People who use abusable drugs legitimately rarely become addicted. They may become dependent, which is not the same thing.
And here’s the difference.
When you are addicted to drugs, your quality of life goes down. When you are dependent on drugs, your quality of life goes up.
It’s a synergistic effect. There’s also Vicoprofen, hydrocodone and ibuprofen, but it isn’t used much.
I was VERY surprised how well acetaminophen worked for me when I was in college, and burned my hand on the oven while working at a pizza place. It wasn’t severe enough to go to the ER, but it was quite painful and I took some Tylenol that I had with me. Some time later, I realized that my hand hurt a lot less, and was quite impressed with its painkilling ability. And yes, when it wore off, it started hurting again, so it wasn’t just the early healing process.
I was given Percocet following my heart surgery last year. Sure, it masked the pain, but it also had some very unpleasant side effects, such as intense paranoia. Among other things I thought Hitler was still alive, and he knew where I was. I told a nurse to alert the security guard not to let Hitler in, and she got me a prescription for Tramadol, which was WONDERFUL.
I can’t imagine anyone using Percocet for fun.
My exwife used to talk about how the drugs never got her high and how if it wasn’t for the pain she wouldn’t even take them. She died of an overdose. I have a close friend who swears they don’t get him high, his actions suggest otherwise. I pay no attention to how people say drugs don’t affect them. Might be true though.
Thank you so much for allowing for the remote possibility that at least some of us might know what we are or are not feeling :rolleyes:
I’ve been taking one half to one vicodin in the morning to help me get through some very painful sciatica. I can assure you the “hug from God” feeling? It aint there for me. I get a warm sensation that I find unpleasant but I can walk without excruciating pain. I do not like taking it and as soon as a doctor can find out what the problem is, I’m off of them. They were sitting in my medicine cabinet for 5 years and I am glad I didnt throw them out.
My leg is at about a 6-7 right now but I have NO desire to take one till the morning when I absolutely have to be mobile for my new job.
I didn’t say you were feeling it, I am basicaly saying I pay no attention to someones opinion on what they say they are feeling. I pay more attention to how many drugs they are taking and how it appears to be affecting them. Drug addicts lie, period! legal or not legal.
I have no problem with pain medication and agree that at presribed levels and even slightly above perscribed levels they may not be affecting us, we build up tolerances pretty quickly.
Is the doctor who gave the ‘all-clear’ for your painkiller/acetaminophen usage also aware of the amount of beer you are drinking?
A note on Vicodin and its cousins:
Vicodin is Hydrocodone + Acetaminophen. A “Vicodin 5/500” is 5 mg hydrocodone and 500 Acetaminophen.
The Acetaminophen is a bigger worry for long-term use than is the Hydrocodone.
Ask your doc about 10/325 (IIRC) or other dosages to avoid problems.
Other variants use ibuprofen or aspirin with the hydorcodone.
This insanity is caused by Hydrocodone is classified as a Schedule II narcotic if dispensed straight, the paperwork nightmare of Morphine would be require for it.
Result: pure Hydrocodone is not available in the US.
Whether this mickey mouse of adding an OTC + Sch II = Sch III is of value is left to the reader.
At least some Docs will not prescribe a Sch II, so this is a back-door route to get a real opiate to the masses has that advantage.
But be aware that these drugs have different dosages available, and shop around to minimize damage to kidneys/liver
Oh - for giggles: Guess upon which Schedule marijuana is found?
Schedule I
Psst - you might want to know that a few weeks ago the FDA rescheduled ALL formulations of Hydrocodone as Schedule II. It did this almost at the same time as approving some new pure hydrocodone drug. While technically what you said was true about ii vs iii - I don’t think straight hydrocodone was generally being sold - but it will be now.
Some docs are very hesitant to prescribe schedule II drugs, but the rules are pretty much the same for all schedule II drugs - morphine isn’t more paperwork than hydrocodone (will be as schedule II).
Oxycodone is often sold with the Tylenol in the 5, 7.5 and 10 mg strengths. You can get Oxycodone in at least the 5 and 10 mg without Tylenol - and anything higher than 10mg only (AFAIK) is available without Tylenol 15, 20, and 30mg strengths.
The main problem for most patients with Schedule II drugs is:
My own take on this old topic is that plenty of people don’t notice they are high when they take oxycodone for the first time as it makes many people nauseous. Over time this tends to go away and often people who hated it at first will like it later.
OxyContin is a time release vs of Oxycodone and that has a different feel to many (and now it is harder to crush and abuse). Hydrocodone is considered by most addicts to be inferior to Oxycodone - many that loved hydrocodone at first will graduate to using Oxycodone when Hydrocodone doesn’t cut it anymore.
Doc just switched me to oxycodone without APAP in the 15mg dosage to deal with the breakthrough pain. The percocets weren’t working any longer even though I was taking two 10/325 at the same time. The oxycodone without the Tylenol seems to be working okay, but more importantly I feel relieved my liver us now getting a break. Unfortunately though the morphine isn’t working well any longer and it looks like an increase is dosage is coming soon.
Unfortunately Vicodin sends my intestines into a violent twisting, gut wrenching, 1 hour of excruciating pain. I have to curl up on the floor in a fetal position while the pain and cold sweat subside. After that 1 hour I am so exhausted from the pain I fall into a deep sleep.
I used to have that same feeling when using Cocaine that was cut poorly.
So now I make sure to make note on medical papers not to give Vicodin.
Oh and the coke is a thing of the past as well.
I agree with the others on how Vicodin/Percocet just gives you a " I don’t give a shit about the protruding bone in my hand, let’s go have lunch" feeling.
Anything OTC with a PM attached to the end does the trick for me these days.
What an informative thread this is. 
Vicodin amazes me at having such a profoundly differing amount of effects on different people. For me, it makes me incredibly sleepy, it is perhaps the best tranquilizer I’ve ever had. Not even morphine made me that sleepy, as Vicodin does.
For my sister and boyfriend, it makes them violently ill, throwing up non stop.
For some people, it makes them feel euphoric, unstressed, etc.
Amazing drug, really.
No they haven’t.
They’ve just proposed doing this. We’ll see what happens. I expect it will happen, but not real quickly.
Unless I am in a hospital setting I pretty much quit all types of perscription narcotics about 25 years ago. I do keep some in the house if something gets to where I just can’t bear it but seldom ever use it. I find with opiates more than any other drug I tend to quickly increase my dosages to where they get out of hand. Librium for some reason has a very profound effect I can quickly become dependent on. I actually get the most pain relief from over the counter drugs like aspirin.
I first heard of Vicodin being re-classified as Sch II back in 2006-2007 while I was still using it.
And you don’t need to tell me how to get the cute little blue 'script that comes in triplicate.
The first one I ever got had, not only the Doc’s DEA number, but thumbprint as well.
Only once have I been so moved after reading a post that I joined a forum to just leave a message. Your post … Is that post.
I have always had adverse reactions to opiates. I have had to revise that. Now I take Benadryl and anti nausea meds with the Vicodin and/or Percocet. Unfortunately Vic’s will be in my arsenal for the near foreseeable future.
Last week I had major surgery, took the meds and have reorganized half my house, I have moved, lifted, scrubbed. I have caused the wounded body parts to swell, bruise and basically give up on me… After all I am supposed to sit with my feet up with ice. Ha ha ha… How does one SIT on this stuff?
It had crossed my mind that my home is in better shape, if not my poor afflicted body. I watched every episode of Nurse Jackie… And the inquiring mind in me… Led me to your post.
Thank you. As a scientist, I needed to know the how’s, the effect and the why’s.
I will live in an unorganized home, take Motrin, learn to embrace the putting up of my feet.
You did help one person today avoid learning this the hard way.
Best Wishes to you straight from my heart.
Only once have I been so moved after reading a post that I joined a forum to just leave a message. Your post … Is that post.
I have always had adverse reactions to opiates. I have had to revise that. Now I take Benadryl and anti nausea meds with the Vicodin and/or Percocet. Unfortunately Vic’s will be in my arsenal for the near foreseeable future.
Last week I had major surgery, took the meds and have reorganized half my house, I have moved, lifted, scrubbed. I have caused the wounded body parts to swell, bruise and basically give up on me… After all I am supposed to sit with my feet up with ice. Ha ha ha… How does one SIT on this stuff?
It had crossed my mind that my home is in better shape, if not my poor afflicted body. I watched every episode of Nurse Jackie… And the inquiring mind in me… Led me to your post.
Thank you. As a scientist, I needed to know the how’s, the effect and the why’s.
I will live in an unorganized home, take Motrin, learn to embrace the putting up of my feet.
You did help one person today avoid learning this the hard way.
Best Wishes to you straight from my heart.
I have been on opioids since 2005
Vicoden 5/500
Vicoden 10/325
Hydromorphone 4 (dilaudid)
Morphine 15
Morphine 30
(the nighttime dose of morphine was 75 mg)
In that time, I have had a psychotropic reaction exactly 8 times.
Some of us are immune to the “high” others find in these damned things - if I want a buzz, I’d go looking for LSD - that was a fun drug - gawd, over 40 years ago…