Low Dose Hydrocodone Addictive?

[stupidhydro]

Hi - I've been on a scrip for hydrocodone for about a year, only 2 10/500 pills/day. Is that an addictive quantity of the drug? I normally quite taking them for a few days like every other month or so - haven't ever noticed any effect other than probably some imagined joint pain. Nothing like the horror stories posted here for certain.

Probably like everyone else, I do get "stoned" off of them infrequently - ie take 4 at a time. But that was more frequent in the beginning, as now abusing them really doesn't give me any perceivable high. Plus it makes me nauseous. And I don't want to rot out my liver with acetaminophine, so that keeps me in check.

I've just been reading some scary stories on here, so I thought I'd be better off not getting addicted than running the chance of dealing with any problems down the road.

I quit taking them yesterday - haven't really had any issues yesterday or today, not even joint pain this time.

So I think I'm cool, but thought I'd run it past people who might have been afflicted with an addiction to make sure I'm not headed down a dark alley. Better to be safe than sorry.

[stupidhydro]

Thanks again for all the help. I'm most definitely addicted to cigs - when I quit, the cravings are pretty desperate. I think I'm being proactive about the hydro - well actually it's just a nauseating annoying drug for me at this point, so there is no craving for that.
Finding out that it was the stupid drug that was making me snappy, irritable, and tossing me into that depression... that's pretty much the last straw.
For me, it's probably more one the level of drinking. I like to get drunk, but I don't like it so much that I drink that often. Drinking makes you sick, too - just like the hydro for me - so it has a "built in" prevention.
I didn't even think the pills could be addictive at such a low dose, so I was just going along with the plan. I got angry when they were withheld, not because I wanted them, but because I was being treated like an addict. So I handed the pills back, along with some abusive language toward the dude who was helping me out in the first place. Doesn't do him any good whether I take them all or not.
So I thought, "hey, that wasn't cool" - so I came here to see what was up - and it was definitely an eye-opener. If it weren't for the stories and advice here, I'd still be going down that path.
But I stopped with zero hesitation, no cravings or withdrawal - plus they suck for me anyway.
I guess I'm weird - my body, after the first few "experiences", seemed to adapt pretty fast, then there was "no love" from taking them, then I got caught taking 7 to try to get high, got warned that the dumb things would kill me taking them like that... ended up stupid sick and nauseous, way more side effects than pleasure.

Anyway, prior to all this, a friend of mine gave me a morphine tab. I vomited profusely for like 2 hours - he was laughing about it. Said he told me not to take the whole thing, but it was a litte red tablet the size of a chiclet... And he did NOT tell me not to take the whole thing.

So I'm not down with opiates. Apparently, I had my "experience" - and that's all she wrote. It's not fun, it makes me sick - screw that. I just don't like drugs and drugs don't like me - it's always been that way, since college :)

I don't like pot, I don't like uppers or downers, I don't even like drinking that much - and I won't even touch acid or any of the "scary drugs" because I've had such bad reactions to everything else.

But thanks again for all of the sage advice - and to everyone for sharing their stories, cuz I'm definitely "scared straight" :)

[sadinmichigan]

I am so glad to hear that..These pills are sneaky little things and before you know it you are in a vicious battle with them.i sure don't want that to happen to you. I am about to quit smoking again..that is another battle..but we can do it..right?  I am so glad that you have found this forum and have learned alot and hopefully enough to spare you from the horrible cycle of addiction..you sound like you have alot going for you and you have a good head on your shoulders..I will definately be praying for you!! and thankyou!! if you ever want to talk i am here for you too!..Lisa

[worried878]

dude...u sound in control...shelving them means u r not done tho...it is like when u quit smoking and dont tell anyone in case u cave and smoke...so no one will b!tch atcha ..u r saying i can do these one day but for now i am not...maybe u r not addicted but if u r here then the thought has crossed ur mind...it is hard for me to say as i can not "shelf" narcs and just leave them there....u may be being proactive about all of this...dont end up like one of the stories on here...dont be my story either...u will grab them off that shelf within the next week...i am willing to lay odds on it..i will shut up now

[stupidhydro]

Also, I told my friend what I had learned here - so he's not giving them to me, so I can't get them anyway. Again, very sorry for the stupid remark.
But I have to leave here now cuz I keep reading these stories and it makes me feel bad for everyone - how are the people who take 25 pills a day alive? They need a sticky on here about liver transplants.
My friend told me 7g would kill me dead - less if my immune system was down.
Anyway, thanks to everyone. I'm not coming back cuz I'm not good at reading about stuff that's bothering me - when I quit cigarettes for 3 years, I started out on a forum, then had to quit cuz it was driving me nuts. I did better removing myself.
So enough talk about hydro for me - just appreciate the advice very much, though and I hope everyone continues to be well or gets well soon.

[stupidhydro]

sadinmichigan - I'm sorry - my remark about "keeping them for fun" was thoughtless - it would be like going on a "stop smoking" forum and suggest keeping cigarettes around for fun. if I could edit the past post, I'd delete that.

at any rate, I'm definitely shelving them for a month. and if I crave any in the meantime, I'll flush 'em down the toilet.

but I think I've steered clear so far of any addiction - probably thanks to my friend. if they were anything like a pack of cigarettes, they'd already be flushed.

i'd have to go into the doc for a refill in a couple of weeks - so I won't do that, which gives me like a dozen or so left. so I think I'm cool with it, but I apologize for the remark as I HATE nicotine and it totally owns me. sorry about that.

[narkz]

exactly.  they lay in the weeds and before u know it it's like i've got this it's only one more pill. and then that one more pill becomes consistent.

some of us stop there, most don't.  one more turns into 25 a day.

The sh!t becomes part of your chemistry like the monkey pulling the crack lever instead of food.  it's like ur brain needs it to function properly.  i've been off for the better part of a year at times and still there are periods where u are like jeezus i crave a narc right now.

during an off time my dad showed up w/ some percs for his back and i took one or two a day and then he went back home and it was no big deal.  stayed off for months.  this is a weird drug, sometimes it's so right in the moment but it's like a deal w/ the devil

[J_friend]

Well, the good news is that you're not taking that much, my friend.  However, only you know  1.) how much you really NEED pain meds, and  2.) if they have a "hold" on your or not.    You may want to look at why you came here in the first place - there's probably part of you who senses that this could become problematic.  If you can do fine without them (as far as pain management is concerned) ... I'd say it may be wise to put them away for good.  As I've shared, I've currently relapsed ... and I know I have quite a rough road when I pick myself back up again.  The power and control these pills have over me is amazing; and although I don't take an extraordinary amount ... there's no doubt that it is, indeed, a progressive thing.  I wish you the best, my friend.

[sadinmichigan]

why keep them for fun??? what kind of fun is that? You said so yourself in previous posts that they made you sick etc...why bother taking them at all? There are a ton of other things you can do for "fun"..

[stupidhydro]

Cool - I'm done with them. I'll probably save them up and keep them for fun.

Like narkz, the first few times was insane. Again, never done heroine - but I went on a "magic carpet ride". Never been repeated since.

Doctor told me I need them for pain management - and my quality of life is better with them than without them (ie I'm better addicted than in pain). But at this point, Aleve does the same job and not addictive.

They should make it illegal to prescribe this stuff long term.

I'm out - I need to stop thinking about them altogether -

It was also weird reading about the anger stuff - I've been pretty ill tempered lately, and didn't know that was why. Then the depression hit HARD, so I needed more of it....

Really stupid drug. In the future, I'll just treat it like it's any other narcotic. I don't like drugs anyway, and definitely don't need the negatives from this junk.

I wonder how many people are more open to this **** cuz they see House popping them all the time - and he's clever and witty, etc. I know it made me think they were probably less dangerous.

Live and learn. Thanks for all the great advice and much needed warnings.

[worried878]

very smart...i took them off and on for years for surgeries etc....and for years off and on before they got me....it is like they hit u at the right time and kick ur butt....i used to not even like them and remember throwing away scripts for them....things change...we change and the pills just kinda hang out a wait...like little demons or something  LOL...u r so lucky to have gotten smart and quit...i knew better and di not quit...my son worked at a methadone clinic and i am a nurse...i knew better...ur mind can play trix on u and u do not have to be stupid to get addicted...can happen to anyone...good 4 u

[hopsing94]

Stop now or you will be writing one of those scary stories. You have taken them long enough to acquire a dependecy so better be careful. If you are taking more than one at a time you are abusing. Please stop now, if you don't need them for pain then quit. You are playing with fire.

[narkz]

the first time i took these ***** was when i had wisdom extraction.  man, it was like i found jesus.  man, what a nice high.  and, one pill then could last for hours.

but i didnt like bein that high that long.  i once had 20mg OCs, full bottles of norcs, lortabs, like enough pills to get the town stoned and i didn't take but one every few days.  then it progressed.  divorce came, stresses, fkin this that the other thing.  one pill, another, ****, i don't wanna feel bad anymore.  these things took the bad feelings away, a great lift, serious improvement in mood, quality of life.

then, u start chipping higher doses.  eventually, it's one a day, why not, i can handle this.  and i was right, i could handle it.  i'd get 90 for a month and take 90 in a month.  3 a day, or 2, sometimes go a day without any and no w/d.  but these things start getting woven into your life.  lose a job, bang, onto the bottle.  get hurt, bottle.  come home after a rough day at work, hit a pill and it takes it away.

and they work.  but after chipping consistently for a long enough time they stop working.  the 2nd or 3rd pill of the day does jack.  the first hit is nice, lasts for an hour or so, but subsequent pills do nothing.  and, trust me, i been using this sh!t since 2002.  i am off now for the last couple weeks, got a little of the cold sweats, joint aches.  tapered, too, over 3 or 4 days from a dose of only like 2 or 3 percs a day.  this **** owns your chemistry after awhile.  

i got real sick before the last time i came off and i turkeyed b/c i ran out.  i had a bad flu and a sinus infection and needed 4 percs a day, or 6 just to get around past the 102 fever to feed the kids.  man, jeezus, when i ran out, that hurt like hell.  post-w/d depression is awful, it seems like the end.  but it fades after a few days.  this time i just tapered.  i'll be off for a while this time, who knows what the future holds.  the problem w/ these things is that they DO make u feel better...then u get into the 4th month on and it starts to come w/ a penalty.  i was getting depressions out of nowhere, probably fkin up the dopamine receptors or something, even while on.  when u hit that point, u have to come off, there's no way around it b/c the balance is no longer positive.  that's where i'm at now.  

[stupidhydro]

Yeah, I had a bout of deep depression about a week ago - at which point I was asking my friend to give me more of my medicine. So this week, he wouldn't give me my total weekly allowance - taking medicine back that I had "used up" when I was depressed - so I got ticked off.
The whole point of getting them doled out was to prevent me from abusing them - I don't see how anybody could resist it.
The FIRST few times I ever took them, I literally had an "out of body" experience. I laid still on the bed, left my body - I've never taken heroine, but I'm guessing it was the same deal?
But I don't get that any more if I abuse. It's just like this energy high with a slight floatiness - and then I get sick at my stomach, so I drink a big glass of chocolate milk and that kills the buzz :(

Overall, I think it's crappy medicine. Nobody who takes that **** isn't gonna get stoned - then, of course, they're gonna wanna get stoned again. So if you were weak or had access, you'd take a crapload of them.

My friend saw me take 7 at one time - and he was like "Dude, those things are loaded with Tylenol. You'll lose your liver if you do that."

And that was pretty much the end of my "high times" on hydro. I can't take enough to get "stoned" without killing myself most likely.

So now I've stopped taking them, for at least a week I guess to make certain I'm not hosed.

But seriously - screw this **** if it's gonna make my life worse. I'll just save up the stupid pills and take them like every other weekend (then I'll only need like 2) and have a party or whatnot.

Why do doctors prescribe this ****?

[narkz]

you wilal acquire a dependency on them. i took at most 3 or 4 a day for 5 or 6 years, never went off the deep end like most ppl who take the whole bottle, just 3 lortabs a day every day. the w/d sucks anyhow. your body misses them, they make it so much easier to get a little lift and manage stress, but even chipping low doses is a habit. eventually i've realized that they stop working. u still get a buzz and they kill the pain but it comes w/ a price; they start inducing depression effects. it's like they are trying to make you take more of them. i've been off here and there for 6 months at a time but when u fist get another hit and that warm pleasantness washes over you, you start craving that again and you end up back on.  objectively, i can afford this habit forever, but after bein on for a few months they stop really making things better and induce depressive brain chemistry i think.

[stupidhydro]

Thanks - I'm stupid addicted to nicotine - and going through that withdrawal process is like a never-ending hell. I don't need to add another drug to that list.

Any tips on how long I should stop taking it (like 3 days or a week) and at what intervals to avoid any possibility of addiction?

The reason I stopped yesterday was because I already had a friend doling them out to me - so I wouldn't try to get stoned. He treated me like I was a drug addict, so I told him to go f himself and handed him back my weekly allowance.

I figured if I was getting angry about it or reacting in any way - that was definitely weird.

I wouldn't raise a fuss about someone telling me I take too many vitamins :)

[road2recovery]

It might be a god sent that they make u nauseous....And u are so right about the liver thing....I never had that information yrs ago and wish i would of...You may have some disscomfort in the next couple days...But probably not bad...Congrats, on qutting!!!
r2r

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

You are very much right to keep your guard up. It sounds like you are the captain of your ship - but do be careful.