Was Badly Addicted To Hydrocodone/oxycodone/percocet For 7 Years. Am Now Free Thanks To Buprenorphine(suboxone). (Page 3) (Top voted first)

Not real sure why exactly it is that I feel it necessary to post here in this forum. Maybe I'm hoping that someone looking for help will read this and make the same decision myself and my husband did. 7 years ago I was introduced to the joys and wonderous feelings of pain pills. Always working in the restuarant industry as a server/ bartender, the high I got from taking tabs or percs or whatever I could get my hands on led me to believe that I was a better server, better at my job, made more money, could talk to people more openly and be a happier person all around. At first, like the beginning 3 years I would take 1 to 3 lortab 10 mg in one day and be hopping around all over the place till the wee hours of the morning, talking everyone's head off and energized to the max. As the habit grew, it took more and more to get that same feeling. I didn't even realize how addicted I was. When the pills would run out, I would notice not feeling well, tired, flu like almost but just thought I was getting sick. I was entirely stupid to the fact that I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms. It wasn't until about the 5th year of my opiate abuse that I started to understand and research what was happening to me when my stash ran out. It hit me like a bag a bricks that my life was going downhill fast and something had to be done. But I couldn't stop. I still had to work. In a restaurant. I still had to function and without the pills functioning was not a possibility. Then me and my husband got married and decided we wanted a child more than anything in the world. She was the first best decision we ever made. I quit everything the day I found out I was having out little girl. October 12 2009. Surprisingly easy it was too. Pills, cigarettes, pot, everything was out the window and knowing she was inside me, needing me to make sure she was healthy as possible meant I could stop it all and not look back. Until the day she was born of course. Almost 4 hours of pushing does a very painful number on a woman's lady parts and I did not hesitate to call the nurse exactly at every 4 hour mark to bring my pain meds for the whole 2 days we spent in the hospital. Then they send you home with a small script of tabs, like 24. So slowly but surely I was spiraling back down the hole of addiction again. It was still under control until the day after Thanksgiving of 2010. My husband wound up in the hospital for a week after having a major surgery done for a condition called a "spontaneous pneumothorax". basically an air pocket in the lung cavity causing the lung to collapse a small percentage. very invasive and painful surgery though. He was out of work for like 6 weeks and you best believe that every one of those weeks was spent gobbling oxycodone by both of us like there was no tomorrow. It was over after that. no going back to sobriety. We must work now and the demands of a small child are beyond exhausting. In my mind, I could not take care of her without pills. I needed to be supermom. Until one day about 6 weeks ago, we woke up and had hit rock bottome. Because of our very expensive pill habbit, the power was turned off, the water got turned off, the phones/cable/internet was gone and even the tags and insurance on the both our cars were expired. All in one day. What an awakening and excuse my language, but what a piece of s*** I felt like. How could I do this to my now 18 month old little girl who is the light of our life and what we live for. It was not fair to her, and certainly not what I wanted life for the 3 of us to be like. Not to mention I had went back to college last August and was damn near flunking for all the time and energy I wasted texting, calling, and searching out my next fix. I couldn't study, couldnt pay attention in class. Couldn't do anything for this filthy love of pain pills. So on the day of "almost loosing everything" I decided it had to stop. Something had to give or I'd have to give up my little girl and I would rather die than live without her. It took me 2 weeks to get up the nerve to go a place called Recovery concepts about 15 miles from my home. 2 weeks of misery, though because I still had to keep finding our fixes because as we all know as addicts you cannot deal with withdrawal symptoms and still care for children and work. I didn't want the pills anymore but had to take them just to feel normal. So anyway, Recovery Concepts was the 2nd best decision I ever made in my life. The process of talking with counselors and having blood drawn and seeing the doctor all the while being in the first stages of withdrawal was long and I very nearly walked out as people were texting me telling me they had tabs for me to buy. But I could not leave. I kept thinking of my little girl and it was her that made me stay. I had to make life better for her and by God I was going to do it that day. it took about 4 hours of waiting and seeing counselors before I got my first 4mg dose of suboxone. After about 30 min I noticed the cold sweats going away. It wasn't quite enough for me though, as I was up to 100mg plus of lortab per day. At 12 mg of suboxone, I felt perfect. I went home to my husband feeling like a million bucks and exclaiming that going there was the best thing I ever did. He started going the next week and our lives have completely changed for the better since then. He is at 16 mg of suboxone (16.00$/day) and I at 12 mg(14.00$/day), which to some may seem a hefty price, but when you consider we were spending anywhere from 100 to 150/day on tabs or roxy's or percs or whatever, well we are now saving quite a bit of moolah. We go early in the morning to take our dose and we feel great all day! I have the energy I need to go to school and take care of our baby and the house. He feels great enough to work all day and come home and play with the baby and the most important thing is that we are happy doing all these things. I think the suboxone actually has helped me also because I was going into a severe depression still addicted to opiates. I was so upset with myself and life and I just couldn't be happy knowing how stuck we were. Everything has changed for us now, and I am so thankful for the clinic and for my friend that told us about the place. Suboxone gives you another chance at life. At least for me it has. Get off pain pills without withdrawals and long term recovery support for people who have had a long term habit. I just could not have done it alone, even if I had toughed out the withdrawals. My life was centered around finding, buying, eating and loving pain pills and I could not have won the fight of quitting alone. I hope this helps someone out there and if not, well I feel better telling someone my story as no one in my life but my husband knows it. Feel free after reading this to ask any questions. I will be glad to answer as best I can. And i beg you, if you are reading this searching for way out, consider a recovery clinic in your area or doctor that can prescribe you suboxone. it can change your life. thanks for reading.

REPLY

REPORT

SAVAGE, I'm sure you are aware it is much more complex than you make it seem in your post. Although I know what you are trying to say. Hopefully I can try and educate everyone a little about this epidemic. I am a chronic pain patient with a variety of medical problems and have had about 30 operations. In fact, I seriously doubt you know anyone or that there are many people who are prescribed as much medication at the doses I am. However, except for my Fentanyl Duragesic Patches 200 MCG an Hr which is constantly entering my body, I do not take meds at a certain time or for an occasion. So although there are people who are prescribed meds for legitimate reasons, they can still be and probably are addicted/dependent either physically and or mentally. Just as I am sure I am. However, one true sign of addiction is if at a certain time, like every 4hrs whether hurting or not somebody feels they have to medicate.. Having to take a pain pill before your feet hit the floor in the morning or the bed at night is addiction. If someone takes something to have a "HIGH" feeling etc. ADDICTION It's just like a person who says "I am not an alcoholic" but has to have a glass of wine or 3 every night. It is a very complicated subject obviously. And yes the people who abuse pills, taking 10 to 20 or 30 pills a day! Or misusing pills are making it harder for those of us who truly need them! When they had or felt like they had to make "Vicodin, Norco, Hydrocodone" all are basically the same drug, triplicates because they thought it would slow down the drug seekers and eventually help the illicit drug epidemic. I think they just made it worse especially for the people who truly have Chronic intractable pain! Maybe this will help some people understand Addiction/Dependence/Tolerance, Etc.

What Is Addiction?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction is a “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences”. In other words, addiction is an uncontrollable or overwhelming need to use a drug, and this compulsion is long-lasting and can return unexpectedly after a period of improvement.

Addiction is a psychological condition that describes a compulsion to take a drug or engage in other harmful behaviors. Individuals can develop addictions to illicit street drugs, prescription medications, and even activities such as gambling. Addictions are persistent, and addicted individuals can relapse into drug use after years of abstaining.

Although addiction used to be thought of as a sign of moral weakness, it is now understood by the majority of those in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sphere to be a condition that arises in association with changes in the brain caused by the use of addictive substances. This is because nearly all addictive drugs either directly or indirectly activate an area of the brain, the nucleus accumbens, that is normally stimulated by naturally rewarding activities important for survival like eating, having intercourse, or spending time with friends.

To the addicted brain, obtaining and taking drugs can literally feel like a matter of life and death. Addictive drugs stimulate pleasure and motivation pathways in the brain much more strongly than natural rewards. Therefore, repeated exposure to these drugs can fool the brain into prioritizing drug-taking over normal, healthy activities.

The effect of addictive drugs on the brain’s reward pathways helps explain two important features of addiction:
1. The inability to limit or cease substance use.
2. The irresistible urge to continue seeking and taking the drug despite serious negative consequences.

People with an addiction to alcohol, for example, may intend to stop for a quick beer on the way home and yet find themselves still sitting on the bar stool hours later at closing time. Likewise, addicted drinkers will not be deterred from drinking even if they are advised by a doctor to stop for health reasons, receive a DUI, or are dismissed from a job.

This irrational persistence is what sets addiction apart from mere physical dependence. Many people in our society are dependent on caffeine and experience withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating if they miss their morning cup of coffee. But no matter how unpleasant going without caffeine may be to people who are dependent on it, it is unlikely many of them would commit a crime in order to get an espresso or refuse to give up coffee entirely if told by their doctor that it might kill them.

Thanks for reading, if you did :)

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Yes Karey, I am so glad you decided to get help and I pray you take up the advice to seek financial assistance with the subs. Like Betterdays40 though I am too in a lot of pain. I am disabled after a life of really hard work, got caught up in the women's movement and ended up in construction which a woman's body is really not built for. I am 65 and do take my Norco responsibly, not just as a means to get high but to just be able to function close to normal like being able to load the dishwasher or vaccuum the house. I am also bipolar so tend at times to overdo it. My daughter calls it being supermom. Recently I have not had any transportation and was unable to get to my doctor's office so I went without my meds for 3 months. I call it my cleaning out period but the house is a wreck! I do have an appointment in September and look forward to becoming productive once more. God Bless you and your family and wellness to all of you!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I agree that Suboxone is awesome when it comes to withdrawals, but if I had to do it all over again, I would not have started taking it. I have been on it for almost a year now and have been trying to get off of it for 14 days now and am still having withdrawal symptoms. At least with pain pills I knew that within a week I'd be good.. well good enough to function anyway. But with Suboxone... I have spoken with people who say that it took almost three weeks for the muscle spasms and restless legs to go away. And I am not talking about kicking the pill habit with the use of Suboxone...I am talking about when you are want to get off of Suboxone! It is a TERRIBLE drug to try and kick. Yes, your doctor will gradually take you down... "the safe route"... But it has been a complete nightmare for me! I almost called my dealer to see about getting a little heroin to help with the Suboxone withdrawals... That is how bad they have gotten. UGH! Suboxone is just another drug that you become addicted to. When in all reality, if we want to stop using why delay the inevitable? Just get it done and get it over with. This is only my opinion, however... I suggest that you do your research on Suboxone before you allow your Subox Doc to write you a prescription... You just might change your mind. As for me, well... I've come this far... tomorrow will be my 15th day trying to kick Suboxone!!! Maybe today will be the last day of my withdrawals! :) Good Luck!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

@okielover-thank you for backing me up. its so hard to try to help some of these people because they were just like i was when i was young and dumb(no pun intended and not calling anyone dumb but me)
doctors told me before about getting hooked to another opiate rgardless of how it makes you feel is simply just what it sounds like. your switching off one opiate to another period. the side effects are terrible and to try to get off say suboxone or methadone(long half lifes) is extremely hard to do compared to say roxicodone.
ive done both ways, proper with the doctor and methadone, and cold turkey and withdrawls from roxicodone and i can tell you the roxies took 3-6 days till i was good. the time i had help getting off the oxies to methadone was hell...lasting 4 weeks to get right. remember the methadone even when done correctly like in my case, the day will come when you will have to cold turkey(stop taking meds period if your serious and dont need them) so when you start switching from a short acting opiate for pain to a long acting opiate, well look what happened to me it took 4 weeks vs 1 week tops and really it was bad for 3 days and the rest i could tolerate. but the methadone was 4 weeks and had severe withdrawls with cramped legs,etc. nothing to joke around with. the doctors dont know they just write the rx. look to come off xanax they give valium(long half life) so u need less and it works. but eventually you will want off the suboxone and the only thing they give to help you is another opiate...usually back to a less stronger opiate than what you were on before suboxone. then your back to square one...back on the dam meds that made you want suboxone. Theres alot that goes into the thought of switching meds and remember the only way is to do cold turkey...its over before you know it. if your going to do cold turkey, i suggest getting off methadone and suboxone and switch to a roxi or a short acting opiate then cold turkey when you lower your doseage. always have your doctor help you. remember the darn dr doent know anything but what you tell him so he doent know how the drug exactly works or how to properly cut you down. be careful. its not easy. and really sux for people like me who need pain meds to get out of bed and have some quality of life.
im also learning what i can do(not much anymore) and what i cant do. and as we get older, the metal in my body is affixed to bones, etc and doesnt give where the natural body tends to heal and deal with arising problems. my problems will only get worse not better. but i am thankful for being alive today. just be careful with doctors. they dont care, havent a clue how these meds actually work, etc and are only concerned they are not writing anything that is on the news nowadays. they really dont care

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

talk to your doctor. every patient is different. for me, the doctor used methadone to wean me down from oxycontin(80mg 4 times a day) way too much but that was from 2000-2010 so no doctors cared. anyways, i never tried suboxone but friends have and they said just like my doctor said taking any drug, methadone, suboxone, whatever, if you ever wish to come off the suboxone you would have to be given another opiate so you dont go withdrawl...unless your doctor can taper you down slow enough to where your body wouldnt even know it was not taking it anymore. which i never heard of. my doctor says if you wanted off the suboxone for example, he would give me something that has a short half life to make it easier when you decide to stop taking any opiates, the short acting get out in a week where methadone, suboxone takes a month.(i dont know personally bout suboxone but do know about methadone) and friends say its the same type withdrawl in the end.
but if the suboxone works for you..and your able to keep tapering down great. plz let us know. unfortuneatly, i need pain meds daily to function and not be in pain. but the amounts i used to be prescribed was way too much and feel much better with the dosages i get today.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

ok so now u have gone from spending $100.00 to$150.00 a day to spending $31.00 for yourself n ur hubbie.You have just traded one drug for another,and might i add a ""MUCH" worse and HARDER drug to wihdrawl from.So are you/Treatment center cutting your doses down daily?Ive been on Opiated Drugs for 7yrs now having NO disc's in my back!I got Disabled due to the Extreme Condition i have.Ive seen people go w/o suboxone and 1 has actually commited suiside!SUBOXONE if u wanna stay high is the cheapest way to go for both of you.Suboxone is a Drug that gets u off all that junk,5 days under supervision of a liscensed Dr.and u will be DETOXED from all pain meds!You see its going to take time for your body to Produce Dopamine,and your Endorphines that we had b4 getting Addicted to Opiates.Do yourself a favor and if not for you,then ur lil gurl,find a liscensed Physcian who specalializes in "SUBUTEX",and tell him ur story and get him to get you totally OFF all OPIATES/suboxone.Honey i know been there and gurl up be a strong woman and get on a 5-7 day subutex regimen.You then will not have to go to all these clinics that are just a legitamate drug Supplier.Ur still on Pills to make you feel great,i know i was on suboxone and let me tell you,the time frame i had to wait till i could get on suboxone(u have to be in full w/d"s,or else it will throw u into FULL BLOWN W/D"S!!!!Nothing nice,im now back on my Regular meds and just having to realize this is going to be my life,my injurys are to severe to take no Pain Meds!TRUST ME,google subutex and find a Dr. in ue area that will help u become drug free.DO IT FOR YOUR DAUGHTER IF U CANT DO IT .Godbless honey please take my advice!I am an L.P.N.,and a Licensed Med Tech so i know the WHOLE DEAL,give me a call if u'd like to talk {edited for privacy}, kim.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Danielle, just checkin in to see if your suboxone is working out for you and if you talked to your doctor so you wont be so nervous about the whole thing.(been there and know exactly how you feel) plz let me know if i can help you out with any info. thats one thing i have always not liked is the stigma that goes with getting pain meds...until 2010 when they started implementing all these data bases and not giving doctors the right to write the oxies or get busted. so alot of us in florida thanx to all the junkies and people who get meds and sell them for whatever they want, we are screwed. I can say it seems like this entire situation reached its peak worst last summer 2012 and has steadily been more available on time at the pharmacy, etc where 2 months ago, if you didnt know the pharmacist(and even then who knows)you were screwed. "nope sorry dont have enough to fill, or Cant take on any new patients, or" WHATEVER. different story each month but has been getting better as alot of the junkies have switched to heroin or crack or meth(prolly most on crystal methg cause its cheap) and lasts all day and night times 3-4 days. From what I read. I am lucky in my teens all we did is smoke weed and i dropped lsd few times but that was it in 1989-1990. no roofies, no extacy yet on street, no real high grade weed until late 80's. all the designer drugs that became available in the 90's and the ones that are all over the usa now(i forgot prescription pain, benzos whatever)
sorry for rambling...got way off topic. good luck sweety, have a blessed weekend!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I cannot agree. If you are able to deal with the pain and it will take a little while for your bodies natural dopamine to build up and things will hurt more than normal for a little while depending how many years youve been on opiates, etc.
I dealt without pain meds as long as i could before last october 2011. I got my neck surgery in aug 2010 4 fusions c4-c7, spinal rods, stabilizers, the whole kitchen sink....had united healthcare and was on last leg of cobra when i began to notice this problem that turned out disabling me today. I got alot of my feeling back from the surgery but deal with a great deal of pain and before i was always able to deal with the injury without pain meds and it is hard. But I will tell you from a person whos been there, quit if you can do it of course for your daughter but most of all do it for yourself and you will one day put it all in the rear view and get on with your life. I wish I didnt have to take the meds for me to function....I hate that...I like to be in control all the time and i am not anymore, I am learning to do better but its hard. good luck and keep us posted

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Thank you for sharing your story! Almost nails ME down to a tee-I am on the strips now (after those years of chasing my dang tail, every am the 1st thought was: where am I gonna get my pills 2day, if 'she' doesn't have them-then where else? huh??? NOW!!!lol now but then it sucked!!) The 1st am I awoke to thoughts NOT of drugs, I had to pat myself on the back-!!! Initially for ME, I was started on 2 of 8's />>, the stop sign shaped pills-under the tongue, yuck. Rotted my teeth, thank them very much!! YET & BUT they worked well!! I am now down to 3 of the 2mg strips & most the time I just take 2 & half--& next visit I will actually be reduced to 2. (I was just practicing, lol) It takes a very long time for MY brain to stop thinking it NEEDS something for my body. I swear I am 2 ppl in one, lol my poor family~!! Do what YOU gotta do, my friend-you will know when it's right time for YOU. I let so many other ppl control my life that it still makes me ill if I share with a friend, what meds I take (sponsor & that type, the rest can KMA!!) & NOT be embarrassed. Some folks think 'you aren't clean unless you are clean'. Well I say- BITE ME!!!! I am such a ppl pleaser that my guilt over takes my wise minded thinking-I am 56 & it'll prob take another 30 yrs, God willing & the creek don't rise! YAY for yoU!!! I hope that you write- & keep it all in 1 notebook unlike myself w/notes & notebooks scattered all over my place. I also get the fast talking- & super woman feeling at times & also I FORGET-things, like who I have told what- so please take that into your thoughts for the future. Yes, Suboxone saved MY life!!! Good luck!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Going to see a Dr. in April. Your story is like mine. Before they start you on suboxone do you have to be completely off other meds? My body can't take the withdrawls with the blood pressure problems i have. Will I be given meds that first visit?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I love your story I can't say much but I can sooooo relate. Although I want you to know I envy you and hope one day I can be as strong as you. And plz plz keep up the good work. The day I get as strong as you I will repost I wish we could give numbers id love to talk to someone lol I'm a mom of 5.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi Jolter,
Thanks for the advice. I think I will try a support group I could use it. Good for you straightening your life out I'm sorry you wife left. They other day my husband said what does it matter if I just start doing them a few times a week. I feel like he down plays his problem.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I've been trying to ween off sub for over six months now an am down to just 1 milligram a day do u have any advice for me. I can't go to a doc to get the for specific reasons but I still to need some advice. I will skip days but by night time the full on body aches kick in and I have anxiety all day. I figure the longer I can go without the easier cold turkey will be. I also have a two yr old son and I don't want to be that dad anymore. Don't take me wrong subs have definitely emproved my life from the Percs oxy dilaudid morphine you name it besides h I was doing it and subs definitely help get you back on track but i want to be clean and don't have the means for an impatient facility.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

My husband and are both addicted to pain pills go to pain management, want to off them and try subito new but where do we get it filled and can't our subito new dr tell our pain dr what were doing. Ashamed lost want out

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Can someone help me out with their experiences. About 3 years ago I was using about 10-12 10 mg of percs a day for 10 years and then went on Suboxone. It was the best thing I ever did, however about 2 years ago I relapsed. Unfortunately it was SO easy I thought that I could just do it again!:(. The first time I was off the percs for 15 hours and the subox worked ASAP. Now I've tried it again a few times and I go immed into withdrawls ! I even waited 24 hours one time with the same results. Now I'm scared to death to come off what in on now. Currently I'm taking roxys 30 mg. they are not extended release so I'm not sure why this keeps happening?? Please help. One more thing I should mention which is gonna blow anyone away that reads this, but I'm trying to be honest here, so please don't judge, just lookin for help. To get a the buzz I'm lookin for on the Roxys 30 mg, I take 36 30 mg at a time, 3 times a day. Yes, 1110 mg at one time. My tolerance just keeps going up and up and as you can imagine, it's very expensive!! Any suggestions would be great!!
MrRixky

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I loved your post going through the same. Waitress mother. Trying to be superhero but without pills I can't do anything. Very upset I let them sneak up on me. Plus just had tooth pulled and they prescribe them like candy :(. U don't realize what u do to yourself because you are getting that happy euphoric feeling from the damn pills. My withdrawals are bad then u cave in and it starts all over. I was given a strip I wanted to try it I don't want to take pills anymore. I just want to function. How long should I wait to take part of a strip? It's been about 12 hours since I've taken pill

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I used to be a nurse, until age 36, and a single mom of 2 kids (one a pregnant 17 yr old, and a 10 yr old son); had a patient that weighed 360lbs fall on me (5'8" 115lbs), who broke my back and after 3 surgeries in less than a year, being in a body cast for over a year, losing custody of my son, having to move in me and my daughter and grandchild with my mom who was dying of cancer, then take over the care of my 14yr old niece and 16yr old nephew that she had been raising bc my brother and his wife were opiate addicts...oh and I was working private duty under the table so there was no insurance or workers comp., I have been on pain meds ever since and don't abuse them. I got remarried 2 years ago and moved to another state and there laws and prescribing pain meds were hell, everyone was an addict, even after bringing my records of 6 yrs never failing a drug panel, etc (and by the way in my home state my family dr prescribed my Percocet for me, I never asked for and even turned down offers to up my meds) I find in my new state drs don't prescribe pain meds, you must go to a pain clinic, and as I said I was treated as an addict and told from day one (even with a titanium fusion holding half my spine together ) that I didn't need the meds, I was an addict and they immediately cut my dose from 6 Percocet 10s a day to 4, and within 4 months they had me on 2 5mg Percocet a day, I couldn't even feel those and ended up in a wheelchair, I tried another clinic, they were all nice at first and increased me to 4 7.5MGS a day, would never increase it, then started adding neurotin, then tinzidine, and even though I told them they didn't help and made me feel tired, dizzy, naseaus, slurred my speech, I fell alot, they insisted I take them or no pain meds at all. Well that lasted about 4 months, and a started decreasing my percocet and increasing the Nuerotin and the tinzidine. Well I ended up completely you wheelchair bound or in a recliner was no life anymore, and because of the side effects of the other meds they put me on people thought I was on drugs all the time because I was slurring my speech, stumbling all over the place, falling a lot - I had no balance, I was incoherent, I would be up for days on end and be so sleep deprived I would hallucinate, then I would sleep 24 hours a day sometimes for 7 to 10 days to where my husband had to wake me up literally to use the bathroom and to eat and that was all I did, I literally thought I was losing my mind. Thank God for my husband and him having the sense to research how his wife went from and active happy normal person, to this vegetable person that he didn't even recognize any more who couldn't even literally feed her self, and found literally the only Doctor in the entire state we live in that is a back specialist and prescribes his patients pain medications himself! I don't know if I mentioned that the entire time I was at these paying clinics about 18 months total I never once saw Dr only nurse practitioners and this is my spine and my spinal cord in my brain neurological system we're dealing with and I was dealing with nurse practitioners I had more education then they did as a nurse!!! Needs ass to say in my old State my doctor was a neurosurgeon and that was who I saw every month when I got my pain medications so that's why I was so shocked that I did not even see a doctor here at these pain clinics, NOT EVEN ONCE!!! And windy put me on the combination of those medications and my husband went to get the prescription filled on a Saturday, the pharmacist refuse to fill the medication saying they do not interact well together and that she wanted to make sure she spoke to the nurse practitioner that had for scribe them to make sure she didn't make the mistake me for she filled the medications because she was worried about their interactions, need this to say we gotta phone call on Monday saying well we called your doctor and she says that she wants you on those medications and that she believes the risk is worth the payoff you will get from taking the medications. Anyway my husband found me this wonderful doctor I had to literally supply like a job application to be his patient I had to send in every medical record I had since my surgery I had to send in basically an essay on why I needed his help, which I thought was a little crazy to have to apply to be a patient usually being a nurse I know that the patient is my boss was out them I wouldn't have a job so it was really a backwards thing to me but I was desperate so I did it and it took 6 weeks to get a reply but he did except me as a patient and I got an appointment. Wow it has been wonderful ever since he could not believe the combination of medications that was on and was understanding of the side effects I was having considering the medications out was on he said I was pretty lucky that those are the only things that happened to me I could have died from this combination of medicines, that none of those medications or all the physical therapy that these pain clinic made me go through for going to help my situation at all it was a failed spinal fusion and the only treatment was pain medication in order to have any semblance of a normal life and any quality of life. He had to slowly we me off of these other medications because they cuz literally kill you if you stopped taking them which know whenever mentioned and tell him, put me back on pain medication, and slowly increased my dosage as he realized how much more damage to my back was after all the falls I had taken because of the medications these stupid pain clinic put me on. And he pooped it my in my eyes from before I moved after my surgery and I had had three done over the course of the year and a half of going to the pink clinic before I found him and then he did one when I first went to him so that was a total of four, and he said he could see obvious damages in changes extreme changes and were singing in each one overtime and he can't believe that these pain clinic didn't notice that or do anything about it... and so now he has me set up to speed to a surgeon about having more surgery done because of the damage that those medications and all the falls I took... but I am mediately want I was tapered off of all those medications and put back on proper pain medications was out of my wheelchair and starting to live life again, its frustrating because I don't have much stamina or strength after being in a wheelchair or a recliner for year and a half now but I know is time I will build up my strength again and my stamina and get back to where I was and I just think God for my husband who found this man and realize that it was the medications is wife at a lost her mind, and got me easy proper care that I needed and his been by my side and them best support system a person could ever ask for through all of this.

And I apologize when I hit respond I didn't mean to go into my entire story that was not my intention my intention was to agree with your statement that it's hard to feel sorry for people who of use these drugs on purpose and therefore make it nearly impossible now for us people who really need them in order to actually just have any quality of life whatsoever, I didn't choose to be in this situation I didn't use to have my back broken I didn't choose to have 3 back surgeries and behalf metal in my spine and in chronic pain for the rest of my life, I actually was trying to be a nurse and take care of people in do good in this world. And now because of people that do abused these drugs and sell them on the streets and steal them and whatever else they do by choice I had to live last year and a half of my life and a wheelchair being told I was a drug addict and being made much worse because of that situation... every time I went to that clinic I felt degraded humiliated like less than a human being I felt like I was being called a liar even with 6 and a half years of Records that I never failed a drug panel, I never abused my medicine, I never missed a drug count, I never miss use my medicine. I was still treated that way and being a nurse myself I wouldn't never treat patients that way even if they were drug attics I didn't humiliate them and make them feel like they were less than human and that's what these places did to me. And it took me from being a sympathetic nurse to knowing that drug addiction is it disease and feeling sorry for addicts and trying to help them to being a very angry with addicts and how they have made me suffer needlessly because I am in chronic pain and yet they choose to abuse the drugs.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Omg..i sware sound. Like my story ..i cant believe.theres someone out there with the answer..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hey @ladyrhinestone, can you explain your withdrawal process more? I'm at about the same dosage and time and going to withdrawal. I suffer from spondylothesis and am sick of this s*** in my life!! Going cold turkey, the only way... :/

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi Carrie - REALLY enjoyed reading your post!! I'm hoping you (or anyone else on here) can help me with a question I have regarding Suboxone. First, can you please let me know if you are still taking it or if you have weaned off of it now? I know you're post was from several years ago so before I go into my long question I'd like to know whether or not are still on it. I'm basically trying to find someone who has gotten off of Suboxone and find out how they did it I would greatly appreciate a reply. Thank you in advance!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I am looking for affordable Subutex, suboxone, buprenorphine doctor in Utah near the Salt Lake Valley or North Salt Lake...

47 REPLIES

I've been taking 45-60mg of oxycodone daily for quite awhile now. My doctor would like me to cut down to 45mg (3 x 1...

2 REPLIES

I have just recently began a pain treatment clinic. I was prescribed hydrocodone 5mg with 325 mg acetaminophen. This is ...

2 REPLIES

I need help finding a doc for hydrocodone and oxcycodone in Ringgold GA. I'm looking for a doctor to continue my med...

6 REPLIES

How does T-3 30mg codeine relate mg to mg to hydrocodone and Oxycodone? Working on a weaning program after spine surgery...

5 REPLIES

I have taken Hydrocodone 10/500 for years on and off. Not dependent. The worst side effect was head itching. tolerable. ...

2 REPLIES

Please send pictures of following pills/capsules/tablets: photographs of: #1.) Oxycodone M 05 52 . #2.) 10 mg. Adderall ...

11 REPLIES

From the prescription drug community website, next to the listed drug, Suboxone, was the word 'Buprenorphine'. I...

2 REPLIES

Please help me with pain doctor in Massachusetts i just got taken off ocycodone 30 mg and need a doc that writes and hel...

8 REPLIES

I have been on percocet 10/325. My little two new generation pharmacy has been closed since Thursday due to the holiday ...

1 REPLY