^ Thank you... I know from opiate abuse, that started from legit scripts, that tolerance skyrockets, but man that's a lot...
I'm not yet a candidate for back surgery, but if/when I am, my Dr. mentioned the "less evasive" surgery you made mention. I surely hope it doesn't come to that... My back pain is now in check w/ irregular use of NSAID's and therapy (no opiates unless illicit) so my back problems are a laugh in comparison to yours... Sorry... Thanks for the info... Have you and your Dr. ever discussed (if the time comes) how the hell to come off such a dose?
Hey drug struggler,
(hehe, cool, and funny nick

)
Yeah, but back pain is pretty much all the same in the sense of it REALLY sucking, a lot! Even some-what minor (im not saying like, just a small twinge, I mean pain) back pain sucks. Many people say, it's the worst kind of pain, next too mouth & head pain. I agree, totally.
So I really feel for you man... How are the NSAID's and how is the therapy working for you?
Before I was put on OxyContin, I had tried all sorts of different methods, including injections, therapy, a chiropractor and many more. I also tried SO MANY different non-narcotic drugs. And i've done so much research over the years. I've come to a conclusion in my research. For pain management (not abuse, mind you), OxyCodone is one of the SAFEST drugs to take. Most, if not all of the non-narcotic pain relievers/pain management drugs have so many adverse side effects, and most of them either murder your liver or kidneys, or both.
If it's not abused (which I am guilty of myself

), OxyCodone & other opiates (NOT ones containing any tylenol, ibuprofen or other drugs) are some of the safest pain killers out there.
Now, of course there is the one adverse side-effect of opiates, and this side-effect gives them a REALLY bad name. Addiction.
Addiction gives opiates like oxy a really bad name. Most people, when they find out I'm on it, look at me like I'm a total junkie! It's really sad.
Let me tell ya' a story.
One night, I was at the 24 hour grocery store (Ingles) near my house, with my father. Me and my father were standing in the checkout line, waiting, and there was an old lady waiting behind us, and some old guy waiting in front of us.
Well, as me and my dad were talking, the subject of "when was the last time you took your medicine?" came up, and I just happened to say "Dad, when was the last time you took your oxy?"
And the old lady behind us happened to hear me.
All of the sudden, me and my dad hear her say "Oh my god! You two take that crap!?". So we turn around and look at her and say "what...?"
So, she then says "that oxycodone or oxycotton or contin, whatever. its crap, and it will kill you!"
So then, I step in and say "What makes you think it will kill me? Oxy is one of the safest pain killers out there, aside from the addiction factor. Even that is not MUCh of a problem if it is used properly for pain management. Both me and my father are using it properly".
Anyway, it took us like 20 minutes to explain too her that the drug was safe, aside from the addiction thing. She had this idea in her head, that if people took it (properly or not), that it would give them all sorts of heart and kidney problems, BECAUSE of the addiction factor!
The old guy said pretty much the same thing she did...
So, see what kind of bad-rap this stuff has?
It should not have such a bad reputation, because some people abuse it. But hey, thats the way it goes.. or as they say down here 'them's the breaks!' ... lol
Anyway, I really wish people would be more understanding to the people who actually need the medicine, rather than thinking the medicine is downright evil and deadly because some people abuse it and become really addicted.
ANYWAYYYY

... I really understand what you are feeling, with the back pain thing. So, I really wish you the best of luck with it. And I really REALLY hope that it doesn't come down to back surgery, for you. BUT, even if it does, that new surgery they do, would probably help you more than the older style back surgery. Now, if they didn't have the new back surgery, I would be scared SHITLESS if I were you. But again, the new one I heard works wonders. Again, the guy on TV had it done, and he was up running and jumping around after only TWO, yeah, 2 days! haha
But, I still hope that it doesn't come down to that for you. I've been through surgery, it sucks no matter what. Fast recovery or not.
I had a seizure once, and fell backwards, hit my head on the pavement, fractured my skull and caused a subdural hematoma(it formed a 7 cm clot at the time, and it stayed only 7 cm until I was discharged) on my brain.
Well, I ended up in the hospital for a week, after that I was discharged.
Well, I started noticing these HORRIBLE headaches and migraines 3 days after being discharged. Well, i waited another day (4 days after discharge now), and they didn't go away, so I decided to go get checked out. I went to the local hospital, and they performed another CT scan, and some other tests, and found out that my brain had started bleeding again, and the clot went from 7 cm to almost 22 cm ..
The doctor told me, that if I had waited any longer, I probably would have suffered some sort of brain damage along with death shortly thereafter. Well, they then sent me to the hospital nearby in Asheville (the one I went too before), and I had to get an emergency surgery done to drill a hole in my head to alleviate the pressure and let some of the blood out.
Anyway, my point is, even though it was a rather small surgery, it SUCKED.
I hurt SO badly for days. AND on top of that, when I was in the hospital, they would NOT give me my oxycontin (on a high dose already), they would only give me a 20 mg shot of morphine every 2 hours, and 2 10 mg percocet in between. I finally convinced them to give my oxycodone, but they only gave me 10 mg with the percos. so 20 mg total, thats nothing for me.
So, I was suffering almost the WHOLE time I was in the hospital, thank god for my mother, she couldn't stand to see me suffer, so she snuck in a lot of my pills for me. I had a small bag with me that had some of my stuff in it, I hid them in that, and I would go into the bathroom, lock the door and either snort or take some normally. I couldn't in my room, because they had a camera to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn't have another seizure.
Well, those are my 2 stories.. yep, I lied, I told 2 stories instead of 1.

Anyway,
I really wish you the best of luck with your back. And I really hope you don't end up having to get surgery. Good luck mate! I will keep you in mah' prayers, for you to feel better.
-- Julian/Rurik
-- BTW:: By illicit... you mean you buy some oxy or opiates every now and then?

If and when you ever get oxycodone, how do you take it? Insufflation (Snorting)? Chewing? just plain taking them?
-- BTW:: drug struggler -- Please send me a PM or something, I would like to chat with you more on the subjects of back pain, opiates, general pain, pmanagement, etc, so I was wondering if you had MSN, AIM or Skype or something.
I have all 3, so, if you have any of them and if you wanna chat with me, just send me a PM containing your AIM/MSN/Skype ID, and I'll add you. (I hope I don't get into trouble for this, its just this forum wont let me send PM's yet >: | )
I look forward to talking with you.