In this article, I’m going to teach you how to get off OxyContin at home. I used to be severely addicted to OxyContin and other opiates while I worked as a cook at a fast-paced restaurant in New York. The OxyContin gave me unlimited energy and enthusiasm at work. Since I didn’t have an OxyContin prescription, I had to buy OxyContin from a drug dealer. There were times where either I didn’t have money to buy Oxycontin, or my dealer had run out.
During these situations, I had to get off OxyContin at home.
After going through several home-based OxyContin withdrawals, I started to learn what worked and what didn’t. Eventually, I got clean and went on to become a Substance Abuse Counselor at an Opiate Treatment Program (OTP), where I helped many individuals recover from OxyContin addiction.
Over the past year, I’ve made it my life’s purpose and mission to research and write about all of the most powerful and effective strategies for getting off OxyContin and other opioid drugs.
This natural at-home detox plan for coming off OxyContin is gentle, safe, inexpensive and POWERFUL.
If you follow these simple steps exactly as I’ve outlined, you should be well on your way to getting off OxyContin with ease…
Step 1: Make a Decision
Before I get into the mega-strategies, I should first inform you that there is nothing more powerful than a strong mindset.
You have to decide once and for all that you are going to set a date and start getting off OxyContin. I know it’s a delicate process, and I also know you most likely have responsibilities such as work, school, family, raising kids, etc. Unfortunately, these responsibilities don’t just go away for awhile so you can get off Oxycontin. Luckily, this step-by-step plan will enable you to continue having energy and a positive mood while you’re coming off OxyContin and simultaneously going to work and taking care of other responsibilities.
So decide right now that you are going to get off OxyContin and end your dependence for good.
There’s no going back. No more excuses. I’m giving you a solid plan to go by…now it’s time to take action. I’ve been in your shoes. I used to be heavily addicted to OxyContin and other Rx opiates, which eventually led to heroin dependence. I got clean and then went on to become a Substance Abuse Counselor at an Opiate Treatment Program (OTP), where I helped many individuals get off OxyContin and other opioids using natural methods. They did it…and you too can be free of the chains of OxyContin dependence!
Step 2: Start Tapering Off OxyContin
Coming off OxyContin “cold-turkey” is a huge system shock to your body. After using OxyContin daily for a period of time, your body becomes physiologically dependent on OxyContin. This doesn’t necessarily mean you are “addicted” (though you might be), it just means that your body now requires OxyContin every day to prevent you from going into OxyContin withdrawal.
The abrupt cessation of OxyContin after a tolerance and dependence have been established leads to a variety of horrific physical and mental withdrawal symptoms.
Some of the most common OxyContin withdrawal symptoms are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Gastrointestinal (GI) distress
- Diarrhea
- Hot and cold flashes
- Sore and aching muscles and limbs
Note: The most effective natural strategy for preventing these withdrawal symptoms is to start tapering off OxyContin. Tapering refers to systematically reducing your OxyContin dosage over a set period of time. The single most important thing you can do to decrease the severity of withdrawal symptoms is to taper off OxyContin. This approach is preferred to a “cold-turkey” withdrawal. Tapering off OxyContin enables your body to gently ease off the medication over a span of weeks or months.
Now, let’s go over a few Tapering 101 basics:
- Slow tapers are easier on your body than fast tapers (the slower you go, the fewer withdrawal symptoms you experience).
- Everyone is biochemically unique (what works for one person won’t necessarily work for everyone).
- Take only as much OxyContin as is necessary to prevent you from going into withdrawal (you’re not trying to get high or feel good, only to keep from getting sick).
- It takes serious discipline to adhere to a tapering protocol (giving your pills to someone you can trust and having them only give you the dosage on your taper schedule is highly recommended).
- “The lower you go, the slower you go” (it might be easy to taper quickly from 100 mg to 30 mg of OxyContin, however, it’s better to slow it down towards the end of the taper because it will be less of a shock to your body).
Note: Since everyone reading this article is going to have varying levels of OxyContin dependence and their own unique biochemical makeup, there is no way I can outline a “one size fits all” OxyContin taper plan. However, I will provide you with some detailed examples so you can get a good understanding of how to implement an OxyContin taper plan into your own life.
Example #1: Joel the Musician
Joel is a guitarist that started taking OxyContin after he injured his back picking up an extremely heavy guitar amp with bad form. His doctor prescribed him to take 40 mg of OxyContin per day. Joel found that the OxyContin gave him more than just pain relief. The medication also gave him energy, confidence, happiness, and the feeling that he could do anything he wanted in the world.
Joel also felt like the OxyContin made him a more creative songwriter. He quickly started taking more OxyContin than was prescribed, and within three months Joel was purchasing illegal OxyContin off the street, and taking an average dosage of 100 mg per day.
If I had to come up with an OxyContin taper plan for Joel, it might look like this:
- Week 1: Take 80 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 2: Take 60 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 3: Take 50 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 4: Take 40 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 5: Take 30 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 6: Take 20 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 7: Take 15 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 8: Take 10 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 9: Take 5 mg of OxyContin per day
- Week 10: Come off OxyContin completely
Example #2: Roberto the Baseball Player
Roberto started playing Major League Baseball when he was 24 years old. After 15 years of playing the “catcher” position, he retired to spend more time with his wife and kids. At that point, he began to have issues with his right knee. He finally had knee surgery, and his doctor placed him on 30 mg of OxyContin per day. Two weeks after the surgery, Roberto was in a car crash and severely injured his neck and back. His doctor upped the OxyContin dosage to 60 mg per day.
After taking 60 mg of OxyContin every day for six months, the doctor told Roberto he was taking him off the medication because his injuries were healed. The first day Roberto went without pills he didn’t know why he felt so bad. He had a runny nose, teary eyes, and he had anxiety, fatigue and stomach discomfort all day long. Roberto called a friend, and they told him he was going through OxyContin withdrawal.
If I had to come up with an OxyContin taper schedule for Roberto, it might look like this:
- Days 1-10: Take 50 mg of OxyContin per day
- Days 11-20: Take 40 mg of OxyContin per day
- Days 21-30: Take 30 mg of OxyContin per day
- Days 31-40: Take 20 mg of Oxycontin per day
- Days 41-50: Take 15 mg of OxyContin per day
- Days 51-60: Take 10 mg of OxyContin per day
- Days 61-80: Take 5 mg of OxyContin per day
- Day 81: Come off OxyContin completely
Note: If you don’t have the time, money, access to OxyContin or discipline, you might have to come off OxyContin cold-turkey. If you can’t taper off OxyContin, don’t worry…you can still get off OxyContin without severe withdrawal symptoms. I’m going to provide you with some great tips for getting off OxyContin cold-turkey (including medications) towards the end of the article.
Step 3: Start Exercising
All drugs mimic different neurotransmitters in the brain, and opiates specifically mimic endorphins, our natural painkillers (natural morphine). After taking OxyContin for a period of time, the brain gets used to this artificially-induced, massive supply of endorphins. Getting off OxyContin can be difficult because even though you’re creating less drug-induced endorphins, your body doesn’t supply you with the rest. This can lead to a massive endorphin deficiency, which makes you more susceptible to physical and emotional pain.
When people ask me how to get off OxyContin at home, I always encourage them to exercise as part of their overall taper wellness plan. Swimming, jogging, walking, weight training, yoga and other forms of exercise can help your body produce endorphins within minutes.
Exercise can help you get off OxyContin at home because it:
- Improves mood
- Boosts endorphins (natural painkillers)
- Improves sleep
- Reduces pain (both physical and emotional)
- Promotes well-being
- Reverses anxiety
- Reverses depression
- Increases energy
- Improves physique
- Boosts confidence
Note: I encourage you to exercise at least three times per week while tapering off OxyContin. Make sure to choose types of exercise that you enjoy, that way you’ll be more motivated to stick with it.
Step 4: Start Eating a High Amino Acid Diet
When people ask me how to get off OxyContin at home, I always tell them about the endorphin-boosting and mood-enhancing effects of protein. Protein is made up of amino acids. These amino acids are directly responsible for the healthy production of neurotransmitters. Eating a diet rich in high-quality protein foods can help you produce endorphins and other mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain.
The following nutritional guidelines can help get off OxyContin at home:
- Eat plenty of turkey, chicken, fish, beef, cottage cheese and other quality proteins (free-range, organic and wild-caught are best).
- Drink plenty of water (half your body weight in ounces per day).
- Consume lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and healthy fats.
- Eliminate or decrease sugar, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates.
- Eliminate or decrease caffeine and alcohol.
- Focus mostly on organic whole foods.
Note: While you’re getting off OxyContin at home, it can be very beneficial to consume at least 20-30 grams of protein three times per day. I’ve been clean from OxyContin and all other opiates for over three years now, and I still eat plenty of quality proteins on a daily basis.
Step 5: Purchase an Opiate Withdrawal Supplement
This Opiate Withdrawal Supplement is a very powerful supplement that is specifically designed to help people get off OxyContin and other opiates. It contains a synergistic blend of herbs, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that have been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms due to getting off OxyContin and other opioid drugs. If you taper, exercise, eat a high amino acid diet and take the Opiate Withdrawal Supplement, these mega-strategies combined may help you get off OxyContin at home with ease.
The best time to start taking your Opiate Withdrawal Supplement is right when you reach your personal “threshold” on the OxyContin taper schedule. The threshold is the point at which you start to feel symptoms. For some people, this will be around 30-80 mg, others will feel fine until they reach 20 mg or lower.
Note: If you are going to skip the OxyContin taper and do a cold-turkey withdrawal, you’ll want to start taking your Opiate Withdrawal Supplement around seven days before you come off OxyContin completely. Regardless of whether you take the Opiate Withdrawal Supplement while tapering or for a cold-turkey withdrawal, you’ll want to continue taking it for at least three weeks after you come off OxyContin.
If you can afford it, I also highly recommend taking this awesome supplement, because the benefits are just too good to pass up.
Step 6: Take Time Off
If you really want to know how to get off OxyContin at home, I encourage you to take time off from ALL responsibilities. When planning your detox from OxyContin, try your absolute best to get a week off work, taking care of kids, school, or whatever responsibilities you have. At the bare minimum, make sure you schedule 3-4 days of “alone time” for getting off OxyContin at home.
I understand this is not always possible. Just do your best to eliminate as much as you can from your day to day life. The less you have to do…the better. The methods I teach you in this article will eliminate the most severe withdrawal symptoms, so it’s possible to continue with your day-to-day life while getting off OxyContin at home (if you’ve tapered), but I don’t recommend it. A relaxing, stress-free and quiet environment will help you adjust to coming off OxyContin.
Step 7: Make an OxyContin Withdrawal Shopping List
Before I knew how to get off OxyContin at home like a pro, I made the mistake of being unprepared. The difference between a severe OxyContin withdrawal and a mild one is “planning”. A few days before you get off OxyContin at home, you’ll need to go shopping for some OxyContin withdrawal remedies.
The following list of items can help to reduce symptoms while you’re getting off OxyContin at home:
- Water – Maintains hydration
- Gatorade – Replenishes electrolytes
- Peppermint tea – Eases nausea
- Ginger ale – Relieves stomach pain
- Imodium AD – Stops diarrhea and stomach cramping
- Advil – Relieves pain
- Icy Hot – Soothes aching and restless limbs
- Dark Chocolate – Produces endorphins and other “feel good” chemicals
- Heating pad – Eases pain
- Epsom salt – Add to hot baths to relax nervous system
- Whey protein powder – Supplies amino acids that improve mood
- Apple juice – Use as base for protein shakes
- Bananas – Contain potassium to help relieve RLS
- Berries and other fruit – Quick energy
- Healthy food to cook – Proteins, veggies, healthy fats and carbs
- Saltine crackers – Easy to digest for quick energy
- Blindfold – Helps you sleep
Step 8: Complete your OxyContin Withdrawal at Home
Now that you’ve tapered, started taking your Opiate Withdrawal Supplement, got time off from responsibilities and gone shopping, you’re finally ready to get off OxyContin at home. Typically, the first day of OxyContin withdrawal is the easiest, the second day gets harder, and days three and four are the worst.
However, that being said, if you’ve done a good job tapering and are taking your Opiate Withdrawal Supplement, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Regardless of whether you’ve taken these steps or not, the following schedule should help you get off OxyContin at home easier:
- 7:00 am: Wake up and take your Opiate Withdrawal Supplement.
- 7:30 am: Go for a walk, jog or swim. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, which are your natural painkillers. This natural morphine eases OxyContin withdrawal symptoms quickly and effectively. I know the last thing you probably feel like doing during withdrawal is exercising, but let me tell you, it’s the absolute best natural remedy there is.
- 8:00 am: Drink a glass of water or Gatorade. Eat breakfast. Have something like a fruit smoothie with whey protein powder or a breakfast sandwich. Eat a big piece of dark chocolate.
- 9:00 am: Take a long, hot bath with two cups of Epsom salt. Taking a hot bath during opiate withdrawal soothes aching muscles and limbs, relieves anxiety and promotes relaxation. Adding Epsom salt helps you calm the nervous system even more, while also stimulating the production of ATP and serotonin, improving the absorption of nutrients, and flushing toxins.
- 10:00 am: Put on some extremely comfortable clothes, lay down on the couch and watch either a comedy or an inspirational movie. This will take your mind off the withdrawal and get you into a positive mindset.
- 12:00 pm: Eat lunch. Try to eat something with fish, turkey, beef or chicken if you can stomach it. The amino acids in the protein will help bolster mood-enhancing chemicals in your brain. A sample lunch would be grilled chicken, rice, and steamed veggies. Eat a big piece of dark chocolate.
- 1:00 pm: Watch another movie (comedy or inspirational).
- 3:00 pm: Take a long and hot regular bath.
- 4:00 pm: Drink a big glass of water. Eat a snack if you’re hungry.
- 4:30 pm: Watch an inspirational movie.
- 6:30 pm: Go for a long walk, jog or swim.
- 7:30 pm: Drink a glass of Gatorade and take a hot bath. Drink a glass of water after your bath.
- 8:30 pm: Eat dinner. Some good examples are fish tacos or a turkey burger. Eat a big piece of dark chocolate. 30 minutes after dinner drink a cup of peppermint or chamomile tea.
- 9:00 pm: Turn off all the lights in the house. Light some candles and listen to relaxing music. You want to avoid bright lights, the TV, computer, and any other electrical devices after 9 pm. This is when your brain starts producing melatonin to help you fall asleep. Staring at the computer or other lights tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, and this interferes with the production of sleep-inducing melatonin.
- 9:30 pm: Start writing in a journal. Write about all of the things you are going to do with your life once you complete your OxyContin withdrawal.
- 10:00 pm: Start reading a self-help book by candlelight and go to bed as soon as you get sleepy. Make sure to get to bed before 12:00 am. Also make sure the room you sleep in is cool, quiet and dark. If you don’t get good sleep then don’t worry, lack of sleep won’t kill you.
- 10:30 pm: Before bed on an empty stomach, take your Opiate Withdrawal Supplement.
Note: This is just a sample of what a day of a planned OxyContin withdrawal at home could look like. You can switch it up and adjust things as you see fit. Make sure to drink plenty of liquids throughout the day. Avoid alcohol, coffee and energy drinks at all costs!!!
* If the food I mentioned doesn’t sound good then don’t worry…simply eat what sounds good to your body. If you have any diarrhea take Imodium AD. If you have aching muscles and limbs take Advil and rub Icy Hot on the problem areas.
* Don’t Google anything about OxyContin withdrawal! Stay out of the forums! Most of the people on forums aren’t professionals and give horrible advice. I’ve cringed after reading several of the things people on these sites have recommended. Sometimes there is good information, but usually, this is not the case.
Medications for Getting Off OxyContin at Home
If you haven’t been able to taper and are coming off OxyContin “cold-turkey”, the strategies I’ve provided you with will still help considerably. However, that being said, if you are coming off a severe OxyContin addiction, you may wish to consider using medications to ease withdrawal symptoms.
The following medications can be used to ease OxyContin withdrawal symptoms:
- Clonidine – A blood pressure medication that can reduce anxiety, slow heart rate and improve sleep.
- Benzodiazepines – Anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, Librium etc.
- Gabapentin – A medication for nerve pain that relieves OxyContin withdrawal symptoms.
- Tramadol – A synthetic, mild painkiller that binds to opioid receptors and ameliorates the withdrawal syndrome.
Step 9: Stay Clean!
Now that you know how to get off OxyContin at home, I hope you’ll use this plan to change your life. Getting off OxyContin is actually the easy part. 90% of people getting off OxyContin relapse within the first 90 days of being clean. Don’t be one of them! Continue to take your Opiate Withdrawal Supplement, exercise and eat healthily.
Keep writing in your journal and reading self-help books to feed your mind and improve your psychology.
Most people getting off OxyContin complain of the following symptoms that seem to linger for the next few months after quitting narcotics:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Inability to feel pleasure
- Depression
What this refers to is Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS). I’ve created an in-depth “How-To” article that will teach you how to feel amazing after you get off OxyContin:
How To Stop Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome From Opiates>>
Click here now to view my best home detox program. If you have any questions on how to get off OxyContin at home, please feel free to leave them in the comment box below.
My husband has been taking this awful stuff for many years. He had no idea what it was when his doctor prescribed it for pain. The last few years have been hell. He has been trying to get off it and no one seems to offer help, especially the doctors. They just judge and scold him. Suddenly out of the blue he came home with a new pill. It is called Clonipine. He has cut his pain meds my 3/4 in 10 ten days and he thinks he will be able to quit with absolutely no side effects. It seems like a miracle pill. Not sure if it will work for everyone but why is this not more prevalent. It has also diminished his appetite and lowered his blood pressure.
Matt, I have been on 10 mg oxycodone 1x a day for two years. Made the choice a month ago to tapper off at home. My prescribing dr.would not assist. I have taken less than 2 mg for the
Past 5 days and other than the occational sniffles ivi’ve been ok. I’m hoping I’m over the hump.I’m done with this med. No going back.
Thanks for sharing your progress Lynn. You have the right mind set indeed, NO GOING BACK. Good for you!
I’ve left you a few messages in your contact session but have not heard back so will try here. I live in the UK and am on 20mg oxycontin, 5-7 pills a day (crushed – does this increase the mgs or only make it fast release?). I also take around 12 dihydrocodeine a day. I want off all of it. I just got a prescription for Gabapentin so have plenty to take. I read your other article at how amazing Gabapentin is at relieving opiate withdrawals and see it was posted prior to this article. Why would you not promote it more here since it seems to relieve w/d symptoms entirely? Either way, I am unable to take any time off or slow down in my lifestyle (to expose this secret!!!!) so would love to try Gabapentin. I see the amounts/recommendations that were used in the article and comments, but would you be able to advise me personally? I would seriously be eternally grateful. I’ve been on this stuff for 5 years and want my life back. Thank you in advance!!!!!!
Hi Nicole, I just responded to your comment on the gabapentin article. And I never received any emails from you on the contact form…but I’ve been getting ones from other readers. There are many things along with gabapentin that significantly reduce symptoms, so I can’t write about all of them in every single article. This website is designed for people to read a lot of material then come up with their own plan based on what they’ve learned.
Regarding your personal dosage, I believe you might benefit from duplicating the dosages from the studies, though I cannot prescribe you a dosage because I am not a doctor.
Disclaimer: I am a Strategic Intervention Coach, not a doctor, so I can’t give professional advice regarding aspects of the body, only the mind. This comment is for informational use only. It’s not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, trying any new supplements, medications, exercise or opiate tapering programs
Thanks for your response Matt. I was asking your advice in response to your final paragraph in this article that said ” I absolutely love helping people come up with customized taper schedules and home detox plans”. I have read quite a bit of information on this site and others but it would help me greatly to communicate with you directly. Regarding the messages I wrote you in your Contact section, there were two dialog boxes and I chose the second one to write in so I will try now to write in the first and see if that goes through. Many thanks again.
Oh I would love to help you with that! 🙂 I just thought you wanted a customized gabapentin dosage, when I thought the study results were good. Silly me! Sorry about the confusion Nicole.
You can email me at my personal email if you like:
finchy444@yahoo.com
The emails on the contact page go straight to my personal inbox anyways. How about you email me some detailed info about your situation and I can help you come up with a great plan?! Sound good?
Are you available for a coaching consultation? I have just completed a medical (hospital) detox from a 50 mg oxycodone addiction of 5 years and am looking for support and advice going forward. Thank you!
Hi Richie,
Congratulations on your oxycodone detox! That’s very exciting! I am available for a coaching consultation, and would love to assist you in any way I can.
You can contact me by clicking on the link below and sending me a quick message, as well as what days and times would work well for you. I look forward to hearing from you Richie, and again, congrats on getting off oxys after 5 years!
Contact Matt