Curious

[lexigirl]

My uncle has been on Vicodin for 17 years and still only takes it as prescribed which is 6 daily. I would like to know how he manages not to be addicted?? I have counted his pills several times and he always has enough to last him for the month sometimes over. He gets 240 monthly. I've gotten several from him. Which he has stopped giving them because he said he is enabling me.
But is it a personality that gets addicted I am wondering?Because lord knows I have tried several times to only take as prescribed.Today I did okay though I managed a holiday without.It was and is very difficult.

[lexigirl]

I actually did stop by his house today and asked him. I was humiliated to ask because now he knows for sure I have a problem.Before he kind of knew but wasn't sure.He probably knew more than I thought though because he doesnt want to continue to feed me pills. Anyway he said the reason he is able to control it is because one day his back was hurting extra bad and he took 4 pills at once and got violently sick. He threw up all day.That broke him from taking extra.He said he enjoyed the euphoric feeling for about an hour then it all went to hell.I know for a fact he takes about 4 daily because I get them from him.He has no clue why I count his pills but he doesn't stop me either.I don't feel the need to steal them because I know he counts them and gives me what I ask for. He gave me 4 today "just in case" I said. I have yet to take them.He said he could go to jail for doing so and I would never want that so I know I need to quit putting him in that position.
He did try to get off them for a month and did suffer withdrawals.He wanted to see how bad his pain really was.All the rods and metal in his back i'm sure he does need them. I have ran him dry of pills a couple of months and feel terrible for doing so.
Thanks for the answers guys!
Another question is could he really get into trouble for giving me some here and there?

[Summer123]

He sounds like me.  Doesn't mean he isn't addicted though.  Even though I took as directed, kept on taking them for 12 years for my pain.  Reducing the pills I took (tapered down to 10 mg percocet) put me through some bad withdrawals.  Still in pain, but don't know if you can really tell how much pain you are really in until you are off of the pain pills.  It's hard to say whether he or I would have done drug seeking behavior since the doctors prescribed the drugs for us.  If they all of a sudden stopped, he probably would have at least been calling up doctors to find another one to prescribe.  If that failed, who knows?

[MICHAEL_777]

Congrats on a sober holiday!  It's been my first in about 10 years.  

That is interesting how some can take certain things right and others not.  I can take some types of pain meds with no problem, but others I eat like skittles.  

[anotherfinemess1]

some people just seem to be able to moderate.  for others, too much is never enough!
problem is, sometimes you never know which type your are until it's too late. I've known people who can smoke 1 or 2 cigarettes a day and never get hooked.  I guess it's just individual biochemistry.
The fact that you've managed a holiday without is Epic!  This is my first  holiday in 2 years being clean.  It's good to feel whats real!

[jenny8575309]

I've knew this lady with cancer that was taking vicodin long term.. I remember her saying that they didn't get her high anymore, but they took the pain away.  Maybe, he's not an addict, and he uses them for what their for.  I bet if he quit he'd still go through withdrawls tho, addict or not.  Maybe he's bored with the high.  His tolerance is way up, and he doesn't abuse them, just takes em for pain.

[flmagi]

My guess is, if he has, in the past been able to give you some, then he may be taking less than 6 on some days, maybe more on other days. Why don't you ask him? I'd be interested in knowing that to. I'd would have been going thru all those pills really fast. Like eating candy. The more I had the more I'd eat them.