Aa
think I,m either hooked or getting hooked....Help
Hi all,
I am a recovering alcoholic, and I have been sober now for 6 years.
About 8 months ago I started taking NUEROFEN PLUS it is Ibobrufen 200mg and also Codiene phosphate 12.8mg in each tablet.
Recommended daily dosage is 6 per day.
My doctor prescribed me ibobrufen and was saying to take 4000mg per day, plus codiene phosphate 30mg @ 8 per day.
I couldnt take what the doctor prescribed, it was screwing my stomach up.
But Nuerofen was ok. Dunno why.
But even tho I am taking less than the doctor prescribed ( I'm taking 14 nuerofen plus) I feel like I,m getting hooked. I,m scared. Opiates.
When I dont take them I get very irritable. The pattern is similar now to what my drinking was, starting around 2 or 3 pm each day. When I take them I feel better, cheer up.
I have read some of the blogs on here and its scaring the **** out of me, I am really concerned.
I still attend AA, its a primary part of my life. I started taking the painkillers for a shoulder injury, which I still have, but also was going thru a relationship split, and taking the painkillers took the edge off completely.
I,m in a catch 22 because I still have the injury to my shoulder and am waiting for an op. That should happen in the next 3 months, but again, I am scared I,m hooked on these opiates.
It probably doesnt sound bad in comparison with some of the blogs on here, but its the same with alcoholism, we are all different and some drank less, some drank more, there are lots of different types of alcoholic. I suppose I,m maybe a milder case for opiates, or is there a milder case, I dont know.
I need advice, I need help. Can someone talk to me?
Thank you to you all for reading this, hope to hear from someone soon.
I am a recovering alcoholic, and I have been sober now for 6 years.
About 8 months ago I started taking NUEROFEN PLUS it is Ibobrufen 200mg and also Codiene phosphate 12.8mg in each tablet.
Recommended daily dosage is 6 per day.
My doctor prescribed me ibobrufen and was saying to take 4000mg per day, plus codiene phosphate 30mg @ 8 per day.
I couldnt take what the doctor prescribed, it was screwing my stomach up.
But Nuerofen was ok. Dunno why.
But even tho I am taking less than the doctor prescribed ( I'm taking 14 nuerofen plus) I feel like I,m getting hooked. I,m scared. Opiates.
When I dont take them I get very irritable. The pattern is similar now to what my drinking was, starting around 2 or 3 pm each day. When I take them I feel better, cheer up.
I have read some of the blogs on here and its scaring the **** out of me, I am really concerned.
I still attend AA, its a primary part of my life. I started taking the painkillers for a shoulder injury, which I still have, but also was going thru a relationship split, and taking the painkillers took the edge off completely.
I,m in a catch 22 because I still have the injury to my shoulder and am waiting for an op. That should happen in the next 3 months, but again, I am scared I,m hooked on these opiates.
It probably doesnt sound bad in comparison with some of the blogs on here, but its the same with alcoholism, we are all different and some drank less, some drank more, there are lots of different types of alcoholic. I suppose I,m maybe a milder case for opiates, or is there a milder case, I dont know.
I need advice, I need help. Can someone talk to me?
Thank you to you all for reading this, hope to hear from someone soon.
Wow man thats a lot of stuff you've discussed, I'll give you my thoughts on it and try to address all that you touched on..
I've clean of all mind altering substances for 18 months, and AA is the path that brought me this far. I've learned a lot over the last year and a half, one of the first things I learned was that I cannot use any mind altering substances unless it is a case of EXTREME necessity, and even at that point, I would give them to someone I trusted to give to me as directed. Since you were only taking a small amount of Codeine, which is a pretty weak painkiller, it can be assumed that the injury was one that probably could have been dealt with without the use of opiates. It's not worth it for an alcoholic like me to use anything that is mind altering because once we do, it is only natural for us to abuse it.
If you worked the steps and got sober, then you had to admit powerlessness over alcohol.. what made you think you had power over the drugs? What I noticed in your original post two years ago was that you mentioned you were having relationship issues and the drugs took the edge off. It's the same as it was with alcohol, the drugs are just a symptom of our spiritual malady. We have to learn to deal with life on life's terms, no matter what the circumstance.
You did a whole lot of rationalization in your posts, a lot of what seem to be resentments toward certain people in AA. At the meetings I go to, I have never experienced a time when people with time look down or ignore people who have gone back out and have come back to the program.. we don't shoot our wounded. If that is going on at the meetings you go to, sounds like it's time to find some new meetings. But you know how the book says, any time we find ourselves unhappy or bothered by people places and things, there is something wrong with us. Most bad feelings are fear based, it seems that feeling like people in AA are selfish and look down on retreads reflects on some insecurities you may have. Another thing is that we, as addicts, usually think we have people fooled in our addiction, and that no one knows that we are using when most people usually do. If people have separated themselves from you, they might have realized what was going on with you and, as most recovering alcoholics and addicts do, separate themselves from active addicts.
And I'm concerned that either one of three things happened: either your sponsor in AA new what was going on with the prescription pills and told you it was a good idea to use them OR he told you it was a bad idea and you took them any way OR you just didnt tell him the full truth of the situation. Either way, there was an error in judgement.
I know this sounds harsh, but rigorous honesty, right? You can stop the drugs, you don't have to draw out the process by tapering, I came off a 500mg/day Oxycodone addiction, along with other things, and did it cold turkey. Get back into the program for real, sober, and give the steps another shot. They worked before so you know they will work again. Remember the very first thing that we as alcoholics learn.. If we don't put that stuff in our bodies, we don't get drunk/high. You can do it, I believe in you!
Ross
I've clean of all mind altering substances for 18 months, and AA is the path that brought me this far. I've learned a lot over the last year and a half, one of the first things I learned was that I cannot use any mind altering substances unless it is a case of EXTREME necessity, and even at that point, I would give them to someone I trusted to give to me as directed. Since you were only taking a small amount of Codeine, which is a pretty weak painkiller, it can be assumed that the injury was one that probably could have been dealt with without the use of opiates. It's not worth it for an alcoholic like me to use anything that is mind altering because once we do, it is only natural for us to abuse it.
If you worked the steps and got sober, then you had to admit powerlessness over alcohol.. what made you think you had power over the drugs? What I noticed in your original post two years ago was that you mentioned you were having relationship issues and the drugs took the edge off. It's the same as it was with alcohol, the drugs are just a symptom of our spiritual malady. We have to learn to deal with life on life's terms, no matter what the circumstance.
You did a whole lot of rationalization in your posts, a lot of what seem to be resentments toward certain people in AA. At the meetings I go to, I have never experienced a time when people with time look down or ignore people who have gone back out and have come back to the program.. we don't shoot our wounded. If that is going on at the meetings you go to, sounds like it's time to find some new meetings. But you know how the book says, any time we find ourselves unhappy or bothered by people places and things, there is something wrong with us. Most bad feelings are fear based, it seems that feeling like people in AA are selfish and look down on retreads reflects on some insecurities you may have. Another thing is that we, as addicts, usually think we have people fooled in our addiction, and that no one knows that we are using when most people usually do. If people have separated themselves from you, they might have realized what was going on with you and, as most recovering alcoholics and addicts do, separate themselves from active addicts.
And I'm concerned that either one of three things happened: either your sponsor in AA new what was going on with the prescription pills and told you it was a good idea to use them OR he told you it was a bad idea and you took them any way OR you just didnt tell him the full truth of the situation. Either way, there was an error in judgement.
I know this sounds harsh, but rigorous honesty, right? You can stop the drugs, you don't have to draw out the process by tapering, I came off a 500mg/day Oxycodone addiction, along with other things, and did it cold turkey. Get back into the program for real, sober, and give the steps another shot. They worked before so you know they will work again. Remember the very first thing that we as alcoholics learn.. If we don't put that stuff in our bodies, we don't get drunk/high. You can do it, I believe in you!
Ross
Thanks for that your right.
Its amazing, I love the program, the 12 steps is the best thing I have ever done.
Lifes good, I am cutting down, its not easy but I am determined.
Isn't it funny, aa is the same, that if you go back out, then come back again, most people dont want to know you.
I make an effort to get to people who have been out again, drink or drugs, even though I,m still on the pain killers. Working the program the best I can along with tapering is helping.
AA are a funny lot, dont get me wrong I am extremely grateful to the founders, and the program, I think everybody should work it.
Its the people. Although it says they are a fellowship of men and women, who share their experience strength and hope....it is quite suprising how they ignore and look down on you if you leave their "click" for a while.
Fact is, we are no different from anyone else, we are very lucky, and very fortunate to find the 12 steps and the fellowship, but the main reason for working these things is to get you back into the living world, the real world, not to single yourself out and think that your better than others.
Thats the annoying thing, why do they seem to ignore and look at you like your **** if you went out again?
It is getting worse in some meetings in the North East. I have seen new comers come in and be ignored at the end of a meeting. Thats so so bad!!
Some people can not grasp the program right away. I certainly didnt. And the emotional pain of 6 and 7 was enormous, and taught me some valuable things about me, about life.
Getting hooked on painkillers was not a thing I mean to do. I didnt suddenly wake up and think, ok, today I am going to work on becoming an addict!!
I had a genuine shoulder injury, and taking these pills occasionally , at least I thought at the time, wouldnt lead to addiction. But it has, and I am working on getting well again.
As you can see from my posts, its 2 years, 2 bloody years my ego got the better of me, along with the chemicals. I am not proud of this, and I certainly dont like the label addict. But I am now, pure and simple.
If anyone would like to chat, or is withdrawing, lets chat. Lets see some AA's talk and help here.
I am in touch and talking with AA's and it all helps. These are people I can trust and tell anything to. Very close friends of AA.
They agree with me, and see what I see. Has the majority of the 12 steppers become selfish instead of selfless?
There are people out there a lot worse than us, how about putting the hand out?
Past and present.
I hope there will be more can join this post, anyone withdrawing or thinking of stopping.
Take care all and God Bless
Its amazing, I love the program, the 12 steps is the best thing I have ever done.
Lifes good, I am cutting down, its not easy but I am determined.
Isn't it funny, aa is the same, that if you go back out, then come back again, most people dont want to know you.
I make an effort to get to people who have been out again, drink or drugs, even though I,m still on the pain killers. Working the program the best I can along with tapering is helping.
AA are a funny lot, dont get me wrong I am extremely grateful to the founders, and the program, I think everybody should work it.
Its the people. Although it says they are a fellowship of men and women, who share their experience strength and hope....it is quite suprising how they ignore and look down on you if you leave their "click" for a while.
Fact is, we are no different from anyone else, we are very lucky, and very fortunate to find the 12 steps and the fellowship, but the main reason for working these things is to get you back into the living world, the real world, not to single yourself out and think that your better than others.
Thats the annoying thing, why do they seem to ignore and look at you like your **** if you went out again?
It is getting worse in some meetings in the North East. I have seen new comers come in and be ignored at the end of a meeting. Thats so so bad!!
Some people can not grasp the program right away. I certainly didnt. And the emotional pain of 6 and 7 was enormous, and taught me some valuable things about me, about life.
Getting hooked on painkillers was not a thing I mean to do. I didnt suddenly wake up and think, ok, today I am going to work on becoming an addict!!
I had a genuine shoulder injury, and taking these pills occasionally , at least I thought at the time, wouldnt lead to addiction. But it has, and I am working on getting well again.
As you can see from my posts, its 2 years, 2 bloody years my ego got the better of me, along with the chemicals. I am not proud of this, and I certainly dont like the label addict. But I am now, pure and simple.
If anyone would like to chat, or is withdrawing, lets chat. Lets see some AA's talk and help here.
I am in touch and talking with AA's and it all helps. These are people I can trust and tell anything to. Very close friends of AA.
They agree with me, and see what I see. Has the majority of the 12 steppers become selfish instead of selfless?
There are people out there a lot worse than us, how about putting the hand out?
Past and present.
I hope there will be more can join this post, anyone withdrawing or thinking of stopping.
Take care all and God Bless
As you know if you ask the question, its a problem. It's time to make a move on this. And do it quick. You have got clean from one addiction, dont make the mistake and find out if this one will be stronger. You are aware and have the knowledge and tools for this fight, pull them out and use them. Hesitation kills..
Hi Everyone,
Back again.
My ego and "it'll be ok i,m sure" got the better of me. The "I can mange this, I can do it....eventually"
There is always sone excuse in my head. I have a new business which takes all my time up, I am thinking "when x,y and z are done I will come off them" Its ****, and ********, and I am lying to myself.
My whole personality has changed, mty life is crumbling around me (as it did with alcohol) need I say more? You all know what this is like.
Its making the final decision and sticking with it. I know I need to be strong, but right now I feel I dont have that strength.
The pills are up to 30 a day. I am reading worse cases, I am reading lesser cases, but its all the same.
Apart from the phsycological changes there are physical changes, with these chemicals my hair is dropping out dramatically.
I need to stop. I really need the strength to stop.
My best mate from AA has just died, thats not an excuse, but I wish I could have been going to his funeral clean.
I,ve held back for months coming on this site, only because its truth I am avoiding.
I really need to give this my best shot.
My best days in my life have been clean and sober....I want them back. Desperately!
Back again.
My ego and "it'll be ok i,m sure" got the better of me. The "I can mange this, I can do it....eventually"
There is always sone excuse in my head. I have a new business which takes all my time up, I am thinking "when x,y and z are done I will come off them" Its ****, and ********, and I am lying to myself.
My whole personality has changed, mty life is crumbling around me (as it did with alcohol) need I say more? You all know what this is like.
Its making the final decision and sticking with it. I know I need to be strong, but right now I feel I dont have that strength.
The pills are up to 30 a day. I am reading worse cases, I am reading lesser cases, but its all the same.
Apart from the phsycological changes there are physical changes, with these chemicals my hair is dropping out dramatically.
I need to stop. I really need the strength to stop.
My best mate from AA has just died, thats not an excuse, but I wish I could have been going to his funeral clean.
I,ve held back for months coming on this site, only because its truth I am avoiding.
I really need to give this my best shot.
My best days in my life have been clean and sober....I want them back. Desperately!
Hi again,
and thank you for the support, I really do appreciate it.
As I,ve said although I know about alcohol withdrawal, and I,ve worked the steps, this drug abuse is a completely new ball game. The feelings, the wanting to take it just to feel normal, the counting the tablets to see if I,ve enough......jesus, its a bit smarter this side of it.
I,m not looking forward to detox, and the only real reason I have put off is the fact I have my children a week every other week, and it happens to be my week till sunday.
I would love to write how all this has caught up, but the blog would be miles long. All I do know, is that you guys have given me much needed hope. I really was scared, I still am, cause that old fear of....what if....is creeping in. It just shows how vulnerable we are, everything is just an arms length away. When I started taking these things I really didnt see the danger. ****!!! But next week I will start. I have to. I know that this will escalate in not such a long time. I also know, that whatever drug we use, it never ever gets better, only worse. I can honestly say from the heart, that there is no better high than a natural high.....but it takes work, from us. And I also know, we cant do it alone.
Thank you from the heart! Thank you for listening, thank you for being there.
Will keep in touch.
God Bless
and thank you for the support, I really do appreciate it.
As I,ve said although I know about alcohol withdrawal, and I,ve worked the steps, this drug abuse is a completely new ball game. The feelings, the wanting to take it just to feel normal, the counting the tablets to see if I,ve enough......jesus, its a bit smarter this side of it.
I,m not looking forward to detox, and the only real reason I have put off is the fact I have my children a week every other week, and it happens to be my week till sunday.
I would love to write how all this has caught up, but the blog would be miles long. All I do know, is that you guys have given me much needed hope. I really was scared, I still am, cause that old fear of....what if....is creeping in. It just shows how vulnerable we are, everything is just an arms length away. When I started taking these things I really didnt see the danger. ****!!! But next week I will start. I have to. I know that this will escalate in not such a long time. I also know, that whatever drug we use, it never ever gets better, only worse. I can honestly say from the heart, that there is no better high than a natural high.....but it takes work, from us. And I also know, we cant do it alone.
Thank you from the heart! Thank you for listening, thank you for being there.
Will keep in touch.
God Bless
glad you faced yourself...it's hard. If/when you start to dt...email me and I'll send you my phone number or you can just lean on me in email if you like...I'm more than willing to help you if needed...
You sound like u see the scenario clearly..and being in recovery u know that another addiction is just that much easier and quicker than someone with no history....is there such thing as an "addictive personality" ?? i hear people call themselves that at work,,,not addicts that i know personally but somehow people can recognize this trait in themselves...and it is good that u r so observant and feel ur danger....the meetings will help as i am a hydro abuser but found my home at an AA meeting/to me addiction is addiction/and in my opinion alcohol would be evn harder to fight as it is so available..u can do this...happy NY!
Hi, gotta say a big thank you again. I know all about alcohol withrawal, I know the steps as I have done them, and continue to. Although since taking the pills I have worked it less and less.
I do know that any mind altering drug also deludes us into thinking we know better (self will) But again this is a whole new experience to me. I tend to look at everything I do, and am quite aware. It doesnt make me perfect, far from it, but I try.
Yes I was and still am worried bout this, i really dont want to go tru withdrawal again, its not nice.
There are a lot of things you said that I,m not experiencing yet, as I havent tried to stay off yet. All I do know, is at the moment I get seriously irritable and angry too if I,m not taking them.Or like you said I have had the bad aches and pains.
I,ll be honest, the main reason I took these was the relationship split. I,m what you call a double winner in the rooms. I also need al anon which I havent started to attend yet. The pain of going thru steps 6 and 7 was not good. I got sober, which was fantastic, I started to live again, think and feel better, but I didnt know I was still carrying characteristics in my sobrierty which I developed as a child, basically to survive thru having alcoholism in the family from the day I was born. I got to very core issues in 6 and 7 and began to deal with them. Only to find I still hadnt dealt with them fully, when the relationship was bad it hurt, a lot, fear of abandonment etc. Along came the shoulder injury, and hence the pills. They took the edge off, and hence why I,m here.
Its a massive relief to speak to you guys as I was scared, still am, but at least you,ve confirmed for me what I was frightened of.
Yes its early days and yes I intend to start detoxing myself in the next few days.
Believe me, the little you have told me has helped massively.
Yes I,m on a programme, but it doesnt make me immune from anything else.
Thank you, and will keep in touch.
God bless
I do know that any mind altering drug also deludes us into thinking we know better (self will) But again this is a whole new experience to me. I tend to look at everything I do, and am quite aware. It doesnt make me perfect, far from it, but I try.
Yes I was and still am worried bout this, i really dont want to go tru withdrawal again, its not nice.
There are a lot of things you said that I,m not experiencing yet, as I havent tried to stay off yet. All I do know, is at the moment I get seriously irritable and angry too if I,m not taking them.Or like you said I have had the bad aches and pains.
I,ll be honest, the main reason I took these was the relationship split. I,m what you call a double winner in the rooms. I also need al anon which I havent started to attend yet. The pain of going thru steps 6 and 7 was not good. I got sober, which was fantastic, I started to live again, think and feel better, but I didnt know I was still carrying characteristics in my sobrierty which I developed as a child, basically to survive thru having alcoholism in the family from the day I was born. I got to very core issues in 6 and 7 and began to deal with them. Only to find I still hadnt dealt with them fully, when the relationship was bad it hurt, a lot, fear of abandonment etc. Along came the shoulder injury, and hence the pills. They took the edge off, and hence why I,m here.
Its a massive relief to speak to you guys as I was scared, still am, but at least you,ve confirmed for me what I was frightened of.
Yes its early days and yes I intend to start detoxing myself in the next few days.
Believe me, the little you have told me has helped massively.
Yes I,m on a programme, but it doesnt make me immune from anything else.
Thank you, and will keep in touch.
God bless
I would find a sponsor if you still dont have one or someone to support you. They can offer support or the 12 step or whatever it takes. I believe that when we start asking the question of whether or not we are an addict ........then we have crossed that line. "normies" dont stop and think abou it. They take it as needed and leave the bottle in the cabinet for the next 5 years and pull it out and wonder if it is still good.............addicts take it all......know exactly how many we have left and to the min of when we will run out....... and most of the time with injuries the more meds you take the worse the pain. Good luck ..........I hope you can get off of them........they rule our thinking ........I am on day 4 off opiates and wish you all the best.
Then hang out at theNA meeting, they will love you unconditional. My concern for you is that if you suspect that you are hooked, then you probably are...it was really hard for me to admit it to myself...but I do know that when I stopped taking the pills, I started withdrawls from them...then i knew I was an addict...try to go as long as you can without (do you best to set your pain aside) and determine if you begin wds...look around this site for other descriptions...but here's what i have experienced with Hydocodone withdrawl...
desire for the pill to feel NORMAL, runny nose and eyes, aches and pains, lethargy (real bad) the runs, sleep deprivation, RLS etc...they don't all hit you at once, and sometimes they make repeat visits...it's tough, but better than pills and it does end...day six for me and my desire to not be on pills is way greater than my desire to be high...and it is a desire to be high for me, no for pain meds (although i do have bad ribs and back at the moment)
Good luck, stay with it and have a great new year...clean!
desire for the pill to feel NORMAL, runny nose and eyes, aches and pains, lethargy (real bad) the runs, sleep deprivation, RLS etc...they don't all hit you at once, and sometimes they make repeat visits...it's tough, but better than pills and it does end...day six for me and my desire to not be on pills is way greater than my desire to be high...and it is a desire to be high for me, no for pain meds (although i do have bad ribs and back at the moment)
Good luck, stay with it and have a great new year...clean!
Hi, Thank you for that. I am being honest when I say I dont know if I,m hooked or not. Alcohol was always my drug of choice.
I never in my life used anything else, and thats the truth.
AA lot dont look to kindly to NA. Which is ****. They say if you have a dual addition then take the other to were ever it belongs. I dont like that attitude. Have seen many narcotics addicts come into the rooms and get well.
I felt I needed advice from people who know thats why I came here.
Thanks anyway.
I never in my life used anything else, and thats the truth.
AA lot dont look to kindly to NA. Which is ****. They say if you have a dual addition then take the other to were ever it belongs. I dont like that attitude. Have seen many narcotics addicts come into the rooms and get well.
I felt I needed advice from people who know thats why I came here.
Thanks anyway.
It sounds as if you already know what's going on, you have the answer and are looking for confirmation...talk to you AA sponsor...they should be a good resource...your pain sounds legit, but it may not be as bad as addiction...you are going to have to choose (as an alcoholic, you are predisposed to be an addict). much luck
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