Dependance or Addiction???

To say that psycholgical dependence can not be a part of dependence is just not true at all. If your pain is significant enough and you've had experience of not getting to the dr on top or are on a heavier medication that cant be called in then when you get to the end of the bottle, it works on plently of peoples minds that arent addicted.

Dependence is mainly brought on for taking a medication that helps you function, and basically your body has gotten used to functioning on this medication so it needs this medication or a similiar medication to help you through the day, just like a pain management contract says. that you not thre for complete pain relief, your there to control your pain as reasonably as possible on as little medication as possible to get the closest you were to before you life being changed by pain.

basically speaking, addiction is when you drug-seek, or dr shop, and the reason you do this is because you need the high or euphoria caused from a higher dosage of pain medication, this isnt a specific level as where as everyones body is different. Where as one person might be an addict taking 10mg of vicodin to get the high, a person that is dependant or has a tolerance can be taking 90mg a DOSE of vicodin, but they dont get the high, their trying to control pain.

Not to mention numerous studies have shown that people who are truely in real pain, actually rarely get addicted in the first place.

And by the way I hardly believe you'd get addicted from taking a few lorcet a couple times a year for bronchitis, people take Dalaudid liquid for cough also, and its 8 times stronger then morphine. lorcet isnt a heavy or very strong narcotic to begin with. I think your pretty safe. It sounds to me that you've barely even gone up especially if you've been taking for 30 years. I've been taking pain medication for 5 and I'm considerably higher then you I assume from the medications it says you've been taking, and I barely even get any relief from it more less and addicted.

I find this very strange that no one that I have noticed has mentioned that his dr calling his mother or anyone else for that matter at 21 or 24 or whatever age it was is just blatenly and purely illegal he could lose his license for that. I am very concerned about this, why do people not recognize these types of things anymore? Stand up for yourselves people!

Post Edited (CrohnsPatient) : 12/4/2008 5:29:59 PM (GMT-7)

Hello everyone!

Some of you may remember me, I pop in and post here occasionally when I read something I think I can help with. I've been taking pain meds for cronic pain for a long time and have developed a good trusting relationship with my pain doc. Lets face it, we all have good and bad days as far as pain levels go and I beleive our docs know this too. I personally don't usually take the amount of painkillers that are prescribed to me. I only take a set amount per day and use more if I need them for break-through pain. I work over 60 hours every week and have for a long time. With out my meds, I know it would be imposable for me to physically do my job even though it's not manual labor per say. If I take the amount the doc has prescribed me every day, my brain and thinking would be affected as would my job. It's a thin line I walk every day. My doc is well aware of this and trusts me enough to completely leave it up to me to take what I need each day. I NEVER take more than the daily limit set by him, ever! It's a good relationship and which I wish more pain sufferers could have similar relationships with their docs.  Over the years, this has left me with an excess of meds which he also knows about. (yes, I rotate them monthly and they are locked up good!) Many of you may think this is wrong and I should not stockpile my meds but I like many here am terrified of withdrawl and all that goes with it. I've been there before for reasons that were out of my control like theft at work. This brings me to the next part of this post. When people ask me if I am addicted, I say no, I'm physically dependent on my meds but not addicted but I stop before giving my reasoning on why because it's really not their bussiness. I will give it to y'all though. If I were an addict, I would not have any "extra meds", I would take them all chasing the "junky high" that all addicts are after. I would always be taking the max amount and maybe more of my prescription, wouldn't I??? Sorry for the long post, I've written here before on the subject and I believe its an important one for all of us who have chronic pain issues!

May everyone have a painfree holliday season and new year!

Your friend,

Pete

     

Pete, what a fantastic post!

Okay Bionic we get it already....you will NEVER take more meds then you are prescribed...Well, some of us feel like we can if the need is there. So, if on 7 of the 30 days I only take 4 instead of 6 pills...what should I be able to do with the extra pills. Flush them? Put them in the disposal? No, I will take the extra pills on days that I need them. As long as I don't take them all at once or give them away I think I should be able to do what I need to do. After all, they are mine....

This is something(like politics) that we will never resolve. It is what it is.......

Me.

Bionic- I don't know if that last comment about taking 12 pills a day was meant for me, but I am extremly offended by it. If you READ what I had written I said I try not to take 2 pills at a time but occasionally I do. That I have a script that ALLOWS me 3 extra days worth of pills. I might take 2 pills at a time once every 2-3 weeks. Its not often, and it IS with my drs permission as the pharmacy has to call & confirm what he has said in the script every time. Maybe you are fortunate enough to not have as much pain as the rest of us. And for that I am happy for you. But please do not assume that I have a problem because occasionally I have to take an extra pill. I am not "programmed" to take xxxx amount of pills at any given time. I take the dosage I need approved by my dr to help me get out of bed each day. Every person is different, every ache is different & every dr is different. I happen to have a very close & honest relationship with my dr AND I do not feel I need to justify my prescriptions with anyone except him & ocassionaly my pharmacist. Besides, I could be battling multiple diseases, which I am awaiting test results on MS and cancer. So perhaps there are other diseases I could have causing all the extra pain. I know my back is a mess & I have fibromyalgia. Now possibly MS and breast cancer. My dr is aware, and I refuse pain medication from all my other drs as I do not "shop" for other drs or medications. I occasionally have to visit the ER for some injections to help me & my dr knows when I go because I tell him. I'm not a bad person because I need an extra pill or visit the ER due to unmanagable pain. In fact I am one of the nicest people you will ever meet. I always give people the benefit of the doubt because you do not know what is happening.
With that said, I believe in freedom of speech but I also beilieve in compassion. I would just like to add next time you should get all the facts before finger wagging. If you can manage your pain- GREAT! If not, when you come on here & give your opinion maybe have some compassion for those of us who are looking for people to talk to who understand, who can relate- we need a shoulder once in awhile. Someone who is having a day so bad they can't get out of bed, they haven't had the oomph to even take a shower that day, they feel alone & life is unfair that its happening, they are drowining in debt from medical expenses, don't see the sun for days from not being able to walk- there are a million things I can say- but the point being that behind every door life is different. I look forward to logging into this website because though I don't know most people on here, I always feel like I have a friend when my life feels almost unbearable. too much. too many tears. someone gets me. understands. has to take an extra pill once in awhile. So please, don't judge me because twice a month I take an extra pill. Thank you.
And..... uniquely I feel a little better now. Thanks. How are you?

Come on guys, its ok, Its just a mis-understanding, lets really try to keep it on point here. By the way I believe alot of drs are the same way, affording a few extra days or pills at the end of the month per se, for when you need them.

Addiction vs. dependance - this is a hard topic to speak to. I fear addiction because I have family that are addicts and a lot of friends who were addicts. In fact, I under medicate myself because I am so afraid of addiction. My pain doc knows my fears and has assured me that if I follow directions that I will be safe and with those words I know that if I am unable to get on top of the pain, because I tend to not take my meds as often as I should, I have his full blessing to take an "extra" pill, within my dosage instructions, when it gets to much to handle.

PA Lady,

You are one smart LADY! Your last two posts were right on! I wish I could get my messages across with such eligance & style! Keep up the good work, you know what you're talking about and your words come through loud and clear. I'm sure others here feel the same as I do. GOOD WORK & BRAVO! It's great to hear from people like you and your words are helping people understand better the physical & emotional pain and social stigma all here feel everyday!

Your friend,

Pete  

Thanks much, Pete, but I think you're doing quite well expressing yourself, too! But I appreciate the pat on the back, especially these days when sometimes I feel like I've lost my mind somewhere.

PaLady

Me,
It's a big difference, truly. Addiction is an illness which requires its own treatment, different from chronic pain. The most challenging situations are people who are tackling both.

It is a major area of confusion, as you can see from what happened on this thread. The thing is it's not simply a matter of opinion; there are medical diagnostic criteria which define addiction, and only a small % of CPP's meet those.

PaLady

   I have to say that this topic...addiction vs. dependence has been very interesting.  I didn't think that people would become so defensive about the subject.  I can understand that nobody with chronic pain wants to think of themselves as an addict, but I think more people ARE addicted then want to admit it.  I know that I cannot go for very long without my meds before I start to feel like an addict.  I can't sleep, eat, I sweat have nightmares.....and so on.  So, I can see myself as an addict in that respect.  But I defend myself by saying that I NEED it because of medical conditions and the fact that it is prescribed by a Dr.  If I was getting it off the street but still had medical conditions I would be addicted. 

 

Oh, I don't know.    Maybe it doesn't really matter anyway.  I will be on pain meds for the rest of my life, it sucks, but that's my life...and I'm sure it is the life of many others as well.  I just have to make the best of a bad situation and live my life.  That's what I'll do.

 

So, I am sure that this post will have a long life of its own, with or without me.  But I am curious to read what others say on the subject....

 

Love and a pain free day to all,

Me.

Very well said PA. I have been on BP meds since I was 28 and I am now 56. If I don't take them I run into trouble. Then there is also the scenario of when they stop working for me, I have to be placed on higher BP meds. My body has become tolerate to the old meds but that is not addiction at all.

Far too often CP people let themselves be led around by the nose by family and friends who are narrow minded when it comes to pain medication. Uneducated people are just as dangerous as a true addict for people like me on medication every day. All I can say is how sad for anyone to allow themsleves to fall in that trap. If anyone ever read up on CP the articles all state rarely does a CP person become addicted to their meds. Education people is what is sorely needed on this subject, not just to the CP person but their friends & families if they feel they need to be involved. Personally, my medical history is between me & my dr, thats why there are HIPPA law in place. Susie

Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't been on in awhile with the move to KS and everything that has been going on in my poor little life things have just been crazy around here. I'd like to put my two cents in here about stocking pain meds back for those extra bad days when things are just real bad. As PA and some of you know I have just recently moved and am still kind of in between doctors at this point. Well here two days ago my new family doctor informed me that she will no longer provide any more pain meds for me because she does not feel comfortable with prescribing these heavy medications. Plus on top of that I recently had an appointment with a Neurosurgeon who informed me that no more surgery would be recommended in the near future and that if L2-L3 or L1-L2 bulged that they would not be fixing either one because of my past responses to the fusions that I have had. So I am pretty much at a crossroads now with my treatment as there is no surgery that they can do to help me with the horrible pain that I have been dealing with in my back.

Anyway, since my meds have been cut back so far I too have been "holding back" on what I have left so that I can make it through to the 11th when I see my next doctor which is a Pain management doctor and hopefully he will be able to maintain what current medications I have. In my situation I have to keep the pain meds to a min. and cannot go over my allotted amount but on those extra bad days (like today when it is 25 degrees and snowing like heck and colder then my freezer) I have been given permission to take extra if needed. The new pain doc is actually thinking about taking about thinking about taking out the hardware in my back to see if that will help with my pain.

Anyway great to be back

Love

Scarred