Out of the meds listed below...which have worked best for you when coming off hydro's.

You forgot to add clonidine (catapres). I've read many positive reports of opioid dependent ppl using clonidine to detox. It's not a controlled med either, so it should be easy to get. (it's RX'd for blood pressure, I think, but helps out sig. with w/d for some ppl.

add methadone too....some people do use that one also

Subuxone is the best out of all of them. It is hard to aquire without having to pay out the #$% to get. But it covers all the pain receptors and lasts up to 48 hours. It also has another drug in it which controls you from taking any other opiates while your on it. It has a drug that counter acts the opiate effect on the human body. This drug has worked every time I have taken it. After your done detoxing with subuxone it barely gives you any wd's at all. So when you get totally clean it becomes strictly a mental battle.

Tramadol for SURE! Hands Down...

truthfully and i hope that i am not misconstrued as being a zealot, a dish of cold turkey served with a raft of "i am finished with this carousel".

chemically assisted methods failed as resolve did not prevail. too easy for this old thing to cross addict to someother chem. that is just as wretched.

sorry if i offend,

r

all of the above!!

Looks like Kratom kicks BUTT, "Hands Down"! The good news is, you don't have to have a prescription to get it.

Well it looks like Kratom wins this battle for W/d meds which surprized me cause i have always used temgesic and it has always worked like a charm. I placed an order for some extra strength powered Kratom and should have it tomorrow...will let you all know how it works compared to temgesic. TheMedMan...

temegisic did nothing for me! I got 10 .2 mg ones from rxambasador and I am not complaining as they were like 36 bucks and shipped out fairly quick but they had no effect.

I apologize now because I was curious about the opinions/results of this poll and the only way I could view it was to "vote"...even though I have no experience with any of these remedies...therefore the catagory of subutox (spelling) has a one percent error so please ignore that 1%.

will Soma help with w/d?? I keep trying to tapper off hydro and never end up doing it- now i want to have additional help

No Soma! You can get just as hooked on the Somas as the Hydros. The combo together is very addicting too. I wouldn't chance it.

having tried them all, they all work...but for opiate addiction bupe does quite a job (that would be temgesic on the poll), however not alot of people have experience with these little guys so maybe that's why it's so underrated.
It really does kill all wds and cravings...Kratom is really hit or miss with me, it's strange - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't...and Tramadol works also, but my tolerance has gotten very high to it and over 400mg the seizure threshold is lowered. Benzos kill the anxiety part of wd, but not the physical pains.

The person who said Clonidine has it mixed up with Klonopin which will help alot. It is a med similar to Valium. Ultram is also a good pain management med.

suboxone hands down!!! its clinically proven to have the highest turn around rate so far

what's a turn around rate ??
success rate ?
length of w/d symptoms ?

sorry, just curious

success rate. though its only been in use i believe for3-4 years i am not positive on that www.suboxone.com should have the info, if not the sasha site will

Thanks rxzanaflex !

This is a great poll, but the relative ease of obtaining Kratom may actually result in it getting more votes. Some people might not seek Rx therapies as easily as non-Rx. JMO, always look at data with a jaundiced eye!

That being said, I am using Kratom to take a holiday and it has worked quite well. Although the Kratom I tried the 1st time didn't work and this is from another source. I am at 48 hrs now hydro free and have mild aches, relieved with more Kratom, although I did have a restless night last. But that could also be due to other physical conditions.

Taffy,
Good to hear that your off the hydro 4 now...wat to go . TheMedMan

Hydro is the best med for coming off hydro. I know a guy who went from 10-15 10/325's per day to 0 in less than a month with very little problem. It seems the best way is taper, keeping yourself just a tad in withdrawl all along. The withdrawl is minor and not nearly as bad as expected. My friend was amazed when one day he forgot to take his morning hydro and never missed it until he remembered it in the afternoon.

He has been hydro free for a few weeks now and starting to gain more energy than what he was used to getting from hydro.

Good luck.

That is just great for him. Really. Very cool. I hope he sticks with it. Personally, I have been tapering off my hydro to see how my pain level is without it. I have a back injury and have been on hydro for a year and I just feel like that's a long time and I want to at least manage it a little better.

I tried Kratom for the first time today and it is EXCELLENT for the slight w/d's I was experiencing. I think that's the key. Use a sound remedy when you're not over the top or in agony.

I did Kratom also for two and a half weeks, very slight wd's, but what do you do about the pain, catch 22, huh.

I went to a doc this week and stated that I wanted to try something else other than hydro -- was afraid I was getting (got) dependent. You know...the helps for pain but I am worried feeling. I was really honest with her and she is helping me with a taper program. I am down to 6 a day right now (started my own taper program a few weeks back and am down from 10/day).

I am checking in with her every two weeks and she is prescribing me enough to go down one pill a day per week. She also said she knew that it may be hard and we may get stuck and that there is room for that and that we will deal with it as it comes.

I honestly wish that she could be representative of every doc everywhere....what a wonderful person -- she didn't make me feel icky or like a loser or someone who had "no control" she simply stated that this was easily doable to find something else that was non-addictive and that all would be fine and most importantly that she knows me and trusts me. I did share all about supplementing for so long and she was surprised but was happy I was talking to her now. She wants to help me manage my pain but understands that I am uncomfortable taking so much hydro.

I told her about Kratom and I got some.....I am still curious about taking it though. I have read so much on here about it, do you actually put a spoonful in your mouth and then put a spoonful of applesauce in your mouth? My sweet man watched me put it straight into tea one night and then drink it out of the tea (the loaded leaves at the bottom) and he just about hurled watching me do it...I think it lost it's effect that way, too.

Sorry to ramble, so happy that I finally shared my worries and fears with a doc and so touched that she is willing to do whatever I want to/need to do to be OK. What an amazing woman....again, I said a silent prayer that all of you could have such a great doc to consult with -- it's too bad most of them suk.

Peace,
Katie

IS that something that is over the counter?

Provigil is a controlled substance, I was given that for Multiple Sclerosis fatigue, and it helped for a few days, not physically, but made me more alert mentally. So, NO it is not OTC. I quit taking it because it made my jaw clench.


Peace~
KIWI1

This sounds like a great med, I am always so tired and caffiene just doen't cut it anymore. Definately interested. Would a md prescribe this for fatigue alone? Long term?

Thank you, I'm going to google that. If I could find a med that doesn't give me the jitters, It would be Godsend. Half of my problems would be solved. Again thanks alot.

Kratom has been a godsend for me.This was the first thanksgiving in a number of years where I actually felt like I was spending real time with my family. Hard to explain what I mean.From the first time I tried Kratom I was amazed how I did not experience any withdrawals.It did work for me and I haven't taken any hydro for over a month.I still have 2 refills on my meds and sometimes out of habit I want to call one in. That is the mental addiction still there but not bad at all. There is no craving anymore for it. To tell you the truth I get a much better overall feeling from Kratom than I did with hydro. I'm not tired all the time anymore and I get things done where with hydro I thought about doing things but never really did. Another hard one to explain.Plus, I'm able to buy things I've wanted where as before I couldn't because the money went to meds. I am so thankful for this site because this is where I heard about Kratom and I wish I knew who the person was who first posted about it so I could personally thank him(her) for literally saving me.I do want to mentiom I was taking 20-25 hydros daily for a number of years so Kratomdoes work for heavy users of hydro. You just have to make sure you purchase from a reputable source with good quality.Good luck to all.

Kratom varies in price and there our different grades, plus you can get it in powder form, I prefer, or the leaves. You have to make a tea from the leaves, and I didn't find them as potent. When the nrops shut down, Kratom got alot more popular thus driving up the prices. I did a two and a half week hydro break and used the Kratom, it cost me probably more than hydro, but I was ordering premium grade and taking it every four hours. There our many suppliers. Is it kosher to list the ones I know about? I only used one myself but alot of them have good feedback and some have bad,of course. I liked the supplier I used but would probably seek out someone cheaper.

1 Tramadol in morning and one at night with some herbal non-caffeinated tea with pot leaves brewed in. I have used that concoction anytime I get too attached to hyd's or perc's. Maybe warm brandy if you don't already have a bad liver.

Does anyone have any reliable sites to refer for Kratom? I want to order some, but there are so many sites. I just fear the almost seemingly inevitable ripoff when ordering wholeistic remedies online. Any referrals would be greatly appreciated !! Great thread !!

mrkratom is the only one i have used that has good quality

I have never taken Kratom, so I don't know where to purchase it from. Could someone please PM me? I would really appreciate it, I'll have to do some searches on this board as well..........

suboxone is a detox drug. it contains buprenorphine (temgesic) + naloxone. buprenorphine alone is usually used for the first 24-48 hours or so to let the opiods pass through your system. then you switch to suboxone. the naloxone in the suboxone inhibits tolerance and dependance. temgesic used alone is a step in the right direction as it is much less addictive than oxy or hydro.

temgesic and suboxone cannot be taken like a pill; they must be allowed to dissolve in your mouth (or you can buy in an injectible form). you can get very sick if you swallow temgesic or suboxone.

i am not familiar with Kratom. i would imagine benzos would help you feel calmer, but they will not act in your body to reduce desire for opiod narcotics.

Suboxone made the withdrawals last for a month longer than they usually did. Tramadol worked for me like a charm. Has anyone else had a bad experience with suboxone? It's hard to believe I'm the only one.

METHADONE IS THE BEST. SUB SUCKS

methadone is best because you can get high on it?
sub sucks because you CAN"T get high on it? just guessing at your reasoning rockbottom,, and would like to hear more.

methadone is a harder narcotic than hydro, and HORRIBLE to withdraw from. I can't imagine using it as an aid to step down off narcotics, imo, you'll be in real trouble if you ever start methadone thinking it is going to help thru withdrawal - you've just jumped from the frying pan into the FIRE!

I did get off methadone, but have never been the same, and became dependent on hydro to get thru it.

I think Tramadol is a good idea. I was on my way doing a planned-out switchover to Tramadol, but jumped in to sub program impulsively.

I am now successfully using sub (no high, no withdrawals, just feel normal). I honestly don't know what the future holds as far as reducing dosage and withdrawing from it. does anyone know from experience how sub treatment ends? do you reduce and slide off easily, or is it a nightmare?

anyway, if anyone is considering methadone to get off hydro, please read-read-read! once you start methadone, you're sunk! imo

are you sure? I thought the naloxone in suboxone was there solely to prevent patients from injecting it. I am 2 months into subutex. would be switching over to suboxone really prevent tolerance and dependence? would staying on subutex puts me at more risk of tolerance and dependence?

the doc has allowed me to remain on subutex because I had a rocky start with treatment that I blamed on the naloxone. now I am wondering if I should try the suboxone again.

I am still learning, and hadn't heard this reasoning before.

nephro, I know you are familiar with the crain and shen theory - is suboxone more likely to make reduction easier? I know I am a difficult student.

I have heard that Chantix works really well when trying to come off hydro.

Really, I haven't heard that about Chantix. I only recently started looking into Chantix to quit smoking and my limited understanding is that it works on dopamine receptors.

I wonder if wellbutrin can help with opiate addiction or dependence(it affects dopamine as well). I know that when I started wellbutrin I didn't feel any pain relief from my pain meds and it was a problem b/c i take the pain meds as needed. I have certain conditions where I have pain that won't allow me to function, but it's not that bad 24/hours a day.
I have a friend with bad back who went on wellbutrin for her back, also takes pain meds as needed, days when her back is beyond bad and she has trouble walking. She asked me about the wellbutrin b/c she couldn't feel any pain relief when she took a pain killer. I didn't know the whats or whys to tell her except I experienced the same thing. I've googled like crazy to find info on wellbutrin and pain meds, but can't find anything.
Anyone out there have any experiences with this?

Bryan...From my experience...The Chantix seems to work on Hydro like it does on Nicotine....It takes away the craving's ....I don't think it would do anything for Withdrawal from Hydro...JMHO
Stevo

Never got W/D from hydro. However i did buy and try Kratom one day just in case. Had a 30+ a day habit - 15+ at a time - felt nothing. Probably cause i used to have 30 bag a day of heroin habit IV.. Suboxone works great BTW. I was on methadone mid 90's 120mg per day and still used. If you REALLY want to quit - suboxone is the way. Plus around here, methadone clinics have a 6 week wait. I dont think they would even give methadone for vike W/D - could be wrong though.

I notice ppl here talking about Kratom.

I remember finding out about this stuff a while back, and tried it once, at the time I did a bit of research about it to find the best kind.

You can get normal Kratom, and you can get Kratom extract wich can be concentrated to make it 10-30+ times stronger.
So you might want to get some strong 30x extract.

The stuff ppl always said is the best is called "
Ultra Enhanced Indo or UEI Kratom.

I dunno much about the stuff other than what Ive mentioned here though.


Oh and there is rumour that taking it for long amounts of time can give you dark patches on your skin, I have no idea if thats true.

I've used it for over a year with no built up tolerance or dark patches. It's the only thing I've ever found to get off the hydro & still find pain relief. I think the extracts are a waste of money. Plain Bali works well & the Maeng Da gives an energy lift. Try flagler.com. I found it to be the most potent.

As others have already said, Buperenorphine is absolutely great for withdrawing. In my opinion, most people are kept on it far too long... you can use it for a couple of weeks to get all the other substances out of your system and then discontinue the bupe. It takes a fairly long time to build up a dependancy to bupe... several months, so if you just use it to help with WDs, and not as long term maintenance, it is a great option. Kratom seems to be hit or miss, depending on the person, their level of dependancy, and the type of Kratom you get... too many variables in my opinion. Tramadol, can also be useful for WDs, but again, you can develop a dependency for this as well, so it shouldnt be used long term for that reason. Some people also swear by poppy tea, but I think access to dried poppies has been a little more controlled recently... at least you can not find them on ebay anymore, but I am pretty sure several websites sell them.

Kratom is invaluable for opiate w/d

I tried the Kratom stuff for awhile. It was just too nasty and didn't work at all for me.

I've been on hydro daily for over 15 years. I'm 48 now, and made a new years resolution to kick it.
So far my plan is working pretty well.
I'm substituting DHC, low dose codeine tabs from down under, and my usual Soma. I also use a xanax once a day, usually for sleep.
I haven't had a tab in 15 days now, and I've had no withdrawals at all.
But my brain still misses it of course. That will likely last for a LONG time.
Hydro feels good, no way around that.
Eventually I plan to drop the DHC. I'll have to keep the other 2 drugs tho, due to some very bad back issues. OTC crap just doesn't cut it.

Tramadol hands down.It takes the w/ds away and gives you a little energy as well.

Tramadol helps tremendously and takes withdrawals away, just don't take too much of a dose before bed b/c it might keep you awake. Also, its cheaper and more accessible than hydro that I pratically don't take hydro anymore and just mostly take Tramadol. Just gotta be careful when you decide to go off Tramadol too b/c it is an opiate derivative medication.

Methadone is way too strong to withdraw from hydro. Tramadol is a good alternative.

Hydro is actually a good med to use to get off of methadone. Do not take methadone for a prolonged period if you do not want to be heavily addicted/dependent. Mentally and physically.

Did you consider using codeine to wean yourself off of hydro? It will certainly help with symptoms.

For the love of God leftovers, go with what OldandWorn says. I can tell you from experience, you do NOT want to get dependent on methadone. I would just start tapering the hydros down each day, you know like 10 one day, 9 next, 8 next, etc. And yes, the codeine is an excellent way to detox. Just do the same daily tapering deal. Take it all the way down to a quarter of a pill. You might have the stomach jitters and feel just ........well, wrong.........for a couple of days after that, be you'll be able to trudge through that and work or whatever. Just plan on dragging for a couple days after that last one and know it's coming. It won't be bad. Much better than just dropping off the hydros flat.
Good luck to you. Be well.

One of the only alternatives to tapering down off hydro's (or oxy's for that matter) was a combination of "reefer" and a regular suboxone regiment. Cut down from 160mg/day (oxy) slowly to 40mg/day over the course of about two weeks, then to 16mg/suboxone a day with a doob throughout. After about 2-3 weeks ALL WD symptoms were gone but I still felt..... well wrong... Worked wonderfully though.

Even though you might have felt "wrong" that was a great job getting off of 16mg/day Suboxone in only 2-3 weeks.
I'm not sure what role reefer played in that taper but congratulations on stopping opiates that quickly.

reffer made things much much worse for me. Suboxone lead to an endless cycle. I had next to no symptoms while I took it, but it didn't get me into a mindstate where I was ready to quite. While taking "something" that gave similar feelings, I wasn't not taking things anymore, if you know what I mean. I imagine it's the same with all others on the list, so I can't any of them work, cause getting through its mostly a mental thing. The sickness is physical sure, but the working through its a decision.
Cold turkey was the only way that worked for me. I had someone waiting on me hand and foot for days though. Sucked horribly, but kicking an addiction isn't supposed to be pleasant.

I didn't see benzos on the list. Making sure not to go overboard with those, those can really help. Sort of feel numb until te worst part of the withdrawels over, without extending how long it takes by taking a drug that effects you brain in an incredably similar way. But that depends one which part of it you consider the "worst," the sickness or when the sickness is over and that voice starts tryin to talk you into things. I'd say the latter is the worst part.