addicted to vicodin......

[jennyjam]

hey...i'm new...i am addicted to painkillers...need some support..finally got off oxy's and heroin...it sucks...i went to rehab...thought it was ok to take vicodin an perks.....i was wrong...

[Tpachuck]

New To Forum....But I read my story 10 times.....I just went to my Doctor yesterday and told him I am addicted to pills (told him I will get through it myself) but he's there in case I need it.....I have got to quit.....I'm starting Detox as soon as I run out of drugs.....I burnt all my pill bridges ( I Pray) Don't know what to expect but I know I have to do it.......I hate the drug.....I don't even get high anymore and I'm disqusted with myself for letting it get hold.....but rest assured I will do this!

[DutchessGolden]

Hey Jen, hope it's ok to call you jen. In my opinion it helps to be very educated on different dugs and exactly how they work on the brain, which receptor sites types of drugs bind to. Being that you were a heroin addict and an oxy addict you've been increasing endorphins in your brain. Any opiate is going to do the same and be just about as addictive just some stronger than others. Oxycodone is a very potent opiate, hydrocodone is also a very potent opiate more potent than even codeine. 99 percent of people get hung up on brand names b/c the word generic sounds negative. The truth is that generic drugs are the exact same chemicals in the exact same amount brand names are just bought by pharmaceutical companies that can sell them at a higher price. (I am going somewhere with this i promise just hear me out please) So vicodin is hydrocodone with acetominophen(tylenol). Usually 5mg hydro. and 500mg tylenol or 7.5mg. hydro. with 700mg tylenol. Lortab, & norco are the same thing just in different amounts and you can get lortab in liquid form. So any opiate you take is going to bind to the same endorphin receptor sites in your brain as heroin and oxy's. Percocet is oxy with tylenol. It's much easier to wean off of vicodin than heroin or oxys of course so you can always try that. If you don't have a doctor you can see about how to wean off I can give you some tips on that too if you would like, it's fairly simple(how to do it that is,  not the actually doing it part that's never simple or easy). If you've been addicted to heroin and oxy's it's a fair bet that you have taken xanax and/ or somas to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. Around here most heroin addicts use xanax and most oxy users take somas. Xanax is a dangerous road though if you take it longer than about 10 days. A little known fact is that xanax withdrawal is much more dangerous than even heroin withdrawal. It can cause major seizures and even stroke for starters. I have found that 500mg naproxen keeps me from withdrawing from hydrocodone and it is not addictive. You mentioned that you went to rehab I was wondering if you ever tried a methadone clinic or getting a prescription from your doctor and working out a plan with him/her to get off of vicodin. My husband is a doctor at a methodone clinic and it's a pain in the ass but it's a great way to get off of opiates Methadone clinics (contrary to what I've read some people write in this forum) are for any opiate addiction-hydrocodone( vicodin,percocet, lortab, norco, vicoprofen etc.) morphine, codeine, oxycodone/oxycontin, oxymorphone etc. etc. etc. The methadone programs are more of a pain b/c you have to go daily to get your dose of methadone and take it in front of the dosing nurse.You are also required to meet with a counselor twice a month at the clinic as part of the program, but for a lot of addicts that type of program is needed. It's less time out of your day though if you can get a prescription of methadone from your doctor and work out a daily regimen for you. I personally think it is a better route to take for most addicts because it binds to the same receptor sites as opiated do without giving you the high, so you have no withdrawal symptoms at all. And gradually lowering your doses of methadone is much better than weaning off of an opiate itself, it's not as hard on your body anyway. And you have probably heard of the 24 hr. detox using naltrexone through an IV. You detox over night in a chemically induced comma so you feel no pain or withdrawal.It's just a dangerous procedure, big time risks with doing it. And big time risks after doing it b/c if you use again your body won't recognize the drug and you WILL OD. I hope that some part of this helped a little bit at least. Let me know if you need anything!

[Bulldog81]

This site is really great!  I have met some awesome people with the same problems.  Its nice to know that I am not alone.  Any question you have...feel free to ask.  

[Mis Take]

I am so sorry that you are having a hard time.  It really sucks that a bad decision can have such a detrimental effect on us, hu?  Have you been taking the pills long?  Do you have a plan to stop?  This is a good place to hang when you finally make that decision, or at least it was for me.  I wish you all the success w/ quitting.  Youve done it once---you can do it again!!  Keep telling yourself that and let me know how I can help.  Good luck, Jenny.

Sincerely,M