Am I addicted to pain meds?

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ka2381

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Very astute point...
I do periodically take half a pill just to feel euphoric.
However, that almost always coincides with some pain. The question is, at that point-is the pain bad enough to warrant taking a half pill?
Im not worried ill get worse; ive managed to keep it at no more than one pill per day for nearly 8 years.
My main worry is that my body is now "giving" me this pain in the evenings so that it can feel good. Im convinced that much of my pain is psychosomatic...

On another note, what kind of damage have I done to my body by taking one pill a day for 7 straight years? Is there anything I should consider doing to counteract the negative affects?
 
Well, I don't know how much damage you have done to your body.. I can't imagine it's anything traumatic.... I guess you should speak to your Dr. about that, they would be better to answer that than me.

However, you made a really good point about the pain being enough to make it acceptable to take half the pill. If you are taking it for the euphoric feelings than yes, that is a problem. Your usage is extremely low and you have done a GREAT job keeping it that way for 8 years! That is SERIOUSLY impressive. I know you don't have a fear of it getting worse but just always know it can change in an instant. I never thought it would be an issue for me either!

If you feel your body is giving you the pain in the evening so you take the pill then here is the test... Go for a few evenings with out taking any. Test yourself... Can you do it?

Keep us posted! I will be thinking of you!
 
I really need an outside opinion here.
I have had chronic back and neck pain for about 8 years now.
I started taking Norco when I had my first real pain injury roughly 7 years ago.

Since that injury, I have been taking HALF of one 10/325 Norco pill every night when the pain kicks in and is unbearable. Some days, I have to take two halfs but usually never more. I purposely take as little as possible as to not do too much damage to my body and get "too" addicted.

I know this amount is very little compared to many people here who have much more serious addictions but I am worried I am addicted to feeling "good" or pain free every night.
How worried should I be about what I am taking and, what kind of damage am I doing? I simply do not want to stop taking them b/c they give me some comfort in the evenings.

Lastly, I have developed a chronic swollen parotid gland issue that no one can seem to figure out the answer to. Can there be a connection between prolonged painkiller use and swollen parotid glanRAB?

Thanks to everyone for reading this.
 
Thank you for your kind worRAB..I have been thinking about trying that for a while now.
Im going to try this coming week and post my results.
 
Hello there,

In my opinion, and from what I've learned over the years, if you have to ask "Am I addicted?" then you may just be.

Most importantly, if you have ever, even just once, taken a pill to feel the euphoria...then you are definitely addicted - or at least you are in the very early stages of addiction and MUST talk to someone.

If I was honest with myself (as well as everyone in my life) about why I took pills, I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did with my addiction. I won't go into details, however it was pretty bad.

I say this with the upmost sincerity - Talk to someone, your doctor, an addiction specialist (at any hospital) or even people on this board - you have the opportunity to address it before it gets worse.

I wish you luck, health and most of all the courage to be honest with yourself!

Love,
emsmom
 
I can't answer your question on the gland. Talk to your doctor is the best thing to do or ask if they know a doctor that can answer your question. Parotid glanRAB do swell for a variety of reasons. One of mine has been swollen nearly my whole adult life - the doctors don't even consider it as a problem.

There is a BIG difference between being dependent on a drug and being addicted to it. The example someone told me is, A Diabetic is not addicted to insulin, they are dependent on it for medical reasons to keep them alive. From what you said, it sounRAB like you are dependent on a drug to reduce the pain that you have. If you are not taking more of the drug than is prescribed, then you are not addicted or abusing it - you are dependent on it.

When I was in severe pain, I took the drugs to reduce the pain - I was dependent on them. When the pain went away, I stopped taking the drugs. But, when I slipped up 17 days after stopping and took the drug again because of withdrawal symptoms, some would say (including myself) that I crossed the line and became an addict at that point, even though I only took the drug for 3 days and stopped. And, well... then, I slipped again about a week ago and took it one day again because of w/d's... (Arg! They are so annoying!!) So, my point is - you're dependent, I'm a recovering addict and I'll be in recovery for the rest of my life. I hope that answers your question. Other's will join in also and respond as well. This is a good forum.
 
Thank you Emsmom; I guess my worry is that this "control" that I think I have can turn on me at any moment and that this whole thing can turn into a serious problem.
I think in my head I make the distinction between addiction and my current situation by the way I currently feel. What I mean is, right now its 1PM and I have absolutely ZERO desire for a painpill (in my case, Norco). I have gone on for 7+ years like this: have no desire to take anything during the day, but once the evening comes and the pain starts to set in, I take a half a pill to make myself more comfortable.
That said, although I probably dont want to play the odRAB, what are the odRAB that I would start taking pills all day long if for 7 years I have only managed (and wanted) to take them in the evening?

I think I answered my own question with my first statement...although I guess im just trying to justify to myself that its ok to keep on taking these things, as long as its just in the evenings.
 
Big distinction! The word "addict" usually has bad connotations associated with it, where people can better relate to the word "dependent."
 
Well, here is my take on it. It sounRAB like you are truly taking this for PAIN purposes and that is completely acceptable. You are taking such a little amount.. You have not increased over the years and that is a GREAT sign that you are taking your meRAB responsibly.

The only statement you made that concerned me was when you said "am I addicted to feeling good or pain free?" Well, if you were to take the meRAB for the euphoric feeling like most of us did then that is addiction. If you are taking the med for pain and to be able to have quality of life at night then I believe it is okay.

I hope that all made sense. All in all I think you are being responsible! The only thing that concerns me is that usually when someone asks.... it means they are worried it may turn into a problem. Do you have a fear that you may start taking more? I wish you pain free days and make yourself at home here if you have more questions!!

Good luck to you and I think you are doing GREAT! Way MORE self control than I ever had!
 
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