norco addiction

[laneybuns]

I have been taking norco (vicodin) for 3 years.  I have had 7 back surgeries in 3 years - 3 lumbar fusions; 2 cervical fusions; 1 thorax fusion; 1 morphine implant trial.  I am having one more surgery in march 2006.  I cannot stand the pain without the norco.  I have degenerative spinal disease and all my discs are herniating and compacting nerves. Doctors say i am the worst they have ever seen.  I am often the topic of medical conventions according to them.  And, I am 40 and weigh only 118 pounds. But, I am also completely addicted to norco.  I take 30-40 a day.  I have stopped taking them before in the last three years between surgeries and it was terrible.  then i just had to go back on them.  why do it now when i have another surgery.  the withdrawal was so bad i thought i was going to die.  seriously.  not only the depression but the "crawling out of myself" feeling, the irritability, the sweating, chills, etc.  my question is - what am i doing to my liver?  and, now the doctors want to change me from the norco to oxycontin because it does not harm your liver.  will i still have withdrawals from the norco when i switch to the oxycontin?

I have two amazing young children and a terrific husband.  i feel like i am losing the best years of my life with this.  i had to quit my job at a huge corporation that i had for 15 years and that also is very, very depressing.

Sorry for the long, long disertation.

I need some advice/feedback etc.,

Thanks from a very worried, guilt ridden individual

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

My advice is very simple...get yourself to an addiction specialist, a  psychiatrist who practices primarily psychopharmacology.  He or she can help you with this...there is no reason to be guilty. I can understand being depressed re all of this medical adversity, but not guilty.

[SmallVoice]

Laneybuns, I expect the doc will answer you soon.

In the meantime, you've had a hard time bless you and you're somewhere between a rock and a hard place - please get rid of that 'guilt' and stop beating yourself up, it will hinder your recovery.

There is help available for opioid addiction and it will be understood when you go for help because very many 'addicts' have begun that addiction legitimately, on prescription for severe pain.


PLEASE DONT LET A SENSE OF GUILT OR EMBARRASSMENT OR SHAME stop you from contacting someone for help. There is help available.

This NIH site
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000949.htm

suggests:

"...Support Groups    
Support groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous and SMART Recovery, can be enormously helpful to people suffering opiate addiction..."

It would also help  if you had your husband's support - show him the literature on opioid/opiate addiction and how hard it is for people to taper off, because someone who understands the situation, realizes how it came about, and helps you through can make all the difference.


The good news is that as both drugs are opioid-based, it seems UNLIKELY (perhaps the doc will know when he answers) that you'll get withdrawal from the switch, so long as you're not 'over' taking vicodin and the oxycontin is prescribed at a lower dose - that might cause a problem because of a drop in dose, I don't know. If your doctor is a good one who cares a lot, then let him/her know the trouble you've found yourself in and ask for help with that as well, because there is treatment apparently that can be given to lessen the withdrawals as you come down, though of course your surgery or medical condition might mean this can't be given.


Take care, and good luck with both this problem and with the surgery.  

[SmallVoice]

On this link below it lists all the Narcotics Anonymous sites worldwide so that you can click on the link to the one nearest you:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/links/narcoticsanonymous.html

[laneybuns]

Thank ou very much.  I am seeing my Pain Management doctor today (different from my surgeon) and will try to get on the oxycontin.  Last nite I could barely walk and prayed to God to give me the strength to get through these next few months and then be on a health path to recovery and soberness.  I so appreciate your comments because it gives me different perspective on my situation and does definitely make me feel less guilty.  One thing I don't do is feel sorry for myself - despite all that has happened.  My husband is so supportive and understands the situation which helps immensely.  

I woke up this morning to your message and because of it I will have a much better day.

Laneybuns

[SmallVoice]

You're doing so well just bearing it all.  You are a brave lady, and its no wonder you've become tolerant to pain killers and 'addicted', nobody with any feelings would think this was 'your own fault' and so NEVER feel guilty, and NEVER give up trying to beat it.  I'm so  glad to hear your husband is behind you too.

All the very best. I hope your pain doctor gives you the help and support you need.

Keep fighting.

[NugzMan]

I think that opiates should be used somehow for depression ! gotta be a way to make some form that just levels you off and doesnt get you high ... i know that it will never happen because all the junkies

[wizo]

hello   I"m new at this, So please be gentle.  I've got about the same story of alot of people, I see.  I'll make it short. I
have had back surgery to rmeove a piece of a fragment that was free floating in my lower back. I'm sure it was a chip from my lower disc.  Had the surgery 4 wks ago.  I had the bad pain going down the leg for atleast a good year. It would come and go, But for the most part I always had some sort of pain.  I have been off and on hydrocodone and oxycodone for the past year,  But this last time I have been on hydr for atleast 3-4mnths non stop,  because of the pain.  I have been taking about 4-6 pills a day for this period.  The past 2-3 wks I cut back to about 2-3 pills a day and the last 3 days down to 1 pill.( all 10 mg)  Now the withdrawals are kicking in ,(I think). My skin ,especially around my face has been hot and tangling for the past 2 days.  My body has been aching and I have no appetite.  is there anything I can do to make the withdrawals less painful.  I'm only on my second day.  oh I forgot to mention I have been taling darvocet for the past week to help cut down on the hydro.  I have only taken one darvocet today.  Should I stop taking the Darvo too?  All this has been prescribed by my doctor for pain.  My pain is not as bad since surgery and I need to get off of this stuff now.  I have made my mind up!  I'm getting a little support , But my wife is the only one that knows what I'm dealing with.  I have also been getting a little dpressed from all of this and my doc prescribed me some anexity med.  I think its called lexapro.  Thanks.

[SmallVoice]

Wizo, I don't thing the doc here answers more than the first post?  The same as applies to Laneybuns applies to you.  Try the Narcotics anonymous site and explain if your doctor doesn't realise, its very hard to get off for a lot of people and they'll probably advise you how to taper and how fast or slow to go (from how you feel at some points).

Lexapro is an SSRI and needs tapering off very slowly too, if you explain that to Narcotics they may or may not realise that SSRIs need that as well, but if they do they might be able to explain which one its better to taper off first.

Some drugs have an effect of calming some of the nastier withdrawal effects from SSRIs, I don't know if pain killers would do that.  If you're coming off Lexapro then if your withdrawals get worse, its likely to be because you're withdrawing from BOTH and so getting double trouble.  

SSRI withdrawal sites (search engine will show some up) will help with SSRI, but not so much with painkillers. Might be the other way round with Narcotics Anonymous (link  is further up in answer to Laney).  

Best of luck and hope you'll soon be feeling a lot better.

[pattij456]

I looking for some help for my friend. She got herself in trouble with the law as a result of her taking 50 norco pills a day for her pain. I just want to be able to help her. I need to know if it is possible for someone to take 50 pills a day. She is in trouble because of prescriptions written for these pills. I need to be able to convince a judge that she took these pills, and was not selling them. Is it possible.  Can someone help me with some information to present my case to the judge. thanks.

[Icepick]

Pattij, Not sure if you are going to get this as your post was dated awhile ago. Yes it is conceivable that your friend could take up to 50 pills in a day. I have done it many times without even knowing. I did have some nausea associated with taking so many but it can be done. I have a similar problem with addiction to the pills so I know what it is like. Tried to stop a few times only to succumb. To anyone else who can help.....Does anyone know anything about Suboxin? (Not sure if that is the correct spelling) My local dealer told me he could get it for me when I want to try to quit again but I am unaware of the dangers and was hoping someone would know. Also, my insurance plan put me through their detox program last summer and they do not prescribe suboxin. The counselor I talked to didn't even know what it was. The dealer in question told me it would eliminate the withdrawls by putting me to sleep for a couple of days and haven't been able to put the time aside until now. Have a beautiful wife and infant daughter that I would like to be clean for but need a lot of help. The "cocktail" my provider prescribed only made me worse off than when I have tried to go cold turkey. Can anyone hook a brother up with some knowledge please?

[coopakota]

Okay, my husband was in a bad accident 3 years ago, he has a bulged disc and now the degenerative disc disease. We have struggled with the norco for all these years and now , he is getting a double prescription and taking about 20 or more of the 10/325s. This is destroying our marriage. My question is he says he will go insane with the pain if he goes off the medicine, has anyone successfully gotten off the stuff and been able to manage the pain with different treatment? It seems to me he could use physical therapy (he just laughs at that), or something. This is also a workers comp case and the double prescription and addiction could seriously jeapordize our case. Any advice? I feel like I am the one "losing it" now. we also have a 5 year old boy, I want this to stop before he notices.

[hollyfuck-i-need-to-stop]

please so body give me some ******* answers. i'm been doing oxys for good to long now and i'm doing now a self detox. how long does it take to get this monster out of my system. also if any one knows any trcks to solber up with out going to a doc then i will thanx u. help please
please people i beg all of u to please help me out my life is going donw the drian and fast. any tips or advise on what do to please email me at Little_mikeyy_72***@****
i will not be able to come online due to i'm sick in bed but i have ways of chekcing my email so help please.,

[angelface1]

I''m sorry to hear about the suffering you have been through. Please don't let yourself feel guilty, you have a legitimate reason for being on the meds.

Your question as far as switching from Norco to Oxy...I doubt you will experience withdrawals as long as you are switched to a comparable dose.

Good luck to you and your family.