Hmm. As soon as I started writing this post, a video of “The Needle and the Damage Done” by Neil Young came on VH-1 Classic.
My experiences kind of mirror those of calliope - well, except for the whole “legitimate medical uses” thing. OCs ruined opiates for me. I used to buy a couple of pills every month or two on the street. One time I took (swallowed, not snorted. I’m not that stupid!) an Oxycontin 40 that I thought was a 20. Instead of making me feel good (that is, quite happy and talkative, but not cloudy-minded or “high”) all day, it made me feel good for 45 minutes, then for the next eight hours, gave me horrible stomach pains if I did anything but lay prone. Sometimes even then.
A couple weeks later, I took a 20mg pill. Same thing. A couple weeks, or maybe even a month after that, I took a Lortab. Same thing, except that the pain didn’t last as long. Bummer. I don’t touch opiates anymore. Actually, I guess it’s a good thing. I know I’ll never get hooked - that’s for sure. I just hope I don’t end up needing it for a legitimate medical reason.
True. I just remember my agonizing withdrawal from it and never would want anyone to go through that. Even tapering is painful.
But at least it made me realize that I have the possibility of an addiction to these things, which is good. And Vicodin, luckily, makes me sick, so I know I’ll never get addicted to that. But I won’t touch Ultram again - just because that withdrawal was hideous.
Has there been any research to establish evidence of certain people being immune to the main effects of opiates (i.e. pain relief and ‘intoxication’)?
I ask because I not only don’t get any pain relief from Vicodin, but after my knee surgery the nurses kept giving me more and more morphine because it simply wasn’t working – not the slightest impact on my pain, and no happy head trip to make me forget the pain. I looked morphine up in the Nurse’s Drug Handbook I have at home, and from what I can tell they gave me very nearly the maximum dose. The only effect it had was to make me vomit every single time I moved.
Finally they switched to Toradol … when that kicked in I was in pure heaven, since the pain was finally standable. Works a treat on my migraines too.
Can I conclude from this that I probably wouldn’t get any pain relief from Oxy either?
Hey, I like OxyMoron. He gave a great subway tour when I was in NYC for Megadope, and he and his boyfriend look so cute together!
What?
Oh, Oxycontin. Oxycodone, also what’s in Percocet. I’ve had Percocet. No big whoop. This pillhead doesn’t go for the opiates, really. I prefer the benzos. :eek:
Well you won’t prefer the “benzos” if you use enough to get to the point where you have to be detoxified. Those drugs (“bensos”) have a “half life,” they get down into the bones and detoxing can take 6 months to a year and it isn’t a pleasant process - it isn’t pain free either.
the medical profession (IMO) screwed up with prescribing all that stuff before they knew what the drug could cause.
it popular on the street because, like others have said, its taken crushed and snorted and usually taken while drunk increasing that fucked up sensation.
Also increasing that death sensation. From what I’ve read, most opiate overdoses aren’t technically overdoses at all, but rather fatal interactions between opiates and alcohol. Of course, it was a while back that I read this, so someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
They’re still doing it. I have a friend who went to see a doctor just this week. The doctor said “Some people just need to stay on this stuff (Xanax) their whole lives. Maybe you’re one of them.” And he wrote him another prescription.
I have some anxiety. My doctor prescribed me Buspar, which seems to work great, but isn’t closely related to benzodiazepenes and supposedly isn’t addictive. Sure does mellow me the hell out, though…
Doctors (many) prescribe based on what the drug rep (read salesman) tells them.
Buspar is used in treatment centers, among other places because of it’s non-mood altering effects and the fact that it is non-addictive. I would guess that you are not actually mellowing out but rather are “feeling” the absence of anxiety.
Like the old joke - Why are you hitting your head on the wall?
cause it feels so good when I stop.
Oops. I just realized you may have been referring to Buspar when you were talking about the drug reps. Actually, that’s generic now, too, but I don’t think it was all that long ago that it was made that way.
Count me in as another person who opiates seem to have no affect on, and would like to know more about why this is so. When I had my tonsils out (as an adult) a few years ago, they gave me vicodin for pain, and the only thing that crap ever did for me was give me heartburn. I think chewing willow bark would have been more effective.
Yikes. Opiate drugs are scary for me because a) they are the ONLY thing to help my years long struggle with back pain and b) they feel, like Quadgop said, like a ‘hug from god’.
When I was prescribed Vicodin for a few months, my back was feeling much better with one or two doses a day. And I also noticed that I was clear headed, peaceful, happy, rested (without being dopey) and intensely creative.
Then of course, I took too much of it and fucked myself in terms of pain relief. My doctor is hesitant to give me more, and I am only taking Darvocet which only helps about half as much as the Vicodin.
I’m embarrassed to even talk to my doctor about it.
[anecdotal warning to jar] Back in the bad old days before abortives, when virtually the only thing they had to give out for migraines were opiates, I took Darvon (which worked only slightly better than aspirin). One day, during a particularly bad bout I found myself passed out on the front yard not breathing all that well. I was taking it in halves and must have accidentally overdosed, though I could not have taken more than 3 pills altogether. This was back in the 70s and I haven’t touched the stuff since. Honestly, it scares the shit out of me. [/hysterical Darvon cautionary tale]
I believe the anecdotal warnings, and I know that I have a tendency to become addicted or dependent on things, but I’ve done very well with my pain meds for the past three our four months (one dose a day at most, usually before work) , and I’m confident I could handle a Vicodin script, but I’m afraid to even confront my doc about it.