Opiate Detox/Withdrawal Help

[Almostz]

I'm currently trying to detox from harder opiates by tapering off with hydrocodone (I have been tapering off using Oxycodone for much longer before this). The last few days have been something like this:

Day 1: 40mg (Morning, no w/d this day)
Day 2: 20mg (Night, mild w/d throughout middle of day until dose taken)
Day 3: 20mg (Morning, little-no w/d)
Day 4: 20mg (Morning, little-no w/d)
Day 5: 15mg (Morning, this would be today)

1) If I continue to lower my dose every two days will I be able to quit with little to no withdrawal symptoms from 2.5-5mg?
2) How long does it take for withdrawal symptoms to start usually?
3) If I were to go 48 hours without any symptoms would it be safe to say that withdrawals are not coming?

If anyone can answer the above questions or offer some advice on better ways to detox without much withdrawal (deathly afraid of getting sick) I would greatly appreciate it, this last week by itself has been hell. Thanks.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

1 is a no... It will be a lot smoother, but you will have cravings.

2 is after the drug has left the receptors.

3 is a yes in this case for hydrocodone. This would be longer for longer duration drugs.

 

[Almostz]

Thanks for the reply. I expect quite a bit of depression and cravings, but I've been dealing with those pretty well. I mainly meant the physical symptoms. I could swear last time I went through this (not nearly as bad) I was feeling sick close to 72 hours after. Probably all in my head.

Does the taper plan seem pretty solid? Or is taking it around every 24 hours still going to keep me dependent even if the dose is dropping?

 

[Tommyboy]

^ You are going to be dependent until you are off of it for 5 days or so. The taper plan seems fine, and I wouldn't expect the withdrawals to begin until after your last dose, although some mild symptoms may arise when you get to lower doses.

2 is after the drug has left the receptors.

3 is a yes in this case for hydrocodone. This would be longer for longer duration drugs.

I've gotta disagree with these two answers. While half-life certainly has an affect on when withdrawals begin, it's not the only factor. My first opioid withdrawal was from hydrocodone, and it didn't even start for 3 days. It seems that the more times you kick or the longer you have been using, the quicker withdrawals begin. More recently a moderate habit would having withdrawals starting around 48 hours after the last dose, and a heavier habit between 24-36 hours after it.

For the short(er) acting opioids withdrawal seems to start around the time of your next usual dose. So if you are using every 2 days they won't start for 2 days or so, but if you are using daily they will start a few hours after the first missed dose, considering you have been using them long enough to have developed a dependence.

Withdrawal isn't just the drug leaving the receptors, but also your body adjusting to functioning without the drug. That might seem like the same thing, but what I mean is that if you are using every 3 days your body is used to that schedule so won't really act up too much before then, but once you approach the 3 day mark your body will be expecting its dose. If it doesn't get it, the withdrawals will happen then.

 

[Alex000]

If your taper method with hydrocodone is working for you, which by your indication it seems to be, I would not necessarily advise you to stop the taper if you feel it will be successful. I will say hydrocodone has a rather short half-life and duration of action compared to the likes of morphine or heroin, even oxycodone in my experience. This means that once daily dosing is not necessarily the best option, but as I said, if it works for you. Personally, I would suggest dosing with rather low doses more frequently, than taking a larger dose at once, keeping your body much less sick w/o falling back into the opiate addiction trap. When you do kick the hydrocodone, should you continue this taper, I would say be prepared for discomfort even if at a low dose, THOUGH not as much discomfort as would have been CT'ing, even though with most opiates I feel it is better to CT and use other sedatives (benzos, z-drugs, barbiturates etc.) to help ease symptoms with perhaps an NSAID like ibuprofen or naproxen, diphenhydramine (for nausea and anxiety/insomnia), and often clonidine (helps bunches with sweats, chills, goosebumps/gooseflesh etc. and anxiety/insomnia, too). Sometimes for a CT loperamide is a good idea, but I am often weary that it prolongs wd's to some extent, although helps heaps with physical symptoms (it is an opioid, actually, OTC, which does NOT cross the blood-brain barrier, thus exerting no psychoactive effect). BUT, your are not doing a typical CT with your taper, and again if it works - good, everyone is different. When you do jump off though, even from a low dose, or as you decrease your dose, you may start to notice more discomfort. SOME of the drugs mentioned above can be employed to help the symptoms of wd, but it is essential it is done safely and smartly so not to cause excessive sedation or CNS depression with a mix of different CNS-active drugs. The wd's from jumping off hydrocodone should come quickly, then leave fairly quickly, compared to some other opiates (e.g. morphine, heroin). It sounds as if your current discomfort level is fairly low, which is GREAT, and you are already at a very low dose of hydrocodone for an opiate addict - just play it safely, and continue with what feels right in the direction to quit opiates, if that is, indeed, what you want to do. Hope this helps some.

 

[Almostz]

Thanks for the replies! I am only experiencing slight discomfort on the first day of dropping the dose, I have a high tolerance for benzos (I'm prescribed) so those don't help much. Honestly the worst part is the stomach pain and the insomnia, cravings and depression have been rather rare for the past few days.

Now my big problem: I have 65mg left and may not be able to obtain any more after that.

Would it be better to drop to 10mg on schedule (leaving 50mg) and then wait longer and longer between each dosing of 10mg to give my body time to adjust?

OR

Would it be more beneficial to just continue dropping the dose like originally planned? I know everyone is different, but I'm just asking for some opinions as I'm torn between the two right now. Seems like just yesterday I was blowing +60mg Opana a day. I've come a long way and don't want to/can't afford to get sick.

Edit:
Also, in response to tommyboy, my symptoms seem to start around 30 hours after my last round, how long could it take for the withdrawals to actually begin if I'm not safe after 48 hours? This is the scariest part for me.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Would it be better to drop to 10mg on schedule (leaving 50mg) and then wait longer and longer between each dosing of 10mg to give my body time to adjust?

OR

Would it be more beneficial to just continue dropping the dose like originally planned?

I might consider doing a combination of the 2. Keep lowering your dose gradually, dropping from 10 to 0 will likely be painful even if you get used to taking it every other day instead of once a day. But you could at the same time try to space your doses farther and farther apart, like if you take one in the morning, the next day you could try to wait til the afternoon, and the next day til the evening, etc. Or however long you can bear in between.

 

[Tommyboy]

Also, in response to tommyboy, my symptoms seem to start around 30 hours after my last round, how long could it take for the withdrawals to actually begin if I'm not safe after 48 hours? This is the scariest part for me.

Well if they are starting around 30 hours after your last dose then that's when they are beginning. If you are fine for the first day then I consider the second day to be like day 1 of withdrawals, and considering day 3 is usually the worst then the peak would be the 4th day after your last dose.