anybody struggling

[hippy]

just wanted to open the thread to anyone who might be struggling to get clean, we are all here for each other, so any body
struggling in any way , let us know , sometimes just sharing about can be a releif.

[Jul]

hi need to talk to somebody help

[Jul]

hi  my husband takes like 15-20 vicadin an a day can you tell me how to get him off? please i need to no

[Jul]

hi  my husband takes like 15-20 vicadin an a day can you tell me how to get him off?

[Jul]

hi  my husband takes like 15-20 vicadin an a day can you tell me how to get him off?

[jennyfla]

Awwwwww, that was so sweet!!!!
You made my day and i'm going to make it to another sunrise!!!
:)
I guess it's my strong mothering nature coming through, it's great to see you so happy and ready to face each day with confidence.
Your car sounds great, and your plan to get engaged is wonderful!!!!
Stay focused on your dreams and you won't fail!!!!
Lv Jenny

[OxyDout]

I don't know who posted it, but I will tell you that I do feel like I'm getting a "hug" when reading your posts, so thank you, its very comforting.

GWH

[ash]

hi its ash. hope you have been well. im in w/ds now. sucksss!
Im doind the recipe but was wondering how much of the calcium-magnisium,zinc,magnesse,copper,and phophorus do i take? Thanks and take care.

ash

[scared in so cal]

All I can say is good god, I'm glad I don't live in MA Or MD sorry I don't remember which one it is. I live here in CA and I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe there are just too many people in CA to regulate. I think that is a gross invasion of one's privacy, all over what pharmacy to go to? Sorry, it just really gets me going.

[Hinkster]

I to are from Ma and attend a pain management center. Groovy is
right in Ma they made me sign a contract stating that I could
only get opiate pain killers from them and I could only use one
pharmacy to fill my scripts. Well I went to a pharmacy close to
home with the same chain and they nailed me right then. They
asked what was I doing here when I had signed a contract with the
pharmacy across town. So I had to drive across town and use that
pharmacy even though it was the same chain I was at the first time.
Tom

[jennyfla]

Haven't been around, just lurking and reading!!!!!
GWH, just had to write to say how proud i am and to keep up the good work; you're an inspiration for me!!!!!
Don't give in, you've come too far!!!!
Everyone else, stay strong and keep striving to regain your life back!  I need to find my way, and your stories really help!
Lv Jenny

[scared in so cal]

I'm sorry if I seemed to be questioning your story, I think it's my own denile. I didn't think about the pharmasicist calling the cops while you are waiting there. I also have about 25 different pharmacies that I go to so doctors are never doubled at any pharmacy that I go to. Thank you for taking the time to answer the million questions I had. I'm just having such a hard time right now.
amber

[1fortheroad]

on this list, it listed the drug i was prescribed, the doctor and the pharmacy where it was filled. my dr. told me that not only did this list go to each dr that i had seen, but it also went to each pharmacy.  he told me that he has seen people try to fill a prescription, meanwhile, the pharmacy was phoning the cops.  think about it...if a pharmacy had proof that you were getting scripts filled with them as well as with 4 or 5 others - all for narcotics - all within a very short time span, why wouldn't they do something about it.  the same goes for the drs.  my doc would not continue writing a script for the narcotics, and i didn't visit any of the other ones again to find out if they would.  a couple of these drs made me sign a contract stating i would only gets scripts from them and i would only use one particular pharmacy - i had to name that pharmacy in the contract.  this is becoming more common practice in ma.

maybe it's me, but you seem to be questioning my story...i'm not sure why, but i offered the information here because i thought it might save someone the trouble of getting busted.

my insurance was not cancelled, but i'm sure it was only a matter of time.

[skipper]

about doc shopping:
several months ago my personal doc showed me a list of Rx my in-
urance co. sent him. it listed Rx from my personal doc, a neuro-
surgeon, and a pain clinic. my personel doctor told me he had on-
ly heard of this happening before. i don't believe in my state
they persue doc-shoppers. anyhow my personel doc's only concern
was what to tell the DEA, when they showed up. i told him i would
love for them to come talk to me...hell i'ld even show them the
scars from the last 2 spinal surgerys!

in spite of what most people want to believe, pain specialist MDs
don't just treat anyone who floats in off the street. the one i'm
currently seeing, went over all the medical records, x-rays, and
diagnostic reports...then he put me on enough oxy to control the
pain! enough that i quit thinking about blowing my brains out with a shotgun...

hell, it's easier to do a B&E on your favorite drug store than it
is to go the pain clinic route...i will give my pain doc the pat
on the back he deserves for standing up to the constant assult of
bull-**** the DEA throws at him!

the "war on drugs" is just another way to say the most frighten-
ing infringement on civil rights to date..

keep an angel on your shoulder
kip

[1fortheroad]

i haven't been here much lately, so i'm sorry it took so long to respond.  i was with a very big insurance co here in ma.  i probably wouldn't have known the details about what was sent to whom if my friend hadn't told me.  i would have just gone to my appointments, and the doctors probably would have said they wouldn't treat me anymore - i don't think they would have offered much of an explanation.  i really think that i would have arrived at a pharmacy to pick up a script, and the police would have shown up.  i have heard of that happening around here more and more, and YES they do pay attention to obvious patterns of abuse like dr. hopping and filling scripts at many different pharmacies.  i had five doctors going and 5 different pharmacies at one point. i'm so glad i am thru with all that.  are you really worried that you are going to get in trouble?

[tex3]

Hi and welcome. You sound like you're doing great with the taper and have a lot of self control. If that's the case, I'd stick to it and keep weaning yourself down, thereby saving yourself the pain of acute detox. Taper is the way to go if you can do it. I, unfortunately, never could, so had to do it the hard way. But as long as you stick to your schedule and keep weaning yourself, I bet you're fine.
tracy

[scared in so cal]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm a little worried about getting caught. Tell me though, did they cancel your insurance on you over this? I may need back surgery and there is no way I can afford this on my own. One thing that confuses me though is that you say you thought the next step would be getting arrested at the pharmacy. How would the police even know what pharmacy you are going to? Do you think they would have followed you from the doctors office? I don't think my doctors would even write a script for a narcotic if they were to receive a list such as the one you described. Also,I quite often pay cash for my scripts and don't even tell them I have insurance, same with some of the doctors office visits. Maybe this has saved me. What do you think?

[alexandra_r]

Hi There,

I've been reading through these comments--and thought I'd throw a couple of questions out there.  I'm no stranger to addiction.  I was addicted to heroin and cocaine for about 5 years--this was over 10 years ago.  A real success story--graduated with highest honors, on to grad school--all the way.  I have a great job, love what I do.  Over a year ago, I was picking up an elliptical cross trainer with a friend because I moving) and I heard a horrible "pop" and felt the most intense pain I've ever felt.  Had an MRI--diagnosed with a herniated disc that was hitting on the sciatic nerve.  The doctor prescribed painkillers--vicodin--and I accepted.  I didn't tell him about my previous addiction to heroin because I was at the student health service and didn't want that info on my permanenet record.

Cut to the present.  I am trying to quit the vicodin--my back is better.  I was on the Vicodin ES (7.5 mg), using about 7 - 8 of these a day.  About 6 months ago, I cut down to the regular vicodin (5 mg), using about 7 - 8 a day.  I am trying to wean myself off--I'm down to about 4 a day.  Basically, I feel like ****--but don't want to feel like MORE ****, so don't think I want to cold turkey.  But--I am wondering if the gradual decrease has worked for anyone out there or am I just kidding myself?  Is cold turkey the only way to go?  Any experiences/info is really appreciated.

Thanks,
Melinda

[MissyD]

Hello,
  Me and my husband have sat here and read for hours the different stories and feel like we are not alone.  It's so weird, we feel like we are the only ones living in this hell and when you all share your struggles it makes us "new comers" feel quite not so alone.
  We want to do this and tomorrow will be day 4 for us.  We are trying to stay strong and get our heads clear to deal with life.  I feel isolated and I want to talk and share and my husband is keeping his feeling inside a lot of the time.  Then he will come and talk to me, but I walk around here feeling like the weight of the world is on me, even though we are just beginning this journey it seems like I will never be able to be clear headed again.  I keep reading the posts were people get this **** out of their system and things are better.  They start to live without this burden and clockwatching.  I want to get up in the morning and not reach for my bottle of pills.  I want to be able to make plans and not worry that I will be low and not be able to handle being around people.  The addiction has stopped me from doing so much.  I want my life back.  I want to just be able to GO.  Well, I am proud that I am almost at day 4 and guess what that is close to day 5.  One day at a time.  One hour, one minute.  
  Thank you again for everyone who shares, just know it means a lot to us that are trying to get it right.
take care..Missy

[MissyD]

hi tex,
I am doing so much better.  I am on day 4 and I am up and around.  I am feeling like I have a cold coming on but I think it's just my body trying to regroup.  I will hang in there and my husband is right next to me, and doing just as well.  THis is really going to be ok...Thanks for your words:)
Missy

[OxyDout]

Thanks skip, I'm assuming the RLS will go away because I NEVER had it before, I MEAN NEVER, until I hit withdrawals, so I will suck it up and deal with it until its gone.............. I guess.........

[tex3]

Hi billy and welcome aboard. Don't stress too much about your slip - just don't use it as an excuse to keep using, either. Stop right where you're at and go back to what you were doing before the slip. Anything is better than getting full-blown again, and the lower the dose you're at when you see the doctor, the easier it will be for you. So forgive yourself and keep moving forward, with the memory of how easy it is to mess up in the business. One usually leads to many.

Missy, you will do some deep mind and soul searching in the coming weeks. I would first recommend not thinking too much, getting well physically. Will write more later.

[mrmichael67]

This board is here for every addict, whatever the addiction happens to be.  I know of some benzo addicts.  Anyone is welcome to post here.  Whether they choose to or not is really out of everyone's hands.

[hellbent]

You are definitely not the only benzo addict, here or anywhere else. There are FAR more benzo addicts than opiate addicts. They are a silent majority that is prescribed benzos for all kinds of ailments, many of them psycological. If you really want resources for benzo addicts, they are a mouse click away at any search engine. http://www.benzo.org.uk/ is an excellent site.

Benzos are, in my opinion, hideously over prescribed. For most people, they stop affecting the symptoms as tolerance increases (a perfect example is anxiety). The patient needs to take more to have the same relief. As they take more, they become zombies. When they want to stop, they find that even a light reduction in dose will cause far greater anxiety than they ever experienced when they were benzo free. These drugs suppress your central nervous system like a ******* 10,000lb anchor. When your cns starts to re-awaken, you get anxiety like you never imagined, along with plenty of other symptoms.

Taking benzos for insomnia? Better not take them for very long, or you will really understand insomnia when you try to lower your dose.

Again, this is just my opinion, and I don't have experience with anxiety disorder or social phobia or the myriad other disorders for which these drugs are prescribed, but my feeling is that these disorders are treated far more effectively by uncovering the root cause of the problem, not suppressing the symptom. Pharmaceutical companies and lazy physicians would rather just take the ez road and prescribe benzos.

[theonlybenzoaddct]

We also can't forget all the other brother and sisters out there with other addictions. To me(and I don't want to offend any of the posters on this site)this site mainly attracts we addicits addicted to Oxy's Percodan, percocet, and of course Vicodin-the evil *******-. But the point Im trying to get to is that there are people out there addictid to xanax,valium,adderal,adivan,Lorazepam(all benzodiazepams). Fiorcet,butalbital,phenbarbital(barbituates).And all other prescription meds that are addictive. We need to reach out to those groups too. The love and understanding here is universal.
                       Love,
                          Andy the recovering benzo addict