Positive The Tapering Supportive/Social Thread

[Squeaky]

The pandemic kind of screwed me this month. A year ago I was getting my script every 28 days. But it is a 30 day prescription. So I always had 2 days of extra pills. This month its going to be 35 days between scripts. Ironically I’m gonna run out today(a week early) but I’m still about 2 weeks away from my next refill.
This has been the best month I have had in a couple of years. I’m running out but I’m not concerned. A little happy even.
Dosing only once or twice per day with kratom during the rest of every day has left me with very manageable withdrawals. And I have no fear of running out. I’m not suffering much without my pills if you don’t count my back pain. And I have an unlimited supply of Kratom. Dosing multiple times per day was a huge mistake because I was perpetually in withdrawal and then just miserable when I ran out for about 7-10 days. Now, I’m getting good relief once or twice per day which gives me something to look forward to, and I have kratom to help the rest of the time. Compound that with not being ashamed about hiding my usage from my wife and there’s no question that I am the most happy and productive I have been on a consistent basis since my first surgery 5 years ago.

I would much rather NOT need the pills. I don’t like eating a tablespoon of shit-powder(kratom) in the middle of the night or starting each day counting the hours since my last dose of shit-powder so I can take more, but it is what it is. And since she doesn’t let me take enough oxy to be ‘really happy’, I am more present in my life at work and with my family. It is good now and it finally feels like something I can sustain forever.

It feels like next month might actually be the month I don’t have to count pills and still not run out

 

[Bookbag]

Hi everyone. Long time lurker (like 2000s) first time poster. Posting for soem advice, other people's tapering experiences etc

I'm tapering my opiods. I've been on them for chronic pain on and off since 2012 after a bad car accident. I stopped for five or so years living overseas in a country where you just can't get them. After the birth of my daughter I was put back on them as pregnancy really ruined my body. Four years later all that damage is healing and I'm tapering. It's a slow process :/

At my Highest doses they weren't that high but I think this is about the amount of time I've been on them which is along time.

Tramadol: at peak dose 400 mg, now down to 200mg. Tapering and jumping off is the end goal

Oxycodone+naloxone (targin). 20mg. I've managed to taper down to 7.5mg as of yesterday. Tapering and jumping off is the end goal

Do I just keep slowly tapering? I'm using an mme calculator.

The weird thing is, even though tramadol is a less powerful opiod it's the hardest to taper. It's mixed with noradrenaline and some ssri if I'm correct?

Seeing some of you taper off high doses has inspired me so much and honestly gave me the hope that I can do it too

 

[Squeaky]

Hi everyone. Long time lurker (like 2000s) first time poster. Posting for soem advice, other people's tapering experiences etc

I'm tapering my opiods. I've been on them for chronic pain on and off since 2012 after a bad car accident. I stopped for five or so years living overseas in a country where you just can't get them. After the birth of my daughter I was put back on them as pregnancy really ruined my body. Four years later all that damage is healing and I'm tapering. It's a slow process :/

At my Highest doses they weren't that high but I think this is about the amount of time I've been on them which is along time.

Tramadol: at peak dose 400 mg, now down to 200mg. Tapering and jumping off is the end goal

Oxycodone+naloxone (targin). 20mg. I've managed to taper down to 7.5mg as of yesterday. Tapering and jumping off is the end goal

Do I just keep slowly tapering? I'm using an mme calculator.

The weird thing is, even though tramadol is a less powerful opiod it's the hardest to taper. It's mixed with noradrenaline and some ssri if I'm correct?

Seeing some of you taper off high doses has inspired me so much and honestly gave me the hope that I can do it too

Just keep tapering if that has been working. Remember that it is a game of percentages- dropping from 7.5mg to 5mg might feel just as crappy as dropping from 15mg to 10mg. Keep using the MME calculator and cut your doses by 1/4 or 1/2 each time. Opioids dissolve well in cool water (look up ‘cold water extract’) so if necessary you can crush pills, dissolve in water, and microdose with water to get the perfect dose.
Stay the course. Life is better when you can live without the pills anymore. Do a little research on Kratom. If it’s legal where you are, it really helps with pain and it really helps with withdrawals whenever you are ready to jump off.

 

[Bookbag]

Just keep tapering if that has been working. Remember that it is a game of percentages- dropping from 7.5mg to 5mg might feel just as crappy as dropping from 15mg to 10mg. Keep using the MME calculator and cut your doses by 1/4 or 1/2 each time. Opioids dissolve well in cool water (look up ‘cold water extract’) so if necessary you can crush pills, dissolve in water, and microdose with water to get the perfect dose.
Stay the course. Life is better when you can live without the pills anymore. Do a little research on Kratom. If it’s legal where you are, it really helps with pain and it really helps with withdrawals whenever you are ready to jump off.

Thanks for much for the advice. I wasn't aware about the water dissolvability of them. I will definitely try. I'll get a proper pill cutter too. I'm determined to do this. I went cold turkey when I moved overseas lol that was hard. I went five years without them I know I can do that again.

I'm going to ask my doctor for non slow release of the oxycodone so I can dissolve it as my current tablet is mixed with naloxone so you can't cut them up.

Tramadol I could open up and measure and take in cold water too as microdoses. Or I could get the hard tablet form which is mixed with paracetamol called ultracet.

Game plan: keep going, keep using mme calculator, cut them up, microdoses to jump off.

Thanks so much

 

[Squeaky]

Thanks for much for the advice. I wasn't aware about the water dissolvability of them. I will definitely try. I'll get a proper pill cutter too. I'm determined to do this. I went cold turkey when I moved overseas lol that was hard. I went five years without them I know I can do that again.

I'm going to ask my doctor for non slow release of the oxycodone so I can dissolve it as my current tablet is mixed with naloxone so you can't cut them up.

Tramadol I could open up and measure and take in cold water too as microdoses. Or I could get the hard tablet form which is mixed with paracetamol called ultracet.

Game plan: keep going, keep using mme calculator, cut them up, microdoses to jump off.

Thanks so much

Don’t get slow release pills. I figured out that having opiates in your blood all day equals being in perpetual withdrawal when you are tapering.
You can get yourself down to 1 or two doses per day. You will be uncomfortable between doses but at least there will be something to look forward to, maybe one in the morning so the first part of the day is more hopeful and one after work in the evening so you can be a but energetic fir your family at dinner time.
I started taking my last dose about 5 hours before bedtime. I feel pretty good for a couple of hours, then try to sleep through the least comfortable hours until my morning dose. It is SO MUCH BETTER than microdosing constantly throughout the day. When I tried it the other way, I was in a constant state of partial withdrawal and there was no hope that it would get better even for a second- and it was non stop like that for weeks.

 

[Bookbag]

Don’t get slow release pills. I figured out that having opiates in your blood all day equals being in perpetual withdrawal when you are tapering.
You can get yourself down to 1 or two doses per day. You will be uncomfortable between doses but at least there will be something to look forward to, maybe one in the morning so the first part of the day is more hopeful and one after work in the evening so you can be a but energetic fir your family at dinner time.
I started taking my last dose about 5 hours before bedtime. I feel pretty good for a couple of hours, then try to sleep through the least comfortable hours until my morning dose. It is SO MUCH BETTER than microdosing constantly throughout the day. When I tried it the other way, I was in a constant state of partial withdrawal and there was no hope that it would get better even for a second- and it was non stop like that for weeks.

Great advice thank you. The tramadol is the hardest one due to the ssri snri action. I can go a day or so without oxy but the tramadol taper is rough. Yesterday I was down to 175 tramadol. It's taken me six months to get down there. I've been tapering and stopping from time to time but never increasing so far.

Today I'm aiming for 150 mg tramadol spaced over the day using 50mg tablets. I have 37.5 mg to jump down to when I'm ready.

I had been on gabapentin 100mg nightly but replaced that with a herbal tablet. It's been two nights. It too me six months to get off Lyrica and I decided I didn't want to be dealing with the same issue with gabapentin. Herbals sleep tablets are working well.

I have Valium. Barely touched it used it one night of bad insomnia. Keeping it there for the bad moments that might come

Thanks heaps for the advice. Tramdaol tapering+opiod sucks

 

[Lostbeebabe]

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some help and info (I posted other places here too but figured it wouldn’t hurt to try 2 places)

coming off of a 40-80mg oxycodone habit that’s been on and off for the last couple months

typically my withdrawal starts within 24 hours. This time, I felt uncomfortable but not as bad it normally is. Day 2 was the same. And each day I’ve been getting more and more uncomfortable with hot flashes, cold sweats, wanting to crawl out of skin.

I’ve been taking some Xanax and kratom to help push through. It’s day 6 and I’m feeling pretty bad. Cold but sweating and mild goosebumps. Also that crawling out of your skin feeling.

I have loperamide and based on what I’ve been reading it seems like I should try that.

does lope and kratom interact badly with each other? If so, how long should I wait to take the lope after last taking kratom? Also how many g’s of lope and how many days? Lastly, how long do I stay taking either the kratom or lope before I need to stop so I don’t develop a tolerance to that!

I really appreciate all your help and support. Goal
Is to come off opiates all together

 

[Lostbeebabe]

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!! ❤❤❤
Good job my friend. Very well done.
I know that was really hard for you.
This month is going to be so much better for you.
You will have the Oxy for when you really need it for pain and having to ask for it tends to keep you from those “fuck it” binges that end up in months of suffering, getting tolerance back down, being short on medication. Etc.

I am suffering through a few days of running myself out again.
I am glad I handed my prescription over to my mom when I did or it would be way more than a few days without.
I’m just going to give it to her to give to me right when I get it!
This is so not worth it.

Kratom is saving my ass right now!
The stores are out of Loperamide.
I was lucky to find one box of 12 gel capsules.
The Kratom is surprisingly working well.
I am comfortable at least and it does have some pain control to it.
I am pleasantly surprised.
I was afraid to just go with Kratom for fear it would not hold off the withdrawal but it is and I even feel pretty decent.

Are you taking the loperamide and kratom at the same time? Or do they interact badly with each other?

 

[Bookbag]

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some help and info (I posted other places here too but figured it wouldn’t hurt to try 2 places)

coming off of a 40-80mg oxycodone habit that’s been on and off for the last couple months

typically my withdrawal starts within 24 hours. This time, I felt uncomfortable but not as bad it normally is. Day 2 was the same. And each day I’ve been getting more and more uncomfortable with hot flashes, cold sweats, wanting to crawl out of skin.

I’ve been taking some Xanax and kratom to help push through. It’s day 6 and I’m feeling pretty bad. Cold but sweating and mild goosebumps. Also that crawling out of your skin feeling.

I have loperamide and based on what I’ve been reading it seems like I should try that.

does lope and kratom interact badly with each other? If so, how long should I wait to take the lope after last taking kratom? Also how many g’s of lope and how many days? Lastly, how long do I stay taking either the kratom or lope before I need to stop so I don’t develop a tolerance to that!

I really appreciate all your help and support. Goal
Is to come off opiates all together

Hey, kratom isn't legal here. So sorry I don't have any experience with that. But just wanted to say what you've achieved is huge. I'm on a taper. I tapered over a year to where I am now and stopped for six months to work on my physical health/chronic pain and finally at the point where I'm ready to really try tackle this and continue the taper.

Hoping you can get some advice soon, sorry I don't have lope or kratom experince

 

[Shady's Fox]

Are you taking the loperamide and kratom at the same time? Or do they interact badly with each other?

One word, time. 2/3 hours after that take your kratom.

 

[Lostbeebabe]

One word, time. 2/3 hours after that take your kratom.

I took kratom 1st today. Maybe around 12/1ish. Is it safe to take some loperamide now?

 

[Lostbeebabe]

I just took 18g of lope so fingers crossed!

 

[Painful One]

I’m alive! And well.
I am doing good now.
I managed to get things straightened out and am now on my scheduled dosage and doing good there.
I am working hard to keep it that way.
No more messing around with the MS Contin.
I need it for pain and I am just accepting that I am on a max dose for pain management.
Taking more does not even help more so....just going to stick to the schedule.

I really screwed myself running myself out early and taking Loperamide and kratom.
That combination really raised my tolerance.
I suffered it out with a very low dose of just Loperamide for 10 days.
I had to taper off the Lope anyway, since I had used it for too long and I was getting some really bad hot flashes / withdrawal.
The thought of taking lope makes me want to throw up. Ugh!
I am so glad I managed to get off that with minimal problems.
(relatively)
Be careful with the Loperamide.
I once went through 6 weeks of ACUTE withdrawal from using way too much lope for too long.

The Kratom really upped my tolerance a lot.
it just didn’t work out too great for me.
I am glad it helps others though.
I do feel better having an emergency supply of Kratom.
just in case.
Kratom renders my pain medication ineffective after I used that, for quite awhile.

anyway...I got it straightened out and am doing well now.
My chronic pain is back under management and I am breathing a sigh of relief.

 

[Painful One]

Hi everyone. Long time lurker (like 2000s) first time poster. Posting for soem advice, other people's tapering experiences etc

I'm tapering my opiods. I've been on them for chronic pain on and off since 2012 after a bad car accident. I stopped for five or so years living overseas in a country where you just can't get them. After the birth of my daughter I was put back on them as pregnancy really ruined my body. Four years later all that damage is healing and I'm tapering. It's a slow process :/

At my Highest doses they weren't that high but I think this is about the amount of time I've been on them which is along time.

Tramadol: at peak dose 400 mg, now down to 200mg. Tapering and jumping off is the end goal

Oxycodone+naloxone (targin). 20mg. I've managed to taper down to 7.5mg as of yesterday. Tapering and jumping off is the end goal

Do I just keep slowly tapering? I'm using an mme calculator.

The weird thing is, even though tramadol is a less powerful opiod it's the hardest to taper. It's mixed with noradrenaline and some ssri if I'm correct?

Seeing some of you taper off high doses has inspired me so much and honestly gave me the hope that I can do it too

You can do it!!!

Great job on getting those dosages down!
Just keep slowly lowering the dosage.
You will get there.
You are not on very high dosages and you don’t want to be.
Nip this problem while you can.

I am pulling for you!

 

[Painful One]

Are you taking the loperamide and kratom at the same time? Or do they interact badly with each other?

I did take the Loperamide and the Kratom together and that ended up raising my tolerance a lot.
Kratom doesn’t work so well for me.

I take 75 mg MS Contin a day for pain management of severe pain.
The thing that worked best for me when I ran myself out early of pain medication was to just take the Loperamide.
Lowest dosage of Loperamide that kept me out of major withdrawal is 30-35 mg Loperamide.
Don‘t use the Loperamide for more than 10 days max.

It is best to just keep tapering down on the oxycodone.
If you run out of that...then you can use some Loperamide to lessen withdrawal.
LESSEN being the key word.
Not take away the withdrawal fully.
The key to taking Loperamide is to take the lowest dosage possible and only for a short period of time.

Some people have had excellent results with tapering down and then using a little Kratom and tapering off that until they were all the way free and clear.

Good Luck! You can do this.
Everyone’s body is a different so you kind of have to figure out what works for you.

 

[Lostbeebabe]

I did take the Loperamide and the Kratom together and that ended up raising my tolerance a lot.
Kratom doesn’t work so well for me.

I take 75 mg MS Contin a day for pain management of severe pain.
The thing that worked best for me when I ran myself out early of pain medication was to just take the Loperamide.
Lowest dosage of Loperamide that kept me out of major withdrawal is 30-35 mg Loperamide.
Don‘t use the Loperamide for more than 10 days max.

It is best to just keep tapering down on the oxycodone.
If you run out of that...then you can use some Loperamide to lessen withdrawal.
LESSEN being the key word.
Not take away the withdrawal fully.
The key to taking Loperamide is to take the lowest dosage possible and only for a short period of time.

Some people have had excellent results with tapering down and then using a little Kratom and tapering off that until they were all the way free and clear.

Good Luck! You can do this.
Everyone’s body is a different so you kind of have to figure out what works for you.

thank you for sharing your story and wisdom!

Do you happen to know how long/how many days it takes to become dependent on kratom where it would cause withdrawals? I’ve been taking 3g’s once or twice a day for 6-7 days. I need advice on when to stop the kratom so I don’t go into kratom withdrawal.

 

[Bookbag]

You can do it!!!

Great job on getting those dosages down!
Just keep slowly lowering the dosage.
You will get there.
You are not on very high dosages and you don’t want to be.
Nip this problem while you can.

I am pulling for you!

Thank you Painful One! Really appreciate the support.

On the one hand, opiods are a blessing for those of us with severe chronic pain. Opiods allowed me to rebuild my body strength, to be active, and to parent well. The healing of my body means I just don't need the same strength anymore.

I do think I'll be on some form of pain management for the rest of my life however. That said, I feel like if I taper now and then if I ever end up in a bad way pain wise again I will be able to get relief on lower doses.

My lowest dose this week was 137 mg tramadol. Perhaps the lowest in 4 years. I'm tracking my doses.

I up the oxycodone if needed such as at night with pain that keeps me awake. Now on the lower dose I have spare if needed. The oxy is a drop of about 3/4 to 1/2 fluctuating based in pain etc.

Tramadol has been the hardest. It has some kind of anti depressant effect on me. I'll just keep pressing on.

I'm also day five off gabapentin. Been on it for a year and Lyrica a year before that. Used for a sleep aid and for nerve pain. I upped my magnesium dose to help the sleep and increased my at home physio for night time pain and am sleeping on multiple pillows to support my awful hips. I think I'm in gabapentin withdrawal now, low energy but mentally good

 

[PillPopper570]

Hi everybody. I’ve been taking Diazepam for 16 days. Do I need to be tapering? I’ve been trying to taper but unsure if 16 days of daily use (30-40mg most days) is enough for me to get withdrawals and need tapering?

 

[Bookbag]

Hey

Hi everybody. I’ve been taking Diazepam for 16 days. Do I need to be tapering? I’ve been trying to taper but unsure if 16 days of daily use (30-40mg most days) is enough for me to get withdrawals and need tapering?

Hey. See how you go. I have only ever been on low doses of that for sleep disturbances but have not had withdrawal. But if that's a higher dose than you're used to it would be wise to consider a taper to make life easier in yourself. As you haven't been in it a very long time the taper will likely be easier. See how you go at a lower dose today. You might experience psychological withdrawal

 

[PillPopper570]

Hey


Hey. See how you go. I have only ever been on low doses of that for sleep disturbances but have not had withdrawal. But if that's a higher dose than you're used to it would be wise to consider a taper to make life easier in yourself. As you haven't been in it a very long time the taper will likely be easier. See how you go at a lower dose today. You might experience psychological withdrawal

Thanks mate. I’m tapering as well speak.