Is anyone addicted to Pain Killers?

Hey to all this is my first time posting here. I have a Problem I have been abusing Pain killers such as oxycotin,percozets,tylenol #3. I take them just because they make me feel good and relaxed and gives me a good feeling. I know I do not suppose to this. I have been doing this ever since I came out of the hospital I had surgery 7-20-04. It is getting out of hand. But I cannot stop!!!!! Has this happened to anyone here. PLEASE HELP ME!!! BTW THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS. AND NONE OF MY FAMILY KNOWS.. ANY ADVICE WILL BE GREAT. THANK YOU.

I have went into this ( WLS ) with an addiction to herion , I was on Methodone when I went in the day of my surgery , my surgen knew all about my problem, however they said that they where there for my WLS and my weight , and that my drug problem was another matter & the issue that my surgen was dealing with was the WLS, I know what your going though is a dubble edge Ax! You feel good when you take the drugs however the World saids its BAD ! and YOUR bad for doing it ! the problem is MONEY and the what folks end up doing to get the money for there habbits , Its A tuff and, THE HARDEST durg to kick , the cottens and the methdone is the hardest and the tuffest to kick, becasece they are so clean, there is no junk in them and it takes longer to kick them , like a mounth or longer , herion is a 3 day kick , however it takes about 5 - 7 days to start to feel better Im sorry to hear that your in the gripp of this drug ( Oxys ) I uderstand what your going though and YOUR NOT a BAD person , However YOUR brave as all hell.... becasue not to menny folks will say or tell the truth about opiate addiction, e-mail me if you need someone to talk to ! [email protected] Beleve me I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR FEELING! and I understand what your going though! WLS 2-3-2003 Dr D Siomonowitz 402/188/155ish-I have a Dream 200 something POUNDS LOST!

Honey, I feel for you. I am a recovering drug addict. It has been over 12 years for me. But I come to you today with a whole bag of tricks. I can be addicted to ANYTHING. Including food. I do not think it is unusual for a person who has this "kink" in their system to become dually addicted to ther things. So, first off, you are not that unusual. Many people have surgery and get addicted to the pain stuff. I will have to be vigilant when I have my surgery. My husband got addicted to oxy, etc. He is in recovery also. It did not take him long after getting the first pill to go right back to it. He went to a detox center and got off the stuff and is now clean again. Your secrets will keep you sick. Good for you in reaching out. Drug addiction is a mental, physical and spiritual DISEASE. Try going to an NA or AA meeting. Don't hide from it, it will take you down. You are not a bad person and for some of us it is not a question of "willpower". You do not have to do it alone. The other thing you may want to try is to get some counseling. I suspect that your heart is pounding as I suggest these things. If it is, its the fear of not having it anymore. If I tell my Doctor, he won't give me anymore?? You can do this. Just think about what I said. email me anytime. You can also go on the AA or NA websites. They may have some suggestions in addition to this.

marta, what a brave person you are to take this first step. i was hooked on morphine, then methodone to get off the morphine. it's a scary ride. my biggest fear is that i have not yet had my surgery and that i will get hooked again. you have done the right thing by admitting at least to yourself that this is a problam. you ARE not alone, someone is always here no matter what time it is. if you feel that you have to do something right away go to the nearist ER and tell them. i put myself in the hospital for six weeks, it was the hardest thing i had ever done, i had two kids at home to think about and i was no good to them like that..i pray that you'll be able to help your self by doing what you know needs to be done..

Marta, I agree... you are very brave to talk about this. My mom had WLS in 1995. She was addicted to pain killers at the time. However, after surgery, she didn't stop. She was a nurse, so she would steal the drugs from the hospital. She got caught several times and fired form different places. At the time she last got caught stealing meds, I was already married and on my own, but I had an 11-year-old sister and a 10-year-old brother. The police said that she had to turn herself in. She was probably going to do some jail time. Instead, she commited suicide. I am not saying that this will happen to you. I just hope that you get help while you can. Please get help... your drug addiction might affect more people than you realize. (((((HUGS))))) *~Amber~*

Oh Amber, that breaks my heart. I am so sorry for you and your brother and sister. Marta, you are indeed brave to "come out" like this. I haven't had my surgery yet, and I am a little apprehensive about the drugs. I was addicted to Lortab (strong version of Vicodin/hydrocodone) for 8 months, and I went to detox this past May. I'm telling you, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. VERY HARD. Thing is, the pills helped me to lose weight as they made me feel great and gave me energy. At first. At the end, I would nod off and even though I had a 20+ pill habit a day, it wasn't doing anything for me. That's when I realized that I was killing myself and had to stop. After detox I gained 60 pounds in 5 months. It's been tough, I'm telling you. HOWEVER- it was worth it. Everything was. I highly urge you to find out if you are actually addicted to the pills, or just dependent on them. There is a difference. If addicted, when you try to come off them you will experience some of the most uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and will want to die. As we have heard, Amber's mother committed suicide over this. It is not a walk in the park but you can do it. You didn't have WLS to kill yourself with an addiction. I suggest you start with your PCP and just be honest. You need to get a grip on this fast. I wish you the best of luck!!!

My parents both have severe pain (my mom has osteoarthritis and my dad has degenerative bone disease and nerve problems in his back). They are prescribed Lortabs and I know they are addicted. It really breaks my heart but they are having to work through the pain. It hurts me that they are in SO much pain that they have to take 4 or 5 Lortabs a day. They don't get "high" from it or even relaxed. All it does is take away the "bite" from the pain and make it tolerable to get outta bed. My mom works her butt off in a factory and I know it kills her hip to do that. My dad just had back surgery to try to alleviate his pain but it didn't work I hope your situation gets better, Marta. Just know you're not alone!

I know exactly how you feel......my parents are the exact same way....sometimes I can hear it in my mom's voice when she calls....she sounds kinda slurred....she is 68 and has gout,rhematoid arthritis,a degenerated hip...but cant get it replaced due to heart problems.....plus my sister is staying w/her and she tells me that someone is steling her pills....which I do believe.....as my sister is very addicted to alcohol,crack,or any other kinda substance.....plus my sister in law is the same way.....I don't know how the ppl *****ally need them...have such a hard time getting them....but they are easily available over the net.....its sad.....I have anxiety and panic attacks for yrs...I USE to drink to self medicate....then I was Dx and controlled it well with paxil and very limited alprazolam......I thought...wow...I am feeling normal...Maybe I don't need them anymore....so needless to say I quit them......now I know I do need to take them so I can function mentally and be healthy for my kids....some ppl believe no one should take them...but some ppl I believe do...just like some ppl have ADD...and need their meds...it's hard to find a caring practioner...that will take the time to really find out...and actively listen to their pts

Hi, Marta, You've done one of the best things you could do by opening up somewhere. That is the first step. I have other addictions that I deal (or not...) with; and I fear that an addiction to pain meds is just around the corner for me. My advice would be to find somebody, in real life, that you can open up to. Narcotics anonymous and alcoholics anonymous were mentioned as options. A member of your family is an option. You need somebody that you can trust to open up to. The burden of guilt makes a perpetual downward spiral in addictions. You are in my prayers. Addictions are awful. Mine started when I was a kid, and they led to WLS and nearly to jail. The one thing I've learned is that you can't stop alone. Travis