scared need advice

[HessyKat]

I am 48yrs old and have had major back surgery and have had other health problems along with thyroid disorder. Recently around May I had my gallbladder out. Needless to say I am addicted to Lortab and have been for years. Now I am abusing them or just over taking them because I am having terrible pain in my right side. I thought there must be something wrong from where the gallbladder was removed. I ended up in the ER and they did an ultrasound and it did show my bile duct dilated. I havent felt well for months. Then they came in and told me my liver enzymes are elevated. I am so afraid that it is from the tylenol. They said i have a fatty liver but the enzymes werent high enough to need to be hospitalized. I am scared. I am tired of pain pills and my family all wants me to go to rehab but i am afraid that if they know ive overtaken my pain meds i can never get anything if i ever needed it for pain. I am so scared of withdrawals because i have tried to come off myself and would get deathly ill. I need something for pain because sometimes my pain is unbearable but i just dont now what to do.

[quitinoxys]

I was where you are, I had a severe spinal injury about eight years ago. I was on 80 mg oxycontin 3X/day. I just decided that I did not want to live my life in a haze anymore. I am now 121 days clean!!! Believe me it wasn't easy to accomplish but as the other folks here there are other methods to control your pain. With your liver problem you should definitely talk to your doctor before you try ANY other alternative meds. I myself deal with my pain with yoga, acupuncture, herbs and counseling. There is an herb that can help your liver it is called Milk Thistle, what is does is detoxifies your liver. But again I caution you to speak to your doctor before trying any herbs or alternative treatments. As far as going through w/d's its rough but you just have to keep a good mental attitude and push through it. You also should get aftercare it makes a world of difference. I hope this helps you as I know what you are going through as a fellow chronic pain sufferer. If it wasn't for the support I received on this forum I don;t know if I would have made it, but the point is I DID. So you can see it is possible and it is NOT hopeless. I will pray that God gives you the strength to make it through and keep posting---quitin

[HessyKat]

thank you so much Cissy and congrats to day 34 for you. I am so happy for you. Thank God for such caring people on here that really know how it feels. Thanks for the prayers and i will do the same for you. God Bless

[Cissy373]

Welcome to the forum and most of us on here have pain, chronic pain and believe me you CAN live without the pain meds.

One's on here told me that and I didn't believe it, but I am drug free for 34 days today and my pain is almost gone on most days. When I shared with my doctor he told me I would have re-bound pain and his explanation of that was my body would tell me I NEEDED the pain meds when in truth I didn't. That is what a lot of good folks on this forum told me and boy were they ever right.

Don't get me wrong I do still have pain, but I've found I can bear it. I went CT but some folks are not able to do that, so I suggest you do go to a rehab and get help getting off the meds.

Good luck and praying for you.

Cissy

[yllwjcket]

definitely be sure you are not allergic and have someone present the first time waiting with an epipen.  im not allergic, but still have an epipen always ready.

[IBKleen]

A good many people are allergic to bee stings, I am one of them. I am glad it works for you but the rest of you folks need to be tested before trying it. You could die within minutes of taking it.

[livngr8ful]

I will look into it.  Can ya shoot me an email of all the info you have on it? I am very interested..

[yllwjcket]

yep live bee's.   the venom is an anti-inflam, stimulates cortisol production, breaks up scar tissue, lots of stuff.  but most of all it does help with the pain.
http://www.beewelltherapy.com/
http://www.holysmoke.org/fem/fem0425.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_venom

[livngr8ful]

Bees really,,  I must hear more.  Thanks,  Steven

[yllwjcket]

dont feel embarrassed.  anyone who takes opiates for a period of time will become physically addicted to them.  im 2 weeks clean, yay's for me,  and i was in severe pain when i didnt take the medicine,  but after a week of detoxing your brain starts to relearn how to deal with it and makes its own pain killer.  so the first week your injury will hurt like 10x's worse than even before you started taking the meds, then the pain will ease up.  i use apitherapy, bee stings, to manage pain now, and it does work, its worth the pain of the sting.  ask about being switched to an opiate with ibuprofen in it instead of tylenol if you do plan to take anymore.  but quitting can be done, you're not alone,  everyone in here can relate to the withdrawals and most to the chronic pain.  everyone here is so supportive and understanding so keep reading and posting, it gave me hope through the worst part of it. god bless

[livngr8ful]

Dont be embarrassed or ashamed.  No need for that. You have no reason to.  Im sure everyone of us, if someone told us we would become addicted we would have never started.  Truth be told, I think even if you dont use any drugs ever you can still be an addict.  Its just if its active or not.  I can promise you are far from alone.  So many people we pas through out the day are addicts.  Its not a badge we get, or we are condemned with a tattoo.  You have been made aware of this illness, and now you need to do something about it.  Think of it like a broken leg.  If it;s broke you find the best way to get it fixed.  Some people need different types of casting.  Ya just need to find you cast tat works for you.  You are not alone. And Renee..  Honesty will get you so far.  Doctors will be so helpful if you allow them to be.  At some point they will find out.  If its from you filling rx'es to soon, and overdose, or getting sick form the medication itself. All you need to do is be honest and they will help you with your individual situation.  It takes a way stronger person to admit they have an issue than to hide and lie about it.  You are at a great mental place to start this battle.  You have fear, and I havent seen that you are ashamed to the point you dont ask for help. Good work and be proud of yourself.  Just be honest, because your life could very well depend on it. With love, Steven

[HessyKat]

Thank you too Ritz. I am so glad I came to this forum. It really is nice to talk to people who understand. I also with the best for you too and anyone dealing with addiction. I want my life back so bad. I want to enjoy quality time with my sons. My oldest married last year and i miss spending time with them doing things. God Bless you and i truely wish you the best also.

[HessyKat]

Thanks so much Steven for the heartfelt advice. The truth is I am going to pain managment and he gives me 120 lortab and 90 oxycodone for breakthrough pain. I dont even take the oxycodone. I tried one and it was just too strong and made me feel nervous and sick. All I ever take is too much Lortab which is bad because of the tylenol. I guess it is finally catching up with me after all these years and i just got so freaked out about my liver. Ive had my liver checked many times over the years but this is the first time it ever came back high. They said it wasnt too high to have to go in the hospital and of course i didnt tell them i had been over taking lortab but did tell them i was on them through pain managment. I am so ashamed that i have become an addict. I am embarrassed about it. I am even embarrassed that i am afraid to give up my meds.
Thanks again and God Bless. Renee

[RitzBitz]

I can so relate to you. I'm just a little bit older than you, and my usage of LorTab began for a real reason. Then I had a lot happen, my best friend died of cancer, two cousins died of cancer, my aunt died of cancer, I got laid off, my mother died of cancer. All in less than a year. So the drugs became my way to try and feel better.  But I kept going and taking more. I know I'm addicted because, as I said in my other post, I would steal them if I could, and when I would try and stop I would have the w/d symptoms. So now I'm trying to taper off.

So just take it one step at a time, you can do it.  We're here for you.

[livngr8ful]

Ive had 5 major spine surgeries.  It's scary thinking you would never be able to take anything.  Its a big hurdle in an addicts life, when you truly need pain meds vs. addiction.  I found pain meds only really worked for a short time.  then i was taking them for the high or to avoid the withdraws. I have completely stopped the medications.  I actually feel better. I find that when I hurt I need to find an alternate way of pain relief. I understand the need to take pain meds.  I would take them if it got bad enough.  It would need to be strictly watched over.  As I would have good intentions.  But the good intentions change so quick.  I know there are pain clinics that specialize with addiction and pain management. I had to get over the thought that medication was the only thing that would help. So many alternate things exist to help with pain, its just a matter of finding them.  With your liver enzymes, its very serious.  Your live can just stop working if you continue the acetaminophen. If it is absolutely necessary (only you and your doc will know) then maybe something without the Tylenol in it.  It's imperative you are honest about your abuse of the medication.  I promise you are not the first person to have an addiction and a need to take a pain med.  You just need a different action taken.  The way you and your doctor approach this will change, but you should till be able to get the car you require.  If ya dont face this head on and honestly you will have some major heath issues come of this.  It's hard but honesty in this case could and probably will save your life.  Plus you will have much better pain management i the near future.  Often times our bodies will hand us "fake pain" so it can get the opiates.  You will find that out later.  Keep posting.  My answer may not be that helpful, but I Know your fear. Alot of people here may be able to offer you more advice.  You can also try the pain forum, a ton of knowledge there.  So many pain patients are addicts, and ways do exist to be free from both.  Ive done it..With love,  Steven

[IBKleen]

Keep talking with us hun. We can give you suggestions to help you do this and we WILL support you all the way!! Please stick around...

[HessyKat]

Thank you so much for your response. I have been on Lortab for years but i wasnt abusing them as much until this year. I do agree with you about the mental aspect of it. I have totally scared myself to death that my liver was failing and almost convinced myself i wasnt gonna live.  Thanks again for responding.

[IBKleen]

Hi,

First off....slow down. You are making yourself crazy.

If the liver enzymes were tested, then don't be concerned until you need to be.

As far as rehab, if you can afford it, I highly recommend it and not for the physical...that you can do at home. I recommend it for the mental part of the disease of addiction, the part that will tell you that you have intense pain when you may only have a bit of pain. A huge part of this is mental, which you will find out.

If you go to rehab you are protected by the HIPPA Act and YOU decide who you want to tell.

So have you been taking the pills this year or longer?