Hey all!!!
Does anyone have an addiction to pain killers? i have chronic pain (and a million other problems) but i take meds for it like celebrex and elivil and percocet and oxycodone.My Doctor thinks that, i should not take pain killers everyday but i do cause either that or i cannot work without being sore, and i deal with alot of tension headaches and migraines.I recently ran out of my percocet and did not want to ask for a refill cause it wasn't that long ago that i got it, but i went through work yesterday in agony,i ask was this pain pain??? or withdrawl? i knwo someone who sells alot of stuff in the blackmarket and so far i have spent 400.00 on perks?this is how much pain i am in but my doctors not willing to do more test. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif Can anyone relate to me????? if so please write back.

i injured my back and was prescribed pain med...lortab,vicodin,percocett,i have done them all...they have ruined my life...i was taking 25 lortab 10 at a time just to get the effect that 2 gave me backm in 1990. i yhave been in rehab been on methadone,buprenex just to get off the pain meds....i have not slept for a month due to the effect of addiction...i got a divorce,stole money,lied lost jobs just to get 10 percocett...do yourself the biggest favor and get off the pain med...there are other means ....seek counseling....narc annymous meetings...see all the people who are addicted...withdrawals lasts for months in alot of cases....pain med led me to using a needle to shoot drugs cause you got that feeling immmediately....i am now after years just getting my life together and will always be an addict...some people there brain gets wired to the drug of choice...prescription meds...good luck

Dear CHEFOB1
I so appreciate your reply and i see what you are saying.But what i am confused about is the reason i am taking these meds is casue of pain...... and i have been trying to get more Dr help but nobody has been very "helpful" with me so i am so frustrated being in pain with and without the percocet http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif
I do think i should atleast check out some addiction help places.Glad to see you are going in the right track.

You mention the headaches and taking so many pain killers can cause rebound headaches. Also if you have that much chronic pain why not ask your doctor about trying a Fentynal aka duragesic patch for pain. It is a patch you wear with pain medication that lasts and is changed every 3rd day. Also what prevenative meds have they tried for your headaches so far? Perhaps they need to try some of the newer medications used for headache and chronic pain prevention. If the docs aren't willing to do anything more test wise to find out about your pain I would get some new docs or consider getting a referral to a university hospital in your area as those are usually teaching hospitals with that have lots of high tech equipment etc.

Hey MLGABLE
Well in terms of the meds that are"suspose" to prevent my pain i am talking ELIVIL,i also take celebrex(for arthritus) and MAXOLT,which is suspose to prevent my migraines,it opens the blood vessels.I am hunting for a new Doctor so i can get on the right meds that will help and hopefully see where my pain is coming from.......do you have chroic pain? if so whatworks for you?........

AJS, It sounds to me like you are being undertreated for your pain. Have you tried looking for a pain management specialist? Yes they may want you to try some other metehods for pain control, but while you are trying new things, they will usually give you pain meds. I switched after several years of ineffective Darvocet, to Oxycontin and also have a spinal cord stimulator implanted. I still have pain, that background "white noise" pain but it is no longer unbearable. I, too, have multiple diagnosis besides chronic pain (Rheumatoid arthritis). Taking pain meds with a lot of tylenol in it can really damage your liver. I have long believed that undertreated pain is often mistaken for drug addiction. You are the only one who can answer that. Bottom line: do you take the pain meds to take care of the pain, or to get a "buzz"?If it is truly for physical pain, get busy and find a pain management doc who believes you.

bkcorr
Hey
Thanks for responding,i take the medication for pain,but i guess its my Doctor who is making me think otherwise.Honestly oxycodone has been an amazing help with my pain,i can finish my work days(i work in retail) and i am a manager so i work full time,but it has helped so much with my headaches and body pain so much and i never take it for the buzz,it just makes me feel alot more funtional and able to do my work which is most important.I am going to demand a referral to see a pain specialist,and i have a app with a Doctor who may take me on as a patiant(casue the one i have now sucks)so cross you fingers for me http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif Do you deal with pain? or drug addiction? Whats your story?

AJS-- Actually I am on both sides of the coin--I am an RN and worked in Hospice for 8 years, but I also have chronic pain--I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain syndrome from a fracture in my back 7 yrs ago. I take vioxx, and several other drugs for the Rheumatoid, and oxycontin for the back and fibro pain. The Oxycontin (which is oxycodone in a long acting form WITHOUT all the tylenol in it) has been my saving grace. I would not be able to move at all or have any enjoyment in life if it weren't for that drug. However, it does nothing for the rheumatoid pain. I also have an implanted spinal cord stimulator, that hasn't been terribly helpful mostly because of where my injury is (mid-back). Several years ago, when I was in terrible pain, I KNEW from my Hospice work that there WAS help for us with chronic pain. SO many, many docs are terrified of prescribing pain meds because of the myths and misunderstanding of pain meds. I went through several docs before I found the Pain management doc that helps me now. He has NO problem writing my scripts every month. I did a lot of research about meds for CHRONIC pain versus meds for ACUTE or TERMINAL pain and found that drugs like oxycontin, MSContin, Duragesic patches are all great and safe for chronic pain if used properly. One great thing is that you DON'T have those highs and lows in the blood level because you take them routinely every 8-12 hours and so you don't get that icky buzzy feeling, and much more continuous pain control. Duragesic has some drawbacks, and all have some side effects, that affect people differently. I think you are on the right track finding a pain doc---just be careful not to demand a specific drug, though it is fine to say, "I find when I take the percocet every 8 hours my pain is well controlled for the first 5 hours and then it gets worse. I am concerned about all the tylenol I am feeding my liver. Or whatever fits your situation. Be careful with what you are buying on the street because all that tylenol can really damage your liver and you really dont know what you are getting .

Also, I get migraines too ( I have a "million" things wrong too!), and take Maxalt for them, it usually helps along with my trusty ice pack, the trick is to take it as soon as I feel the migraine coming on, If I wait too long, it can go past the point of no return. If you aould like to email me directly please post your address or put it on your profile (then you could remove it if you wanted later).

BKCORR86
You are so nice to give me your input,i really appreciate it.I do realize that "percocet" will damge the liver..... i do read alot about medication plus my brother is also a RN,so i try to get as much info with what i am taking so i know whats going in my body.You see that is how much pain i am in that i would buy from the streets,which is so wrong but i could not get through my work days without it.But.... its too damn expensive and i rather go about it the right way,its just so hard cause i also deal with depression anxiety...migraines....and so on and so on so its even overwhelming to wnat to go to work at all and with the chronic pain just tops it right there.Do i need to be referred to a pain specialist? or how do i go about this?not sure if i told you this but my Aunt and cousin have FM so i think i may be heading in their direction but how do i know?All i want is to know why my pain is here and something to control it and help me through it,and to have a GOOD Doctor that WANTS to help me with this.I am glad you have found the right meds and Docs to help you,i hope i can find the same cause this pain and exaustion is too overwhelming.
my email is calvin_spike@yahoo.com or i have msn aj_780@hotmail.com(for emailing i use the yahoo account so please keep in touch) and thankyou again for your support and info it is very appreciated http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gifTake Care for now