How do those of you with chronic severe pain cope without oxys, etc.

[moonshyne]

I am a 34 year old mom of two babies aged one and two. I also have spinal stenosis which leaves me in chronic pain, especially first thing in the morning. The pain is overwhelming then! Problem is my addiction to these things has spiralled out of control. They have taken over my life and I take way too many of them. And I snort them.

I am going on Monday for pain shots, they will inject something called Mercaine into my back and hopefully ease the pain and make me less dependent on oxys. I want to start tapering off of them but if I find I can't keep to my taper schedule I will just go ct. I went ct last time and although it was hell I made it quite awhile before I was stupid enough to convince myself that I could take them as prescribed. I know thats not possible anymore and I need to forget about ever taking any kind of narcotic to ease my pain. I'm waaay too addictive personality and cannot just take them as I should for pain.

I go see the doctor November 11th for my prescription and I know I'll long be out of pills before then. thats how it goes, a months supply gone in two weeks for me. Right now I take between 3-4 20 mg oxys a day, I am so ashamed of what I've become - I snort them to boot.

I am going to ask the doctor to help me taper off these things and pray that the pain shots will help my back so after I'm off of oxys I will have some sort of pain relief. Any feedback from you guys would be appreciated. This group was a huge part in me getting clean last time, I just wish Ihad been smart enough to know better then to ever take another opiate again but I wasn't. I hope this time I can truly beat this addiction and get my life back for my sake and the sake of my two beautiful little angels. They deserve a mommy free of addictions.

[kim715]

Just wanted to offer my support and congratulate you on wanting to take control of your life back for you and your babies.Keeping you in my prayers,hoping you get some relief from the shots.Please keep posting.We're right here to help you through this...All the best...Kim

[Charetti]

I have come to realize that the oxys have actually made me more apt to have severe pain.  I realized it a few years back when I got my flu shot and it hurt big time, more than it should of.  That makes me wonder if the pain I am having is as bad as I think or does my body just intensivy it to get more oxys??

I have always had pain...bad back, headaches, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, etc etc.  But there was quite a few years that I didnt take narcotics to deal with it.  I did all the other things like massage, hot and cold compresses, physio, and so on.  I only started taking the narcotics when my 'emotional pain' went along with it!!

Does any of this ring true with you?  Of course I dont know your pain and I wont assume to understand it but just wanted to add my thoughts to this.

Best of luck and I am thinking of you!

I am currently tapering but its getting harder to take so I will have to go ct soon.  

[concerned621]

Hi, I suffer with chronic pain so I know what you are going through. However the previous message is something to think about.  Some times the pain we are having can be so confusing.  Pain is a combination of many things.  There is a book by Caroline Myss, "Why People Don't Heal And How They Can."  In the book she refers to the "pain body" that can  be physical pain but it can also refer to emotion pain.  Our body holds on to trauma we experience whether it be physical or emotional.  Pain develops for many reasons and we may hold on to that pain and not want to get rid of that pain for our own reasons.  And then we numb it with things like oxycontin.  Please try and figure out your pain.  What causes it? what started this addiction? what made you start to snort oxycontin? Look at those two beautiful children you mention.  Is this the life you planned for them or yourself.  Two people can take oxycontin and 1 gets addicted and the other does not so please try not to be so hard on yourself but don't let this go on any longer.  Your children do deserve a mommy free of things that take her away from them but this is a process that you will need to put time and energy in to.  It's part of who you are and you can beat this.
See if you can get with a pain clinic.  Having a bottle of pills at home is not an option for you but maybe a pain management specialist can come up with a plan for you.  Pain shots may or may not work and they sometimes work for a period of time.  Try to avoid surgery but if that is something you need pain injections will help the surgeon identify the area that needs done surgically.
I wish you the best.