Vicodin and how I feel now being rapidly detoxed

[Rebekkah]

I am desperate, please reply if you have any ideas.  I have been on Vicodin for about fifteen months and nine days ago was rapidly detoxed. I had a long history of depression etc for many years.  I was prescribed Vicodin ES for migraines and chronic hip pain for these last 15 months. Before the vicodin, I was tried on every combination known to man and psychopharmacology never proved to be beneficial. About fifteen months ago, I was hospitalized at Cedars sinai Psych unit for depression, cutting and suicidal ideations.  I was perscribed 100mg od demerol for about 33 days which would addict anyone to narcotics.  They switched me to Vicodin and supprisingly enough during the time I was on the Vicodin all of those intolerable feelings of wanting to end my life went away. I was fully functional, I also happen to be a medical professional which makes the whole situation worse.  I am not at all in trouble at work for this Vicodin issue.  They don't even know about it.  My issue now is that the feelings of cutting myself and wanting to take my life are back and very strong. I have a PHD and an aneshesiologist which believe the treatment is psychotherapy and more psych meds. I am tired of that. I just want to end it. I'm nervous about going back on Vicodin because that type of drug is not acceptable to society but the drugs that they want me one prozac etc are useless to me. My delemma Vicodin vs suicide.   Thank you for listening.

[Pat to Tom]

Thank you, Tom.  I've already told him that he's blowing his liver but he doesn't seem to care.  I cannot force him to stop taking the vics and he's not ready to quit. I've even talked to him about the clonidine or catapress patches, but he's just not interested.  He knows he's addicted but has decided that he is functioning well with his addiction.  The truth is: he is still extremely irratic, he's had an affair and I'm tired of it all.  Pardon me folks, but if he blows his liver and dies - he'll be doing his family a favor.

[tom to Pat]

20 Vicodin three times a day? You mean he's taking 60 pills a day? That means 60 Tylenol per day! Take this seriously: His liver (and his life) are in real jeopardy. It's true that some people can work up to taking vast amounts of substances such as Tylenol, but he won't know he's killed his liver until it's too late. Then he'll have a few days to think about it as he dies. Not a good end. At least have him disolve them in water, drinking the water with the narcotic in it and leaving the Tylenol sediment at the bottom of the glass. That will take the majority of the tylenol out of the equation but not all of it. There will still be a powerful dose of Tylenol in what he's taking. If he is doing 60 per day, he must accept the fact that he's had his run on Vics and should stop or switch to something else. He really is playing with death at that dosage. Go to a health food store and get some milk thistle. That will help his liver heal -- but it's not a substitute for quitting. It won't really help if he keeps taking all that Tylenol.

[Kimberly to Bob K]

I also believe they should look into narcotics for depression.  I have been depressed for most of my life and I have been through all the medications and therapy's but nothing works like Vicodin for happiness, motivation and all the other normal feelings.

[melody]

Listen, don't take your life for anything. I too am just starting
to taper myself off the vicodine. I have been hooked on this
before only not as strong and I was not as old. I quit smoking
several years ago (and believe me that took some doing) and I feel like I can take care of this. I have noticed too that work seemed alot more tolerable than before I was taking the Vicodin and now that my surgery is up my doctor informed me that the drug supply was also comming to an end. So, here I am back at trying to get rid of something in my life that only should serve a purpose for a short time. But I will be ok because My Faith in God is powerful. No I am not a religious nut, I just simply love God and have total faith in him. He has never let me down before and I am 35 years old. Put your heart into his hands and let him take care of this problem. He will do it. I know he will. Taking your life is not the answer. It never is. Watch Touched by an Angel sometime on Sunday nights and you will see what I mean. God found me at a young age. I was a child with alcoholic parents and my mother was an athiest. How he found me I will never know. But I have loved him my whole life. There is Power in prayer and you don't have to go to church for it. It is simply available where you are right now. Take care of yourself and trust in HIM. Good luck and God Bless you

[Same here]

I know what you mean. OxyContin to me keeps me from being depressed and moody like I have always been and it gives me the energy and ambition to do things. I think the medical community should look into opiates for curing depression rather than just pain because it certainly works wonders for some!

[Pat]

I have the interesting distinction of seeing your dilemma from two different sides.  My husband is addicted to Vicodin and has been for several years.  He is fully functioning even though he doses himself with at a minumum of 20 750mg tablets at least 3 times a day.  At times, he is rather irratic.  Lately, he has become increasingly irratic.  He doesn't want anyone to know that he hops from pharmacy to pharmacy trying to get refills.  He doesn't want anyone to know that he hops from specialist to specialist trying to forge complaint about some injury (he is quite athletic).  Since he is into sports, he always has a little water inflammation in a joint somewhere and the doctors keep prescripting the vicodin to him.

I have issues with cutting and suicide.  I first cut when I was 18 and it was only occasionally.  Suicidal thoughts were there most of the time but I worked through them.  Recently, I have started cutting again in earnest.  I cut with razor blades, box openers, knifes,anything.  I cut at work and at home.  I was completely out of control before I saught therapy.  It helped. I haven't cut again and that's been almost 2 weeks.

You should know that if a doctors keeps refilling a prescription for narcotics too frequently (time span less than 30 days), it is  grounds for a malpractice suit. The least the physician prescripting the drug to you could do is suggest a good detox program. Good luck and don't kill yourself - the world can be a beautiful place.