First, understand that there is a different between addiction and dependence to a medication. Addiction is driven by cravings and psychological need for a subtance. People who are addicted will generally use a med irresponsibly, go to several different doctors to get the medication without telling the other doctors, etc..

Dependence on a narcotic, barbiturate, benzos or other medication will happen on any long-term user of the med. It is only a physiological reaction. So withdrawal from medication can happen even when you are using the medication completely as you should and not obtaining any high from it. You can become "hooked" on a medication like Cymbalta, an anti-depressant - but this does not indicate that you have a problem.

It should be noted that one of the major differences between addiction and dependence is that with dependence, if you are on a medication which helps you, your life will improve. You will be sleeping better, be more active, etc..You will be able to do more things, life a fuller life. With addiction your life goes downhill because your entire existence becomes about getting a certain response from the substance. Relationships suffer, you are lying, etc..

It is also important to note that people with legitimate pain do not usually experience a high after the first couple of weeks on the medication. The high is what people with addiction are seeking. This is not to say that people with chronic pain cannot have problems with addiction. Besides euphoria, people with chronic pain can develop problems with overusing medication because they are so afraid of being in pain, and since they have access to the medication they use the medication as much as they can to block as much pain as possible, even against doctor's instructions. If you are running out WAY before your refill date, this is a sign of overuse.

If you are very worried about addiction, speak with your doctor. Let him or her know that you are using it responsibly and only as needed, but that you would like to check in every so often so that you are sure that it stays at a manageable level.

If you are either afraid to speak to your doctor (some people are afraid to mention this because they fear that mentioning addiction will cause the doctor to develop that fear as well) or want to handle it on your own, you can develop a questonaire every month to keep yourself in check. Ask yourself questions like - are you sleeping better, are you leading a more fulfilling life, are you re-seeking activities you had to give up previously (from chores to fun), do you feel you are managing your life better than before, do you feel a sense of relief or a release of pain-related depression (it needs to be pain-related depression as regular depression may be related to the feeling of general well-being due to taking narcotics). I would suggest rating these medications from 1-30 days a month or Not at All to Agree Strongly, so that you can measure upward progress. I do suggest keeping a pain diary, as you can look back on the different in medication levels and such and your relief.

Take care,
Laura

Please do take into account that no matter what, tolerance to a medication will happen over time. Tolerance will mean that as your body gets used to the medication you will require more to get the same effect. Once again, this will happen no matter what, and is not necessarily indicative of addiction.

I would suggest getting on a medication like Neurontin or Lyrica (meds that deal with GABA neurotransmission), Cymbalta, Effexor, Nortriptyline, Amitriptyline or Topamax (the first four are antidepressant - the last one can help nerve pain) - due to their ability to reduce pain daily without being on narcotics. This can reduce your need for PRN (as needed) narcotic medications.

You can also try thinks like biofeedback, Lidoderm patches (for surface pain), meditation.

Make sure you are taking Vitamin D and Magnesium, as pain reduces your systems' ability to use both (or makes them use them more quickly no matter if you are getting the RDA amount), and these natural substances can natural provide your body with the ability to reduce or cope with pain.

Take care,
Laura

With the vicodin and naproxen i get very nausiated, dizzy, and extremely tired. but i am doing more im proud to say i went and got some job apps today, im hoping that i can handle that. but hubby and i are suffering because i do not like to take the meds because of the side effects i get. He is a paramedic and it is the only way he knows how to help. im not trying to get a response from the meds but rather i try to find drs who can tell me why im having such bad pain. my family doesnt help so i have no support there. thanks for your help

I understand how hard it is to explain pain when the person is not in ur body. I have lived with chronic pain for almost 12 yrs. I have been thro a wide rage of pain meds. I've also been judged by some of my friends and family for having to take these meds. I hope that u have a good real life support system. Plus continue to post and read. Hearing how other people are coping it helpful. Also being able to contact people, via e-mail or post, with the same probs as u. Take care and I hope they find the cause of ur pain soon and are able to deal with it better.

if you are only taking 1 vicodin a day i wouldn't worry to much that is me, my opinion and i take a long term morphine, so maybe my perception may be a little off and i know it is hard because you have had so many doctors its hard to get there input. I know that i am dependent on pain killers but not in a bad why it is like what celticfc said i take it too be able to function not to get high and actually that is why i went on morphine there is no high you just get a steady dosage even if i took more it would not give me a high feeling.

take care
and i look at it this way if you are concerned about being dependent or "hooked" on drugs i dont think you would be on here asking for help not to become dependent so that is a good thing

#1's advice is very good. I hope your doctor can help you. I can not get pain relievers because I will not sign an opioid contract with ANY physician where I live (WA,USA). I also use small doses of Vicodin, I only have 20 left until I run out for good. Sometimes nothing helps and just getting to the next hour is a triumph! Hugs and Smiles

I am new here and feel funny giving advice, but I want to add my two cents here. First of all, I understand. I take about 13 different types of meds a day. I do not like taking them either, and their is addiction in my family. As the first responder pointed out, there is a difference between dependency and addiction. My doctor said if you are on an opiod for seven days, your body is dependent on it. Just know that you probably are not addicted to it.

I have to get all of my meds from my pain specialist. I am not allowed to get any without his approval. This is via FDAA new guidelines. If I did and he found out, I would be kicked out of the program, so chances are, your doctor is in control of what you are taking.

the other point I want to make, is pain meds like vicodin work best when taken continually during the day. If you only take it once, then you probably take it when you really hurt. If you were to take it, say every 6 hours, it would help keep the pain level down. I have trouble too because I don't want to take them, but I do better when I take them correctly.

I hope this helps.

Mary Lou