:confused: Can someone tell me if I'm addicted or not? I have taken three 7.5 mil of Lortab a day for three years. I have back problems and may have to have back surgery in a couple of months. I want to get off the Lortab but wonder if I should wait until after the surgery. I also have to have my Gall Bladder removed. Will it be easy for me to taper off the Lortab?

Hello I would wait until after your surgery. I would also discuss this with your Dr. The amount you take isn't a large amount but you have been taking it for a long time the longer you take pain medication the more chance you have in becoming addicted. Each person is differant and they are effected differantly. I wouln't stop cold turkey before surgery. After back surgeries the pain medication may be increased to a stronger medication for a few days. Be very careful and follow the directions your doctor tells you to follow. If your concerned with being addicted again speak with your dr.

Do you ever find your self craving your pain medicaton. Do you ever take more than your prescribed? Have you ever felt sick after not taking your pain medicaton. For example hot cold chills skin crawls, very high anxiety along with not having any energy and staying in bed for days on end? Throwing up and having diarhea for days? I've gone through this for 2 years straight now and I'm sick of it!!

I believe that you can get throught this situation. I wish you the best of luck. I'm a suffering addict and I hope that you will get through the thickets easier that me.

It should be easy to tapper off of the small amount you take ..........but you have to stick to your plan to the T
Good luck

If you can go two years without taking more than three a day, I would say you are probably not addicted. I would always take more than prescribed and when they were gone I would get them somewhere else. To be safe I would get off as soon as you can after back surgery. Believe me you do not want to go as far as I did with it, at that point getting off is miserable.

That's a tough question. Your aren't taking a large dosage, but if you are really taking them every single day you are probably physically dependent on them. Have you gone 24 hours without taking them? It is very likely you would have w/d symptoms. While you may not have addictive behavior towards the pills (not always increasing your dosage, doctor shopping, etc) your body is very likely still physically addicted to them. I would agree not to quit until after your surgery as you will most likely be given an opiate to recover. Going through w/d's is not something you want to do twice.

I had my dosage somewhat under control, taking 3-6 10mg lortabs for 2 years. I suffered terrible w/d - it really was a physical dependency. I wasn't even really feeling the effects anymore of the pills, I was mostly taking them to avoid w/d symptoms. Some else posted this same story recently. There are some great stories that will help you figure out what you are and what you want to do about it.

Good luck.

After 3 years your definately dependent on the loratabs but it doesn't sound like your addicted.If you were taking more than the prescribed amount and running out early,going into withdrawls,buying illicts then I would say you have an addiction problem but that's not the case here.Have the operation and then after when the pain subsides you should be able to reduce your pain killers until you don't need them anymore.Good luck.....Dave:)