Dr. Earthman’s answers to your questions - March 2009

Question from Linda F.:
“Is it possible for someone to taper off Vicodin, and lessen
the withdraw symptoms?”

Dr. Earthman:
“Yes.  Typically lowering the average dose of opiates you are consuming in a 24 hour period can decrease the intensity of withdrawal symptoms and possibly shorten the length of time you are in withdrawal.”

Question from Carla D.:

“My 21 year old son has been [taking] oxycodone + Percocet [and] he refuses to go
to an inpatient [facility]. I want to help him. He tries to stop and does for awhile and
then starts doing them again. Please give me some guidance- I love my
son.”

Dr. Earthman:
“You are unfortunately experiencing one of the toughest problems friends and family of addicts face.  No matter how much you want them to stop you can’t do it for them.  It is important to remember that the period of time in physical withdrawal will end after 1-2 weeks but the cravings and additive behaviors can last for months or years.  Even with the help of The Withdrawal-Ease System many addicts will need to have individual counseling, group therapy and intense aftercare programs to maintain their sobriety.
Friends and family members can benefit from Al-Anon meetings for themselves  As one recovering patient of mine said, “A person that has been to Al-Anon is an active addict’s worst nightmare but a sober addict’s best friend.”

Question from Lori D.:
“Dr.Earthman… it started with lots of root canals. I had one
right after the other. I stayed on pain pills [for a long time]. Then my lower
back started to hurt. More Vicodin… up to 6 a day. I [have] detoxed on my own two times.
However, one or two months after detox I had anxiety and depression.
The depression I could not deal with so I [went] back on Vicodin.
I don’t know what to do. Can Withdrawal-Ease help?”

Dr. Earthman:
“Many times there are co-morbid psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety present when a person has been taking opiates for a long period of time.  The Withdrawal-Ease System may help a person tolerate the initial physical withdrawal symptoms but persistent mood and anxiety symptoms might need the care of a psychiatrist to address and treat.  When treating the anxiety problems of my patients I try to avoid benzodiazepine medications (Ativan, Xanax, Valium) for extended use because this class of medications has addictive properties and can precipitate depression.”