Howto: minimise pain killer withdrawal

**PirateJon** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 1:04pm

After getting my last set of nerve blocks, I was able to stop taking the dozen or so oxy I had been popping daily. Quitting cold turkey led to some rather nasty withdrawal side effects. Nausea, vomiting, headaches, pains, depression, all that fun jazz.

So after talking to a script user friend I got this advice and its working for me.

Note the dosage you're on daily.

1st week - Same dosage but space them out an extra hour or two. You don't want to feel withdraw yet.

2nd week - Take about 1/2 of the dosage - if you feel the withdrawal symptoms, you're on too little.

3rd week - take as needed to control the symptoms. Buy now they should have come down some.

Anyone else have tips or whatever?

**MastaFighta** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 2:08pm

See your doctor.

No offense, but when it comes to your health, seeing your doctor should be the first thing that pops into your head. I mean, if you're having withdraw problems with medication, you definitely need to see a doctor, not ask for advice on a forum.

**PirateJon** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 2:15pm

Done. I got "yes, withdrawl can be difficult so don't quit cold turkey. But I think you don't really need an appointment for this unless..." etc. over the phone.

And he's right. It's not rocket science or all that serious, just a really shitty time. But I'm good now thanks to the advice above.

**new2bjj** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 4:30pm

The one advantage, if you will, to quitting cold turkey, is that it is so unpleasant that you are less likely to get hooked again,seeing as the first withdrawal was so unpleasant. Now, if you were just physically hooked, and not "mentally", I could see why there is no reason to suffer.

**SuperGuido** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 5:54pm

I've heard that alternating pain killers can actually stop the accrual of tolerance, halt any addiction, and therefore negate any withdrawal symptoms.

Most doctors will think nothing of keeping someone on a specific pain killer for years, so the burden usually falls to the patient to request 3 or 4 different types of pain killers to prevent addiction/tolerance.

On a more mundane scale, alternating Ibuprofen/Acetmetaphine/Aspirin/Naproxen will keep a chronic pain sufferer from having to pop a handful of a certain NSAID to achieve pain relief.

**coytheboy** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 6:13pm

"On a more mundane scale, alternating Ibuprofen/Acetmetaphine/Aspirin/Naproxen will keep a chronic pain sufferer from having to pop a handful of a certain NSAID to achieve pain relief."
This is good advice. I has worked for me, minus the asprin. I have been able to cut the dossage down by half of the vicatin I take for my ribs. This is what the doctold me to do because I did not like the way vicatin made me feel. I have two more weeks before she said that I can train lightly.

**NotAKimura** · Posted On: 10/08/2007 9:29am

don't take other chemicals to try to lessen the withdrawal pain. withdrawal is your body saying it needs a chemical it has become used to having in its system. it's better to ween yourself from it than to mask the symptoms.

half your doses for a week (or 2 if needed), then half that dose (so a quarter of the original dose) for another week (or 2), then half that dose (1/8 now), then dose 1/8th every other day, then every 3rd or 4th day. at that point it shouldn't be too hard to go cold.

also I recommend having one of your doses being before you go to sleep. nothing makes withdrawal worse than not being able to get a decent night's sleep.