When do you cross the line into addiction - Addiction & Recovery Message Board

Mugure27 · 10-28-2003, 03:46 AM

Hi Everyone, I read your posts and was encouraged to ask a question. I have had numerous surgeries in the past two years as well as a major car accident.
My question is when do you stop becoming a patient and start becoming an addict. I am currently taking 20mg Oxycontin three times a day but with all the pain medications I have been on in the past two years I do not want to cross this line. I would love to get off any medications and yet I am in pain everyday of my life. I read somewhere that Chronic Pain patients do not become addicted but build tolerance to these medications. Thanks everyone

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MG

sadsister · 10-28-2003, 05:11 AM

You cross the line of addiction when you abuse the pills..taking more to get high as opposed to pain relief...you do obsessive things like counting them,worrying about the next script/hoarding/and of course..the big one..when you don't have them you become sick and nees to have more.There is a fine line between dependence and addiction.
heather

Mo7609 · 10-28-2003, 07:01 AM

MG,
I am alo a chronic pain patient and I know what you are going through. I have been on meds for 2 years now and at first it was not a good thing. I loved the vicodins way too much. Not only did they make the pain go away but the buzzy feeling I got was wonderful. I had to finally tell my Dr to take me off of them because I was taking too much and honestly my pain/addiction was starting to scare me. Now that I am on oxy I don't have this problem. You do grow a tolerence to the drugs and after a while you might have to bump them up but as long as you are not abusing them and using them to get high you are fine. Like the other poster said its when we start taking more than we need, counting pills, looking for that high that there is a problem. I think in our hearts that we know if we are addicted to them or not. For me its the vicodin. I love it too much so I don't take it. Good luck to you! Mo

OCPercOS · 10-28-2003, 09:14 AM

Hi~

You cross the line when you start to abuse in the drugs in such a manner as to get "high". You begin to take more and more pills, even though your pain is being controlled, to get a pleasurable feeling. Lying, stealing, and being secretive about you pill abuse are also signs. If someone mentions something to you about your pill useage that they are concerned about, and addict may get on the offensive and get very angry at their inquiries.

I, too, am a chronic pain patient. I am also a textbook addict. I have been on narcotic analgesics for a combined amount of about two years. My addiction really started taking off when I began taking OxyContin in August. I was abusing them before, but ever since that first couple of 20mg OC's hit my bloodstream, I have been digging myself a deeper and deeper grave only in the pursuit of more and more pills. I knew I had a problem with them, and I have heard several stories around my med school of addicts ODing on chewed OC's. I thought, "I would never do that - way too risky!" But, alas, I accidently chewed one when I was going to take it while I was chewing on a piece of candy...the rest is history. My best friend and physical therapist as well as my older sister are also addicts. I am about 95% sure my mother is addicted to Ultram, because she tells me how "horrible" she feels and the she "cannot make it through the day without an Ultram." So you see, my family has addictive personalities in our blood. Addicts cannot account for their actions because they are 'possessed' by an intense need for the pills and do whatever possible to attain them. I have lied rather intricately to attain pills. I work well under pressure in that respect. But after I do the things I do for pills, I just feel so worthless and empty. And that makes me take more pills. It is just a horribly destructive cycle. I am in medical school & applying for orthopaedic surgery residencies. I have wanted be be an orthopaedic surgeon since I was 15; I am 25, almost 26 now. I have an amazing fiancé that has been beyond understanding about this, but I know he feels so much extra stress from this. I do not want to lose him. I am at that point where I know I need help desperately, but I am so afraid of being without the pills. I do have real chronic pain issues with my knee, but I know these pills are going to kill me first before my knee pain does.

My advice is to just be aware of what you are taking and talk to your doctor about your concerns. If you feel you are going down a bad route, tell your docotr or someone you trust. Maybe even give them the pills to "dole" out to you. Please, take action before it gets too late, like in my case. Good Luck, and I'm thinking of you.

~Stella

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Medical Student, 4th year(senior) - Boston University Medical School - Applying for Orthopaedic Surgery residency

3 Knee Surgeries - Lateral Retinacular Release, Maquet Procedure, & Arthroscopic Debridement

Unable to walk correctly(limp), very small ROM, 2-3 hrs. of sleep each night due to pain, knee gives out, crunches, clicks, pops, grinds, et cetera...

Physical Therapy 7 times - Best Friend is PTist - Will open joint practice upon (hopeful) finishing of Ortho residency

Engaged to wonderful neurosurgery resident - I love you, David!

Taking OxyCodone products(Percocet, OxyContin) for over a year - Dependent & Addicted to them - trying to get better & stop

ParisDream · 11-05-2003, 05:00 AM

I just posted a new topic - the one about Oxycodone, as I've been wondering the very same thing - ie, at what point is addiction?

People use alcohol - and moderate use to feel good is acceptable within society, although chronic abuse is clearly not. Is moderate recreational use of pills indicative of addiction? Does it necessarily develop into addiction? If 'drug holidays' of 2 days a week are taken, will this prevent dependency and tolerance?

Okay, okay, before you come down on me like a tonne of bricks, I *know* what I am doing is wrong (am taking around 2 x 5mg oxycodones approx 5 days per week, as well as codeine 60 mgs with or without the pain they were prescribed for), and I DO intend to stop, but I would like to establish what exactly addiction and 'having a problem' entails.

Stella I would be keen to hear your take on this also. I'm a training nurse, and can relate to some of your concerns.

Thanks