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Worried - Oxycodone

LCat1978

Greenlighter
Joined
Apr 14, 2016
Messages
17
Hello all - I could use some advice/input regarding oxy and developing addiction/dependence. I have been on oxycodone for about 13 days, 10 mg per day. It is for pain. I am terrified of withdrawal. How long does it take before a person is physically addicted? I actually do need it for pain, and it helps, but I could maybe try to go without some days, if that might make getting addicted less likely. I am taking less than I am supposed to, but 10 in a day seems to work for me. Anyone with more understanding of the time frames involved, your input would be helpful. I don't dare say the word addiction to a doctor, even to ask questions, for fear they will not prescribe anything stronger than motrin. Thanks in advance!
 
You may very well already be addicted but 10mgs a day is not alot. I'm in PM and the term they prefer is "tolerance".
It doesn't take very long to get addicted, through no fault of your own.
I'd say 10 mg's a day for 13 days, if you try to stop now, you probably won't experience to harsh of withdrawals if any.
 
Your dose is not that high to develop addiction within a few weeks of use. How long are you going to be using ?

If your using 10mg now then if you continue you will probably start to up the dose as your body becomes used to it (tolerance) this is when problems arise as you can easily up by 5mg then 5mg then 5mg (you get the picture).

Can physiotherapy not help with your pain? Is weed an alternative ?
 
Stop now for a week at least. Trust me. Don't be terrified of withdrawal, you are not in that territory. Please stop now and you have the chance to make this medication work for you long term if you need it and you just might if it's for pain. Stop now for at least a week. Please. Take care.
 
Thanks all for the help! Regarding the above suggestion that I try some other medication, such as weed - I suppose I could ask about that, or just try to get it somehow on my own and see if that would help me. My only concern about that is I have only ever done that two times in my life, when I was in college, and as I recall, my reaction was very bad. While everyone else seemed to get relaxed and happy and a little goofy, I was edgy and anxious and started worrying uncontrollably about really stupid things, and I didn't like the experience and kept asking my friends over and over "will it stop soon?" I think maybe it is possible that it maybe wasn't just weed? Or maybe it was. I know some people get paranoid and unhappy when they use that and maybe I am just in the extreme of that category, which is unfortunate for me. But maybe I could try again and see if it would be different. I have been prescribed just about every kind of NSAID and non-narcotic pain reliever, and they have tried weird things too like an anti-depressant that is supposed to help with pain as a side effect, though I have no depression. And hormones and birth control pills too - but none helped much and had their own awful side effects that really made me unhappy. Nothing helped much, sadly. I've tried all kinds of alternative treatments too, to no avail.

My situation is odd. I have very severe endometriosis, a slightly tilted uterus and most recently have developed both fibroids and ovarian cysts. So it is a perfect storm of debilitating, nearly unbearable pain once a month, and now pretty significant moderate to severe pain in between. The options for treatment are unpleasant. We've tried so many things with limited to no success. I could have surgery, but am very young for a hysterectomy. So most recently, I think in frustration, I have been given these pills. I take as little as I possibly can to get by. But in fact the pain I am in sometimes is hard to even describe. And it interferes a lot with my job, my social life, everything. I also do volunteer work helping unwanted pets and feral cats, and that becomes impossible sometimes too, and I just end up staying home curled up in bed trying not to cry from the pain and from the mere fact that I can't do anything. It is really frustrating.

That said, I don't think adding an ongoing addiction to the mix is a good solution either. And I hadn't even thought about tolerance! I didn't know about that. So far the 10 mg (5 mg twice a day at most) has been enough for me to manage on the bad days, and I take 5 on the not as bad days. It's frustrating because at least with this medicine I can get through the very worst days and still do my work, even sometimes go out and see friends, work with the animals, etc, and have some semblance of a life. There is still pain, but it is tolerable and not crippling. But I suppose that won't last, and I will inevitably need to increase this. Wow, frustrating stuff!!

I could try to go to a lower amount too, if that might help stave off addiction. I think I had better stop though, as advised by a few people here... At least for a week, unless anyone has other ideas. I am really scared of withdrawal - I dread that more than pain even so want to avoid getting to a stage where that could happen to me. And it sounds like, from what I am hearing, that even with this low dose (I assume it must be low based on the comments and that it is less than I was told I could take) I am walking a fine line here, and I will develop tolerance and have problems.
 
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OP, it's not like you're flirting with imminent doom or anything. You're under a Doctor's supervision, taking low doses only when needed and generally being responsible with your medication. You are right to be concerned though, as dependence, tolerance and addiction are quite common occurences for those who use Opioids both licitly and illicitly. Just continue to be careful, don't abuse your medication and keep an open and honest dialogue with our Doctor.

You will be fine. Don't let fear prevent your from treating your pain adequately.
 
Thanks! I guess I am just scared as I haven't dealt with this before, and I know it can be really addictive, and in fact it is so effective for pain I can see why. It's too bad there doesn't exist medicine that works this well but that doesn't have all the problems with tolerance and addiction and all that. I guess I am just going to have to be super careful about this and try not to be too scared about it, per the advice, because the way my condition has progressed, I was borderline disabled. And that's not a life I want... I love my job, and the other things I do. Fingers crossed I can manage this! Thanks so much for the help!
 
Here's the thing, from my experience it's more about how often you dose that sets you up for physical dependency. When I first started using heroin, which like oxycodone is a short acting narcotic, I could use 1xday for weeks and barely notice a thing if I stopped. When I started using multiple times a day, that's when dependency comes in. That's not to say you won't experience any withdrawals upon cessation, but if you do, I'd be surprised and I imagine they would be so mild that you would probably just think you were in a bad mood. Perhaps have some clonodine, or a few benzos on hand to ease the anxiety or help with insomnia, but I don't think you have much to worry about. It seems like your use is pretty responsible.
 
Being scared of withdrawals can lead to big problems down the road, meaning you keep a habit going because the thought of withdrawals is too much to bear...I'm with the above poster stop now, you won't feel any withdrawals after 13 days of 10mgs a day, that's like a normal broken arm type of script...keep going and it's a slippery slope, find other ways to stop the pain like diet, excersize, stretching, etc...long term pm should be a last resort
 
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