addicted to hydro

[meeshie69]

Aloha from Hawaii. I am reaching out for help. I broke my foot and demolished my heelbone on June 2007. Had a double fusion surgery which was unsuccessful and now am dealing with a foot that is still broken. Needless to say I have been on Hydrocodone 10/325 for almost 17 months and I am still in major pain but cant stand what is happening to my body. I have lost too much weight and I feel so scared each day that I just might not have that "pill" to get me thru the day. All orthos have left the island now and I have a doctor who still gives me my meds to help me. I just got an apt. for a pain addiction doctor here  and I see him on Dec. 4th. Friends of mine tell me I should be on methadone but I dont know if this is safe. Does anyone know what this is or what it does. I am not only freakn out about withdrawing but mostly of how to deal with the oncurring nonstop pain I am in. I just woudl like to see if someone out there knows where I am coming from or might have some advice. Mahalo from Hawaii

[meeshie69]

Thanks  for your advice. I take it to heart. Sometimes it is hard when you have a boyfriend and friends who just "Dont get it" . Support is hard to find and you guys here are absolutley great. Listening to advice from those that have been thru it makes it much more worth listening to. Mahalo

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

I am also a chronic pain patient.... and I am very sorry, but we dont have  a magic bullet for pain quit yet ......would be nice though.... in my research i contiually find that methadone is the answer  chronic pain that we now have in the medica materia ---- long half life and serum life mean less doseing for the patient and longer pain relief for the patient ------ and methadone appears to be the most gentle on other body parts and other organs that are damaged by our drug use......if you must be on a 24/7 narcotic for pain relief, methadone is a good choice......I also thought that I might need that type of help for awhile - but i find now that I can go longer without a rx pain pill than I ever would have thought. and the pain is actually increased by our own nervous systems as they become dependant on them and need more to function, just as we addicts do...... think about it some - it all does make sense......take comfort in the facts that you arent on as higha dose as most that showup here are on....and you dont have a forty year history of use to take care of ..... you asked about sub - i did it for pain, it is called Temgesic in Europe and is prscribed for pain.... For me and oain relief - the sub may as well have been a pez dispensor. If you are looking for somthing for more than three weeks, look a little longer .........narcotics are not an adquate answer yet - there are many alternatives you can follow that range fron acupuncture ti tai chi ---- and some work well, while others ar just markting ploys....painis big business in the USA and its a lrge money mker fir the big corps....

[meeshie69]

Thanks for responding. I am currently taking about 5 pills a day. I am supposed to have another fusion surgery again because I am still on a broken non-fused foot. I am not even sure if the pain killers help anymore. Everyday, especially after working all day on my foot and still wearing an ortho boot I come hope in major pain and the swelling is pretty narly. My foot and leg turns blue and after several hours of leaving it non weight bearing it gets a little more tolerable. They cant do the surgery until the bone is stronger, it is too brittle right now.
I just want to do the right thing and the docs around here seem to just want to keep you medicated. I am sure it is because that is what they are trained to do and now I am really scared on my next move. Again, hearing all these withdrawal stories kills me and I am scared out of my mind not only on how to deal with the pain after, but mostly of how to get thru it. Mahalo from Hawaii

[worried878]

u r small...but CT doesnt kill anyone as a rule...elderly perhaps with a heart condition on a very high dose could be a problem...is there anything u can do to fix ur foot?  or they can do?  that would be top on my list..pain pills only make most not care as much about the pain..it doesnt stop it only messes with the signals to the brain..how much are u on?  if this is going to be a chronic thing, then narcotics are not the way i would go about it...being a chronic pain patient myself...i did not choose this path after 4 long years of emotional pain..and believe me...life is good..better for sure

How much do u take each day

[meeshie69]

thanks to all of you and your responses. I am so up in the air on what to do. I just saw another doctor today who again, gave me another script for hydro and doesnt want me to get off of it until I see the pain specialist on Dec 4th and also because physical therapy is so painful. Does this subutox stuff help the pain? Is is better to go into the hospital for detox. This doctor today was worried because I am five foot 9 and weigh 109 and he thinks that I am too weak to just go cold turkey. HELP . I think I am freakn out

[helpjen]

Methadone is a long acting medication used for pain as well as addiction.  It gives less of a euphoria than other narcs, like your vicodin.  Only about 30% of is used by the body, but it sticks around alot longer in your system, so not the best drug for pain control, but has less addictive qualities.  Your body will withdraw from it though like it any other narc.  Hope this help a little

[10356]

Hi my name is lesa I too deal with foot pain I have 15 screws 3 plates and a wire holding it together... X-ray up in photos..  I had to make a decision stay on pain meds and watch my life fly out of control or take control of it myself.. Detox off hydros is the simplest route as Methadone and sub are very addictive.. I really had to weigh how much my foot hurt compared to how much I was hurting inside...   Only you know this.. I can tell you my foot hurts less then I thought it would... Think long and hard on this as you are your own best advocate.. I hope you find a solution that works for you... lesa

[wildwoodone]

whoops......I meant December 4th!

[wildwoodone]

There is another drug called Suboxone that is used for withdrawal and it is not as addicting as Methadone.  Go to Suboxone.com and read up on it.  You can also see if their is a doctor in your area that is certified to subscribe it.  With a little luck, the addiction specialist you are seeing October 4th is involved with it.  

[kim715]

I didn't take it for pain.I'm an addict and my drug of choice was hydro.I got on the methadone in an attempt to try and free myself from my addiction,big mistake.Going from hydro to methadone was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.In my opinion detoxing from the hydro and detoxing from the methadone aren't even in the same ball park..The methadone detox was so much worse.

[meeshie69]

By the way, thanks for responding. I appreciate you very much

[meeshie69]

I guess I am just scared of anything at this point. Did it help your pain and is it worse to get off of than hyrdro? I just want to do the right thing

[kim715]

I was on methadone for a over a year.I went cold turkey off of 25mgs 8 1/2 months ago.What do you want to know about it?