hurts to sit period!

I also have a lot of numbness in both legs and that is probably due to the herniated disk that got worse when I fell on the ice and now it is really pressing on a nerve and is really flattened out. I will get back with you, I do know how to go off meds, did the klonopin twice and am under a therapist care.

With my panic attacks getting worse, along with the depression, it's very hard to get off anything? Thanks for caring and I will get back in touch, I promise! Linda

Hi Richard, also D.

Cole for his response. I'll have to respond to this in detail when I get back from the store and if I don't get out now, I won't as my panic attacks set in the later in the day that it becomes.

Less add that into all the problems above also! Your response to my problem is very helpful and I sure appreciate you taking the time to help me!

I always feel that you can learn more from fellow sufferer's and trust what they say, as compared to doctors, who you think you might know. I'll just tell you what has happened to my back since the fall on the ice and the change that is different to the disk now.

Here is what the MRI says about this one disk and I won't even go into the neck, as it really doesn't hurt, just affects my left arm sometimes. L3-4 This is a circumferential bulge resulting in mild flattening of the thecal sac.

No canal or foraminal stenosis is noted. L4-5 Same as above L5-S-1 There is an asymmetric left paracentral disk extrusion extending cephalad.

This results in asymmetric flattening of the thecal sac with lateral recess stenosis and displacement of the left S1 root.

Mild central canal stenosis is also noted. Impression: 1.

There is an asymmetric disc extrusion to the left at midline of the L5-S1 nerve root causing canal and left lateral recess stenosis with significant displacement of the left S1 root. 2.

Disc bulges and facet ligamentum flavum hypertrophic change is seen at L3-4 and L4-5 causing flattening of the thecal without stenosis. I haven't done any physical therapy for this change in my back until I saw the results of the MRI.

I have not had good results with physical therapy in 7 years and know what I should be doing, but like what you said Richard, when it hurts to even sleep and get out of bed every morning, it's hard to get motivated.

I was doing water aerobics for a few months, felt better and then the ice skating rink and wanted to know what the damage was before I started back.

I could not even sit and getting up afterwards was so painful.

The steroid pack has helped that, the getting up from a seated position about 85%.

My worse pain comes about after sitting, even a car is worse, as when I get up from sitting, I'm limping and walking with my gait off.

I'm also shuffling my feet for a while until I get unstiff and out of pain. I was an athletic, so I know about losing muscle tone, which I've lost in my legs as they get week after being on them for a few hours and walking.

I also need to lose 30 lbs.

As my knees are bad from tennis and a bad fall over a gate on one of them, which was an accident in the dark. The two doctors that are surgeons, are not knife happy, in fact they are the opposite, so I know that if anything is done, they won't do it unless it's totally necessary.

I've been seeing one for over 12 years and 5 falls later.

One is a Neurosurgeon that I've seen before this accident and he said that surgery would not help me, so he is honest also.

So, Richard don't worry about me having any surgery until I get several opinions as I don't take evening doing orthoscopic surgery lightly.

Anything on your back is scary, as you have proven after reading about your ordeal.

I've had so many nerve blocks and no none of them have been of much help, but even if it was a little bit, I should have followed up with my stretching and exercising and I never stayed with it, which was stupid. The only reason that I was even considering the nerve block this time is that we know exactly which disk is causing so much trouble and I thought if they could shoot something into that one it might help with the inflammation, just not sure.

I will tell you that this is a doctor who has done them on me before and he has told me their is no sense in doing the third one, since the other two didn't work, so I would trust his opinion.

I have an appointment next week and will be doing more research into all of this, even before I keep this appointment? I'll be back in touch, but have got to go or I won't be able to. Take care, Linda

To all that are reading this, I wrote it on my husbands computer, so the JAT is not the right link, it should say L.

Torrence Hi Richard and to anyone else that can help with their advice, Please read what my MRI reports says and give me an opinion to what you think about what it imply's?

Richard, I know that we have a lot of the same problems, so I will be very interested in what you have to say? I don't have any sciatica, pain in the butt, down the leg and into the foot?

I had that many years ago before I ever had any falls and was still playing tennis.

It happened after doing a lot of yard work and then my back might go out or go into spasms for about a week, the sciatica I had once for a few months, so I know what it is. My pain starts with my actual tailbone, where I fell twice and had injured it also 3 years ago by falling on the edge of the stairs in the dark.

It then goes up my spine while I am sitting for longer than 30 minutes and when I stand up the tailbone really hurts, I start to limp and walk with an abnormal gait.

When I sit to long, sometimes my legs go numb all the way to my feet and they also feel tingly and numb, like a pincushion.

After sitting for any length of time, even with a cushion my back starts hurting all the way up to my shoulder blades.

This even takes place with 10/325 of Percocet and Robaxin for the spasms.

I take these about every 4 to 5 hrs.

According to what I've done and the pain level, if it won't go away, like tonight.

That's why I'm still up and it's after 2 A.M.

I took one oxycotin tonight and am still hurting in my back, as I've sat to long. Anyway, have got to get to bed, just wanted to fill you in on a little bit, which you might have already heard before, if so, I apologize! Thanks for all of your help, Linda

The above post was written by me, L.

Torrence! I wrote it on my husbands computer and didn't realize that it would come under his name, so everyone can answer it under my name for me! Thanks, Linda

[Deleted by the author on Sep 13, 2009 8:43 AM PDT]

Capricious Star, Not to worry, I would do any tapering off meds with my pain med.

Doctor. I've been through the klonopin ones before, in regards to panic attacks and I did that under my therapist supervision.

Trust me, I know what can happen to the body if you don't go off of them right, it can be very dangerous!

It's a long process and you gave me some good points to help, so I thank you.

Once I decide what is the best course of treatment for this tailbone and disk problem, then I will attack the other, which is getting off all pain meds.

Not sure why you deleted your post, but felt compelled to answer it so that you would not worry about me. Thanks, Linda

Hi Linda, I'm responding to this Quote: "I've cut my pain pills in half to taper off them, like my doctor suggested, but sometimes still feel the craving to take them?" I can relate to this.

I had chronic pain for years and took Vicodin, anti depressants, xanax and fioricet to help the pain.

After taking for an extended period of time, my body craved them.

It was my experience that over time that my body became ultra senstive and created even more pain so I would continue to take them.

Because I had been to the doctor's I thought that I was fine when in fact I was addicted.

I ended up going to rehab after trying to quit taking them on my own a few times.

Even though I didn't take a huge amount of pills, I was still dependent on them and I didn't want to live like that.

In rehab I learned that once we are on pain meds that our body creates more pain receptors.

So, there's more receptors to feed, therefore more pain and need more meds.

I had to deny my body the meds and get support from others so I could stop going back to them. Today I live a pain free life.

After suffering chronically for 12 years, I am pain free.

I'm so glad I made the life changes that support my life being free of pills and free of pain! I wrote a book about my experience- it's called Living in the Rear View Mirror.

I don't know if that would help you.

I truly believe there is a better life for those who seek it.

I am living proof. I pray that you find the solutions you are seeking.

Peace be with you. Kim Vazquez Living in the Rear View Mirror: From Substance Abuse to a Life of Substance

Thank you for the tip, Linda.

This book looks awesome.

I will pass it on to my son, who became addicited to opiates, after a snowmobile accident....and is still struggling, but wants to stop....as well as my girlfriend, who at age 50;

Has not been able to shake the emotional pain of her past.

Her mind torments her, and she cannot leave it all behind.

She suffered at the hands of an abusive mother, and dysfunctional household, for many years.

God bless.




Omgili Home About FAQ Plugins Usenet