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Does a recovering addict become prone to a faster decline in their tolerance?

As many of you know, I have suffered a shattered ankle & broken wrist earlier in the month resulting in reconstructive surgery...placing MORE titanium in my oh-so-shattered body. Before this, I was over 150 days clean from a Vicodin ES habit consisting of 20 to 30 pills a day...sometimes taking as many as 6 at a time over a period of appr. 2 years. As one would easily guess, my tolerance had grown to an astronamical high. (no pun intended) I was told by my ortho doc that surgery was necessary to repair the damage in my ankle due to the severity of the injury. I was then given 1 pin, 1 plate & a handful of screws...along with two tension rods that are still poking about 4 inches through the skin. I was released from the hospital with a script for 40 percoset 10 mg with 1 refill. I have yet to take more than 4 pills in a single day but that was only for 1 day of severe pain. The prescribed amount was to take 1 or 2 pills every 6 hours. My worry lies in the fact that obviously I have TRUE pain that no amount of tylenol will extinguish alone but I've noticed the pain worsening over the past few days & even the percs aren't giving the amount of relief they did in the beginning. I have GREAT faith in my ability to NEVER abuse my medication again due to the fact that I have always had the Vicodin ES on hand since detox due to my past injuries. (taking no more than 6 or 7 a month) Question is this: Does you tolerance rise faster than those who have not ingested the amount that I have in the past? Is it possible that the body remembers?

FINISHED!!
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Avatar universal
hi, im new to this site........but i have takin xanax and loracet 10's for sometime now.......i ended up in serious trouble because of them, i actually forged prescriptions to get them, that is how bad i wantd them, not that i needed them but I wanted them, see i went through some real bad things in my life, death of a mother, and abuse.......at first i was on xanax because i was havin severe panick attacks and anxiety......and the loracet came in after a bad surgery.....i wont lie, and im ashamed of the things i did.........i shoplifted because i spent my money on pills, i went to jail, i hurt my kids so bad and i hurt myself, noone ever thought i was the type to do what i did, well there is no type......i liked the way they made me forget the hurt i went through.....when i ran out of pills i drank beer or other alcoholic drinks to releive the withdraws........im so ashamed and a part of me still wants that feeling back that the pills gave me.......im fightin with the devil right now, and im just starting to go to church again........but its so hard, i have a good life , great kids, why do i want to take these pills to feel good.........i should feel good anyway??????
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Avatar universal
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Hey its me again. Thank u bubblesh for your post and I do admit lieing alot to people who I need to trust me. It is hard and frankly tonight has been a weird one for me. I have done nothing but think for a while how I got started and why I could not stop taking vics. I remember the first time I took one and it made me feel weird. I realized it in fact was a good WEIRD. It at the same time relived the pain from the tooth I had pulled. I went to the dentist for a refill and was accepted with 1 refill. Then two days later I called and told them the pills were thrown out. He refilled it again. That was the end for a while. about 8 months later I started having back pains. My doctor gave me ultram but it wasn't effective like vicoden. so I called him and he gave me 90 a month and thats where it took off. Those 90 pills didn't last me but I still got them every month plus I found them on the streets and stole a prescription pad from my doctor and traced the prescription very well. I wrote about 20 ir 30 fake ones all over the state. every time a new drug store. Thats where everything became bad. I even made plans to rob a drug store over night. I didn't though. I have been using about a year and a half. Now I am clean. I want to blame the doctors for giving it to me but I can only blame myself. I didn't use I abused. So that is what is in my mind tonight.......peace and love to everyone.....
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Avatar universal
Hey Finished - you extended the olive branch and tried to make peace with ladymp72 and sister (C73) - a humbled and heartfelt effort.  Sister obviously wasn't satisfied with that, and went on to try to make an even BIGGER issue of this. Please don't let yourself be provoked into retaliation - this is a lose/lose situation. Bubblesh: ladymp72 lashed out - pure and simple.  That "in your face" attitude hurts peoples feelings.  If she really had a problem with Finished having meds in the house and speaking about it, she could have presented her case a lot more tactfully. (As in "it really bothers me hearing about....") I promise you that would have been taken much more graciously. As for your sister's posts being ignored, when I first started posting here, responses were few are far between.  But being on this forum awhile, I realize how easy it is to skip around the posts, and sadly sometimes ones posts do get overlooked. Ladymp's posts are as important and needed as anyones. I commend you on taking up for your sister; obviously you feel she's not being treated well on this forum. For the good of everyone here - PLEASE - Let this drop.  Finished has been through a lot of stress and pain the past couple of weeks; he needs support, as does your sister.  (How would you feel if you had metal rods sticking out of your foot)....smile.  I'm here for your sister (and everyone) - anyone can e-mail me @ ***@****.  I'm still about "half" a mess - not completely clean but not completely as f***** up as I was before.  The important thing to realize here is we ALL need each other.  Just my 2 cents - love you all.  Lisabet
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Avatar universal
Hi There,
I have been reading the posts for the past week, and staying out of it as it is none of my business.  I am glad to see everything is starting to come back together with all of you. I have to comment on what you said about not being an addict and coming to this forum.  When i first found out my husband was addicted to Codiene, i was in shock, and disbelief.  I didn't understand why he would do this.  I didn't understand how he could take so much and not kill himself.  I didn't understand what was going through his head.  I didn't understand how hard quiting was.  I didn't understand anything!  This forum and these people have helped me tremendously.  I now, to the best of my ability, understand his addiction.  He has recieved help and i am also recieving help.  I would say that this forum might have just saved my marraige.  I was blown into a different universe when i found out and i didn't know what to do.  I didn't know where to go.  This place is a miracle for me.  I would hope that it isn't restricted to addicts only.  I know it is not....but i just felt the need to comment on that subject.  Anyways, after reading this i am sure you will understand why it is important that we (the family members) come here, and how you can help us just as much as the addicts.  
Thanks,
Catherine
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Avatar universal
Lady, Bubble whomever - I'm sorry I cannot keep track of who is who and I know some people have multiple handles.  I just keep responding to people.  I will stop doing that and perhaps that will end this turmoil.  I will think twice before I stick up for anyone again.
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Am I an addict? (absolutly)
Am I recovering? (So far)
Are my bad habits insidious? (This is proven)
I had dental surgery recently, I recovered with Ad-Vil only, this means I am still recovering. Had I taken pain killers, I am sure I would be using now. Some people can take pain medication for pain, and not, end up, addicted. Many of us can not. If I was injured to the point where I had to take pain killers, I know that it would be the end of my recovery. I am willing to admit this. I sympathise with those who must now use pain killers for pain. But addicts on pain killers, should look for empathy and support, not fights. I am with you Ladymp72. But I stress empathy and suport.
                                Paul
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Just a little note...I do past tense...so I guess being written about you see everything as bad.  This looks like one of those guilt trips things coming.  I am sure anyone out there would be the same pain in the butt my sister was unless of course I was also high.  Lady, you need to understand what I am saying and not act like it is all new stuff to you and you have never heard any of it before.  Everyone on here tells the truth and so do I.  I don't think I was rough...I told what happened...none of it was a lie was it?  You know I love you but I was asked what it was like and I spoke about it.

Love
Bubblesh
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Avatar universal
geez my sister was rather rough on me, I did not realize I was causing all of this turmoil. I thought since I got clean we got along really well. But I guess I was wrong, just goes to show you an addict thinks everything is fine and dandy but in reality it is not. If I am this bad to live with now I hate to see what she thought of me when I was using? :(
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Hi there...I noticed you posted to both my sister and I.  It is upsetting that you ask me why I am on here if I am not an addict.  First off addicts need to understand what they do to other people that are around them.  Someone asked me what it is likle to live with an addict and I explained.  If you look above this post you will see my story.  I don't know why you think that I am Ladymp also.  She is my sister as I have always said in the beginning.  The funny thing is, we must have both posted at the same time cuz I am at work on my puter and she is at home on the puter.  If you look back through the threads you will notice that I have apologized to FINISHED and everyone else (including you) on this forum.  Finished has also apologized.  I don't like the fact that you seem as if you are still trying to instigate things.  Excuse Ladymp's reply before mine if it seems rude but it is from one addict to another.  Please will you just realize that everything is smoothed out and I will like to keep it that way.  Also please remember that I have every right in this world to be on this forum because it is the addicts that make me come.  Thank you and hopefully everything is better.

Bubblesh
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Avatar universal
Look my sister is bubblesh, and if you had not noticed things are smoothed out, but you keep on going. For the sake of us all would you please butt out. We have all made up but for some reason you keep going. You can think I am the meanest person alive, but you should have never been involved in what was said. You are the one that is hostile. My sister has every right to be on this forum even though she is not an addict. Sometimes family members would like to talk with other people about someone close to them having an addiction. My sister and I stick together and at first it was her standing up for me now I am saying leave bubblesh alone as the matter of fact skip over her posts she does not want to have anything to do with you nor do I!!!
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Avatar universal
Let's see, life with an addict can be very very stressful amongst other things.  We do have our ups and downs living together.  You see there are alot of trust issues.  Last year her, her daughter and son came from Virginia Beach and lived with me to "start" over since she got into so much trouble there.  My husband and I gave her a chance to get clean and start over and all we asked in return is to stay clean and never never bring the prescriptions drugs in my house.  Out of respect it is my house and I don't like what they did (the drugs) to her or the children.  Well she broke that request a couple of times.  That was one of few very big blowups...of course she did the usual guilt trip trying to make me feel bad and all but it didn't work...you know, tough love.  I do love my sister but it is very hard on the people you live with.  When she finally moved out I thought she straightened up.  Nope, she didn't.  But I figured, hey who cares, she isn't in my house.  Well I couldn't do that cuz she is my sister.  One day my husband calls me at work and asks if I called in a prescription...Duh, of course I didn't.  We had a message from a hospital about the prescription "I" had called in.  Needless to say, I called the lady back and she told me someone had called in a prescription to a pharmacy under their names...I had emough so I told the lady that my sister probably did it cuz she has a record of doing it and yada yada yada.  I gave the lady my sisters number and before we hung up she told me to give my sister a message...I said sure.  She said "tell your sister if she trys to pick it up at the pharmacy, the cops will pick her up".  Damn I thought, that is bad.  I should have just said screw it let her get picked up cuz I am tired of covering her for things, for Gods sake I am the baby of the family and she is the oldest...why should I have to cover her all the time???  But nope, that "sisterly" love happened again and I called and warned her.  I don't know exactly what the final straw for her was but she checked herself into the hospital to get help right before Xmas.  She was in there a week and while in there I took care of her daughter and our mother had her son.  

Being at my house she causes alot of turmoil.  I do love her but first off...I do not have the biggest house and so now in my little 3 bedroom 2 bath house I have 3 adults, 2 children, 4 cats, 1 dog and 1 fish.  That is alot to have.  My husband and I just got married in September 2002 and we haven't had much time...I am always doing something for her or or children.  I don't mind helping out but there are also alot of fights that happen.  Being an addict, you lie alot, try to play each other against one another, manipulate people, get real lazy, I could probably go on and on.  My sister get into what she calls a "funk".  To tell you the truth I can't stand it.  Sometimes it seems like she has got to be the mopeiest (SP?) person in the world.  I don't know if she does it for attention or what but man it can get on your last nerve.  You know, you might be addicts and recovering addicts but you can make it through everything.  

I don't know if she has a problem with the way she is treated in my house but it has to be done.  All her money (for the time being) I keep and she has to tell me when she needs some and most of the time I go with her to get whatever she needs (gas, cigs, etc.).  Whenever she goes out my husband or I ask where she has been and stuff.  It has to be done.  Our trust has been broken many of times and if we have to act like strict soldiers or whatever it has to be done for her own good.  People don't understand what we go through.  Yes you have the pain of withdrawals and cravings, but we have the pain of lies, manipulation, sneakiness.  I hate to also see people say they are clean but take everything else they can find under the sun.  My sister wipes me out of Excedrin PM's (or whatever sleeping pills I have), Nyquil, tylenol, benedryl or whatever I have sitting around.  I have to hide things that I don't want to have disappear...I had to actually carry my cough syrup from the doctor in my purse when I was sick in Dec...I shouldn't have to do that but I do.

Trust me, I can probably go on and on but I think I have typed a bit already.  I do love my sister and pray for her healing for both her and her children.  To all of yout out there I also pray for yours.

Feel free to ask me any more questions and I will gladly answer them truthfully.

Bubblesh
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Avatar universal
Okay, people are getting banned because of too much talk about God!  That's very, very, very SAD.  

Well, I guess we had better not be mentioning the programs that offer 12-step help because, correct me if I'm wrong, God (higher power, whatever) is a BIG part of that process.   Good Grief, first the Constitution and now THIS???  

Sometimes in an effort to be "politically correct" we eliminate the chance to help others by cutting off those who can make the most difference of all.  Those people's experiences were filled with lessons to be learned.  In my opinion, the talk of Christ, etc. was only a small part of what was offered by them. FURTHERMORE, IF IT CAN HELP GET SOME PEOPLE OFF OF DRUGS, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM???!!!  Isn't that what this forum is all about afterall?  I'm just really confused and disappointed.  And no, I'm no big Bible Thumper.  Don't even go to church.  I'm just an ordinary person who will take the help where I can get it.

I'm sorry to be going off, but I'm one of those who is not "completely" off of the Oxy yet.  Feb. 13 is my "Q" day.  I'm trying to taper and so I can get worked up too much some times.  Sorry again.
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Avatar universal
I didn't even realize it was you again when I posted or I wouldn't have posted.  I don't see why you are going by 2 names or maybe more for all I know.  I'm not sure why you are here if you aren't an addict, but I won't post to you anymore now that I know your handles - unless there is more that is.
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Give your sister a GRRRREEEEEAAAATTTT BIG hug from me, ok?  Thanks!  Connie
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Avatar universal
WHEWWWW! I am glad things seemed to have been smoothed over. See how confusing it made some posters? Glad they had at least a little background on this site if not they may have just logged off into cyberspace and never got to know the comradarie of this quirky site. I say quirky because it isn't the first time someone got bent and flamed another and sometimes had unecessary collateral damage.

chill  peace  and be cool for cryin' out loud

feelsobad
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Avatar universal
good to see everyone is coming together. That is the way it is suppose to be. Bubblesh i am curious what it is like to live with an addict. Let us know a little more so maybe all the addicts can hear what we do to people close to us. Alot of the addicts including me might and probably don't see what we are doing to the people that care about us? It is intresting to know. again thank u everyone for coming together. also one more question? what is this we can not talk about religion?  later and peace is here.
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Avatar universal
I accept your apology.  I would also like to apologize to you as well.  By no means am I a mean and malicious person as well.  I do understand how upset you might have been but believe me...Lady did not mean anything horrible by the way she said her post.  I believe I overreacted as well but I am sure anyone would stand up for their family if something happened and I am one of those people.  

I would also like to apologize to anyone else that might have been offended by the way Finished and I went back and forth and said some bad things.  (But hey...at least it sure kept everyone entertained for a while huh...LOL)

Anyways...I hope everyone focuses on the real reason this forum is here...to talk about their addictions and the problems they experience.  Even if someone says something you don't agree with or feel if mean...that might not have been their intention but it came out the wrong way.

Even though I am not personally an addict, I do feel sometimes that us people that are living with the addicts have it harder.  It might not be true but just as people would say to me "you don't understand because you aren't an addict" then it kind of goes the other way around too "the addicts don't know cuz you are not the sober one living with the addict".  I do think allowing other people to come into this forum whether they are an addict or not is very valuable and helpful to everyone.

Finished, I do hope your surgeries do go well and that you are not in pain so much.  Have a good day!

Bubblesh
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Yes it was to much expreesion of GOD!! I am back but will not get into how I feel about it. I just want to be able to help people as much as I can. I think We were put here for a reason. and something tried to get rid of us. I hope your doing well my friend.. Take care and Bless you..        J.E.W.
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Wow!  What in the hell did I miss?  I am pretty much just a lurker, but this seems like a different place than last week!!!

What is this about people getting banned?  The three mentioned people were VERY HELPFUL to me.  They were very knowledgeable.  I can't believe it?  What happened?  What rules were broken?   Is is because b'belt talked too much Christianity?   If so, I am now even MORE offended.

What happened?   Does anybody care?

Denise
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WOW!! Whats up with everyone? P.M.S.?MENOPAUSE?Just to name a couple!! You know what it sounds like? A big family get togeather after a few days! Everyone has to voice their opinion. But the problem is~everyone thinks their right!!! So it goes on and on and on and on. Till finaly everyone goes home to get some peace and quite!! Love you guys!! Hope you ALL have a great day!! They still havent changed my handle so get upset with them not me please I tried..  Bless you all...             J.E.W.                                                          FINISHED!! Hope your doing good. Hope your keeping your pain under control!  Good luck on your next surgery. Will keep praying all goes well!!Take care my friend..    J.E.W.
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Point taken.

I APOLOGIZE to every single member here for my behavior. It was a ridiculous "whizzing match" & I should not have been brought to that level. I enjoy being here & as we've recently been shown, it's a privelage that can be taken away.

Ladymp & Bubblesh;

I apologize to you as well. I still have a hard time understanding what problems you have with me being in pain & needing to take medication...& talking about that if I feel the need...but I was VERY WRONG in my way of posting. I feel very hypocritical at this point in some of the things I've said here today. At the same time, I still feel that there was nothing warranting the initial post from you Lady but I'd like to leave that behind us now...if we can.

Everyone;

Again, thanks to those who came to my defense. As I said, most of you know who I am by now & a mean-spirirted or malicous person is not by any means describable of me. I never meant to hurt anyones feelings or recovery in my posting of what meds I MUST take at this point or have on hand. I was not intentionally rubbing a single nose in my medication...if that's how it was perceived by some...then again, I apologize. I'm really ashamed that this sank to the level that it did & I helped it's downward spiral. Let's get back to the "HELP" in MED-HELP.ORG

FINISHED!!
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Avatar universal
Whats up everyone. This page is rather confusing is this about addiction or whos right and whos wrong. I am trying to bring peace to all and that is the only reason I contiue to check this colum so please everyone quit pointing fingers and lets find the questions and answers we need thank you everyone and good luck to all. If you have any questions on getting off vicoden I'll tell my story.  Finshed I wish u good luck and I beleve that your tolerance to the pills will increse because of the preavious addiction. I wish u luck and i think u are a strong person to be recovering and still have pills in your hands.  good job and keep up the strength. I don't know if I could have a bottle of vics by me right now.  later
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Avatar universal
I have never called anyone names have I...get the facts straight as you always say.  I was referring to this situation as pathetic not you.  As far as I can see it is you that keeps calling yourself names not me.  I never called you a poor little drug addicted person.  I don't know why my opinion is so struck but yours isn't.  I never once said I was better then you or any other person on this forum.  I don't think I am...I may be better in some aspects but I am sure you and everyone else on here are still better then me in other aspects as well.  You said I am showing you my senselessness & maturity and that I am uneducated?  Who is name calling????  The only name I have ever called you is FINISHED...isn't that your handle or was I bad for calling you that?  And I am sorry but I do have every right to talk in this forum as well because I live with an addict and I may not personally be one but I do know what they go through so maybe you should keep the hostility down a little.  I told you before I never meant anything in disrespect but you have taken it that way just like you took hers that way.
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