Hydrocodone Addiction

[hulahunie]

Two months ago my mother in law had emergency surgery and was in the hospital for a month.  She was on morphine and then on Hydrocodone.  She came home and we are constantly going back and forth to the er.  On our last vist she was out of pain meds and told me to take her to the er as she was having chest pains and shortness of breath.  The dr. sent her home Friday night.  We got her script filled at 11:30 pm of Hydrocodone 10/500 she had 30 pills.  Monday morning she only had 2 left.  Do I confront her doctor when we go back for her dr. visit and let him know what is going on?  I do believe she has become addicted.  

[Just Surfin' In]

Have either of you heard of anyone complain of their eyesight getting worse while on vic?  Just recently, before finding out about the addiction, my husband complained that his eyes were getting worse.  I swear I thought I saw someone mention it in one of the forums, but I haven't seen it again.  Just curious.  My brain is so overloaded right now and I feel like I AM on a rollercoaster!

thank you so much.....8

[fishmeal]

Hi this is pre-written for new people… hope this helps:

It’s good to come clean with your doc concerning your desire to get off.  Ask him to prescribe clonidine, (not klonopin), and ativan.  These will help with sleep, RLS and anxiety.  These are best to try before formal detox and drugs like Suboxone.  I had to do formal detox because I tried everything else, including alcohol to get off and nothing worked for me.  Keep in mind that when you try… make it a good one!  Have some time off of work if you can… maybe a four day weekend or more.  Make the last day of work without any drugs, because the first day is usually the easiest.  Try your best to get clean and stay clean because the other methods require more potent drugs and you have to come off of those.  I am still on Suboxone and am a little worried about that… It does work well but the jury is out on, “At what Cost.”  I also learned while in detox, that the mind can psychosomatically create pain to “get’ the drug.  Another was that healing while using opiates greatly diminishes.  I would have sores on my hands that would take way too long to heal.
Best
Fish
I have to say this from the bottom of my heart,  Please do not keep playing around with these drugs they are very powerful ….. kinda like heroin in a pill and just as hard to get off once you attain the, "addicted" status.

[beachtowel]

Toradol, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is used to relieve moderately severe, acute pain. It is prescribed for a limited amount of time (no more than 5 days for adults and as a single dose for children), not for long-term therapy.....................
It is suppose to be very good for lower back problems............

[FLaddict]

yes you seem to be handeling it just fine.. He did not get as deep into the abuse of them as some of us have.. He will mainly have mental and emotional symptoms.. Talking about it will help him.. that is why I suggested the addicion specialist..Just take preventitive measures to keep this from happening again.. Which you seem to be doing..

Best of luck to you and your family as you fight this..

[Just Surfin' In]

he was taking one 500 mg two or three x's per week (mon - fri) from mid april - june...then in july when i started having a few health issues, pressures at work etc....he started taking one daily or almost daily during the week, but not on the weekend.  i am not sure it is physical as much as mental dependancy.  total, 43 were taken, 19 flushed today.  he hasn't taken one since friday before last.  was off work on vacation all last week here at the house, just painting etc.  finally told me saturday. only problem he has had is problem sleeping, but that seems to has passed.  back to work today, went fine.  guilt is killing him.  told our grown daughter sunday.  made an appt. with a Phd who is experienced in this, appt is thurs.  are we doing this right??

[FLaddict]

Yes Torodol is not narcotic.. they give it alot for pain in addicts.

The flexiril should be ok.. I would keep all questionable meds in your close possession.. Like if you work you could keep the fiorinal there and only keep one or two in your purse.

What are his plans for getting off the pills.. you said earlier that you flushed them.. If he has been taking them daily he will have withdrawl symptoms.. If he starts to have withdrawl I would get him to his doctor..  they could give him clonidine that helps ease the symtpoms of withdrawl it is a anti hypertensive.. It helps alot. I would also talk to him about seeing an addiction specialist.

[Just Surfin' In]

thank you.  the immitrex usually takes care of the migraines.  you can only take two in a 24 hour period, so the fiorinol is just a back up, once in a while two imitrex just doesn't do it...and i'll take a fiorinol.  i called wal greens and i was wrong, the flexeril does NOT have cod in it...but it is a muscle relaxer, is that ok, or not?  i talked to a drug counsilor earlier and he said that my husband could take a drug called Toradol for back pain from now on.  have you heard of it?

thank you so much.  this is all very scary to me.  back in '02 before surgery i had a hard time getting him to take a vicodin, and he was in horrible pain, so this is freaking me out!

[FLaddict]

The imitrex is fine but I would can the cough syrup and flexiril with codeine... If you feel you may need the fiorinol.. can you keep it somewhere out of the house where he can't find it??  I would hate for you to get a migraine and suffer..
If you  have any other questions about drugs in the house.. I can help while Beachtowel is at work..

[Just Surfin' In]

husband just told me that he has a vic addiction/dependency.  has been going on for approx. 8 months.  19 were left in the bottle, they have been flushed.  what else in the house needs to go?  
i have fiorinol for migraines, but i have imitrex, so i can ditch the other.  hydrocodone cough syrup, is it safe to have it around, or is that a temptation?  flexeril with cod??  please advise!!  thank you!

[beachtowel]

I left my Yahoo user ID incase you would like to talk in private......and not post it here......

[hulahunie]

First concerned son but then it exelated into a yelling match.

[beachtowel]

Did he talk to her like a cop or a concerned son.........

[hulahunie]

My husband tried talking to his mother about it and she became all defensive.  The other issue is we think she has had this problem long before the surgery but kept it from us.  When we took her to the er back in June where she had emergency surgery I found a bottle of Hydrocodone 10/650 120 pills were prescibed on May 24th.  The day we took her to the er it was June 2nd and the bottle was completely empty.  

[hulahunie]

Thanks,
I am at work now but on my lunch.  my yahoo is hulahunie.  Thanks

[beachtowel]

I have to go to work but I will check in to see if you have added any posts.....
A little history would be very helpful.........

My yahoo IM is beachtowel1

If you would like to talk later...........

I was an addict for 37 yrs....and have been sober for over 19 months.....
I have also had two years of formal addiction education and now attending U of D mercy
major in Addiction studies......

I might be able to help and am more than willing to try........
All I promise is my experience, knowledge and total honesty........

[beachtowel]

Pain is the biggest justification for narcotic abuse.........

The euphoric feelings also help with many other issues that cause all kinds of pain.........

Addiction is both physical and psychological........and many times the drug feeds both........

I wouldn't run to the doctor and snitch her out you will only become the enemy add more
to the problem.........

If you close or if your not sit and talk with her......try to find out what the core issues are so
that you can understand what is going on with her.......

Try what do you have to loose...........