Free_at_last

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share some good news with you all. I was hooked on Tylenol # 4, 3, 2 and 1 (basically anything with codeine) for over 10 years. My family doctor first prescribed Tylenol 3 for my severe headaches 10 years ago and ever since that day I've been using all kinds of pain killers like Stadol ns, Fiorinal C, hydrocodone and Tylenol 4 & 3. About three years ago I got tired of going to multiple doctors just to get these medications. Many doctors asked me to stop coming to them (needless to say this made me feel like dirt even worse than dirt). I felt like I was a slave to these doctors. They had the power to "cure" my migraines. Mind you doctors first introduced me to these pills and ruined my life at the age of 17! Anyways I stopped taking prescriptions and started taking Tylenol #1 for the past 3 years or so. My doses went up and down depending on my headaches. At the beginning I was taking 18 pills 5 or 6 times a day (90 pills). To make a long story short I dropped my dose to about 50 pills a day for the past few months. I was fortunate enough to come across this forum last week and I read that it would take about 5 to 7 days of misery to beat an addiction. I set my mind last Saturday to quit being a slave to medications. I figured 7 days of suffering is a small price to pay for my freedom. Today is my 8th day of freedom and I haven't looked back.. I haven't felt better in my life. Every thing seems so vibrant and crisp to me. Now I get goose bumps and the hair on my neck stands up from merely walking in the grass. I have this silly grin on my face and nobody knows why I'm smiling all day I was expecting to have severe withdraw symptoms but fortunately I only have a slight runny noise, diarrhea (it stopped), sneezing and yawning. Personally I like the sneezing My headaches have gone away (I had a mild one yesterday) unlike before I was a walking headache waiting to get worse! To my surprise I wake up every day at 6 am full of energy without my alarm clock as opposed to before. I deeply regret wasting 10 years of my life being a zombie. At least I have the rest of my life to look forward too! If any one is addicted to these pain killers I want to tell you that it can be done. Look at me.


Jeff

[This message has been edited by Free_at_last (edited 05-11-2003).]