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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by spriggy on December 17, 2005, at 15:12:56
This is my concern; lately especially, I am so uncomfortable (in pain) that I am taking more hydrocodone.
My new doctor just called me in 100 pills (yesterday)- this should last me likely until February.
I am averaging (lately) 2 whole pills per day- I take half a tablet in the morning, half in the afternoon, and usually a whole one at dinner.
So I'm taking a total of 10 mg's a day.
They are each 5/500.
I am terrified to become addicted but I'm even more terrified to live in this agony.
How will I know if I'm addicted?
I have a father with a serious drug abuse history; pain killer's being one of them. I realize sometimes this can be a slippery slope.
Any thoughts?
* one thing I have done is given my meds to my husband so that he keeps count and keeps me accountable.*
Maybe I'm overly paranoid.
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 17, 2005, at 15:48:37
In reply to how long before you are addicted?, posted by spriggy on December 17, 2005, at 15:12:56
> I am terrified to become addicted but I'm even more terrified to live in this agony.
>
> How will I know if I'm addicted?Addiction includes a few important traits. One is that you crave the drug, even when it's not time to take it yet. You might have just taken it, but you want more. Another is that you take it even though you're not in pain. Another is that you take it even though you know it's having negative effects.
Physical dependence is a different thing. Your body can get used to having a drug routinely available. But so long the dose is stable, and you're not taking it for those other reasons, it's not something you should worry about.
> I have a father with a serious drug abuse history; pain killer's being one of them. I realize sometimes this can be a slippery slope.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> * one thing I have done is given my meds to my husband so that he keeps count and keeps me accountable.*
>
> Maybe I'm overly paranoid.Sounds like you're being very wise, not paranoid.
One of the things you really need to be aware of is that the opiate should not give you a psychoactive effect, if the dose is perfectly appropriate for the pain you're in.
Pain receptors soak up the opiate ahead of the ones that give the buzz. So, if you get a buzz, routinely, you're probably doing two things. You're probably taking a little more than you need (it may seem weird, but you should still feel a little pain, even after the opiate kicks in), and you're increasing the risk of true addiction, because the buzz receptors are the ones that give the addiction its foothold in your brain.
That's how I manage my own dosing for pain. I'm at around 80 mg/day oxycodone. I'm never free from pain. I work to keep it at a tolerable level. Sometimes, I misinterpret the dose, and I feel that buzz. Say, I took 10 mg, and maybe 7.5 would have been better. It keeps me calibrated. So, I can usually guess just exactly what I need to manage.
I hope that wasn't too many words for a simpler concept. I feel like I've got a fever, and maybe I'm not thinking so clearly.
Lar
Posted by Declan on December 17, 2005, at 18:25:33
In reply to how long before you are addicted?, posted by spriggy on December 17, 2005, at 15:12:56
Hi Spriggy
My guess is that it takes a couple of weeks of constant intoxication to create a decent case of physical dependance. If the drug isn't in your system all the time, then it would be longer. It could happen quicker than this, but you're taking a minimal dose.
You'll know the process has started when you can't go without it. If you can go without it for a couple of days you're OK. People could take opiates intermittently all their lives and not get addicted, if they would only take them intermittently. That's the problem.
Declan
Posted by spriggy on December 17, 2005, at 19:04:43
In reply to Re: how long before you are addicted?, posted by Declan on December 17, 2005, at 18:25:33
Posted by Phillipa on December 17, 2005, at 23:00:38
In reply to Re: how long before you are addicted?, posted by Declan on December 17, 2005, at 18:25:33
Spriggy you have a reason to take them. Just take as Rx'd. Fondly, Phillipa
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