How to beat hydrocodone addiction

[MIKE]

Don't have much time right now but i'll be back later.I originally got hooked on these in September of 2001 during a dentist visit.The thing is i had just had a car wreck prior to the dentist visit so i had a couple bottles of hydro already sitting there unopened.i had never ever taken any before and so they sat there.Anyway i was hurting real bad after dental procedure and took one at home and knew i was hooked after just one pill just from the feeling.i had just beaten alcohol,cocaine,cigarettes,etc. two years prior and had been sober two years.Since i had just had a car wreck i was hurting so i starting going to pain doctors once my other scripts ran out.Well here we are ten years later and i am still taking them.the first time i ever ran out was in 2009 and i started buying them off the street when my bottle ran low.well starting in 2010 i ran out and suffered withdrawals.now once a month i run out a week early and suffer withdrawals and i've done this about 25 times already.i beat cocaine,alcohol and nicotine but i have never faced something this tough.the last six or seven years i dropped my friends and isolated myself at home in my room most of the time.i do have my six and five year old children who live with me along with my girlfriend.during this time my mom and sister also got hooked and now my sister is on methadone.i think a lot about the past ten years thing is i can't remember much of it.

[MIKE]

i also want to add i've lurked here a long time and i feel a connection to everyone here.the struggle to get off these things is among the worst things i've ever dealt with in my life.its much harder getting clean from this than it is other drugs.also i want to add that i beat cocaine,alcohol and nicotine in 1999 and then in 2001 i got hooked on hydros.the last ten years its been the only drug i've taken but the struggle to defeat it is way harder than my prior experiences kicking other habits.

[karen]

My boyfriend is addicted to hydrocodone and eventhough he finally accepted that he is an addict, he denies to get help. When I bring it to our conversation he changes the subject. It was around a year and a half when I diiscovered that he was taking narcotics, at that time he talked about oxycoton. Then I found several diazepam in his pockets and about 6 months ago, he began taking hydrocodone. I presume he takes between 15 - 20 pills per day. He says that about 2 months ago, he started using less and less and got down to 2 pills per day and now he is not taking them any longer, but I don't believe any word anymore. He never went into withdrawal and from what I have red here, it is impossible to get clean by himself so easily without any symptoms. I can tell when he takes the pills...he begins with a runny nose and suddenly he is ok...
Now I feel sick, confused, most of my energy is wasted in thinking about this problem, how to help him, or if I should just leave him and continue (or recover) my life. I lost my husband in an accident 23 years ago. At that time I was 26 with 2 babies (2 years and 9 months). I worked hard, very hard for my two kids..now they are young adults finishing university. I never wanted to deal with addictions, never wanted to have this in my life.
I am not sure if my attitude is just enabling him. He lives with me and I am the one paying all the bills, morgage, food, electricity..he just got a job and I am sure that all his check will be used to buy the pills. What can I really do to make him understand that he needs to detox and then assist to NA, AA or other supporting groups? Do you think I should attend an Alanon meeting? Sometines I think that I don't need all this in my life.

[MIKE]

it took me a long time because i've abused these for ten years now but about four or five months ago i broke down and admitted to myself that i was powerless,addicted and i also was finally open to the idea of maybe going to a rehab.it gets real old running out a week early every month and that week is pure hell.i take about eight or nine or hydros a day and i never taper myself i just completely run out and start the withdrawal process.when i found this forum months ago i sat down and wrote all the bad things these pills have done to me and yet here i am in hydros evil strong grip.i'll go ahead and say that while i relly haven't aged much i have lost six teeth in what was once a very straight perfect beautiful set of teeth a person could have.i have pawned a lot of my belongings and they stay hocked up to a year before i can get them out.my kids have always had good birthdays and christmases but hey instead of good they could been great.my whole family is at odds with each other because of these pills.i have a sister who was slim and beautiful three years ago but after being on methadone she is now up to 300 pounds and can barely get around.she couldn't handle withdrawals like me so she started methadone which i think is way worse than pills.they say more people are in rehab now because of pills then they are alcohol.i dabbled with stronger stuff like oxycodone but i tend to like the hydros better.

[Hellolife]

Thank you all for sharing with me your stories! It makes me feel so much better that I am not alone. My mind is totally set that I am going to stop. I have tried to get myself off by taking less a day, but that did not go well and I agree that it's totally impossible. I actually have a week off of work and I have flushed everything down the toilet about 5 minutes ago. I am planning on going through the withdraws and playing it off as the "flu". If I can get through this withdraw process I know I will never take another vicoden again! I'm scared like he'll right now, about the withdraw, and also about what this drug is doing to my body! Wish me luck!

[CJB]

Thank you all for sharing with me your stories! It makes me feel so much better that I am not alone. My mind is totally set that I am going to stop. I have tried to get myself off by taking less a day, but that did not go well and I agree that it's totally impossible. I actually have a week off of work and I have flushed everything down the toilet about 5 minutes ago. I am planning on going through the withdraws and playing it off as the "flu". If I can get through this withdraw process I know I will never take another vicoden again! I'm scared like he'll right now, about the withdraw, and also about what this drug is doing to my body! Wish me luck!

Good Job!! Flushing pills is not easy, but it is crucial. If you can keep a positive outlook you will feel better. I suggest to post daily as you go through this and we will try to post back quickly. It really helps to feel connected to support. also go back and read alot of the old posts. I mean like before the new "Forum" format. Especially Michaels posts. His journey, success, and inspiration to me and many others is priceless. If you havent seen the old posts, type "How to beat hyrocodone addiction" in yahoo. You'll find it. Drink more water than a fish and get as much sleep as you can. Good luck and God Bless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Garf56]

I am on my 15th day of overcoming this addiction.Not a single pill since flushing them down the toilet.I must admit somedays were pure hell but it can be beat.I no longer crave the poison and have very few thoughts of them.I am walking every evening,much more interested in the things I always loved gardening and fishing, and eating much better now.The only effect I still feel is not sleeping quite right yet, but that gets better every night.Have faith and just go one day at a time.God Bless and good luck everyone.

[CJB]

I am on my 15th day of overcoming this addiction.Not a single pill since flushing them down the toilet.I must admit somedays were pure hell but it can be beat.I no longer crave the poison and have very few thoughts of them.I am walking every evening,much more interested in the things I always loved gardening and fishing, and eating much better now.The only effect I still feel is not sleeping quite right yet, but that gets better every night.Have faith and just go one day at a time.God Bless and good luck everyone.

Great Job!!!! Knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel is very encouraging!

[Michael]

Update:

I'm just over 7 months out from my detox. Life is moving along, and it's handing me new challenges. But unlike where I was while I was using, and even in the weeks that followed, I can handle it now. The depression, pain, lack of control, guilt, fear -- those are all memories now. I still struggle sometimes with a craving here and there, but it's few and far between, and easily dismissed now. I can finally be a man, a husband, a father -- the man I need to be.

You can all do it -- I don't care how bad things are now. It doesn't matter how hopeless it all looks, you can make the choice and allow your heart and mind to start healing. It takes time, but it's more than worth the wait. The suffering of detox and longer term cravings are NOTHING compared to the endless loop of self-destruction. And life is so beautiful when your senses are alert enough to appreciate it.

[MIKE]

i've read the original forum with the posts a year back where there were quite a few people replying to the topic everyday but sadly that doesn't seem to be the case now.i wonder where a lot of those people are now like Michelle,Patrick,Jerrel,John,etc. anyway like i said originally i've been battling this going on ten years now.

[Zach]

Hey guys, My name is zach and i've been taking hydro for a good two years now. Maybe about 10 a day. I am now on day 5 of trying to quit and mentally i feel wonderful, still having slight instances of withdrawal symptoms though. It seems the symptoms are nothing compared to what they were when i was just out of pills maybe because im so focuses on becoming sober. Just wondering when the physical symptoms will go away and when i will get my strength back. I have no want to go back to pills but i would like for the flu like stuff to go away.

[dhawkforgiven]

hey everyone.my problem that i cant figure out is i can go 2 or 3 months sober then all of a sudden crash and buy pills like an idiot.my wife hates drugs and so do i.i want my family to look up and respect me but going back to the pills is noy gonna get it.i feel horrible and cant hide the shame.diring those months of sobriety i do struggle but my lord and savior jesus christ keeps me but as soon as i back off his word and daily devotion wiyh my wife i crash.just trying to figure out how to kick this crap

[dhawkforgiven]

hey zach try to run alil bud maybe hit the gym for some light weight training.seems like your pretty head strong.take that strength and go beast out and get your life back.working out always helps me have a great day.it even takes away the desire to get high.but zach i must tell you where the ultimate strength comes from.it comes from jesus man.he will heals us all and put new life in our bodies.ive been through alot of storms pal and i praise him in the middle of those storms.he has brought me out of dirt and put me on solid ground.yep i still struggle only because i slack off doing what is right which is stay in the word and keep away from negative people which is hard for me cause i own a tree company and all my workers get high.thats where it gets tough for me.

[CJB]

hey zach try to run alil bud maybe hit the gym for some light weight training.seems like your pretty head strong.take that strength and go beast out and get your life back.working out always helps me have a great day.it even takes away the desire to get high.but zach i must tell you where the ultimate strength comes from.it comes from jesus man.he will heals us all and put new life in our bodies.ive been through alot of storms pal and i praise him in the middle of those storms.he has brought me out of dirt and put me on solid ground.yep i still struggle only because i slack off doing what is right which is stay in the word and keep away from negative people which is hard for me cause i own a tree company and all my workers get high.thats where it gets tough for me.

Hi dhawkforgiven,
Thanks for your post. I too, am a born again child of God who struggles with addiction to these pills. I've always wanted to post about the power of Jesus in our lives. But was afraid to for fear of offending or alienating people. But it's time to let the cat out of the bag so to speak. I have see His miracle power in my life. But like you, when I begin to be more me centered and less Him centered. I lose it. Anyway, I thanks for mentioning Jesus on this forum. I believe you have just opened the door for some powerful posting

[Guy]

Day 15 no vicodens First 8 days were the worst days of my life day 14 seems like I went backwards whole body hurts but nothing like the first week . Things that help sleep exercise reading the post on this site . Question does a lill weed help ?

[Susan]

Day one for me and I am really scared, have tried before and have been un sucessful, although I have a legal script, I run out and I am so very tired of chasing the demon all the time!

[Slave2Mr.Watson]

I wonder what I am going to feel likw when all the remnants of this drug and addiction are no longer shrouding me. The physical pain I have can not compete with the mental anguish I endure on my quest for MORE MORE MORE. The drug no longer masks my pain, simply prevents the sickness that comes with not having it. NOW is the time for me. This is apx. 5 hours after my last dose..... which was a miniscule 5 mg, compared to the normal minimun of 20mg I usually wake up to. I hope I can do this. The W/D symptoms have not been as bad as they have in the past. However I have taken a non-narcotic pain reliever and some meds the doctor gave me for anxiety that are not controlled.

[Slave2Mr.Watson]

I guess I should have mentioned that I have beenon the hydros for about 5 years. I became dependant about a yr to 18 mmonths ago and it has been horrible. I had a rare cancer.... the tumor grew completly thru my shoulder blade bone. I hade to have a wide resection done that removed all the muscles in my shoulder area, part of the joint and shaved my bicep. I was left with limited use of my right arm and a tremendous zest for life. I knew ppl who were addicted at that time. I thought it was a joke when they would be lyin on the couch (acting in my mind) like they were so sick they were about to die because they were out of pills. Now I am that person on the couch as I have become dependant to this monster. I HATE IT. I want my life back. I so wish I could go back..... Not sure what I am gonna do, just so glad my W/D is managable today. Hopefully I can make it, even tho there will be a huge bottle right in front of me in a cpl days. (my significant other who has suffered a major broken bone/surgery/etc) So scared. I have kids so I cant just sleep it off. At times the pain kills me even when I have plenty pills.... jus so so so sick of this!

[Slave2Mr.Watson]

Ok it is at apx 28 hours since my last dose. I really am thinking about popping a percocet to ease these w/d so I can get some energy and take care of the house/kids. Any advise?

[CJB]

I woulnd'nt. It will give you temporary relief but it is really no different than taking another hydro. Besides, you have to go through this someday. Might as will be now. Just let the houshold stuff wait for a day or so. Or just do a little. You can make it. Go for a walk. Get your mind off the opiates!!!!!