aclcohol allergy

[Frank]

In the past years of my youth, I drank quite heavily on weekends but have slowed down over the past 30  years. Now, when I drink even a glass of wine or 3/4 beers I get a slight pain inmy chest(lungs) and feel a shortness of breathe. Am I allergic to alcohol?

[to Kat]

It is quite doubtful you are allergic, since what you desribe isn't a typical allergic reaction.  To be on the safe side you should consult your physician, tell him/her about your symptoms, and get a workup done.  Better safe than sorry.

[Brighty to Brian]

Welcome back Brian !! I did see your other posts also. Speaking of celebrities.... Robert Downey Jr. is out and appearing on Ally McBeal... LOL ..... !! God bless you. Be well. Love, Brighty

[No one special...]

Just a quick question: Can a person get into trouble legally for having Rx's for, say, Vicodin 5/500 from 2 different doc's, one being filled at a chain pharmacy and the other at another smaller pharmacy if the two were to somehow commmnicate?  If so, what would the charge be?  Interested in any information I can get...thanks!

[Frankinscense]

The only trouble would be, the possibility of starting a disease called opiate receptor deficiency(aka. opiate addiction). Opiate addiction does not discriminate. Even the most educated can develop this disease. A pill here,a double dose there,a dose to get me in a better mood,a pill to wake me up. That is a pattern that will and most often evolve into opiate receptor defic. or opiate addiction. Take extreme care. Warning hydrocodone may be habit forming. It should say: continued use of this product may produce a syndrome known opiate rec. defic.. Causing withdrawals and cravings. Just a thought.  
Dan

[Von to Brian]

I had a situation where my dentist prescribed Vicodin for a root canal, and I already had a script for Vicodin from my physician, which he prescribes on an ongoing basis for nonrelated pain.  What happened is, my insurance wouldn't pay for both, so I just had to pay for the dental prescription out of pocket.  But they both got filled with no problem. If you have two valid scripts for legitimate reasons, you shouldn't have any trouble, unless you're going to different doctors just to get more of the medication. That wouldn't be considered legitimate.  Would you get into any trouble?  I don't know, and don't know if pharmacies compare records, I doubt if they have that kind of time or interest.

[Laura to No one special]

I used to work for a doctor's office, so I can tell you what I know from their end.  If your doctor finds out another doctor is prescribing you vicodin, he'll get pissed and probably not give it to you anymore.  But, since you go to 2 different pharmacies, you should be OK.  In the past I have seen patients get caught using the more than one doctor technique because the pharmacy decides they are going to tell us that the patient gets meds from other docs.  Since each pharmacy thinks you only get it from one doc, there should be no problem.  Besides, it's not against the law to have prescriptions, no matter how many or what drug they are for.

[gia]

Sounds like you are. The symptoms described are anaphalactic, associated with a sensitivity. Feel free to email me. I have just gone thru the same thing with caffeine and ended up in the hospital with brain poisoning. I can't even have half a junior mint. ***@****

[Frankinscense]

You cannot take the same drug to same pharmacy with different scripts. You may get away with it once or twice. DEA sees it your'e cut off. You cannot get hydocodone are any like drug filled at the same pharmacy with any frequency. Dan..

[Shiny]

I had to have a root canal done and my dentist gave me 30 percs. because he couldn't do the work and sent me to someone else.  When I went to this different doctor he gave me perscs and an antibotic (antibiotic).  These meds ran concurrently.  I was in so much pain, my husband just went to our pharmacy and had them filled.  Well the pharmacy called the dentist who did the work and he really blasted me. I didn't even know he gave me additional percs.  I told him what happened and he still yelled and acted like I was a criminal when I went back for the follow-up.  My husband went to the pharmacy and told them all about it and they were very nice about it, it was a honest mistake on my husbands part.  In another situation, same pharmacy I got Lortab 5m from one doctor and then got Lortab 10m from yet another doctor they didn't say a thing.  I talked to a pharmist and he said as long as the pill were not the exact same thing even if it was just the strengh they wouldn't have a problem filling it.

[Laura to Dan]

Anaphylactic shock would be very rare to occur from alcohol, and you will die from it if not treated immediately.  Could be a sensitivity though.  Your body can develop allergies or sensitivies that haven't been there before.

[Shiny]

You stated the only trouble would be . . . understatement of the month.  Of course she could get in trouble, it's called double-doctoring. At the very least if her doctor found out just kiss him good-bye, he would never prescribe anything for her in the narcotic family again. I'm surprised with all your "so-called experience you would have warned her of this. She could get a precription for Vicodin 5/500 from one pharmacy and Vicodin in a lesser strength from a different pharmacy or even the same one. But you cannot get the very same medicine at the same time without it being double-doctoring, which is against the law.

[Beanie to anyone]

have a question about the double doctoring, you say you could get vicodin in different strengths and that is not a problem, what if lets say, your doctor gives you vicodin and you are supposed to take 2 a day ,then you have oral surgery and the surgeon gives you vicodin to take every 3-4 hours,,same strength, but if you used your doctors prescription for it you would run out early and because of the oral surgery taking only 2 a day wouldn't be nearly enough for pain control..is this double doctoring? Could you get in trouble for this?
Beanie

[Laura to Dan]

Why do you have such an attitude?  Have you ever worked for a doctor or pharmacy?  We caught patients doing this all the time.  There is never any legal action taken and that's what no one special's question was, wasn't it?  If the medication is prescribed for two different medical conditions, it's prefectly legal.  Of course it is a good idea to tell your doctor if you take any rx's by any other doctors so if they do find out they already know about it.  Like I said, he/she asked what the charge would be and there wouldn't be one.  NOw if she/he is purposely just trying to get more vicodin to feed an addiction by more than one doctor, I'm not sure if it's legal or not, but like I said we catch patients doing this all the time and the only thing the doctor does is either discharge the patient, or never give them narcotics again.  She/he asked if there could be legal trouble, and I highly doubt it.  Get a grip, can't you be nice?

[Beanie]

That is terrible that the dentist bitched you out about that..I could see something happening like that all the time, I personally know what all the different drugs are and would notice what they give me, but i can easily see my grandmother or mother, getting a prescription from the dentist of something they were taking or something close and not even realize it, they could even end up doubling up in the meds. i can picture my grandma taking her vicodin how the doctor prescribed it 2 tablets every 4-6 hours and then getting a bottle of generic hydrocodone from the dentist labeled take 2 tablets every 4-6 hours, i could see her taking both of them at the same time, not knowing they were the same drug or that she wasn't supposed to do that., or her getting tylenol #3 for her arthritis and vicodin from the dentist and taking them both at once, and it would be awful for the dentist to yell at her like she intentionally did something wrong..
I have had an ER doc prescribe vicodin in the past and then my doc switch it to tylenol # 3 a couple days later, the pharmacist came out and told me not to take the two at the same time as they were basically the same thing..but they never called my doctor or made me feel bad about it.
but when my doctor prescribes me norco #60 tablets a month and it says on it take 2 a day, they do make me feel guilty when i try to fill it after 30 days, they won't even let me fill it at 29 days when i am there picking up other prescriptions, they make me make the trip back the next day..this last time she told me that if i was gonna continue filling it this way,,30 days apart that the doc would have to change the directions and be notified!!, and that I had filled it early the month before, when i hadn't, they wouldn't let me,,just like i said made me make an extra trip there the next day, do they think i was gonna have a party if they didn't make me wait 12 hours to fill it?? they let me fill all my other script after they are 75% used,,its just a convenience thing not to have to wait until you are all out to have it refilled....
Beanie

[Frankinscense]

Dear Laura, I know what goes on in pharmacies because I have a very good friend that is a druggist. I also have a few friends who are physicians in recovery. So you might say I have some reliable information on prescription laws and regulations. I must add, each state and pharmacy deals with these situations differently. Some drug stores that are privately owned, opposed to chain pharmacies also overlook situations for obvious reasons. Eventually,the DEA will do an audit and catch these drug stores that do things that are not ethical. The disease of opiate addiction sometimes cannot be dealt with in a nice,sugar coated way because this a disease that kills and ruins lives. Tuff luv baby!
With Utmost of Sincerity,
Dan, the Substance Abuse Specialist

[to Dan]

Wow...you know a pharmacist, a physician, physicians in recovery. Very impressive. But I hardly think your associations and/or friendships qualify you as an expert. Do you think we don't know people, too? I'm a medical researcher, my husband is an attorney. I got through graduate school as a health educator and counselor. My best friend is a pharmacist, my former college roommate is a dentist. My father is a best-selling author. I guess I could get really arrogant and spout quite an ecclectic mix of advice. But at then end of the day, one thing remains: I'm still an addict. And when I read this forum or post to this forum, I'm looking for support from fellow addicts. I'm looking for personal experiences, to relate and to share. The last I want is to read is a post from a defensive person, offering vicarious advice and one-sided opinions. Remember, Dan, no matter how "credible" the information or the source, there are still three sides to each story (your side, my side and the truth). Especially in addiction, which tends to involve a personal journey for each and every one of us. Not one method or treatment will work for everyone. If that was the case, someone would've marketed it and we'd all be on a different forum right now.
Gotta be honest with you, Dan. I don't like your posts because you don't seem to speak from the heart. Instead, you boast about your friendships or the books you read, you sign your name with your professional title, and you get defensive when anyone disagrees with you. And you're a substance abuse counselor, eh? (guess you passed that internship). You know, all the counselors I've known have been wonderful, unassuming people. Willing to listen (not to be confused with enabling) and willing to open their hearts. But your posts seem to suggest a different kind of counselor. Someone who is very defensive and close-minded, and relies on their vicarious experiences to angrily advise fellow addicts. And that is why I get so critical of your posts.
Speak to us as a person, Dan. Forget the books--give us a reference, and trust us to obtain that information. In addition to this, empower us with your personal experiences. Why not offer some support, if you really care, instead of getting so defensive and hiding behind your "credible" information and ever-changing job title? You can be credible, Dan, without having to be defensive and listing books and dropping names. Instead of playing "Doc" Dan, why not just be Dan?

[to chad and von]

What a *****!  You don't even have the guts to sign your name.  Just some anonymous post attacking someone who, whatever you dislike about him, comes here regularly and TRIES to help people.  You don't like it, tough sh#*.  NO ONE ASKED YOUR OPINION OF HIM!  GET IT!  At least he signs his name.  At least he tries to help which is more than I can say for you, Ms. Anonymous pain in the ass lawyer's wife!  (Now I can understand why you are a frustrated bit@%.).  The obvious reason (obvious to anyone WITH a brain) that Dan was "dropping" the associations with those people was simply to add credibility to his argument.  Ask your hubby about that.  I think it DID add credibility to his post.  You disagree.  So what?  Who cares?  YOU OBVIOUSLY DO!  ENOUGH to post your hateful post.  LEAVE AND DON'T COME BACK, IF THAT'S YOUR ATTITUDE!  Oh, and while you're gone, GET SOME OBVIOUSLY NEEDED THERAPY!!  Dan, please continue posting.  I may not always agree with you BUT I do always appreciate your input.  Don't let this moron get under your skin.  She's not worth it.  Joan

[for Sick and scared/beware of Vicky!!]

Hey guys
I am leaving this forum because of all the bullshit that is going on. I feel like we are not allowed to even make a suggestion here without CERTAIN people on here that feel that they are the only ones justified in handing out advice. Just scroll up and down and read all the fighting that takes place. It goes from name calling to correcting someones spelling mistakes and improper grammer!!
I always have taken in everything that everyone posts and try to learn from it and very rarely do I post but god help me when I do. I am either totally ignored or degraded for my suggestions. I am glad Joan stood up for Dan. I hope Dan continues to post advice and suggestions.
Good luck and Adios.

[dans the man]

i bet people leave his place of work and say what a dickhead.

[tom to Dan]

Dan, just keep on keep'n on ... you're alright in my book. The best thing about this site is the diversity of style and content. Oh, and please respond to my post above in the buprenorphine thread.

tom

[Frankinscense]

Thank you Tom and Joan. You both give a sense of stabilty to a forum that could easily take the wrong path concerning support for this horrible disease. I am glad that we have our own ideas concerning this disease. Diversity is needed to promote creative discussion. WE need positve support from one another to discuss techniques that have worked for one another. Coming here like some, to encourage sometimes illegal methods of obtaining narcotics makes me a bit angry. I bring and stand behind one method for keeping this disease in remission. Another method is abstinence. But due to the nature (or pathology) of this disease, the relapse rate for this method is almost impossible for most. Personally, I do not want to spend every waking moment fighting the cravings. For the average working man trying to support himself and a family,30 - 90day medical detox is a luxury that cannot be afforded.  A slow detox with a longer acting opiate is proven to be effective for withdrawals. Rapid detoxes are dangerous (some instances can kill)and costly,and in most cases have a very high relapse rate. Detoxes are simple compared to fighting cravings,depression,insomnia,anxiety,no energy and other symptoms that come with abstinence. Abstinence or attempting it is extremely necessary to determine how much of a hold the disease has on you. And it is necessary to determine if this method can be accomplished by the addict. IT MUST BE attempted. Only if there is several failures should one consider methadone or LAAM maintenance. These are my thoughts and feelings that I have gathered over the years in battling this terrible disease. If I am wrong so be it. Most addiction doctors such as Steve Adleman agree. I only know what has worked for me, a person that has been afflicted with this disease for many years. At least,at this point in my life I have control of the disease,it does not have control of me.  We must work TOGETHER to stop the suffering. If someone does not agree with my ideas, I am saying that's fine. But unless you HAVE a solution to help fight this disease,why try to find holes in my opinions. LETS hear some other solutions. I am all ears.
My Sincere Best Wishes TO ALL,
Dan

[Charlie to C]

Even though I may disagree with you at times, I appreciate you taking the time to try and help people with your advice.  For myself, I recently quit cold-turkey after a 4 year period of sobriety.  I was using to the extent of about 300 - 400 mg. of hydrocodone daily.  When I couldn't get hydrocodone, I used oxycontin, up to about 400 mg. daily.  Needless to say, quitting cold-turkey was a real *****.  The withdrawals were terrible and I seriously thought about giving up a few times; but I hung in there and I have about 65 days under my belt now.  I don't know enough about the methods you are suggesting to kick the habit, but I do know the relapse rate is pretty high quitting the way that I did.  In 1995 I stayed in an in-patient facility and stayed clean for about 4 years.  When I relapsed, I had quit all of my support groups and various other therapies; (I think the main reason for my relapse was due to letting my spirituality completely disappear).  Also, I was involved in a pretty nasty child custody case, and I let my ex-wife live rent free in my head and eventually drive me to using.  Again, I appreciate your input in your posts.  If people choose to take your posts so personally, maybe you are really hitting home to some of them!!!
CHARLIE

[Frankinscense]

My sincere congrats to you. Research by the addiction xperts say support of the spiritual variety is intensely needed to accomplish sobriety. 18-24 monsths clean is the recommended period of time to elapse before one can claim success. MMT and LAAM is there for people for whatever reason, cannot cut abstinence. If you cannot become sober by abstinence this is not a failure. It is not a will power issue! Specfically it is a chemical imbalance(endorphin challanged)that some cannot overcome. Methadone and LAAM act as medicine that stabilises the chemical imbalance. This is where most people are confused in regards to opiate agonist therapies. It is NOT a replacement drug! It is a chemical, that is unfortunately a schedule II narcotic that helps stabilises the neurotransmitters that have been depleted while opiates are being abused. Even the most educated people still do not know these facts. ALmost all the information that people hear in regards to these therapies is FALSE.
  Steve Adleman (Dr. Steve) has echoed my statements many times. THe majority of medical doctors only know of the analgesic properties of methadone/LAAM and no nothing of the endorphin stabilising properties of the two substances. My Sincere best wishes and prayers to you Charlie.
Dan...
ps:I have never heard through talk or articles, writers give accurate information into the practices of opiate agonist therapies. There are so many untruths due to people being uninformed about this medical practice. Three Experts in the Field>>References:Maxwell (Marc) Shimmerman?? orShinderman MD>>>website I am not sure about the spelling of Dr. Marcs' Last name
2.)Dr. J. Paytes MD>>> website (dear doctor letters a must read)
3.)Dr. Vincent Dole MD  researcher that mainstreamed MMT
If you want to be one of the informed in regards to MMT or LAAM read info from Dr.J.Paytes website>> at least give it a peek. Dan...

[to BJF from Oxy Tom]

Sorry for the bad news, but you can DEFNATELY get into trouble for getting prescriptions from 2 prescriptions for the same drug from 2 different docs.  It's called "Doctor Shopping" and the oenalty can be as severe as a Felony, depending on the quantityof pills obtained by which one is determined by the legal authorities to be Doctor #2.

What they can do is make all the prescriptions from the 2nd Doctor illegal, and charge you for aggravated possession of a schedule III drug to the degree that the law allows. For example in my state if you have more than 5 times the maximum daily dose of a schedule III drug (Vicodin) it's a 3rd degree felony.  5 times more than that is a 2nd degree with mandatory jail time and no probation option.  Maximum daily dose on Vocidin is probably 8 pills, so you can figure it out - a prescription for 40 would be a 3rd degree, and if you had a total of more than 200 at any time it would be a 2nd degree.  (They likely cannot prove the 200 quantity unless they caught you with them or you actually filled an RX for 200 on the same day).

I know this nis stronget than previous advice you have received here, but I also know mt statments to be true, at least in my state.  The Doctor may not call you in if he/she finds out, but don;t count on that....t;s too big a chance to take.  Multiple pharmacies make it harder to detect, but you are not totally safe.  There are literally people who work for the State Drug Board and DEA that go from pharmacy to Pharmacy and review records looking for Doctor Shopping.  If you did it once or twice they probably won;t pick up the pattern, but more and your name may pop up enough to make their list to check on.  They also my check o your Doctor's scrips, if he is writing a lot more narcotics than other Docs in the area.

In summary - multiple docs is not a good idea.  The ultimate enalty can be as great as prescription fraud, because possession is ultimately what they go after for in prescription fraud too so theres no big difference.  (Possession is a bigger offence than writing/possession fake RXes)

Hope this helps prevent future problems!

"Oxy" Tom

[to Kat]

Tom's right, and also, they are working on a bill to mandate a national comptuter system linking all the pharmacies, so they can punch in your name and see ALL the docs and prescriptions one person is getting.  If this goes through, watch out, cause all of us addicts will get nailed!

[From Aunt Lindy to Mariah]

I mean talk about a "Hateful Post".  Then to Lawyer Bash too. Hmmm. Smells like a "Hateful Post" to me. I think someone needs anger management therapy.
Marcie

[vickyvortex to Marcie and thank you so m]

You know, Joan totally ripped on me and told me good riddance and to leave this board!!!!!  I could almost hear her shouting at the top of her lungs that I needed anger management.  Thanks for making my day.

[Shiny]

Look I just want to say that I'm not the Joan that ripped out anyone.  God, I hardly even post for fear of someone ripping me.  For now on I will sign my posts Joan C so there is no confusion.  Joan C

[Von to Brian]

Regarding your 11/26/00 post, I was in a situation like that as  mentioned in an earlier post.  My physician prescribes Vicodin ES and Roxicodone on an ongoing basis.  A few months ago, I had a root canal and my dentist prescribed Vicodin ES because he already knew I was taking them.  In order to not, as you point out, deplete my regular supply for a temporary dental condition, he gave me a script allowing up to 8 per day for about a week, for the dental pain.  I filled it at the same pharmacy I always go to, and the only problem I had was that since I already had an ongoing script, my insurance wouldn't cover payment.  My pharmacist said I could just pay out of pocket, which I did, and got reimbursed through choice spending.  I had another dental problem last month, and went through the same scenario, again with no problem.  So, it's not an uncommon situation, and it's certainly not illegal.