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Vicodin Problems
My friend is "supposively" recovering from 7+ years of vicodin abuse.
She "says" she is detoxing herself and doesn't need rehabilitation treatment, nor can she afford such treatment.
She does not have insurance... She doesn't even have her own bank account. She is married and her husband confronted me the other day saying he thinks she is high again. She had left and when she came back while I was speaking to her she was falling asleep. Her pupils were super small and she kept saying she was tired. She was arrested 2 months ago for a DUI, she ran several stop signs and hit a car in a parkinglot while under the influence of not only vicodin, but some other sleeping pill that her doctor prescribed her (I do not remember the name) and some stomach medicine, that she still takes to this day. She has easy access to the drugs, as her doctors have diagnosed her with fibromyalga (sorry if I spelled that wrong)... She told her doctors after she got arrested that she wasn't doing the narcotics anymore and wanted them to keep her away from them, which they have BUT, he brother, who is a type 2 diabetic, he is given those same drugs and I suspect she may be taking them but I can't tell how I would know for sure. Is there any sure signs, because I've asked her and of course, once and addict, always an addict, she is most likely lying to me. Thank you!
She "says" she is detoxing herself and doesn't need rehabilitation treatment, nor can she afford such treatment.
She does not have insurance... She doesn't even have her own bank account. She is married and her husband confronted me the other day saying he thinks she is high again. She had left and when she came back while I was speaking to her she was falling asleep. Her pupils were super small and she kept saying she was tired. She was arrested 2 months ago for a DUI, she ran several stop signs and hit a car in a parkinglot while under the influence of not only vicodin, but some other sleeping pill that her doctor prescribed her (I do not remember the name) and some stomach medicine, that she still takes to this day. She has easy access to the drugs, as her doctors have diagnosed her with fibromyalga (sorry if I spelled that wrong)... She told her doctors after she got arrested that she wasn't doing the narcotics anymore and wanted them to keep her away from them, which they have BUT, he brother, who is a type 2 diabetic, he is given those same drugs and I suspect she may be taking them but I can't tell how I would know for sure. Is there any sure signs, because I've asked her and of course, once and addict, always an addict, she is most likely lying to me. Thank you!
I am a nurse. I am also an addict with 19 days of sobriety from extreme abuse of Norco for more than 5 years. If she is taking Phenergan for her stomach, that is an old addict's trick of taking Phenergan with a narcotic pain med to enhance the "high". I cannot personally imagine going thru detox and being "sleepy"! Miserable, thrashing around in the bed, praying for death as a sweet release, all of the above, but NOT dozing off! Most of us who do detox on our own can't stay far enough away from the bathroom to get cozy enough to fall asleep! Not for weeks. More importantly, until she is ready herself to go thru the screamin' pookies, restless leg sydrome, and endless insomnia, etc. It is doubtful she is all in on this gig. Just don't get caught enabling her.
What is the reason why you need to look for signs of use? I think you need to support your friend and instead of trying to catch her "using", maybe you can give her a window to crawl through so she can stop...
Once an addict, always an addict. This is very true. However I will say that it is the addicts choice to either use or not use. But once they choose to use, they cannot control the usage due the the nature of the disease. Nobody wants to be an addict, it just sneaks up on you. Once it does it is a lifetime battle, just like diabetes or any other disease. What your friend needs more than anything is your support and understanding, so bless you for reaching out for help. Trust me when I say your friend doesn't want to lie to you. She is embarrassed at her own inability to control herself and doesn't want to be judged.
Signs of abuse are different person to person depending on how much, how long and what they are using. Usually either hyperactivity or sleepiness. Pinpoint pupils, sweating, talkative or zoning out. If she is taking phenegran for her stomach that will make her sleepy. Most people get an energetic feel good feeling from opiates, so if she is mixing the two, that would explain her being tired. Either that or she is nodding off from coming off them. But some people it makes them sleepy.
Signs of abuse are different person to person depending on how much, how long and what they are using. Usually either hyperactivity or sleepiness. Pinpoint pupils, sweating, talkative or zoning out. If she is taking phenegran for her stomach that will make her sleepy. Most people get an energetic feel good feeling from opiates, so if she is mixing the two, that would explain her being tired. Either that or she is nodding off from coming off them. But some people it makes them sleepy.
Please be there for her. She needs you now more than ever! Let her know your there to support her, yes she may fall or she may make it but we still love them. It is a disease.
Well small pupils is a side affect to pain pill use so is falling asleep in the middle of a conversation...so it is possible for sure..there are rehab she can go to that don't cost a lot of money..maybe family can help her financially? Sounds like she is going to need an intervention...there are a few nurses on here I hope they see this they can probably give you more symptoms to look for although I am an addict I never took note of how people saw me when I was using. I wish you all the best with your friend and I will keep her in my prayers. Please keep me posted...
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