bfromindy

I can't believe somebody else out there actually remembers this stuff! My sister more or less raised me and she says that I took to that stuff like a duck to water! That and my Mom wouldn't let me make a sound without giving me some of it! In my bottle. With Hawaiin Punch! I remember it like yesterday! And guess what? I'm an addict. Now I know I'm the one who did that with my self-centerdness, but I was raised in that sort of a household too. Alcoholism and addiction runs deep in my family. This is a cool site. I'm also a member of Friends of Bill. Anyway, I don't know about all the reasons why, I just know I'm an addict. They started "hiding" the Paragoric from me when they caught me out in the backyard at 5 years old tipping the bottle up! Trust me I'll be back to this site. You guys rock! We all rock! I'm just glad that I'm IN this program now and that I'm FINALLY okay with me.

jogalongcassidy

Hello, I just accidentally stumbled upon this web site. At first was just looking for information. I wanted to know just what Paragoric was exactly. I am 59 years old. Grew up in the 50's and remember my mother giving me paragoric when I was sick. I hated it and it made me vomit. It did calm my stomach though and that is what started this search. My 80 year old mother called me in a cold sweat with shaking and panic. In her conversation she said, "I wish I could have some paragoric medicine grandma used to give me. It always calmed my stomach down..."

I have been aware of her drug addiction for many years and in the past year I've become more aware than ever. I thought it started with her hospital stay a few years ago and being given morphine. She has a prescription for it today. She also tells me that she has been on Oxycodin for over 20 years, takes percosets and washes them down with a glass of wine, to calm her stomach she says. God knows what else she is taking.

So, when she called and mentioned paragoric I got curious and Googled it. I almost died when I saw that it was an opium derivative and freely accessible to the public when she was a child. So, now I know where the addiction started. But, how can that help her now? My dad just died a year ago and she is even worse than ever now because she has grief piled on top of addiction. She wants so badly to be "normal" but has no idea how to go about it. Just thought I would share all that for whatever good it may do me.

Thanks for reading.

Dee74

Welcome to SR jogalong

I'm sorry for your situation with your mother. We do have family and friends forums here, if you like to check them out, and an ACOA forum as well (Adult Children of Addicted/Alcoholic Parents)

The Alcoholism and Addictions Help Forums- by SoberRecovery.com

D

pinpoint

Laudanum reminds me of Dilaudid. I believe the laud part is latin or something meaning, to praise, to be praised. Kinda funny for a brand name of dope. Just like heroin and bayer back in the day. Huh...interesting crap you remember while recalling ancient antitussives.

Painful93

I remeber it well. When I worked in the pharmacy I would see gallon jugs of it in big glass bottles. I would sip it when I was downstairs where it was stored. The narcotics cabinet in a mom & pop drug store only held so much and things like paragoric in gallon jugs weren't required to be there. Yes, i remember it well. It was one of many things I took to "feel better"

Altaira

Up until two or three years ago, paragoric could be prescribed in California (although the pharmacy usually had to special order it).

In Connecticut in the '60s, it was over-the-counter with limited quantity and a registry type of book such as is used to in California for pseudoephedrine.

I'm sixty-five years old and have taken paregoric more-or-less my whole life for diarrhea with no addiction

-- From today's wiki

The implication is that it is still available by prescription in some states but I don't if that is true. Doctors who wanted to prevent addicts to inject it dictated that it mixed with bismuth.

What I do know is that it is fastest-acting anti diarrheal in the pharmacopoeia. The unlucky children seem to be those to whom it was given as a sedative.

Today Is All I Have

Yes, In the 1970's my best friend's father was an MD. He brought it home for his girls to alleviate cramps. I know all the women had addiction problems. I always wanted to have some but there was never any left in the house!

hardknocks

I always had stomach problems as a child. Maybe I worried too much. My mother would mix paragoric with sugar and warm water to help . I remember her talking about how recently she had signed for it . That was the 60's. In 1984 I had an endoscopy. I was told my entire stomach was scar tissue and I had ulcers since birth. I recently had absinthe when on a trip to the french quarter. It reminded me of the days past. I do not blame my negative issues or problems on anyone but myself. I do believe that genes carry tendency for some behavior. This is my first post. Thank you for allowing me to post here.

Dee74

welcome hardknocks

D