22nd August 2003
Hi bluejulie,
It sounds like you may have been prescribed the meds for pain legitimately in the past, but now really want them for their "side effects" so to speak, right? A familiar story, I understand completely!
The pain issues you mentioned are probably easily dealt with without opiates. I too, have horrendous migraine headaches. My doctor put me on Imitrex, which works great. There are other headache medications out now that are not opiates but honestly, work better for headache pain. I also have bouts of bad "female" pain...due to pre-cervical cancer issues and ovarian cysts. Again, my doctor prescribed 800 of advil, and an occasional muscle relaxer. Sometimes I have to live with the pain...a couple of days a month I often spend the majority of it on the couch with a heating pad! But my doctor knows I'm an addict and is not willing to write for narcotics when the problems I have are either treatable with other meds, or the kind of pain you might have to suck up a little.
Again, I could be wrong, but it does sound like your pain problems really can be handled using other medications. I don't know if you've done this, but one of the first steps could be to be honest with your doctor about your issues with the lortab, and ask for what else you can take. You may be pleasantly surprised with how well your pain can be managed by other options.
Then of course comes the mental aspect, because even if your pain is under control, as an addict, you still want those pills regardless! Getting into recovery definitely includes doing things like getting info and support here, and by going to NA or AA meetings and making a network for yourself there. I don't know if you feel badly enough that a stay in rehab, where you can focus on yourself and maybe get some insight into some of the underlying reasons you depend on the pills so much...it might be a good thing.
If you want to stop, it is so doable. It's a tough road, but not nearly as tough as the alternative, I think! So the first question you have to answer for yourself, is do you want to stop and find a different way?
It sounds like you may have been prescribed the meds for pain legitimately in the past, but now really want them for their "side effects" so to speak, right? A familiar story, I understand completely!
The pain issues you mentioned are probably easily dealt with without opiates. I too, have horrendous migraine headaches. My doctor put me on Imitrex, which works great. There are other headache medications out now that are not opiates but honestly, work better for headache pain. I also have bouts of bad "female" pain...due to pre-cervical cancer issues and ovarian cysts. Again, my doctor prescribed 800 of advil, and an occasional muscle relaxer. Sometimes I have to live with the pain...a couple of days a month I often spend the majority of it on the couch with a heating pad! But my doctor knows I'm an addict and is not willing to write for narcotics when the problems I have are either treatable with other meds, or the kind of pain you might have to suck up a little.
Again, I could be wrong, but it does sound like your pain problems really can be handled using other medications. I don't know if you've done this, but one of the first steps could be to be honest with your doctor about your issues with the lortab, and ask for what else you can take. You may be pleasantly surprised with how well your pain can be managed by other options.
Then of course comes the mental aspect, because even if your pain is under control, as an addict, you still want those pills regardless! Getting into recovery definitely includes doing things like getting info and support here, and by going to NA or AA meetings and making a network for yourself there. I don't know if you feel badly enough that a stay in rehab, where you can focus on yourself and maybe get some insight into some of the underlying reasons you depend on the pills so much...it might be a good thing.
If you want to stop, it is so doable. It's a tough road, but not nearly as tough as the alternative, I think! So the first question you have to answer for yourself, is do you want to stop and find a different way?