How severe will the Percocet withdrawal be?!
Question: How severe will the Percocet withdrawal be.?
I have been taking Percocet for about a year and half for back pain and back surgery. My DR. wants to keep me on them until Feb. for weaning purposes however, I want to be off of them now. I take anywhere from 10 to 30 mgs a day depending on my pain. How severe will my withdrawals be.? I have tried to go a day without them and I felt so depressed....How long will thay last.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Should not be too bad from that dosage. Gradually reducing the dose and frequency over 4-6 weeks is the most comfortable way too do it, but you can "cold turkey" without too much risk.
Ask your doc if he/she is willing to prescribe an anti-anxiety med, such as clonazepam during the process. Will make it easier for you to deal with the withdrawal without obsessing about it, as we who've developed such dependencies often do.
Although benzodiazapenes have tolerance and dependence issues themselves, short-term use under medical supervision should not pose a problem.
Another option is to switch to a milder narcotic, such as hydrocodone, during the weaning, or even use tramadol, which is not a narcotic but satisfies some, not all, of the opiate receptors in your brain. Some contend that tramadol can trigger withdrawal symptoms itself (DD, feel free to jump in, you know more about this than I do), but I've found the weaning process more tolerable with tramadol than without.
Overall, your system can be cleaned out and your receptors "deactivated" after about a month of non-use. Of course, if you're still in pain, that's a bigger issue to deal with and you'll have to address it somehow.
Good luck.Health Question & Answer
Ask your doc if he/she is willing to prescribe an anti-anxiety med, such as clonazepam during the process. Will make it easier for you to deal with the withdrawal without obsessing about it, as we who've developed such dependencies often do.
Although benzodiazapenes have tolerance and dependence issues themselves, short-term use under medical supervision should not pose a problem.
Another option is to switch to a milder narcotic, such as hydrocodone, during the weaning, or even use tramadol, which is not a narcotic but satisfies some, not all, of the opiate receptors in your brain. Some contend that tramadol can trigger withdrawal symptoms itself (DD, feel free to jump in, you know more about this than I do), but I've found the weaning process more tolerable with tramadol than without.
Overall, your system can be cleaned out and your receptors "deactivated" after about a month of non-use. Of course, if you're still in pain, that's a bigger issue to deal with and you'll have to address it somehow.
Good luck.Health Question & Answer
You are in for a very hard ride, my dear. Opiate addiction is the hardest withdrawal to go through. You really should not go "cold" turkey bc you are going to be very sick! You will basically have the same withdrawals a heroin addict has when coming off of heroin. You will have cramping in your legs, sweats, chills, diarrhea, possible vomiting, tremors, shakes, watering eyes, etc. There are others but I will stop at these. Please..please do not try to go through this without being weaned down unless you are going into a controlled clinic that can give you meds to help you come down easier. Not easy..but easier. It will not be easy in anyway but cold turkey is tortuous. Talk to you doctor and get his advice on this. I have been in this situation a few times, and believe me it is the sickest I've have ever been from any illness I ever had. Just be cautious and talk to you doctor and take his advice on this. He knows what he is doing. I wish you the best of luck. I know how difficult this will be for you. Take care! And btw, withdrawals can last several weeks to several months. Depends on the person and their system.Health Question & Answer
You should ask your doctor for withdrawal medication (I was on a sedative and a med for high blood pressure while I withdrew). If you have a narcotics agreement with the doctor, they will have to give you the withdrawal meds. I withdrew from Fentanyl Patch last weekend. It wasn't bad. I was a little sick to my stomach and felt edgy. I slept all day Saturday, which was good. Good Luck!Health Question & Answer