Thread: Free at last (of oxycodone)!

NP,
I've not posted much but have been reading and following your progress. You're doing great and have lots of strength and motivation to keep moving forward. I, too, hope your leg pain decreases and all of your WD symptoms begin to fade.....Great Job you are doing! Gives me hope!

KEW

You are doing a really good job NP. I am really proud of you for getting of the oxycodone. I know that when I went off of oxycodone that I felt like I had the flu for about 2 weeks. Then things started to slowly get better. Just remeraber that it takes a complete 12 months for your body, brain to completely heal and get back to noraml. It takes a full 2 years for the mind/psychological state to return to normal. Just take it 1 day at a time and you will get there. Just remeraber it is the journey that is important not the destination. Try to get outside as much as possible (out in the sun) which will help your body produce vitamin D, improve your depression in the process, and try to take a little walk (no matter how bad your muscles ache). I guarantee that you will feel better after you get back from your walk. Try to drink as much water as possible and take a multi-vitamin and extra b vitamins which will give you energy and help to replenish the vitamins/minerals that were being robbed by the drugs.

brian

I'm so proud of you and your taper. You showed us all how to do it correctly. I pray that the final w/d's are mild for you and really hope that you don't get any. Keep us up to date on how you are doing. Great job!!

Day 11....ughhh, when will I ever feel better.....I am still having hot flashes (the hot humid weather doesn't help), no energy, occasional sneezing, yawns and watery eyes/nose....I've been able to go out and do a few things, but honestly not much. I wish it wasn't so darn hot out, because it is definitely making this process worse. I could go lie at the pool....but the thought of being outside in the heat, when I already am so darn hot and sweaty, just is unimaginable. I do understand the feeling of wishing I could just take "one", to get a few hours of relief.....but that's not gonna happen, because there are none available.

But, as I've mentioned, I am Miss Delicate System....as well as being No Spring Chicken....so I'm not surprised at all that it's taking me a year and a half to go through WD. I'm sure there is a little progress being made each day, but it's hard to see it when you still feel like cr*p. Like someone else mentioned, I too look forward to sleep as my only escape. I try to sleep as late as I can....then eventually my eyes open and I realize I have to get up and face another day. My house is a disheveled dustball and I haven't gotten anything accomplished in the past few months, which includes cleaning or even straightening up. It's depressing. But yet, it takes a huge amount of energy to do even the most routine things, like unloading the dishwasher or doing laundry. That's what I relied on my oxycodone for -- pepping me up.

Sorry to be a bummer, but that's kind of how I feel tonight. Wish I could sleep through the next two weeks....assuming I'll even feel better by then! Well, I'll check back and let you know how it's going. Thanks as always for your support and good wishes.

Well, it's Day 18 and there might be some good news, finally. My legs have definitely improved over the last day. I'm not ready for hiking (but then again, I've never liked hiking!), but I can walk from here to the kitchen without too much leg tiredness. I even went to the supermarket today! And was able to stand in the deli line! And carried my groceries in! This is a big improvement over the last time I had to go to the market last week....I could barely lift anything into the cart.

I still have that little blanket of "flu-like" feelings and the sneezes (five in a row a little while ago) -- wow, who knew WD could take this long?

Reader, to answer some of your questions -- I wasn't spending a lot on the oxy because it was covered by my insurance and was actually very inexpensive (generic). I'll probably end up spending MORE once I feel better and start eating normally, going out, and yes, getting my regular massages and mani/pedi's. All those things have gone by the wayside because I haven't had the energy to even pick up the phone and make an appointment. And with my gooseflesh, the thought of someone touching me made me cringe. I have checks (small) I haven't even deposited yet -- they got buried in the clutter, and suddenly I remerabered they might expire soon!

Anyway, I am very encouraged by my bit of progress today, as the leg/thigh pain is probably the worst of the many WD symptoms. It's by no means gone, but it is a much-needed light at the end of the tunnel....I desperately needed that, because I was really getting discouraged. Hope everyone has a nice day today.

Thanks, you guys. I haven't posted because I've really felt lousy the past 4-5 days, and I don't want to sound completely whiny. It's been 7+ weeks and I'm still feeling pretty bad. I don't want to go into a lot of pain symptoms, because this isn't the PM board, but it's really depressing thinking this will be my life from now on. I haven't had the energy to pursue the physical therapy route. I haven't had the energy to do anything, really. My house is a cluttered nightmare because I can't clean. I can't get a cleaning lady because I'd have to straighten up for the cleaning lady. I miss that old energy. I've been having very tempting thoughts....thank goodness I don't have any pills here. I wish I could take just one, clean this place, and be done with it. But you know that won't happen...."one is never enough" or whatever the saying is. Every day I wake up and feel the same....lousy. This is the point where I might be thinking, "I am in pain....legitimate pain! I deserve to feel better!". But I know I'll end up in the same position that brought me here....being miserable because of the pills.

Well, I'm sorry to whine or sound negative, but I wanted to be honest. It's really a drag not seeing any day-to-day improvement....I'm just worried and really dejected. But as always, I appreciate your support and concern.

Hi all, just to let you know the update: I went to the PM and ended up getting a small scrip of Percocets. (After 13 weeks of being oxy-free, my pain level had been unbearable.) I was able to take the edge off with the Percs, even though they didn't entirely remove the pain. Of course, in 13 days, I've managed to take 17 pills, and now only have 3 until my next appt. on 12/1. It's hard not to take them when you're in pain and feel like c*ap....but I sure don't want to get hooked again! I NEVER want those chills (and other WD symptoms) again. Wish me luck.

Sorry to hear that your w/d's are taking so long to get over. Maybe talk to your doctor about something to help you sleep. There are some natural sleep remedies also that can help. I know what you mean about sleep helping you cope with the withdrawals. I'm hoping the best for you!!

I went to my PM today. C'mon, high fives all around: I did NOT ask for any narcotics! I needed a new scrip for my Arabien, and he also gave me a scrip for three days of Prednisone and I asked for a scrip for physical therapy. I have not done well with PT before (it increased my lower back pain), but then again I always had the pills as a back-up. Now I feel like I really need to do gentle core-strengthening exercises. I have been slouching and slumping for so long (trying to avoid the pain) that I think my back muscles are now very weak. Anyway, I did want to tell you that I asked my PM why my thigh muscles still ache (six weeks' clean). He said the muscle aches can last a couple months. I had been really afraid he'd say, "Whaattt? You should be fine by now!". I felt really re-assured when he did not seem surprised or taken aback that my thighs still are very sore. So now maybe I'll make my "Magic Day" day 60. Or, maybe I'll just not have a magic day and just face the fact that my darn sensitive system is going to rebel awhile longer....but someday, just someday, my thighs won't feel like I did 600 squats.

P.S. There's good news on my appetite: I was able to scarf down a Whopper Jr. and fries tonight. A few weeks ago, I couldn't even THINK of eating that. I'm sure I'll be gaining back those 10 lbs. quickly.

Hey There NP

Hope today finRAB you scarfing down lots more burger and fries. Chuckles. It is good that the appetite has returned. Mine also returned after withdrawal, but it sure didn't need to! Doctor has shaprply reprimanded me to get some of these pounRAB off by the next visit. I am trying, I am trying.

Those sore muscles? Did you know that a part of withdrawal is a search and seek mission conducted by the brain that is looking for any remnants of the drugs we may have left? It is a bummer. I can not really recall how long it continued for me, but I sure remeraber it happening. Hope it subsides soon.

Keep on keepin' on ( I miss our English mate who always signed off like that!)
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