Hello all
I'm new to this site and and feeling a bit worried about the pain I've got in which I think is my right kidney at the moment.
I've had the pain on and off for a few days now. I've been using heroin for nigh on a year. It started off (as it usually does) with the occasional smoke. I initially started taking it as I contracted HSVII (genital herpes). The virus affected my urethra very badly. I was urinating upto six times an hour and I was in dreadful pain 24/7 for nigh on three months. My boyfriend has been a heroin user, on and off for about 16 years. I begged him to try and get me some heroin to alleviate the pain I was experiencing with the HSVII. When I started taking the Heroin, it did seem to help a lot with the pain I was in.
Within about four months of my using heroin for pain relief, obviously, I had developed a habit. I got pretty scared about it all and got in touch with a drug agency. They tried me on various opiate substitutes but unfortunately, I am a highly atopic individual. I had a severe allergic reaction to Methadone and had to have an intra muscular anti histamine as my vision went very blurred and I got a banginng headache within ten to fifteen minutes of ingesting methadone. I was then put on Physeptone tablets. I got numbing, tingling, burning and swelling of both hands and arms whilst on this medication. The same happened with Buprenorphine (Subutex). The only choices left offered by the agency at this point were methadone powder or dihydrocodeine. The Prescribing Doctor at the drug agency was very reluctant to give me DF's and it was a definite no go with the methadone powder, as it was outside of NICE guidelines (some protocol that has to be followed in the UK in relation to prescribing opiate substitutes). The doctor got in touch with an addictions psychiatrist who said I could be put on DF's.
Whist all of this was going on, I need to backtrack to when I was on Physeptone. I was informed by the doctor to tell the Driver's Liscense Agency that I was on an Opiate substitute. I duly did this and got a reply back from the DVLA informing me that my Driver's License would be revoked for a year. I rang them up and asked why this was so when I was making attempts to get clean. At this point, I was not using heroin and sticking to my prescription. The DVLA told me it had nothing to do with being on an opiate substitute prescription but the fact that I had taken Heroin that year (2010) and I was therefore, classed as a persistant user and had a drugs problem. I was really angry at this as I had pretty much only used about 10 times at this point. Admittedly, I did act very childishly over the whole thing and thought "Well, if they're going to class me as a drug user then I may as well carry on using". Which, sadly, I did.
I now inject and have been for about three to four months. I cant inject myself as I am hopeless at it and so my partner injects me. So, going back to my original problem of this back pain. I am wondering if it is being caused by injecting the heroin. At present, I am doing about a gram of Heroin (if not a little more) every day. I have also beeen taking up to 10 DF's on top of this. I am also prescribed 15mg of valium but this is being reduced as of next week by 2mg and 2mg thereafter every two weeks. I also take 75mg of Dosulepin (a tricyclic anti-depressant). This is not prescribed to me for depression but as pain relief as I suffer from burning mouth syndrome.
The herpes flared up again about two weeks ago after being free of having attacks for just over a year. This happened on the day that I decided that I was going to try and wean myself off the Heroin and start taking my dihydrocodeine prescription properly. Absolutely typical that it should happen on the day that I and my partner had come up with a reduction plan for me to follow.
The only thing is, my drug agency think I have been clean since December 27th. They do not know I have been using Heroin at all. I haven't told them as I so desperately want to get my Driver's License back. If I hadn't messed up in the first place, next month I could have started the process to reapply at the beginning of April. As it stands, I will now have to wait until October of this year. If I confess now that I am still using then heaven knows when I will be able to reapply.
I suppose people who read this post may think "Why on earth dont you let your keyworker know what's going on"? Firstly, I am quite angry at the Agency as they said to me that it was highly unlikely that I would loose my license. When I did loose it, they promised me they would write to DVLA and explain to them about the medication I am on and how important it is for me to have a license. About 9 months on, they still haven't done this. At present, I am stuck out in a village and I have to walk/ride my bike to the pharmacy. This is a six mile round trip. It was only about 6 weeks ago that I was put on three weekly pick up. Before that, I had to make this trip every single day, except Sunday, when on Saturday, I would be given my meds for the weekend.
So, I am stuck in the middle of nowhere and yes, I could move but there have been a lot of traumas in my life that have gone on over this past year (one of them being having suffered from three miscarriages). Moving house isn't easy either as we all know; it is one of the most stressful things that someone can take on in life. The public transport system in the village I live in is appalling and buses stop running at about 6pm in the evening.
Before I lost my license, I had a care plan set in place which included things such as getting to 12 step meetings, seeing my Counsellor once a week and going to group therapy work. Now I haven't been able to do any of these things and I have become so isolated and also very depressed. I barely go out anywhere and just constantly stuck in the house. The only times I do go out is to pick up my meds and also to go out shopping, which is a major problem when using the buses. I guess that is another reason as to why I have sunk further and further into my using and now ended up with this chronic pain in my kidney.
Well, I am just guessing that the Heroin use has caused it. I know I should go to the Doctor and get it checked out but I am worried that the Doctor at my GP practice will inform the Drug Agency that I've been using Heroin (that's if I tell the Doctor that I have been using). I just dont know what to do and the pain is really worrying me :(
Has anyone else on here ever been through a similar issue with kidney pain from using Heroin?
I thank anyone who takes the time out to read this post.
Helen
Hi Helen,
Welcome. I know you and all of us wish we didn't have to say welcome. I wish you weren't having to be here.
No, I never had that kidney pain. I am no Dcotor so I can't give you advice. If it was me I would think you have the kidney pain from the original urinary tract infection. Obviously you are intelligent and know it's something you have to get checked like yesterday.
If they do a urine which would only take a few minutes in lab that could tell so much. No need to straight off tell a primary Doctor you're shooting heroin if you want to get your kidney checked. Straight off they could tell if you have an infection which could easily go to your kidney. You don't want to play around with that.
I'm a Yank so some of the drug names escape me. That's weird your adverse effects with other opaiutes. I can't take morphine either. Weird, right as it's contradictry to our drug of choice being based on morphine.
Please know I am so sorry all the pain you have been in. I am sorry you got screwed over about the license. I hear ya on that. However, like you said we talk ourselves into continued use. Like "Oh yeah I they think I'm whacked junkie I'll keep being one".
Of course I don't know you but it sounds like your pain is also of the mental hurt type. You've been hurt My downfall used to be even after I'd get clean if I had physical and emotional pain at the same time. I'd go pick up. I did without heroin if it was just physical or just mental, but BOTH? Nope.
Again I am no Doc, but I'd go see mine and get a urine done. Like ASAP. That original urinary tracy infection and the pain of the herpes and all I'd say has something to do with it.
Hope that helped a little bit.
Welcome. I know you and all of us wish we didn't have to say welcome. I wish you weren't having to be here.
No, I never had that kidney pain. I am no Dcotor so I can't give you advice. If it was me I would think you have the kidney pain from the original urinary tract infection. Obviously you are intelligent and know it's something you have to get checked like yesterday.
If they do a urine which would only take a few minutes in lab that could tell so much. No need to straight off tell a primary Doctor you're shooting heroin if you want to get your kidney checked. Straight off they could tell if you have an infection which could easily go to your kidney. You don't want to play around with that.
I'm a Yank so some of the drug names escape me. That's weird your adverse effects with other opaiutes. I can't take morphine either. Weird, right as it's contradictry to our drug of choice being based on morphine.
Please know I am so sorry all the pain you have been in. I am sorry you got screwed over about the license. I hear ya on that. However, like you said we talk ourselves into continued use. Like "Oh yeah I they think I'm whacked junkie I'll keep being one".
Of course I don't know you but it sounds like your pain is also of the mental hurt type. You've been hurt My downfall used to be even after I'd get clean if I had physical and emotional pain at the same time. I'd go pick up. I did without heroin if it was just physical or just mental, but BOTH? Nope.
Again I am no Doc, but I'd go see mine and get a urine done. Like ASAP. That original urinary tracy infection and the pain of the herpes and all I'd say has something to do with it.
Hope that helped a little bit.
Hi Genuissa,I'm new to this site too but been addicted to all types of drugs for more than 20 yrs(heroin being my drug of choice for too long).When you abuse your body there are enevitably side affects.Unfortunately ,if you're a junkie,the medical proffesion usually doesn't take you seriously.They even think you're after free pain killers or don't think you deserve to be treated(like junkies can't be sick like other people!)I was admitted to hospital several times,over the years,with Severe kidney/back or stomach pain.The last time I went I found out I had kidney stones.This makes me wonder if I had this problem before and was fobbed off as a junkie.However I do believe that I may have not developed this if I had looked after myself better.But it does make you wonder if I would have been treated better if I hadn't admitted to being a junkie.Anyway still struggling with addiction but taking better care of my body like drinking fluids + eating better+ also trying to look at life differently,Hoping it may help me move towards living life differently.(no harm in trying)I know how hard addiction is + wish you all the best with yourself +health .Fallen
