Painkiller addiction; has anyone sought out detox

[Tim C.]

and succeeded?
Where did you go?
What did you replace it with?
At times, I seem to suffer more from side effects.

[betheny]

I did not go to a rehab. If, God forbid, I had to do it again, I would. You need to be in a medical facility. The diarrhea alone will kill you. You need IV fluids, dark, silence and medical monitoring. Some people will tell you different-they were lucky. It's a shivering, shaking, twitching, spazzing nightmare topped off with incontinence. I'm not trying to scare you. Just don't cold turkey at home, Tim.

I did it in my bedroom and I was stupid. Didn't replace them with anything, I grit my teeth and hurt. But I don't have that detox waiting down the road for me anymore and that's a huge relief. Back then Dogger told me he doesn't take meds because if he gets hurt he wants something that will work. He kind of shamed me and made me think.

It depends who you are. Maybe you'll come off of them easily.I inherited some wonderful things...and the most addictive bloodline known to man. Getting off the narcs was really hard for me. Maybe it's a character flaw...don't know, don't care. To quote fuentes, "It is what it is."

[metronycguy]

problem is if you have really severe pain, and not just a dependency on narcotics you will still need something for the pain,there is no way around that.

[betheny]

It's a problem all right. Doesn't have a solution either. My pain eased up for a while but it's getting bad again.

[Tim C.]

programs:
ie; advertising 45hours, sedation, general anesth, crash soothing meds, confidentiality, etc.........$9,600, , Chicago, Ill. no insurance.;;shit!

continue search.........I'm not Robert Downey Junior, spoiled Hollywood types, et al
'What's in your wallet?'

[alan]

and succeeded?
Where did you go?
What did you replace it with?
At times, I seem to suffer more from side effects.

Are you sure you're addicted, and not just dependent on the meds? Dependence is normal with opiates. Addiction is taking them to get high.

To get off of an opiate medication, you have to taper down slowly by reducing the dose over a period of time to avoid withdrawal. Some, like methadone, require a longer taper than others. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist, and ask for a taper schedule for your medication.

[Raven]

There seems to be a difference between addiction and dependency to medication. To be more exact this is what Wikipedia says :

"The medical community now carefully distinguishes between physical dependence (characterized by symptoms of withdrawal) and psychological addiction (or simply addiction). Addiction is now narrowly defined as "uncontrolled, compulsive use despite harm"; if there is no harm to the patient or another party, there is no addiction. The obsolete term physical addiction is deprecated because of its pejorative connotations, especially in modern pain management with opioids where physical dependence is nearly universal but addiction is rare."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction

I used to work with a Federally and City/County/State funded Methadone Clinic before and we treated addicts with heroin addiction. We also used to have patients who had problems with Valium and they were detoxed by the clinic's psychiatrist. Our clinic charged according to the income resources of our patients. This made it easier for them to afford the care. I believe there is a possibility that you may be able to find a state funded clinic which may work in the same way we did. Also, the local mental health/mental retardation programs may be able to refer you to someone who could help you. That is the way it is worked here where I live in Texas. A doctor such as a psychiatrist or psychologist may also give you some help or referrences. Hope this helps and I wish you the best. It may be a long trip but it will be a worthwhile one.

Raven

[bob clark]

Every other month or so I get my hands on about 28 - 500mg Vicodin and do a 4 day mini stay-at-home vacation. I have some overall SCI pain but Vicodin doesn't seem to help very much. I guess it's the wrong type of painkiller for my type of pain. It even seems to make it worse, especially the stabbing/burning pain in my right side.

While I'm on the pills I can't sleep a wink. And after 4 days of being on them I need almost a full week to recover. I can still taste them in my system after 5 days. And I need to catch up on all that lost sleep. I have an overall feeling of being very weak and tired. I get a little irritable but mainly my normal aches and pains are excentuated and I feel very lethargic. It's a welcome relief to finally detox from just a 4 day excursion on them and to begin to feel normal again.

I may not go on my little vacations anymore. Paying with 7 days of suffering for just a short 4 day mini-vacation (gettin' high binge) is a pretty steep price to pay.

I guess it's true that there's no such thing as a free lunch. And for every action there's an opposite and (more than) equal reaction.

I can only imagine how screwed up you'd feel if you were doing a strong opioid for a very long period of time and decided to get off of it. You definitely want to come off it slowly. And like has been suggested, probably with the help of professionals in the detox field.

[dgrotz]

I am currently quiting vicoden, I'm down to 2 a day and it's hell, haven't slept a full night for awhile, wake up very spazming. Dr. said I have to learn to live with my new pain levels and put me on neurontin, actually helps but now I'm very dependant on vicoden. I've heard rapid detox is not very healthy

[bob clark]

Hi Dave,

Has your doctor prescribed an anti-spasmotic for you? If you're getting off the Vicodin maybe he'll put you on Valium or perhaps some less addictive tranquilizer/anti-spasmotic drug. It should help with the withdrawal from the Vicodin. And Valium helps you sleep too.

I can't sleep on Vicodin at all and you seem to have trouble sleeping while you're coming off of it. Ya just can't win .

[dgrotz]

Hi Dave,

Has your doctor prescribed an anti-spasmotic for you? If you're getting off the Vicodin maybe he'll put you on Valium or perhaps some less addictive tranquilizer/anti-spasmotic drug. It should help with the withdrawal from the Vicodin. And Valium helps you sleep too.

I can't sleep on Vicodin at all and you seem to have trouble sleeping while you're coming off of it. Ya just can't win .

I just increased my baclofen, I'm prescribed 3mg valium a night, it didn't help any so I stoped taking it, need to ask for an increase, I think. :thinking:

[Tim C.]

From 8 pops/ 200mcg per day

[Tim C.]

No, not discharged from the much advertised $10k detox centers.
Living off menial disability $ here.

As I was contemplating Beth's , Metro's et al comments while they were still fresh, meanwhile my newly inserting sp tube gets big time infected.
Ooze and yellow goo erupting around the tube, blood, and other junk filling the bag. PAIN INSANE ramps up all day saturday. hot/ cold shakes, nausea.
Carries over into sunday and worsens. No food, just eating actiq near continuously. Constipation arrives, spasms gaylore.
What the f$%k?
After morphing into a meniacal monster 48hrs into this, I gave up. I had to call for the ambulance.
If not for the crushing pain i would have laughed at the emt's attempt to bend me into my chair. Use a spatula. I resembled a fish flopping across the floor.
Managed to reach my physiatrist on sunday morn, kudos, and to kessler nurses,,,,some of the world's best I bet!
Unfortunately, I was too ill for admittance, and then there's the detox issue.
Oh no, my physiatrist compels me to go to my local emerg room!
Sh*t...
FYI.......If you're sci you risk your life seeking aid at Huntington hospital.
I was desperate.
24 hrs of near zero care while resting on a matted stretcher. My sores enjoyed that, especially while being ignored after a bowel accident.
The nurses aids were 'out on break'........... bullshit.
Can I get turned? ................nah, gotta wait?
Pain meds? ......wait for em doctor, hours away.
Haven't i heard? 16 hrs post? ......being admitted
No beds though...
Whose your doc? .........call out to him.......he's near worthless anyway.....keep him for his name recognition only.
Can I take my reg meds? ........sure what is gabapentin though? Must wait for gp to call, then wait for hosp pharmacy .......finally my home caregiver arrives............f*&k it, ....I'll sneak my own meds.
Help for pain? ........ok, 1 mg dilauded, sub q.......keep it, I'll take my own. I'm addicted, or dependent, whatever, does it really matter? My tolerance dictates I must take in 8x's amount daily over my orig rehab dosage. Thanks Kessler. At least I dc'd the 'xcontin, 'codone, et al myself.
My decubitus' get ignored....get contaminated from earlier stool accident.......told 'wound care' specialist will arrive and provide dressings, (PS, it was her day off, did not arrive until 3 days later).......great care here..
Thank God my aid showed up! He then provides all ensuing care.
Wonder if the hosp will rebate my insurance.

2 b continued..........

[betheny]

I am so sorry. Hang tough (like there's an option, huh?)

[bob clark]

Isn't life grand?

Sorry to hear about all you went through Tim. I sure hope you're doing better now. Hardly seems as though it could get any worse!

[metronycguy]

tim, at the very least report this lack of care and horrible treatment at this hospital.

[Raven]

So sorry to hear this Tim. The SCI and problems that it also carries along with it should be enough so that we could never forget them. Now this other problem is most likely very hard for you. I remember seeing some of our clinic patients going through withdrawal and can imagine how much worse it must be for you. All I can say is that I will keep you in my prayers and thoughts everyday. Hang on in there, we are all in your corner cheering for you. :grphug:

Raven