Do I need to be straight before participating?

[Marvoldboy]

Since I don't seem to know where to start I guess I need to know the rules.
I am currently on methadone for pain but quite sure it's not for the pain anymore. I have been reading some of these stories but none of the ones I've read seem to quite fit my situation. I know that one must first want to be sober before attempting to get sober. I know I would love to be back to where I was before the doctor put me on methadone.
My introduction to methadone started with a painful lower back problem and my doctor prescribed Vicodin. I've been around awhile and I admit I liked the way Vicodin made me feel but it did not help this pain. The doctor I went to was employed by Mayo Clinic so he sent me to the local clinic to get an MRI of my back. My pain was so bad it was unbelievable and within a week I had a serious limp and was unable to walk on my left heel. I got the results of my MRI back and after talking to the head surgeon it was explained that I had a chipped vertebrae in my lower back and was told that surgery was an option
but it should be the last option. I agreed with that assesment but the pain was next to unbearable. When I returned to my personal physician at Mayo he suggested we go outside the system, meaining we go outside of Mayo Clinic. He said his father and he himself had gone to this doctor for their back problems and they were pretty well cured. It was to be an epidural injection and according to what I heard they were quite effective.
I'm going to stop here for now and go ahead and post what I've done here so far. I want to be sure what I'm doing is kosher and proper before I continue on. Tags and threads and tradkbacks etc are new to me. So, until tomorrow or I hear that I'm on the right track. Later, Marv

[TTOSBT]

Marv,
You are very welcome here to post!
Welcome!!

[aasharon90]

Hello there and welcome.

I too am having problems
with pain in my left leg.
It is causing me to limp
as well....i just went to
the doctor to find out
what is causing the pain.

At my age anything could
be the problem.....

I guess i have to take baby
steps with the doctor before
he can diagnois me.

I had blood work done and
a ultrasound and test for
blood pressure.

Right now im waiting for
te results of those test.

In the meantime my doctor
gave me something to try
for RLS...restless leg syndrome.

When he presented me with
this sample pack I emmediately
told him i was in recovery with
AA and that I didnt want any-
thing that was narcotic or habit
forming. And he assured me they
werent.

It is that important to me to make
sure my doctor knows where I
stand in my recovery.

I am here in SR for a purpose.

My purpose is to help others
in recovery my sharing my own
experiences, strenghts and hopes
with them about what it was like
drinking, what happened to me
because of it and where I am
now.

You came here and shared what
you are going thru, ur experience
and see I related to it where I
have brought this up before with
my leg and now because of what
u wrote I have other things to
look at that might be causeing
pain in my leg and limp.

The limp i think is due to one
leg being long than the other.

The medicine u r on reminds
me to make sure to let my
doctor know i am in recovery
and dont place me on medicine
that is habit forming or narcotic.

So u r in the right place.....

I use tho think i didnt belong
in AA because my story wasnt
like many here. However it is
very similar and my story is
own,,,,,no 2 people have the
exact story...just similar.

Keep posting to this wonderful
helpful community of people
in recovery.

[Marvoldboy]

I see down below that I may edit my posts. I was hoping to delete the last line or two of my original post and continue on from that spot. How do I do that?

[aasharon90]

Hi....sorry i was away from computer....

U can copy and past just what u want....

Right click over the portion u want...it
will highlight it in blue.....

Go up top where it says file, edit, view....

Hit edit then the word copy.

Come back to reply and go back up
to edit and click on paste and paste it
back here.....

Im not perfect on the computer but
i hope this helps u.

People will read ur first post and
continue on to ur next one.......

[DesertEyes]

Hello there Marv, and welcome to SoberRecovery

This forum is for folks who are dealing with both pain management as well as addiction.

If you are taking medications that are _not_ prescribed to you by your doctor, then please talk to your doctor about it so you don't accidentally do yourself more harm than good.

If you are not sure if you have a problem with addiction, check out our Newcomers forum over here

Newcomers to Recovery - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

otherwise, any medical issues that cause pain are welcome in this forum.

Mike

[Marvoldboy]

I am taking prescription medication prescribed by my pain management doc. He gives me the epidural injections and prescribes the methadone for pain and tells me that we are trying to get to the proper dosage. At this time it is 40 mg a day. 10 mg 4 times a day. I've been taking it for a couple of years now and it makes me comfortable to where I can handle the pain. Like I said I'm not so sure the pain is there like it was but when I try to wean myself on my own I have problems. Not so much with the pain as much as the withdrawal. He says I can stay on this the rest of my life if I want and it would be ok with me but if this stuff is harming me in any way or is detrimental to my health, (physical or mental) then I would like to know. I am reasonably healthy physically and mentally but if this stuff shortens my life in any way I want to know. My doctor says people stay on it for the rest of their lives and have been on it for years and years so he makes it sound fine. According to the warnings and indicators on the packet I am allowed to drive on it and I can do all kinds of things just as normal people can. No one I know knows I am taking this med except my wife and she would like for me to get off of it and I would be willing to do it for her but am afraid of the withdrawal symptoms and if the pain should return I would be right back at square one. I imagine most of you would say I don't have much of a problem but I really don't trust doctors that much but just don't know what to do.
To be truthful there is a little more to the story and I have been around the block a few times but this is the worst dilema I have ever been in.

Marvoldboy

[Alera]

Feel free to share more of your story. I find that sharing helps me because others might find something they relate to and are able to then share their experiences, strength and hope (ESH).

You say your wife is uncomfortable with you taking this medication. What are her complaints? Is she concerned with your health or with your behaviors? This might help me share my ESH with you.

[Marvoldboy]

She says that I'm not me at least as she has known me for all these long years. She says I am as nice as can be and I help out a lot around the house. She says she is afraid I am hurting myself and feels I don't really need the methadone. My doctor said "the meds are for you, not for her" and that pretty well pissed her off. I guess you would have to understand my wife to know what I'm talking about. She is the mother of 7 kids and grand mother of 9 and more on the way. We've been married for 48 years so she knows me quite well. We are retired on my blue collar pension and live a comfortable life. My current problem started after my retirement and it was a back problem that could require surgery but I don't like the sound of that as back surgery can be a bummer and sometimes end up worse than before.
I say my "current problem" because I had a career ending on the job injury and that being a torn rotator cuff. I spent 37 years on that job and worked lots of overtime and lots of time away from home. It was in the transportation industry. So, at that time I had a bout with pain killers but it only lasted for a few months or so until after the surgery to repair the torn rotator cuff. After that healed up I had no problem getting off the pain med.
I think it was percocet or vicodan but no problem getting off of that. But this stuff is different and unless I have the surgery for my back I guess I'll stay with the methadone until I'm convinced that it is harming me in any way. It is inexpensive, lasts a long time and is quite effective. I'm sure I'm addicted to it as if I'm off it for very long I get antsy. I try to wean myself to the point to where I feel normal and don't get that euphoria feeling I had when I first started. It does give you a sense of well being which is nice but I can't see where that is hurting me either. Just a silly correlation would be my breathe right nose patches. I had my nose broken when I was a young man and as I got older I got to where I had trouble sleeping and had to breathe through my mouth. I would wake up with a dry and cracked feeling mouth so decided to try the Breathe Right Nose patches. I have been on those for over 10 years so I guess I'm addicted to them but I see no harm in that either.
Anyway, I don't want to be fooling myself about the methadone and really do want to get to the bottom of what is best for me. My wife attends a Narconon class twice a week account of me and I really want to do whats right for both of us. My doctor asked me to bring her in with me on my next appointment but not sure if that will happen.
Would appreciate any answers or suggestions that any of you may have. I have good insurance (mostly medicare) but also VA and a supplemental. Still, there are certain things they won't cover. Such as rehab in the Bahamas riding horses and sailing etc. duh. I am really working on this full time and going to see different kinds of docs and getting their input but I know how it goes with each one of them wanting your business so they will tell you how they see it according to how they have been trained etc.
Good luck to all and thanks for any input you may have.
God bless
Marvoldboy

[Morning Glory]

Here is information I found from the FDA. It may help with your concerns about safety.

http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/20...134s028lbl.pdf

[MROBI]

hi marv and welcome to sr. u know its possible to be an addict and be treated for pain. and methadone is a good choice of meds in my opinion and experience for someone sufferin in pain who is also an addict.... im in da same boat as u and look foward to coorasponding with u.

[MROBI]

hi morning glory i was interested in that link, but no worky eh.

[DesertEyes]

Originally Posted by MROBI

hi morning glory i was interested in that link, but no worky eh.

Keep trying, it works fine for me and everybody else.

Mike