Pain meds addiction

[kmw]

I am addicted to the pain meds I'm on. I am prescribed 14 pills a day - 8 Darvocet and 6 Vicodin HP for the last three years. I now take 3 times that amount or more. I went to my pastor last week and finally told him about it to get some help. I am so afraid. I don't know what would happen if my husband found out and with being sick I am afraid that this new "problem" will finish my jobs off. I support my family as my husband is permanently disabled with heart problems. I feel like I would lose everything but I think I'm headed there anyway. I have even had suicidal thoughts = that me and everyone else would be better off. I have an addictive personality as I have had this problem about 20 years ago. My pastor wants to really help me out - I have started going back to church in hopes of finding some peace in my life. Waht am I in for if I go cold turkey? I can't function through the day without these meds - sometimes for the pain but other times out of necessity. How am I going to handle the pain if I don't have the pills and still be able to function as a reasonable, sane human being?

[LeeEllen]

Hi - I'm glad you're talking to your pastor. That's a start.

What is causing your pain, if I may ask? The vicodin is dangerous in higher doses as it can damage the liver. You are obviously taking MUCH too much and I'd advise a liver panel -- a blood test to see how the liver enzymes are.

The chronic pain MUST be treated, but with care. Can you see a pain management specialist? They can give you more options for treating chronic pain --- procedures, injections, meds, etc. There are long-acting pain meds that would probably work better for the pain, depending on how severe it is.

You do need to reduce your intake of these meds. Would you be able to taper? Some medications are dangerous to cold-turkey, although vicodin isn't one of them. The withdrawal can be uncomfortable but there are over-the-counter things that can help, i.e. Immodium AD for diarrhea (sp?), benadryl for sleep, herbal teas to help calm. But it should and must be done -- you must get back to the prescribed level.

You also would benefit from an addiction counselor --- I've seen a pain management doc who is also a psychologist who works with addiction. I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict but am also a chronic pain patient --- my doc CAREFULLY supervises my intake of pain meds and so far (in 3 years) I haven't abused them or gotten a high or buzz. I also attend AA meetings and talk with my sponsor on a regular basis.

Find someone who can help with pain/addiction and NA meetings would be very very helpful. You need to do this for YOU --- not for anyone else. But like you said, if you continue on with the status quo, you could and probably will lose everything -- you do need help, as we all do. God Bless and please keep us posted. Peace, Lee

[sylpat]

LeeEllen definately has a point. I am a recovery pain pill addict. I started out taking fioricet #3 for very intense stress headaches. I was working a job that was very stressful but would not leave because I was making close to 50,000 a year.

I started taking 3 tabs a day. Within a year I was taking 10 a day. I even started purchasing the pills over the internet. That turned out to be both a nightmare and a rescue. I was arrested for ordering these drugs over the internet. Lost the job I was trying so desperately to hold onto. Thank God I didn't lose my family. But I said all of that to say this, GET HELP NOW. You are headed for destruction. I am now working on a job that pays less money but, I have less stress and I am once again functioning normally. Also attend AA Group Meetings. This and a sponser has helped me tremendously. I wish you the best. I will pray for you.

[Stephen1951]

sylpat said she was arrested for purchasing Fioricet via the internet. I had thought about ordering medication for my migraines this way.

Can they really arrest you? I thought if you ordered non-narcotic drugs from an foreign pharmacy it was ok.



[This message has been edited by Stephen1951 (edited 01-24-2002).]

[shasta]

They (meaning the companys that sell the drugs) tell you it's OK but we all know perfectly well that it isn't!! Right? Where in the US can you actually walk into the Dr.'s office and say, "I want a script for 100 Vicodin?" The thing that I don't understand, and maybe laws are different in every state, is how that person got arrested. They are simply seized. You get the empty package with the pretty green tape on it, and when you open it, it lets you know that you are left without what you sent for and you are also out the money. (That's where the disclaimer for these companys come into play. If you have to agree to a disclaimer about seizures, how can you believe them when they say it perfectly legal?) They will send you a seizure notice in the mail within days. You sign it where it says they can have it and it's out of your hands, send it back to them and they post it somewhere so that people can read the seizure notice in the city it was seized, and what they obtained. Done. That would be a good topic starter as I would like to hear of others who have been arrested because of a seizure from pharmacys not located in the US.