i was perscribed pain meds after surgery 4 8 wks ive became dependent is my docter obligated 2 detox me?

Question

i WANT NEED 2 come off these meds however so far ive had SEVERE withdrawal & have resorted 2 useing other pain meds i KNOW that given the chance i could taper off the meds ill need the doctors help/understanding i do not CANNOT continue 2 use others meds or get on methadone i dont want drug maintence i want 2 be drug free.i was addicted 2 heroin 4 9 years did the whole methodone thing ive been clean 4 almost 3 years thx 2 a doctor who gave me suboxone when i had the insurance 2 pay for visits & the medication.i no longer have insurance.I know from experience that if not stopped NOW that me living day 2 day taking what I can depending on what is available i will go down FAST.i CANNOT resort 2 heroin & on somedays im having 2 take meds like oxycontin bcuz w/the exception of heroin its the only option.ive tried cold turkey & icant do it.if given the chance i KNOW that i will succesfully get off all meds i know what its like 2 b on heroin & methadone. i dont want 2 go there again i CANT

Answer 1

I'm wondering the same thing as the first answerer...the doc prescribed 8 weeks of post op pain meds? What kind of surgery did you have? And you also mention taking oxycontin on some days. Doctors don't generally prescribe oxycontin for post op pain. It's for chronic pain.

At least you're aware you've got a problem already. Please leave the OC alone. Go back to the doctor who prescribed the meds. Tell him that you've become dependent on the meds and are having withdrawals going cold turkey. Ask him to help you wean off the opiates. Then follow the directions on the bottle of meds *exactly* to the letter.

If the doctor won't help you, you might have to wean yourself. Sounds like you may already be buying off the street. If so, please make this your last purchase. Make a plan for weaning to detox, and stick with it. Good that you know enuf not to turn back to heroin and methadone. If your will is strong enuf (and it sounds like it is) you can do this. Good luck.

Answer 2

The doctor is not obligated to help you detox, and depending on your relationship with this doc, he/she may not want to help since you were not up-front about your history in the first place. Addicts in recovery can and should be treated with opiates in certain situations for but doctors have to monitor them closely so that something like this doesn't happen. There are also opiate type pain relievers that can be given that have a much lower incidence of abuse because they can't be tampered with (crushed, snorted, etc), such as Talwin NX... but the doctor has to have all the information UP FRONT, and since you didn't provide that the doctor may be less inclined to help you. It depends on what kind of relationship you have with him/her. I'm sure, had they known, that they certainly would not have given you opiate type pain relievers for this extended period of time. In the future, it's infinitely safer to be up front with the doctor about your history. They can't treat you properly without all the information. This time around, just tell the doctor exactly what you said here, and they will probably help you... but be prepared for the fact that they may not since you weren't up front with them. If they don't, you can try going to a counselor. If you do, and the counselor talks to the doctor about tapering you to prevent a relapse, the doctor may do it. Some counselors also work with addictionologists, who can also prescribe meds for a taper or prescribe you something like Methadone or Suboxone. You can also google "Thomas Recipe for detox" (you can look at some of my old answers for it; I used to post it here a lot but I got some flack for it, so I don't anymore), which is an at-home detox plan that does involve some meds from the doc that you could ask for instead of tapering. I'm told it's quite an effective plan. At any rate, good luck and godspeed.

Answer 3

Well, most pain medications (especially the strong ones) cause nausea as a side effect. Unfortunately, the severity of nausea changes from patient to patient. It can be lessened by taking the medication with food or an anti-emetic (anti-nausea) medication. Your surgeon or doctor might be able to prescribe an anti-emetic along with the pain prescription (like Phenergan or Zofran) to ease the side effects. Phenergan comes as a suppository so you don't have to worry about vomiting it up and not getting the full effect from it. Depending on the surgery, you might not have much of a choice because you'll need something strong enough for the pain. Good luck!

Answer 4

What kind of doctor prescribe 8wks of pain meds? What kind of surgery did you have?
Your question troubles me alot, because since I am a recovering addict myself (7yrs) I can read in it that you addiction became mental probably before physical. You should have explained to your doctor(if you didn't) that you were already a recovering addict and you needed to be controlled with your meds. Your doctor is responsible to wheen you off of your meds to help you detox and that would be successful only if you are not going out for street drugs.
You cannot place your relapse in your doctors lap, you're gonna have to want to detox, and do it. That said, detox is not easy. But neither is active addiction. Withdrawl is severe and unforgetable, but the unforgetable part is what will save your life. Anytime I have ever thought about relapse, I have remembered what I went through to get clean and the crazy thought are gone, and I am proud of myself for drumming up the self control.
My advice is, (not easy) to go to a detox facility and suck it up and kick it under there supervision. It won't be easy, but its 4 or 5 days, to save yourself from the stress of hustling up the next pill, and from the chance to OD, and most of all it's 4 or 5 days ,that you will carry with you forever to remind you that you can be strong and you are taking responsiblity for your health and well being!!!!
None of what I have said sounds good right now, but believe me its the best thing that ever happened to me and alot of my peers say the same.
Good Luck to you

Answer 5

the doctor prescribed EIGHT weeks worth of pain meds?! that sounds like a lot to me. but you should talk to your doctor about this problem; i'm sure s/he would be willing to help out.