HYDROCODONE

[teri]

I guess you might say that it can not happen to you.  Wrong I have gone through 7 surgeries in the past 8 months to recunstruct my teeth and jaw.  I have been taking this medication (hydro) regularly for the entire time. Finally I tried to stop taking the medication and found myself very ill. I did not understand the problems it can cause.  I sat down with my doctor yesterday and she was wonderful.  Because I have been taking 5 to 6 pills a day she decided to slowly take me off them.  I will start by taking 5 pills for 3 days, 4 pills for 3 days, 3 pills for 3 days, 2 pills for 3 days and then and optional one pill for 3 days.  I skipped the first part and started with 4 pills for 3 days.  I only feel a little nausous at times.  However, once the medication starts to leave my body will it become worse and worse?  Or is this method of detoxing your body the best?  Also is it true the more you take the harder the withdraws are.  I think it is very important to keep a positive outlook and know that once its over I will be ok.  Also my doctor gave me a medication called bentyl.  Will this help my stomach?

[Reni]

I have had a spinal injury and have been on vicodin for about 5 years now at one pill at night.  I just had surgery again and am on Percocet every 4 hours.  Before the surgery (for the ruptured disc that was strangulating the sciatic nerve) I hurt a lot and was taking vicodin every 4 hours along with soma (muscle relaxer), this did help.  After surgery (lower lumbar) I do have lots of pain and the Percocet helps.  I did notice after a few days of just taking the Percocet and no vicodin that I would get chills off and on and have nausea.  It finally dawned on me that I probably was going thru vicodin withdrawals.  Can you get vicodin withdrawals when you are on percocet?  Can someone tell me what the withdrawals are so that I can recognize them.  Also how long do they last.  I am only taking 1 vicodin every day at this time and Percocet about every 4 hours for pain.  I cry at the drop of a hat and have feelings of despondency and despair.  Im crying as I write this.  I stumbled on this site and was really grateful to hear your comments...IM NOT ALONE!! thank God.  I cant quite kick this now since its only been a week since the surgery but I do want to quite after the pain subsides.   This has been a nightmare and I want it to stop.  Thanks for your help.

[debra]

I would advise you to get another Dr., he should care wither or not you get addicted, if you stay on these drugs for very long you will start taking more and more, you will become totaly dependent on them. my sister is prescription drug addict, shehas been going to a number of diffrent Dr. to get any type pain med., she has lost her kids,about to lose her home, but nothing matters,but getting her drugs. PLEASE GET HELP

[Annette]

I am looking at getting off narcotic pain meds and sleeping pills.  I have been working with a chiropractor for about six weeks.  They have been encouraging me to go cold turkey on the sleeping pills (restoril 30mg)  I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 9/98 and have been on darvocet and vicodin ever since.  I take anywhere from 2 to 8 darvocet a day and if pain is really bad then I take 2 - 4 vicodin per day (not at same time as darvocet.)  I have talked with my doctor about dependence to restoril (temzepan) and he doesn't seem to care.  He says that my sleep is more important than dependence.  He refuses to call it addiction.  Anyway, I want off from all of it eventually to see where my body is with the chronic pain.  It's like, am I in pain from withdrawal of pain meds or in pain because of fibro!!  Any suggestions would be appreciated thanks!

[To Brian from Philisha]

Thanks for the advice, but we have tried that on more than one accasion, she thinks that we are judging her when we tell her we think she needs help, we have tried to explain that we just love her and don't want anything bad to happenn to her. Still she doesen't want to listen. I don't know what to do anymore. I thought that if she lost my brother and I that that would wake her up but so far it hasn't. Thte only thing that I konw to do is pray that she will hit rock bottom and realize that she needs help. I haven't spoken to her in a week today, scince my brother and I moved out, but she doesen't seem to care. I know that this is not my mother, that it is her addiction, but I barely remember what she is really like. I am just afraid that my brother will never get to see the real mother that we have. He is staying with his dad about an hour away from here he called and told me that mom had called him, but she has not tried to contact me, I wonder if their is some way for me to have her commited to get treatment, but if I did would she have to stay or could she leave? I have ran out of places to turn to for help for her. I am 17 and the rest of the kids my age are enjoying life, I just want my family back and need help doing it.

[Brian to Philisha]

I really feel bad for you and your brother.  I know this must really be hurting you seeing your mother harming herself with her addiction.  She is angry with you but you have done NOTHING wrong.  It is not really her who is angry, it is the addiction speaking.  She is in complete denial and unless she decides she has a problem she will not get help.  Your Aunt and other family members may want to try something called an intervention.  This is where close family and friends confront her when she isn't expecting it.  They don't yell at her or accuse her, they simply talk about how much they love her and that she needs help.  They try to provide her with support and tell her she has no other option but to get help.  Hopefully something like that will help her realize how she is hurting her children and others she loves.  You and your brother must understand that this addiction is not your fault and you can't blame yourselves for how she is or for not being there.  Please take care of yourself and your brother as your top priority.  YOU CAN'T FIX THIS FOR YOUR MOM.  SHE MUST DO IT! Take care and please write again to let us know how you are doing.  Brian

[Philisha]

my mom has had 2 back surgeries and she has taken lorecet for 4 years now she is addicted. She is taking entirly to many. She is seeing 4 differnet doctors, and still runs out of them. When she doesen't have them she takes anything she can get her hands on. She will admitt that she has a problem but claims she has it under control, but she doesen't. My younger brother who is 12 and I  recently moved out of the house to live with realatives because she became immpossible to live with. She refuses to speak to me she feels like I abandon her. But I really want to help her. But she doesen't want help, but I am 17 and I want my mother back. How can I help her? My aunt called all of the doctors she was seeing and told them about her problem, but she can find another doctor or she will get them off the street.Help