Prescription Addiction
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Biddeford, Maine
Posts: 10
Prescription Addiction
My Husband is addicted to prescription drugs since he had his knee surgery over 8 years ago. He went to a hospital recovery center where he stayed for 3-4 days. The hospital assigned him a Doctor who put him on suboxone for over 7 years. He started on very high dose and than very very slowly was decreased to a lower dose but before he could get off the suboxone he got fired from his job and could not afford to continue to see his Doctor and tamper off suboxone the correct way. He took it upon himself to go off cold turkey he complained about severe pain and withdrawal symptoms. He got a new primary care physician and this Doctor prescribed him morphine which he has been on for almost a year. He was prescribed 2 30mg tablets & 1 60mg tablet which he takes daily. After Christmas 2014 he and his Doctor decided that he would tamper off the morphine but as of today, February 15, 2015 he is still on it. Why would a Doctor prescribe him morphine when he is a prescription drug addict? I can no longer live like this I need help!!!
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31,179
Welcome to SR, though sorry for what has brought you here.
I, also, have no idea why a doctor would prescribe morphine to an opiate (pain pills) addict, but it does happen.
I do hope you keep reading and posting. Many of us come here because we just can't take it, anymore, but still love the addict.
I'm both a recovering addict and the loved one of people who have/are abusing. To me, it's far harder being the loved one, but the great people here have helped me learn what is my issue and what is the addict's.
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
I, also, have no idea why a doctor would prescribe morphine to an opiate (pain pills) addict, but it does happen.
I do hope you keep reading and posting. Many of us come here because we just can't take it, anymore, but still love the addict.
I'm both a recovering addict and the loved one of people who have/are abusing. To me, it's far harder being the loved one, but the great people here have helped me learn what is my issue and what is the addict's.
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Wales
Posts: 497
Hey that sounds like a doctor that knows little about addictions if he px an addict morphine!! May be an idea to post something in the friends and families section just for so e support for you (don't mean don't post here :-) just mean that may be useful too.
Unfortunately it's difficult if he doesn't want to come off it himself. Could you speak to his doctor yourself and explain? Maybe he will start to reduce him properly as it sounds like he's been on it long enough for health reasons xx
Unfortunately it's difficult if he doesn't want to come off it himself. Could you speak to his doctor yourself and explain? Maybe he will start to reduce him properly as it sounds like he's been on it long enough for health reasons xx
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Biddeford, Maine
Posts: 10
Originally Posted by Slekakos 
I know my husband is not opened to go for a 2 opinion because he wants to stay on the morphine. That's the problem!
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,373
I'm sorry your husband is not open to trying another Dr.
I do know there are many other spouses here, and you'll find a lot of support both here in this forum and in our Family and Friends forums here too
D
I do know there are many other spouses here, and you'll find a lot of support both here in this forum and in our Family and Friends forums here too
D
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Wales
Posts: 497
Seems a bit dodgy to me. You're allowed to talk to his doctor but obviously he is bound by confidentiality so couldn't respond directly to you without your husbands consent. You can explain though that you know he can't speak about him but that you want to put him in the picture. I'm a nurse and can't talk to family members about patients but I've had people come in wanting to make me aware of stuff and I can listen so long as I don't respond back with any information.
Xx
Xx
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31,179
I'm sure you can talk to his doctor, but I don't know it it will make a difference. FWIW, I don't think it matters whether they are an MD or a DO (I work in healthcare), some doctors are good, some not so good.
My stepmother went to a doctor who prescribed whatever she wanted. It didn't matter that I used to be a nurse, that I knew she was addicted, the doctor-patient privilege held. I knew addiction inside and out, but she didn't want to hear it.
The only thing that worked for me was to reach out for support on here and in real life. She was an adult and it didn't matter how much I loved her, or how I knew she was walking a dangerous path. It was her path to walk, she could have reached out for support at any time.
It was incredibly hard, but I'm grateful for all the people here who helped me through that time.
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
My stepmother went to a doctor who prescribed whatever she wanted. It didn't matter that I used to be a nurse, that I knew she was addicted, the doctor-patient privilege held. I knew addiction inside and out, but she didn't want to hear it.
The only thing that worked for me was to reach out for support on here and in real life. She was an adult and it didn't matter how much I loved her, or how I knew she was walking a dangerous path. It was her path to walk, she could have reached out for support at any time.
It was incredibly hard, but I'm grateful for all the people here who helped me through that time.
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: California
Posts: 87
I saw a show on CNN where a doctor said they were trained to prescribe as much as the patient needed because the drugs were very safe. That's why there are a lot of Xanax and benzo addicts. It implied the drug companies pushed this. I don't know, but I don't think a lot of doctors understand the problems these drugs cause. Not all doctors understand addiction.
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Western NY
Posts: 1,209
Slekakos - lol...I think your husband is spinning a yarn if he is trying to tell you that morphine sulphate is better than being on morphine. Morphine sulphate is just a salt form of morphine (as opposed to freebase). That is one of the most common oral forms that it is prescribed in. We aren't allowed to give medical advice, and I hope this isn't construed as such. It is just an objective fact. Ask him to go to his next doctor's appointment so you can hear it directly from the doctor if you have any doubts about it.
As far as the doctor prescribing it in the first place goes, I wouldn't be surprised if your husband 'forgot' to mention the whole part about being addicted to narcotics. He probably gave a BS story about how he was in pain from XYZ injury.
As far as the doctor prescribing it in the first place goes, I wouldn't be surprised if your husband 'forgot' to mention the whole part about being addicted to narcotics. He probably gave a BS story about how he was in pain from XYZ injury.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Biddeford, Maine
Posts: 10
My 17 yr. old son had mentioned to my husband that he should probably take me to his next appointment and he said no she's not going and he was very adamant about it. My Doctor also told me to call his Doctor and let him know about he's history but I don't really think that will help because I have very bad fibes about this guy and if he's on the up & up.
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Western NY
Posts: 1,209
Hmm...surprise surprise. He doesn't want you to come to the doctor appointment with him.
Has he been taking the morphine as prescribed? You mentioned that at Christmas time they decided to start tapering the morphine. Has his dose been lowered since then? You mentioned that he is still on it, but I didn't see if you said anything about a lower dose. They may have decided on a slower taper.
Has he been taking the morphine as prescribed? You mentioned that at Christmas time they decided to start tapering the morphine. Has his dose been lowered since then? You mentioned that he is still on it, but I didn't see if you said anything about a lower dose. They may have decided on a slower taper.
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