How do I cut down on my vicodin use with a legitimate illness? I need help...
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Join Date: Oct 2011
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How do I cut down on my vicodin use with a legitimate illness? I need help...
I understand I don't have it nearly as bad as most people here in terms of addiction, but I still need help before this spirals out of control.
I'm 19 years old and two month ago I developed kidney stones. They may be too large to pass. For a month or so I took my vicodin just as it was supposed to be taken. I started to gain a tolerance and the pain started getting worse. For the past two weeks or so I've been taking around 20-25 mg a day.
Now I can't even really begin my day unless I take a vicodin. I know that I'm starting on a slippery slope, but at the same time I have one of the most painful conditions known to man. So I need help to cut down my vicodin use to what it was a month ago while cutting my tolerance down. Will taking 1 a day bring my tolerance back lower, or do you have to stop completely to lessen my tolerance?
I'm also scared to talk to my doctor because of my age. I don't want him to take me off opiates or not be willing to give me anything stronger down the line if this continues because he thinks I abuse them. That really scares me. The pain is so unbearable that the thought of the doctor taking me off the opiates because of my age and use terrifies me.
Thank you everyone.
I'm 19 years old and two month ago I developed kidney stones. They may be too large to pass. For a month or so I took my vicodin just as it was supposed to be taken. I started to gain a tolerance and the pain started getting worse. For the past two weeks or so I've been taking around 20-25 mg a day.
Now I can't even really begin my day unless I take a vicodin. I know that I'm starting on a slippery slope, but at the same time I have one of the most painful conditions known to man. So I need help to cut down my vicodin use to what it was a month ago while cutting my tolerance down. Will taking 1 a day bring my tolerance back lower, or do you have to stop completely to lessen my tolerance?
I'm also scared to talk to my doctor because of my age. I don't want him to take me off opiates or not be willing to give me anything stronger down the line if this continues because he thinks I abuse them. That really scares me. The pain is so unbearable that the thought of the doctor taking me off the opiates because of my age and use terrifies me.
Thank you everyone.
Last edited by beforethespiral; 10-22-2011 at 10:35 AM. Reason: thread title is wrong.
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What you do is explain to your doctor just like you outlined so beautifully in your post. You explain that you are worried because it already takes more drug to give pain relief.
There are other things they can give you for pain. Doctors who treat chronic severe pain usually don't rely on one drug or even one route -- they'll usually switch the drugs around so tolerance is less of an issue. For kidney stones, sometimes they'll use something that directly affects the urinary tract. For women, there's something called for pyridium, but it's usually used for bladder infections. For guys, I'm not sure, but I think there are pain medications beside opiates, or in addition to opiates to maximum the opiate effectiveness.
But you've got to ASK. Don't assume the doctor knows how you feel. And don't assume they'll think you are drug seeking. You don't sound like that to me.
Ft
There are other things they can give you for pain. Doctors who treat chronic severe pain usually don't rely on one drug or even one route -- they'll usually switch the drugs around so tolerance is less of an issue. For kidney stones, sometimes they'll use something that directly affects the urinary tract. For women, there's something called for pyridium, but it's usually used for bladder infections. For guys, I'm not sure, but I think there are pain medications beside opiates, or in addition to opiates to maximum the opiate effectiveness.
But you've got to ASK. Don't assume the doctor knows how you feel. And don't assume they'll think you are drug seeking. You don't sound like that to me.
Ft
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
What you do is explain to your doctor just like you outlined so beautifully in your post. You explain that you are worried because it already takes more drug to give pain relief.
There are other things they can give you for pain. Doctors who treat chronic severe pain usually don't rely on one drug or even one route -- they'll usually switch the drugs around so tolerance is less of an issue. For kidney stones, sometimes they'll use something that directly affects the urinary tract. For women, there's something called for pyridium, but it's usually used for bladder infections. For guys, I'm not sure, but I think there are pain medications beside opiates, or in addition to opiates to maximum the opiate effectiveness.
But you've got to ASK. Don't assume the doctor knows how you feel. And don't assume they'll think you are drug seeking. You don't sound like that to me.
Ft
There are other things they can give you for pain. Doctors who treat chronic severe pain usually don't rely on one drug or even one route -- they'll usually switch the drugs around so tolerance is less of an issue. For kidney stones, sometimes they'll use something that directly affects the urinary tract. For women, there's something called for pyridium, but it's usually used for bladder infections. For guys, I'm not sure, but I think there are pain medications beside opiates, or in addition to opiates to maximum the opiate effectiveness.
But you've got to ASK. Don't assume the doctor knows how you feel. And don't assume they'll think you are drug seeking. You don't sound like that to me.
Ft
I think speaking honestly with your Dr is a great idea.
I know it's scary, and it can generate a lot of what ifs in the mind, but it really is good to look at situations like these earlier rather than later
Let us know how you get on
Welcome to SR beforethespiral
D
I know it's scary, and it can generate a lot of what ifs in the mind, but it really is good to look at situations like these earlier rather than later
Let us know how you get on
Welcome to SR beforethespiral
D
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Also, I have taken just 2 vicodin today and a few advils. So that's always good news. I'll update more on tuesday.
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