Prescription Drug Abuse (Opiates)
Jun 22, 2013
My 24 year old son is on day 4 in rehab for prescription drug abuse (Opiates). He detoxed himself last fall only to relapse 2 months later. Right now he is in a 28 day program but I am very scared that is not long enough. I feel so doomed, everything I read about addiction is so negative about recovery. Right now, all he talks about is how hard this is and that all he thinks about is his next dose of detox meds. He talks about how good the meds he was abusing made him feel. His talk just makes me feel like he will never be able to beat this. Before his addiction he was the sweetest, most sensitive, loving guy you would ever meet. Everyone is drawn to him. I still can't believe these drugs got a hold of him. His brain has been hijacked, literally.
Is there anything anyone can tell me that will give me just a little tiny bit of hope?
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I'm a bit worried. I had a urine test at work but forgot to mention that I had some antibiotics about 3/4weeks (maybe more) prior to the test, the antibiotic was penicillin VK.
I've read most antibiotics stay in your system for up to around 4-8 hours, especially penicillin VK. Some other sources reckoned between 7-10 days max. Although most said up to about 8hours max.
So I'm wondering if this would show up in the test at all?
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I was prescribed norethisterone yesterday after not having a period for a year.
I have polycystic ovaries (diagnosed in june), and came off my pill with the intention of starting a family, i am slightly worried because reading the posts on this site it seems that everyone else has been put on norethisterone because of heavy and painful periods.
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I am 82 and my GP says my BP is far too high (179/90). Can anyone tell me whether it is necessary to have a blood test before treatment can be prescribed. I am a needle/blood phobic and in a state of pnic about this. MY GP has refused treatment unless I have a blood test.
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I live in the U.S. so the drug names may be different. I have been taking hydrocodone (norco) 2 x 7.5 a day for over 2 years. I had neck surgery in 2012 and within 6 mos the pain in my neck and left arm returned, along with the nerve pain in my arm. After ruining my digestive system with ibuprofen ( I was taking at least 8 to 12, 200 mg each, a day) I gave up and went to pain management for help. I had successful injections for low back pain a year or so before that, so I thought that is what they would want to do for this. But the doctor said that it would not help, probably because of my surgery, I'm not sure now because its a distant foggy memory. Anyway, the result was pills. At first it was only 5 mg 2x a day. Then he upped it within 2 mos to 7.5 mg. 2x a day. Since then I have read a lot about opiates and know that it is very addictive. I take it as prescribed but that means that I am just addicted to the prescribed dose. I had surgery in September for my digestive problem that all started with the ibuprofen. After the surgery they gave me Oxycodone. Within 3 doses I started sweating and having a headache soon before my next dose was due. I recognised this right away as a symptom of withdrawal. I immediately stopped taking that and just suffered through the surgery pain with my "usual' med, hydrocodone. Within a month, I started to realize that I have the same symptoms to a lesser degree with this med. This can only mean that I am addicted to it. When I went to my doctor for my usual appointment and med refill, I asked if there were any alternatives to Opiates. I said I was uncomfortable taking this and wanted to find something else. He said "Tylenol?, that's your only choice." I was floored. Well, I know tylenol can ruin your liver, so that wasn't even an option. He then said, "the holidays are coming up, why don't WE wait until after that and rethink this". Wow. I was truly speechless. So I took my scripts and left. I did NOT make another appointment. All that to ask this question. Does anyone know if there is ANY option to opiates for chronic pain and permanent nerve pain? If I do not take the med, my pain comes back, but the Nerve pain is the one that drives me back to take the pills. Now it's in both arms and when the med starts to wear off they start to ache, then burning and tingling. I have tried reducing the dose by taking half a pill, but all that does is make me count the hours to the next half pill. ugh. I want off this stuff and I know it can be done! I have read several success stories right here. Other symptoms I have are anxiety, depression, anger, constant waking up at night with the sweats. I need support, answers, and a way to do this without losing my job,all my friends and my mind!!
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I am now been abstinence from substance-abuse. For 2 years, I was mixing opiates/opioids and alcohol together, and sometimes I mixed other substances with those-including cocaine. Plus, I already have depression and anxiety. I have been to a treatment/health care center twice. First time of abstinence, for 2 weeks I couldn't speak right. I'd think of a sentence. I'd start to say the first few words-with a stutter-and then forget the sentence. I would have to start my think process over again a couple of times.
I continued using/mixing-if not more-and became dependent on opiates/opioids, and I had already been diagnosed an alcoholic. I became abstinence, and still am. It's been about over 2 months of no substance abuse. I developed unnecessary stops in my sentences while I speak. Like my brain can't catch up to my speech while I talk, causing me to have to stop for a very short time before continuing me sentences-this can happen a few times in one sentence. I still have to restart my thinking process over again because my mind goes blank while trying to speak. When there are things that distract me or someone speaks a little bit while I'm talking, I have to restart my thinking process all over again.
Some other things that are going on with me is that I often feel microscopic bugs crawling on me and biting me. I also sometimes become frightened because I sometimes see shadows in the corner of my eyes or behind me. While staying still, my leg or arm will sometimes randomly jerk-I'm not doing it, my body is doing it by itself. I also forget to breath, and I have to remind myself to breath by myself.
I want feedback of what you'd think these are symptoms would be of, and/or if this is more of a severe or minor thing. Drug-induced brain damage?
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I tried to get these pessaries on prescription, but my surgery would not do it. They will prescribe for the Balance Activ for bacterial vaginosis though, which seems to say they will prescribe for an infection but not to manage menopause symptoms. Has anyone else been able to get the menopause type of pessaries on prescription?
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I don't know what happened. I have been doing great the last 2 weeks, and then all of a sudden this morning was bad. I woke up in a panic attack. I really want to know what is going on. I am still seeing a counselor, doctor, and going to na meetings. Being over 120 days clean, would this still be some sort of PAWS. I am still struggling with how all this started while i was using. I don't really feel depressed, but this anxiety does make me feel down. Can you have anxiety this deep into withdrawal. Again, i used normal opiates for over 2 years, and switched to loperamide the last year. The lope was about 20 to 30 a day. A big part of me still thinks that after even 12000 dollars of testing, the doctors have still missed something. Is all this still normal? I mean I felt great the last 2 weeks, and then all of a sudden. Please respond anyone who has experience with this. I really think it's something else. I am scared of something not seen. I know this is a contrast from last post, but what is going on. I am trying to not take any of the xanax they gave me, but today i had to take 2 of the smallest doses.
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So I've been reading a lot of posts that say they've been drug tested while they've been pregnant? When exactly do they do that right before you give birth or right after?
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My doctor 20 years ago prescribed Synthroid and later switched to Levoxyl. After several more years I started Levothyroxine and am still on it. After more years on this my test result yesterday was .003. She did T3,T4 and the TSH and didn't say which test showed .003. She didn't give the other results and I didn't think to ask since this is the first time in 20 years that any doctor wanted the T3/T4. She mentioned that the number was way off(which explains hair loss,brain fog,flaky skin and other stuff. Wonder if she will eventually switch my meds again.
Have any of you had a number like mine and if so what were your symptoms?
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i just start zopiclone for two day, now I think I'm addicted to it I have only taken 4, please someone help me to withdraw this drug
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Cyclizine is dangerous and I will not stop warning people of the awful reaction to the drug company to own up their responsibility. I cannot do this alone, I need all your help we have to warn people of the danger of taking cyclizine.
Positive feedback on this?
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I appear for the defence , M'Lud.
I was on SSRI antidepressants for some time. They countered my extreme anxiety well, but I had bad insomnia probably caused by the AD. I tried various drugs for the insomnia (zopiclone, amitriptyline etc) but with little success. My doctor suggested mirtazapine but I declined as I had read about its weight gain side effect. However eventually I changed my mind out of desperation. The mirt was miraculous: it completely solved the insomnia. I felt "normal" for the first time in months.
"But what about the side effects" I hear you say. Well, I did get back my appetite - but no more than it was before I became ill. I gained a little weight, but no more than I had lost.
I did have difficulty getting up in the morning and feeling groggy after that, but those lessened with time. I take the minimum mirt that allows me to get to sleep - about 11 mg, and I think that keeps the side effects down.
Mirtazapine is like a knife in that it is not evil in itself, it is how it is used that matters. The people who say it is evil have perhaps been on the wrong dose. Mirt tends to be more sedative at low doses; more activating at high doses. Do not throw out the baby with the bath water!
I get the impression from reading posts on this forum that mirt is best used (at low dose) to counter insomnia or where an SSRI antidepressant has not been tolerated.
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I'm 16 weeks pregnant and ive been on heroine since I was 17 I am now 19...my parents stopped talking to me since I became a drug addict, the father of my child pushed me down the stairs when when I was 12 weeks because we were fighting about keeping the baby (he didn't want me to keep it) I had nowhere to go except my friends house with her boyfriend they are also on heroine and her boyfriend is constantly trying to get with me and I don't want to tell her because she will kick me out..., I work part time at a restaurant but I don't make enough to be on my own. I want to stop using but its so hard. I really love my baby and want him or her to be healthy.
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After being prescribed the said drug she became gravely ill, mouth ulcers eventually spread to her intestinal area, bone marrow dried up, with all the resultant problems.
she died a very untimely death in June last.
The death certificate cited the drug as the cause of death.
An inquest is due shortly, If I may be allowed to report it's findings at a later date I would appreciate the fact.
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My memory, both long term and short term, is shot. I cannot remember names, stories, facts, and many things that were easily retrievable only a few months ago.
Basically, from June until recently, I had major sleep problems. My primary doctor was reluctant to prescribe any kind of sleep medication. Also, I had poor sleep hygiene, and continued to smoke cigarettes and eat an unhealthy diet. Ultimately, I did not sleep for about two months. At most, I would get 2 hours per night.
At the same time, out of desperation, I started to abuse zzzquil. I would take 2x to 2.5x the recommended dose. All things considered, I am a large guy, at about 250 pounds. Still, in the beginning, that dose would afford me 6 hours of sleep. A couple months later - none.
If I was not taking zzzquil I would try melatonin with no results. If not melatonin, I would drink high quantities of alcohol (whiskey, straight up).
I had to quit my job recently, which was an easy one, as I could not focus upon any kind of work. I cannot remember numbers and figures for minutes after I have seen them. Even writing this post is very difficult.
At this point, I pace around my parent's house, chewing ice cubes, driving them crazy, mumbling to myself about how much I suck at life. At one point I was a smart guy - now I feel like a 95 year old.
My parents, my friends, people in AA, my general practitioners, everyone, say that I can make a comeback and that this damage is reversible. I thought that brain damage was irreversible? I cannot afford nor even get a referral to see a neurologist.
Before this summer, I was a chronic alcoholic and marijuana abuser, even for a time while on antidepressants, and have been incredibly irresponsible. My life is a current agony. What should I do? Should I believe that my parents and those around me are correct, should I give up as I am too broke to afford treatment? I am clueless, feeling hopeless, stupid....
Or should I start taking Prozac - as two/four gps stated that this is stemming from depression?
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My general/gastrointestinal surgeon request a complete blood test as a pre-surgery exam in order to perform a fundoplication, to solve a gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that I've had for three years. My condition is not responding to high-dose proton pump inhibitors, diet or lifestyle changes, because I have a hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter and my esophagus peristaltic rhythm is lower than normal.
I've been taking 80 mg (2x40 mg) of esomeprazole + 20 mg (2x10 mg) of domperidone daily for about a month, and during the day before the blood exam, 900 mg (3x300 mg) of ibuprofen in 8 hours interval, as I was having a muscle pain on thighs due to heavy exercise on weekend without warming up properly. The pain has since completely gone.
I did the blood exam yesterday, on Tuesday at 8:30 (I took the last pill of ibuprofen on Monday at 22:30), and receive the results today. I explained to the nurse who drew my blood that I took these medicines. My platelet count was low (thrombocytopenia), and I suspect due to either the PPI drug or ibuprofen.
As you might know, the platelets are essential in blood coagulation process after a an injury (such as a surgery), which is something the surgeon needs to be sure that I don't have coagulation problems and will have a hemorrhage during the procedure.
The normal platelet value is between 150,000 and 450,000, but in my result was 143,000. The Platelet Distribution Index was 72,7%, when the normal values should be between 25 to 65% according to the parameters in the result. Mean Platelet Volume is 10,1 fL (femtoliter), which is within the normal range (7,2-11,1) fL. Every other coagulation parameter is normal, along with HDL, triglycerides (in optimal or normal range), etc.
All my previous blood tests resulted in normal values of platelets amount, but I wasn't taking any medication when I underwent the complete blood test. I read the package inserts for esomeprazole and ibuprofen (or any other NSAID), and thrombocytopenia was among the possible adverse effects. I think that the ibuprofen is the main culprit, I only took it because I had a major muscle pain (due to extreme fatigue) that really hurt, but I didn't know it could interfere with the platelet production. As I said, I told the nurse i took these medicines.
I don't know if the surgeon will think that I have some blood or vascular disease (which I don't believe, as all my previous blood exams were normal and I don't have any symptoms) and will not do the procedure on me. Should I ask him for a 2nd blood test to see if platelets levels will get back to normal? Or he will take the fact that I've been taking 3 medicines into account? and consider this a pretty much normal or expected result?
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I have read and studied so far it appears I have developed a drug induced anxiety disorder.
This happened 3 weeks ago when I smoked cannabis for the first time.
I had a panic attack, because I felt it was never going to end. I felt like I was going to die and that my friend was going to murder me. Since then I haven't felt the same. The first week it was a nightmare;, I suffered from derealization where I felt everything was a dream and I wasn't real. My sight was jumpy, could not focus at all and I had constant panic attacks. These last two weeks seem to get better. Near no panic attacks but still this feeling of detachment and feeling out of place... and fear. I have less vivid dreams but they come and go.
I am scared that this will last forever. I was prescribed citalopram 10mgs but i haven't taken this as I have faith i can get cured without it.
I also cannot imagine suffering from the side effects of citalopram as what I am experiencing is already horrifying.
Does this last forever? What can I do to cure it? I have no previous history of mental illness. I also am quite chubby 66kgs so could it be the effects of the THC in my system? as I said i feel better than when it started but i am losing hope.
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I'm 65 this August, and for the past 26 years have had FMS and Osteoarthritis, progressing into a host of other auto immunes in the past 2 years along with moderate elevated cholesterol, osteoporosis, vertigo, Meniere's. And have had some run in's with a few doctors and PT people who are in it for the money, not patients health. That said the issue is Big Pharma and FDA along with doctors who push the drugs on people. We have all heard the TV ads for a lot of these drugs. Heed those ads. Crestor was supposed to be the drug of last resort for cholesterol but through a multi-million $$ ad campaign they are now number 1, and have the most side effects of all the cholesterol drugs on the market
I react to nearly any drug that says GI, muscle or vision. Not little mild side effects, nor the kind that send you to the hospital because you have had a acute reaction. But bad enough it is worse than the disease it is treating, and make you wish you could die and get out of the misery.
Thanks to their drugs starting with osteoarthritis ones, progressing into estrogen's my GI system is a wreck and I live on 80mg of Nexium daily. It is the only one I can take without other major side effects. Yeah a drug that will work for me.
Not all of us are drug sensitive but those with FMS or other auto immunes tend to be more sensitive to drug side effects.
So it brings me to the question how many of us suffering from IBS, and don't even realize it might be caused by one of your prescriptions. Few people take the time to read up on the drugs their doctors order, to much faith placed into a person who has to little education on those drugs they are ordering, they know what the drug reps tell them and what the TV warns about. And that is what they hope for. READ ABOUT THOSE DRUGS, dig into the blogs too, as that is where you will find the truth about the side effects. Take it all with a grain of salt not as gospel. Ask your self how this drug is effecting my system.. And do not take more than 1 new drug at a time it muddles your monitoring, give yourself time to monitor what it does to your body.
Some pills will react right away others may take a month or two to turn on you. Request a copy of your medical records, you would be surprised at how inaccurate they are. Mine say I've had my adenoids and tonsils removed...duh, my first surgery was a C section in 1972, unless you count the removal of wisdom teeth that came in side ways. Plus that I am on a ton of drugs I tried and rejected because of side effects, but my records still show me taking them to this day. And I give my PCP a list of side effect drugs each 6 months I see him, yet few get on the side effect list.
You must be informed well not only on the health condition you have but on what drugs they use on you to treat it and what they can do to you.
With FMS the two main drugs are Lyrica and Cymbalta, both highly riddled with side effects, Cymbalta numbs your brain, as if FMS did not do that badly in the first place. Lyrica can cause more pain, stomach issues, joint pain and a ton more. It's side effect failure rate according to my pain management doctor is 50%, now I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack but 50% failure is way to high for the FDA who is supposed to police these drugs to leave a drug on the market.
What truly happens is you complain of side effects to your doctor, HE does NOT report them to the FDA, that is YOUR job..and good luck there, there are NO Humans at the Bad Drug Hot Line. So you are given a different drug, and the roller coaster goes on until they find one you tolerate better. Still with the side effects unreported.
Then there is nutrition, when you are told to go on cholesterol lowering diets, what vitamins and minerals that are necessary for your health has been lost. Your Thyroid is the main gland of your body, it only requires a few mcg of Iodine, eggs, dairy and meat are the main natural source. Sea Salt does NOT contain Iodine. Nor is it white, it is light pink, lt gray or gray. Many of us are on salt restricted diets to boot. Ever wonder how many hours of nutrition training your doctor has had? NOT much. Because other than telling women to take Calcium and D, they do not bother to tell you that you have to replace the nutrients the diets they insist on take away or it will lead to other health issues in the long run.
Vitamins or minerals have to my knowledge never killed or gave cancer to any one, but big Pharma's drugs do!
You might think I am anti drugs, no, wrong, they have there uses, but YOU the consumer must take it upon yourself to become EDUCATED about what they do and watch your body's reactions to them. Doctors are not gods, their words are not the gospel either. USE YOUR BRAIN, do your home work on the drugs and your disease.
READ, LEARN, GET INFORMED!
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I have been taking this tablet now for my 4th week, I have had a lot of teething problems BUT this week was my due date for my periods and usually for 2 days I get almighty migraines but this tablet has most definitely helped just cut to a headache Nothing at all what I used to experience!!!. I have heard a lot of people not liking this drug But for me it has helped and will continue taking it, right so I have a question for 4 weeks I have been taking Half Beta Prograne 80mg, but called to pick up a new prescription and have been given Bedranol is this the same drug? .
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