Soma O.D. Again

[scot120]

My daughter is in ICU , second over dose in two weeks .since a car accident two years ago she's needed pain management . Pain killers are not her problem . Doc started her on somas for back spasms and she liked to  "escape" all her other problems to . She had a clean record ,but In the past 6 mo. she got a public intoxication   charge ,and two DUIs and child serves is monitoring her with her kids .Ex-husband and ex-boy friend add to the drama. When I told my daughter she could chat online with other people with problems like hers , she said , no one has problems like hers .
Does anybody have a similar problem that they are dealing with ?  

[1eagle]

Include yourself in that amazement....many parents, especially after being told by those that SHOULD know, that everyone is in the loop - would quit. I even thought that there couldn't be anyone else with close to my situation. After reading this forum for awhile I found out just how wrong I was. I started by reading the forum. It really took me awhile to start answering. And longer to start posting. I now have several good friends and I'm always giving folks unqualified advice. All I can say is..Here is what i experienced  - and you know what? I'm not close to alone

[scot120]

WE were told by her rehab clinic Dr that everyone was in the loop. Maybe this one didn't get the mimo. We are going to talk to him directly and see what we can come up with . On another post I got suggestions of  substitutes for soma we can discuss with the doc .
Thanks, it's amazing to see how all of you support one another.

[1eagle]

I too am a parent .. heck, I even have parents...I certainly feel for your concern and pain...daughter is really lucky to have you there.  Maybe the zoloft isn't doing the job? It isn't uncommon to go through several to find the right one> Read that four for me. Everybody is different. I agree with Zurich about all the time, and this is another one.. it really doesn't matter how many Doctors you need to see before you help save her life. There are plenty of Doctors around...in varying specialities and with various dgrees of competence. Best of luck to you, a really good Dad....

[Zurich42]

Please tell her there 'is hope' out there.  I'm doing very well with the tapering program.  Albeit, I've had to take a lot of Advil to get rid of the headaches and the even funner Immodium AD.  But truth be told, I think you hit a plateau during the withdrawal process and you start to 'feel' better.  At least that's my experience.  Good Luck - and thanks for 'taking in' my opinion.  

[scot120]

" No offense taken " , I appreciate your honest opinion .
Last night she was in ICU , she's home already . A couple of weeks ago it was bad .
Each time people close to you have a close call , you grieve their death, then you harden your heart and panic less the next time .  

[Zurich42]

I apologize if I come off too strong - it's not my intention.  I can't imagine how difficult it is for you right now - with a daughter in ICU.  I am just trying to help you not waste your time on things that may not work.  One thing I've learned on this forum is to experience the 'success' and avoid the 'failures' on some of the processes talked about.  
Sending positive, encouraging thoughts your way.  

[Zurich42]

It doesn't matter if you go through 25 doctors to find the 'right one' for your daughter.  No one is going to care - believe me.  I've worked in the healthcare industry for over ten years and have seen doctors get rejected ALL the time - they are used to it - and if they're not, they'll have to get a thick skin quick.  What I'm trying to say is this:  If you're not getting the success you need from your doctor, then find another one.  Don't waste your time with someone that's a not a good fit - it's too much for you, your family and the addict.  I've had to 'fire' four Rheumatologists because they had me come up one drug, down on another drug, up on another, down on another, and wound up where I am.  Don't get me wrong - it was 'me' who abused the drugs and is MY responsibility to get off them.  However, I let 'cautiousness of what a doctor might think of me' get in the way of MY success with the RA pain.  If I could go back in time and rewrite history, one of the first would be removing some of my doctors for the treatment of my RA pain.  I even had a doctor tell me that 'Arava' hadn't worked with any of her patients yet - and didn't think it would work for me.  This was 6 weeks after I started using it - and lost some of my hair.  Why did she suggest using it in the first place if NO ONE had success on it?  I'm not part of some 'test' - I'm a person with a chronic illness that has pain (which CAN be treated via Advil).  To say that we 'hold doctors' in reverence in America is an understatement.  Yes, they put themselves through school and have done some wonderfully, beneficial things in our lives - I won't take that away from them.  But they also are overworked and are human - and not always make 'the best' decisions for their patients - especially if they've never been addicted.  

Ask your daughters' doctor for a withdrawal process plan - I'd be anxious to see that.  

[scot120]

This is a new doctor . The old one was very rude and gave her little information about what was going on , and just wanted to send her to pain management  , who are nothing more then drug dealers with a license .

[Zurich42]

Hmmm...the doctor is not 'listening' to the patients' parents with regards to a medication, addiction, or overdose concern? I'm sure you've already thought of this - but perhaps it's time to change doctors.  

I know she's 24 - and legally has her 'own relationship' with her physician - however, it seems to me that you are very good parents 'wanting' to be part of her healthcare team.  It'll be tough - because some of the hardest times will be that your not exactly 'wanted' on that team - but nonetheless, you have that 'window of opportunity' right now to maintain that healthcare team.  I strongly suggest printing out 1eagles comments regarding the loss of a friend or two via the use of Soma's.  Sometimes it's as simple as reviewing someone's elses experience to see that YOU (in this case, your daughter) has a problem.  In other words, 'something' will click -you've just got to figure out what it is to turn the switch on/off.  It's hard to explain because addiction is 'a dance that never ends' due to the need for counseling and on-going support, but you're making the RIGHT steps RIGHT now by seeking advice.  And regardless of our physician friends - unless they have been through the process of withdrawals, etc., they can't know how we feel - they can't know 'the pain' so to speak - regardless of how many patients of theirs that might be addicted.

Use this forum to bounce questions and suggestions off.  It is a tremendous help. I myself had a 10-12 Vicodin 5/500 mg a day habit - and have tapered SUCCESSFULLY to 1 tablet (TODAY!) with no relapses.  Just please understand that she's on some pretty difficult prescriptions (Lortab, Xanex, and Ambient) to withdrawal from - and that, in itself is not only difficult - but time consuming.

As for the 'no one else has problems like mine', I'm going to leave that alone because I don't want to jeopardize hurting her feelings (or facing the wrath of a justifiably protective parent) - however, I will say this:  She can stay where she is in limbo or she can take control of her life by creating a PLAN that will 'eventually, some day', make her feel better.  In my tiny, humble opinion, addicts need (this is my experience only) to see results - even if they are small - results nonetheless.  Make sense?  

I wish you luck and can't enforce how good it is to see a parent on this forum.  Again - you're doing the right thing right now - and in the end, that's truly the best thing.  Use this forum for advice - the people on it have helped me TREMENDOUSLY.

[scot120]

We talked to the doctor and  told him that somas are a problem , but she's 24 so doc doesn't have to listen to us . She has flexeril , but she says it doesn't work like soma for muscle spasms . She's on zoloft . She has scrips of Lortab , zanex, ambiant .

[1eagle]

scot - please talk to her doctor and find a replacement muscle relaxer...I have had experience with the soma and have even lost a friend or two to them. When you try for a high from them, if you have been taking them awhile especially, the difference between "high" and "die" is just too close. They affect spech, breathing, and cardiac. And by the time that the individual taking them realizes what is going on, it is too late for them to do anything about it. Ask for something. Flexeril comes to mind, possibly even a benzo (although with ther history, I doubt it) ... show her this forum. I even thought that I might be alone until I came here....It also sounds to me like she could benefit from a minor anti depressant. Its quit common for someone here to need that for 3-4 months while getting back together. And about the addiction...I have found that the strict physical addictting things are not always as bad as the merely phsychologically addicting ones...to may to - to ma to it's still an addiction....good luck

[scot120]

Thanks , She's O.K.now . It wasn't as bad as it was a couple of weeks ago .She had a new bottle with 10 missing , We didn't realize they were in her pocket . ( ? ) All her friend knew was she took pills and soon was non-responsive . And,giving her history , he brought to the ER . She said it was "just" zanex  . Two years ago , before the car accident , she had a life and dreams ; now , she's lost hope and she's depressed .Her ex-husband still  verbally abuses her . An ex-boy friend (who she was over ) came back in her life and left . ( Hit man for hire ) LOL    That's  when she took the zanax and probably thinking about the 10 somas in her pocket . I would be making funeral arrangements about now .
Two weeks ago she went through de-tox , but had little physical withdraws .( somas are not physically addictive ) She went to a couple of rehab meetings and a couple of AA meetings along with seeing a psychiatrists .  
She thinks she is the only person in the world to have problems like hers .

[IBKleen]

If she can open her eyes, she will see that everyone here is addicted to something. It does not matter what the drug of choice is, the felling are the same.

I hope you can get her to come and do some reading. Also, I pray that she gets the help she needs.

[avisg]

there are people with soma addictions her as well as many other addiction issues. She seems to be having a rough time of it right now ,is she in any type of counseling ........ I would just continue to try to encourage her to get help ... Good luck
Avis

[carr]

we are all dealing with addiction here..so u've come to the right place...she likes 'soma coma"..i have been that bad on them before but never od'd...i am sorry to hear this...i dont have much i can say except...hang in there....there are ppl here with much better advice.....just love her....no matter what....take care

carrie