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MedHelp Member's Question

How long for re-addiction

by G'Kar, Jan 09, 2002 12:00AM
I realize that addiction is an individual thing, but I was just wondering, how long it can take to deveope a habit that would or could include those nasty withdrawals?  After 4 months with nothing, (After approximatly 3 years of taking T&C #3s for cronic pain), I have to undergo a surgical procedure and have 70 Vics for the post-op pain.  I was hesitent to take the script because of my prior experiences.  However, I do not have regular access to them anymore and have no intention to aquire such access.  I realize that this is a VERY sensitive time.





My questions is this, if I finish this script within the 2 weeks that it is perscribed for, will I have to go through all that horrific physical and mental withrawal again?  Will it be to a lesser degree?  Please, please, those with this experience as well as the DR. share with me your input.





Otherwise, I haven't even thought about this stuff for months now.
Member Comments (44)

by OxyDout, Jan 09, 2002 12:00AM
To: gkar
if you take them the way they are prescribed or even less then prescribed you should be fine.  Its usually a phsychological beginning, when you start taking them to feel that high, if your taking them for pain and not to go out or to feel good then you should be ok, but you should definitely monitor yourself and consult your doctor, i hope that helps, i know i'm not the most educated in this area.



GWH

by skipper, Jan 09, 2002 12:00AM
To: GKar
GKar:

take them as perscribed when needed. maybe a wife or girlfriend

can dispence them to you. i bet if you do this, the worst WD you

will have are several night where you won't sleep to well. it's

good to hear you've stayed clean. i don't know if you remember

me from last summer when you were posting, but i remember you!



keep an angel on your shoulder and good luck with the cutter

kip

by shane, Jan 09, 2002 12:00AM
To: Gcar
Please be very careful my friend. If you love the feeling of narcotics and were addicted 'I believe it is next to impossible to use 70 vic's without  "waking the ecoes". Four months is not very long to be off drugs. This is a very incidious desease. I would be very aware and honest with myself if it were me. Hope this helps you. Good luck '  Shane

by Witchywoman, Jan 09, 2002 12:00AM
To: GK'ar
Congratulations for having four months clean! I too am four months clean, and very happy about that.



Now, to answer your question.  It takes about a week of having hydrocodone in your system 24 hours a day for physical dependance to begin.  It is different for different people, but a week is about the average.  So, if you take them several times a day for two weeks for your post surgical pain, you probably will experience mild withdrawals when you stop.



However...you will need the meds for the pain. Plain and simple. Real recovery is not about tolerating very high pain, it is about being able to make the choice to take pain meds when absolutely necessary, and only as prescribed.  Surgical pain absolutely needs pain meds. Research has proven that people heal much faster when they take their pain meds post surgery, as the intense pain signals interfere with the body's healing process.



So, if I were you, I'd take them as needed for the first four days, then try to back off to twice a day for two days, then down to once a day, then hopefully your surgical pain will have resolved and you won't need to be on them.



I'd also urge you to tell your doc that you have had problems with meds in the past, and to be cautious and question you if you ask for refills.  do you have a friend who can give the meds to you when you need them? An NA sponsor to talk to to be sure to stay honest?



It is a very sensitive time, but there is also no need to suffer.

Just stay honest, and don't let the Dragon get his claws back in you by taking more than you are supposed to.



So, that is what I'd do if I were you.  Take whatever part of the advice might work for you, and know that I'll be wishing you well.

What kind of surgery are you having?



love,

WW

by Manipulator, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
HELLO everyone.....I'm so graetful that I stumbled onto you.

I too wonder about re-addiction....I went 5 days about a week ago with no opiates.....I jumped off the train at  20mg---a week ago Friday....12ish days....help from valium and alcohol and evrything ,,,to stay away from the oxy......I was living in NYC.....then I came "home" to LA and realized that I jumped off from "too high"....too fast.....wimpily...if I may coin a phrase....I called the Dr. and got some Norco (my old stand-by)....to start stopping again......I am preparing for Saturday when ...with the help of my parents, and my ex-girl friend (an addict) and some other friends, and my current girl friend...(a real person)...I will resume low-level.... oxy.....with the intent of weeeeeeeeeening off....Hopefully getting down  from 60mg ....no chewing....for 4 days...then 50mg.  for a few days...then 40...30...20...10....then half a ten?.....any suggestions...?????..thanks for just being there .....guys...I appreciate just having someone...even invisible...to talk to....any comments will be greatly appreciated....ust conversation would be great beacause no one else will even talk.....wow what  a great "place"...I mean it...

Sorry to sound so shmaltzy.....Thanks

T he MANIPULATOR

by J.B. to Brian and Vicky, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
To: Manipulator
That's a good name by the way. We are all great manipulators here.  So welcome to this site!



I assume you are into oxycodone(Percoset)rather than Oxy Contin? I hope you can stick with your taper schedule by using the hydrocodone, booze and benzos. Keep us posted because everybody counts here and we all have different ways of doing things that may just help someone.



I'm on day 14 from morphine...MS Contin. I did indulge in some Darvoset for pain but I don't consider this as an opiate.  Maybe I'm wrong about that, but it's pretty weak stuff. I've taken Xanax for insomnia but the past few nights I haven't needed it and am able to sleep more and more each night. It still feels like something is missing but staying busy helps. I wish you all the best!



J.B.

by skipper, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
To: Manipulator
Manipulator:

welcome to this forum. there will always be room for one more

junky in here! like J.B. i really like your cyber handle- years

of addiction made me a master manipulator.



i certainly hope your taper works. if you can find Thomas's re-

cipe for detoxing archived here get on it as soon as possiable,

as it really makes a difference.



I'm in day 11 of a self imposed detox from oxycontin. see i have

a spinal injury that causes "intractable" pain. every so often

i like to take a little vacation from drugs and will go 10-14

days without.



before this spinal trouble, i used heroin and morphine and any

thing else i could get my hands on. i would be very cautious

about throwing alcohol into your taper and detox. when your ad-

dicted to opiates your liver has a real bad time with alcohol.

stay oxy free for about 10 days before you throw alcohol into the

equation GOOD LUCK!!

by AnnieS, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
j.b. Just as you said and I thought something wasn't right. He was doing Perc's again. Gcar be very careful. My boyfriend relapsed again after only 60 days by having Vicodin prescribed after dental surgery. The first script he let me hold and dispense as needed but it got that animal going again and the next thing I knew he was buying Percs off the street,

Thank you all for letting me vent, it's amasing how much denial we can put ourselves through when we want to. I really wanted to believe him but I have been there too many times to know the signs. I have decided to stay by him since he broke down yesterday and told me he was scared and in trouble again. Hopefully the Percs (like he says) is all that he has done and he wants to stop before he gets into the major grips again. He went through (we) so much pain with withdrawal from the oxys that I think he is serious about keping himself in check now. I don't feel threathened to use because looking at him so messed up has made the desire for me to use so unapealing. I really don't want to be in that place again. Thank you all so much for your words of wisdom and encouragement. I will keep you all posted on my recovery and keep praying for each and every one of us. Peace and Love to all, Annie

by J.B. to Brian and Vicky, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
To: Annies
Thanks for the thanks you gave us! Comments like yours' make it all seem worthwhile to spend a little time helping others. Where else can we go to vent our frustrations in the real world? Most people, and myself included, cannot discuss the things we discuss here out of fear and dread that we will be "found out".



You said a mouthful when you said that looking at your boyfriend's relapse made the world of addiction so unappealing to you. It sounds like you are on your way to bigger and better things!



J.B.

by skipper, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
To: Annies
Annies:

i'm happy your man let the cat out of the bag. knowing the truth

may not always be pleasent, but it sure beats sitting in the dark

with fear.



it sounds as if you have made a decision, and now it is time to

stand by and be happy with it. best of luck.



keep an angel on your shoulder

kip

by Telby, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
Nice to be back.  My experience is that the more times you become dependant - the easier it is to become dependant and withdrawls get worse they don't start at the beginning.  Once our bodies have made room for opiates the memory is there and our bodies adjust much faster when opiates re-enter the system.  The first time I went through withdrawls (many years ago) I had been taking 20 or so percadan a day.  I was miserable for two days - every time has been worse and worse. I think it's the bodies way of fighting to hold on to the drug when it stops coming in.   I also agree that no one should be in pain, so the suggestions of giving your meds to someone to hold and dispense is a good one. The body tends to absorb narcotics differently when there is actual pain, the problem is when the pain stops and the drugs continue.  I could never have them around me without over doing it and I never ever didn't finish an entire script of any pain meds.  Just my two cents, Telby

by skipper, Jan 10, 2002 12:00AM
To: Telby
Telby:

i was wondering how you were doing. haven't seen post for awhile. so how are you doing?



keep an angel on your shoulder

kip