Ok, lets start this off with a brief description of my situation. I'm 16 years old and I have chronic pancreatitis. I am on percocet for the chronic pain. I have been unable to function on them. I've missed countless days of school, have failing grades, and I am very concerned about my future. I've been on pain meds since 8th grade. Now I'm hoping that I can get off of them all together and get my grades and life back. I'm concerned about the pain but I'll work through it. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with the withdrawl symptoms? My doctor suggested methadone (For purposes of pain as well as managing the withdrawl symptoms) Please if you have any advice I'm open for suggestion.
Good morning I'm mollyjean,I have an addiction also(of course)I can't answer most of your questions and I can only give my thoughts on this matter but I think going from percs to the methadone would not be a good idea.The meth is very very powerful and I know it is very very hard to get back off of.Do you have any kind of pain management Dr in your area?16 is soooo young to get caught up in the rollercoaster world of addiction.Maybe you could talk to your Md for options.Anyway people at this site are great people and humanbeings.I've never had the love and support you get from here.So if you need to talk we will listen and do what we can.The main thing is try not to feel alone in this.....take care mj
I wuoldn't be on a high dose of methadone. I would only get a dose of about 25mg a day. (Which in comparison to the other doses given is verrrry low). I'm just so frustrated, it's like a double edged sword. If I get off the pain meds I'm still in horrible pain, if I'm on them then I don't function. I just need an alternative. My doctors refuse to remove my pancreas because then I become diabetic. I'm just so frustrated :(
My you are so young to have to deal with this.Do you have many addiction specialist in your area or pain Dr maybe they would have better answers.I said that about the methadone because like a dope years ago I use to buy it off the streets and it was very hard to quit.I honestly think the only reason I did is because my supplier got busted.I would never go thetre now I have a different addiction to try to handle.As I said people here are very nice and alot of them can help you with your fight.mj
I have pain specialists in my area but right now my pediatrician is prescribing all of the meds to me. He knows I'm not an addict (I don't take them to get high, they don't even cause the euphoric effect) I'm posting because of the physical addiction. I know that if you take meds for so long then you're bound to go through some symptoms. I could care less if I take pills, I'm just worried about the pain. I've been sick since I was 11, I've been on almost every pain medicine you can think of, oxycontin, percocet, dilaudid, methadone, vicodin, and even demoral. I'm just tired of having to take pills, period. I went off dilaudid because it was too strong, and now the percocet is too strong also. I'm thinking that the low dose of methadone I was taking before would work for me. I think it's a better option I just wanted another opinion.
dear diva
i have been on methadone for pain mgmt. for a year and a half now, my dosage is considerable higher, however i have recently gotten it down to 25 mg per day, but i have to tell you that this is one of the hardest drugs to come off of, it hangs around in your bones and tissues alot longer than most so if you can help it, my opinion would be to stay off methadone, but i am not a dr. so i am not giving medical advise just what i have been through. talk to your dr about how it will be when you try to come off the methadone. it is a good drug for the pain it helps alot and you don't have to take it like every 4 hrs as others but it is a bummer to come completely off of
johnny
i have been on methadone for pain mgmt. for a year and a half now, my dosage is considerable higher, however i have recently gotten it down to 25 mg per day, but i have to tell you that this is one of the hardest drugs to come off of, it hangs around in your bones and tissues alot longer than most so if you can help it, my opinion would be to stay off methadone, but i am not a dr. so i am not giving medical advise just what i have been through. talk to your dr about how it will be when you try to come off the methadone. it is a good drug for the pain it helps alot and you don't have to take it like every 4 hrs as others but it is a bummer to come completely off of
johnny
Diva, I am reading a book about drug addiction right now and they warn against methadone.... There is a reason why doctors, lawyers, pilots, and other professionals suffering from addiction are not allowed to get put on it as part of their recovery - it is very hard to lead a normal, functioning life while on that. For some, it is a method of "harm avoidance", meaning that if there is NO way in the world they can get off of heroin or other opiates, at least the dr can try to make it safer by putting them on methadone instead..... but you are still on a very strong narcotic and you are never really clean while you are on it...
Look, I am still suffering through addiction myself.... I also have chronic pain and started taking pain killers for true, legitimate reasons... Now, though, it has snowballed and I am trying everything to get off of them, but methadone is not an option for me. I want to learn to function on a day-to-day basis with nothing clouding my mind. I don't want to go from one drug to another like I always do....
Please talk to your doctor about other alternatives.... Good luck
Look, I am still suffering through addiction myself.... I also have chronic pain and started taking pain killers for true, legitimate reasons... Now, though, it has snowballed and I am trying everything to get off of them, but methadone is not an option for me. I want to learn to function on a day-to-day basis with nothing clouding my mind. I don't want to go from one drug to another like I always do....
Please talk to your doctor about other alternatives.... Good luck
Way before I would suggest methodone I would try a duragesic patch or a switch to some other med like long acting oxys taken as prescribed... low dose of course... you are already taking percos which is what is in oxys minus the tylenol...
no way whould I sign the consent for my child to take methodone... no way in HE**... as least not at this juncture.. I would home school first....
this is extremely dangerous.... extrememly dangerous... you future mental health is at risk not just you academic future....
just my 2 cents..
teresa
no way whould I sign the consent for my child to take methodone... no way in HE**... as least not at this juncture.. I would home school first....
this is extremely dangerous.... extrememly dangerous... you future mental health is at risk not just you academic future....
just my 2 cents..
teresa
I totally agree, and now hearing all of the horror stories about methadone I'm not going to bother. I've tried the patch but it gave me horrible headaches and didn't help the pain too much. I think I'm just going to reduce my dose gradually until I'm off completely. I no longer see methadone as an option. My mom is also frustrated, and she doesn't even know that I'm seeking advice elsewhere (I only came here to get advice to ease withdrawl symptoms). She is racking her brain trying to come up with different solutions as are my doctors. Everyone tells me I'm so strong, bright, and still so young. I truly believe I can do this and I will keep you posted. I'm only on 5mg of percocet 8 times a day (Which for someone my age is a lot but compared to others is almost nothing) So I'm going to reduce it to 6 then to 4 then to 2 and then I'm going to just go off of them. Thanks for your advice and I'll keep you posted on my progress :)
do not leave your doctor out of that loop either... you need to let him in on your decision to get off of the percs.... he need to know your entire medical situation... esp with your age... he can also help with the weaning...
you are too young to take this on your self.... there will be plenty of time to be an adult...
teresa
you are too young to take this on your self.... there will be plenty of time to be an adult...
teresa
Oh, I told him already that I don't want to be on pills. He's against it because he seems to think that I can't function without them (Which is partly true because pancreatitis is a he** of disease with horrible unimaginable pain). But he said he would do what I wanted. He prescribed oxycontin but my insurance won't cover it now.. They won't even pay for zofran which I need to stop from vomitting (Another drawback of pancreatitis). I thought that maybe taking oxycontin 2 times daily would be better but now that's not an option because they won't pay :/ I won't do this on my own, I have lots of friends, family, my GI doctor, and many others who will help me with this.
You are so young to be going through all this. I am sorry you are in serious pain honey, but if you are wanting off the pills then you'll have to talk to your doctor about other options other than taking narcotic's. Going from Percocet to Methadone is just switching from one pain pill to another. I am here to tell you I had withdrawn off of percocet and methadone at 2 different periods in my life. DO NOT SWITCH TO METHADONE unless you are planning to stay on it forever!!! If percocet is to strong for you than if you must take a narcotic for pain it should be something like a vicodin not methadone. I can honestly tell you that the withdrawl off methadone was a living hell and it took a long time to feel batter again. I couldn't get out of bed for days other than to lay in the tub. I lost so much weight and was in so much physical pain I can't even stand to remember that time in my life. I was only taking 10-20mg a day for 2 1/2 years and I weaned myself down to piece of a pill before I quit altogether. Now if this is what the doctor says you should be on I would really think about it first. It may be a great drug for pain and it may help for the short term in helping you get off the perc's but if you start abusing them and then want to quit it will be very HARD on you! So keep that in mind.You are so young, I hope the doctor can find another way for you to relieve your pain. Best of luck to you! Rae
The other thing that stinks is, I will always have to take pain meds some times.. I'm hospitalized a lot when I have flare ups and they're forced to give me dilaudid when I'm there. But that was never a problem when I was first diagnosed (I would be hospitalized for a few days, get out and not take anything)
I'm not even thinking about the methadone anymore. I was reading about herion addicts who were on it and they were saying the meth withdrawl was worse than the herion.. Like I've said, I'll talk to my Doctor and he'll help with the weaning and all of that. Could I ask a question though? What's worse to take Vicodin or percocet?
Divachick,
Oxy's methadone same difference. Even if your insurance would pay for oxy's I wouldn't get them filled. You really need to wean down like you said you were going to do and then stop altogether. You could see if your doctor would write you or ask him if he thinks Catapress Patches(clonodine) would be an option for you it will control your blood pressure and a lot of doctor's write it for withdrawl symptoms. Also after you stop you can just take 500mg of tyenol here and there or motrin for the pain and just deal with the withdrawls. Percocet isn't as bad as methadone would be for you. You won't die from it but you need to talk to your doctor about other options to deal with your pain. That is if you are serious about wanting off the pain meds. Best of Luck,Rae
Oxy's methadone same difference. Even if your insurance would pay for oxy's I wouldn't get them filled. You really need to wean down like you said you were going to do and then stop altogether. You could see if your doctor would write you or ask him if he thinks Catapress Patches(clonodine) would be an option for you it will control your blood pressure and a lot of doctor's write it for withdrawl symptoms. Also after you stop you can just take 500mg of tyenol here and there or motrin for the pain and just deal with the withdrawls. Percocet isn't as bad as methadone would be for you. You won't die from it but you need to talk to your doctor about other options to deal with your pain. That is if you are serious about wanting off the pain meds. Best of Luck,Rae
Thanks so much for the advice. I'm going to talk to him and make a plan.
DivaChick
My mother also had a problem with pancreatis. The last time she was hospitalized for a month and a half and pretty much kept completely out of it because of the pain. When she got out, she changed her diet completely (it is a HUGE part of pancreatis) to completely natural foods, etc. She hasn't had one iota a problem since.
Don't know if you've tried that avenue (she saw a nutritionist or a naturopath or something like that to help with that), but it might be worth looking into for you.
Take care,
Mickey
My mother also had a problem with pancreatis. The last time she was hospitalized for a month and a half and pretty much kept completely out of it because of the pain. When she got out, she changed her diet completely (it is a HUGE part of pancreatis) to completely natural foods, etc. She hasn't had one iota a problem since.
Don't know if you've tried that avenue (she saw a nutritionist or a naturopath or something like that to help with that), but it might be worth looking into for you.
Take care,
Mickey
Thanks for the advice about the nutrition although I'm already on a low fat diet (and have lost weight because of it) I used to be on pancreatic enzymes but they didn't do anything to keep me out of the hospital. I'm just going to reduce my dose (Along with my doctors awareness) And eventually be free of any pain meds (Other than hospital stays) It kills me because before I was sick I was a straight A student (All the way until high school) I think that pain meds are not an option for me anymore. Thanks everyone for the advice and I will keep you posted on my progress ;)
