Oxycodone after surgery (help)

[galo]

Hello,

I’m trying to stop a daily habit of 30mg of oxycodone that I’ve had for the past three or four months.
It started after surgery and I don’t know if I should try to reduce my last supply or just quit cold turkey.
Is quitting cold turkey really dangerous?

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[3DQSAR]

Do I take it you are prescribed 15mg Oxycontin (or generic thereof) or are you given an immediate release formulation intended to be taken 'as required'?

Because I have been through this.

In my case I talked to my doctor and suggested what is referred to as 'flip-flopping'. In essence I was given two strengths of Oxycontin and took the lower dose in the morning, the higher dose at night. Then, when I was stable on that decrease, I got the lower dose morning and nigh until stable and repeated.

It was tough but the longer you go on just taking the same dose, the harder it gets. If you have no psychological addiction but are physically dependent, it's unpleasant BUT at least knowing that I would be OK at night and able to sleep, it was OK. You could mentally think 'well, I may feel rotten now but at least tonight I will be fine.

Happily 30mg isn't a massive dose. Have you tried just stopping? Because you need to know what your body will do. I've known people just stop and suffer no symptoms whatsoever. I was just unlucky to have needed a larger dose for longer. I took me 18 weeks.

 

[galo]

I went through a similar thing after surgery, and I found that tapering down gradually really helped me avoid the worst of withdrawal. Quitting cold turkey can be tough and lead to some serious symptoms like nausea and anxiety, so I’d say it’s better to slowly reduce your dose instead. It’s definitely worth chatting with your doctor or someone who knows your situation for the best approach.

How long did it take for you with the reduction? I have enough medicine for a two week taper but I don’t know if it’ll help. I imagine I could have bad withdrawal symptoms too after the reduction plan is finished

 

[GulpingBatteryLiquid]

Isn't 30mg a day a fairly small habit? You should be fine. If you want to be cautious you can just cut the pills in half if they're IR (probably best not to do this with ER) Or just ask the doctor to help you do a taper

 

[galo]

Isn't 30mg a day a fairly small habit? You should be fine. If you want to be cautious you can just cut the pills in half if they're IR (probably best not to do this with ER) Or just ask the doctor to help you do a taper

I don’t really know if the amount is small compared with the amount other people take but I definitely feel sick after 20 hours without it. Mostly body aches and bad fatigue. My doctor is not being very helpful unfortunately.

 

[ghostandthedarkness]

30 mg a day is pretty low dose. if you go cold turkey you'll have roughly 3 bad days of feeling like you have the flu. After that you should feel marked improvement daily.

 

[GulpingBatteryLiquid]

I don’t really know if the amount is small compared with the amount other people take but I definitely feel sick after 20 hours without it. Mostly body aches and bad fatigue. My doctor is not being very helpful unfortunately.

If you still have oxy left, and they're ERs, cut the pills into quarters, if they're IR cut them in half

If not, you should be fine, maybe try and score some DHC if you can get that

If not, a few drinks a day til the worst is over should help

If you don't drink, just deal with it, if you can. a 30mg a day oxy habit is not going to make you experience a Trainspotting style withdrawa;

 

[galo]

If you still have oxy left, and they're ERs, cut the pills into quarters, if they're IR cut them in half

If not, you should be fine, maybe try and score some DHC if you can get that

If not, a few drinks a day til the worst is over should help

If you don't drink, just deal with it, if you can. a 30mg a day oxy habit is not going to make you experience a Trainspotting style withdrawa;

Thanks for sharing such good info.
I have 14 pills left (10mg)
I honestly have no experience with opiate dependence and my doctor said I shouldn’t have any bad symptoms if I quit cold turkey. Hard to imagine as I’ve read so many bad stories.
I like the idea of having a few drinks during the bad days but I though it might exacerbate the symptoms.
Anyway, thanks again.

 

[GulpingBatteryLiquid]

Have you experienced any bad symptoms so far?

Are the 10mg pills instant release?

If so, just attempt cold turkey and if you start feeling significantly bad just take a 10mg pill

If they're extended release, maybe take two

Then just wait until the symptoms come back

You should be fine after a few days

 

[galo]

Have you experienced any bad symptoms so far?

Are the 10mg pills instant release?

If so, just attempt cold turkey and if you start feeling significantly bad just take a 10mg pill

If they're extended release, maybe take two

Then just wait until the symptoms come back

You should be fine after a few days

Only flu like symptoms and restless legs if I try to sleep.
The pills I have are immediate release.

 

[GulpingBatteryLiquid]

Well just do one if your symptoms are bad enough that you're struggling with them. Maybe even half a 10mg pill

Obviously don't do more than 30mg a day if that was how much you were doing previously

 

[xyz69]

Non so se la quantità è piccola rispetto a quella che prendono altre persone, ma mi sento decisamente male dopo 20 ore senza. Principalmente dolori muscolari e forte stanchezza. Il mio medico purtroppo non mi è stato di grande aiuto.

30 mg non sono molti, ma sono comunque sufficienti a farti sentire male.
E naturalmente, se ci sei abituato dopo 20 ore, stai male! Francamente, mi aspettavo che se prendi un rilascio prolungato durasse al massimo 8 ore e non 12, se bypassi la protezione dopo 4 ore stai già male.
Rallenta e tra un mese o due, se vuoi, potrai toglierlo.
Ciao

 

[4DQSAR]

If you can manage 20 hours, maybe a more appropriate path is to reduce intake to one dose every 20 hours?

It's imperfect but I take oxycodone three times a day and I'm sick after just 10 hours, so it doesn't sound like you have a serious dependence.

If it's your first habit and an unsought one to boot, panic is a normal reaction.

Chopping up pills works for some people and it's the other option open to you.

While people joke that 30mg/day isn't much - if you take that dose for months and stop, you will suffer.

I have to say I'm surprised that the doctor was unhelpful BUT as William S. Burroughs noted 'with doctors, you haver to have a good bedside manner' i.e. go to them and ask for a reduction, they likely say yes. But keep asking for the same dose and they WILL class it as 'drug sseeking behavior'.

Now I ALWAYS have an advocate speak for me because if they do the arguing, it cannot be classed as drug seeking behavior because they aren't the ones taking the medication.

After 12 years a doctor casually noted I was on 80mg;/day and simply stated I should just STOP. It was my advocate who simly said 'well, withoiut the medication, he cannot live in independent housing. So if you insist, you must agree to explain to social services why someone who previously didn't need care, suddenly needs 24 hour care.

The doctor didn't reply. They just moved on to the next tpoc.

Good bedside manner, you see.