a lil embarassed

[Sexybare]

i believe i am addicted to my pain meds, norco. which is just another name for vicodin. i have been taking them daily for the past 2 years. at first it was just a few times a day, now since march of this year it gradually was more, now its every 4 hours. if i try to stop them the longest i can go before the pain drives me nuts is 8.5 hours. ugh. why do they hand them out like candy if they know its addicting. i didnt want to admit it for awile,cause when your in pain you just want something to help cope with it. and thats all they do. they do not take the pain away. so id really like to stop taking them and find something safer and better and non narcotic. but the problem is, is i get withdrawal symptoms, hot flashes, diarhea, shakes, cold sweats. ugh ya cant win with drugs either. i do not take them to get high because ive built up a tolerance to them, so they just help manage pain. any comments on how to detox myself? i do not want to continue taking them. HELP

[Spaceystac]

Sorry to hear that you are having this issue, I understand what you are going through and its a hard road to walk down.  First off, you need to give your self some credit. You aren't necessarily addicted as much as you are dependent on the meds, there is a big difference in this.  You wouldnt be posting this if you were abusing them like a drug addict. Plus any one that takes meds like this will have to take more over time due to the tolerance you gain.
  I am not a doctor, and they might advise you differently so you should talk with one to make sure you find a plan to quit that feels right for you but this is what I would do if i were in your shoes..... space them out farther and farther, then take half the dose after a few days of spacing them out.  Take Tylenol to help with the pain and cold sweats, and other withdrawal symptoms you might have.  Imodium for the diarrhea. You might want some over the counter sleeping aids for night, it might be hard to sleep.  I think it takes at least 3 days to start feeling less crappy but you will need to replace your norco's for something like alieve if you can tolerate it, something to keep your pain down so you arent tempted to take the norco's.  You seem to be a strong person, and I have faith that you will over come this issue you are having, I wish you luck, feel free to message me if you want to talk to someone for more support   Stacey

[linnielou232]

I know how you feel about taking pain meds and I have also questioned my self on taking them.  I have been taking Norco for almost 2 year's also.  I try not to take them, but there are day's that I can't even think straight because I am in so much pain.  I have seen on here that there are some that are off pain med's after 5 months after surgery.  I even tested my self and stopped taking them for a couple of day's but the pain got so bad I had to take them or go to the hospital.  I did talk to my doctor about this and she told me to worry about healing then worry about the after.  This is why I question my recovery and my pain.  It has  been a year for me since surgery,  but just had steroid shot's in the back of the head to see if it would calm the pain.  It did for a couple of day's, but of course the pain is back again.  I go to the pain clinic again on Nov 9th and I know they are going to give me shot's in the neck.  These are the one's I'm worried about because they are so close to the spinal cord.  I am happy to see the withdrawal symptoms because I don't have any of the signs.  I just try to take one day at a time and hopefully one day I won't have to take them any more.  It is alway's in the back of my mind about addiction,  but that is why I am going to the pain clinic to see if I can get relief this way.  Maybe you should ask your doctor about pain shot's.  It is disappointing for me with med's because before I was dx with Chairi I didn't even have to take an aparin now I take 6 med's on a regular basis.  For my self I don't think I'm addicted even though I can't get through the day with out them.  I am looking for a different direction.  If the pain shot's don't work in my neck.  I'm actually going to ask for another MRI or a flow study because I know my  body and I know something still isn't right because I shouldn't have to take pain med's just like you do.  Then I have Selma in my head reminding me that every one heal's differently.  I just wanted to vent because I have had this concern also, but I also wanted to suggest to you about a pain clinic because maybe this is the direction that we both have to go in.  I worry about my liver and kidney's taking all the medication.  Hopefully there will be a day we don't need to take them any more.  My reasoning in taking them is Pain? or Take the edge off?  I take them.  They don't take away the pain for me neither but at least I can function a little better.  Having Chairi is so difficult as it is.  Questioning if your addicted to something else has to be even more flustrating.  Seek a pain clinic.  Maybe it will help.  I wish you the best, and a pain free day.  If there is such a day.  (Something for us to look forward to.

[selmaS]

  Hi...u just took the first steps u needed to get rid of those meds.....MedHelp has a forum where u can get support from others in the same situation....and u should be able to talk to ur Dr about this , I would think he would have tried to step u off the meds already.

I am surprised the meds take the pain away, as I did not get relief from meds so I would not take them...

  Here is the link to the forum-http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Addiction-Substance-Abuse/show/77

   I am sorry I can not advise u on detox...but pray u get the help u need.

          "selma"