Just curious. How many here took pain pills for pain?

[Gonnastop]

I really do have chronic pain but am tired of pills running my life.  My biggest concern is not knowing what I will feel like once these pills are out of my system.  I started out taking one 10/500 pill a day and wound up at 8 pills a day.  I'd love to hear from those that took narcotic pain meds for legit pain and how they are doing after they quit taking pain pills.  Was it worth it?  Did your actual pain level go down once you stopped taking pills?

[pitbullmom]

i started mine for pain. then the pain got worse every yr. im on sub now which helps with pain . im very scared when i get off it that i wont b able to take the pain but i kno i will hav to.

[InNeed88]

I have a horrible back and was taking the pills specifically for that reason*in the beginning*  When i did finally quit, I have noticed my pain days are fewer and far between,
I will admit there are days where im DYING in pain, Today being one of them, But thats the thing about these nasty pills, Your brain gets so used to needing that chemical your putting in your system that your brain plays tricks on  you. It will say, Hey Molly your back and neck are KILLING YOU right now, your brain is trying to trick you into taking a pill..At that point i reach for my vitamins or a ibprophen and grab a heat pad or ice pack...Its not always a complete relief of the pain, But i'm getting my LIFE back and that's what matters...One day my brain will stop playing tricks on me and than i can correctly judge the pain before i consider the surgery the doctors want me to have..BLAH
Thats just my imput

God Bless you all * Since i know were all sneezing like crazy* lol My early morning not enough coffee humor
Molly

[bensweat1981]

I was a pass in a wreck that killed my 2dad friends. It broke my bk in 5 places and have a tbi. I got on roxes really bad. Went to jail for a yr and felt really good about my life. Been taking 6a percacets 10s/day for 2 months now . My wife already notices a difference and I do too. The pain isnt as bad but still hurt. I started off at 4,now im at 6. Will it be more in the future? Is it worth it?

[bensweat1981]

I was a pass in a wreck that killed my 2dad friends. It broke my bk in 5 places and have a tbi. I got on roxes really bad. Went to jail for a yr and felt really good about my life. Been taking 6a percacets 10s/day for 2 months now . My wife already notices a difference and I do too. The pain isnt as bad but still hurt. I started off at 4,now im at 6. Will it be more in the future? Is it worth it?

[mary577]

I took them for legitimate pain.   I have very bad knees.   My husband's work takes him away 3 weeks out of the month, and I had livestock, the house and yard and everything that comes with that to take care by myself.   He had hired a young guy to help me....who turned out to be a crack addict and stole several hundred dollars from me, so after that, I have been afraid to hire anyone to come here and help me.   I took Hydrocodone 10/325's for about five years.   I started out with one or two a day, and ended up taking  5 or 6.   I had to hide them because I soon found out that darned near everyone on the planet is taking them, and mine were stolen several times.   I used to get a bottle and always hide about 20 of them, in case they were stolen.   There are probably still pills hidden somewhere here.   It doesn't matter.   I found some awhile back and flushed them.   I have no desire to take them again.

I found that the hydros didn't do so much for my pain...just made it tolerable.   The problem I had with them was if I didn't take another one every two or three hours, I got nauseated and very irritable.  I also got anxiety if I didn't have them with me at all times.   Even outside working, I had one in my pocket.  Rarely, I took two at a time, but I could see the day was coming.

I am in my mid 60's and I have always had perfect health.   I knew what I was doing was going to play havoc with that, but I liked the feeling they gave me.   I have never been one inclined to take pills....quite the opposite.   I have always refused to take them.   I have had dental work, c section, 3rd deg. burn, gun shot wound, broken bones....and I never took narcotic pills.  I was really ashamed of myself for falling into this trap.  I made excuses to myself that it was okay...and anyway, I was afraid of withdrawal.   One day I broke out in a bad rash all over my body.   It was a wake up call.   I knew I had to quit, and I did.   I did have withdrawal and about a month of lethargy, but I have never looked back.

[marycarmel]

I've always been fearful of substances and alcohol never agreed with me.  But  I found myself just as obsessed with my pills as any addict but in reverse almost.  I over-worried and never wanted to take as much as prescribed.  I have seen addiction in my own family and in my work.  I always figured if people so much smarter than me could become addicted, why wouldn't I.  It was finding this board that led me to tapering off.  I had a lot of surgeries and was on a boatload of meds.  When I wanted off, my doctors weren't any help and said the pain would be too bad.  Reading about so many who went from pain being why they took pills to addicts, made me want off.

I got a lot of help here and on the pain management board.  Vicki, in particular, gave me tremendous help.  I suffered a lot through tapering and it took me a long time to feel okay.  I am thankful everyday for not having true addiction and only dependence.

I don't post a lot here but I read here every day.  It would be easy to let the doctors just keep prescribing, but I just don't want to feel how the heavy narcotics make me feel ... stupid.

[TiredinTempe]

You just might be a normal person and not an addict "yet". Count your blessings and we never know when that next pill might be the one to hook us. Have a great day! KK

[marycarmel]

I never abused my pain meds but I didn't like how much I was on.  I occasionally will take something "as needed," but use more OTC, supplements, gels, etc. to treat my pain.  I still have pain but just try to manage it.

[quitinoxys]

It took about 10 days for me for all the nasties to go away. So it's right around the corner so Keep on Keepin on your doing great. Don't forget about getting some aftercare as it makes all the difference between sobriety and relapse.

[TiredinTempe]

How long did it take before u got relief? Uggh

[quitinoxys]

Keep it up it does get better

[TiredinTempe]

I am off Percs day 7 here. I just posted a few minutes ago. Prolly not the best to ask. I just keep reading the posts and praying this will go away. The pain is here along with the physical withdrawals. I have had two semi decent days early on. Dunno....Good luck and give it a shot. You never know if it will stick.
Success is in all of us, just when will it be?

[quitinoxys]

I as other posters here have chronic pain due to a severe spinal injury. After a while the dose I was on didn't work so my doctors increased the dosage. Well after 7 years I was on about 260 mgs/day and living in a drug haze. My former life was gone I gained weight, didn't want to do any of the thing s I use to love and just vegetated.

After I stopped the oxys I did notice my pain levels decreasing and I found alternative methods of pain relief. Have you tried Yoga, breathing techniques or acupuncture? It worked great for me. I also use a combination of natural remedies to help my pain. Albeit  I still have pain but now I have learned to treat it without narcotics. I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do. God Bless---Rick

[Nursey7]

It is definitely a very complicated issue. I, too, have chronic pain from spinal cord surgery, subsequent shoulder surgeries and fibromyalgia. I was given Hydrocodone and Savella by a pain management doc. I have been clean only 43 days in 7 years. I wish there was a way to take the pills and not abuse; I really believe even if you take them as prescribed your tolerance still builds and you will require more. It's a catch 22- I know I should exercise but the pain makes me depressed and then I don't have energy to do anything. Massages are amazing but if they aren't covered by insurance very expensive. I am thinking about looking into Elavil-old med but it has antidepressant properties, pain and it helps with sleep. Anyway to answer your question yes I hurt but I feel so much better not counting, stressing, the anxiety when its out,  the lying that for me it is definitely worth it. Sometimes my mind tries to pull me back in but I know my quality of life is
much better now!!  I would suggest getting talking to your doctor and get something in place for your pain prior to stopping. Good luck and let us know what you decide :-)

[Norco1947]

I started needing pain Med's . Used them 9 months ,Surgery eased my pain about 90% . Could not stop even without pain , needed the pills to feel normal . Went 2 months useing after the pain eased . My life S**ked , I just keeped useing 100mg a day Norco till one day my wife let me know what liveing with me was like . Hurt like hell to hear you get cranky Mean and don't want to do anything . No joy no happyness no real life .
That upset me so much i tried to go CT . Could not do it , Cried for  3 days and wanted to die. Gave up and went to a taper for 3 weeks then tried again to jump . That worked and i am now DAY # 9 drug free . Feeling better day by day . About day #4 i started to feel better about myself for fighting so hard . Found myself smileing and enjoying people again.
The wife see's the difference in me already . Said i was getting to be my old self again . Was please to be getting  her hubby back . Made me cry .  

[Fireby29]

I have some blown discs, a tear in my hip, and have had major shoulder surgery.  I hurt almost everyday on various levels.  Here is what I can tell you as far as I go.

It is not everyday, but most days, I now have LESS pain off the narcs.  Just my opinion, but for moderate to lower chronic pain I think the narcs just make it worse.  I know there are others in much worse shape then me, I try to stay in the gym, eat right, etc., so I will not say for severe chronic pain...it may be needed.  I just see it as a  acute tool, best served for the short term pain.

Bryan

[pitbullmom]

the meds after a while create pain so when u get off them most of the time ur pain get easier. i do have chronic bck and knee pain

[Dane74]

Great question, for me i am a chronic pain suffer, i was going to pain management, they started me on Norco 3 times a day, then it went to oxy, then it went to diluid and next they wanted me on Methodone.  So gradually my body just got so use to all the pills that nothing worked anymore.  And then of course i started abusing the pills as i liked , no sorry i loved the high, the engery, and honestly feeling no pain, BUT then i lost all control and the pills started to control me.  My addiction spiraled out of control and bam i was in addiction he11.  Off to rehab i went, came clean to all the docs and family, canceled my pain management doc as he was my drug dealer.  So now that i am almost 6 months clean, my brain is clear from the drugs but my body hurts and i have pain everyday and my quality of life is suffering, I'm young and cant do the things i once could on pills but i ruined it for myself because i just cant take 2 pills, i want the entire bottle.  So i am still learning how to deal with the pain, therapy, massage therapy, Tens machine, and OTC meds, rest, ice, heat, and just relax when i just cant do it anymore.   My pain level never did go down, i did get some rebound pain in the detox phase, but overall, i am better now than when i was using.  Its so complicated with chronic pain and with that brings on depression and the constant need to get relief.  I am sorry i cant lie and say life is just great without the pills, but i am alive and my family loves the new me.

[anachingback]

Just signed up and by the time I figured out an unused username I done forgot what I was gonna say!  Anyhoo I've used 4 Norco, which is brand name hydrocdone, since 09  for rheumatoid arthritus and severe scoliosis. My body is a smorgasboard of pain! I'm tapering and now at 2 a day and it's not too bad for me thank God. When I can't sleep I have 2 beers (which I ain't supposed to have) and go back to bed. My problem is my RA Dr. will not give me 5 a day or anything stronger, and they have stopped working except about 15 minutes. He wanted me to go to PM and I will not go on the anti depressant roller coaster as I have enough problems already. So I have to get off of them and hope my tolerance will go down. I'm looking at pain for now on as it would take a major spinal revision surgery for my back and of course that might not stop the pain. My back Dr. is great and wants me to avoid that surgery anyway I possibly can. He has me on core strengthing exercise and walking which helps tremendously. He will give me stronger pain meds but I'm under contract with my rheumy as he is terrified of the DEA. So as far as pain is concerned I'm just screwed.
  And by the way I recently began a CLINICALLY PROVEN antibiotic therapy for my RA. It's not working yet as it can take 6 to 12 months. If any of you know anyone with R, lupus, fibromyalgia, or scledoma (spelling) which is a death sentence, the antibiotic minocycline may put them in remission. It is in the tetracyline family of antibiotics. There is a website called called ***********.org that has all the info on it.I may not be supposed to tell about the site on here but chose to as it would be worth getting kicked off if it saved someone.

[pharmclown67]

If your rly going too quit you have too be very commited if your taking 8 oxycodone or hydrocodone regardless your going too go threw some withdawl symptoms that arent going to be pleasent......but if you can get threw that itll be worth it and then more. Now about the pain level...it probably will be much higher if your off the meds thats the down side your on the meds for a reason......if you do not decide too quit i would recommend asking for 10/325s or even codone without filler because the filler is eating up your liver

[weaver71]

I have chronic pain due to scoliosis and also dislocated a shoulder. I am only about 90 days clean, but my pain is way less. I'm more conscious of my body and know when to slow it down, as not to make it worse. No amount of pain will ever send me back into that caos. My addiction progressed to the point that I almost died, no pain is worth that. NA says that active addiction leads to jails, institutions, or death. If you feel the pills are running your life, you will not regret leaving them behind. Ibuprofen helps me more than the pain meds where, and it won't kill me. Are you trying to form a plan to detox?