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Hydrocodone addiction

I injured my back playing football back in high school almost 15 years ago and have had back pain ever since.  I never wanted to get on pain killers but about 4 months ago decided I didnt want to live with the pain and my doctor talked me into taking hydrocodone to ease the pain.  It had worked wonders for me and for the first time in my life I felt like I had a new back.  I would take two pills in the morning and two in the late afternoon.  Not only did the pills take the pain away, but it put me in a great mood and really took the edge off of a stressful day.  

After about two months my pain had actually gone away.  But I did not want to stop taking the hydrocodone pills.  I just got another refill from my doc and he gave 2 refills with it.  My back pain has came and gone again, but my desire to continue to take the drug is very strong.  Its been about 4 months now and I still take four (sometime six) pills per day.  I know I should not be taking these pills when my back is not hurting so I tried twice this week to go an entire day without the drug.  I could not do it.  Today I woke up and within an hour I was feeling really week, tired.  I took a early morning nap and when I woke up I still felt horrible.  My nose was running.  My legs & head ached and I had diarrhea.  I love the mood Im in while I take the pills, but I know I am addicted.

I want to detox.  I dont want to tell my doctor because I am afraid he will no longer give me the pills when I really do need it.  I am in very bad pain about every other month with my back problems.  I fear if I tell my doc Im addicted then he will not let me continue to take the pain killer during my painful times.

My plan is to detox and not be addicted anymore.  Then only take the pain killer when I am only really in pain.  Anyone out there have similar story.  These hydrocodone pills take away my pain, give me a nice "high" feeling, and put me in a great mood!  Is it possible to do my plan?  Detox and then only take the drugs when needed or will I fall into taking them daily again?
18 Responses
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Avatar universal
How do people take that many pills in 1 day without an overdose? I take Oxycodone 7.5/325  (Percocet) 3-4 times a day for my back as well. I get nervous when I think about taking another 1/2 for the pain. I don't want to OD. I live alone with my dog. I don't know any of my neighbors (new here. Only 1 next door but not well)  & I have a son who calls here & there, but would just leave a message if I didn't answer & probably not call for another week. I need to remind him to check up once in awhile, it would be nice.. So if I died, trust me it would be a long time before anyone noticed. Probably long enough for my dog to starve to death or have a human hamburger with plenty of water from the toilet. Pretty sad.
  I am now starting pain management, the Dr refilled my Perocets with no problem by the way. I have to go and start getting injections in my spine & I am not looking forward to that at all. Hes messing around with my spine. I'd rather he kept giving me the pills & raise the dosage, then do that. I could end up paralyzed (not to mention the pain from the injections)..I have been addicted to Zanax & these pills before & I know 1st hand withdrawal sucks. And to make matters worse, the darling Drs I see will just stop giving me the pills. Cold turkey. They don't lower it for you to get off of it the right way & that is wrong & unhealthy. I am so fed up with Drs. and pain. I just want to sleep so as not to feel it. Even that doesn't work half the time.The pain just wakes me up & no matter I lay down I'm never comfortable. I give up I tell ya. To those of you who think your taking to many... you probably are. So start breaking them in 1/2 then 1/4s and get off of them..NOW.Go to pain mngmt or PT.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had been taking vicodin for 7 years at 3 per day. Sometimes 1 in the morning one in the afternoon and one in the evening, sometimes 1 in the morning 2 in the late afternoon and none in the evening and so on. It all depended on what I was going to be doing. If I missed a day no big deal but if I didn't take them on a regular basis (daily) the leg pain that I was taking them for would return. My Dr said the other day that he wanted me to reduce the dosage that I was taking and would like for me to be off of them. So, I figured it looked like he was going to stop prescribing them in the near future so I stopped taking them last Friday. Yes, I had a few minor withdraw symptoms but they are gone now. I am in some pain but also have been getting acupuncture from a good acupuncturist, who is also a Dr, and things are manageable, but I can do the activities I want to do. So it’s a trade off the drugs or quality of life. There is a lot more to the story but it can get long and boring.
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Avatar universal
I think your basic Vicodin is 5 MG of codine and 500 MG acetamenaphine (Tylonel)
then there's 7.5 and 10 MG codine w/325 acetamenaphine-called Norco
The generic name if Hydrocodone....there are different generic makers Watson, Qualitest, etc are some of the pharmaceutical companies. You might want to try the brand name...I've found for me I do not get a happy feeling from brand name Norco like I do with the generic. HOWEVER

Trust ME-I went from 6-8/day to a number I'm too ashamed to admit to anyone but myself and God (and I'm talking NORCO not Vike which has 10 MG of codeine vs 5). Like you, I thought I was in control...you wrote that your situation isn't as bad or serious as the people on this board. Do you think we started off taking 30 a day??? I've done horrible things to GET the pills. If you think it's hard now, wait until a month from now. It's a dangerous game and way easier than you think to get addicted. You may say to yourself that you will only take 4-6 a day BUT in a week or two you won't be getting the benefits of relaxation (that you are so enjoying right now and that is a huge red flag) and pain release and you will have to increase...'oh, well, maybe 8 a day isn't bad..." next thing you know you are taking 8 at once. Someone else here said "Quit now before you are taking those 180 in a 3 day period and your doctor shopping to keep up with your habit." Truer words....you THINK that won't happen to you, you THINK you can control it, prevent it. You cannot. You aren't going to remember your life going by, time will go quickly and you will find yourself in a major bind. I don't know about everyone else, but there were other things in my life that contributed to my needing this crutch, such as my marriage falling apart. Is there something going on in your life that you should examine? Some way in which you aren't happy...what is it that you need to escape from to get that 'happy' feeling? Work, family, etc? Don't have to answer me, just thought it might help you to think from that perspective as well.

Also, you could try alternate meds: acuputure, physical therapy, cortisone shots, etc in lieu of pain pills.
Helpful - 0
351342 tn?1197584760
You weren't necessarilly wrong...........I guess it all boils down to the fact that addiction is on a personal level. Some may not get addicted to 10 a day for 5-6 months some may get addicted to 2-4 /day over a 2 month period. Different strokes for different folks.............
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sorry if you think I was wrong, BUT! Just think about it, that's 180 pills a month at 6 a day. Thats about the max that I have taken on a montly time frame and I am having quite a hard time getting off of them. But then again I could be wrong, hope you dont have to go through what I am at this very moment! Yes, I see there are many that are taking 20, 30 a day, that makes me feel I can get through this, I am not at the point that these people are.
Helpful - 0
351342 tn?1197584760
Just my opinion but.................no. You've crossed over man. Once you take them for the feeling and not just the pain relief I personally don't think you can safely take them without the chance of you abusing them. Thats how it will be for me and others maybe not you but......................odds are you won't be able to not abuse them sooner than later. You'll increase the dosage because they just don't work nemore. Like I said just my humble opinion take it or leave it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thanks alot for your insight and comments.  Im glad to hear that the 4-5 pills per day that I am taking is not alot.  I had NO idea that people take 20-30 pills per day.  No idea.   Do you think if I get off of these pills within the next few weeks that its possible for me to take these pills again when my back pain comes back.  I am just so happy to have found a pain killer that numbs my back pain and I would be sad not to be able to take the medicine again.  What do you think?
Helpful - 0
351342 tn?1197584760
4-6 7.5's a day is not alot for theraputic reasons!!!!
Helpful - 0
351342 tn?1197584760
Vicodon is hydrocodone...............its kinda like coke and pepsi just diff brand names. They come in 2.5MG 5MG 7.5MG and 10MG all with varying amounts of tylenol,aspirin or ibuprofin in them. If you take over what you are prescribed than its a lot.......maybe not compared with what jack,jane or jill takes but everyone has different tolerances and such. Take it from folks who know (people on this board) get out while you can. It will be so much easier to beat it mentally if you quit now. The longer you take them the more dependent you become physically and esspecially mentally. If you take them because of the buzz and how good it makes you feel instead of pain relief ......well...........than thats become misuse and abuse. Give it a shot now (quitting) before you are taking 20-30 a day just so you can get that good feeling. You can find all the help you need on these boards or support groups in your area. If you don't quit now at least understand that everyday the grip grows stronger on your mind. I myself am really looking forward to putting it all down...........be glad you've caught on before you were too deep to realize it!! Message me if ya have ne questions or want o know how damn bad it can get!! I'm a complete hypocrite here no doubt.............but ya know what they say......."those who can't do teach!!!!" Dec. 18th will be here soon enough!!!
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Avatar universal
what do you mean thats a lot of vicondin?  Are you talking about me taking 4-6 pills per day or the 7.5-325 on my bottle?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sounds like your where I was a few weeks ago, yes thats a lot of vicondin, HYDROCODN is the generic for Vicodin I beleive. Hope you deside to get off cpmpletely, 4 months is not that long. I have been on them for 3 years and the withdrawal is really a tough road. Sometimes I feel like a really stupid person for letting myself get to the point of where I am at. Hope you never have to feel that way. Good luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thank you all for you input.  I am going on a big family vacation in a week and I want to wait to get off the pills until after that.  I dont want to have withdrawl symptems while on vacation.  After I get back I am going to go on a "tapper" plan.


My doctor never really explained the side affects of these pills to me and he told me it would take something like 10 months of taking the pill ten times per day to get addicted.  Its only 4 months and I know for sure my body is addicted.

Im not to educated on these drugs.  I have never take any other "drugs" in my entire life.  Can someone tell me about what type of hydrocodone pills Im taking.  Im going to write down what the bottle says and hopefully you can tell me what it means.  .....

The bottle says:  HYDROCODN/APAP 7.5-325
                         substituted for : NORCO TAB 7.5-325 MG
                         QTY: 180  ,  may refill 2x until 5/07/2008

is this just hydrocodine or is this vicodin?   does the 7.5 mean how strong it is?  is 7.5 strong?  I take two pills at a time 2x per day  some times 3x per day totaling 4-6 pills per day.  Is that a lot?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I started just like you.  I then was asking for a higher dose.  I went from lortab, to percocet, to Roxicodone.  The longer you take these pills the harder they will be to get off.  Anyway when you take six pills you are taking anywhere from 1900 to 3000mg of tylenol, according to the pills you have.  This can lead to major liver problems over time. I was taking 120 mg of Roxi a day.  By the way roxi is just oxycodone without tylenol. I am now down to thirty mg a day and like you I wish that I could just take when I need but I relize after reading these good people's storys that is not possible.  My goal is to be clean in a couple of more months.  Do yourself a real favor and get off of these things while you can.  You don't know how much I would give to have gotten off after only four months.  I have been taking these things for four years.  The years have flew and I don't remember alot of what happened.  Also, this could lead to real health problems and you could be damaged for life.  That high isn't worth it and the pain can be managed as I have chronic back pain and I was kidding myself that I HAD to have narcotics when in fact most of the time ibuprofren worked.  Good luck and God bless.
Helpful - 0
182493 tn?1348052915
The longer you are on them, the more your natural endorphins will down regulate and stop producing. Which will make it worse. Not only does opiates effect our endorphins but also serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters. If you really and truely do not want this to get worse, plan a taper, get off the pills, flush the ones you don't need and cancel the refills. People never want to quit when they have a full supply. Now is the time, plan a taper which will help minimize the severity of the detox and get off them. Or roll the dice and see how it goes in 4 months. But take this warning that it never stays the same, it will always get worse.. and never better. Quit now before you are taking those 180 in a 3 day period and your doctor shopping to keep up with your habit.
Helpful - 0
325131 tn?1227184781
The longer a person takes pain meds the harder the withdrawal. I think. Put the pills in the toilet and take aleve. Why take these meds and lose out on having a bright beautiful Christmas
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ive only been taking the hydo pills for 4 months.  If I continue to take the pills for another 4 months will the withdraw pain be the same as it was today or will it be worse and stronger?  To be honest, I want to continue to take the pills because I have a full bottle of 180 pills plus 2 more refills.  I think it will last me at least four more months.  Im afraid if I continue to take the pills for that much longer then when I do detox it will be complete hell.  What do yall think?
Helpful - 0
325131 tn?1227184781
Once an addict always an addict. Read what we go through with these hydros or vikes (as we sometimes call them. You lose alot if you gamble that you won't get addicted. I think you're in the right place (here in the addict forum) Lots of good feedback will show up. here  Good luck. I hope you try aleve it works for my pain (which I used to call severe.)
Helpful - 0
182493 tn?1348052915
Very few people once they pass that line into being addicted can go back to normal usage of meds. I think if that was possible this site would not be nearly as active as it is.  You may be able to pull this off for awhile, but the odds are that you will go back to mis-using them eventually. Once a cucumber turns into a pickle, it can't become a cucumber again...
Helpful - 0
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