Day 4 - WD's were over on Day 2 but..... Oh my gosh does my back hurt!

[Lotsatrout]

Yup... another 30 day refill lasted me 15 days so here I sit with 2 weeks to go.  This happens every month.  I can say that my WD's however, are very minimal.  They last no more than 2 days and in those 2 days there is nothing I can't do that I would normally do such as go to work or clean up around the house.  It's the squirts that bother me the most but we won't go there.  

Here's the reason for my post.  I hear a lot of people say, "stay off the pain meds and you'll notice that your pain will not be as bad".  I have been off the pain meds for periods of up to 2 months just waiting for the "magical" day to arrive.  I can say that I have never experienced anything of the sorts.  For me, pain meds DO help my back pain.  I woke up this morning with the worst pain I've had since my surgery a year ago.... Yeah, yeah, yeah, did the PT for a year, the whole drill.  

I'm griping today cuz I'm an idiot and went through my Rx to fast and now I sit here in horrible pain.  This is worse than WD's because now I can't get a dar_n thing done.  I can tell ya that if my doctor wasn't my only source I'd find one but I'm not quite sure how to go about doing that in a town of 500 people.  :)  Just kidding.   There's my daily vent..... Blah....

Trout  

[Coolio Hernendez]

exercise is the best way to release natural DOPE....  

I sware my back kills me too. But i do not have any real back issues. It is just that i messed my levels up with the  ill's..

I heard it can take 1 year to get back to normal..

[shelly405]

I know the opiates are wonderful for pain, and I admit I feel safe having the Vicodin even though I am not taking them. Another thing my Dr prescribed for me, which has not arrived yet is a Tens Unit. It is something that sends some type of charge or stimulation to the areas that are in pain. Since I haven't gotten it yet I can't tell you how well this will work. I also have been prescribed Water Arobics and Massage Thereapy 3 times a week for both. I haven't been able to do it yet because I have the flu, but I think these alternatives are worth looking into. I realized that with the Drs...The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and I just acted a fool until my Dr would do something besides give me opiates only.
Shelly

[hopsing94]

lol Avis,what a good Idea. I like that one. Wow I can think of all the games you could play to get that combination. LOL

[avisg]

hahahahaha "it takes a theif " have her buy a little safe ,she is the only one with the combo she  can get the dose and lock  up the rest ........

[hopsing94]

Hey trout,not to be a wise a$$ but did you hurt your back fishing to much. LOL
Man I had looked back at my first post and you were one of the first to respond. I am sorry you are having to deal with this man. I didn't start taking them for pain so i'm not much help on that front. Just wanted to say thank you for your advice and that I hope someday you and the others that deal with pain everyday can get relief.  Your a good guy and may God bless you.

[Lotsatrout]

Funny you should ask avis.....  Yes, this last time I had my wife hold them for me but I watched very carefully and when she left them alone for 20 seconds or less I made my move.  Like a cat after a mouse.....  When the coast was clear I would stealthly approach the bottle and open it ensuring that I didn't make a sound.  I would sneak 2 or 3 and then leave the scene of the crime.  

I fessed up to my wife and gave her a few tips on how to not let me find them or anything of the sort.  Kinda like that show where people would hire these professional burglars to break into their house then they would show them how the did it.  Know that one?  

After the last showdown I doubt that I'll be able to pull that one off again!   :)

Trout

[avisg]

trout ,
good to see you .... Have you tried having someone else hold them , I is sooo hard once you have gotten in the habit of taking more to go back to normal ,much more doable if someone holds them for you .

Its kind of a ongoing cycle you are in ..... you will have to decided when you want to break that cycle ........
avis

[IBKleen]

I remember because I care.

I know exactly what you are doing hun, been there..done that. I have been living with chronic back pain for many, many years. Did the surgery, the pt, etc., etc. then, on to the pain meds. I was probably one of the people who told you that the pain would get better once you stopped the pills, because it did for me. Believe it or not, I never got a "buzz" off of them, so that part I don't know about. But I dod know about taking them because my brain tells me more is better.

Don't misunderstand, I still live with the pain everyday. Some days are ok, and some are pure hell. But I am learning to live with it by changing things that I used to do, and like Mary said..learning my limits.  A bad day clean beats a good day using anytime for me...

Again, good to see you around. I wish you the best.

[Lotsatrout]

IBK.... First of all, how in the world do you keep track of all of us?  You're right... this 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off is my M.O.  so to speak.  I'm just impressed that you know everything that's going on around here.  

Here's the deal.  At first I'd take more because not only did they help with my pain but they felt good to so I was chasing a buzz.  That didn't last long and then I'd try to lower my dosage back to normal but the meds just weren't working as well.  And I guess besides that I'm an addict and more is better.  Next Rx I'm really going to try and make them last because 30mg's over the day is a LOT better than 0 mgs.  Thanks for all your posts.  

Shelly405....  Thank you very much for writing.  I've talked to the Doctor about other meds and have tried many but nothing treats a crud dy back like opiates.  At least not for me.  I've just got to learn to be more responsible.  

Trout

[shelly405]

I understand about the pain not going away when you stop the - whatever it is you are on. I have had to do alot of soul searching about my particular circumstances. While I did abuse Vicodin, I have legitimate pain and need something for it. I tried not taking anything for about 3 weeks and that was horrible. Finally I told my Dr what was going on with me and the Vicodin, and he prescribed 2 other pain meds for me: Relefan, for arthritis and Nortriptyline, which is and anti-depressent at 500mg, but I am on 30mg a day and it works wonders as a pain reliever.

The DR also prescribed me 25 Vicodin and he will refill that every 2 weeks. I messed around with it for 3 days I think - I took 9 of them over the course of 3-4 days, and realized I can get be with just the other 2 pain relievers. Maybe you should ask your DR for some type of alternative pain meds.

To IBKleen: I think you know that the more pain relievers we take, the more our bodies build up a natural tolerence against the pain relieving properties in the meds, so we continue to take more. Based on this fact alone, I think that many people do not increase the dose of pain meds to get high, but to fight the pain. (If they start out taking pain meds for actual pain) I am suprised you asked if the meds are helping, then why take so many?
Unless you are just trying to get Trout to think about what's really gong on?
SHell

[allaboutmary]

Hey good to hear form you.  One thing I found that was while on the pills I over did, I was wonder women. I lifted things I shouldn't have, did a bunch of weeding etc. etc..  But while off the pills I know my limits and what will aggrivate my back.  Is this what you are doing ?  Work like crazy getting things done while on the pills, screwing up your back because you are wonder man ?  I think being off the pills reminds of us our physical limits.  Just a thought.    Mary

[IBKleen]

You've been doing this a while there Trout....

What I don't understand is, if the pain meds are helping the pain, then why do you have to take so many?

[IBKleen]

You've been doing this a while there Trout....

What I don't understand is, if the pain meds are helping the pain, then why do you have to take so many?