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Avatar universal

Lower back pain, want to stop meds

Hi everyone, I've been reading this site for quite a while now and am so thankful to find everyday people helping each other with their problems! I am 31 years old and have multiple problems in my lower back including what my MD calls "severe degenerative arthritis" and sciatic nerve issues. He told me when I was diagnosed at 25 that I had 4 discs/vertebrae that had depleted to about 25% of where they should be. I also have muscle spasms that are giving me problems with my sciatic nerve, as I was told. When it "pinches" that nerve it literally takes my legs out from under me for a few hours. Right now I am taking 3 5-325 soma, 8 5-325 hydrocodone, and was just recently prescribed generic neurontin at 300mg a day because the Vicodin just isn't working anymore with tolerance. I am a divorced dad of a wonderful 5 year old daughter and my ex is also on me about taking the meds as I did when we were married. I know I am addicted/dependent on the Vicodin for the pain in my back and have had times where I've suffered through withdrawals because I've run out way too early. The Vicodin also makes me pretty moody at times and have snapped at my daughter a few times and I'm quite sure it helped fuel it. I've read through old posts about how neurontin can be just as bad to get off of and I really don't wanna get hooked on it too. The soma I have stopped on and off and don't seem to bother me as bad, but the Vicodin has given me all the usual withdrawal symptoms. I want to be done with all these meds, but working 55 hours a week at a blue collar labor job, I'm kinda stuck !!! I know I don't take as much as others I've seen, but I can tell you the symptoms are brutal even at these low doses. If anyone has any useful advice, please help! No meds = miserable pain at work/unable to work  
Thanks ahead of time to any posters!
17 Responses
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Avatar universal
How are you holding up today?
Helpful - 0
900459 tn?1304993259
And this might sound a little crazy to but the longer you take pain meds and the more dependent your body becomes the worse the pain will continue to get because. Your mind will make you physically hurt to get you to take the meds it wants sounds crazy but I promise you it's true
Helpful - 0
900459 tn?1304993259
I would really really suggest you find a good pain management doctors and try steroid/cortisone shots and go from there cause like I said i was in your same boat except for the fact I was taking enough meds to kill five full grown elephants and was far far along in my addiction to prescription drugs and I mean far along as in 200-250 mg of opana a day or 400-500mg of oxy a day and I can tell you the back surgeries were easy compared to the fight it went thru to get clean. But after I really got it in my head I was tired of pills I started with the shots then got some nerve burns which u would prob get cause there are A LOT of ppl with the nerve problem you have that got the place I do and have got nerve burns and say they are pain free and then of course the physical therapy for me is helping as much as anything.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Also, for some of your withdrawl symptoms, get some Imodium-ad. It will be your best friend, I say the "ad" because it will also help with the stomach cramps. Its a bit expensive but its so worth it. And like the other poster said, tuff it out till November 2, and STAY away from that dealer. He is NOT your friend, he is not there to help you, he is there to make money. Again, i wish you the best, and keep us updated if you would, we really do care.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Life360, your sciatica pain should be helped with the neurontin, that's what its for. If i may make a few suggestions, first because you really do have legitimate pain, i would get rid of the soma and ask for a different muscle relaxer such as flexeril or baclofen, etc. Then i would possible ask him for a long term pain medication that you only take one or two a day. That may help more with the pain while keeping you from taking too much. You have to want to do this though and be of strong mind and stick to it. Also add Ibuprofen or aleve or meloxicam (anti-inflammatory)to help the pain. Good luck and stay strong, your daughter needs you.
Helpful - 0
3149845 tn?1506627771
Nice reply abritt, also my doctor says dependancy does take place with use of pain meds but this consists of the usual symptoms that the taker tends to accept and live with till the next presribed dose, runnig nose etc. the addiction is differerent according to him where the taker makes no attempt to take as prescribed. Its  not the withdrawal that is the issue its the desire to maintain the on going energetic feeling. The dependant person accepts the runny nose and lack of energy and deals with it and takes the meds as prescribed but the addict is not but just the feeling.
Helpful - 0
900459 tn?1304993259
It does not matter how you take pain meds if you take them everyday for a month or two your body becomes dependent on them and you will suffer withdrawal when coming off of them because it doesnt matter if your an addict or not the body is still going to become dependent on the opiates. when it says where you read 100% of ppl who take their meds right don't become addicts i would say i agree with that because 100% of addicts don't take their meds right.
Helpful - 0
3149845 tn?1506627771
You should use this running out early as a warning sign. The first time your ran out early it should have been a wake up call and really get away from the dealer. Your meds should only come from the doctor who will control them for you. Rest assured your in good hands. Your a hard working man and deserve the best that life offers. You have a real back problem and a real doctor who will take care of you. Just work with the doctor till a back solution comes along. Please please consider the dealer the devil and tell him if he ever sells to you again your going to report him. The dealer is the weak link here not you. Get by till nov 2 even if you have to stay home sick. then get back to the prescribed way of taking your medication.
Helpful - 0
900459 tn?1304993259
I know how you feel I used to work40-50 hours a week in construction and have had 2 back surgeries and also have the same arthritis in my lower back. Neither surgery helped and the best thing that helped and still helps me is cortisone and steroid shots every few months and the physical therapy Ida life saver don't get me wrong PT hurt like hell the first few weeks but once I finally got the area around the injuries strenghning it started making a huge difference and i still to this day make sure and do all my core excersises and still get the shots. So I would suggest finding a good pain management place not a pill mill or a place that says anything about "opiate therapy" cause opiates are not therapy but find a pain management place with good doctors and talk to them about doing shots and all that. I also had a few nerve burns done that made a huge difference and today I am opiate free and have been and when I do have pain ibprofen heat or ice and it makes it feel better. I live in pain and I always will but its nothing I can't deal with. Also the longer you are on pain meds the worse the pain will actually get because the longer and the more dependent your body and mind becomes and your mind will physically make you hurt to try and get the meds it wants. Well hope ya can figure something out that will help you with this but really think about trying to find a good pain mngt doctor and they will help a ton without opiates

Good Luck and Godspeed
ABritt
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It really does feel good to talk about it! My biggest issue right now is that I'm on a bad cycle at the moment with my meds and refills. I ran out of my vicodin yesterday morning, been the worst I've had for running out early and can't be filled till nov 2nd....I have the neurontin I was recently prescribed which is helping with the pain and part of the WD symptoms which usually start within 24 hours for myself personally. My guts are hurting, constant runny nose, and sneezing but no other normal WD aches and pains like normal. I pray I don't have any sciatic episodes in the next few days or I'll be in a bad way at work without the normal pain meds.

Since I'm coming out of the closet of sorts on the whole thing, another new problem has arose lately. I found out I work with a dealer of sorts and he has tried to pawn things off on me before but I've always pushed him away. But a few weeks ago I really hurting bad at work because I ran out early like normal lately and bought some oxycodone 40 mg from him. I cut them in half after looking them up and seeing how potent they were and they worked great for the pain. I honestly didn't get a high from them and they worked for about 6 hours per half alleviating the pain.

So now when I run out, like right now, my brain is telling me to get the money and buy a few till I get my meds, but for one... I don't want to go down that road and two,I couldn't afford it if I wanted to! I'm not gonna lie, it's a daily struggle now knowing it is there if I want it! So far, so good and I have to keep telling myself NO! I just put my headphones on and my safety muffs to keep my mind of it with podcasts but it's tough! I have to head to work, but I'll be checking the thread on and off when I can, so any replies are GREATLY APPRECIATED! Thank you all so much!
Helpful - 0
4204073 tn?1361831476
If you can have open communication with your Dr about what's going on with your pain as others have suggested, I'm sure he will want to adjust your meds to help you.   Just be careful that you don't go over the prescribed amounts.  

I too am in the same boat as you.  Mid 40's too young to feel this old.   My Dr gives me Ambien so I can sleep.   Sleep seems to be my enemy.   It brings on terrible anxiety/panic attacks and screaming night terrors.   That triggers my pain to go out of control.   Anyhow, just thought I'd share that and see if helping you sleep better might help you as well.   I have degenerative discs in my neck and horrible pain in my hips along with the usual aches and pains. Oh...and headaches!    So I can relate to what you are saying.   I tried to medicate myself and that didn't work out quite so well.  
Helpful - 0
3149845 tn?1506627771
Another thing about these meds that you need to be consciouse about. There is a very thin line about taking them for pain and taking them for the energy that you get. You mention the end of the day, just be aware and dont fool yourself between the difference. The fooling will creep up on you down the road and then you will face the really bad problem of addiction. Just work with your doctor about these issues and as you say a life with this pain in no life.
Helpful - 0
2120911 tn?1350922661
its kind of liberating to tell the truth about yourself......i lived alone with my issue,,,,probably because I didn't want to belive I was that bad....

i too did vic/soma  after surgery too man,,,,,,,,,,
I don't know what it's like to have chronic pain....hats off to you....
stick around....not a bad place,,,good people

Free~
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes! I completely agree and he had changed it to 1 1/2 every 5 hours, but the pain was coming on strong within about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, so he told me to try to take them closer together but back to one at a time. It seems like work ok this way, but when I've tried to cut out the somas because of the drowsiness, I seem to over compensate with the vicodins even though they both help completely different problems. I know that I am teetering on a hard line that I don't want to cross but am heading in that direction at times. It's so hard to stay mentality positive about everything when my back hurts so bad it makes me nauseous at work. And believe me I tell myself it's not gonna help to take more, but when you're halfway through your shift and your brain is telling you to stop the pain.....I don't know....it's just solo hard at times. Thank you for the responses life! This is the first time I've ever talked with ANYONE about this stuff and it seriously brings tears to my eyes to think I may be starting a really bad problem! Thank you again!
Helpful - 0
3149845 tn?1506627771
Going over the dose should be discussed with your doctor, he most likely will adjust it say from 5/325 every 4 hours as needed to 7.5 or even 10mg every 6 hours as needed. Dont medicate doses yourself but have the doctor do it. This overdosing leads to the addiction in many cases.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I agree with you about the pain management and for the most I do well staying on track with dosage, but during extra painful days(extra cold days at work), I go over my daily dose by 1 1/2 to 2 times of the vicodins. I have never gotten the "high effects" from the Vicodin, but have from the soma, which is why I have tried to cut it out in the past. He prescribed the neurontin after i told him my current dosage wasnt working anymore.I have done quite a bit of research on different operations and it seems to me that back fusion would benefit me the most, but I am really afraid to bring it up with my MD, because of the horror stories I have heard and read from back surgery. If I didn't have my 5 year old, I wouldn't think twice about it, but just the thought of them slipping up and not being able to do everything with her that we love to do...that really scares me.
Helpful - 0
3149845 tn?1506627771
Vicodin and other pain meds are not to take away the pain totally but to find a comfortable level of pain mamagement (this is per my doctor). Also i read that 100% of those taking meds AS prescribed by the doctor (only as needed) do not become addicted. If you have built up a tolorance then tell your doctor this and he will adjust the meds. Other than this what other option do you have to releive the pain going forward. Has your doctor gave you alternatives like an operation?
Helpful - 0
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