Dirty Drop?

[Nana493]

I'm prescribed Norco (325/750 X5) I ran out a few days early this month due to be overly active and the cold setting in. A friend gave me a few Percocet to get me through but i'm scared that if I take them n get tested I will test positive for a different drug than I am prescribed. I don't know what to do and I have five days to go before my refill. Thanks to anyone who can answer this question in advance.

[pillguy]

I read your profile.  It says you don't tolerate BS.  So with that in mind lets just get to it.  Using more than you are prescribed because of being overly active and the cold setting in sounds like classic addict behavior.  Getting narcotics that aren't prescribed to you is also addict behavior.  I'm not being judgmental.  I know addicts who are good people.  I'm just calling it like I see it.  Running out before your script is ready to refill will become a regular part of your life.  You will start buying them off the street to carry you over.  You will also find that it takes more and more to get the same feeling.  You will sped ridiculous amounts of money trying to stay on the merry-go-round.  You will get to the point where you feel trapped with no easy way out.  And you'll be right!  There won't be an easy way out.

I don't see the question you refer to but I'm assuming that you're asking how to get through the next few days.  If I tell you it's ok to take the percs and then your doctor boots you I'm partially responsible for that.  I can't tell you that's ok.  What I can do, along with the other members here, is to help you create a plan to quit these pills.  I've already described what I think will happen if you don't.

I've tried to give you a BS free answer to your question.  No matter what you choose to do, I send my best wishes your way.

Take care

[Tuckamore]

Hello Nana,

Welcome! I am sorry to heart about your situation.

Sadly you will test positive for a opiate that has not been RX for you! If you take those Percocets they will show up in a UDS (Urinary Drug Screen).

Please don't think I am not judging you. I am a no BS kind of person too. Many chronic pain patients have ran out early of their prescribed opiate at least once. However early usually means we took an extra tablet on a day that our pain was out of sight - and maybe we had two days that month that we did so. That means there are two days you'll have to do with one less tablet. It happens. Unfortunately you appear to have run out at least five days early. That's a lot of days, 25 tablets?

According to your Profile Page you have struggled with addiction for some years. Please be cautious. If you want your chronic pain treated with opiate therapy you must be responsible.

It's possible that your current opiate regime is not adequate to treat your pain. It's not uncommon for poorly managed pain to look like drug seeking - or addictive behavior. Only you know the truth - with no BS.

Talk to your PMP - discuss your current pain levels and how best to control them.  At this point you're stuck between a rock and a hard spot. If you are subject to a UDS and you do not have hydrocodone in your system you'll fail it. If you take the Percocet, you'll fail too. Often when we fail a UDS we are dismissed for PM. That's unacceptable to most PM Patients - that's why we deal with what opiates we are given - and strive for better PM with our physicians. We can't risk being tossed out and left to spend our lives non-functions - on a couch or in bed for life.

Please let us know how you are doing. The challenges of Chronic Pain are huge. I get it. I wish you well and will look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[remar]

You have received the best advice possible for the two members above. They know what they're talking about.
All you can really do at this point is to go without your meds and hope that you will not be give a urine test this month. Your could take what your friend gave you and take a chance of no urine test this month. If you have that test you are going to fail either way.
Most of us here use a little weekly box for our meds. When one day becomes empty that's too bad, no more meds for the rest of the day no matter what. It can be so very hard because many of us do deal with a lot more pain several days during the month. If we take extra pills from the next day though we're already short and might not be able to catch up.
I agree with Tuck. If you feel that your pain is not being properly controlled you should be honest with your Dr. It's not that uncommon to be rotated if you've been on the same med for a long time.
I do hope everything works out for you. We all know what it's like to deal with chronic pain on this forum. We have to be in control of our meds though.
None of us can tell you what to do but I will give you my advice. Give the pills back to your friend. If they're found in your system you could get in to a lot of trouble and so could your friend. If you do have to have a urine test on your next visit be honest with your Dr. and tell him that you had several days of a lot more pain and ran yourself short.