I won’t retell all of my story, it is so similar to many others on here. I will just begin at the end where I was taking over 20 pills a day of some combination of oxycodone and hydrocodone. I know that is a lot, but I didn’t get to that quantity overnight...but anyway.
I was done. The pills were absolutely controlling me. I would wake up exhausted and already suffering minor withdrawals, toward the end I was setting my alarm clock a half hour early so I could wake up and take a pill then go back to sleep and get up 30 min later to take another pill and get ready for work. I had to schedule everything around the pills. How many I had, how many I could get, and when I could get them. Obviously it was brutally expensive, plus they really had no effect on me anymore- I was just taking them to keep functioning.
I finally broke down and called my family doctor and told him everything. He set an appointment with me and told me I was to bring my wife with me and tell her everything as well so he could begin treatment. That was rough, of course she knew I was struggling to get off of hydrocodone ( which I had a modest prescription) but she had no idea how many I was taking and that I was buying them. I am a fortunate man that I have a loving wife of twenty years.. her focus was to get me better.
We went to the dr appointment, and I was on day 3 of withdrawal so I was a semi-functioning mess. He gave me the rules and boundaries of the treatment then gave me a prescription for Suboxone to get filled and bring back to the office to take the first 1/2 pill (dissolved under my tongue) in his office. I won’t say the effect was immediate, but within an hour and after another 1/2 pill I was feeling much better. That evening after the rest of then daily dose I felt a lot better! I didn’t sleep at all the first night on Suboxone ( I don’t know why) but could function very well the next day at work. Most importantly, I had no cravings!
Today I am on my nearly two weeks on Suboxone. I had tried tapering and cold turkey to get off the pills and couldn’t do it. On day 3-4 I would give up, frantic to feel ‘normal’. Suboxone has been a miracle for me. I have no cravings and I feel normal. I can’t stress enough how incredible I feel, and the freedoms to leave the house without having to count how many pills I have with me. I know I have in effect traded one very serious addiction for another controlled substance, but this is what is working for me.
Everyone is different, I am not judging anyone or saying “this is how you do it” I’m just saying this is working for me. I feel great and have no cravings at all. I also know that I am extremely fortunate to have a loving wife and a wonderful family doctor.
Hope my story helps someone,
Sam
I was done. The pills were absolutely controlling me. I would wake up exhausted and already suffering minor withdrawals, toward the end I was setting my alarm clock a half hour early so I could wake up and take a pill then go back to sleep and get up 30 min later to take another pill and get ready for work. I had to schedule everything around the pills. How many I had, how many I could get, and when I could get them. Obviously it was brutally expensive, plus they really had no effect on me anymore- I was just taking them to keep functioning.
I finally broke down and called my family doctor and told him everything. He set an appointment with me and told me I was to bring my wife with me and tell her everything as well so he could begin treatment. That was rough, of course she knew I was struggling to get off of hydrocodone ( which I had a modest prescription) but she had no idea how many I was taking and that I was buying them. I am a fortunate man that I have a loving wife of twenty years.. her focus was to get me better.
We went to the dr appointment, and I was on day 3 of withdrawal so I was a semi-functioning mess. He gave me the rules and boundaries of the treatment then gave me a prescription for Suboxone to get filled and bring back to the office to take the first 1/2 pill (dissolved under my tongue) in his office. I won’t say the effect was immediate, but within an hour and after another 1/2 pill I was feeling much better. That evening after the rest of then daily dose I felt a lot better! I didn’t sleep at all the first night on Suboxone ( I don’t know why) but could function very well the next day at work. Most importantly, I had no cravings!
Today I am on my nearly two weeks on Suboxone. I had tried tapering and cold turkey to get off the pills and couldn’t do it. On day 3-4 I would give up, frantic to feel ‘normal’. Suboxone has been a miracle for me. I have no cravings and I feel normal. I can’t stress enough how incredible I feel, and the freedoms to leave the house without having to count how many pills I have with me. I know I have in effect traded one very serious addiction for another controlled substance, but this is what is working for me.
Everyone is different, I am not judging anyone or saying “this is how you do it” I’m just saying this is working for me. I feel great and have no cravings at all. I also know that I am extremely fortunate to have a loving wife and a wonderful family doctor.
Hope my story helps someone,
Sam
