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Questions about tapering?

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ElleAZ

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
206
Hello.

I am curious. My doctor dropped my dosage from 20mg 2/day to 10mg 3/day on Monday. Now, I had w/d symptoms even before the tapering. I don't know what happened other than a uti. So I have been adjusting meds and this is my fourth day.

Do those who taper go through w/ds with every drop? This week has been uncomfortable, but not bad.

I remember going off Lyrica cold turkey and saying "Never again". OMG.
 
If you go through a fairly rapid taper you will probably start feeling some degree of withdrawal but not nearly as severe as cold turkey.

With opiates, I think a taper should be done fairly quickly because of cravings. As long as the taper is bearable and the symptoms are manageable I would suggest trying to stick it out.

You will probably experience a degree of discomfort with every step down because you body has to readjust in attempts to obtain equilibrium.
 
How you feel during a taper is going to depend on how quickly you're reducing your intake of the oxy. But typically during a taper off opioids, you're likely to have some discomfort at each drop, followed by a gradual improvement as your body acclimates to the new, smaller dose.

One important aspect of tapering that I see people sometimes forget/neglect is to pay attention to how long you wait between drops in your dose. Unless you're really hurrying (which I don't recommend), give yourself some time to adjust after each change.
 
Thank you! I think the plan is to cut down to two pills after two weeks on three. Doc said he could get me clean in 30 days. I wonder how he intends to drop me 30mg in two weeks. Maybe we need to rethink this!
 
It can be done, it may not be very comfortable, but I think it's worth giving it a shot so long as the symptoms don't become debilitating. Stay in communication with your doctor about your discomfort and withdrawal symptoms. I don't think he would have a problem extending the taper if absolutely necessary. Hopefully he can help you make a decision that is right for you.
 
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