AUFUL RX NO. 1-----ATIVAN (BENZO) FOR 9 YEARS. PROBABLE DAMAGE TO GABA SYSTEM -- AWFUL DETOX--DONE

AWFUL RX NO.2 ---OXYCONTIN AND OXYCODONE 120 MG FOR 2 YEARS -- STUPID RX--BETTER OPTIONS IGNORED.

NOW WEAK AND ADDICTED TO OPIATES.

AT PRESENT OXYCONTIN CHANGED TO MORPHINE SULPHATE 3 X 30 MG AND OXYCONTIN 4X 15 MG

NEW YOUNG (BAD) DR WANTS TO ELIMINATE ONE PILL PER WEEK. THIS IN 3 WEEKS IS SO INTOLERABLE
I CANNOT TAKE IT.

IF I SWITCH TO A PLACE WITH SUB AS AN OPTION - WHAT COULD BE DONE TO HELP AT THIS POINT. FEEL WEAK - HOUSEBOUND-- AND DAMAGE TO GABA PROBABLY A PROBLEM. READY TO GIVE UP -- NOTHING OF INTEREST - MASSIVE DEPRESSION NOW --SEEMS LIKE NO OPTIONS TO GET RID OF NARCS.

I DID NOT SEEK THEM OUT --- BLINDSIDED BY GREEDY MED ESTABLISHMENT -- CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT BUT I AM
VERY QUICKLY GIVING UP ANY CHANCE OF GETTING LIFE BACK. ANY IDEAS APPRECIATED -- GOING TO DR TOMORROW.

IATROGENIC = CAUSED BY DOCTORS

First of all, congrats on you detox from the benzo's because that is EXTREMELY difficult to do and you have to commend yourself for that one.

It sounds like you no longer have a medical need for painkillers any longer? That you are only addicted at this point and the doctor just wants you to taper by a pill a week. I see this all the time in my field and always wonder how it is people actually do this unless they were just selling their narcs to begin with. I'm not going to get into whose fault this is. Your story is not uncommon here. Many people take pain pills for a medical problem and wind up addicted.

I cannot tell you what to do. I can tell you that suboxone saved my life. I became addicted to painkillers because I have 2 chronic medical conditions that cannot be cured. Suboxone takes away some of my pain and makes life livable. I have my life back. It has been three years and I am very happy. I am dependent on suboxone. It does cause a dependency and I would have to taper off slowly to avoid withdrawal. But tapering with sub is possible whereas tapering oxycontin was impossible. I don't need greater amounts of suboxone in order to maintain. I have lowered dose over time.

I think suboxone might be something you should consider.

Cherie

_________________
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.

- Winston Churchill

There was real ortho damage to hip/knee to the point where some wanted to replace -- but could not agree.

Ironically- the oxys for the pain caused a lot of inactivity which made the ortho damage much worse. There is still bad pain.

Thus I am stuck -- I would like pain control for this damage -- or I could live with it. But the w/d is so much worse than anything I just keep taking the opiates.

Is Sub had some pain relieving properties and could help one get through the w/d I think I can only see a future of

1. off the drugs living with some ortho pain -----could have done this Maybe short term Subs help?

2. Subs for some longer period of time -

3. Just not making it --- getting bad fast with secondary health probs from oxys and sitting at home alone. Not a life worth living anyway. Actually, starting to panic because only access is Rx and Dr. is reducing out of ignorance, not exam.


What I really needed was just to never see any of these doctors -- that would have been health.

S

Not be a jerk or anything but blaming all this on your doctor is typical addict/addictive thinking. I bet early on when you got all these Rx's you were like "woooohoooooooo" and were more than happy to get them. Nobody forced you to take these meds, you willingly took them daily. Nobody who starts on oxy is naive to what will happen to them if they take it long term and Im sure you knew you would be in withdrawal when you stopped. Again not trying to be mean Im just stating the facts, I tried to blame everything and everyone for my addiction to when I first got clean 4 months ago so I dont want you to think Im talking down to you because I did the exact same thing. Sub will not do anything for your pain if you are like me, it will completely take away your withdrawal though. If you need something for withdrawal and for pain relief I would look into getting on methadone maintenance. Methadone is a very very effective painkiller and in my opinion works better at addressing cravings than suboxone. Im almost positive I will be switching from sub to methadone in the future when Im able to afford it and can work daily clinic visits into my schedule. I feel for ya man and I hope you find the best option that suits you so you can get better.

Although I will agree with some of what was just said, I also feel I should point out that I had no idea when I took oxy that I would get addicted as fast as I did and experience withdrawal. After all, I had heard the same warnings about vicodin and never had any problems with it. I did not know that chewing oxy was like taking heroin. I was quite naive and learned very quickly how stupid I was. Many people believe you will not get addicted to pain killers when you take them ONLY for pain. That isn't true either. I was taking them for pain but I had an unreasonable expectation that I shouldn't have to live my life with pain. I was in my 20's and was naive to life and that it is full of pain and many people do in fact live with pain. It isn't fair, but what in life is. When I was 20, I didn't understand any of that. I do now, but look where I had to go to gain that knowledge? The depths of hell and back again really.

Suboxone DOES help for my pain. Studies have shown suboxone to be better for peripheral neuropathy than regular narcotics, neurontin, and that other drug they give for fibromyalgia they say works but really doesn't do anything. It depends on the kind of pain you have and what level of pain on whether sub will work or not for you. You should know that when detoxing or in withdrawal, pain will be far worse than it would be if you weren't dependent on narcotics. So anything you try you will probably have to give some time.

I do wish you luck.

Cherie

_________________
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.

- Winston Churchill

Regarding note from suboxOWNED --- I think it depends on when and condition you are in.

Earlier I had visited a dr. who prescribed a low dose of oxy for pain during pt. Worked for a time and I quit easily.

From what I know now---this high dose was the wrong way to go on the first visit. I would have taken the low dose if offered.

At that point the physical pain (and Ativan cuts) does --I assure you--- make you vulnerable to a stop in pain. There was no Yaaaahooo at all-- just the false belief that a dr. said this was okay---it worked very well------and you want to believe.

Yes-- the patient is responsible. But being a physician is a profession -- highly paid-- and the expetation is doing the right and safe thing on the first visit -- especially if they have been told no lies.

Money driven medicine is what is there --- that first visit would have been different in Canada --- I think.

Last post not meant to be hostile in any way - just filling in some details.

Indeed, if there is one thing I would change it would be the level of responsibility for behavior I felt responsible for -- this "trust" or blame is an easy out - you are right on that. The positive side is --- if you take responsibility a lot of prevention happens. Having said that professions need to take a lot of responsibility because they are being paid to know the latest and best information -----and to keep up on it not only by having lunch with drug reps.

S

Welcome to our little forum... Try to start saying F--- the past, You or I cant change anything from yesterday, If I could go backwards I'd bet a boatload of money on a football game this weekend... I guess I'm a little like suboxowned, I was always excited walking out of my 2 Dr.s offices ( of course neither Dr knew I had another Dr. that made things easy to juggle ) with scripts for Pain pills.. Toward the end I was only excited to know I would not be going thru w/d's .. The last 6 months the opiates I were on had stoped getting me high, bummer !!!!!!!!!! NOTHING MADE ME FEEL BETTER THAN WHEN MY PILL TAKING WAS NEW