Dealing with the pressure of coming off of pain pills

[mommyandwife]

Hey everyone.  I have posted a few times but I don't come back as often as I would like since I work full time and have two little ones and a husband that craves attention on top of it all =)
Well, I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia about two months ago.  Just last week I started seeing a new doctor who actually has the experience of a 15 year clinical study of Fibromyalgia patients.  I thought this would be a great change for me.

She has since started me on several anti-depressants:  Depakote (mood stabilizer), Sarafem (anti-depressant), she has also kept me on my Norco, Soma, Clonopin, and Savella.  

I am praying that the mood enhancers give me a better outlook on life and hopefully that reduces my pain.  I have several mental illnesses that run in my: family bipolar disorder, paranoia, etc.
Here's the issue:  I have a very physical job and the Norco helps quite a bit with getting through my daily life.  I have tried taking my other medications without it and they don't seem to work, which leads me to believe that the Norco intensifies the effects of the other medications.  

There are several reasons why I am even considering going off of the Norco, the first being that I have recently found out that my husband has been abusing this drug off the street and stealing them from me.  Now he is trying to quit but he feels that he cannot do it if he knows I am taking this medication, especially if it is in the house.  The second reason I want to try to go off of it is that I am starting to build a tolerance to it to the point where it takes the edge off, and I fear there is never going to be a medication that will keep me pain free.  I have ran short on my Norco a few times due to taking a few more than directed and also my husband taking them!  Without the medication, my anxiety and emotions run wild trying to fathom how I am going to make it through work, support my family, etc, with this debilitating pain that I can barely function with.
The third reason I was pondering coming off of it is that my new doctor said that in her experience Norco doesn't do any good for Fibro patients.

What am I going to do??  My husband says he wants me to be strong and work through the pain because that's what I need to do to support our girls.  The doctor did not want to switch me to Ultram because she feels it will not work well since I have tried Lyrica before and that did not work.

I am at a loss of what to do.  I worry so much about how I am going to function on the long term rather than making day by day.  I don't know if I should continue the Norco or try to come off of it to see what happens.  I have a week off next week which would be the ideal time to detox if I am going to do it.
Any helpful or encouraging comments on the subject??

[Tuckamore]

Hello and Welcome Back,

You are in a Catch 22 that only you have the power to change. My heart goes out to you as I am sure you must certainly love your husband. In my opinion his behavior and betrayal of you would not be acceptable to me.

You don't need my lecture to tell you what he is doing is very illegal and jeopardizes your ability to receive the deserved and much needed pain management. If he refuses to leave you medications alone what choice o you have but to turn him into law enforcement. When you are aware of what he is doing it makes you as guilty as he in the eyes of our judicial system. Please don't take that chance, not only for your sake but for the sake for your children. Supporting your children should also be his responsibility. That's it. I won't continue with my thoughts regarding your husband.

If the pain medication enhances the other medications you are taking I encourage you to continue with it. Medications are often that way, one will potentiate the other. Indeed that is often the reason they are prescribed together.  

"Be strong and work through your pain" is not usually possible when you are afflicted with chronic pain. It sounds good but it is not realistic when you have Fibromyalgia and other painful conditions.  

If you and your physican beleive another medication besides Norco may work better for you than in my opinion it's certainly worth a try.

Whatever you decide please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. We will look forward to your updates. I wish you the best of luck and please remember to be safe, protect yourself and your children.

Take Care,
~Tuck~

[Mollyrae]

Please don't let your Husband dictate your need for pain medication. That is a very poor excuse for your Husband. It seems that he is only thinking about himself and his needs...not yours. You have a valid reason for taking them..he does not.

He should respect your pain and stop his foolishness. He can be strong and stop doing what he's doing without you having to suffer because of it. If you have pain and it can't be controlled by OTC medications or other meds of lesser effect then please take what is prescribed to you.

It's too bad that the tables couldn't be turned so that he can see what he's doing to you. Trust me, he wouldn't put up with it and neither should you.

If my Husband did this to me and I found out, I'd make him get help first and if it continued, I call the Police.

Sorry I was so blunt...This post made me hurt for you. I hope he seeks help.
My best,
Mollyrae