family history will it affect me | Arthritis Information

 

I am a pretty quiet person here but I check you guys out everyday. Here is my dilema.....One of the medications I am on is Vicoden.  I have much pain all day and night.....I am only taking the vicoden at night because I am afraid of it....and its addicting componets.  My mother was addicted to MANY MANY prescription medications and I am afraid that some tendencies for addiction are genetic.  Right now I am in the middle of a very large internal struggle....do I take the medicine and hope it works for me.....or do I try and only take it at night.   I take 800 mgs of a muscle relaxer and the vicoden and still only sleep soundly about two hours and then I am awake and asleep awake and asleep because I hurt and cant get comfortable.....My mom was a very bitter mean woman because of her almost 60 years of addiction......what do you guys think

GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU

Did you talk to your doctor about this? I think you have a very valid concern here. I mean, I'm not "up" on all types of painkillers but maybe there's something you can take that doesn't have addictive qualities in it. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

I think when we have a relative who has had a dependency on meds we are very wary of them.My grandmother was prescribed anti-depressents and other medication after my grandfather passed away , she became so addicted to them that they muddled her mind and she was found floating in the Thames River clinging to a piece of wood in her night clothes.It was the middle of the night and mid winter, she had woken up and thought it was morning, she left her home not even getting dressed thinking she was going shopping. I am really scared of taking anti-depressants due to that memory.

Speak to your doctor about it though as you do have a very valid point

Hi DevsG, do you take other RA meds? SarahTramadol is a little less effective but the addictive qualities are also much less.  If you have chronic pain, taking pain pills on a regular schedule helps control the pain so much better than trying to just take them occasionally.  If you are getting enough pain relief doing what you are doing, than leave it alone.  However, if you are still having a lot of pain, go talk to your doctor.  Be very honest.

There is a huge difference between needing some pain relief and being an addict.  I agree, your concerns are well founded but KNOWING that you are predisposed to a possible addiction just means that you will need to monitor your use very carefully.  If you take them ONLY as prescribed and never more than that, you should be ok.  If anyone takes any sort of narcotic for an extended period of time, you should never just stop cold turkey, we all build up some amount of dependency on it but with the instructions and advise of a caring doctor, there is no need for you to suffer needless.

Both of my brothers were drug addicts (they did beat their addictions) as well as having many alcohol addicts in my family but I also use Hydrocodone for pain relief.  I have taken them for almost 3 years and I do not abuse them.  My Dr. said that if I am in pain and use the narcotics properly my chances of addiction are .5%.  I never feel an urge to take more than prescribed and I do take them consistantly to avoid severe pain that the pills will not help.

I just wanted to pass along my thoughts and you will make the decision that is best for you as we are all different.

Hi, I can appreciate your concerns, I always think that being concerned is a sign of non-addiction. very few addicts ever think they have a problem. I agree with the others here, be upfront with your dr and talk openly with him. In the mean time, is there someone in you life that you can be accountable to for the amount that you would take? If you take them only as the dr prescribes there is very little chance for addiction. Having someone to be accountable to helps to keep you from taking too many or from taking them too often and that would keep you from abusing them and becoming addicted. just my thoughts, take care, jamie

thanks everyone for your input.  I actually take them less often than prescribed because of my fear....maybe thats why they dont help

I also take arava and humeria

I have talked to the doc and he says he is not concerned about any addiction because of my awareness....guess I should listen to him huh.

take care and thanks again

If you take pain pills on a regular basis they actually work better.

If you don't find yourself wanting to take more in order to get 'floaty', you are not taking them for a high, you are taking them for pain relief. Even if you develop a physical dependance for them - you still won't be an 'addict'. Addition requires the mindset to get high.

Dependancy is easy to beat, we just taper off. No big deal.

Allow yourself some real relief, take your pain meds on a schedule. You may find you can get along better on a smaller regular scheduled dose than you take while living with pain.  

 

I think that the profession is more knowledgeable & careful these days when dispensing those "addictive" type of drugs.

I remember 30 or so years ago, when Valium was being prescribed willy nilly for all sorts of problems.  My mother was caught up in that, was given Valium at menopause time, and became really reliant on it, very long term, as did a lot of others.  It seems to me that if a woman went to a Doc, they were prescribed Valium.

In the 70's I was going thru a rough patch with my husband, and the stress of it was causing me to spend most of my time on the toilet.  He called it "bad nerves"  - and tried to prescribe me Valium.  I refused that, and he prescribed something else, told me to go back in two weeks.  It was successful, but when I went back, he told me that what he had given me was in fact Valium, but prescribed under the proper name (can't remember what that was now) but I know I was very angry at the time.

Thank goodness times have changed, and we can now expect to be informed about things like this, monitored,  and not treated like idiots!!  We can ask questions - we have choices!!

Your awareness is your protection - and your Dr. knows that -so try not to beat yourself up!!

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