I have been taking Vicodin daily for about 2 years. I have daily headaches and frequent joint pain. Would it be safe to stop Vicodin without a taper down? If I don't take anything, the pain is very severe. The vicodin has been allowing me to at least live my life normally some days.
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Q: If you are taking one to two vicodin per day pretty much every day is it safe to stop without taper?
Answers (3)
6/ 7/08 6:57pm
Hi akhales,
No, I'm sorry to say vicodin is not a medication you can stop taking abruptly. It needs to be tapered down with the help of your doctor.
Tapering slowly off this medication will ease withdrawal symptoms, and as Eileen said, the doctor may be able to help with that.
Good luck
Nancy
6/ 7/08 2:23pm
Hi akhales!
You may have put yourself into a situation here. Taking Vicodin every day can lead to Medication Overuse Headache. You may already be experiencing this and thinking they are just "daily headaches" as you state.
MOH or rebound headache is very painful. I had one coming off of Vicodin for a shoulder injury. I had taken Vicodin regularly for about two weeks and quit it cold turkey. I ended up in MOH.
You state that you get "daily headaches" so I'm assuming these are not migraines? You may want to consult your doctor on what to do to be certain. We can't give medical advice here, we are not doctors.
If you do, however, end up in MOH, your doctor may be able to help you. There may be something else he/she can give you to ease the process for you. As I said, it would be best to consult your physician before attempting anything, since you've been taking the Vicodin for so long.
Good luck!
1/18/10 7:03pm
I get migraines, I also have a very painful back injury (damaged L4/5 L5/6 disks), My doctor at the best spine center in the state told me I can stop anytime, and I should do for about 48 hours (he did caution that it will hurt, but I am not a normal patient, my guess is he figures I can take it) will restart the clock on taking Vicodin.
Moderator's Note: Nobody but this poster should take the advice of that doctor as posted here. Only your own doctor can answer this question. The answer depends on far more than just the one medication. The answer can be different from person to person because of other medications, other physical conditions, ect.
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By akhales— Last Modified: 12/02/10, First Published: 06/06/08
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