staying home from work..too sick

apparently i picked up this awful cold/cough thing thats going around. can't breathe.. coughing sneezing. went to doc when i woke up since i have to have a note to miss work. and i needed a refill on my zyrtec for allergies. got seen, was told i have what everyone has. got scripts for what i assumed was antibiotics and such. went to pharmacy. get home realize i have a bottle of Tussionex in my bag. great.. so i have been pacing around it for half an hour. my question to the forum is, can i take this extended release cough syrup for my cough and cold and consider the doses my taper doses i would be taking?? or should i just not even go there. I also have a root canal on monday and would like to save the vics i have for the pain for that. the endodontist wrote me 15 for the procedure. help whats an addict to do?? the cough syrup contains 5mg of hydrocodone per dose which i am supposed to take every 12 hours. i have myself down to 12mg a day on my taper.thanks

stephanie

[beachtowel]

That is a very interesting question and one that I would like to address:
I was at a inpatient drug rehab at the time. I was taken to the local hospital because the left side of my face was very swollen with an abscessed tooth.
The doctor walked in all cheerful and said good morning Michael what can I do for you today?
The nurse came in and pulled the doctor out of the room telling him that he had an important phone call.
When he returned he looked at me in a smug way and said
"I won't give you any narcotic pain meds so don't even ask".
His phone call was from the director of the drug rehab and I went from a respected human being to a piece of garbage addict!, in just a matter of seconds.
One bottle of Cough syrup for a medical reason I can't condem. Going for a second however is another story.
Take your medicine and feel better, your a human being with a terrible cold just because your an addict does not mean you have to sit there and suffer....

[FLaddict]

thanks for responding. i think i will just take it. i will not however take any additional opiates. i will use this as directed every 12 hours. when i feel better i will go back to tapering with the pills i have. i am so close to being done. almost down to 10mg a day. i don't wanna screw it up for a bottle of cough syryp. that would be stupid.

[1911]

My suggestions:

1.  Go to the pharmacist, explain your addiction issue, and get the strongest OTC medicine to try before gulping something with opiates in it.  Give yourself a chance with that, first.

2.  Ask your dentist for a non-narcotic pain medicine.  When I had oral surgery they gave me a new medicine (can't remember the name) that worked wonders. I'm sure your dentist will know it.

Its hell trying to w/d and handle a secondary medical problem. I've been there, done that, and have the T-shirt to prove it.

GEORGE