Vicodin

[FM44]

Can you become addicted to Vicodin in one week? My doctor put me on it for pain. Because I am sensitive to medications I only take 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night. I take Tylenol inbetween. I had what I might call withdrawl even though I didn't stop taking it. Suffer from depression and would really like to put a stop to the medication if that is what caused it.  My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest, chest pain, body shaking and scared. It lasted about 10 minutes and I felt like I might die. Or , was this a panic attack?
Thanks for your help

[Brighty]

I send you prayers and healing energy... am going to be off the forum a little bit... ***@**** if you are in any need. Love, Brighty

[PS >>>>Annie]

Thank you so much for your prayers and interests.  I was told when this mva occurred that I would have arthritis, but being young and invensible.....I didn't buy one bit of it.  I went on w/ my life for years, built two houses, had another child, and just kept going and going like the energizer bunny.  THen it happend.  I started having serious problems.  Partly due to the hardware, and Yep, I now have degenerative arthritis, in areas that are far beyond reach.  This is like a cancer that eats away at your joint tissue.  Considering over 20 broken bones.....I will develope many problems.  So from a physicans stand point, I will continue to get worse (maybe end up in a wheelchair) riddled w/ pain.  The x-rays show this happening now.  I had to finally come out of the clouds and down into reality.  I am finally coming to terms w/ it.  I will have to be under doctors care from here on out.  But what doctor????  Still looking.  WIsh me luck.  

Love ya!
Annie

[Brighty]

Thank you for an enlightening post that EVERYONE should see... but it's so far down on the board now that I doubt if many scroll this far down when they log in !!!

Your daily courage is inspirational... and I am appalled at what you have to go through. I would not tell you to not go to the streets except that you could become a criminal and then every attempt to do this will be subject to another violation... this is why people end up in jail ... and NO judge or proscecutor will every buy a line that you could not get what you wanted from  a pain management specialty practice even though you know the truth. They have you by the short hairs.

I hope you do not call yourself an addict since you are dependent on this drug to be functional.... there is a difference... and I can only offer my prayers that you will be healed. Do the medicine men believe there is hope of healing from a medical stand point ??

Love, Brighty

[PS >>>>Annie]

....You asked if there was anyway to test for pain: a tool or test of some sort.  Not really.  I can tell you this...I couldn't be released from the hospital after surgery, because my vitals were out of wack due to the pain.  They had to titrate the medication......and finally gave me morphine.  I suffered for 6 hours till this was given.  Then I got nauseaus from the morphine...go figure. lol  I was able to get up out of bed and get dressed.  Then able to go home.  Then the real nightmare hit.  Pain, very severe for 3 days.  I was only given 5mg. of hydrocodone.  It felt like someone was hammering nails into my leg from hip to knee.  "I shall survive" in the words of Donna Summer, and I did.  lol  
I hope this offered some understanding, although I have to tell you I still remain somewhat divided, at times, on this issue.  I feel the way you do.  Addiction IS a horrible thing to endure, but so is pain.

Annie

[PS >>>>Annie]

There are some new pain killers out there,but now w/ all the negative media and abuse...they won't be prescribed for long.  These meds were developed to be longer acting and safer on the liver.  Still highly addictive.  This is really all we have, now.  NSAIDS, are not pain-killers.  I was given that line of bullcrap too.  I know people have died on that stuff.  Tears your insides up to shreds.  NSAIDS are not the best choice for long term therapy.  Doctor's are killing some of their patients, when giving this stuff out like candy.

[PS >>>>Annie]

Thank you for your interest.  The sad part I have discovered is Pain mngmt, (where I live) is a joke.  I have gone to 2 clinics and have traveled as for as 80miles to one of them.  The first clinic was a joke.  The doctor came in and was quick to open my gown.  No other doctor had to do this, not even my ortho.  That's what x-rays are for.  Anyway, he wanted to do an injection while under x-ray in the SI joint.  I dropped him and never had it done, only to discover recently that this is to dangerous and won't work in my case.  The SI is very hard to reach in my situation.  My ortho told me this.  So God must be watching out for me.  OK, then there is "Doctor No it all" 80 miles away.  Told me NO NO to narcotics, and dammed anyone who would give them to me.  He made me spend money on braces, gadgets, and gizmos.  LOL  What a joke.  I haven't seen him in one year.  I've recently checked my provider directory and found 2 anesthesiologist (they are the ones that usually go into the Pain field), only to discover they have pulled out because their poor patients were becoming so dependant.  And they act like they feel for these patients, my ass.  They are worried about scrutiny from the DEA.  
Any way my pcp has prescribe some Vicodin, but I am made to feel like a criminal.  I have my Drivers license photocopied and I have to go through two nurses, and sometimes he makes me come in to see him.  Then I get all the "looks."  Never mind the fact that I shouldn't be driving when I am in pain. He never "calls" in a script.  They have to be picked up, so your DL can be photocopied.
Then there is my Orthopedist.  He has been treating me for pain the last few months, because I am post surgery.  I tell you I am tempted to go to the streets.  This is a mess.  I know there are many worse off than me, but what is being done.  The gov't is saying ok...it's time to stop ignoring chronic pain and treat it like a vital sign......but on the other hand they are hauling doctors in like criminals.  Doctor's have to report every script to the DEA.  They are scared to death.  All this talk about doctor feel good prescribing to be rich is a joke.  Any doctor that has the guts to prescribe a narcotic pain-killer is taking big risks, and doesn't get rich off of it.  That's a joke in itself.  The paperwork is enough to deter them.  
I have found a Rheumatologis on a chronic pain site.  His ofc. is in the next town.  I left a detailed msg.  w/ his nurse (recorded), asking if they treat degenerative arthritis also.  That was 3 days ago.....I guess the Post multiple trauma and degenerative arthritis part scared them off.  WOW....It sure felt good to get this off my chest...I hope I haven't bored you to death, lol.  Did I cover everything. lol  Thanks for your concern, it really helps.

Love, annie

PS...Pain specialist are supposed to be the educated ones on how to prescribe, what to prescribe, who to prescribe to, and how to wean off when necessary.  This has not been my experience here.