how long does it take to get addicted again?

[erino134]

If you get off a drug - say an opiate for example. You go through W/D hell and actually get off the drug. Then you stay on the straight and narrow for months or years or whatever... then you get prescribed vicodin for a legitimate reason - like surgery for example.

Will you go back to being addicted instantly? Or will it take some amount of time? Does anyone know this?

I am not really asking for myself. I personally don't want to get that feeling again in my body. But I met someone in this recovery process that has been clean and sober for 2 years and had surgery. She assures me that she is under close physician care.

Does anyone know though? Could taking it as prescribed for 10 days leave her physically addicted again? (I know the mental thing is far more likely and far worse....)

What about other drugs? One popular one on this board is crystal meth... what happens there? Now, I am just curious in a general board.

[best]

Don't know the facts but do know some who have gone through surgery.
Knowing they could get hooked, they only took the pills "as needed" and as soon as they could deal with the pain (pain level dropped) they would flush the pills.
An awareness and commitment to staying clean. A support system in place "before" they even swallow one pill. Tools in hand, they made it through ok.

[Dan]

Here's a good pamphlet from NA.
Meds and Recovery.

[Time2Surrender]

Pesonally,I always started right back where I left off when I quit.So,I have no desire to try and find out again.I prefer to abstain from all drugs.My research days are over.I'll let someone else do the researching now,and they can come back and share about it at a meeting.To this day I have still not seen anyone come back and say things were different this time and they had a good time out there.

[Roxann]

I didn't trust myself when I had my surgery 2 weeks ago. I told the doc no pain pills. They wouldn't have worked anyway with me on suboxone.

[WNY Addict]

There's some really nice material on the subject in chapter 10 of our Basic Text, More Will Be Revealed (pages 98-99). The BT is such an awesome resource. There's droves of information packed into that first hundred pages

"This is a program of total abstinence, however, there are times, such as in cases of health problems involving surgery and/or extreme physical injury, when medication may be valid. This does not constitute a license to use. There is no safe use of drugs for us. Our bodies don't know the difference between drugs prescribed by a physician for pain and drugs "prescribed by ourselves" to get high. As addicts our skill at self-deception will be at a peak in such a situation. Often our minds will even manufacture additional pain as an excuse to use. Turning it over to our Higher Power and getting the support of our sponsor and other members can help prevent us from being our own worst enemies. Being alone during such times would give our disease too much leeway to take over. Honest sharing can dispel our fears of relapse. Serious illness or surgery can present particular problems for us.

Physicians should have specific knowledge of our addiction. Remember that we-not our doctor-are ultimately responsible for the risk we expose ourselves to. To minimize the danger there are a few specific options that we may consider. These are using local anesthesia, avoiding our drug of choice, if any, stopping while we are still hurting, and spending extra days in the hospital in case withdrawal occurs.

Whatever pain we experience will pass. Through prayer, meditation and sharing we keep our minds off our discomfort and have the strength to keep our priorities in order. It is imperative to keep N.A. members close by at all times, if possible. It is amazing how our minds will go back so quickly to our old ways and old thinking. You'd be surprised how much pain we can handle without medication. In this program of total abstinence, however, we need feel no guilt after having taken a minimum amount of medication prescribed by an informed professional for extreme physical pain.

We grow through pain in recovery and often find that such a crisis is a gift, an opportunity to experience growth by living clean. Before, we were unable to even conceive of the thought that problems bring gifts. This may be finding strength within ourselves that we never knew before or regaining the feeling of self-respect we had lost."

I know of people that've used seperate pain management doctors to manage their opiates post-operatively. Most surgeons are willing to throw opiates out like M&Ms after surgery, and having a specialist is a safety net. The surgeon can probably get a pain management MD for you if they know about the addiction. They'll give you the same drugs, and you won't suffer... but they can call you out on your BS a few weeks after surgery when you're thinking about getting a little something for that "nagging pain" you still have.

Most pain management specialists have worked with addicts in recovery, and they know special techniques that help minimize the potential for... "a slip and fall". I know that I'd be seeking help from my healthcare professionals if I had to use opiates for a valid reason. I'm an opiate junkie, and I can't be trusted... irregardless as to how involved I am in N.A.

[hopeful2day]

I had a herniated disk when I was 2 years sober, working a good recovery program. I told my surgeon about my alcoholism and drugh abuse history and concern about addiction. He prescribed just enough pain killer to take the edge off of my excrutiating pain before and after surgery. I stayed in close contact with my sponsor throughout, and took the medicine only as directed or less, when I could. I prayed alot. I got no buzz whatsoever from the medicine, and I experienced no cravings after I stopped. It is a potentially dangerous situation, but millions have gone through this without difficulty.

[sharebear2004]

Well first of ONCE AN ADDICIT ALWAYS AN ADDICIT!!! This just don't go away... No matter how many months or years you are sober!!! If your soberity means that much to you STAY AWAY!!!!! That is the only promise you have to stay sober!!! I know my husband went through this and he was clean for 12 years and then he broke his back! And the doctor's knowing his addicition problem gave him pain killer's andhe went back to HEROIN! And it took him to lose everything and get a second chance at life to get clean! See he left his wife and stayed at my house and we came close close friends and know we are soul mates, But he almost lost me to HEROIN MANY MANY times! But when he had noticed what had happened we both started our reccovery! And this is the first time for me in my life to be clean! I was an addicit to it all starting when I was 10!
So my advise is to stay away!!
Sharebear

[logo]

My body does not know the difference from pills or Herion all it knows is it wants more. In recovery after 3yrs. of clean time. I had no choice but to use heavy pain killers.(kidney stones). I even tould my DR. who I was. After 6 weeks of use I was addicted. With the help of NA I got off of the pain pills. I went 9 days with no sleep. At 5yrs in recovery Kidney Stones again. Now what do you think happended this time? No more clean time & I was off to the races again. I have had kidney stones 5 times in & out of recovery. It just depends on how bad you want to stay clean. Love & Respect Logo

[Theresa A.]

Personally,I always started right back where I left off when I quit.

Me, too. With opiates - within days of beginning any kind again, if I stop taking them I start having the old withdrawal effects. I start sniffling, stomach problems and such. Feels good again the first day but after a history of opiate addiction it quits working so fast it is unbelievable.

Oh, now within days you don't go back to the full-fledged end of opiate addiction withdrawal (I needed to clarify). If you take just what you need for the surgery you might just find mild wd when you stop taking them if it is a very short time. However, I have found that it isn't like the old days pre-opiate addiction, though. A normal person wouldn't even have what I get - the little clues that I am withdrawing from something from just taking a normal prescription or for surgery (I wake up a lot at night but not up all night...I get night sweats, sniffles, stomach probs). So, the wd is worse than had you never been an opiate addict - but not so bad...just irritating since there is that history. They never work right again anyway.

Then, of course there is the 'awakening' of the disease aspect. There is the part of our minds that says - well, I did some drugs so I might as well DO SOME DRUGS.
Good luck with your situation.
Theresa

[snowwhite]

erino134,
Ditto: The same thing happened to me years ago and I was so MAD at myself! I REALLY thought I COULD control it because I had been clean for some time. But once I felt that euphoric feeling again, I was taken back into my addiction! What I should have done was 1) to tell the doctor and 2) ALSO to have someone regulate my pills for me! That was what I did wrong! I found myself calling the doctor asking for more, even when I was okay NOT to have anymore!

I don't KNOW whether I would have gone back, had I not had surgery, but the chances were in my favor to do so, I would think, since it is so hard to stay clean from pain pills. However, the surgery got me right back to square one! I feel it can be done though IF it is supervised and I don't MEAN supervised by the addict! But that's my opinion for what I WOULD need!

[mainship]

I got sober in 1980 and made it into the early 90's, then ran into back problems, went through 2 spinal fusions and lots of pain pills. Only recently did I go in to treatment, got off all drugs, came out and pain got so bad I went to a doctor who is familiar with addicts and he put me on Methadone for pain. What I set up is I go to a meeting every day, Group therapy once a week, see therapist once every 2 weeks, got a sponsor, home group, gave my pills to work and they give them to me daily. The methadone just takes the edge off just so I can work everyday. I am also seeking other non-narcotic answers to combat pain, such as epidurals and possibly even a spinal cord stimulator implant. I have been clean since 1-6-05. Not very long, but I am very serious about my recovery.