Hi everyone. My name is ginger and i am in my 30's and married with children. I have a problem with pain medicine specifically lortab. I have had this issue for 3 years now with times of low use and times of high use. the most being 15 pills a day and right now i am at 7 or 8 a day. My husband recently found out how many i am taking and wants me to get help. I honestly hate that i am a slave to these things but am so scared to think of a life with never being able to lean on them again. I know sounds pretty weak. I have a wonderful life and family and enjoy so many things so i wish i could kick this stupid habit. This is my first time to seriously think about making this life change. It is a combination of my husband wanting me to change this and me just being sick and tired of thinking of how many i have left and how i can make it through to the next refill. I get my medications from my doctor who prescribes them for arthirits and disk problems. I also get them occasionally when i am having a migraine. SOOOO anyway here i am and i am ready to listen and ready to learn.
Welcome and much love to you.
Edited to say - sorry for typos... hopefully you will get my drift (I am tired!)
Well, you have taken the first step in admitting you have a problem, and we can help you .... if you are ready to do this.
Since it is late, especially on the east coast and midwest, you may not get the "normal" number of welcoming replies, but just want until the next day or so and don't get discouraged.
I was in your shoes, pretty much, until April of this past year (2006). Same or similar drug of choice (DOC). You'll see all kinds of abbreviations here.
C/T (cold turkey) is one you'll hear. There are over-the-counter medications that can help you if you decide to do this on your own. Others will give ideas about different programs (inpatient and outpatient) that can help. But I think (and this is only my opinion) that with the level your on, and also depends on the time, that you may be able to do this without an inpatient rehab program.
Anyway, there are a variety of ways to stop - there are addiction specialists who treat people on an outpatient basis with a medication called suboxone. I did see an addiction specialist, but I was already about four days off the meds, and I was starting to get "over the hump" to I decided NOT to go on another med to get me off the one I was addicted to. Strictly my decision, other people have been helped greatly by "sub".
I have now been off pain medications completely, and my whole life has changed for the better - no more worrying about running out, counting pills, taking the last ones and then thinking "I'm SURE I'll think of a way to get more tomorrow".
It doesn't get better - you find yourself (even though you are down on the number per day now - VERY GOOD! - that you need to take more and more just to maintain, you don't even really get the same "feeling" from them that you once did, right?
.
Or you can try tapering down even further, and go off on your old.... you'l have a good week of flu-like symptoms (some would say flu is a little mild for the description) but it CAN BE DONE and life is SO MUCH BETTER on the other side.
I'm pretty tired right now, but look for more words of wisdom and support in the coming day or so, and start preparing yourself mentally for wanting this more than anything else in the world - with a husband and children you have everything to gain and everything to lose.
You've taken the first step. Be proud of yourself for admitting you have a problem. That is more than many do, for a long long time.
Love and welcome to our family
Sue/Enester
Edited to say - sorry for typos... hopefully you will get my drift (I am tired!)
Well, you have taken the first step in admitting you have a problem, and we can help you .... if you are ready to do this.
Since it is late, especially on the east coast and midwest, you may not get the "normal" number of welcoming replies, but just want until the next day or so and don't get discouraged.
I was in your shoes, pretty much, until April of this past year (2006). Same or similar drug of choice (DOC). You'll see all kinds of abbreviations here.
C/T (cold turkey) is one you'll hear. There are over-the-counter medications that can help you if you decide to do this on your own. Others will give ideas about different programs (inpatient and outpatient) that can help. But I think (and this is only my opinion) that with the level your on, and also depends on the time, that you may be able to do this without an inpatient rehab program.
Anyway, there are a variety of ways to stop - there are addiction specialists who treat people on an outpatient basis with a medication called suboxone. I did see an addiction specialist, but I was already about four days off the meds, and I was starting to get "over the hump" to I decided NOT to go on another med to get me off the one I was addicted to. Strictly my decision, other people have been helped greatly by "sub".
I have now been off pain medications completely, and my whole life has changed for the better - no more worrying about running out, counting pills, taking the last ones and then thinking "I'm SURE I'll think of a way to get more tomorrow".
It doesn't get better - you find yourself (even though you are down on the number per day now - VERY GOOD! - that you need to take more and more just to maintain, you don't even really get the same "feeling" from them that you once did, right?
.
Or you can try tapering down even further, and go off on your old.... you'l have a good week of flu-like symptoms (some would say flu is a little mild for the description) but it CAN BE DONE and life is SO MUCH BETTER on the other side.
I'm pretty tired right now, but look for more words of wisdom and support in the coming day or so, and start preparing yourself mentally for wanting this more than anything else in the world - with a husband and children you have everything to gain and everything to lose.
You've taken the first step. Be proud of yourself for admitting you have a problem. That is more than many do, for a long long time.
Love and welcome to our family
Sue/Enester
Welcome Ginger,
You have made a great step towards recovery by coming here and admitting youre addicted.
I was addicted to codeine #4. I got up to 20 to 30 pills a day. I have a titanium plate in my neck along with some screws, arthritis and a bunch more. I was sure I had to take pills for the rest of my life. What I had to admit was that I was also taking pills for the energy and all the "happy" stuff that comes along with pills.
There are a whole bunch of ways to quit, taper, CT (cold turkey), in house detox, out patient detox, NA/AA and on and on. People here have had success in many different ways. You must choose a plan that you feel comfortable with and you will do it to.
Research, research, research. Read everything you can get your hands on about addiction. The more you know the more you will understand how your body and brain are affected by the pills.
I went to an addiction specialist and took suboxone. I tried to quit on my own and failed each time. I now understand that my failures were because of my ignorance about addiction. My health was also shot and that didn't help my attempts either. lol I haven't had a pill in over 6 months now.
Other people will show up and tell you their story and how they were able to quit. Come back and keep posting. Sometimes this board is a ghost town and sometimes it's really hopping.
Here is your first homework assignment:
Click on this and you can read about suboxone.
http://www.buprenorphine.samhsa.gov/about.html
This also has some good information about addiction. Doctors are listed in your area as well.
Keep comminmg back and posting, you are going to get some great advice from people who know and care.
Catherine
You have made a great step towards recovery by coming here and admitting youre addicted.
I was addicted to codeine #4. I got up to 20 to 30 pills a day. I have a titanium plate in my neck along with some screws, arthritis and a bunch more. I was sure I had to take pills for the rest of my life. What I had to admit was that I was also taking pills for the energy and all the "happy" stuff that comes along with pills.
There are a whole bunch of ways to quit, taper, CT (cold turkey), in house detox, out patient detox, NA/AA and on and on. People here have had success in many different ways. You must choose a plan that you feel comfortable with and you will do it to.
Research, research, research. Read everything you can get your hands on about addiction. The more you know the more you will understand how your body and brain are affected by the pills.
I went to an addiction specialist and took suboxone. I tried to quit on my own and failed each time. I now understand that my failures were because of my ignorance about addiction. My health was also shot and that didn't help my attempts either. lol I haven't had a pill in over 6 months now.
Other people will show up and tell you their story and how they were able to quit. Come back and keep posting. Sometimes this board is a ghost town and sometimes it's really hopping.
Here is your first homework assignment:
Click on this and you can read about suboxone.
http://www.buprenorphine.samhsa.gov/about.html
This also has some good information about addiction. Doctors are listed in your area as well.
Keep comminmg back and posting, you are going to get some great advice from people who know and care.
Catherine
Hi Ginger,
Welcome to this wonderful place. I'm sure you'll get the help you need. It sounds like you're ready to make the necessary changes in your life. You'll find you'll save a bundle of money when you don't have to rely on pills to help you get through the day. It does sound as if you had legitimate health problems to begin with. My daughter has them also, so it makes it harder to get along without, but the problem with pills (as you've seen) is that your system soon becomes accustommed to them and the amount you've previously taken isn't enough. You might try exploring other health avenues for pain relief. You have my sympathy for the migraines. I had them for years and the pain was exquisite. I did find relief in taking 4 over the counter Advil at a time and my doctor was aware that I was doing this. She said it was a clinical dose. Thankfully, I'd only have to do this once or twice since the pain usually went away after 24 hours at the most. You may find relaxation therapies like meditation or Reiki will help and there are books on both to help you get started. I'm happy to hear that your life otherwise is a happy one. That alone can be a big encouragement. (((((Hugs)))))) (I'm a big hugger.)
Welcome to this wonderful place. I'm sure you'll get the help you need. It sounds like you're ready to make the necessary changes in your life. You'll find you'll save a bundle of money when you don't have to rely on pills to help you get through the day. It does sound as if you had legitimate health problems to begin with. My daughter has them also, so it makes it harder to get along without, but the problem with pills (as you've seen) is that your system soon becomes accustommed to them and the amount you've previously taken isn't enough. You might try exploring other health avenues for pain relief. You have my sympathy for the migraines. I had them for years and the pain was exquisite. I did find relief in taking 4 over the counter Advil at a time and my doctor was aware that I was doing this. She said it was a clinical dose. Thankfully, I'd only have to do this once or twice since the pain usually went away after 24 hours at the most. You may find relaxation therapies like meditation or Reiki will help and there are books on both to help you get started. I'm happy to hear that your life otherwise is a happy one. That alone can be a big encouragement. (((((Hugs)))))) (I'm a big hugger.)
a big thank you to all that responded. It was such a wonderful thing to read all that you had to say and all the advice you had to offer. I still am deciding how i want to go off these things but right now i am thinking cold turkey. I go see my counselor tomorrow and i am going to discuss this with her. I started seeing her for this issue in the first place.so again thank you for taking the time to respond to me it means alot.
Ginger, Welcome to the board! I hope you come back and share with us the journey you are about to embark on. We have all been there,and would love to help you through the rought days ahead.
Congrats on taking this first step in getting your life back. Good luck!