I really need any advice/guidance/suggestions I can get

[DazedDenny]

Where do I begin, I'm a white 56 yr old man,  I'll give short version,started with bad childhood,depression started young ,around 10 yrs old ,led to pot ,acid,uppers,downward,anything really,heavy into drugs by 15,got married at 19 ,divorced at 27,2 kids,heavy drug use never stopped ,got worse after divorce,heavy drugs then,fast forward after remarried at 31,still depressed,got into car accident in 2001,3  bulging lower discs after that,put on pain meds,3 750 mg vicoden,slowly increased up to  7 per day of  1,0 mg loritabs which I've been on for many yrs now,Now I've finally stopped using street drugs for a few years now due to work and all I do now is the loritabs ,Now here's my problem ,I have planter faciatis in my left foot,3 bulging discs in my back,and arthritis in my back and hips,no insurance,so I would see my doctor every 3 months and get enough refills for the 3 months,Well now she will only write me a script for 1 month at a time ,I have to see her for every refill because of this Obamacare bullish-t.I can't afford 100 dollars a month and fill script for 60,so I guess I have to get off my medicine and hope I can still move at work and do my job,I'm also on my feet all day walking,so I need help not only with getting off meds ,but how I'm gonna work?Any and all help would be really appreciated and thanks ,ps.sorry for long question

[vereena132]

  Just a quick note about SSDI. I receive a little over 2000.00 per month and am allowed to earn up to 900.00 without it affecting disability pmts. So you can supplement your income.

[Funtimefrankie]

This is exactly what I wanted to say but could not have said it better. I have two disc bulges and when I come off meds the pain is unbearable for a while. All old injury sites hurt too but then after a while as if by magic the pain reduces dramatically. If you have been on opiates a long while it's hard to know how much of the pain is caused by the injury or the opiates. I have seen endless people get off opiates for genuine pain only to discover that once they got through the detox, their pain was not nearly as bad as they thought. Good luck

[DazedDenny]

Ok all let me say thanks for responding,ok as far as getting on disability ,I probably could,but it just wouldn't pay me enough to mess with,I need to work,we live literally payday to payday,as far as exercise well I walk probably 5 miles at work every day,I found something for my foot I hope,guy at work has same problem,he did all therapy,got 150 $ inserts ,didn't do much,some doctor told him about inserts at Wal-Mart called footpro,says it works better than the 150 $ ones,and only 5$.now we come to what I'm going to do starting Sat when I start detox,I'm like freaking out a little,remember I've been on for 13 yrs and from 7 to 12 ,1 mg loritab,I need to know is there anything I can ask doc for?Anything else I can buy to help with detox,I saw stuff advertised on this site to help with withdrawals,does it work??I will try anything guys,I really need some help to get through this,I tried a few weeks ago and it didn't go well,those pills really help me work,sounds funny ,but they give me energy,they work 10 times better than monsters or any of that stuff,so I need some help you guys ,these are like speed to me,lol,really are,so I'm gonna need all the advice I can get by Sat,and probably the next few weeks too,I want to do this badly ,so again thanks to all trying to help and bless you all!!

[OpenMind24hours]

Hello Denny, you got some great advice above from both posts. I just want you to know that our backs are pretty much in the same shape but most likely different bulges in different spots. I'm diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. I'm also suffering from the disease of addiction. Me and pain meds don't get along. Just like you, three 7.5s a day; one every 6 hours. Then I got all mixed up one day and it turned into 6 every one hours somehow. All us opiate folks on here have the same story: addicted to more.your doctor has been following the new guidelines for prescribing pain meds. It's tough on folks who really need them. But in your case, you're using it to your advantage to try and get your life back and live free again. And you can do this!

ATB is right about the pain levels. Mine went down after I quit. I've since learned to live with it. My doctor sent me to PT and I learned a good stretch routine to do every day. If I don't do it, I hurt! I also walk every day. I'm 67 years old. Sometimes I hurt real bad, but it's nothing I can't live with. That's me. I know you're dealing with your injuries, which are different than mine, but keep on the new path of willingness you've chosen. It's the path to freedom from drugs. Give it a good try and check your pain levels after you've made it through the detox period. Also see if you qualify for physical therapy. You never know where this burst of willingness will land you. Keep on keeping on.

[vereena132]

Hi, My life has been very similar to yours especially the past drug use as I took any and everything but Herion was my favorite. I am now still coming off fentanyl of 150 mcg. that was prescribed for RA aprox 8 yrs. ago. It has been hell for the past 2 moths. and still feel like **** but sooo much better than the first 2 weeks which I could hardly walk. To my surprise after being off, my pain has stopped!!??? I still am still getting off xanax at the same time. I also was denied SSDI until I got a Lawyer who helped and was approved within a mo. or 2. For me the drugs seem to have made me more sensitive to pain and anxiety!! Tonight is the first time I didnt take any xanax and just woke after a nightmare in which I was blind and am still shaken. I am a 60 yr. old male. I think pain is caused sometimes by the meds and mask what your body is really feeling. I would suggest a short taper then you will be so miserable until you might prefer to go cold turkey like I did. It has been hell but worth the time invested. I even stopped my Embrel whithout any increase in pain and have to explain this to my RA dr. in a couple weeks. The drugs have changed my whole life and thinking process. I now have some clarity from the deception caused by them. It changes you and you wont even know it except you notice you just dont enjoy the things that you used to and become a lazy slob that looks forward to only sleeping. I really suggest getting clean and you will know your real pain level and probably be able to control pain with OTC meds.. Just my 2 cents worth.  

[atthebeach]

Most time the pain level is manageable post opiate use. Hyperalgesia is opiate induced pain. After years of being on opiates it actually increases the pain levels. When detoxing initially the pain can increase. With time you will beable to re-evaluate it.
Do you have orthotics for you shoes? They help immensely for the plantar fasciitis. Also there a stretching and strengthening exercises you can do.
Exercise is also beneficial for arthritis, as is yoga.
Congrats on your decision to reclaim your life.

[kuku4kokopuffs]

Have you considered applying for Social Security Disability? You sound like you've got the medical issues to be a candidate and it could be the answer to to large part of your problems.

A word of advise. I applied twice over 2 years and was denied both times before I got a lawyer who would take my case on a contingency basis. He told me I should have contacted him before I ever filed, because they know the way things are handled, and he got it approved in a matter of a few months.

When they work on a contingency basis they take a percentage of the amount you're awarded, going back to when you first filed, but it will be well worth it in the long run. I don't pay anything for my doctor visits and only a small co-pay for my scripts.