withdrawal

i am on day 4 of going cold turkey off of percocets. i was taking 2-4 a day for a couple months. i havent puked or anything but i do feel nausea from time to time and restless body a little shaky at times but not to bad. can i expect things to get worse or better from here on? and how long do you think the withdrawals will last?

Since you only took the percocet for a couple of months, your symptoms should last only a few more days. There are some things you can do to combat the symptoms, but it's mostly a waiting game. The worst part of withdrawal is the high blood pressure that comes with it. People who are in extreme withdrawal (non-stop vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) are given a blood pressure medication that helps a great deal. Your symptoms are mild enough that this wouldn't be necessary in your case.

When you get the restless symptoms, get into a hot shower or bath. It really does help with the shakes and muscle cramps that are so much like RLS. If you can take quinine, Hylands pharmaceuticals makes an over the counter RLS med that helps too. It's called Hylands Leg Cramps, but make sure you get the one with quinine.

Sublingual B-complex liquid helps with general symptoms, and it works quickly.

If you are discontinuing your pain meds under the care of a doctor, you can ask for something for nausea like phenergan or compazine. Diarrhea can be dealt with by taking Immodium, which also seems to help a bit with the RLS symptoms of withdrawal.

If you're having problems sleeping, over the counter Melatonin is a very effective sleep aid.

All these things will take the edge off your symptoms, but again, it's just going to take time. You should start seeing noticeable improvement any day now. So why did you decide to stop taking your meds?

Please make sure you weigh out this situation. I would hate to see you experience more pain. Just because you need pain meds doesn't necessarily make you a drug addict. But I can see what you mean.

Just remember we are always here for you.

hugs, Karen

well i dont have any physical pain but yea i just took them because of all the pressures of being a teenager basicly and all that stuff but i dont want to take them anymore and no im not doing the withdrawals under the supervision of a doctor but so far today i am feeling alot better and i hope it stays that way. do you think the worst is over because at 11 tonight it will be the end of day 4 and the start of day 5 since i started feeling the withdrawal symptoms.

I would concider talking to your school counselor or finding mental health counseling somewhere else. Though I don't think I would tell a school counselor about illegal drug use I would talk to them about feelings of depression, stress and anxiety and have them help you develop some coping skills and other appropriate help and support.
Sj

jayson,
if you continue having problems I think you need to see your doctor to find out what's going on. I very much agree with sjkly above, that you should talk to a counselor about the problems that have driven you to using drugs. And I think you need to be honest with at least your doctor about what you were doing. Some 12 step meetings for teenagers could be helpful. One thing that's very important to learn is that different drugs can keep an addiction active; for example, alcohol can keep cravings for the narcotics active. They use the same physiological pathways. Often people end up substituting drugs (legal or illegal, it doesn't matter as far as the body is concerned) one for another, thinking that they're unrelated. Your body is already telling you that you do have a genetic predisposition. And that you tend to use drugs to help you deal with life problems, and that when you do use them, your tolerance develops very quickly so that you''ll continue to crave more and more of the drug (or a drug that does the same thing to your body) to get the same "high".

So if you're wise you'll learn a lot from this experience. That you need some more appropriate (non-drug) help for life issues right now, and that's ok, and that you will get addicted if you start drinking, using other drugs, etc. rather quickly. Good time to start and stay on a sober lifestyle, and that's a healthy one, anyway. Maybe getting involved in a sport or a hobby you feel successful at can be one outlet. But talk to your school or some other counselor, ok?

Hi Jayson,

You're a smart guy! And you have done the right thing by stopping. I agree that you should have done it under a doctor's supervision but in the situation you're in I think just stopping was more important. Might have helped to taper off but if you were taking them from dad's stash then that's not possible.

Your symptoms should be just about over. No one needs to chew you out or punish you for what you did. You've punished yourself enough and have learned a very valuable lesson. I admire you for not wanting to take the same path as your relatives. You're worth more than that.

Hugs,
Chutzie

I had some difficulty reading your post (a computer thing) but I think it says you told your Mom, who's a nurse. That's great, because the honesty will help her help you. And your Dad should know he may have to lock up his meds so there's no temptation for you. But I still encourage you to talk to a school counselor or someone. There's lots of pressure on someone your age these days - maybe even all the pressure to keep up the grades, sports, etc., and you don't need to go it alone. School (or other) counselors are very used to helping with these things. You probably don't even need to tell him/her about the pills, but talk about what was troubling you in the first place.

You're on the right path!!

yea i think thats why the symptoms arent so bad during the day. i still go to track practice during the day and go out with my family or friends and try to still live alittle and just take my mind off of it and stay active. but at night the symptoms can get alittle bad and im hoping they soon stop because it will be going on day 6 tonight.

i apreciate all the support from you guys thank you.

im doing pretty good when should the symptoms completely stop i mean they are alot better now but when should i not feel them at all ever.

yea im wondering if something else is going on too.