Advie for vicodin along with other controlled substances

[Nicki96]

I have taken Zanax for anxiety and Ambien for insomnia for 10 years. I'm 35, so the Dr. started me when I was young. I have been having back pain for the last few minths and the Dr. prescribed me vicodin. That didn't work so I ASKED HIM what else I could do such as Chiropracter, that didn't help. So I've taken the vicodin for 4 months, 2 x's a day 500mg, then this month he had to increase it to 3x's a day 500 mg. I've been feeling terrible the last couple weeks, very depressed and I also take Wellbutrin for 10 years as well. I feel like I'm on the verge to a substance abuse problem because I am always altering my moods. I will take a vicodin and notice I need to take a zanax with it because I feel irritable (or anxious). I take another vicodin in about 6 hours with my zanax. The zanax is normal dosage, 2 x's daily 1mg, but I'm noticing that I've increased to probably 3 a day. I take the Wellbutrin & Ambien at night and sleep really well. I've asked my Dr in the past about Ambien and he says I need to rest well and I do. I go to sleep right at 9 and wake up before my alarm at 430am feeling rested. I'm taking all these pills and it's making me nervous and I've been busting out crying lately. I also smoke marijuana occasionally to relax, however there's another substance. I have an addictive personality and don't want to control all my moods with one substance after the other. People are telling me I'm not my ususal self and I'm very irritable more so than normal. Am I going through depresson again or what? I have had some extreme changes that have taken place the last couple months as well??
First time on a forum, so it's a bit long!

[Nicki96]

Thanks everyone for such wonderful advice. I do feel much better about how to handle these issues. I don't abuse my zanax or ambien. The same dosage has been sufficient for years.(1mg twice a day, maybe 3 if needed) I've never written in a forum and I was trying to tell my husband all this and he just doesn't get it. He has never taken ANY drug his life and he's 45, so he wasn't understanding what my "problem" was. I believe I will go see another dr. When I moved here, i just told the new dr what I was taking and that was it. The vicodin is newly prescribed but I've had to ask him what other things I can do too and he doesn't seem very concerned, he just increased my dosage. Which is fine, because I needed it at that time, but he could have been more attentative to everything else I was taking. I am going to check to see if maybe physical therapy would be helpful for my back, but in the meantime I have another refill on my vicodin. How long does it take to get addicted. In other words I don't want to take it for another month and then be sick when I quit taking it. I'll be careful about taking them but they really do help for right now until I can find an laternative, like I said the chiropracter only made it worse. It started hurting in other spots. Thanks again, this was a very helpful thing I did, looking this up and writing about it. Godd bless to all of you who shared your stories with me and took the time to write to me!

[worried878]

I do believe that some/many are just born with a deficiency of some nuerotransmitters and are afflicted with this struggle...many never abuse due to social situations and just not exposed to narcotics, benzos etc..but had they been it woulda happened to many more...we do the best we can with what we have to work with...my dad is high strung and is on an AD..i can tell when he stops taking it and i will comment on it...he will snap out of nowhere...my daughter is on one as well and same scenario...she will call me 20 times a day when she stops her zoloft..i love hearing from her but i dont like her to be in  mental pain either...when she is doing well i dont hear from her so much!  LOL...i have used AD during trying times in my life as well..post divorce etc....now on cymblata for tmj but i just am not a compliant AD person...why should people suffer when relief is there...benzos are a bit /well quite a bit more dangerous....but control if u need them is the key...quality of life is important..i quit narcotics because they were ruining my quality of life

[landbray]

Hi,
I am one of those people that will be on antidepressants the rest of my life.I know  the cause of my depression and have used all the tools I learned in ACOA meetings along with lots & lots of reading. I also went to indiv therapy.  Everytime I cut back or stopped I became way to depressed to funcation, I take 80mgs celexa and 60 mgs of remron at bedtime . It makes you sleep really well. Maybe you could try just the wellbutrin at bedtime without the sleep aid. I also was on xanax for 20 yrs. I was suppose to be taking 1mg 4 x a day. Well I abused them and seemed like I always needed more. My dr took me off of those b/c he said they weren't working anymore, he switched me to klonipin. It worked but not like xanax. It seemed like everything ran perfect with the celexa & remron  except that I abused morphine & vic's like crazy. So I started suboxine in June. I still take the antidepressants but I take 2mg valium for anxirty. And believe it or not that small amount works.
You said there has been many stressful changes to your life. So your reactions are normal I think. I only see the vic's as being a problem unless you abuse the xanax. It is very addicting and it does make your irrtiable when you don't take it correctly. Also maybe you need a medication review. If you are crying & people tell you that you aren't you maybe it's time for a different antidepressant. Nothing wrong with a 2nd opinion.
Plus there are all kinds of things you can do for back pain besides meds. swimming, therapy, heating pads. To many people get addicated from taking pills for their back.
I would look in your new city to see what they offer for depression & anxiety. There allot of support groups, counselors ,church. Which ever would work for you.
I go to a drug counslor now for the suboxine, it is a requirment of the program. I found a good dr who doesn't look pass you if you don't go. Basically if you don't go you don't get your suboxine. I am once again  learning new reasons for my depression & anxiety along with my addication. I am also learning new tools to deal with my life now. But I will always need antidepressants and I can accept that. I hope that things work for you
Be honest with your dr. If he isn't willing to help, find one that will.
good luck to you
paaddict

[worried878]

yes  agree ali...some people can not function in society without medication...i did my clinicals in a psychiatric unit...but also have some friends who just have anxiety issues so bad that their quality of life is nil without medications...hydros/vicoden have different effects on different people and it doesnt sound like they agree with u nicki..some use to relax...most use for energy...if u have an anxiety problem the hydros are probably aggravating it..i remember years ago after my neck surgery and before addiction...i did not tolerate hydros...they made me feel anxious and out of sorts....then one day years later i took one and it wasnt so...they hyped me up alright but i liked the feeling..talk to ur doctor..first off why add another drug to the medicine cabinet..second...they dont agree with u and may be the cause of ur increasing the xanax...keep posting

[ali3674]

I take ambien every night for the past 5 years.  I never take more than prescribed, and I also take Zoloft for anxiety disorder.  I was on zoloft when I was 21 for severe panic disorder and it is the only thing that allowed me to finish college.  I stopped taking zoloft for many years and recently went back on, I am 34.  The bottom line here is that I have always suffered from anxiety, probably BORN with it.  My mom has anxiety, so does my dad.  So I believe that we are all wired differently, and as long as the drugs are taken appropriately, I really dont see a huge problem on anti depressants....
I hope you are not suggesting that schizophrenic people stop taking their medicine?  If that were the case, we would have a big problem in society....Some people require psycho-tropic drugs.  Doesnt mean they are abusing them.  Of course if  person feels "addicted"  then thats a different story.

[mtgoat911]

listen guys, i have all the excuses i need to take the 3 narcotics niki is posting
i do not sleep
i have aspergers
and terminal illness
but the bottom line is i do not want the stupid drugs

nerve pills are not good for the long term tx of anxiety, it just puts a bandage over the problem, i had to learn some life coping skills, the drugs do not worked,

if the drugs were working no one would be here looking for help, i wish someone would have told me this

but i thought that xanax would cure my anxiety even through i continued to have panic attacks

and all the pain meds that i have tried only caused me more physical pain and were a beotch to get off

i see that niki is stuggling here, the way she describes herself is someone with addicted behaviors
and since i can only help those who know they are an addict and want to get help for their addiction

AN ADDICT IS A MAN OR WOMEN WHO'S LIFE IS CONTROLLED BY DRUGS

only you can come to terms with the first step
1st Step
Admitted we were powerless over drugs and that our life had become unmanageable

its not easy to find this out about ourselves but reading your post i will say that your life is controlled by drugs

i knew i was an addict because i did not have the energy to clean my house without taking pain pills, i was so depressed i needed an anti-depressant to numb myself, and i needed the xanax because life was over-whelming causing me anxiety, and i started taking sleeping pills when i was in 7th or 8th grade.

[ali3674]

I would say you have legiitmate reasons to take the xanax, and wellbutrin, and ambien. but the Vicodin on top of this sounds like too much to me. The other 3 are legitimate for your diagnosis of depression, and yes people DO STAY on meds for the rest of their lives if they need to.  I compare it to someone who needs insulin for diabetes, you need your meds for depression, it is a chemical imbalance in your brain. Hopefully you are not overdosing on xanax, please keep it at the recommended dosages....Unfortunately people are lumping all these meds together in one category, and claiming that all meds are bad, but I disagree.  SOme meds are needed.  Its just a matter of how comfortable you are, how you feel and how your family is reacting.....As far as medications go, I agree with your doctor that some people have such panic attacks and depression, they require meds forever, or they could have a nervous breakdown.

[Nicki96]

Thank you for your advice. I don't know if I'm dependant or an addict. I don't think I'm an addict, because I genuinely "fee the need" for these meds. Before the vicodin came along, I was okay with the 3 meds I was taking. I've had depression in the past and I get anxiety and panic attacks fairly often. However, since I was 23 when a doctor first prescribed zanax it was because of bad pms symtoms and I'm an extremely moody person. Sounds like I am "trying" to control everything with meds. Now that I'm "grown up" and have true stress with family and work I'm terrified to not have these meds, I wouldn't know where to start coping w/o them. I've tried stop taking Wellbutrin before and I kind of fell back into depression so the doctor says some people just have to take these all their lives. I just moved to Southern California from NC 4 years ago when I got married, so there's a lot of change and stress and yes I need to know what to do next? The vicodin was the trigger when I started thinking about how much I alter my moods.

[mtgoat911]

niki i hope you get some help
thats a huge coctail of medication
i suggest that you find a new doctor
tell him you are taking: vicoden, ambien, welbutrin and xanax
you can find "pain clinic" doctors that will write scripts for all these drugs
but any decent medical professional wound NOT do this to their patient
your doctor is making you sick not better

and you can also help yourself by going to NA, and that is free

i spent years trying to find that narcotic coctail that would "fix" all my problems.....

no such thing

take the drugs out,,, it will be like ripping of a band aid
expose your symptoms,,,find out what is the core problems, versus reactions to the drugs you are on

a doctor can not do all this for you, but the 12 steps can

being an addict is more than just becoming addcited to drugs
it has nothing to do with how much you take are what you are own

what i get out of your post,,is that you do feel like you are an addict
are you just wondering what to do next?

[cattalina]

If you've been going through alot lately it could be depression and stress.  All the meds you're taking are addictive and depression and anxiety are side effects.  Do you think you're an addict? or just dependent?  Have you considered trying other medications that aren't quite as destructive?