Well, I took myself, with no help from the medical community from 180mg of Avinza down to 90mg in either 1 or 2 days with no reaction. 60 was not possible physically. I tried. My first pain med dr. told me he did not know how to "detox" me. I was shocked and angry...asking him how in the ^%&$#&* did the state certify him to pass the pills out if he was NOT qualified to get people off. I called the great state of confusion (AKA Calif.) and the state medical board (lower case as a token of disrespect in this case) said that was correct. They did not have to know how to get me off. That is what detox centers do. I quit him and went looking for another Pain Med dr.

I was trying to get off the opiates in the fall of 2007 and no help. PM dr's acted like I was a drug seeking guy, NOT someone trying to get off. After about 45 days I was getting low on Avinza (remember, I went from 180mg a day to 90mg, so I had some left over - so to speak). I used them while finding my next PM Dr. So when I am not filing a complaint against this PM dr. and his staff, I am also trying not to burn a bridge.

I do not understand the PM dr. out here. If you are getting off, or trying to get off, they act like they don't want you around or something. Frustrating.

As I have said... I do not feel addicted. I have not taken Avinza for over 30 days and do not regret turning them back in to one of my doctors as toxic waste. I am about out of the last Oxycodone, so I will be through with it I hope. I may be kidding myself, but I don't crave any of it. I am in pain. More than I had hoped I would be, but my respiratory system demands I try something. As I said earlier, on one occasion, it took my wife and an RN about 30 minutes to wake me up. Yelling, shaking me...I knew they were there, but I could not remember how to wake up. I squeezed their hand and so on...only after they cleared my airway and put continuous flow oxygen canullas in my nose and held my mouth shut did I come around. Sitting here after the oral surgery, I was on a liquid diet and had a mouth full of Chicken Noodle Soup. I could not remember how to swallow it. I finally leaned forward and let the soup fall out of my mouth into the bowl, then poured it out. This does not take into account that my memory is gone. When talking about basic items I have to ask my friends and family things like.... "what is the word for going up a ladder?" --
They would say "climbing" (as an example). Simple words. I have taught graduate level
seminars in movie theater size venues. I can't remember simple words now. Please don't think I am complaining, just stating why I have to try to get off the opiates. I have little choice. My dad died with Alzheimer's .... he got it at around 82 years old. Twenty years older than I am. My actual age is about 63 (just had a birthday), but my effective age is about 75 right now. There is a website you can go to figure out what your effective age is, but I can't remember it.

So please ... wish me luck getting off them. My bladder, my urinary tract, my colonary tract, my kidneys, my respiratory system, my neurological system .... (had the hole in my heart fixed in 2007 - it is ok), all of me seems to be malfunctioning and a lot of it is on the list as side effects of Avinza. (EDIT: Esophagus, Vocal Cords too) Memory shot.... time to see if I can escape with what is left of my life. I owe my wife and family that much.