BluMac81
Member
So, here I am, now 4+ months sober from alcohol, yet another mood-altering chemical entered my life a few months back, when I was in a car accident. It was vicodin, and right after I took it, not only did I notice that my physical pain was gone, but I also noticed that ever-lingering 'not being comfortable in my own skin' feeling gone, depression gone, anxiety gone, and hyper-vigilance gone. So over this winter, every time I got a flu (which happened a lot for some reason), I'd go to the ER and get some more Vicodin, which always did the trick.
And now I'm at the point where if I stop, I will go through withdrawls, and yes I have experienced opiate withdrawls when I tried to stop and they are horrendously awful. So I'm still on them, because of these odd 'morning pains' I experience every day (my doctor has me seeing a rheumatoid specialist and going to pain management for it.) And to be perfectly honest, I do not see why it is stigmatized as such a bad drug. I feel so guilty using it, because sometimes I just use it to rid myself of depression and anxiety, and it does just that. I mean, I acknowledge that the tyelonol in it is very bad on my liver, I take milk thistle to help with that (which by the way I consider very suspicious that they would put acetomenaphin with hydrocodone, maybe just to prove the negative effects of the drug.) And I do realize the withdrawls I would have to face once I go off of them, yet everything else I take, the SSRI's, the Xanax, they both also have withdrawls, maybe less than or equal to opiate withdrawls. I do not experience side effects from the drug other than constipation (followed by diarrurea in the morning.) And coming down from it is rather gentle. I just don't understand why it has been so stigmatized as being BAD BAD BAD by the FDA and DEA. I would even go as far as to say that Vicodin could be a possible perscription used for mental health patients, in chronic conditions of course. Oh and if you are wondering, due to my tolerance (probably built up by alcohol, and my father's genes), I am at about 16 Vicodin a day (5/500). My mother and close friend frown upon me using it, and so I feel so guilty when I do, but while I'm on it, I am totally myself, not drunk like with alcohol, just relaxed, with no social anxiety or depression. I am also using it to help me through the onset of starting on Wellbutrin, which in the past had side effects when starting the drug that were unbearable, I want to see it through this time and let the theraputic dose be reached.
I know I'll probably receive a lot of flack out there because of this, a lot of 'oh my god you need to get off of it asap' etc. etc., but I ask that you keep an open mind and think logically on this matter, and consider the arguments that I have made. Actually Vicodin has helped me stay sober in terms of alcohol thank God, but yes, I do recognize that I can't stay on this drug forever (same thing with Xanax) and eventually will need to go to a detox program, perhaps this spring break. I just want to rid myself of this guilt for taking the drug, perhaps hear of any of your experiences with this drug.
Thanks for reading,
Matt
And now I'm at the point where if I stop, I will go through withdrawls, and yes I have experienced opiate withdrawls when I tried to stop and they are horrendously awful. So I'm still on them, because of these odd 'morning pains' I experience every day (my doctor has me seeing a rheumatoid specialist and going to pain management for it.) And to be perfectly honest, I do not see why it is stigmatized as such a bad drug. I feel so guilty using it, because sometimes I just use it to rid myself of depression and anxiety, and it does just that. I mean, I acknowledge that the tyelonol in it is very bad on my liver, I take milk thistle to help with that (which by the way I consider very suspicious that they would put acetomenaphin with hydrocodone, maybe just to prove the negative effects of the drug.) And I do realize the withdrawls I would have to face once I go off of them, yet everything else I take, the SSRI's, the Xanax, they both also have withdrawls, maybe less than or equal to opiate withdrawls. I do not experience side effects from the drug other than constipation (followed by diarrurea in the morning.) And coming down from it is rather gentle. I just don't understand why it has been so stigmatized as being BAD BAD BAD by the FDA and DEA. I would even go as far as to say that Vicodin could be a possible perscription used for mental health patients, in chronic conditions of course. Oh and if you are wondering, due to my tolerance (probably built up by alcohol, and my father's genes), I am at about 16 Vicodin a day (5/500). My mother and close friend frown upon me using it, and so I feel so guilty when I do, but while I'm on it, I am totally myself, not drunk like with alcohol, just relaxed, with no social anxiety or depression. I am also using it to help me through the onset of starting on Wellbutrin, which in the past had side effects when starting the drug that were unbearable, I want to see it through this time and let the theraputic dose be reached.
I know I'll probably receive a lot of flack out there because of this, a lot of 'oh my god you need to get off of it asap' etc. etc., but I ask that you keep an open mind and think logically on this matter, and consider the arguments that I have made. Actually Vicodin has helped me stay sober in terms of alcohol thank God, but yes, I do recognize that I can't stay on this drug forever (same thing with Xanax) and eventually will need to go to a detox program, perhaps this spring break. I just want to rid myself of this guilt for taking the drug, perhaps hear of any of your experiences with this drug.
Thanks for reading,
Matt