addicted to oxycontin and lortabs for five years! Please help!

[Ann]

Hi, i'm a very happily married woman, 37 with one son 7yrs. and a wonderful husband. I have everything to live for!  About 5 years ago, i started getting severe migranes and had an accident which injured my back and neck. I tried anti-imflammatory's and other med's for my pain to no avail.  My dr. put me on 2 80mg of oxycontin per day, and 1 10/500 of lortab every 4-6hrs. as needed for breakthrough pain.  In the five that have gone by, I've stayed on only taking 2 of the oxy's per day, but have escalated up to 10-15 lortabs per day!  About 2 weeks ago, i decided this was crazy, i'm killing myself! So I cut back on lortabs and now i'm taking about 8 per day.  My question is #1 i have no insurance, so who would help me? #2 How bad is this affecting my body ( liver, etc.)?  I don't take them to get a buzz because it does'nt even do that anymore, I take them when i get up in the morn, just like i'm taking a viteman, then have my coffee and go about a normal day consisting of keeping an immaculate home, make gourmet dinners for my husband and son, and basically I don't feel like a drug addict. I feel normal. I don't even want to think about stop taking them cold turkey, I know I could'nt do that.  I'm scared about the long term affects, but by the same token, am I really abusing them? I'm so confused!!! Please help me!! thank you, Sincerly, Ann

[Coopdawg]

i came across this site and have read many of your posts.  i just want to tell those who feel hopeless that there is hope for us all, and you don't have to be a "glass half full" type of person to have hope when it relates to pain killer addiction.  i was on 320+ mgs of oxycontin/day while also eating the gel out of the strongest fentanyl patches they make.  i interspersed this with 10-20 1mg xanax per day, and ate 10 mg tabs like m&ms just to feel "normal."  i would inject, snort, or eat whatever, whenever...in other words my life was TOTALLY out of control (including my finances).  i tried cold turkey, therapy, meetings, and two trips to hazelden in minnesota at 30,000 bucks a pop.  finally i heard about suboxone and gave it a try.  suboxone allowed me to IMMEDIATELY get back to my life, without the pain, sickness, and anxiety that comes along with withdrawal.  i am of the belief that different people need different solutions for the terrible disease that is addiction.  i applaud those who go to meetings, those on methadone, and those who can go it alone and still remain sober...in my opinion it's whatever works.  yes, i do have to put some orange pills under my tongue once a day to stay well, but i'm not preoccupied with scoring pills, nor do i have to worry about the legal consequences of getting caught with a virtual pharmacy in my car/house.  i pray that all who are fighting this insidious disease will find relief as i have.  i still can't go into my pharmacy without thinking about how close i am to a plethora of pain pills, but my cravings get better all the time.  anyway, that's my spiel...thanks, and all who are struggling are in my prayers.  coop

[buddyb]

Wow....accidentally stumbled across this website and read your post.  Identical to my life.  I also overdosed, almost died, hurt my famiy , went into rehab.....all of it.  Didn't realize how many other people just like me were out there.  Go to NA and AA sometimes, miss my rehab sisters but im trying to get my life back.. Funny thing I still think of the Lorcets-evil green monsters and the devil doctor who used to give me a couple hundred a month for my neck injury. I dont know if I'll ever not want them but pray I will never go back again.  thanks ....buddyb

[painfully, Sher]

What is this trick you have to remove the Tylenol from Vicodin?  I have been taking Vicodin HP for over 5 years. I am afraid that I have developed an ulcer and I need to get checked, but I am afraid.
I also have been taking 20 mg. Oxycontin 3x's a day for nearly 5 years.  I have FMS, 7 buldging
discs. in my back and Spinol Stenosis.  I take the meds and I still live with pain everyday, but I know I would be in more pain if I wasn't on the meds. Taking the meds do help me make it through the days at home with my housework and at my job that I have had for almost 20 years, and with taking care of my 2 grandbabies.  I know I would not be able to do that if I wasn't taking my meds to control some of the pain. And then to have ulcers on tops of everything elso would be terrible for me. So If you can help me, even alittle, I would appreciate it.  Thanks!   Sher

[christakat]

I have been addicted to pain medicine for about 5 years now. I overdosed on pills in 2006.  My family reached out and tried to help me but i didnt want the help i didnt think i had a problem.  I started into treatment and detox.  Until i relized what i was doing to myself then no one could help me. Recommend NA meetings to her bc it is what helps me everyday

[kimdawn]

Hi. My best friend is addicted to lortabs, or any pain pill really, percocet, oxy cotten, you name it. My question is how do I help her? What can I do and what can she do to stop taking these freakin pills??!!

[steve]

You are the third person for whom I have posted the following, so you are not alone. I agree with people who advise you to slowly wean yourself off. I think going cold turkey might work for some, but for most of us it just sets us up for failure. Best wishes!

I have a lot of personal experience with opiates, and I've been through it. A few years ago I had to have some surgery, and was getting vicodan and lortabs. It only takes a couple of weeks of doing them several times a day to develope a chippy, or minor addiction, which I did. From previous experience (i had a heroine problem in the '70s) I knew that I had to get things under control. If you have a good amount of personal control, you can kick without any real bad side effects. What I did was cut my dose by 1/3rd every three days until I was down to taking single pills. Than I cut to half a pill, than a quarter. It took some will power, but I can tell you that it beats the hell out of even minor withdrawl symptoms. Try some Nytol or other over the counter medication to help with sleep. Within a week of finishing your detox, you will feel fine. If you don't do it yourself, your going to have to have somebody else help you with it, but you gotta do it. There is no darker, lonlier place than withdrawl. The sooner you get rid of this habit, the sooner you can get back to your life.