Percocet Concerns...

[strictlyforpain]

At first I thought I might be addicted to Percocet. After reading here what that really is I'm not even close. I've been taking 2 every four to 6 hours since 06/14/2007. I was treated in the E.R. for perhaps the most incredibly painful back muscle spasm (most painful thing ever for me) I've had. I have 3 herniated discs to go along with it, plus a narrow spinal column, plus degenerative disc disease from my original injury when I was 17 (I'm 33 now).

I've been using Percocet exactly as prescribed since June and I've been referred to a pain specialist. I'm extremely athletic, exercise 6 days a week (which really helps with back pain) and try to not let the pain interfere at all with my family. I still love sex, love my kids and enjoy chasing my wife around the house which leads me to believe that I'm not an addict but...

I'm having some stomach discomfort and I haven't had a firm stool in months. I take 8 a day and there's just no way it clogs me up of course after the 1st week that went away. I also have started to get achiness to the touch around my stomach and the backs of my arms and legs. I'm not sure it's connected to the Percocet and Soma but then again taking them in stacked doses around the clock I'm beginning to wonder.

This week I'm going to taper off (starting tomorrow) down to zilcho Perc/Soma and see how it goes. I want to go drug-free for 2 to 4 weeks and see if I start to feel like super man again. I'll probably be in the mother-of-mothers of pain but Percocet scares the hell out of me and all the more so having done a brief bit of reading here. Sounds like a scary little thing to become the servant of. Not me. I don't drink, don't smoke, I have zero addictions except those involving the opposite sex... my wife. :)

So my questions are:

1. From what I can read the stomach sensitivity is most likely from the Percocet right?
2. The tenderness of the skin (while not a symptom of Percocet) may be a sign of liver and endocrine stress??? Is that possible?
3. I'm itchy as all get-out at times on my back and only my back. Very strange. I use a spaghetti fork to keep it at bay but I'm sure that will subside as well.

I sometimes skip doses just to keep my body off the hook and it doesn't seem to disrupt sleep with or without. Following some cortisone injections ... man talk about a disruption of sleep. I'd rather be hooked on Percocet than go through that again. I don't think the cortisone was a good match for me.

Anyway... I think I'm on the right track in making sure I don't get snared. I'm not the least bit worried about coming off... I did it for 4 weeks prior to the injections (2 of them) to see if the injections would really help (nope, no change). So I just wanted to get some of you veteran users to offer any counsel you might have. Have you experience similar symptoms?

I also do not want to B.S. myself or anyone else at all. I've been taking this drug 20/650 (2 EA of the 10/325) every 4 hours for 6 months. I don't feel addicted. I do get a tiny buzz from it but it usually last about 30 minutes and tapers off to nothing. Am I at risk for addiction? I exercise like a feind and sweat profusely for 2 hours a day. I've lost 90 pounds and I'm fighting to get my life back from obesity (down from 264 pounds to 177 pounds and feeling good). Am I at risk from this drug? I hate the pain which is intense but should I just quit this time and walk away for good?

What other options are out there for pain management. The percocet doesn't kill the pain it just makes me comfortable to write software. I'm self employed and pain doesn't help me to write well structured source code at all.

Please chime in with comments, concerns our alternatives. I've never been addicted to anything and I'm extremely strong willed. I'm severely opposed to addiction or addictive behaviors but from what I've read it looks like Percocet will totally eat you up if you don't watch it. I only use it as prescribed so I guess I'm okay but am I really?

Thanks in advance to all of you! Your blunt, brutal and terrifying honesty was a real eye opener to the dragon I'm dancing with every time I open the bottle and I'm not comfortable with that anymore.

You guys are great and I'll openly accept any advice or stories you may have. Also like to know if anyone has had a matched set of symptoms especially the achy skin.

- Concerned User But Strictly For Pain Not Pleasure -

[GoingToMakeIt]

You asked several questions. Are you at risk? Yes, but you already know that. Itching is a side effect  to  these drugs. The acheiness  could be from low magnesium, potassium & or calcium. Or w/ds if it is many hours after a dose. Pain does actually increase on the meds. It's hard to believe but it is true.
You mentioned other ways to manage pain. This is so tough. If you can find  a chiropractor that practices the B.E.S.T. technique. I would highly recommend it. There are things like neuro-feedback, acupuncture etc..
The stomach pain concerns me but since you are quitting, see if that goes away too. Otherwise get it checked out.
Lastly, remember that Ultram is a synthetic opiate and is addicting too. You sound like you will do fine. Good Luck to you.

[strictlyforpain]

You are exactly right. I was warned about it before they gave it to me. They said it was a taper drug. Here's how it was put to me.

Cold Turkey The Percocet
Take the Ultram
Take the Ultram
Drop one pill on the Ultram
Then drop another and so on.

It was given to me as a mid-point to detoxifiy with. I just had a PM chat with someone else and they said to watch out for it (Ultram, Toramadol) as well. I got their point and think I'll taper down the Percocet to nothing and walk away at least for a month. I want to see if my body will take over and moderate the pain on it's own. The first time I had this problem (1992) nobody gave me a thing for pain and nothing worked. I took 4 advil every 6 hours and I destroyed my stomach but didn't take any stricly narcotic medications. My body just worked it out on it's own after 3 or 4 years.

Now I'm just going to go back to there and start over. It'll work out.

[wait2long]

GOOD FOR YOU!!!  you keep it in check and if you find that you dont need them then dont take them...
one other thing i want to mention, the ulltram, is this one of the drugs doctors have said was not addictive, but it really is?  or am i wrong...i think i have heard people discussing their addiction to ulltram, ultracet, tramadol...i could be wrong, dont quote me.
i am hoping somebody else will see this who knows...because i dont...just be careful with anything!!

[allaboutmary]

My advise to you both, is to stop taking them for 10 days and re-evaluate your pain. Pain does increase while on the pills . I used for 5 years and was constantly uping my dose's because pain just kept getting worse. After about 10 days off the pills my pain was so much better. Now I just take a few advil.
Stricklyforpain -  You might not be mentally addicted but are probably physically dependent. You will most definatley have withdrawal symptoms so be prepared.  Like myself , many here have started using for legit pain and worked our way into full blown addiction.  Please try and get off them now before it gets any worse.
The pills also made me itch and have strange bowel movements, but I don't know what the pain behind your arms is. 8 pills a day is getting up there and you are no doubt headed for trouble.
Congrats on the weight loss !  Any tips for me in that area ?
Keep reading and posting you will learn a whole bunch.  Mary

[wait2long]

hello again...good to see you post and asking questions.  when you are having these symptoms, is it when you are off the percocets or while you are taking them?  the itchiness is part of the buzz factor, well it was for me, if my nose and body got real itchy, that meant i had a good buzz on, but that eventually faded away and stopped happening completely. the stomach discomfort and skin sensitivity could be withdrawal symptoms IF they are happening when you stop the meds, if not maybe you should talk to your doctor about this...i would hope you dont have another underlying condition that the pain meds could be masking...worth checking into..
and to be honest with you, i would have to say you are definately at risk for addiction, if you arent already...or chemically dependant. people who take pain meds because it comes to quality of life for some, usually end up with a chemical dependent problem...i guess there IS a difference, but i went past that point...so do some research on it,  read all you can about addiction and dependency, maybe you will be able to find some answers. also if you are really worried about this...talk to your doctor about any other alternatives that might be available that are non-addictive....i am currently looking into neurontin or lyrica for my fibromyalgia...
so glad you decided to stick around...wait2long....

[jesusfreak911]

My "addiction" started out this way as well. Herniated discs in my back, L4 and L5, back in March 2007. I take my meds "as directed" but know that my body has become dependent on the medicine. I've found NO total relief from the pain and am just finding that the original dose of Lortab 10/650 q4h is not working as well as it used to. So do I allow my doctor to "up" my dose for pain management or give it a go on my own before my "addiction" gets any worse?

[strictlyforpain]

If you are wanting to lose weight there's no better time than now to start. I started out really slowly. I think like any very difficult thing the key word is "taper". I tapered into it instead of off of it. I started riding a recumbent bike (back pain) very slowly not even breaking a sweat for 15 minutes a day. Did that for 2 weeks then added 15 more. At the end of a month I increased the intensity to a deep sweat and kept pumping. I also added 1 set of 10 different weight exercises on day 30. Then I just slowly kept turning it up until I was addicted to exercise and yes it's very true you get addicted.

Today I have an elliptical trainer in my home. I use it 6 days a week for 1 hour every day. I keep my heart rate at 85% of my maximum for 1 hour and I will at times spike it to 90% of my maximum. I take Sundays off. I lift weights for an additional 60 minutes on M-W-F and that's what I have done for the last 4 years.

I would be lying if I didn't tell you the greatest weight loss came after getting an elliptical trainer at Costco. I am a huge Animal Planet and Discovery Channel fan and I watched hours of shows on those channels I even like some of the cooking channel shows. All in all if you combine cable T.V. with a D.V.R. and an elliptical trainer your chances of success should be outstanding.

Do I watch what I eat? Not really. I knew that my body would take over in that area. My appetite has dropped a lot. I believe I was eating about 6000 calories a day when I was 264 and I was averaging about 20 pounds a year in extra weight. Now I eat maybe 1500 calories a day and 1800 just has me totally stuffed to the point I'm a bit sick from being too full.

I dropped soda pop and sugary mocha's right away and haven't looked back. I do need my caffeine hit so I use a product I buy of Ebay from Advocare called Spark. I would say that Spark has had the biggest influence on my life as it allowed me to get totally knackered exercising and gave me a fuel source to stay alert until bed time following strenuous workouts. At this time today my workouts no longer tank me out. I feel a bit of fatigue at the end of the day but it's not much at all.

- Rex

[strictlyforpain]

Wow! That's a message I kind of needed to hear. Yes the medicine made losing the weight possible as it kept the pain under control. I think I'm just scared of "The Monkey" that Percocet can become and I don't want that to be my story. All my life I have been a combatant in life and I have lead the charge never looking back and never having any regrets. I have always attempted to be the very best I could be so that others could benefit. I've survived one of the most rigorous physical selection processes. I have kept a dying child alive for 3.5 years and we just celebrated her 6th birthday (12/20) and she is doing well. I was laid of (because of sick child), we lost our home, we lost everything. I had to say $*#( IT!!! I had to adapt to life and tell myself "The only easy day was yesterday." and sometimes I added "and yesterday you were slacking off." I entered the world of self-employment writing software for companies all over the world and teaching people how to write premium software. I've rebuilt my family and I am a gladiator. I will not back down. My life is passion and warfare. I have passion for my family and will choose warfare every time to fight for them and give them all I can. It's the greatest achievement a man can know to be a father and a husband and to do those things proudly.

I'm strong. I'm motivated and "No" just isn't an option in my life. Neither is "rest" or "maybe" and if someone says, "You cannot!" stand back I'm coming through like a train. Someone here mentioned running with telephone polls and to that I say, "Step back, you ain't seen nothing yet."

To me life is a constant battle to stay razor sharp. I've dedicated myself to serving my family as it's the only way to keep horribly obnoxious pride in check. I have to put them before me or my head will explode with stupidity.

Speaking of stupidity that's why I am here. I want none of that. I want to stay a warrior. I want to be deadly accurate and no mistakes. I want to walk the razor's edge and never lose balance. That's why I've got to be very careful. I'm dancing with a dragon and the dance could have terrible outcomes.

I actually needed to hear your words of encouragement it was inspiring and I kind of need that today of all days. A new year a fresh start and a ripe initiative to take the fight to the dog and stay on top.

Thanks a bunch!

[nogie1717]

1.  The stomach pain is from the acetamenophine (sic)
2.  Not sure
3.  Itching is probably from the percs, just my experience.

Some people need pain pills to get by in life.  Be PROUD for not abusing them.  It seems like they have given you the capacity to lose weight and work hard.

I do not think you are an addict.  If you have concerns, talk to your doc.  Some people are on meds all of their adult life and never deviate from their prescription.  Addiction and dependence are two ENTIRELY different things.  Know the difference.

There is my public service announcement.

[strictlyforpain]

From what I've read here I don't have much choice. I either buck it or slide deeper.

[1eagle]

Just since you are a squid I had to chime in. You are getting some really good advice here - just cause you could swim and run with a phone pole on your shoulders doesn't mean that you can't fall to these pills. Be very careful - even the doc's don't know it all, all the time. Like your advice about the ultram - many of the doc's will still try and tell you that its not a narc and blah - blah. Best of luck to you - I do think that you will be able to handle this......

[strictlyforpain]

I plan on start my 1 month "clean-up" today. I've been able to do this twice in the past. I try to use the medication for 3 months stop for 1 use it again for 3 and stop for 1. That ratio is off this time because after 2 months I'm worried about addiction. So I'm going to phase out over the next six days. I take 2 every 4 hours. Right away I'm going to cut down to 1 every four hours. Then I'm going to drop 1 afternoon dose and so on over the next 6 days. My pharmacist says if I cut off slowly over 6 or 7 days I should be fine. The last time I stopped cold turkey with no phase-out and had zero WD symptoms. I could try that again but I don't want to have WD if I don't have too.

I'm stubborn as hell. So my plan is to work out my dose over the next 6 days. Give the rest to my wife for safe keeping and just trug along for a month using Voltarin and Ultram. Ultram sucks but it's better than nothing and it's not an opiate/narco so I'm thinking it's a good plan. Trouble is every time a storm from moves in or out my pain doubles. But... having made it through Navy SEAL selection I think I can handle a little pain for a month. Perhaps a bit longer even... :)

If it's not bad then I'm not coming back to Percocet at all. It's a pretty scary thing and I know I'm somewhat addicted. I don't think you take 2 every 4 hours for 6 months and don't get addicted in some way.

But! Now it's time to fight the good fight and win! Here goes.

[oxyaddict420]

exercizing for 6 days out of the week is a good way to start losing wieght.. I know I dont exercise a total of 6 hours in a week... great job on the weight loss, but you are at least dependant on the pills, and will prob.. go through withdrawl by going off them. GOOD LUCK