Need advice on how to use oxycodone and not become addicted. In serious pain-HELP

[cbinptchar]

I have taken 1- to 20 mg at a time, of oxycodone for 12 years, for neck and back pain-usually 1 to 3 days a week and often weeks would go by where I would take none. I was in a car accident 8-4-15 and have 2 herniated discs, one in my neck and one just above my tailbone. Also have 3 bulging discs and arthritis from neck to tailbone-none of which I knew before, if it existed before and I assume at least some of it did-thus the occasional bouts for 12 years of neck and back pain. Unlike the past 12 years, the pain is constant now, since the car accident and more than I can handle while working. I was given 10 mg pills of oxycodone. So far, out of fear of any addiction, I only take 20mg once in a day and never more than 3 days in a row and then nothing for the next 3 days or more. Will this regimen keep me from getting addicted? I am 67 and have to work 2-3 days a week to get by. I have a pressure washing business, so the work is hard on my neck, shoulders and back-which is where the majority of my pain is. Sure would appreciate some good advice! Thanks!!!

 

[Slug_In_Ya_Noggin]

Yes i feel confident telling you you wont get addicted

 

[Slug_In_Ya_Noggin]

You should look into something called kratom it works better for pain than any opiate ive ever used and the addiction potential SIGNIFICANTLY less if your trying to manage your pain and not become addicted to something that could possibly ruin your life try kratom im telling you man

 

[Felonious Monk]

Educate yourself on the difference between dependence and addiction. Being dependent on prescribed medication is not inherently evil or weak.

You're in pain. You have medical care. Objectively, taking opiates for pain is a medically sound decision. Taking enough to actually manage your pain during waking hours will likely lead to dependence. Pharmaceutical dependence is theoretically not an issue if you have medical supervision.

You seem opposed to dependence for the sake of it though, and that's perfectly fine. Using the way you are may work for a time but I'm not sure it's a great long term solution, it can be difficult to manage your usage with pain relief only being priority #2.

Is there a medical cannabis program in your state? Your pain is likely a good portion inflammatory-related and cannabis is an EXCELLENT adjunct therapy for chronic pain (showing average concurrent opiate reductions of 50-80% in the literature).

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Educate yourself on the difference between dependence and addiction. Being dependent on prescribed medication is not inherently evil or weak.

You're in pain. You have medical care. Objectively, taking opiates for pain is a medically sound decision. Taking enough to actually manage your pain during waking hours will likely lead to dependence. Pharmaceutical dependence is theoretically not an issue if you have medical supervision.

You seem opposed to dependence for the sake of it though, and that's perfectly fine. Using the way you are may work for a time but I'm not sure it's a great long term solution, it can be difficult to manage your usage with pain relief only being priority #2.

Is there a medical cannabis program in your state? Your pain is likely a good portion inflammatory-related and cannabis is an EXCELLENT adjunct therapy for chronic pain (showing average concurrent opiate reductions of 50-80% in the literature).

That's a good post. I especially agree with your points regarding dependence vs addiction & cannabis. If I were in serious pain and I had access to a painkiller prescription, you'd bet I'd be popping those pills every day and wouldn't be feeling an ounce of shame over it. And cannabis is something you may want to look into to help augment your therapy; my father has had severe problems in his neck and spinal cord for a long time, including major surgeries (the fact that he can even walk around at all is a miracle of orthopedic medicine, IMO), and he's told me in the past that smoking a bit of cannabis at night significantly reduces his pain and the need to take more Percocet.

 

[Pilll_head]

If that dosage is adequate to keep the pain under control I wouldn't be overly concerned about it. If you find over time that you're needing a higher and higher dose to get the same level of pain relief then that is a red flag. If that happens talk to your doc about OP oxycodone, a controlled release formulation. That will give a sustained dose for several hours with a lowered risk of addiction. The problem with percocet or Roxy is that you get the dosage all at once which can give you a great buzz but carries the risk of addiction. The other thing you can do is take it with a potentiator like Soma for a little extra effect without depressing the opioid receptors as much as a higher dose of oxy.

Hope you are able to get some pain relief, I know that can be really debilitating and mess up your quality of life.

 

[Johndoedoe.junk]

I have taken 1- to 20 mg at a time, of oxycodone for 12 years, for neck and back pain-usually 1 to 3 days a week and often weeks would go by where I would take none. I was in a car accident 8-4-15 and have 2 herniated discs, one in my neck and one just above my tailbone. Also have 3 bulging discs and arthritis from neck to tailbone-none of which I knew before, if it existed before and I assume at least some of it did-thus the occasional bouts for 12 years of neck and back pain. Unlike the past 12 years, the pain is constant now, since the car accident and more than I can handle while working. I was given 10 mg pills of oxycodone. So far, out of fear of any addiction, I only take 20mg once in a day and never more than 3 days in a row and then nothing for the next 3 days or more. Will this regimen keep me from getting addicted? I am 67 and have to work 2-3 days a week to get by. I have a pressure washing business, so the work is hard on my neck, shoulders and back-which is where the majority of my pain is. Sure would appreciate some good advice! Thanks!!!

You sound like me in the months following my injury. My best advice to you to avoid addiction (let's face it, dependence is unavoidable if you need the meds on an everyday basis) is to TAKE YOUR MEDICATION EXACTLY AS DIRECTED if not less. That's assuming your doctor has you on a reasonable regimen and isn't advising you to take excessive amounts.

Trust me from experience, once you decide to adjust your dose upwards on your own, an extra pill here maybe a little more there, it becomes a very slippery slope. I have very legitimate pain and need narcotics on a daily basis to have any real quality of life yet I overdo it on a regular basis. Am I dependent, yes. Am I addicted, yes. And it's my fault. I allowed myself to start taking extra jacking up my tolerance. Sounds like you're doing it right but be careful nonetheless. Not saying you're gonna end up like me nor am I saying everyone who takes an extra pill here or there will become an addict but as I mentioned it is a slippery slope and all to easy to slide down. Best of luck to you, pain sucks.

 

[manboychef]

I have to agree with the kratom. I blew my knee out, and my ankle in the same year. I didn't do the physical therapy and continued to work seven days a week all day on my feet. Needless to say it is a disaster area down there now.

I had a very bad opiate addiction and dependence from prescribed meds..which led to me abusing heroin and losing most everything of value in my life. This happened because I was abusing the medications the doctor prescribed. I was crushing my oxy and sniffing it and taking double or triple the dosage intended for me, which to my scripts running out quicker. This put me in a position in which I had to find dealers to fill the gaps in my prescriptions, which led to me being introduced to heroin as stated above.

I have since quit using opiates/opiods. I do take kratom twice a day though. Once in the morning at around 4g, and once at night at around 4g. It takes most of the pain away and I can work in my garden, keep my house up, and cook for my family without going to bed feeling like I popped my knee out again.

You are also doing a job that is physically strenuous, especially on your back. You may need to take a little break from that job and just get disability for a short time until you have a chance to heal your back. I didn't take time off...once I could stand and walk again I went right back to the kitchen which actually caused more damage to my joints.

Dependence is nothing to be ashamed of. My mom is diabetic, and she is dependent on insulin. My granny is a crazy insomniac...literally going five or six days without sleeping. She is dependent on ambien (which is the only sleeping pill that puts her to sleep). I have a bad thyroid, I am dependent on synthroid. Addiction and dependence are totally different. Chasing the high and putting your best interests, and good thinking aside to get the high is addiction. From your post it appears you are not doing so. I'm sure the way our media portrays addicts, and the saying "if you use opiates regularly you will get addicted!" has a lot to do with your standpoint on this. Give yourself a break, you legitimately need relief from chronic pain. Take that relief, you are using this medication as intended by the doctors.

 

[rokkinrollaa6]

I have taken 1- to 20 mg at a time, of oxycodone for 12 years, for neck and back pain-usually 1 to 3 days a week and often weeks would go by where I would take none. I was in a car accident 8-4-15 and have 2 herniated discs, one in my neck and one just above my tailbone. Also have 3 bulging discs and arthritis from neck to tailbone-none of which I knew before, if it existed before and I assume at least some of it did-thus the occasional bouts for 12 years of neck and back pain. Unlike the past 12 years, the pain is constant now, since the car accident and more than I can handle while working. I was given 10 mg pills of oxycodone. So far, out of fear of any addiction, I only take 20mg once in a day and never more than 3 days in a row and then nothing for the next 3 days or more. Will this regimen keep me from getting addicted? I am 67 and have to work 2-3 days a week to get by. I have a pressure washing business, so the work is hard on my neck, shoulders and back-which is where the majority of my pain is. Sure would appreciate some good advice! Thanks!!!

the short answer is that even at this your body can become slightly dependent. that being said it is smart to never take pain medication you do not need to unless you have a need for it. if you do not abuse opioids or ever get high then you will NOT become addicted to the substance. but if you are in denial to yourself or others and enjoy getting high, you are playing with fire.

that being said i am both an addict and a chronic pain patient, but i do similar "rotations" to what you do to avoid "dependnace", that is the physical need of my body to take it to prevent sickness.

however, at your age, if you have never been a drug abuser or addict, and you take this medicine STRICTLY for pain control, and never more than needed, taking off times when the pain is not serious, you have a low to nil risk of becoming an addict. statistically opiates are extremely safe medications when used for intended purposes. if you don't have depression or anxiety conditions or a history of any drug or alcohol abuse and this medicine is only for pain control and you take off days and take the lowest effective dose, you have an extremely low chance of getting hooked.

it can happen, but you have to know your own medical history and be honest with yourself. for a person at your age with the trauma you have had, there is nothing immoral about even being dependant on opiate medication to live a full life and reduce misery. i would also advise adding strong anti-inflammatory medication to your regimine such as keterolac or diclonoflac sodium, these medications are non addictive and only have an effect to reduce pain. they can be taken to boost pain relief, or at times when pain is not so strong, and it can help lessen your reliance on the opiate medication.

 

[manboychef]

it can happen, but you have to know your own medical history and be honest with yourself. for a person at your age with the trauma you have had, there is nothing immoral about even being dependant on opiate medication to live a full life and reduce misery. i would also advise adding strong anti-inflammatory medication to your regimine such as keterolac or diclonoflac sodium, these medications are non addictive and only have an effect to reduce pain. they can be taken to boost pain relief, or at times when pain is not so strong, and it can help lessen your reliance on the opiate medication.

This. I forgot to mention that alleve is also taken daily. Every time I overdo it, and put a lot of stress on my knee it will become swollen. Taking the alleve will help keep this from happening for me. It is weird. My ankle never does this, but my knee will become enflamed if I bend at the knee too much, as in when I am gardening. I have hepatitis C so I have to be careful about what pain relievers I take, so alleve and ibuprofen are my go to...the alleve for body aches, and ibuprofen for headaches.

Are there any excercises that you can do to strengthen the muscles around your injuries? This will also help.

 

[Johndoedoe.junk]

Are there any excercises that you can do to strengthen the muscles around your injuries? This will also help.

I agree. When I was first injured my chiro gave me various exercises to help strengthen supporting muscles around the area of injury. His doc should be able to give him some sort of exercises for this purpose.

 

[cbinptchar]

I ordered some red vein kraton per your suggestion. THANKS!

You should look into something called kratom it works better for pain than any opiate ive ever used and the addiction potential SIGNIFICANTLY less if your trying to manage your pain and not become addicted to something that could possibly ruin your life try kratom im telling you man

 

[cbinptchar]

I'm in Florida = no medical MJ here. From my use of MJ back in the 70's though, I believe it would help!!!

Educate yourself on the difference between dependence and addiction. Being dependent on prescribed medication is not inherently evil or weak.

You're in pain. You have medical care. Objectively, taking opiates for pain is a medically sound decision. Taking enough to actually manage your pain during waking hours will likely lead to dependence. Pharmaceutical dependence is theoretically not an issue if you have medical supervision.

You seem opposed to dependence for the sake of it though, and that's perfectly fine. Using the way you are may work for a time but I'm not sure it's a great long term solution, it can be difficult to manage your usage with pain relief only being priority #2.

Is there a medical cannabis program in your state? Your pain is likely a good portion inflammatory-related and cannabis is an EXCELLENT adjunct therapy for chronic pain (showing average concurrent opiate reductions of 50-80% in the literature).

 

[cbinptchar]

I appreciate your honesty and good advice! I will also take it! Thank You!!

You sound like me in the months following my injury. My best advice to you to avoid addiction (let's face it, dependence is unavoidable if you need the meds on an everyday basis) is to TAKE YOUR MEDICATION EXACTLY AS DIRECTED if not less. That's assuming your doctor has you on a reasonable regimen and isn't advising you to take excessive amounts.

Trust me from experience, once you decide to adjust your dose upwards on your own, an extra pill here maybe a little more there, it becomes a very slippery slope. I have very legitimate pain and need narcotics on a daily basis to have any real quality of life yet I overdo it on a regular basis. Am I dependent, yes. Am I addicted, yes. And it's my fault. I allowed myself to start taking extra jacking up my tolerance. Sounds like you're doing it right but be careful nonetheless. Not saying you're gonna end up like me nor am I saying everyone who takes an extra pill here or there will become an addict but as I mentioned it is a slippery slope and all to easy to slide down. Best of luck to you, pain sucks.

 

[Erikmen]

^ Indeed.

Educate yourself on the difference between dependence and addiction. Being dependent on prescribed medication is not inherently evil or weak.

You're in pain. You have medical care. Objectively, taking opiates for pain is a medically sound decision. Taking enough to actually manage your pain during waking hours will likely lead to dependence. Pharmaceutical dependence is theoretically not an issue if you have medical supervision.

You seem opposed to dependence for the sake of it though, and that's perfectly fine. Using the way you are may work for a time but I'm not sure it's a great long term solution, it can be difficult to manage your usage with pain relief only being priority #2.

Is there a medical cannabis program in your state? Your pain is likely a good portion inflammatory-related and cannabis is an EXCELLENT adjunct therapy for chronic pain (showing average concurrent opiate reductions of 50-80% in the literature).

I would just like to add that some meds could be less addictive than others. You are using it for a medical condition, keep doing it as prescribed. Following the medical orders will make it possible to reduce, change of medication etc in a much easier way imo.

 

[cbinptchar]

A 2nd person suggesting Kratom! I read Slug_In_Ya_Noggin's reply suggesting Kratom and bought some online within an hour. I did a little research and picked Red Borneo Ultra Premium Powder 5Grams. How much should I start out taking? I didn't want to order a larger amount, until I could see if it worked for me.

I have to agree with the kratom. I blew my knee out, and my ankle in the same year. I didn't do the physical therapy and continued to work seven days a week all day on my feet. Needless to say it is a disaster area down there now.

I had a very bad opiate addiction and dependence from prescribed meds..which led to me abusing heroin and losing most everything of value in my life. This happened because I was abusing the medications the doctor prescribed. I was crushing my oxy and sniffing it and taking double or triple the dosage intended for me, which to my scripts running out quicker. This put me in a position in which I had to find dealers to fill the gaps in my prescriptions, which led to me being introduced to heroin as stated above.

I have since quit using opiates/opiods. I do take kratom twice a day though. Once in the morning at around 4g, and once at night at around 4g. It takes most of the pain away and I can work in my garden, keep my house up, and cook for my family without going to bed feeling like I popped my knee out again.

You are also doing a job that is physically strenuous, especially on your back. You may need to take a little break from that job and just get disability for a short time until you have a chance to heal your back. I didn't take time off...once I could stand and walk again I went right back to the kitchen which actually caused more damage to my joints.

Dependence is nothing to be ashamed of. My mom is diabetic, and she is dependent on insulin. My granny is a crazy insomniac...literally going five or six days without sleeping. She is dependent on ambien (which is the only sleeping pill that puts her to sleep). I have a bad thyroid, I am dependent on synthroid. Addiction and dependence are totally different. Chasing the high and putting your best interests, and good thinking aside to get the high is addiction. From your post it appears you are not doing so. I'm sure the way our media portrays addicts, and the saying "if you use opiates regularly you will get addicted!" has a lot to do with your standpoint on this. Give yourself a break, you legitimately need relief from chronic pain. Take that relief, you are using this medication as intended by the doctors.

 

[cbinptchar]

Sounds like sound advice. However, I was a pot head for 6 years straight back in the 70's [ if that matters? ] I also have depression 4-6 times a year, but am no longer taking meds for depression. I only take 20mg percocet 2-3 days a week-tops and only that 1 time a day. Do you still think I'm safe? I just take it when I HAVE TO work. The rest of the time, I just suffer with pain. I have never heard of keterolac or diclonoflac sodium? I have stomach ulcers as well and can not take NSAID drugs, as they bring on ulcers quickly!

the short answer is that even at this your body can become slightly dependent. that being said it is smart to never take pain medication you do not need to unless you have a need for it. if you do not abuse opioids or ever get high then you will NOT become addicted to the substance. but if you are in denial to yourself or others and enjoy getting high, you are playing with fire.

that being said i am both an addict and a chronic pain patient, but i do similar "rotations" to what you do to avoid "dependnace", that is the physical need of my body to take it to prevent sickness.

however, at your age, if you have never been a drug abuser or addict, and you take this medicine STRICTLY for pain control, and never more than needed, taking off times when the pain is not serious, you have a low to nil risk of becoming an addict. statistically opiates are extremely safe medications when used for intended purposes. if you don't have depression or anxiety conditions or a history of any drug or alcohol abuse and this medicine is only for pain control and you take off days and take the lowest effective dose, you have an extremely low chance of getting hooked.

it can happen, but you have to know your own medical history and be honest with yourself. for a person at your age with the trauma you have had, there is nothing immoral about even being dependant on opiate medication to live a full life and reduce misery. i would also advise adding strong anti-inflammatory medication to your regimine such as keterolac or diclonoflac sodium, these medications are non addictive and only have an effect to reduce pain. they can be taken to boost pain relief, or at times when pain is not so strong, and it can help lessen your reliance on the opiate medication.

 

[cbinptchar]

Because I have stomach ulcers, that were caused by using NSAIDs, [ Not by H pilori ] I can't use Alleve etc.
I go to a Chiropractor 3 days a week and he has not mentioned any type of exercise? I don't have a lot of faith in Chiropractic care anymore!

This. I forgot to mention that alleve is also taken daily. Every time I overdo it, and put a lot of stress on my knee it will become swollen. Taking the alleve will help keep this from happening for me. It is weird. My ankle never does this, but my knee will become enflamed if I bend at the knee too much, as in when I am gardening. I have hepatitis C so I have to be careful about what pain relievers I take, so alleve and ibuprofen are my go to...the alleve for body aches, and ibuprofen for headaches.

Are there any excercises that you can do to strengthen the muscles around your injuries? This will also help.

 

[sekio]

There are some NSAIDs that have significantly less incidence of gastric side effects, salsalate and ibuprofen for instance. And there's stuff like Arthrotec which combines an NSAID and a stomach protecting chemical that increases your stomach's defece against acids.

Generally speaking it is a good idea to use as many non-opioid painkillers as you can combine while reamining functional in addition to the smallest possible dose of opioid needed to make pain tolerable, for the best prognosis in the long term.