addicted to hydro

[t_thacker]

I am 44 years old. I will be 45 at the end of this month. I need knee replacement. my doctor put me on lortab 10's. I took them like I was supposed to and then after awhile alittle more and alittle more. now a bottle of 100 don't last me week and a half. now i'm buying them from anyone I can find that has them. I want off of them but I am so addicted that i'm terrified of the withdrawl. can someone help me with this please?

[LeaAnn807]

That's unfortunately a common story here!  Nearly all of us who are pain med addicts have the same one.  I would definitely encourage you to stop, but I would talk to a doc first.  If you have to go through knee replacement surgery, you're likely going to end up back on pain meds.  So, do you really wanna go through withdrawal twice?  I've been through it about 9,000 times, and it's not been fun any of them.  To be honest, it got WORSE every time!

Just talk to your doc about doing your surgery asap.  That way you can detox as soon as possible and get this (all of it!) behind you!

[EvolverU]

Hi there & Welcome! Thanks for reaching out.

I would tend to agree with both my friends above. Recovering from this surgery will require pain meds & a healing period. I'd encourage you to talk to your Dr. for four reasons:

a) As ActingBrandNew mentions, it's important to come down from the high dose you're on right now so that after you have the operation, the meds will be more effective. (You want to avoid having to go onto a stronger narcotic or a combo of two if at all possible.) There's also a condition called 'Hyperalgesia' where sustained use of opiates tends to actually lower our pain threshold -- the more you take, the lower your threshold. (I.E. Often, when people put some time between their DOC's & themselves, they discover their pain levels are less than they feared/anticipated.)

b) The second reason is that since your dose has escalated & you're buying them, you can't control your own use & need your Drs. oversight on a taper. (Meaning, you'll find it very difficult to do on your own. This is very common, btw. You're definitely Not alone in this!)

c) The third reason is that coming out to your Dr. is a really good way to start your recovery process. Your 'secret' will be out & you'll have a witness. I think your Dr. will probably have sympathy with you, if you're up front & completely candid with her/him. (Just explain all the points we've made & your own concerns.) The more people we come out to, the more 'answerable' to others we become. (When no one knows, it's far to easy to continue our use unchecked or to backslide.)

d) While you're still buying on the 'street', you run the risk of arrest, financial embarrassment & a continuously yo-yo'ing dose. (Which only serves to reinforce your habit, your anxiety & messes with their efficacy as pain meds.) After you come out to your Dr. the next step would be to cut your outside sources! (A necessary part of any serious attempt at detox/sobriety.)

I totally understand your desire to come off Lortabs! So, in order to do it & make it stick, it's really important to plan ahead, especially in the case of surgery. I just wanted to let you know that many people here have had similar situations to yours & were able to come off. You CAN do this! Try not to stress too much. I know you're in a difficult situation. Please, hang in there & keep us up to date on how it's going.

We're Here!
Annie

[ActingBrandNew]

You need to tell your doctor whats going on. Your problem is very familiar with many on this forum...chronic pain...prescribed drugs...became addicted...wants help....gets clean (hopefully) You need to come clean to your doctor for two reasons. One, so he/she can formulate a plan and begin to taper you off. The second thing that comes to mind is the possibility of a knee replacement surgery. I believe since your taking such a high dose of narcotic medication that if you were to have surgery in this condition....the recovery and pain management aspect would be extremely difficult due to your now high tolerance. And...if you are taking Lortab ASA you wont even be able to have surgery until you stop because that form contains aspirin.

You sound like you really want to stop and that's a great starting point...the willingness. You are not alone in dealing with the pain or the addiction. It happens to the best of us...so dont beat yourself up and formulate a solid plan. Hopefully you have a decent relationship with your doc that you will be able to be honest with...it is very important to get a proper plan from a medical professional that knows all your health history. See...If I tell you that you should go colt turkey but you have some medical condition that will become aggravated to due withdrawal...that would be bad business.

Once you talk to your doc and start the process....we will be here to help you through our varieties and methods of detox. Many here have great advice on how to deal with the aches, pains, and depression that comes with withdrawal. Hope to hear back from you soon on how your doing.

Always,
ABN

[OpenMind24hours]

Big question: What about the surgery you're facing? My mom and a good friend went through that. Painful surgery to be honest. If you get off of them now, will you try to do the surgery without them?

What's happening to you with the using patterns is a common reaction to them. I'd say tell your doctor what's going on with you complete with all details. If you have the desire to get clean that would be a good start. Your doctor could regulate you until you recover from surgery and then you can get completely clean. That's just my take on it, I'm sure you'll get more feedback.

Congratulations on your decision that you made today to get the ball rolling and start the process of getting your life back. We will help you along when it's time to stop; either now or after you're free and clear of the pain from your impending surgery.