Aa
Roxicodone problem...please respond!!!
I have been taking some type of pain medicine for 4 years. The first three years consisted of anywhere from 1 to 5 percocet or lortab. I have chronic back pain and recently (8 months ago) went to a pain management doctor. He put me on 4 15mg of Roxicodone and now up to 4 30 mg of roxicodone. The other night i took more than usual and had an extremely bad attack of some kind. First of all I begin to wonder if I had taken too many and then my heart responded by going crazy, got real trembly and weak kneed. I went to the Doctor the next day (didn't mention the pain meds) and he gave me a EKG which was fine and told me I had an anxiety attack. Well that has been two weeks ago and since then I have cut back from 120 mg a day to about 45 mg a day and I am going to quit. My problem is this. My heart is still messed up. My chest is tight and I am having shortness of breath. I actually stopped taking the meds totally for about 2 days and had serious withdrawels but I survived. I decided however to slowly go down (with help from my wife) from the 45 mg down to 0. Going down every 7 days by 15 mg. My question is this. Is my chest tighness and breathing trouble normal? I would think it was only withdrawel but the first time I was taking full dose when the trembling and heart racing happened. I don't understand why it did that all of the sudden after taking with no trouble for so long. And now why am I still having these problems if I am back taking a lower dose but still a dose? Someone please tell me that this will pass and this is anxiety. I am so scared but I am determined with my good lord's help to get off of these totally. (and my wife's help)
I'm 44 & it seems as if I've been on pain meds all my life. Well, beginning at around age 22 anyway. It was off & on for about 1 & a half to 2 years at the time for about 15 years & then I'd get fixed with surgery & get clean, spine fixed & life was great. I'm on 90 mg. of Roxi per day now along with 200 mg. Kadian & 30 mg. Valium & my Dr.'s all say I can have more if I'd just say the word. I've had all the surgeries I can have without serious risk & am now bound to an electric wheelchair. I'm in excruciating pain whenever I do anything whatsoever! If you're wondering why, I'm going to share with you total strangers something I refuse to share with others. My Father abused me physically from the time I was born. When I left home at 14 the damage was done. His favorite past-time was to kick me up & down my spine with his steel-toed boots. I've been pushed off the roof at age 12 & beaten with a ball bat on a regular basis. He died in 94' & I'm sure he's hot to trot right about now. I mean I'm at the point that if I don't take the meds I'll lay down & cry like a baby due to the pain. I use imagiry quite a bit & that seems to help only in conjunction with the roxi & morphine. Once in a while I'll have a day whereas I'm not in as much pain & really don't need the pills. I have a strict time-table in which I follow starting at 8 a.m. & then 10, 12, 2, 5 & finally 8 o'clock p.m. taking one half roxi each time. If I have to go 31 & sometimes 32 days before seeing the doc I actually cry while I sit with the calculator figuring exactly how many less I'm going to have each day that month even if it's only a 5th of a 30mg. less for a while. I cannot take tylenol or asprin or anything hard on the stomach as I've had gastric bypass. I absolutely hate the meds as I feel as if they have as strong of a hold on me as my chronic pain. My depression levels are through the roof! I really want out of this chair & would like a life. I've been all over the country & have had Dr. after Dr. tell me as much as they hate writing the **** I'm on I'm the person this stuff is made for. I only have one or two days per month that I feel as if I could honestly take less & I don't because of the strong desire to take my meds even if I don't hurt on that one day per month. I could have 1 or maybe 2 days of drug free life monthly & would desperately like to know how to do it. Those 1 or two days are like heaven to me & if I could get by without the roxi on those days I'd sure like to have a clear head on those days. Instead, I feel like a junkee! Every Dr. I've seen & I mean Dr.'s that do not believe in pain meds have all called my primary Dr. & told him to give me my own script pad practically. There's no way I can do without the Kadian, but, I'd sure like to be roxi free on my good days. If anyone has any ideas whatsoever I'd appreciate the help.
Thanks lorie as I am still trying to recover from the panic attack that insued after I had the same thing as you speak of. I have since learned that after a bad panic attack that subsequent attacks can easily be provoked. . I am doing better and thanks for reading.
Chad
Chad
hi, I just wanted to say that when I take too many Lorcets my chest gets really tight like anxiety attacks. I use xanax to help with that and it does. I am NOT encouraging xanax, just simply tellin you that I know that pain pills do cause this. I also read up on it and side effects of pain pills is chest tightness.Makes me think I am having a heart atack,...just so you know
Hmmm thanks alot! Im not going to try it after reading about it. Im glad that it works for you! Seems to be really popular in other countries!
Becca
Becca
I was introduced to Kratom about 2 years ago at a point when I was tired of asking my family doctor for refills of percocet after 30 would only last 2 weeks. I started supplementing Kratom for one or two of the percocets and saving the percocets for when the pain was really bad. Well after I was sent to Pain Mgmt and started getting "enough" pills I quit using the Kratom. However, at one point I successfully got off of the pain meds with Kratom with hardly any withdrawels, of course I was taking a much lower dosage of the meds at the time. I found that Kratom was no where near as addictive at least in my case. I could take 4 doses one day, none the next, and one the next, etc with no cravings. My biggest concern is that there is very little research on it longterm effects and because of that I am discontinuing its use as soon as I get off of the opiates.
It feels like a mild opiate when made into tea. You get the leaves or the extract and make tea out of it. I found that it would last anywhere from one to three hours. However, I found that when a much smaller amount than needed for the tea was injested that I got a much greater effect. Sometimes rivaling that of a percocet ten. You have to be careful I have heard because there is alot of fake Kratom. I never recieved any that I didn't believe to be real. I bought every batch that I had over the interned at a place called iamshaman dot com. They were really nice and helpful when I emailed questions about the possibility of Kratom helping my stenosis. I have to say that if I knew it was safe, it would be my replacement to opiates. I honestly don't think that it is addictive at all but I can't say that for all that it wouldn't be. You are put into a somewhat mild sedative state. You become talkative, and focused. Almost all of the same feelings of opiates. I do know that it has been put on a watch list by the govt and probably will become illegal at some point. You cannot overdose on it as I have read and again it doesn't come with that well if one dose is good two must be great mentality. Anyway, I hope that I have been helpful and Thanks for the encouraging words.
It feels like a mild opiate when made into tea. You get the leaves or the extract and make tea out of it. I found that it would last anywhere from one to three hours. However, I found that when a much smaller amount than needed for the tea was injested that I got a much greater effect. Sometimes rivaling that of a percocet ten. You have to be careful I have heard because there is alot of fake Kratom. I never recieved any that I didn't believe to be real. I bought every batch that I had over the interned at a place called iamshaman dot com. They were really nice and helpful when I emailed questions about the possibility of Kratom helping my stenosis. I have to say that if I knew it was safe, it would be my replacement to opiates. I honestly don't think that it is addictive at all but I can't say that for all that it wouldn't be. You are put into a somewhat mild sedative state. You become talkative, and focused. Almost all of the same feelings of opiates. I do know that it has been put on a watch list by the govt and probably will become illegal at some point. You cannot overdose on it as I have read and again it doesn't come with that well if one dose is good two must be great mentality. Anyway, I hope that I have been helpful and Thanks for the encouraging words.
I was courious about Kratom and read that it works just like Opiates. I was looking into it because I thought that it might be something I could try that was natural, but now im a little worried, Could you tell me what it makes you feel like etc?? Where do you get it? and thanks in advance for any advice! and good luck to you ,,, you are doing amazing!!!
Becca
Becca
Congrats on your progress! Look how FAR you have come!!! As for the 'what if's - YOU are RIGHT - it IS your mind playing with you. I started going that direction yesterday with 'hey - I was thinking of dental work in January after my insurance kicks in - how will handle it?' etc, and told myself to knock it off. I'll 'handle' that time when I get there.
As for your class, sometimes just 'predicting' behavior makes it come true. What if you actually went and had no pain or cravings? what if you went and said, 'hey - I might need to get up and walk out for a few minutes to get some fresh air' and do that instead of taking any medications?
It's good that you recognize you need to stay at 30mg for now - that's a smart way to balance yourself out. I may need to do exactly the same thing with 2 whole tabs of Vicodin today - we'll see. It's even better that you recognize by taking something right now - you are setting yourself up for failure and WILL be mad at yourself tomorrow. Believe me - the cravings go away slightly every HOUR. I am 24 more hours more successful at beating this than I was yesterday at this time. And if I am correct - so are you.... right?
As for your class, sometimes just 'predicting' behavior makes it come true. What if you actually went and had no pain or cravings? what if you went and said, 'hey - I might need to get up and walk out for a few minutes to get some fresh air' and do that instead of taking any medications?
It's good that you recognize you need to stay at 30mg for now - that's a smart way to balance yourself out. I may need to do exactly the same thing with 2 whole tabs of Vicodin today - we'll see. It's even better that you recognize by taking something right now - you are setting yourself up for failure and WILL be mad at yourself tomorrow. Believe me - the cravings go away slightly every HOUR. I am 24 more hours more successful at beating this than I was yesterday at this time. And if I am correct - so are you.... right?
Just to update my situation, I am down to strictly 30mg a day. I had been taking 1/2 of a pill twice a day. I did fine the first two days at that dose but today I woke up and had to take 1/3 of a 30mg. That leaves me with 2/3 and my mind keeps saying What if that won't be enough? I have a night class tonight and sitting there for 3 hours can be horrible with the meds but tonight I will be without them exept for the 20mg I have left. I know my mind is just playing with me but if I had another half I would take it today and I know tomorrow I would be so mad at myself and that could even lead to me falling off. I have to stay focused. I am glad that my wife has them, if she didn't I would take one I know I would. I see that I will have to stay at the 30mg for quite sometime before I am ready to go any further. Anyway thanks to all on this site for helping me through this. We can do this together.
I think I found my gastric problem. I am taking kratom to help with withdrawels and it seems alot of people experience rolling gas pains and cramping with it. So I am cutting back on it tomorrow, which I was only taking it twice a day because if it is addictive I don't want to be on that. I will say that I used to take it and I could take it for a few days and go without with no withdrawels. I now do remember some ab soreness however. It does help alot with the WD's however. I mean I can work with it with very little side effects. Again I am not condoning the Kratom but I know I can stop it because I have done that before with no problem. That was before the pills.
Sure enough, today I only took 1 30mg pill, a half at a time twice. I am so proud of my wife helping me and being not at all judgemental. She knows that I need some relief from my stenosis and believes me when I say that I never meant to get this deep. When I started taking the lortab and percocet I would only get 30 at a time and I had to make that last as long a possible so I could manage the worst pains. I would always make that last at least 10 days and most of the time 2 weeks. I am a respected business owner in a small town. We have a wonderful business, but that meant I was ashamed to ask my doc for it very often. When I started getting 120 pills for a month of roxi's I thought it was safe to take them. 4 a day. WRONG. I just didn't need that much. The past few days when I have been taking no more than 45mg, I have experience very little pain from my back. That is enough but because I couldn't feel the euphoria as you all call it I thought I needed more. Also, and I know everyone don't get this affect but I actually feel the meds help now. I was taking so much that I wasn't even getting anything from it but numbness and cloudyness.
Anyway, I hope to make it until 3pm tomorrow without taking a half. Today it was 11am. I hope to be back to taking a half at 6pm and if needed another before bed by christmas. By new year I really pray that God will take this need for them away. Spinal Stenosis is a horrible thing to be diagnosed with, especially at 31, but I know it can be healed. Thanks again everyone for the support. I am writing all of this to keep a journal of types.
Sure enough, today I only took 1 30mg pill, a half at a time twice. I am so proud of my wife helping me and being not at all judgemental. She knows that I need some relief from my stenosis and believes me when I say that I never meant to get this deep. When I started taking the lortab and percocet I would only get 30 at a time and I had to make that last as long a possible so I could manage the worst pains. I would always make that last at least 10 days and most of the time 2 weeks. I am a respected business owner in a small town. We have a wonderful business, but that meant I was ashamed to ask my doc for it very often. When I started getting 120 pills for a month of roxi's I thought it was safe to take them. 4 a day. WRONG. I just didn't need that much. The past few days when I have been taking no more than 45mg, I have experience very little pain from my back. That is enough but because I couldn't feel the euphoria as you all call it I thought I needed more. Also, and I know everyone don't get this affect but I actually feel the meds help now. I was taking so much that I wasn't even getting anything from it but numbness and cloudyness.
Anyway, I hope to make it until 3pm tomorrow without taking a half. Today it was 11am. I hope to be back to taking a half at 6pm and if needed another before bed by christmas. By new year I really pray that God will take this need for them away. Spinal Stenosis is a horrible thing to be diagnosed with, especially at 31, but I know it can be healed. Thanks again everyone for the support. I am writing all of this to keep a journal of types.
I appreciate the response Alarcon, but actually my stools aren't soft just normal for the first time in forever. The gas rolling aroung is the issue. Have you ever had that?
I think the loosse stool is the effect of not takins so much roxi, when i take 4 tabs of vicodin 7/750 each, i get the same issue, thats my opinion, i might be wrong, but consult a health proffesional
Hey 1eagle or anyone else, today I have only taken one half, that is 15mg but I know I will need another half before bed to sleep at all. I am doing great but I am starting to think everything in the world is wrong with me. Also I seem to have a rolling stomach. Not constant but quiet often. I should say that I do have irritable bowl syndrome although since I started taking the meds at the high doses for the 8 months I didn't have it. Could it be that, is it normal to have this problem. I know I had constipation alot while using. Is it where my stool is moving around in there easier now or could it be a problem. Like I say I am starting to worry alot and I know that is normal but this is really worrying me. It feels like gas but I don't know. please respond
Even taken properly you might be looking, in the long run, at stomach and liver involvemnt. There is that possiblity of cardiac isues also. It sounds to me like you got your wake up call and you even answered the phone!! Most of the other otc pain things (actaminophen, ibuprofen, and etc) are pretty hard on the stomach and liver. It seems to me that many folks try to get to zero way too fast...that will backfire easily. Some other people on this site are probably better informed than I. This should be a nice Christmas for you and I wish you the best. Stay on this site.Take your pills with food and you will avoid many problems.Its very refreshing to be back in the real world after that "sabbatical".
Hey 1 eagle, I appreciate the comments again. I use to take a benadryl from time to time at night but I haven't since I started taking the pain meds. I'll try that. And I do know that Aleve and Motrin do work but when I started getting enough of the Pain Meds, I thought why would I do that when I could do this? That is the kind of stupidity that got me in this mess. If I thought I could only take 10-20 mg of this a night like I started doing, I would be fine with that to help me rest without being up all night rolling around in agony, but I don't know if I trust this stuff anymore. I never thought I would get to this point and I know nobody does. Anyway, Today I took 1 1/2 30mg of Roxi. That is 45mg. I only took 30mg yesterday but me and the wife went shopping and that walking kills my back, so as bad as I hated to I regressed a little, but I have cut back from 120mg to no more than 60mg for the last 4 days in less than a week and except for the heart and a couple of days in complete hell, I feel pretty good. The last three days I haven't went over 45mg. I have had no heart fluttering today and I think I am going to sleep pretty good today. Actually I feel better than I have in about a year. I had lost all of my focus and drive and all I wanted to do was just sit. I thought it was because I felt bad but it was this medicine. If you people don't believe me, just get off of it long enough to get your mind back in the real world and you'll see that your overboard. I ran out and for two days I sobered up and I saw how deep in this hell I had gotten, that is all it took to know I didn't want to be like that. I am actually up by 7am now and I was sleeping until 10 or 11. I want to be down to 15-30mg a day come Christmas. If I can do that I think I will be doing good. Does anyone here know how much damage this stuff does to the body when it is taken right. That is, 10-30mg a day for me. Is it harmful? I was told by my family practitioner that one or two percocet a day is less hard on the body than 1600mg of ibuprofren is on the stomach. He said that much can destroy the stomach lining and one or two percocets and no more would be fine. I have a hard time believing that. Had anyone else heard anything like that? Thanks again Eagle.
Hey there...somebody got on this forum and gave us some good advice at some point in time and the least that we can do is attempt to return the favor. Have you ever tried benadryl for sleep? Check it out.Have you tried aleve for the back pain? I know that most of us here laugh at anything less than 100mg of morphine for pain...but dang it those other things actually do work sometimes...Your program sounds legitimate and proper. Having the wife hold things is a good idea.I have never done the kratom but certainly have nothing against it. Don't know what surgery your considering, but I got here by that route and I think that I am better off today - no narcotics, no surgery- I do have some aches - but all things considered I look at it as a reminder that i am still alive Keep in touch and best of luck..............I do believe in the power of prayer. Keep it up.
The three of you who have responded don't know how much it means to me. Anyway enough with that (just believe it). I only have taken one pill today. 1/2 30mg pill twice. I feel pretty good. I really think that the heart palpatations are a blessing in disguise. Nobody wants that feeling. Today when I took the first half, I felt fine no problems. That was at 9am. At 3pm I took another half and sure enough here came the sputters. My heart started flapping around, not as bad as before, but bad enough. So I haven't even craved another. I feel pretty good now, no fluttering, but this will be about the 7th night in a row that I haven't slept good. I have been getting about 2-4 hours decent sleep a night, and it is starting to drive me a little crazy. I am chilling at night a little but I know that is normal. Tonight I do feel more tired and my heart is doing pretty good right now. I hope I sleep. I dread the back pain and all of the other problems that the pills solved that they weren't prescribed for but I really think I am ready. I took 2 1/2 pills yesterday and felt like **** about it, and sure enough today I had the will power for only one. My wife is really helpful. She is holding it and I have absolutely no other place to get it besides my scripts. She and my son are the reasons that I have to get by this, even if that means surgery. It is hell and I am praying often for strength. One thing that has really helped me is Kratom. It is an herb you can get on the internet and make tea out of it. It doesn't give you the high but it does take away alot of the withdrawels. It just doen't last long. But when its at its worse I take a little and feel almost normal for about 1-2 hours. I used it before I got the scripts to help me deal with my back and it did help but of course not like the pills. By the way I am 31 years old. Thanks again guys and I beg others to respond.
This site is so neat. You can chat with folks that have been there done that and they don't have a fiduciary interest in your future. They are genuine.
I have had the same heart problems that you mention. I do need to add that I am almost 60 and the problems run genetically in my family. But they are certainly affected by the drug/lack of drug issue. It seems to me that most people here are like me. Typically western and wanting an instant answer. Doesn't happen when you have a multiple year history of opiate use. I am probably about 3 months clean and I wrestled with the anxiety heart issue for about 2 solid months. It is a lot better now, but it is not completely gone. I am not a doc, am combat lifesaving trained, and have worked on gunshots and both blunt and sharp force trauma's - if you feel that you can't be honest with your doc - keep a blood pressure diary - maybe try to find a doc that you can talk to - maybe access a benzodiazepine judiciously - try meditation when you start to feel poorly. One primary thing about the anxiety is that it is self fueling. It will run away with you if you don't get on top of it as soon as you start to feel it coming on. Jeez - who wouldn't be anxious when it feels as close as they can tell that they are having a heart attack!! Please remember that these things are not fatal - I know that it is hard, but I have been there and I am able to participate in this forum now...another thing that occurred to me - it might be a mistake to think that you can taper by decreasing doses by 1/2 the amount........ that is probably too much of a drop to not notice physiologically. I would seriously suggest that you get this forum fired up to find out what a decent taper would be for the roxi's...I imagine that somebody can give you serious advice on getting off of them...just don't give up and don't think that it is hopeless or terminal. You can do it.
I have had the same heart problems that you mention. I do need to add that I am almost 60 and the problems run genetically in my family. But they are certainly affected by the drug/lack of drug issue. It seems to me that most people here are like me. Typically western and wanting an instant answer. Doesn't happen when you have a multiple year history of opiate use. I am probably about 3 months clean and I wrestled with the anxiety heart issue for about 2 solid months. It is a lot better now, but it is not completely gone. I am not a doc, am combat lifesaving trained, and have worked on gunshots and both blunt and sharp force trauma's - if you feel that you can't be honest with your doc - keep a blood pressure diary - maybe try to find a doc that you can talk to - maybe access a benzodiazepine judiciously - try meditation when you start to feel poorly. One primary thing about the anxiety is that it is self fueling. It will run away with you if you don't get on top of it as soon as you start to feel it coming on. Jeez - who wouldn't be anxious when it feels as close as they can tell that they are having a heart attack!! Please remember that these things are not fatal - I know that it is hard, but I have been there and I am able to participate in this forum now...another thing that occurred to me - it might be a mistake to think that you can taper by decreasing doses by 1/2 the amount........ that is probably too much of a drop to not notice physiologically. I would seriously suggest that you get this forum fired up to find out what a decent taper would be for the roxi's...I imagine that somebody can give you serious advice on getting off of them...just don't give up and don't think that it is hopeless or terminal. You can do it.
ohhh how i loved those ROXI'S.....this drug along with the other opiuds does have a speed effect on certain people..including me..i could take my normal dosage and go all day and night..the difference in the roxi you are now taking vs the percocet is that the ROXI'S are pure..not cut such as aspirin or tylenol...so when your taking it its giving you the extra rush at large doses ..which effects the cardio vascular,hearts lungs etc..i use to do the same thing with a good line of coke...or if in the hospital and got morphine in the veins (iv)..i would almost come off the bed at 1st then settle down...it is one of the side effects of the drug..i am not playing doctor and not saying your not having another problems,,,but i will say it is a side effect of a pure drug such as oxycontin,roxi etc....
not to be on the doom and gloom side but to give some facts here...the reason so many people in the past has OD on OXY'S is beacuse its pure DOPE in a time release hard coating..so when the user breaks the coating,snorts,injects (main lines)..they my be getting 36 hours of medication in 3 seconds..some bodies just can't handle it...the roxi's i took were not time realeased but was pure..so if you took enough of them yes it will act fast and furious..
i am 100% believer in the sub program...don't suffer if you don't have to..( or as much)..there is always a coming down no matter what drug we take....i wouild recommend long erm sub program your chances of relapse will be much slimer...cause when your detaoxed doesn't mean your brain is fixed from the chemical addiction..it stakes time and the sub allows for that time..
i am sitting here typing the e-mail to you 33 days clean from 10 yrs previous lortab and roxi use and came off a 15 month sub program..i have energy,do not feel bad...just a little bit of aniexty and that depends on the day i had..today has been good.....so you have much to look forward to.
good luck to you.
Brian
not to be on the doom and gloom side but to give some facts here...the reason so many people in the past has OD on OXY'S is beacuse its pure DOPE in a time release hard coating..so when the user breaks the coating,snorts,injects (main lines)..they my be getting 36 hours of medication in 3 seconds..some bodies just can't handle it...the roxi's i took were not time realeased but was pure..so if you took enough of them yes it will act fast and furious..
i am 100% believer in the sub program...don't suffer if you don't have to..( or as much)..there is always a coming down no matter what drug we take....i wouild recommend long erm sub program your chances of relapse will be much slimer...cause when your detaoxed doesn't mean your brain is fixed from the chemical addiction..it stakes time and the sub allows for that time..
i am sitting here typing the e-mail to you 33 days clean from 10 yrs previous lortab and roxi use and came off a 15 month sub program..i have energy,do not feel bad...just a little bit of aniexty and that depends on the day i had..today has been good.....so you have much to look forward to.
good luck to you.
Brian
Let me also mention that the tightness and shortness of breath are now only occurring when I actually take the roxicodone. I pray that this is a blessing in disguise as this has me wanting the med less and less. I was fine with two or three percocet 10 at the beginning and now I need all of this? I don't want to depend on this. If surgery is my only hope then so be it. I am tired of being tired. Anyway I thought the first sentence of this post may be important. By the way Thanks IBKLEEN for the response. I hope to join you and BKLEEN soon. I have a year old son now and this too has awakened me.
I think you need to get to the doctor and get honest.
It is possible the increased dose you took effected your respiratory system, that would not be abnormal, but you should get it checked out. Also, you may have developed another condition in the last few years that is now manifesting itself.
A good, thorough check-up wouldn't hurt. Good Luck.
It is possible the increased dose you took effected your respiratory system, that would not be abnormal, but you should get it checked out. Also, you may have developed another condition in the last few years that is now manifesting itself.
A good, thorough check-up wouldn't hurt. Good Luck.
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