narcotic addiction

[J.B.]

I started taking prescripton pain meds 11 yrs ago after a car wreck.Looking back now I am sure that is where it started but if you had asked me two days ago I would have told you that the ordeal began within the last three years. I started having kidney stones ending up losing my right kidney after about 14 surgeries. A couple of doctors reccognized my addiction and sent me packing but like many others in this group I would just go somewhere else.Until I found out I had an uncanny ability to "create" my own prescriptions. That is when my addiction went full tilt(for the protection of others on this site I will not reveal what I did because I have not seen my way on any other site.)I was taking upwards of 30 a day and nobody was of the wiser. Well to make a long story short the insurance company sent a letter to my dr asking why he was prescribing so much and that is when I got busted. My family got involved and I did the requirements layed out for me by my attorney. I went to a professional detox center for ten days then to counselig and group therapy for 97 days. I was on top of the world. I had come off of my addiction even passed three stones with no medical intervention. I was going to go undr the first offender program and never have to worry about this stuff again.Since I am running out of room I will post again with part two.

[britney285]

HI. I'm sorry to hear about what you've gone through, but you must have taken a lot of pain meds for you to become hooked up. This is entirely opposite to what I've learned about narcotic based pain killers. What I know is that they don't cause addiction in the long run unless you "decide" your own prescription (which you did). My doc tells me to buy Norco every time my back hurts. It's effective and mild, but I see to it that I'm still following the prescription.

[Neurosurgeon187]

I take anything Narcotic. I had back surgery 6 years ago and have since lost my wife, kids, job, and live with my Mom in my mid-30s. I have no insurance and can create my scripts cause of my back. I am sick and tired of living this way amd cant find help unless you want to pay a crap load or have insurance. I have neither? Is this the end of me?

[peyton915]

I am a pharmacy tech (soon toI be pharmacist) and knowing the mechanism of action of narcotics, i would just like to say i understand it's difficult, however, people ARE willing to help you. I was working one night a few weeks ago with a pharmacist who was shot by a robber attepting to get hydrocodone. (also known as Lortab, Vicodin, Vicodin Es, and Hydromet) I dont think it needs to come to this, the sooner you get help, the better off you will be. Extended use of narcotics can be life threatening leading to kidney failure, cardiac arrest, liver disease, and not to mention the psycological effects.

Also, i would like to point out that pharmacists go to school for 8 years, have a PharmD and are most likely the "smart kid" you knew in highschool. We know when you are calling in a fake script. We are trained in every way possible to  know what is real-and what isn't. Most of the time the doctor is contacted and requests that we call the police.

Please. contact me if you need someone to talk to.
don't go through this alone.

[swain]

I started taking pain meds 23 yrs ago. I have ulcertive colitis and have never been in remision.  I to recently got in trouble  because I screwed up big time. I'm now in PTI.  Their making me take all these drug classes, I don't know what they think it's going to do for me I'm at the end, there's no fixing my disease I'm eventually going to die from it. So i'll be on pain meds for the rest of my life!!!  For PTI I have to write a two page report on drug addiction. I'm a horrable writer any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated! I'm sorry you've been threw so much! I've had 19 surg. my self. Hope to hear from you soon.

[FLaddict]

Hey there... You posted on a thread from 2000.. so you may not get any responses.. If you need support or suggestions.. I would post a new question on the main page of the addiction forum so current members will see what you posted..

Welcome to the site

[prominent_eg]

I've been fighting a battle of chronic pancreatitis, which has mostly for 3 years been an off and on addiction to Vicodin all the way up to hydromorphone (Dilaudid, of course administered in the hospital, not out patient.) and morphine because the pain is so severe. I, a few days ago self detoxed from Percocet, which involved me weaning all the way down to Darvocet. I've been clean for three days now. However, ever since the pancreatic attacks, I dream about taking pain killers, and wake up everyday wondering how I can get some. I don't go to my Dr and ask him for pills unless I need them, I don't try to buy them on the streets, but I still have an ongoing "I need them," feeling everyday. Due to my health, I will probably have to continue sometimes, getting back on narcotic pain relief and back off. Unfortunatly, with pancreatic attacks (that started from severe alcohool use, I haven't touched in years thank God) that come chronic, they are so severely painful, I will have to live with this. I wish there was another way. But everyday of my life, I think of ways to get them, even if I'm not in that much pain. I think no one will understand the addiction to opiates fully unless they have experienced it themselves.

[dsfojsd]

i love pills

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

I believe that you are correct.  I think that percocet is a schedule 2 narcotic and the perscription must be hand carried to the Pharmacist.  You cannot get partial amounts either.  I had a script for 360 Lortab and could get 25 at a time. But Lortab is schedule 3 stuff.  It would be a dead giveaway for any Pharmacist to get a phone call for any Sched 2 stuff.  Thanks!

[AngelAic]

I dont know where you guys are from but where im from , You can not get Percoset without a federal prescription. The Parmacys will not let you call them in (not that I hae tryed). I have been takeing Percoset for 2 months 3 a day but I dont need them and after reading the stories on this site I will not take anymore of them. Thank You all for helping me out!

[Brian to Sick and Scared]

During post-acute withdrawal (the months following the acute physical symptoms of the first week or so) some depression is quite common.  The important things to keep in mind are that it takes the body and brain some time to reorient after withdrawing the narcotic.  If there is any indication you have an underlying depression your physician may want to try treating you with an antidepressant now, since they generally take 4-6 weeks to begin working in most patients.  However, if you do not have an underlying depression you will start feeling better within a month or two (generally) after your last use.  This is a complicated issue since some addicts use narcotics at least in part to self-medicate depression.  The only way to determine for certain where you fall is to see if the sadness lifts on its own after a few months.  Hang in there, it will get better.

[Kevin F]

Is depression a symtom of withdrawal from Vicodin,I have these waves of complete sadness and being alone even though I am with friends...

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

This whole thing sounds like a little scam that a truck driver friend had going.  He had a girl friend who worked for a doctor that called in scripts for him for whatever he wanted.  When the pharmacy would call back she would somehow OK the script.  He did get busted however and can no longer drive a truck for a living.  The last time I saw him he told me that he had "lost" two and a half years of his life.  I asked him if that was his jail time or what.  He said that while he was on drugs that he just does'nt remember that time, it's gone!  How can one drive around the country for two years in a semi rig and not recall any of it?  But, I can relate to this because it happened to me too.  
     We are such wonderful con-men when it comes to getting something we desperatetly want.  I ought to be a multi-millionaire by now!

John B.

[tom to J.B.]

I'm guessing you impersonated a doctor on the telephone, Dr J. B. An incredibly dangerous and ultimately doomed method. If not, then you either have access to an RX pad, the ability to reproduce one through digital tech of some flavor, or access to a pharmacy's computer. It's not fair to tantalize us with this hitherto unknown method of yours, J.B. You're dealing with obsessed puppies here! Give us a hint. You can tell us why it's pointless to do it anyway. That might stop someone who might be tempted to pre-book a cold-turkey jail cell for themselves as soon as they get offline. Of course, it could have the opposite effect. You don't have to be too specific. But I'm curious. I used the phone method about, oh, a not-bragging 300 times. Dumbest and most self-destructive thing I ever did (payed the penalty for it bigtime, too).

The problem, of course, was the 301st time. The one that's inevitable once you start. I have talked (or e-mailed) several people out of doing this and, at least temporarily, saved them from experiencing the law inforcement side of narcotic addiction. For anyone thinking about it - forget it, please. Just don't do it, no matter how smart or desperate you think you are. The law doesn't care about us addicts. In fact, it despises us. It will put you in a place more brutal and horrible than anything you can imagine in a thousand nightmares. (am I emphatic enough yet?)

But I'm curious

[J.B. to Bonnie]

No I was born with a deformed kidney and it was reconstructed earlier. However I began having difficulties before I started taking the medication. Please let me clerify this I did not take the meds for 11yrs straight. I just remember what they made me feel like 11 yrs ago and that planted a seed for me. That seed after going through the last 3 years grew into a raging addiction. You may have bowel problems because of your meds and that can cause some severe pain. Check with your doctor because ignoring it can possibly make you worse off than you already are.

[From Aunt Lindy to Mariah]

Are you saying that pain meds can cause Kidney Stones? I am very unfortunately addicted to Oxycontin and Percocet (I feel your pain Bonnie) I am having unusual pains below my right rib cage and I have already had my gallbladder out.  I am concerned. I appreciate any input you can give.
Thanks

[J.B. to Bonnie]

If you feel like you have an addiction than trouble will certainly follow if you do not get it under control. Sometimes people have a need for these medications for longer than the usually prescribed time but that makes them very susceptable to an addiction they can not control. Your best bet is to be honest with your doctor and most of all honest with yourself. Best of Luck to you in your struggles

[Joan C]

I found your story very interesting.  I would like to know more about your story and how you created your own prescriptions.  Please e-mail me at ***@****

[to J.B from Bonnie]

I have an addiction now to oxycontin and percocet.Can I get in trouble with the law even though my doctor keeps prescribing them to me? Any imformation you can give will be very helpful,thank you,bonnie