Coming off the meds

As some of you know i had a serious accident some years ago and as a consequence i have a lot of metalwork in my body (steel plates,screws and bolts and two steel hips)
For several years now i have been taking very strong meds that were morphine based and opiates to help relieve the pain,now that things have improved it is time to get off the meds and that is not the easiest thing i have tried to do.
For the last few weeks the Doctor has been reducing the amount and the side effects are to say the least gruesome, i get the shakes and then the sweats,i can not get a good nights sleep.
I now know how a drug addict feels when they are deprived of their substance,it is not an experience i would recommend to anyone but i am determined to get out of this drug dependent mode.
It is really strange that when i was on the meds i found it difficult to concentrate and now i am coming off them it is just the same but for an entirely different reason all i can hope is that it is not too much longer before i feel the side effects subside.
I know we have several disabled members on the forum and my heart goes out to you all.

P.S. I typed this during one of my more lucid moments :-D

 

Hang in there, Bill - be strong...:major

 

That's a pretty rough ride there Bill, as Caliban said, hang in there, stay strong, you will get there.
Does this mean once clear you will start posting stuff that makes sense? :-D
j/k
Good luck my friend, hope it doesn't take too long.

 

I have never been the most lucid of members but i will promise to try.

 

Hang in there Bill! Thoughts and prayers sent your way. :cool

 

Bill, good news on getting weaned off the meds.
I recall your posts, in regards to the operations and post operative care.
You truly are BIONIC.
A big hand to you. :clap:clap:clap
Three cheers for Bill, Hip Hip Hooray!

Cheers..

 

Hi Bill, more strength to you as you have realised your dependence and are doing something about it. Taking the hard path and trying to do something about it puts you way out in front of the people who take the easy way out and stay dependent. :cool
Kudos to you :highfive

I wish I could say it will get easier but I have a close friend who was in a similar severe pain situation (from spinal surgery) and over several years he became dependent on Endone (Oxycodone) pills and morphine injections. When the doctors slowly turned off the prescription drugs he then turned to heroin to feed his dependence. Luckily he was saved by his good support network and friends when we got him to attend a methadone clinic. I hope you have people to give you support and encouragement as it makes things more bearable.

Best of luck in your battle and I hope you are strong enough in both mind and body to see this challenge through.

Best wishes

 

BillMCC66, you are a valued member here on or off meds.

Here is another post of support for your recovery.

 

Apply the same tenacity as you did in "folding" and all will be well BILL.
Lot's of support vibes from this little corner of the web coming your way.:major

 

Bill can I have your unused meds :drool:-D

I know someone who's done the same thing come off long term pain treatment recently but they couldn't do it on their own. They were prescribed clonidine for the sweats and shakes and given an anti psychotic to sleep, the treatment lasted 10 days in hospital so could be an option Bill,this was cold turkey detox though.

The whole point of tapering off is so you don't go through withdrawal? I would definitely talk to your doctor about using a less aggressive taper if your in a lot of discomfort Bill:confused

I know should just wish you well and keep my mouth shut:-D I don't like seeing people go through a bad time.

Hang in there 6 million EU man!

 

Good for you, Bill!

I always enjoy seeing your posts. Stay strong, you can do this!

 

And I'll check that box too... +1

 

What Rikky said +1 ...... especially about the less aggressive taper.

My friend whom I mentioned earlier didn't have such good advice and the doctors treating him tried to wean him off too quickly and then admitted after they failed that they have a much higher success rate when they take it slower. They said they were only trying to get him back to work ASAP as the worker's compensation payments were coming to an end hence the rapid withdrawal of meds.

Still wishing you all the best
Win this battle and you will have bragging rights :cool

 

Heck it is Bill. Give his wife a tazer and he will shape right up. :-D

Just joking Bill! Thoughts and prayers...

 

Bill, I'm not sure what the laws are in Belgium, but have you thought about talking with your physician about medical marijuana?

In the US, the use of cannabis for legitimate medical purposes is now legal in several states. The growth of the plants is carefully regulated and - for those who do not want to smoke - precise dosing is available either as a capsule/pill or combined into a single serve food item (everything from lollipops to ice cream cups).

While experts still disagree, many feel cannabis is a far better option for chronic pain management since they feel it is far less addictive than drugs such as Oxycontin.

Again, this is not an endorsement - just an option you may want to discuss with your doctor(s) to reduce or eliminate the symptoms you're having.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you recover to the point that anything stronger than aspirin or Tylenol will become a thing of the past.

 

Bill, I do sincerely wish you a full, pain-free life, my friend.
I wasn't going to mention this here, but I've just finished another round of Chemotherapy for Oeteosacoma, (basically bone cancer), after being what I thought was free of it for 25 years.
So the lesions in the leg are healing up with all the analgesics, antibiotics and various 'poisons'', so I can at least walk again, although with a heavy limp still, a.t.m. Radiation therapy was the next step, because 7 weeks of treatments is the max amount I can have before the treatment starts killing me, also.
Okay, so I found out yesterday that he blood pathology has no metastasis anymore, (i.e., not spreading), but the bone biopsy results basically say I have the bones of an eighty year old. Severe damage in parts of the Tibia, due to the disease.

It's much improved now, but still pretty gnarly...

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g309/Zobor/2011_New/2012_New/Necrosis_1.jpg

The black foot and ankle aint dirt, but the remains of extensive bruising, ( now much reduced).

For those that don't know, this is what happens after working with Hydrofluoric Acid and Cyanide leaches for twenty years. I beat the death sentence once, I 'prolly will again.
Add to that, a broken ankle a few moths back, and the Pneumonia of winter, (twice) and yeah, not a great year for me.

Anyway, enough of my woes. Bill, I know you are a survivor, too and will do whatever it takes to heal. Good luck, my friend.

 

Thank you all most sincerely for the support and good wishes:clap
Going cold turkey was never an option because that involved a fairly protracted stay in hospital so i opted for the gradual process and the Dr did warn me that there would be some reactions for a period of weeks until the body started to accept less and less medication.
I do not know if anybody here is a believer but i have been using hypnotherapy to help with the withdrawal symptoms and for me personally it has been a great help especially during the day but unfortunately it is not helping with the sleep pattern.
I will get through this because my hatred of drugs is strong enough to believe that i can live without them.
Once again i thank you all.
Bill

PS I know you have your own demons Barry and i hope you will also find the strength and support to help you over the hard times.

 

Best wishes in your battle, Bill! I predict that you will be successful; you will kick this.

 

All the best Bill, from a fellow Liverpudlian, decrease the Meds increase the meditation.

 

We're all pulling for you Bill. You'll get through this one day at a time.

 

Metalwork eh? Bet you have fun at the airport.

 

You can believe that.
I have over 3 1/2 kilos of titanium and stainless steel inside me.

 

Scrap value could be good:-D

 

Sorry you have to go through that.

I know it must be awful.

I hope that you will pass through this ordeal as quickly as possible and come out feeling much better.

Some remedies are both a blessing and a curse.

Keep the faith and keep your eyes on the sunlight ahead.

Oh, and BTW, thanks for being a gentleman.

 

Hi Bill. Sorry to be so late in wishing you soon will be feeling a bit better with tapering from the meds. Usually docs recommend tapering a bit too fast so slow down if you feel too lousy! Listen to your mind and body when tapering because that's the best guide you'll have. I wish you lots of luck and stamina to get through this. Lavender Oil sprinkled a few drops on your pillow at night and slowly inhaling and exhaling the scent will make you more relaxed and calm, making it easier to fall asleep.

My only monitor of almost 9 years died on me last week Friday so have been out of commission for a whole week and not been able to be on the puter. Talking about addiction!

 

It is never too late to hear from a friend so thank you for the support.
I will beat this demon but it will take time and i have the support of my lovely lady wife plus my surgeon so the fight continues.

 

Wishing you well Bill. So glad you have such great support for helping you through the rougher times.