worriedmom

[E's mom]

i just found out my grown son has a vicodin addiction. he had alcohol problems and was hospitalized in the past.  he quit drinking a year ago after a bout with pancreatitis. now, i have learned he is addicted to vicodin. i am scared to death that his liver will fail.  how can i help him and lead him towards treatment.?  he does not know i have learned of this addiction to pain meds but i will not ignore this . he is wonderful and i must do something to help.
any insight will be appreciated.  

[sterling_silver]

I can clear up the Pancreatitis pain issue. If you are 70-80 years old and you get it from not drinking,you may have pain for more than 7 days. When I got it 11 years ago, they said you can only get this from drinking unless you are 80.What happens is your Pancreas swells up from drinking and puts pressure on your intestines till they close.Thats why it is so painful. You are in hospital for 5-7 days while they drain stomach and swelling of Pancreas goes down.They stopped my Demerol after 2 days.No more pain.You can't go home until swelling and pain are gone.So there is no way they sent him home with any pain meds.It is not possible.It is just another story to hide his addiction.What the others have said is true.He has to get to a point where he wants to stop using.Maybe you can get together with wifes family and have an intervention.This will give them an option to go to rehab or get in some type of substance abuse program.
god bless you.  

[GA Guy]

I agree that you must get him to want help first before looking for solutions. We can help him with the WD's after he wants to quit, but until he does, nothing will work. Everyone here who is in successful recovery made the initial step to quit this stuff before we worked on the detox and recovery. I'd arm myself with tons of information on Suboxone, treatment centers, etc..and then have an intervention. It may very well wake him up. Good luck to you and your son.

[fishmeal]

There is intervention, Education, especially on the HBO addiction videos that you can look up on the internet... and there is this site that he can read this or you will take his allowance away.  Opiates are no joke and he needs to leard that!

[E's mom]

people who know him say as long as 3 years. at first it was prescribed after pancreatitis. but now i am not sure if he still has pain or just needs the pills. his wife has a similar addiction from major back surgery.  so with both of them i tend to think it is ongoing to take the edge off the quitting of alcohol.  it is very complicated.  he is the kind of person who wants to handle his own problems but there are several drugs in the equation, pot, xanax, vicodin.  each to aleve the effects of the other i am afraid.  thank you for responding. it helps to know others who care are out there.
mom

[road2recovery]

i am so sorry to hear about your son, and i know you are worried and should be..do you know how many he is taking??? and for how long??

if he has had liver problems, then he definetly doesn't need to take vicodin..Does he have pain issues ???
as far as treatment, he has to want it....i know you probably know that already..But he is also lucky that he has a mom like you too..support is what he needs too..Reading this forum will give you alot of information on this addiction we all have..
i hope he seeks treatment so it doesn't get worst..
God luck
and god bless