LONG TERM USAGE OF PAIN MEDS 30 MG They are immediate release oxycodone

[whathappend]

I HAVE MINOR BACK PAIN.  I HAVE BEEN TAKING 30 MG IMMEDIATE RELEASE OXYCODONE ABOUT 60MG A DAY AND AM WONDERING IF IT IS BAD FOR MY BODY OR BRAIN OR ANYTHING TO TAKE THIS STUFF FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?     DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THESE PILLS?  I HAVE BEEN TAKING PAINKILLERS FOR 4 YEARS NOW AND I LIKE THESE ONES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY TYLENOL IN THEM AND I DONT FEEL A HANG OVER FROM THEM OR ANY TYPE OF DAMAGE UNLESS I FORGET TO TAKE THEM THEN I FEEL THE WORST WITHDRAWLS EVER. WOW  I DO NOT WANT TO GO WITHOUT.   I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE IF I KEEP TAKING THEM FOR A LONG TIME.   SOMETIMES I SNORT THEM BUT MOST OF THE TIME I JUST TAKE THEM ORAL.   THEY HELP ME TRAMENDOUSLY WITH WORK AND WITH BEING IN A GREAT MOOD AROUND MY FAMILY.  I FEEL LIKE SUPERMAN ON THEM AND CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING ON THEM.  WHEN I STOP TAKING THEM FOR A WHILE I GET REALLY TIRED AND CANNOT DO ANYTHING.   I NEED TO KEEP TAKING THEM BUT REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS DOING TO MY BODY.  WHAT IS SAFE.  IS IT SAFE TO TAKE THESE?  ARE THEY HARMLESS ON MY LIVER HEART BRAIN MUSCLES ETC...   PLEASE SEND ANY HELP OR INFORMATION TO MY EMAIL OR RESPOND TO THIS POST.    PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND OR EMAIL ME YOUR OPINIONS.  ONLY FACTS ABOUT THESE EXCACT PILLS PLEASE AND WHAT THE EFFECTS ARE.   THEY ARE SMALL CIRLCE LIGHT BLUE WITH AN M ON ONE SIDE AND A 30 ON THE OTHER SIDE.   BY THE WAY, BECAUSE OF THESE PILLS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE A BUSINESS THAT IS WORTH OVER 2 MILLION DOLLARS NOW.  THEY SERIOUSLY HAVE HELPED ME ALOT  AND I DO NOT WANT TO STOP TAKING THEM UNLESS THEY ARE HARMFULL TO MY MEMORY OR BRAIN OR BODY IN SOME WAY FROM LONG TERM USAGE.     PLEASE HELP.  THANKS  EMAIL   ***@****

[Rad0761]

I have experienced severe memory loss and loss of cognitive function from long term use, and now that I've stopped, neither are returning.  There were no warnings in the literature or from my doctors about this, and I did my due diligence in terms of reasearching the subject.  It's very insidious, you don't realize what's happening until it's too late.  I wish I found posts like the ones above, a long time ago.

BE AFRAID...........BE VERY AFRAID!

[Gatorback]

Hi,
I was taking 80 mg of oxycontin for more than 6 years twice a day for chronic back pain I finally found a surgeon to repair my back it has taken me 3 months to get off with lots of pain by tapering I am clean now for 1 month but still have pain and lost a lot of weight so the effects for me are a nervous system in overdrive. I don't know how long this will last and yes my testosterone dropped the insomnia is the worst. After taking your medication that long going cold turkey I don't recommend and neither did my doctor he actually told me 2 years to get off at the dose I was at and I know why, the pain and all the withdrawal symptoms are horrible, so see a doctor is my recommendation I am no where near well yet good luck.

[Anitahvfun2]

Any type of medication where you need doctor assistant to stop taking.  I feel it's the doctor to blame.  It's them that have prescribed to much.  To much money in the drug industry.  
Over time it will affect vital organs and more likely you'll need different meds to address that issue.
My father was on 12-16 meds depending what year he had a heart attack.
Long time use causes free radicals and starts inflammation in the body.
Fight the inflammation chances are you'll clear the health issue.

I've been reading these comments lots of information everyone is different.
I'm glad I can choose the natural way, which works well for me.  I'm pain free not on oxy, but my partner has an addiction to it.   I hope he finds strength like many of you have.

[ImDONENoMore]

I'm sorry, I  meant this question for you.

[ImDONENoMore]

I'm not sure I understand, what is your question?  Do you think you're addicted and is that why you found this place?

[brc358]

After reading some of these posts, it makes me sick. SOME people actually need these meds, and when others are abusing them it makes its difficult for the ones that do need it, to obtain it legally. I have been on Oxycontin, Oxycodone,Morphine, for well over 12 years due to 5 back sugeries including a spinal fusion where I was basically left unable to walk, or stand any more, at the age of 51. I hate taking these damn drugs, but the doctors have tried every thing with no help. After going to countless doctors, pain management programs, dorsal stimulators, I am right back at square one. I take 60 mill. morphine in the morning,  and either the Oxycontin  or the Oxycodone every four hours. Then another Morphine at 6:00 pm. This goes on for 24 hrs every day. I would give any thing to be off this train wreck

[stack533]

*******

[msnursebetty]

Ok here's my answer.  If you plan to come off of them in 6 months, there will be no serious problems that you haven't already caused from 1 year of taking them.  
If however you plan to stay on them for the rest of your life, yes there is damages to the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and you will start having a discussion with your doctor about quality over quantity.  
Here is the problems I have with your postings:
1. All capitals means you are shouting in internet world, it is considered rude.
2. You can't spell very well which makes me wonder about your claim that you have made millions.
3. And last but most importantly you claim to snort them, and that is abusing a drug.  You are a drug addict if you are snorting something meant to be taken orally.  You need to get some help ASAP.
OH, and I'm in the medical field working with addicts so I do know what I am talking about.  Graduate degree.

[SheriG]

Wow...ate you gloating about your millions or what? I mean no harm but people like you who don't NEED to take these pain pills are making it harder for the people like me who NEEDS to due to two back surgeries.  Fact is your an addict & any pain pill that you take whether its anvil or tylenol does damage to your body! Your liver is effected by it. You damage brain cells and that's just the beginning. The withdraws are going to be horrible for you, so you best take some of you money and go to Rehab because you bring on them for four years without Drs watching you will be bad...you will not want to go to your wonderful job, that is if you get ant sleep! Your wasting money buying them off the streets which in some states is a felony & jail time.  So sweety if you want to keep everything you have worked so hard for stop taking those pain pulls now! It only gets worse as long as you take them. I  can't get out of bed without my pills, I'm on disability cuz I can't sit long enough to keep a job, I bring in $1027. Dollars monthly from SSDI so sorry We don't want or need to hear you wonderful life. Look harder on the net its there! Go get help!
SickNtired

[SheCanDoIt]

I know this conversation is old. In fact, almost 2 years old but I thought I thow my somethin' out there in case someone happens to fall on these pages and reads through them. I have been on Oxy for about 5 years. Up to 60mg every 4 hours. I was taking a lot and I knew it was a lot if I passed up them four hours and started to sweat.....alot. My body just KNEW it was time for a dose. All I could ever taste was the Oxy, gross. And I am on pain management because of abuse. I have 6 herniated discs from the waist down, all of them in my neck are herniated or buldging and a couple in the thoracic spine. So pretty much, my whole back is bad. Coupled with spinal arthritis, nerve compression and now something going on with the nerves in the bottoms of my feet, my thumbs, forearms and weakness and numbness of the legs. I am in pain...constantly. But the pills quit working. I wasn't getting relief anymore even at that dose because of the tollerance I'd built up. I hated them, I do hate them and know once I finish my taper I will never be able to touch an opiate again. I am now down to a 1/3 of what I was taking 5 days ago. Tomorrow I will be down to a 1/4 of what I was taking, this weekend I will be off of them. I think the turning point was me having my car repoed a week ago. I have 5 kids and don't know what the hell I am gonna do now without transportation. And though I didn't spend money for a legitimate script thanks to insurance, I did have this fog over my brain that kept me from being able to figure out how to rearrange my life to prevent all of the losses and dramatic things and choices that I made over these past 5 years. I am waking up....slowly seeing clearly and think OMG, what have I done. THis reality is scary but I am excited that now that I will be off, I can fix all these things I've let happen and go wrong. I made some terrible choices because of the opiate fog. I am normally a sharp minded individual and could fix anything, find my way through anything, not on oxy. Never on oxy. So anyway, for me the taper was easiest. Dropping suddenly from almost 200mg a day was just too much, I would have ended up in the hospital begging for someone to help me, just sedate me, I've been there, running out a day early or someone that hung out at my house would steal a few, leaving me short. So I tapered myself down and I'm physically a disaster (so it feels) but mentally charged, excited! And cannot wait to have my life back. Oh! And I can feel my clit again. The last several months I have had this numbness. I thought one of my nerves was compressed in my back that caused it, even the Dr. said the MRI showed that it was quite possible that it was the nerve compression but all be gosh dang, it was the oxy. Woohoo, can't wait to see what it's really like to make love again, to feel my partner, to have our next argument and I know sounds a little warped but really, I was so stuck in the numbness (literally and not) so stuck in the I don't care. I wonder if I'll cry, if I'll let the argument or disagreement get so far or if I will quickly make nice to prevent the quarrel like I used to be....lol silly but I am excited about my new life!     *hugs & support*  ~me

[recoveryfirst51]

I just got finished reading the supportive comments from "those in recovery." I am on day 3 coming off of 30 days of Norco abuse. Being a recoverying addict alcholic, I know shouldn't take Norco to begin with. Shoulda coulda, I did. I took what was suppose to be a one day possibly 5 day max of Norco for a legitiment reason, the stop date kept getting postponed, the mental lies forever haunting me with "ONE MORE REFILL."  On day 3 clean, I am sleeping but depressed, LOW energy, shallow breathing, head ache and over feeling useless and not wanting to do anything. Since I took them  a short time, I am hoping tomorrow I will feel back to normal. My body feels toxic...I don't want to waste my life chasing pills, although it is SO easy to see ONE MORE TIME right now, I am trying to break through the denial and get feeling healthy and strong, being an avid althelet, the way I feel really hinders my social life and being social PERIOD . Open to suggestions...

[soshelp224]

Hello all;

I had been taking nearly 20 - 30 mg oxycodone tablets for the last year or so, doc would prescribe 120 and they would be gone in 6-7 days, sometimes 10. Then I would have to go to the street, low enough thru my teenage son. This behavior alone has wanted me to just die. I'm on day 8 of cold turkey. I had some tramadol which helped for the first 7 days but now i cant get anything. I'm really scared because I feel like I want to die. I have a script waiting to pick up in 5 days but I want so badly to just not showup. I know I need help, but Im way too ashamed to go to my doctor or family, and since my drug problem I don't have too many friends left. I'm trying to stay busy but my I lost my job (not due to drugs). I just have nothing left without my pills but I HATE them like hell. I just dont know what to do.

[bmdad]

Not sure if anyone here will give you a certain dose of suboxone to take. That is something you should discuss with a doctor. I know nothing about sub. If you are down to 20 mg of oxycodone you might want to go ahead and go cold turkey from here on out. When you taper it kind of drags out the withdrawals. I went cold turkey from a much higher dose and made it through. It wasn't fun, but it's not impossible either. I'm 33 and my sex drive came back and came back fast. I was too fast according to my wife! The worst of the physical withdrawals are usually over around day 5 or so. Everyone is different but most will say the same. Check out the health pages and look in to the amino acid protocol. There are some vitamins that may help. It just takes time for our bodies to heal. You may won't to use the sub as a last resort as I have read it is a bear to get off of compared to other opiates. All  I can say is do plenty of research and plenty of reading on here wherever you see the title "suboxone or sub" in the title. Or, you can do a search for suboxone on this site.
You need to get a strong mindset and really want to be clean. Try and stay busy! One thing that helped me more than anything was going on walks. It was so hard to do so in the early stages of withdrawal but I forced myself. Once I was out walking I felt so much better. Toss in some headphones with your favorite music and try it. Just trust me on this one! Also, drink plenty of fluids and try to eat and eat healthy. Eat a bunch of fruits and raw veggies. If it's hard for you to eat, get some protein shakes so your body is still getting nutrients which is critical during withdrawals and recovery. Also, get on here as much as you can! Read, read, read, and post, post, post! It really helps takes your mind off of things and helps add that motivation you need during these rough times. Just know that everyone on here is pulling for you and know that you can make it through. Many have in the past and many more will in the future. I would try and lay off the sub and try to make it through without. Some people end up abusing the sub and end up with a bigger problem than what they originally had. Someone with experience on sub will answer your questions about it.
Just want to wish you the best of luck and if you need anything, let me know!
Brian

[whathappend]

Is the testostorone bad for you?  How much do you take?   I know this stuff is bad for me and I am trying hard to get completely off it.  I am having alot of trouble with the energy loss.  Mostly just day to day stuff but also the desire for tons of sex has gone down too.  How do I get it back?  That alone is enough for me to need to be heavy medicated so I dont go insane.   I finally got some soboxon.  I have not started taking it yet.  I got it from a friend.   Can someone tell me how to properly take it?  And for how long to be taking it? I really want to start working out again and I am in a deep depression and have major energy loss.  I am taking 20mg a day of oxycodone to come down from the higher doses I was on.   Please help!!!  Im gonna die.

[BIKERDAD1963]

Dont forget what they do to your sex life. For men the oxy and roxy damage your pituitary gland and you wont be able to have sex nor will you want to. Once your gland is damaged you will no longer be able to produce enough testosterone to create a sex drive and it will take your energy away. Then you will be like me and have to take testosterone. Once off the meds the gland is supose to fix itself but it takes a long time.. Taking testosterone helps but it just isnt the same. Just another thing to think about.

[gnarly_1]

dude, ive been where you are right now I also live with a chronic bad back and thats how
I got started with pain managment......I to was very sucsesful a top sails producer
for my company every month  4 yr into it and still seen or had no side effects I TO
felt nothing was wrong then my tolerance started building up went from 4 pills a day to 8 in a mater of about 2yr still no real sideffects still feel like superman and still a top producer  BUT....BIG BUT...my coworkers started noticing my eyes looked funny
still i keep going the pills eventually quit working and the pain management 0ffered
me Oxycontin .....did my research and refused it because of the horror story's I read about it then they came to me with a safe alternative methadone they told me they could brig you up on it and also bring you down SAFELY on it what a line of cra# that turned out to be. i did it only to manage my back pain but slowly went up in dose over a 6 yr time from 40mg to 150 mg also watched my sales drop from 1 or 2 in my company to 28th out of 30 ,take it from me dude if your sniffin oxy your well on your way to winding up like me so use my story to save your hard eared empire from crash and burn...BTW it was and always has been you not the pills that built your bissness ....  i to was very successful b/4 and quite awile  wile on the pain meds
now im down to 4mg of methadone aside from the withdrawals my life is so much better and i feel alert and alive again for the first time in over 16yr  you have no idea what a fog you are living under until your not on the meds i got i more month of he11  them i free of the 800lb gorilla and from where ive been it will be free indeed .
good luck to ya BTW ....it took about 8yrs for the sex drive to stop and that will happen to you also .....dude thats so not worth it set yourself free...Gnarly            

[hooklineandsinker]

How long did you make it before you took them again?

It's not a total loss. I took some on the third day and I didn't go back to square one but just ended up where I had left off.

It still took about 3-4 bad days. I started sleeping a little more on day 5.

You just have to get through it. There is advice here on what helps what symptoms. IMO, nothing really helps much.

You just gag down whatever you can keep down which varies from person to person.

For me, hot baths were great for the creepy crawlies. And they also helped with the nausea. I didn't get diarrhea but there's always Immodium for that.

Many people try more than once before quitting. I've read about people actually going to work during wd  although I don't think I could personally do that.

[whathappend]

I tried to stop. I gave in this morning when my skin was crawling. I feel like ****.  I cannot sleep.  

[candothis247]

I used daily for 3 years…. and I’m 75 days off oxycontin/oxycodone.

Long term effects:
Brain: memory loss, forgetfulness, loss of natural endorphins, read the book “healing the addicted brain” it explains what long term use of opiates do to your brain receptors --  long term use can put your natural god given endorphins to sleep and it takes time for them to return.  I don’t have my natural endorphins back yet. Additionally, long term use/abuse can KILL off your natural endorphins, so they never return. Not to mention your perception of life, people, everything gets skewed from long term use.

Liver:  well I think booze is worse than pills, but long term use can cause liver damage
Stomach, the lining of my stomach is still inflamed, I recently went to the doctor and had an endoscopy, and the oxys really messed up my stomach. My stomach is just now starting to feel normal.

I agree with hooklinesinker. If you aren’t ready to quit, don’t. But if you are, this site and the people here are like you and we will offer you encouragement & support.  I never used suboxone, but there is a wealth of info here regarding suboxone and I would only use it for 1 week to detox yourself off oxys if you are ready to quit.

I’m just now starting to feel physically good sometimes great. Long term use takes a toll on your mentally, physically, sexually, and so much more. I love having my life back.

Last if you do quit, the most successful people are the ones who use aftercare, such as NA and or AA. I tapered for several months and went to meetings while on oxys, but the meetings really helped me stay on track reminding me of why i wanted off the pills and why i wanted my life back.

Please turn off caps lock, it’s difficult to read & disturbing.

Good luck to you.

[madtram]

There are studies available on Pubmed which report associations between long term opiate use and decreased testosterone production and cognitive decline among others.  Over to you.

[TrayCee]

hooklineandsinker-  she/he said--
".  I KNOW TO ALOT OF YOU PEOPLE I SOUND A BIT CRAZY BUT I LIKE THE HIGH AND I GET ALOT OF WORK DONE WHILE ON THE 30'S.  THAT IS WHY I AM REALLY TAKING THEM."
That IS abuse.

and-
whathappend--
MAYBE YOU COULD TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
thanks!

[hooklineandsinker]

If I were you, I'd just stay on the oxys until you're ready to stop. I've read a lot of horror stories on here about suboxone.

I work in the health care field and I see chronic pain patients all the time who have been using pain medication as prescribed for years. Granted they are usually elderly and sick or they wouldn't be taking them. I have not seen them develop tolerance either.

It is hard to assess from them if there are long term effects of not since they have underlying conditions.

It is a fact that ALL medications have side effects. From what you've posted, I don't see that you are abusing the meds but I do also see a desire to live without them.

So when you decide to do it, just do it. Go cold turkey and ride it out. It really isn't that long for the acute symptoms to resolve. About a week. The worst being about 3 days.

Look at it this way. If you got the flu, you'd go to bed until you got better. Now I'm not saying wd is like the flu because it is worse. But you can do it when you're ready. Fear of withdrawal is the main reason most people do not ever get off opiates.

It is a genuine fear too because it is very uncomfortable. But many have gone through it. Some have time and time again.

I do not agree that you shouldn't post until you are clean. If you went to a 12 step meeting, they wouldn't make you leave because you were still using. This is supposed to be a support forum for everybody.

In fact, if you do want some interpersonal connection and maybe some rational answers to your questions, you might try a meeting and talk to the people there.

[nurseone]

I cannot not respond to this. You want to know the long term affects? Lets get real here. With all your Big Letters and Big Words on how much money you have made and how it makes you feel..........do you think we really believe that  you dont know that putting any chemical into your body does not do damage to your liver and other organs in your body? What is it that you want to hear? Ok let me guess........first of all let me say that I am a nurse........and I will only speak for myself. .....I love the feeling of the opiate in my body.........or did............that is why most of us will admit we are addicts.  If we could feel nothing when comming off of them we wouldnt need help. You cannot chemically alter your body and not feel something comming off of them. I wish we could but blocking the neuro receptors for any length of time and then taking away the block will cause your pain receptors to go crazy ........so is it possible to not feel any pain when comming off narcs no matter what you take .........doubtful. Does it do damage to your body .......of course it does. Pancreatitis ........liver damage........kidney failure. What specifically do you want to know?  I dont make a million dollars a year but I can tell you that there are no absolute 100% facts on each individual . It is a role of the dice and you are sure to lose if you continue to put synthetic drugs into your body over time . The fact is this.......most of us on here have been or are addicted so that is a fact. What we say are facts because we have lived them. This is a forum to help people get off these monsters and stay off them so while you are being superhuman on them dont degrade the rest of us because you happened to get lucky in business and havent taken the fall yet while abusing the narcotics.  Heck when I took them I was superhuman too......cleaned my house with a toothbrush .....voted best nurse.....blah blah.......means nothing when it all comes down to it. One day you will get there. and that is a fact.

[salsinator]

The long term effects of oxycodone are more on the brain at the dose you are taking.  A constant stream of opiates on the brain will shut down the natural production of neurotransmitters so all your brain is really getting is the drug to fill the receptors - most of all, the natural dopamine is not being produced and is replaced in your brain by the opiate.  This is the reason that the body goes into withdrawl when you stop or forget to take the medication.  Suboxone is a very strong opiate that is essentially a relacement opiate treatment.  It will stop withdrawal as long as the original drug of choice is not still ont he brain when treatment is started - this is why you typically must be in mild withdrawal when starting on suboxone.  It is recommended that suboxone be taken to detox and only for a short period of a couple of weeks - otherwise dependancy to the suoxone takes place and when that is stopped, the withdrawal is much longer and more intense - contrary to what most physicians will tell you.  If you choose to go on suboxone, it will work, but I would strongly recommend working on a short term tapering plan and within a matter of weeks, you could potentially be off all opiates.  Best of luck - once you have decided to get clean, please come back and post - there are tons of experiences people here who can help support you through the process.  Take Care