Offering Hope and Encouragement

[Zurich42]

Hey there - just a quick update.  I am down to tapering 2 tablets of Vicodin today from 10-12 a week ago.  It's been a long week - but the progress I have made is unbelievable.  My concentration and energy levels have returned and the 'fog' has dispersed to a point where life seems livable without narcotics.  The worse days so far for me were Day 3 & Day 4 - the anxiety, edginess, body temperature changes, etc.  I've been feeling very good for over 24 hours now - something that I haven't felt for 8 months or so since all this started.  I honestly believe that whatever RA pain I might have in the future can be thwarted with Celebrex (a non-addictive anti-inflammatory) and Advil.
I had a long talk with my boyfriend last night about some of dependency and how it affects/affected my judgment.  He asked, 'what do I do if you ask me for Vicodin next week - after you have withdrawn?' - I simply said, 'tell me to read my journal, visit the forum, take some advil and knock it off'.  :-)
Once again - I thank all of you for listening and being 'there' - my extended family - so to speak!
Marie

[kiki4922]

I will try taking advil or over the counter meds and see if they help. Right now after taking two vics two hours ago sitting here my back hurts. the only time my back doesnt hurt is when I am laying down. My dr hasnt done any test since my fall because I have no insurance and he has suggested I try to get medicaid because he wants a total work up on me because he thinks I have referred pain from somewhere else. The problem that i am having now is that i am on probation and do weekly testing and I am perscriped soma and vics. I also take 222 form canada to get me through  when I run out. My last test they sent to the labs and I found out today that they sent the results to my po and they found benzo, opeients and codiene. I know that opeints and codiene come from the vics and the 222 but what the hell is benzo showing up in my system? My dr had me on T3 too at the time the test was sent to the lab so I am safe there.I am worried and sick and tired of going through this **** with the meds and I want to stop all. I dont want to worry what is in my system and I dont want to be in pain. why would benzo be there? I will ask my dr but he wont be able to say much until he sees the test results and I cant get them until I meet with my po and i dont want to go in there not knowing why benzo showed up.

[Zurich42]

I have Rheumatoid throughout my body and began a habit of taking Vicodin for the 'pain'.  At first, I liked the 'high' - and kept upping my dose until I was at 10-12 a day.  A short while ago I said, 'enough!' and started tapering down.  I'll be real honest - I KNOW some of the pain was just 'discomfort' that could easily have been covered by taking Advil - not Vicodin - but I enjoyed the 'rush' too much.  Truth be told - Vicodin affected my joints so bad that the next day I would need more - so, regardless, there was just this ugly repetitive cycle going on.  When I talk about pain - I talking about PAIN vs discomfort.  Are you skipping first base just to get to home? when it comes to these drugs, we tend to jump over and ignore the first few bases just to get the 'rush' of getting home (in other words, I don't think we assume Advil can resolve the pain - rather, we just speed ahead using Vicodin).  With your injuries, I'm sure you experience pain - but do you 'really' need the pain pills or can Advil take care of it in it's stead?  See - my experience says, 'Yes - Advil can take care of the pain' and the need for Vicodin is just pretty much in my head.

[kiki4922]

I need help. I take vicodine and soma for back pain. It all started 4 years ago with a car accident and had two surgeries on my left shoulder .  A few months ago I fell down stairs and broke two ribs on my back. My back hurts all the time. What is real pain and what is " pain for vicodines"? I want to stop being in pain and I want to get off meds.

[1eagle]

i am glad you heard that wake up call and answered it...there are many other ways to address the aches...do you do pain management ? You have the right attitude, ice,heat, others (accupressue, accupuncture,and such) much progress is being made with electrical neural stimulation and all......great to hear that you have a partner to work with...quite some control to give some back...thats a tremendous sign and attitude...I hope that sport that you love is LIVING.....without the artificial things....you don't really need that bottle...........................remain strong........it will test your strength...............

[1eagle]

i am glad you heard that wake up call and answered it...there are many other ways to address the aches...do you do pain management ? You have the right attitude, ice,heat, others (accupressue, accupuncture,and such) much progress is being made with electrical neural stimulation and all......great to hear that you have a partner to work with...quite some control to give some back...thats a tremendous sign and attitude...I hope that sport that you love is LIVING.....without the artificial things....you don't really need that bottle...........................remain strong........it will test your strength...............

[lostlake]

I have no records. I feel that I stubbled into this addiction and used the DR to feed me the pills. Is the pain realy there or just in my head yes my knee hurts sometimes but did I realy need a Vic to make it better. Or can heat and ice make it better. I am going to explore alot or other avenues to figure out how managed it other ways then just taking a pill. I have never taken anything before this. I just woke up one day and said I want to stop. Then I found this site and learned others were also in my shoes. I think if wasn't for seeing both of your progress I would of just went back to the bottle. My wife has been giving me 8 pills aday and now I have extras and gave them back to her last night she had the strangest look on her face. Thanks for being there and keep up the good progress. Today is one of the first days I have wanted to or felt a drive to realy get back in  to the sport I truly love.

[1eagle]

Your sounding really good. Just what diff would it make if you saw someones records anyway? I would like for everybody to check out mine. There is some really interesting stuff in there. And they would probably get a real chuckle. Yeah, I am having a hard time accepting that this thing is with me and will be with me for the rest of my life. But ya know what? I have my life back now for myself and my family. And the whole wide world. What else can top that?

[Zurich42]

Yes - we're doing this 'journey' together - and believe, your input has been tremendously helpful both supportive and making me feel as though I am not alone in this battle.  I think your tapering plan looks good.  I went from 3.5 to 2.5 yesterday - but only truly thinking about it for hours - i.e., should I drop 1 or just a half tab? I just an entire tablet and am doing fine without it.  But I won't do that again too soon (even if I am only at 2).  I have the rest of my life to beat this addiction - a couple of days or weeks is not going to matter.  
My next step is to seek a counselor for visits once or twice a week.  I also want to go to an AA or NA meeting in my home town (which will be difficult for me since as much as I try to trust people - showing up to a meeting with the same people I see in the ED sometimes - and them knowing I have my own issue, etc).  I'm not afraid of 'them' seeing me - I'm more afraid that they will recognize me and think 1) it's unsafe for them to go to the ED or 2) that I have the ability to look at their records - which I don't.  I can't be responsible for anyone's recovery but my own - but certainly don't want to impede others...

[lostlake]

Good to see you doing better. Sence I have seen you do this journy. I have mixed my plan up some. I am going to go down 1/2 a tab each day till I can't stand it. Then if I level out at 4 I will keep taking the 4 till I feel ok then drop it down after that. The worst I have felt was cramping and then you know what comes next. I can deal with that and also have a slight head ach. Keep up the good work.