How many is addicting?

[Dummydebe]

I feel so dumb writting this, but how many hydros is addicting? I take sometimes 20 mgs a day. Love the rush of it, but hate the feeling of being down from them. The rush isnt energy. It really makes me tired. I started taking them for back pain. Bad back pain. Now I convince myself i need them so I dont get the pain. I dont want to be addicted. I am 47 years old and weigh 100 lbs. I should have lots of energy. I take trazadone at night to sleep and have to mix a drink to make it kick in. Maybe i will see if I dont take them how I feel. I know if i dont take them I get really tense and edgy. I have valum. Should I take that to get over the Hydros? With my luck, I will proably get addicted to the Valum! Well, good luck to everyone!

[guv338]

Do yourself a huge favor and stop now.  Four a day will turn into 10, then 15, then you'll switch to Oxy and then you will not know who you are or how you got to that point.  Trust me on this one.  It may take years to get to that point, but it will happen if you ignore your inner self telling you somethings not right now.  I ignored it and rufused to give it up for 10+ years and you cannot believe the agony that this can cause you.  I have been off since Jan.09 and am to this day fighting this everyday.  I know its hard to say goodbye to the love of your life, but do yourself a favor and cut the cord now.  You will never know what a huge gift you will be giving yourself.

[Dummydebe]

Thank you Brian and good luck to you as well. I retired from Department of Corrections, it was a military boot camp for inmates that had to do 2 years max time to get in the program for the boot camp. After so many years of physical training and smoking the inmates, I also got some nerve damage in my back. Stress triggers it. I also have hip pain on my left side and I think that is from all the lungers. I did not realize that hiking would help and I think that is what I am going to do. I havent took a hyrdo yet, but hear the bottle calling my name. I feel bad talking about this when everyone is going through so much on hear. I usually am the strong one. I wish I could give you some good advise, but as of right now, I dont know of any good advise but to tell you but that maybe in helping others you are helping yourself.

[Dummydebe]

I get stressed and then my back goes into spasams really bad. Its all in the muscles. As far as my dosage goes....I am small framed and even tylonal has a long lasting effect on me. Or should I say it use to. 750 mgs really did last me all day. It's like drugs hang on me for along time. The spasams (I know Im not spelling that right) (sorry). are in between my shoulder blades. Thank you for your help!

[IBKleen]

Are you realizing that there is a problem here? Are you looking to get off the pills?

If you are, and I hope and pray you are, you will need to get to the reasons why you feel you need to take something to make you feel one way or the other. Non-addicts are able to be happy without the use of mind or mood altering drugs. Addicts feel that they cannot achieve those feelings.

Getting to the core issues will get you to where you do not need drugs to live your life.

[Dummydebe]

I am so mad at myself and realize I am just blabbering. I must be a week person

[Dummydebe]

I do take them when things are not going right or if I am feeling down or edgy.

[Dummydebe]

Ok, my back really does hurt right now. For real

[Dummydebe]

I think I am bumming myself out! And you know what? The hydors make me really tired. It's not even a good high after awhile. After I take them and get that first rush, then I hate myself for taking them cause I am just tired. I hike with my dogs everyday, still do all the things I have to, .....I dont know.

[Dummydebe]

Thank you for your comment. I don't know who will win today. Me or the hryrdos. I am in hopes I dont take one today to see if I really am addicted or not. I only use to need one 750 for a whole day. Now I am taking 4 , 500's a day for no reason. Most times I am not high enough. I just dont understand why I am taking them when I dont need them. I must be plum stupid! I am doing this to myself! I can't afford the Physical therapy. I know that would work. I have 3 married sons. I would feel so bad if they knew I was doing this.

[allaboutmary]

You can't know your true pain level until your free from the pills for at least 2 weeks to a month.  One of the symptoms of withdrawal is horrible pain.  Addiction is a very tricky guy........he knows how to get you to take a pill.  Most people don't realize that pain pills increase pain.  For the longest time I kept thinking my back was getting worse because the pain was increasing in between pain pills. After being off the pills for a month I found that Advil took care of my pain.    
Be smart and get out of this now because things will only get worse.  I started just like you, taking only a few a day.  Trust me ......you are headed into a nightmare I don't wish on my worst enemy.

[Dummydebe]

After reading all the above, I think I am addicted mentaly and physicaly. That really *****. I want to find me again without the hydros. My only fear is what will happen when I go off them and my back starts hurting really bad again? I have panic attacts, and when that happens my back goes into spasams. The pain really controls my life at that point. Now that I am thinking about it....I think I would rather be addicted than to deal with that pain. I havent taken a hydro this morning,, but thinking about not taking it is starting to make my back hurt. I am feeling real pain. Now I really dont know what to do.

[refusingbondage]

Being an addict is worse.  Anyone who takes an opiate will eventually become dependent.  A dependent person is someone who needs the medication for a real reason and becomes physically dependent on it - in a purely PHYSICAL sense.  An addict is someone who WANTS the medication *and* is physically dependent on it.  There are behaviors that indicate your not just dependent, but an addict.  If you take more than prescribed or for reasons not prescribed -- i.e. - to get high or a rush.  If you take them and dont need them.  Running out of your medication early. Buying it illegally.  A dependent person takes the pills because they legitimately need them for PAIN.  They will not abuse their medication.  Both dependency and addiction will have physical w/drawal..but addiction is a huge MENTAL battle along with physical.  You dont need it, you WANT it.  

[greyndautsmom]

So,,,what's worse, being addicted or being dependent?  It sounds to me like the physical w/d symptoms are the same for the addict as for one who takes them as prescribed, so while an addict looks to take pills to get high, the dependent person takes pills to feel normal??????  I need to understand so I can determine for myself, am I  an addict, or am I dependent, so I know which steps to take to change things..

[refusingbondage]

Hate to bear the bad news but I think you take them because your addicted.  Pain medication is to be taken for pain - short term ideally - and not for a rush.  Most have began their meds for legit pain meds, but some .. a LOT of people actually.. get addicted not to the pain relief but to the rush from the opiate.  I know a few people who take pain meds for legit pain, long term, but feel no high whatsoever and take usually half to a quarter of what they are prescribed -- only as needed.. Are they dependent -YES because their body has gotten use to the medication and will suffer some kind of w.drawal when they quit.  Are they addicted - NO.  It doesn't really matter how many you take its the reasoning behind.  I am an addict.  For me ONE is too many.  

Its unfortunate because in my opinion, once that door is unlocked and opened in your brain, it will never fully close properly.  The best thing you can do is realize this and start your journey in fighting the addiction.   The fact that you are questioning yourself and reaching out for some answers should answer your question for you.  Sending lots of luck and blessings.

[Catman1]

you take them because you have to, if you don't you will face withdrawal, the mind knows that, so it makes you crave a pill. Once you recognise that you take the pill because of the last pill, you will come to see that you can stop them - good luck.

[Jules1866]

I can only tell you what happened to me, I began taking vics for severe back pain 4 years ago, then that was not enough for the pain so that added time release morphine to the mix. After about 2 years of this I noticed that my pain was under control with the morphine however I had a huge bottle of vics in my purse. If I had a bad day at work, or if I had to make a difficult call to a client, maybe I had a day of 3 children fighting all day long, I would grab a hand full of vics and eat them for these ocasions and I knew it was wrong! I was using the vics to excape life, once I faced the demon and told my husband I was bound and determined I was going to deal with the back pain and life pain without the use of narcotics. You may want to really pay attention to when you want to take the vics and why? Are you bored, mad, stressed? Those are the real issues you need to learn to deal with. You have no idea the devil you are playing with. I am only 39 years with degenerative disc disease, arthris in my back, buldging L4 and L5 and I more willing to deal with my backpain then the pain that narcotics will bring me and my family. Hope this helps, hang in there and god bless. Jules

[Dummydebe]

Wow, I did not expect anyone to write back! Thank you very much! I am still confused as to why I keep taking them. I will keep reading what everyone writes to help me understand. Thank you

[BIKERDAD1963]

I am not sure if your asking if your addicted to them or if you are physically dependent on them. Two different things. It does sound like you have a problem even at the lo dose you are taking. 20mg a day is not much. You go thru withdrawals once you become physically dependent on them. You can be an addict and occassionally use drugs when things get to bad for you and not become dependent on them. You become physically dependent on them when you use them on a daily bases no matter the amount and your body gets use to having the drug in you and goes into wd when it doesnt get the drug. So if you are asking if your body is dependent on them the only way to know is to stop taking it and see what happens. If you are asking if you are an addict then I would say yes.

[sid3]

Everybody is different so there is no correct number of pills needed to become addicted. For example, I was addicted to  oxycotin by the time I had swallowed the first one. 8 years later, I'm still addicted to then, but I am no longer eating them. I'm eating subs instead. I'm hoping to spend 21 days tapering off of it.

[corey411]

Hi and welcome. Addiction is not as much of how many as it is a question of why you are taking them. You are taking them to change the way that you feel and that is the beginning sign of addiction. Addiction is progressive. You need to understand this and get help now. Patients that I have seen with chronic diseases that cause pain can take more than you and never consider taking 1 for the feeling they get. They are not addicts by nature but may become physically dependent. If you are using these to chase the high then you are going to keep wanting to do it and will need more and more. Stop now and try to understand why you want to feel different by using drugs. Getting a handle on this early will save you a lifetime of suffering and loss. Please read these threads people are posting. All of us were casually using a low number of pills and thought we could manage it. Good luck to you. Corey

[GA Guy]

Addiction has nothing to do with the number of pills. It's the behavior that accompanies taking them. I see several things that set off warning bells in your post. The fact that you love the rush of the pills, that you imagine pain just to take the pills, and the mixing of prescription meds with alcohol to alter their effect. You're also using one drug to mask the withdrawals from another (valium for hydro withdrawals). I can't call you an addict, only you can do that. But, many of your actions are classic addictive behaviors.