How much is too much?

[Liz50]

Hi--Just wondering--
Is 3-4, 5/325 mg Lortab a day for chronic back pain, post back surgery (7 months) considered addiction? I take one first thing in the am so I can exercise & stretch, and then see how the day goes. Sometimes I take 2 in a day, sometimes, 5. Usually, it's 4, on every 6-8 hrs. I had back surgery this year, a tummy tuck which has never felt right in 2012. I feel like someone smacked me across the lower back with a 2x4, all the time. The pre-surgery pain was much, much worse. (that's 2 major surgeries in 11 months) Initially I was on Percocet,(yuck) then 2- 7.5 Lortab every 4 hrs...have tapered way down from that!

My GP has been handling my post surgery pain med needs, but he is squeamish, I can tell. I feel like a total junkie, as he requires me to come in the office twice a month to get refills. I did talk to a pain management dr who said that I was NOT nearly ready to be seeing him, that this small amt of Lortab was no problem...but my GP makes me feel so shamed. (In fairness, he's really young and probably has never been hurt in his life!) I'm 57, have 13 grandkids, work PT, watch grandkids a LOT and have the total responsibility of taking care of our entire home on my own as my hubby has very poor health. I do not take this stuff to get high, I take it so pain doesn't make me anxious, frustrated or incapable of doing what I have to do to run the show. I'm not asking for more as I go along and I am very aware each time I take a pill that I am taking it for legitimate pain. How do I talk to my dr in a way that he will listen to me and be more sensitive? (I did have one week when I pulled my back out REALLY bad after lifting a 40 lb toddler in and out of his crib when I was helping my daughter out after her new baby was born--I took 2- 5 mgs at once for several days and ran through them too fast--now the dr thinks I'm getting to be a junkie). I don't FEEL like I "jones" for the stuff, but I get so anxious with the pain. Sure miss my old GP who believed that life is worth living and we can be pain free when prescribed meds and they are used judiciously. Nowadays, every doc looks at you like a potential junkie. I hate how this makes me feel! Help??

[Liz50]

Thanks for the comments---I am pretty sure that all my physical issues are as resolved as they can be by this point ( I was told it would take a year for the back to feel as good as it would ever feel, and it's been 8 months..this has been a really hard "heal" for me, I don't like to feel my age, as it were, and this pain thing realty has me depressed. I like to exercise and be active--when I hurt, I don't do those things with as much vigor.
My husband is going to start a round of chemotherapy the first of the year and he will be SO sick. He asked me to please deal with my pain issues so he can be (basically) bedridden and know that I can handle the day to day of our lives w/o him. Guess it's back to the GP and most likely then to the pain dr. (Oh, I did not mention that the back surgery was only half done--I still have 2 more areas that need addressing--so yeah, I am sure that some of this pain is coming from the 2 areas the dr couldn't do at the same time as my original surgery. I can't have the 2nd back surgery until 2015, b/c of hubby's chemo costs).
Thanks, tho, for the help.

[marycarmel]

I agree only you know if you're addicted.  I would also agree you most likely are physically dependent.  Addiction usually means you misuse your pills.  I also agree that by now you should be at a place where you know whether your surgery worked or not.

I disagree with the pain management doctor.  If you're stil having pain you should be seeing a good one.  Pain management isn't about just pain meds.  A good doc or group also use other modalities such as PT, OT, procedures, etc. Usually you have to sign a pain contract and they will drop you immediately if you break it in the smallest way.  For examample, when you took two at a time and ran out early they probably would have dropped you.

Talk to your GP and see if there's another pain doc he suggests.  Don't wait until he suddenly stops writing scripts and you find yourself in withdrawal ... I had no clue I was dependent and when my script was late in the mail one time, I figured I just had to suck up the pain for the weekend.  Big surprise.  Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[deadfast]

What a great sense of humor the mind has ....Once you start taking the pills ..The brains comes try decides I don't need to work as hard right now ....The further along you go taking something to ease the pain the less and less the brain has to work so it kinda takes a vacation. Then that's when you run I to problems you no longer can tell weather your taking them because you feel pain

[ariley13]

Hi there! Only you can answer the question as  to whether you are an addict. I know all too well how hard it is when you have legitimate pain. I also have severe back issues. It really doesn't sound to me as if you are abusing your meds. You aren't taking more than you are supposed to, or taking them for a reason other than pain relief. It's good that you are being vigilant with this because often there is a fairly fine line between dependence and addiction. Just know that pain meds are not bad, it's the way we take them and abuse them that are the problem. I hope that you are able to find some lasting relief for your pain soon. Good luck to you!

[3Xs_U_R_Out]

Only you can decide if that's too much or if you are addicted?
Addiction isn't determined by the amount or number you take, but by the reasons you take them (for mental addiction) and how your body reacts without them (for physical dependence).

Most likely you are physically dependent on the meds at this point.
Meaning....that without them your body has a reaction.
i.e. diarrhea, increased pains, shakes, chills, sneezing, etc.
Mental addiction is different. This would be that you are taking the pills for the pleasure..or feeling they give you. You are not taking them as prescribed, running out early, etc.

7 months post surgery I would think you should be healed or at least doing better enough to not need meds all day everyday.
So....you gotta look at things and do some soul searching and see what you feel.
I would say, if you aren't feeling better, perhaps you need to look into further/other treatments. Also, if you don't want to get further into addiction, I would try to get off the pills now.
Often, they increase our pain without us even knowing it.

Anywho.... This is getting long, sorry!
I hope you can figure out something that works best for you and you can live a free and happy life!
Best of wishes to ya!

[ROSYouralright]

Im sorry about what you are going through and I understand legitimate pain... It sounds like you have a GOOD doctor who is actually worried about you becoming a"junkie". Alot of doctors don't and by the time we figure it out its much to late.