I have had 3 surgeries on my lumbar spine for herniated discs . That is where it all started. I had 5 years clean and sober (alcoholic here). I never got into pharms so when the Dr gave me a script for Vicodine about 5 years ago after my last surgery I figured it wouldnt be a problem. I mean..how can I get high from a pill ? Thats what I thought. So I got them and felt great and pain free. The problem is I knew I was high and in no time I was taking them even when not in pain so as heart breaking as it was. I knew my recovery was blown and quit the fellowship (AA) and figured I might as well drink now. I feel so stupid. My regular dr cut me off when a blood panel revealed high liver enzymes and it was getting fatty. It hurt to..and still does if I drink enough. (Im 50lbs heavier now than when the nightmare sharted) So I found a pain specialist and the Vike train continued. Fast forward 4 years. I have been on Hydrocodone in one form or another ever since...most recently (about the last year) 10mg Narco 6X a day is my daily regiment. The problem is they are not enough anymore...for the pain yes..but I am feeling withdrawl even while taking them.Lately I have been taking 2 10mg 3 times a day and each dose is only good for about 2-3 hours. Then I drink about 6-8 beers to put myself to sleep. Well last week I saw the Dr again and told her the deal. She was surprised the Narco was still working anyhow.So now I am trying Opana 10mg. This may sound nuts but If I take just the Opana for 4-5 days which isnt enough to get addicted but long enough to already be through the worst Hydrocodone withdrawls and then stop the Opana .....well is it possible. I know the Opana molecule binds with different receptors than the Hydrocodone hence the no euphoria claim Im thinking it can work. I have read Opana is much stronger and the withdrawl is terrible so I just want out period. The no buzz thing is true....I still feel a better buzz with 2 Narcos that if I eat 2 Opanas. I dont care about the buzz anyhow. Drinking wiped me out with them though. If I have more than 6 beers in a 3hr period. I know it is a dangerous game and I just want out like I said. I quit smoking easily so I can deal with cravings...it is the terrible mental anguish of withdrawl that scares me. Im scared of detox or rehab to because I work as a tech in the hospital group in my area and dont drive so thats that. And..no..I never got to work high..actually the high was gone long ago from 1 pill. I eat one there sometimes if I feel withdrawl. They double as an antidepressent/painkiller. OK...Im scared and rambeling. I will be greatfull for any advice or support please. Thankyou.
No, you can't use one opiate to kick another. They are interchangeable and when you build tolerance to an opiate, you are building tolerance to all opiates. So for example, if you became an Oxy addict never having tried Heroin once, the first time you do Heroin the effects will be much much less than if you never did Oxy. Some people use less potent opiates to ease the withdrawal of heavier opiates, for example taking codeine or hydrocodone to withdraw from heroin. This will ease the withdrawal symptoms while still lowering your tolerance. ***VERY IMPORTANT*** -- You need to be extremely careful with the combination of drinking and taking Vicodin. there is overdose risk, but more glaring than that is the liver damage you are causing. Vicodin has APAP (non-narcotic) and frequently mixed with alcohol will DESTROY your liver. If you can't stop both, you have to stop one or you'll face serious consequences. If you do everything you possibly can and still can't stop, then move to an opiate that doesn't contain APAP. I'm not going to give you examples, but they are out there. Good luck and be safe
Thanks for the reply....I know the Tylenol thing. Thats part of the reason I want off the Tylenol containing meds. It is probably why ive gained weight. My liver is working OT. So I guess my only choices are.... well I dont have any..I was thinking stronger opana which I can stand not taking hydrocodone while on but there is the severe interaction with the oxymorphone or...shit I cant go back to Vicoprofen because they are weaker (7.5mg) and then my kidneys are in trouble. Damn....is there an opiate that is safe while drinking. I have no intention of giving up my beer. Maybe I should just go into the local Detox and kick them alltogether. I dont think my employer would be as harsh on me as if I were doing crack or illegale substances authough I know in my heart whats going on. Im gonna die if I do not do something..Im 50lbs overweight, and have pain in the liver,kidneys and pancreas (sharp and on my left side right below the ribs) A different organ each day...but it ussually hurts someware. Its been this way for years. I am sure lucky to be alive..or arnt I? And my eyes are real dry lately...whats that about. I just wish I knew the dangers when I said...sure ..Ill try the Vicodine. Ive been prosoner ever since. I now think of my whole life in terms of pills. I hate it. Its the first thing I think about in the morning...actually afternoon when I get up. Im a second shifter. All I do is shower,work..come home and eat these things and drink beer all night and get up and do it again..weekends are the same but no work and I might do laundry or go buy groceries if I get up ontime to catch a ride with my roomie. Im sick of this............
Ever heard of buprenorphine? It comes in the form of suboxone and subutex. This drug is a partial opiate which is specifically used for treating opiate addiction. Works great for a lot of people.
Yes...and there is some Dr's in my area that can perscribe it. If I go that route can I skip detox? How does it work...do I get cut off the opiates im on now and straight into Suboxone? If someone here can share their Suboxone expierience with me it would be great. Also...can I drink on suboxone...actually Im pretty sure they will tell me not to but would it be any more dangerous drinking beer on them than what I am already on. For instance..since 5PM I have had 3 10mg Opana..and 6 10/325 narcos...2 5mg flexerile and about 8 beers since 9PM..it is 1:30 AM now. I want to cut out all drugs...but like I said..Give up the Beer..No way. Maybe later but it is to much at once. I hate being drunk and drink often (every day) but when I do it is only like 3-6 on a workday and maybe 10 a day on weekends. And a beer lasts me an hour...ya follow? Hence I am never drinking enough to consider it a problem...not near like the pills. Look..I lost my Job(layoff) Fiance (another man 18yrs younger) and my apartment of 10 years all in one month 2 years ago. Since then I have got a great job...a very nice apartment..my bills and credit are all in good order. I cant rest on my laurles anymore...there is much more I want to accomplish...like eating better, excercise but I lack the ambition as long as I am on these freggin pills. I wouls also love to find a good woman to spend my life with but in order to get a good woman I have to become a good man...otherwise I will just end up with someone as sick or sicker than I am now. And we all know a sick person will drag us down before we can ever pull them up if the person does not want to get well....especialy in my present state. Heck, Im very lucky to be alive. I just want to live again. If there is a way to stop these things without any or with minimul withdrawl and still be able to enjoy (my last crutch, ill get to it later) a few beers the desire to pound opiates will be easy. At least smoking was and it is supposidly more addictive than heroine. So..Suboxone ? How about it ? And thankyou very much to all replies and advice.
I remember when I drank, drank drank and similarly, the thought of not drinking just made me feel empty inside. I guess it's cause I didn't drink much during the usual times at uni, though I did plenty chems. Then when I started doing stronger opiates (H and 'done) I valiantly kept up this effort, until I started blacking out in club toilets, waking up having no idea how I got wherever, all this kinda stupid shit. Before that, alcohol had never even made me puke. After a couple of occasions like this my body just said 'don't drink so much' and I just stopped. For months there was just no desire to drink, the light just didn't even switch on, it was so bizarre. Even now I only get drunk when I'm out; I just can't put excessive amounts of alcohol in my body any more. ...Sorry for the ramble but I guess sometimes your body will tell you when you're being stupid. My only experience with naloxone was accidental and incredibly gruesome (and conveyed in detail on here about a year ago!). ...I'm slowly but surely giving up the op so pretty small amounts of H do me nicely now, which explains why this .1 has gone straight to my head.
suboxone in my opinion would be the way to go... tell your doctor straight up about your recovery and wanting to kick the habit... my friend i am in the same positon you are to the T... lost everything to a coke/crack habit a few years ago... i was able to kick and was clean for a year and got everything back new house family and financially stable... then i delved into the wonderful/nightmare world of pharms... everything is on a downhill now... and i am scared just as you are... but if you tell your doc about the habit and addiction and discuss suboxone with him he can put you on a schedule of weening you off... subxone works in the way that if you take any opiate and then take the suboxone it will send you into withdrawals immediately... suboxone alone is very powerfil... i only have to take half of an 8mg to last all day ... some find use it to abuse but those serious about kicking can find it to be wonderful... if you take anything after the suboxone it will not get you where you want to be as it is an opiate blocker... discuss with your doc and he can tell you in full detail how it will work for you
my spine too is pretty well shot,i have had 2 fusions and a lamonecty, for 2 solid years i was on ms contin i eventually built a tolrence to the morphine and got switched to ultram. now several years later i am still on the ultram but I went to smoking some solid ass buds try that combo and see if it helps any? Good luck and DOWN WITH PAIN!!
my spine too is pretty well shot,i have had 2 fusions and a lamonecty, for 2 solid years i was on ms contin i eventually built a tolrence to the morphine and got switched to ultram. now several years later i am still on the ultram but I went to smoking some solid ass buds, try that combo and see if it helps any? Good luck and DOWN WITH PAIN!!