May need back surgery
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 55
May need back surgery
Well today I will be seeing a neurosurgeon in roanoke to determine if I need back surgery. As I have said before I have fractured the L1 vertabre in my lower back twice in the past 8 weeks the first time I went on a 2 week binge on fentanyl and lortabs and it landed me in detox for 2 weeks and the second time all I have been taking is neurotin and motrin 800's and NO narcotics (I'be been clean for 5 weeks) but the pain is brutal and is to the point of actually making me sick. I had an xray this past monday and the results are that my back looks exactly the same as id did a month ago when I got the last xrays meaning no improvement which isn't a good sign. I just hope I won't need surgery because if I do that will mean I will be givin some sort of narcotic because it's a VERY serious surgery. If that happens I just pray I can get some sort of pain management because if I don't I WILL probably die. Any one of you ever been in this kind of situation and if so how did you handle it.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: CA Native
Posts: 2,509
Yes.
By getting someone else I trusted to hold my meds and to divvy them out as prescribed.
By getting off the pain meds as quickly as possible.
And by having this trusted person force me to wean down as the pain became less so that I'd been taking very little recently when I stepped off the painkillers.
In this scenario, I had a legitimate pain issue, thus a real reason for taking the meds, I was not allowed to abuse them, so their were no negative repercussions for me.
This being said, I had a good couple years of sobriety under my belt at the time, so that was a leg up over where you are now.
But bottom-line, if you NEED surgery, you will need pain meds, at least for a short time. Talk to your doctor about your recent troubles with abusing the meds, and ask him for his thoughts. If the surgery is that serious, s/he's not going to NOT give you meds. But you want to make sure your doctor has ALL the pertinent info on this subject, and ask them for their advice on how you can end up NOT back in trouble with this stuff.
You'd be surprised how willing docs will be to work w/someone under these circumstances as long as you're HONEST about your issue and serious about not wanting to fall into an abuse pattern again.
Look, generally ... if you have a legit short-term need for opioids due to severe pain, and you don't abuse them, and get off them ASAP ... the prognosis for being able to get back off them w/o serious issues (i.e. withdrawals and bad cravings) is reasonably good. Worst case, you end up back in detox. But you can do a lot to avoid that potential if you get as much support and help as possible lined up ahead of time.
Good luck, and sorry you're suffering so badly ... that's got to really suck.
By getting someone else I trusted to hold my meds and to divvy them out as prescribed.
By getting off the pain meds as quickly as possible.
And by having this trusted person force me to wean down as the pain became less so that I'd been taking very little recently when I stepped off the painkillers.
In this scenario, I had a legitimate pain issue, thus a real reason for taking the meds, I was not allowed to abuse them, so their were no negative repercussions for me.
This being said, I had a good couple years of sobriety under my belt at the time, so that was a leg up over where you are now.
But bottom-line, if you NEED surgery, you will need pain meds, at least for a short time. Talk to your doctor about your recent troubles with abusing the meds, and ask him for his thoughts. If the surgery is that serious, s/he's not going to NOT give you meds. But you want to make sure your doctor has ALL the pertinent info on this subject, and ask them for their advice on how you can end up NOT back in trouble with this stuff.
You'd be surprised how willing docs will be to work w/someone under these circumstances as long as you're HONEST about your issue and serious about not wanting to fall into an abuse pattern again.
Look, generally ... if you have a legit short-term need for opioids due to severe pain, and you don't abuse them, and get off them ASAP ... the prognosis for being able to get back off them w/o serious issues (i.e. withdrawals and bad cravings) is reasonably good. Worst case, you end up back in detox. But you can do a lot to avoid that potential if you get as much support and help as possible lined up ahead of time.
Good luck, and sorry you're suffering so badly ... that's got to really suck.
Heathen
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: La La Land, USA
Posts: 2,567
Yes, and I was completely honest about my addiction issues with my doctor.
I also found that I can handle pain a lot more than I thought, and I'm pretty sure you WONT die if you don't have narcotics.
There are a lot of drug free and narcotic free pain management options out there, that wont interfere with your recovery.
As addicts, we are very used to instant gratification.. life isn't always like that.. most pain isn't life threatening.
Just make sure (in fact, print out what you typed here) that your doctor is totally aware of your addiction issues and ask for alternative pain management options..
I also found that I can handle pain a lot more than I thought, and I'm pretty sure you WONT die if you don't have narcotics.
There are a lot of drug free and narcotic free pain management options out there, that wont interfere with your recovery.
As addicts, we are very used to instant gratification.. life isn't always like that.. most pain isn't life threatening.
Just make sure (in fact, print out what you typed here) that your doctor is totally aware of your addiction issues and ask for alternative pain management options..
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: -
Posts: 32
Take what they give you exactly as prescribed. You know the drill. Don't use the excuse of the surgery and pain to increase the dose. That's what got us here!!! If you don't need them, dump them.
You have the right to give yourself LEGITIMATE pain relief after a surgery and shouldn't feel guilty about that. If you abuse that right your going down the path of doom again.
You have the right to give yourself LEGITIMATE pain relief after a surgery and shouldn't feel guilty about that. If you abuse that right your going down the path of doom again.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 55
No surgery needed what a relief. I am doing PT on my back and acupunture and it has worked miricales. I have 2 and a half months clean now and am working hard to keep it up I am also going to an intensive outpatient rehab program and am getting counseling.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 40
I recently had an abscess on my uterus (VERY painful)--what helped me the most was being very honest with my doctor and like so many others have said have someone you trust hold your meds for you. But be warned, mentally it was hard to have them back in my system even though i knew I didn't want them to be in me, a small piece of me did--it's a life long struggle but completely worth it!
Progressive Metal Vocalist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: washington, dc
Posts: 98
Originally Posted by smacked 
Yes, and I was completely honest about my addiction issues with my doctor.
I also found that I can handle pain a lot more than I thought, and I'm pretty sure you WONT die if you don't have narcotics.
There are a lot of drug free and narcotic free pain management options out there, that wont interfere with your recovery.
As addicts, we are very used to instant gratification.. life isn't always like that.. most pain isn't life threatening.
Just make sure (in fact, print out what you typed here) that your doctor is totally aware of your addiction issues and ask for alternative pain management options..
I also found that I can handle pain a lot more than I thought, and I'm pretty sure you WONT die if you don't have narcotics.
There are a lot of drug free and narcotic free pain management options out there, that wont interfere with your recovery.
As addicts, we are very used to instant gratification.. life isn't always like that.. most pain isn't life threatening.
Just make sure (in fact, print out what you typed here) that your doctor is totally aware of your addiction issues and ask for alternative pain management options..
=GS/
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