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.

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

Thank you very much, this is a great post. And I am male. I have an appointment with a urologist for the first time on tuesday so I'll talk to him about it. Hopefully he can give me some other painkillers to deal with the mild pain, and opiates to deal with the major pain. You're right though, with such a condition I don't think they'll think I'm a drug seeker.

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

thank you! the advice is very good and actually puts my mind to ease a lot. I'm going to a urologist on tuesday, and I'm sure he sees lots and lots of kidney stones. So I'm going to ask if I can get a non-narcotic painkiller along with a narcotic one for the severe pains(if you've ever had kidney stones you'd know that the narcotic painkillers are amazing for those severe pains). That way I can use the non-narcotics to get through school and work, and use the vicodin or whatever he gives me only when I get a pain attack.

Also, I have taken just 2 vicodin today and a few advils. So that's always good news. I'll update more on tuesday.