Advice for tapering off Opiates using Dihydrocodeine.

[pally pete]

I have plenty of 60mg continuous release DHC (Pure Dihyrocodeine, containing no Paracetamol, Aspirin etc)

I have been using High amounts of Oxycontin for the past year (240-400mg per day) over the course of 2-3 days and then stop cold turkey and then go through withdrawals for anywhere between 3-10 days and then a week later im back on the Oxy. I want to escape this cycle, id rather not use Oxy to taper with as my willpower is quite lacking and i will just continue to abuse it.

I find the DHC helps keep my withdrawals at bay for a couple of days before i start to feel shit again, i find 600mg DHC in one dose crushed up to defeat the time release helps not only with the withdrawals but also makes me feel more sociable, less anxious and irritable etc

Would DHC be a sensible idea to help with coming off Oxy? Also would crushing the tablets to defeat the time release be the best way to go about things or should i just swallow them whole? Will the tabs give me the same relief and sense of well being if taken whole?

I don't plan on using the DHC daily, only on an as and when needed basis, for example every 2-3 days or so when i feel withdrawals becoming unbearable and over time slowly reducing my dose.

These are the tabs im using http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/aches-and-pains/medicines/dhc-continus.html

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...6561921&page=1&ndsp=4&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:62

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[morphonorconic]

I think dihydrocodeine is a great opioid to taper with. IME, it's like a cross between hydrocodone and codeine, and very mellow. It also has a moderate half life.

Taking the tablets whole would be the best method for tapering. I'd suggest finding and building up a comfortable yet minimal level, and then reduce daily from there, so as to avoid the ups and downs that increase the likelyhood of relapse.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

^Very sensible advice.

 

[pally pete]

I think dihydrocodeine is a great opioid to taper with. IME, it's like a cross between hydrocodone and codeine, and very mellow. It also has a moderate half life.

Taking the tablets whole would be the best method for tapering. I'd suggest finding and building up a comfortable yet minimal level, and then reduce daily from there, so as to avoid the ups and downs that increase the likelyhood of relapse.

Thanks for your helpful reply.

Right now im at 600mg but i think i could probably get by on less, and like i say i also plan to only use when needed (ie every 48-72 hours) usually when i feel withdrawals begin to kick in and then i should hopefully slowly reduce my dose by maybe 60mg each time and hopefully be able to space out the doses further as time goes by, so for example instead of using every 48-72 hours try and stretch it out to between 72-96 hours and so on.

I have an 8 day holiday in a months time (Christmas) so by that time i can try to completely stop using and experience the worst of my withdrawals while im at least not at work.

^Very sensible advice.

Advice taken

Thanks for your time once again.

Sorry something i forgot to ask that i should have originally...

Do you recommend taking my minimal/comfortable dose in one go or spread out throughout the day?

They are time-release tablets anyway yet ive only ever taken them in one go after i've crushed them up (to defeat the time-release) so i've no idea how taking them whole will make me feel.

I must admit that im guessing taking them whole will leave me with less of that sense of well being and Depression/Anxiety relief or then i maybe they could still effect me in that way..... Besides at the end of the day my main goal is to quit Oxy and use the DHC to help/lessen/smooth the withdrawals.

 

[Jabberwocky]

For me when detoxing from a high oxy habit I found DHC a godsend.

I also had the dhc continuos tabs, I started my taper at 240 (2x120mg) tabs in the morning and evening, and gradually reduced one by one by one. Lasted two weeks, w/d was gone and I was home free. It's an excellent drug to taper off opiates with. I don't suggest crushing them because that will lead to euphoria. You don't want that if you're trying to kick the habit. They will maintain you easily and stabily - which I found quite surprising tbh. I'd start to taper by reducing one morning tab each time, then one evening so on.

However, I found the constipation on DHC was the worst I've had on any opiate. If you search through my old threads you'll see a post I made about not being able to shit for a week. That really drained me, I was poisoning myself. Make sure (if you suffer from it) to get your hands on some lactulose solution.

Good luck!

 

[pally pete]

For me when detoxing from a high oxy habit I found DHC a godsend.

I also had the dhc continuos tabs, I started my taper at 240 (2x120mg) tabs in the morning and evening, and gradually reduced one by one by one. Lasted two weeks, w/d was gone and I was home free. It's an excellent drug to taper off opiates with. I don't suggest crushing them because that will lead to euphoria. You don't want that if you're trying to kick the habit. They will maintain you easily and stabily - which I found quite surprising tbh. I'd start to taper by reducing one morning tab each time, then one evening so on.

However, I found the constipation on DHC was the worst I've had on any opiate. If you search through my old threads you'll see a post I made about not being able to shit for a week. That really drained me, I was poisoning myself. Make sure (if you suffer from it) to get your hands on some lactulose solution.

Good luck!

Thanks for your post and the information provided.

I started my taper early this morning (around 4am) taking 4x60mg tabs (240mg) and then i had planned to do the same this evening and see how i felt and then probably not use any again until friday which would have been at around 60-72 hours since my last dose.... But unfortunately when i got home tonight after feeling ok at work (no noticeable withdrawal symptoms nor no high to speak of) I dosed 8x60mg tabs (480mg) crushed up just to catch a slight buzz which was silly really as i had felt ok all day and now this minor setback has through me of course a little bit, which is'nt the end of the world, it's just that im worried my will power will not be strong enough to see me through the taper sensibly.

It's mostly because i want the best of both worlds - too get clean and keep getting high along the way.

 

[Jabberwocky]

unfortunately you're going to have to accept that if you really want to get clean, you can't get high in the process of doing so. dihydrocodeine is recreational if taken in high doses which is the problem with it, but its a godsend in comparison to bupe or methadone. consider yourself lucky you don't need to detox with those two horrible drugs. they have the worst withdrawal symptoms in the world if you get hooked on them. you need a lot of willpower to restrain yourself with dihydro, but it is COMPLETELY worth it in the long term.

don't worry about one slip up. honestly, the amount of times i slipped up and relapsed before i finally got clean was crazy but i continued to relapse because i gave up on myself. don't give in - if you slip up, recognise your mistake and recognise WHY you did it and work with it. there must have been a reason surrounding crushing the tabs up - perhaps boredom, or something else? when that feeling arises again, work around it, don't crush up a load of tablets instead find something else to take your mind off the addiction.

your will power is strong in that you've recognised you have a problem and want to quit and that takes an enormous amount of mental capacity and strength in doing so. just keep doing as you are, you're doing well.

if you're looking to keep getting high well then thats another matter. it's either one or the other - quit, stay sober and clean or you can maintain on methadone or bupe for the rest of your life.

as you're going through acute withdrawals at the moment i don't suggest you stop your taper for such a long period of time, which is why i think you may have relapsed. make sure your dose is maintained with DHC. take the 240 in the morning, and when you get home in the evening 240 at night NOT CRUSHED! keep at this schedule for 2 days.

then day by day gradually decrease your dose. remove one 60mg tablet in the morning one day, then one in the evening the second so on so forth.

 

[Hiltoniano]

Yea and abusing the dihydro will make it less effective as a taper aid. Use it for what it is, don't catch a buzz honestly what's the point? Aren't you trying to quit? Well if so, just take the whole tabs enough to stabilize and then taper down. Don't get high man if ur doing that then just go back to the oxy... But don't haha. Be strong and realize how worth it quitting will be. Freedom....

 

[pally pete]

Ok.

Well Wednesday i did'nt take anything and then today i've got back on schedule and taken 4x60mg (240mg) at 6am and then the same dose again at 6pm..

Ok it's now Sunday night just around midnight UK time.

As mentioned above Thursday went to plan and so did Friday although my evening dose i had to take a few hours early (2pm instead of 6pm) but anyways it was my 2nd consecutive day at 480mg split into 2 x 240mg doses, one morning, one evening.

Saturday i did'nt wake until 14.45pm so i began the reduction and took just the 3x60mg (200mg dose) was feeling very Anxious Saturday night so between 4pm - 21.40pm i used some Alprazolam - approx 10mg, some Diazepam - approx 80-100mg and some Nitrazepam (25mg). I then used 480mg DHC crushed up for Instant release followed by another 25mg Nitrazepam and then within the hour i used another 480mg DHC crushed up for Instant Release. (Please bear in mind i realise this is dangerous behaviour even though i have a huge tolerance, so anybody not experienced with Opiates and/or Benzos then i strongly advise against this sort of behaviour as it can lead to death in the worst case senario)

Then today (Sunday) from 15.40pm-17.55pm i have used 200mg Temazepam and 10mg Alprazolam and 600mg DHC crushed up for Instant Release.

I will start the week afresh and try again to taper correctly.

Any other advice always welcomed.... although i realise it's down to me and my own willpower......

I don't know if this sort of behaviour - a running commentary of my progress is wanted/allowed in BDD.

Anyway it's Monday nearly 6pm and i feel no withdrawal symptoms yet i just feel very tired from lack of sleep over the weekend, so i think i'll skip the DHC tonight and see how i feel tomorrow, usually after about 48 hours or so i start to notice slight withdrawals kick in and then they worsen over the following days, so maybe after tomorrow i'll start to feel ruff! But as others have advised me, it's best to start using (tapering) before the withdrawals become too acute as that will most likely lead me to abusing the DHC again and using too much and just getting high off it instead of maintainence.

It's been 2 weeks since i last used any Oxy so i guess im through whatever withdrawals they would have thrown at me.... or the DHC has helped mask them symptoms, even though the comparative doses of DHC - OXY have been tiny.

I've never just withdrawn off Dihydrocodeine so i've no idea of the severity...

 

[werk2play]

The only way you are going to be able to do it is to switch to something weaker like hydrocodone (although hydro is expensive) I was using 120mg of Oxy a day for 10 months and I just bit the bullet and did the following:

60mg hydro a day and do a taper that looks like day 1-3 60mg , day 4-5 50, day 6-8 40, day 9-12 30, day 13-17 25, day 18-25 20, day 26-29 15, day 30-35 10, day 36-44 5 Tapering from Oxy is almost impossible. I was never able to do it and I tried, lied to myself repeatedly…you know the drill by now don't kid yourself.

If all else fails, you can go to your doctor... and ask for some subutex and they will put you on a program and you'll have to go to group therapy everyday and they will test you ever few days, so no cheating yourself anymore. If you're really serious and have medical insurance. I don't like dihydro because it takes too much and it will take too long to taper down and the Hydro is stronger.

You can't ever do that again, just try to take a little bit more to catch a little buzz. If you do, that will jack your whole tapering effort and you'll never be able to quit and this will drag on for years. Getting high days are over bud, taper down, stop. Then tell yourself that you will have a reward and get yourself a a date, in 2-3 months later and mark your calendar and say, this will be my reward day. At that point, you will say to yourself, "do I really need to do this"? You'll say no, but I really want to, but again, "do you need to do this?" No, you don't so fill your life with people and activities that keep your stimulated and reward yourself in other ways! Shit if I want to get high, sure I'll do it once in a while. But I only do it on New Years and on my birthday and that's it. I really look forward to it too, but that's it. So, you'll still be able to get high again, but STOP NOW and following through with the taper. Once the taper is done, give yourself a 2-3 month gap before you do it again and only have enough for one dose. Plan it out. This way you won't feel like you're never gonna get high again. Make yourself a calendar and put down the amount of pills you will be taking and the amount of mg's per day and make sure that you mark it off each day. You might want to get something from your doctor to get to bed at night like Trazadone although Xanax is nice, that's just one more thing to get addicted to, although it's not as expensive as opiates.

 

[pally pete]

I just posted a really long post that did'nt appear for some unknown reason!

Anyway i cant get Hydrocodone.

Any other suggestions?

Btw im not prescribed my meds.

Thanks.

 

[werk2play]

I PM'd you to see what your post was about. Check it...

 

[Jabberwocky]

I think you've just swapped one habit for another mate.