VIcodin Addiction / Witdrawls

Hello all,

Im a new member here and this is my first post. I have read alot of your stories and I have a question (s) for anyone who may be able to help answer it, but first let me give you some of my background. I am 31yrs of age and I suffer from Chronic migaraines (diagnoes @ age 8-9) and I started out taking darvocet which worked fine until I was age 15 then it just stopped working suddenly, I tried numerous other aternatives to help ease the pain and finally my Nuerolgist prescribed me with Vicodin 500 when I was 16 because nothing else seemed to work. I have been taking Vicodin continuously for 15/16 years now. Sometimes I go through 20 - 30 pills a month, sometimes I go through more and sometimes I dont take any, it all depends on the times I get my headaches wich varies from month to month and season to season. My question is this, since being on the Vicodin I dont seem to be addicted to them in any shape or form. When I am not on them, sometimes weeks at a time I dont have any craving for them nor do I seem to have any mental or physical need for them unless I have a migrane (migraine) but beyond that I dont need them. Is this normal to be taking them and not get addicted?? My other question is does anyone know of a prescription I can take in lue of the vicodin for migraines? I have tried everything under the sun I can think of like Midrin, Napraxen, Fierocet, Beta blockers, Imiterx, Treximet, amitriptaline (anti Depressant), Axcel (Too Expensive $30+ per pill), and many others but for whatever the reason I do not respond or my migraines do not respont to these other medications, even the ones speciffically for migraine use. I have asked my docter and even he is out of ideas and I do not wish to continue to take Vicodin since it is so bad on your body to be taken on a consistant basis and it has the potintial to become addictive.

[troubleinohio]

well in your case, it sounds like the vicodin may be your only option if thats all that works for you, and you are sure you are not addicted to it. It does not sound like you are addicted. Being able to go weeks without it, not craving it, not using up more than your RX is wrote for....those are all good signs. And you dont seem to be taking more than the alloted amount of acetominophen per day? the daily max is supposed to be 4,000 mg. Are you ever going over that amount?  Good luck to you

[tbirds]

If you can go weeks without a vicoden, and not have any withdrawls from the meds your ok. With the amount your taking you are what pain meds are made for. You can control your need for the meds only if you have a reason, like a migrane (migraine) to take them. Remember they make pain medicine for a reason, and if your not taking them to get high, or you have to take them everyday just to get thru and motivated for the day. It sounds like you are taking them excactly like your dupposed to. Only when needed, Most addicts have to take them just to get out of bedand get going and by then they have to does again just to feel normal. Its funny a lot of people think addicts take drugs just to get high, some do But a lot use them just to prevent getting the worst case of flu you have every heard of, their taking them to feel like a regular person, Kinda like how a person uses anti-depresants to fel normal and can be productive in your everyday-LIFE. Just my opinion though.