Pain Pill Addiction: Methadone Facts

Question: Pain pill addiction..serious answers only please?

(Posted by: on 2008-04-23 18:58:05)

I've been taking hydrocodone almost every day for 14 months now due to a shoulder surgey gone bad. I'm in pain management and they just keep prescribing me the pain pills. I think I've become physically addicted to them. When I don't take them I become physically ill. At first I thought I had the flu but I'm now seeing a pattern that I get 'flu- like " when I don't take the meds. I'm afraid to tell the doctor because I am in pain the majority of the time. But I don't want to be addicted and I think I all ready am. Any suggestions? how can I get pain free AND stop taking this med without getting sick?

Posted by: Chas on 2008-04-23, 20:54:57

You are addicted there is no question to that. The flu symptoms you feel are withdrawls. Being addicted only means you have a condition that requires pain medication to control. The same doctors that allowed you to get addicted can just as easy ween you off them safely when, and if the time comes. Hopefully something will change that will allow you to control the pain without the meds. I have a spine injury and have been on different pain meds for many years. I accept the fact that being addicted is just part of the deal with controlling pain. Without it I don't do things like sit here and type. But here are a few links to sites I use for pain issues and help. health.discovery.com/ centers/ pain/ pain.html healthatoz.com/ healthatoz/ Atoz/ common/ standard/ transform.jsp?requestURI= / healthatoz/ Atoz/ dc/ cen/ pain/ painindex.jsp mayoclinic.com/ health/ chronic-pain/ AR00017 Here is an alternative medicine one that is interesting health.discovery.com/ centers/ althealth/ althealth.html If you want to see more sites just e-mail me and I will give you all I use. I know the impact having chronic pain has on your life. It can get to the point of controlling it if you let it. I also have a few links on clinical trials and studies that may of some help to you if you want them. If you are sure you can do without the pain meds then just sit down with your doctor and talk to him. He will gladly help you get off them without any withdrawls. I've done it both ways several times and letting the doctor help you is the way to go. Good luck and it is great that you are smart enough to not just start abusing the meds to feel better. That says a lot about your character!!

Posted by: starinajar13 on 2008-04-23, 19:09:40

I sort of go through the same thing. I get really bad headaches that don't go away all day, and I now get them nearly everyday. Nothing seems to work, and once I find something that does, I feel my body getting used to the medicine and eventually it just stops. I think you should be upfront about this with your doctor. If they keep prescribing you things that might be making you dependent on the medication, maybe you could ask for an alternative? It may also be important to ask your doctor to find the root of the problem... you say it's due to surgery gone bad, so maybe there can be something done to fix this. If you are not satisfied with your current doctor's advice after telling he or she about the constant pain, it might be time to get a second opinion, from a different doctor. Best of luck!

Posted by: erric245 on 2008-04-23, 19:16:16

Talk to your doctor about it. my uncle was addicted to pain pills after an accident at work and he died of an accidental OD 8 years ago. he had 6 kids.

Posted by: James H on 2008-04-23, 19:16:23

The sickness you feel is definately from withdraw. You have become depedant on the medication. This is DIFFERENT from addicition. Addiction is when you abuse mediction to get high. Dependancy is when your body requires medication to function properly, but you aren't using the medication to get high. Tell your doctor that you have become dependant on the medication and that you are using it in accordance with the prescription. Explain that you aren't addicted, wishing you didn't have to take the medication, but that if you dont use it, you get sick. The doctor might be able to switch you to another Narcotic that has less depedancy. Since you've been on the medication long term and it has been monitored by a doctor, he or she should be understanding. Explain to your doctor that you want to work together with them for the best overall solution. Remember, THEY WORK FOR YOU! If your doctor takes you off cold turkey or doesnt prescribe a reasonalble replacement medication, you should find another doctor immediately because then your pain will be under treated. It is far better to be depedant on a medication, then it is to have under treated pain! Let me explain one thing though to ease your mind. As long as Hydrocodone is taken in low to moderate doses, it does not do physical damage to the body. So from the "physical " aspect, they are very safe. However, you need to keep a careful watch of how much tylonol you intake (the second active ingredient in vicodin), because high doses of tylonol can cause liver damage. The maximum amount of tylonol (aceptametaphine) that can be taken in a 24 hour period is 4000 mgs. However, tylonol taken at 4000 mgs for an extended period of time can cause liver damage so try to keep your dosage at 3000 mgs or less a day. You might want to try using high doses of NAIDS (anti inflamtories) and see if you can get by on those. OR you might be able to reduce your dosage of vicodin by using the NSAIDs with the vicodin.

Posted by: huntsvillewitch on 2008-04-23, 21:25:06

You could try to incorporate Tramadol into your pain management routine. Tramadol is a milder pain killer, but it will help with the withdrawal symptoms. There is also Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) which is a medicinal leaf. You can order it all over the internet. It is said to work wonders with withdraw symptoms and it also helps with pain relief. Physical addiction to pain killers is not a rare occurrence. I am sure your doctor would understand your concerns and would probably be supportive. He may switch your medication, but it is highly doubtful that he would pull you off the painkillers all together.