controlled use?

[notgoingdown]

Not a question for me but Hubby... how many tried to cut back to a very minimal dose in an attempt to prove to others and maybe themselves they didnt have a problem abusing the pills? For how long were you able to do this? Is there a point during this that might signal that maybe Hub might have been abusing the pills and behaving in addicted ways but isnt an addict?

[Hydroco_Done]

Sorry meant to say it can be very hard to tell if somebody's an addict.  Some people are more obvious than others but sometimes it's nearly impossible to tell.

[Hydroco_Done]

Ah, this should be relatively easy to answer.  I first started taking painkillers almost 3 years ago.  Shot H the first two times and went straight to pills.  For the longest time, I was able to spread them out over the course of once or twice (rarely) per week.  Then, almost 2 1/2 years into taking them, I began to grow careless and began taking them every single day.  Soon, in a matter of a month and a half, I found myself taking 120-200mg hydrocodone per day just to function.  The moral of the story is, no matter how good you think you are at handling your pills, sooner or later they will get you.  Nobody's above addiction.  Take it from me, I once thought I was, and I learned the hard way.

It's very hard to tell if somebody's an addict.  The high is relatively easy to hide.  I have friends who were spending 100$ on painkillers a day, and if you didn't know them you wouldn't have even began to suspect they were on drugs.  The #1 thing to look out for is if he starts incorporating painkillers into some if not most of his conversations.  That's a dead giveaway.

[Free_ovitall]

Is he taking these pills without a prescription?  If so, then he is abusing pills. There just isn't ANY reason in the world to pay MORE for pills off the street than what you would pay for a prescription, unless of course he is an an addict.

Even with a prescription, it's only a matter of time before a person develops a physical dependance to them. That in itself doesn't not mean he is abusing pills, as long as he is taking them as prescribed, and actually needs them for a medical condition.

Taking prescription pills -namely opiates- for recreational purposes on a daily basis is a very good indication of addictive behavior.

Last, and not least by any means, anyone who has become addicted to opiates simply will not be able to stop taking them for a day or two, depending on what they are using, without going into withdrawals. The signs of withdrawal are very obvious.  Hot cold and flashes, very agitated behavior- unable to sit still, pacing.  Watery eyes, runny nose, diarrhea/or vomitting, basically either the beginnings of- or well into what looks like a very bad flu, depending on what stage of withdrawals he's in.

He may be able to cut back on the number of pills he takes  for one day, but he certainly will not be able to STOP taking opiates for a day, maybe a little longer depending on what he is taking. If he does, then he's sneaking a few when nobody is looking.

Anyone taking opiate pills for a period of time will develop a physical dependance to them, even if they are prescribed. It's just a fact. And when they stop taking them abruptly without tapering down to a very small amount, they will go into opiate withdrawal.

[AndyRay79]

i hurt my back at work, 2 hernaited disk, the pain is unbarrible been 17 months of pain pills without them i couldnt work or have any kinda life but they do make you fill better and feel good, but im to the point one dont work anymore and they dont work like they use to keep in mind tolarence build up, theres a fine line between taking enough to help the pain and taking to much to get hi

[justsaynotodrugs]

    If he is abusing pills he is a addict.  Tapering works for some and some it dont. You have to be ready to stop using addiction is cunning, baffeling and powerful without help it can be to much.  

[hellc@mst]

I dont know. I was maintained on a relatively low dose of methadone  for over 4-5 years whilst attending University and never abused my takeaways (over that period) or sought other non prescribed narcotics. Over the years I met many people on the methadone who were also level headed, never ABUSED their medications, were responsible and well respected by their peers. Eventually, I began to experiment and was back to the nefarious antics of a fully fledged addict. Sure, it is certainly possible for an addict to maintain long, indefinate periods of stable and minimal drug use but at some point, most, if not all,  will eventually succumb to temptation.

There is no arbitrary number of months or years where an addict can use responsibly before the inevitable binge occurs. Its different for everyone. Some people NEVER manage to do it......EVER!  Its probably best to assume that if he does insist on his not-so-novel experiment (we've ALL tried  "responsible using" before to prove others wrong) that he will  falter sooner or later.

With regards to "Hub might have been abusing the pills and behaving in addicted ways but isnt an addict?"........well, I was always told if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, waddles like a duck, then chances are its a DUCK!  You work it out for yourself but from the information you've provided there arent many other conclusions one could  draw.