Addiction to oxy.

[lilyan]

Yes I am 24 years old with a college education and I teach Middle school.  However Me an my soon to be husband are addidict to oxy.  HE has to have them because he has serious chronic back problems and gets them from the doctor a very respectted doctor.  However we like them alot.  I cannot go on when I have one I am on top of the world but if I don't everthing is useless.  I know I am better than this.  The problem is some people run out of funds and caanot go on . This is not our problem we have tons of money an access to money.  I would say if we do not have any from his perscripition we spend about 1500.00 per week on this. I need help now! Right now I feel Like just giving up.  I would like to go get help but my family would die. I am about to the point were I dont care. Plaese contact me and let me know what I can do.

[leroy8285]

I'm not really sure where to start. I'm not an addict myself. In a couple of days I will be having my cousin come live with me. He's 21 and addicted to oxy's. He tried to go off of them when he overdosed. He stayed in the country with my parents for a bit. He seemed to be getting better, until he moved back to his home town. He's currently been clean for 3 days. He'll be coming to stay with me in 2 days. I'm just looking for advice on what i should or shouldn't do. What kind of guidlines should i put up while he's under my roof? and any other advice.
thanks so much
leah

[JayDiddy]

I started using Oxycontin on a daily basis after having four cervical discs fused. I never abused them beyond the low prescribed dosage until the beginning 2007. Regardless I became a hard core emotional addiction. Don't let the money situation fool you. I made $240k in 2002, started oxy in 2003 and made $400k that year. Well the **** brought me to my knees and I eventually lost everything last year in 2007. It will eventually take anyone of us down.

Money was only part of the  loss. I lost my sanity, lost my emotional stability, lost friends through isolation, lost my houses, lost everything to the point of almost death.

Addiction is not complacent. It is progressive. When we "take a break" & start back with use, it comes back to the same place we left off, but in my case, even stronger.

Thank God I lost everything and got into recovery last year because that is what it took for me to find sobriety. I am just lucky I did not die in the process & devistate my parents and those who love me.

I am building back and through AA/NA am learning a whole new way of life and experiencing happiness that I did not come close to during all the "money years", even though I am sleeping on Mom & Dad's couch.

Lastly, I think this disease is too hard to fight on our own & requires a program like NA/AA.

Good Luck to all.

Jay

[opi]

i to love/hate oxy's.....cold turkey for over two weeks....the drug runs our lives( did anyway) i am slowly gainning control....you know it suks so you are ready to make a move on it..do it now and get it doen no matter which path you choose....just do it,,,,trust me ...does not matter that you can afford it ....you can't put a financial value on your life,,,,,,clean it up,,,keep posting,,ther soem wise ppl on this forum that will help you the whole way...i think you would be surprised at how supportive your family would be ....tell them before they find out the hard way...they will jump on the chance to help you...........i know this.....keep postin and we'll keep supporting

[shadowgirl82]

This **** seems like it's worth anything when you've tried it, it wraps around you like a dizzying lover who's also pretty ******* crazy and is bound, no matter what, to ruin your life. Try going to your doctor and getting on a suboxone program (NOT METHADONE---replacement addiction!! This program can work as long as you take the medicine as directed, and I believe counseling and attending AA meetings can increase the chances of a lifetime recovery greatly(not NA meetings, they become a social club for users to trade info) or, if you have the money or have friends and family who love you and are willing to help cover the cost, the waisman method (look it up)  is pretty new, it's a RAPID detox they put you out for, with a follow up medicine. It's like "cleaning layers of **** off your brain" as one rocker who went though it described. It has at least a 65% success rate. You can't beat that. (But it is terribly expensive for the normal person. It'd be great if all the rich addicts out there who have gotten clean or want to, could start a fund to help others try the program. It's something that should be readily available  for this epidemic) Good luck everyone, I'm not a puritan, I just understand how this **** ruins not only the users lives but those who love them as well. It's a "social" drug in more ways than one..

[Rayven]

Good Morning,

This evening is the comapny Xmas party @ our house !!!! In my thinking "now" I'm glad I have my little stash. Also in my thinking "Now" I think this is the best thing since sliced bread. (OC's) But I  still must have some brain cells left to recognize the that soon the bottle will be empty. I do want to feel normal again. I assume the pain will return. I do understand REX about what you are saying in re:speaking with my DR. Right now @ this moment I feel I could do it. Yes, Iv'e just taken my first cup of courage this am and could call. (I think)

But why is a pill that makes me function so damnaging ???

By the way, God has helped me quit acouple of times before. Funny thing,when you have a supply ,you are on top of the world,when you have 1-2 left you freak out. Like you won't be able to go on. Quicksand !!!

Lisa (wife) knows that I'm getting these and knows my pain. She has never even smoked a joint !! Thank God.


Thank you very much for your time - Rayven I really appreactae your replies and comments. Have a good weekend.

[Rex1]

I, and others here are just alerting you, that while things may be "OK" right now, there is a crash and burn scenario ahead of you my friend.

I think I am correct in saying things aren't so bad for you at this moment. I like to say

"You can take care of the problem now with a scalpel, or later with a meat axe".

As Thomas, Hippee, Methman, 1day, TheGolden1, and everyone else here has helped me realize, I am a drug addict.

And you know, as an addict, your ususally only going in one of two directions - heading towards a big crash, or trying to get away from one.

Turn around my friend. There's a crash up ahead. Call your doctor...today.

Rex

[Thomas02]

Initiate your attempt with a classical drug intervention led by a trained therapist and your friend's closest family memebers and friends. It usually works to finally get the attention of strung out users.

Thomas

[Rayven]

Thank for the reply Rex,but how do I post @ the top ? I have  anglosysing spondlilitis. Bad back !! Started out with Darvocet, then vic's. Acouple of years ago I was introduced to Ocy's. Man I felt great. I was getting my job done,got a promotion, everthing was going great. Now of course I cannot get thru the day without my first 20. No, my DR.has no idea that I'm taking these. I'm going broke and scared to try to stop. How can a pill that makes me function be so destructive !?? As I'm not the best typist,is the a way to get spell-check in these messages? I do not have the balls at this time to speak with him. (DR)

[Rex1]

I sincerely hope that I can be honest with you, without you thinking that I'm being too harsh.

In my opinion, you are making a big mistake by not leveling with your doctor.  I am someone who is big on analogies so please forgive me, but the analogy I always use for drug abuse is the following: quicksand.

You don't see it coming but once you are in, the more you flail about trying to get out, the worse it actually gets.  Just like real quicksand, you really can't get out by yourself.  And every day that you don't ask for help, starting with a medical professional, you actually get further in than further out.

So my question is to you, "when does it end?"

You are leveling with people on this forum as we speak, right? Why not level with your doctor?  You'll be surprised at how frequently doctors today are treating drug abuse -- it's an epidemic!

Finally, leveling with your doctor and getting this out in the open will serve as the starting point for you -- and the start here icon on the proverbial monopoly board, if you will.

I will make you a deal -- I will even tell you what to say and how to say it.  Tell your doctor the following:

"Something happened to me that I did not see coming.  I did not set out to do this, nor did I want to do this, and yet one day I woke up and found that had in fact happened.  I have become dependent on painkillers, to the point that I am exceeding my recommended dosage on a daily basis.  I've tried everything to fight this, but lost every time.  Give me your medical recommendation on what to do next."


Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Rex

[Rex1]

Posting at the top means simply this.

When asking a question or posting a comment, do so in the top of the window, otherwise known as the top thread.  As an example, regardless of what your question is or whether it matches the top thread, today you would post your question on the very top thread which is entitled
"a new day a new post"

People on this forum tend to only scan the top three to five subject posts.  In other words, you'll get much more attention from many more people if you post in the top two or three "threads", or subjects.

Rex

[4given]

HI.i also have a son who takes from 50 to 80 perks a day he overdosed on 12/03/i live in constant fear of him dying he is 21 in az no law can take away his selfish right to kill himself he does not understand how we feel it has torn our life as a family apart i know some of you are not religious but guess what? neither is god yous have to know that this is some form of evil no good comes out of it you can quit!!!!!!! phillipians 4 13 says i can do all things through christ who strenthens me not religion it does not matter where youve been its about where your going chose life dont let pills control yous please know that somone loves you dont hurt them turn away if you ask god to help you he will just think about it were ther is life there is hope i hope my son quits in JESUS NAME AMEN.................

[osky]

i was addicted to oxys. i got in a bad accident and got prescribed to 40mg and then i was selling 80mg so at my peak i was doing roughly 300mg to 400mg a day. i would just crush up a few 40's and 80's and just keep it in a pile and just take a nice line off it when ever i felt it was necessary. i got arrested and they put me in rehab and im doing well i stopped completely for about 3 months and then i did a 40 and i havent done one since and its december 5 months.

[Rayven]

Hello,

Yes, I am an Oxcy addict. This is my first post and I'm scared to death. Eating 4-6 20's a day. Stupidly I just spent another 800.00 on this ****. I'm very confused.

[Rex1]

Welcome.

One thing is, post near the top even if your post is off-subject of the original thread.

Secondly, you'll find a lot of folks here that can help you, and plenty more that have walked the path you are about to walk.

You are an addict, which means that you, in and of yourself, are POWERLESS to these drugs. They will overpower you, unless you harness other resources. this board is one of those resources.

First thing I would do I go see your doc and level with him - tell em everything. Let him do his job. he will tell you where to start medically.

Come here and listen to what others have to say.

Good luck..

Rex

[hellbent]

"It's that non-stop feeling of going downhill on a rollercoaster in the pit of your stomach that I find completely agonizingly intolerable"

-It feels hopeless, and that's why so many can't stick it out. Feels like it will never get better anyway, so you might as well get some relief.

I had to have faith that if I took the hell and pain of withdrawal, no matter how bad it was, or how long it lasted, it would get better, and I would be taken care of. It did, and I was. It's a real mind job to get over this stuff, but you can absolutely do it.

[Rex1]

I completely agree with Mariposa.

I think from an outsider's perspective looking in, the thing to keep in mind is that your son, in a way, is not in his own mind. He in the grip of addiction, which in many ways offers a relentless stream of voices, all of which are more powerful than yours or his wife's, saying the pain can go away, if you just swallow this little pill.

It is rare that an addict puts the brakes on well before seeing the cliff - it's usually looking over the edge that stops you in your tracks. You have to shock enough to get his attention, but not drive him off in a potentially worse direction.

I would not respond well to an intervention - but that's me. He might. One thing you can might try is finding out who his doctor is, schedule an appointment with him for your son, meet your son and in a supportive, "i'll be right by your side the whole way" type of a methoed, force him to go to the dr with you at his side. Make sure he spills the beans - all of them to the doctor and focus on how he gets out, not how he got in.

You would be suprised, I think at how many doctors these days are seeing this type of stuff. When I told my dr about it, he said "I deal with this two or three times a week!" This amazed me.

Now, what I am about to say, I have no way to prove, because this forum is not a statistically accurate sampling of society. But I, and others here, believe this is a exploding epidemic! But it is silent in nature, because of the stigma, and because it is not immediately life threating, like AIDS for example.

But when rock bands are writing songs about Vicodin, and hollywood is making movies about it, you can bet it has arrived as an American hobby/pastime.

My point is, his doctor is seeing it, and there are new programs coming available every day to deal with this emerging health issue. It may not even be his fault that he got addicted, but as Mariposa pointed out, he, and he alone OWNS the responsibility of getting out. Your positively reinforced assisance will be the best help, in my humble opinion..

Rex

[peaz]

P.S.  The "flu-like symptoms" and diarrhea sure sounds like withdrawl to me...What was the med that she took herself off of so suddenly? But I don't know why her boyfriend would have the same symptoms unless they are both going cold turkey from something. (ran out of stash, perhaps?)
  To a certain extent, all addicts would fit a "dual diagnosis" evaluation.  Deep depression is a symptom of both addiction and withdrawl.  So I'm not certain that your sister would need a type of detox that's much different than any other addicts'.  Of course, you should get a medical opinion on this.  Again, hope to hear from you if you find any resources in Anchorage.      Peaz

[peaz]

This post is kinda late, but I haven't read in here for while.  I used to live in Anchorage a long time ago, and I recall a Langdon Clinic that provided psychiatric care and would possibly do drug treatment.  They were on 42nd Avenue, not far off Lake Otis Parkway.  If they're not in the white pages of the phine book, check the yellow pages.  Or call information.  If theycan't help you, they could probably point you in the right direction.  Ask a lot of questions until you get some answers. I wish you well.  What you're doing for your sister is a total act of love an unselfishness.  Good luck, and let me know if you found any help.  Peaz

[And]

Thanks hellbent. I must say that it will help me to post my progress here since there would be no point in lying about relapses.  Though  this info. is probably rather boring to others.

Got down to 75 mgs for Saturday (yesterday) with the 50 microg patch.  I was going to allow myself 90 mgs, so did better than expected.  But a hellish night.  This morning I went through the worst W/D of my life for over an hour so that I could delay my first pill of the day (15mgs roxicodone=3 percs, no tylenol).  Only an hour later and the symptoms are back.

It's that non-stop feeling of going downhill on a rollercoaster in the pit of your stomach that I find completely agonizingly intolerable.  I hope that I can get through today, but have visitors coming over -- makes things difficult.

And.

[hellbent]

"Trouble is that none of my friends even want to talk to me about this anymore -- they're so sick of hearing my sob stories. I just want somebodyto say "good job" and keep it up."

-I know that others' input SEEMS important right now. I felt that way too. Remember that non-addicts don't really have a clue what is going on with you. They simply cannot relate and have no idea how bad it is, how your mind, body, and spirit are out of whack.

Other addicts will tell you you are tackling a demon and succeeding. I'll tell you that right now. What you are doing is incredibly difficult, takes great strength, and the rest of the world has no ******* clue the kind of pain and horror we go through. But, we put ourselves in our predicaments, right? It's not really their job to understand or make us feel better, especially when they can't relate.

The truth is that, if you make it through, you will have a chance to build a new life. When the people in your life see you change, look better, act alert again, get your soul back, you will hear plenty of compliments and admiration.

I get so many comments these days, I am sick of it, "Jon, you look 10 years younger", "You've lost so much weight, you look so good, what have you been doing?" or "I read an article on Oxycontin. I can't believe you quit that stuff". Even better is when I get a call from someone who knows what happened to me and knows another person who is addicted, and I get a chance to share what I went through with them, how I survived it.

For now, just stick to the taper, no matter what. It's so damn hard to do, but it beats cold turkey all to hell. Gotta be honest, I never could do it, but I know people who have. It's possible, but if you keep failing at it, it becomes too much of a mind ****. Stick to the schedule!

[hyjack]

I wanted to throw something out there for you to think about.

When I was taking narcotics, a lot of my physical and emotional problems were masked.  One of them was my hormone levels.  I don't know how old you are, but I know for a fact, that low levels of hormones can make you feel exactly like what you are describing.  When you stopped taking your narcotics, these problems now come to the forefront.  Low hormones will give you a lot of bad emotional feelings as well as physical.

This was just something that I thought of while reading your posts.  That could explain a lot of the "low" feelings you are experiencing.  Good luck.

[And]

I deperately need a vote of confidence.  This is my third day sticking to my taper schedule and I feel like hell.  Though I'm still on a 50microg/h Duragesic and 90 mg of roxicodone (instant release oxycodone -- same stuff as Oxycontin, this is less than half what I have been taking for some time (daily for 4 years this time -- escalated from 60 mg/Oxycontin + about 10 percs). The 4 hours between the 15mgs oxycodone is difficult as that dose just isn't enough to have no W/D symptoms.

I have not cheated and want to get down to 60-80mg Oxycontin/day with no patch -- even less if possible.  BTW the Oxycontin/codone equivalent is twice that of the patch, so a 50 patch is like 100 mg/Oxy/day.  I know this still seems like I'm still on a very high dosage but I'm coming down!

Trouble is that none of my friends even want to talk to me about this anymore -- they're so sick of hearing my sob stories.  I just want somebodyto say "good job" and keep it up.  This is the longest that I've gone this time in discomfort.  I intend to be off the patch in about 3-5 days and continue decreasing.  Depression/despair has kicked in though and I feel terribly alone.  The very painful leg cramps (as well as every other possible symptom) makes it almost impossible to sleep.

I have an appointment on Monday though and won't be able to make it unless I do "cheat". Anyway it would help if somebody somewhere told me that the suffering that I'm subjecting myself to is worthwhile -- especially as I have a large stash of pills, one of which, right now, would take the pain away.

And.

[hellbent]

Mark, glad you are back.

I looked at rapid detox when I was wondering how I was going to get out, but I didn't like what I found. Here is a usenet search. These are other addicts posting, not doctors, so read as many threads as you can to get an idea, as I am sure there are widely varying opinions...

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%2B%22rapid+detox%22+%2Boxycontin&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en

(make sure to paste the entire url above into the address field of your internet browser)

You can hit me at ***@****

[pillhell]

I hope I spelled your name right.I am no position to even pretend I can help you with your addiction.But as far as the abortion and all of the depression,I totally understand.When I was 17 I had an abortion.I'm 31 now.I never went to a psycologist but for me the pain never goes away.It only gets better,as more time goes by.I try not to think how old he/she would be,or what kind of person they'd be today.But its hard.When I had it done it was horrible.I almost got my ass beat on the way in,by those religous freaks.Then they were assholes while they did it,calling me names.Then when they were done they said o.k. your babys dead you can go now.nice huh.Like doing it wasnt bad enough.Then I got an infection they used dirty equipment.It took a long time to get over that nightmare.But I did.You have two precious girls.Be proud of that.There isn't a pill or drug in the world thats gonna make you forget about your bad exper.I know you relize that,or you'd have taken something by now.Stay strong.(I should take my own advice)If you want to get anything off your chest,you can e-mail me if you want
***@**** on this forum is here for you.