evilblueberry, I very recently just got off of oxycodone, about 90mg a day(i'm 150lbs) while working full time construction job. IMO, the most important thing to remember is to stay focused on the goal. No matter what, you can not let yourself forget the bigger picture- you want to get off opiates. Whatever your reasons may be, do not forget them. Write them down everyday if you have to. That little bit of hope is what is going to be pushing you through the WDs.
WDs are different for everyone, it will depend greatly on how much you took a day and how long you have been taking them for. Obviously the bigger the habit the bigger the WD. If you are serious about getting off them, start tappering right now with the remaining amount you have. You want to step yourself off as gradually as possible, the limit being that its in a short enough time frame so you don't slip up or lose focus. I started by cutting down as much as possible. You want to step yourself down to the point that you start to feel the WD, if possible take it as far as you can until you can't stand it anymore, then take a maintenance dose- enough to stop or ease the WDs, not enough to get you high or buzzed. How far you can push yourself will depend greatly on your setting- for me, when I was doing shovel work in 115F weather also happened to be when I was on my taper. Those days when I was exerting myself already were not the days that I could really push myself on cutting down, but there came a point where I had a very limited amount left and if I wasn't going to go out searching for more then I would have to stick to a strict taper. I had a bottle of 50-10mg hydrocodone I used to taper once I was taking 1/4 of the 30mg oxy. For me, it was a good thing in some ways that I had to work while going through WDs because it gave me something to keep me focused on other than just "don't take anymore..don't take anymore..don't take anymore..." all day. Also, I used weed to help with the body aches, lack of appetite/nausea, and insomnia. Some people like using benzos for this but I had a problem with mixing opiates and benzos, so benzos was a no no for me. I still smoke weed everyday and would like to quit, or atleast take a break, but its better than being on opiates all day. I have way more energy.
Also I started really watching what I eat, trying to eat as healthy and balanced as possible as well as exercising daily. Your body's metabolism alone will have a huge impact on your energy levels throughout the day, and one way to help regulate it is by eating every 2-3 hours, keeping sugar and fat intake as low as possible and eating as fresh and unprocessed as possible. I have some friends who take supplements like fish oil and are all about them, I personally don't have the extra money to spend on them at the moment, still recovering from the cost of my habit.
There is no exact science to it though, everyones habits are different so the path to breaking that cycle will be different for everyone. What works for some may not work for others. The biggest thing is to start to ask yourself what things led you to your habit, what your life will look like if you break this habit, and starting to find healthy things to replace the habit. I know a lot of people who start using pills because of some sort of chronic pain, but opiates dont cure chronic pain. There are a lot of doctors out there who will tell you the best thing for chronic pain is a diet of raw unprocessed food and exercise. I know for myself, I started focusing just simply on doing things that will make me healthier. Even little things, just whatever I could at first to start to progress into a healthier lifestyle. Getting your body and mind in shape and making sure it has all of the nutrients it needs is actually a fairly difficult thing to do in todays world. I quit smoking cigarettes not long after I quit opiates and started running in the morning, no fast food, eat as healthy as possible, and stay away from people who bring negative stress/thoughts or other people who use. It was like once I actually took the steps toward getting sober they became easier and easier with each one. I had gotten sober for days to weeks at a time before, but this time really felt different. This time I wasn't holding back and I was really pushing myself to strive again.
9 days should be enough time to get make it over the hump of the WDs, if you start preparing for it. You have to hit those first few days of sobriety with as much energy as possible. Don't spend your time off laying around, get up first thing in the morning and go run, eat a big breakfast, then do something that you can focus your energy on but something that will relax you as well. For me playing music and getting out of town was crucial. I went camping and visited old friends as much as I could during that time. Do all those things that you've thought about but been to fucked up on oxy to do. Maybe not all of them actually, pick your battles wisely but do those things that make you feel alive again. DON'T BE AFRAID OF SOBRIETY, IT WONT KILL YOU. Seriously if you can make it past the first few days you will get a taste of what its like to feel TRUE happiness again.
I have so many friends who have gone through this exact thing its heart wrenching. Some have made it through and are living life and striving again. Some are still going back and forth between the two, and some are completely lost still. The ones who have made it through are the ones who have found reasons to stay sober, found something other than dope to live for. Don't be afraid to reach out, but at the same time you may need to be careful as to who you reach out to for not everyone may understand where you are coming from.
Biggest thing tho, just don't give up. No matter what, you must do this for yourself, for your health. It may benefit people you love, but if you lose those people you love you cannot afford to lose your reasons to stay sober as well. hang in there, you will pull through.
