Addiction after RNY..

I've been having almost constant pain in my abdomen since my surgery in July of 2010. The doctors have done EGDs, MRIs, CAT Scans, a small bowel follow through & two exploratory surgeries. They've found nothing wrong except scar tissue & they removed it. Well, back in like the beginning of April (may have been longer ago), my surgeon's assistant prescribed me Percocet. It was helping my pain & it was making me feel good, so I kept taking it. I didn't think I was taking enough to actually get addicted. Well, after awhile the prescribed dose wasn't working so I started taking more up until my last dose that was 5 pills (50mg). I have no idea what I was thinking, but it was stupid. That dose was on Saturday (5/21) & I haven't had one since. Well, Sunday I was fine. My Mom said she noticed I was acting weird, but I didn't feel weird. Monday I woke up for a job interview & as soon as I got dressed I felt like my world was crumbling. I got undressed and stood crying in the shower for an hour. When I got out I called my Mom & told her that I needed help & that I'd never felt this depressed in my life. My Mom was pretty positive that I was going through withdraws. I made an appointment with my primary doctor & I was a mess when I got there. My pulse was 80 & my blood pressure was 90/60. My nose and my eyes were running like crazy & I had a headache. My primary doctor prescribed me Seroquel & Vistaril to help me through it. I've only taken the Vistaril once & the Seroquel twice (to help me sleep). I never got any of the physical withdraw symptoms, but I feel like I'm going to live with the emotional symptoms forever. Nothing feels right, not even my own house. I don't want to be around anyone, but I don't want to be alone. I go from thinking I feel better, to thinking my world is ending. I'm so ashamed of myself that I let this happen to me. My doctor wants me to go to a mental health crisis center to see if they can help me, so I'm going over there tonight. I'm not really sure what kind of answers I'm looking for. Just some encouragement I guess, since I really don't have anyone to talk to. Thanks for reading, sorry its so long.

My brother has cancer and was on Percocet to control the pain caused by radiation. His doctor took ten days to wean him off of it. If your doctor prescribed medication to help you with the withdrawl, then take it as prescribed. That stuff is physically addictive and you need help to get off of it. Don't try to tough it out because you don't want to take another drug or whatever.

Hang in there. It will get better and thank God you got a grip on it right away!

Addictions are ugly difficult things to overcome.  I hope that you will be able to find the help you need.  The first step to healing is recognizing the problem.  You've got half the battle won.  I'm sending you good wishes.

You're doing the right thing by getting help.  Addictions are hard, wishing you the best.

Keep doing the work, and it will get better.  Millions of people recover from addiction.  You have support and a caring physician, you can do this.

group hug from OH girl

Keep repeating to yourself that it WILL get better. You have to do a lot of positive self talk right now. Every day you get through is one day closer to being back to normal. The emotional stuff is the hardest to get through when you are in withdrawal and you just HAVE to keep telling yourself that you are strong and you can do hard things, that it will get better and that you did the best thing by getting off the stuff. Those things can be so addictive, it's awful that your doc didn't taper you off instead of you having to go cold turkey.

Please do get some counseling. Also, AA and NA are awesome support groups. It is very helpful to be around folks who have gone through/are going through the same things. You don't have to go the me forever, only has long as they are helpful to you, but you may be surprised. Just hang in, and again, remind yourself over and over that every day, every hour, every minute you are that much closer to being through it. You should be doing better very soon. And please DO take the meds they gave you to ease the withdrawal. They are not addictive and they will help you through this hard part. You can stop them when you are feeling better.

Will keep you in my prayers.

Know that we are here for you.....sending prayers your way.

I had foot surgery a month ago and got an infection in the bone they operated on.  My surgeon prescribed percocet and told me to take it as prescribed for three days to "stay ahead of the pain."  I did exactly that.  On the fourth day I took one as needed - on the fifth day, I decided I was done with it.  On the 6th day, I thought I was going to die! I was crying like a baby, my nose was running like a hose, I was hot one minute - sweating like crazy, freezing the next with the shivers, couldn't sleep, throwing up (even after there was nothing to throw up). 

I did some research on it - your body can become physically addicted to that mess in as little as three days.  I had no idea!  It took me a good 3 days to feel human again (I didn't have to take anything to come off of it - once I realized what was happening and why, I was through the worst of it).  What I read said it can take up to a month to feel normal again, especially if you're taking a large dose of it.

When I told my foot surgeon what happened, he just shrugged it off and said "well, how do you do with Vicodin?  I can write you a prescription for that..."  I told him to keep the script, I'd rather deal with the pain by icing it and using regular Tylenol than EVER do that again.

It's an awful feeling - I'm glad you caught it when you did.  I know I would have been begging for more had the symptoms been any worse.  Very easy to see how/why people get and stay addicted to that stuff.  Good luck - praying that this passes as quickly as possible for you.

I'm sorry you are struggling. I had someone in my life that dealt with an awful Percocet problem (got to 14 at one time--should have killed her but didn't) and she got through it. Try to remember this is not some kind of flaw that you have. You didn't ask to be addicted to pain pills. Our bodies decide for us and that is exactly what has happened in this case. You definitely need help with the withdraw symptoms, because although you said you didn't get any physical ones it sounds from your story as if you did. The person I knew did a 7-day in house rehab, but I'm sure you can get out patient help.

Hang in there and do try to remember this isn't your fault. Take good care of yourself and give yourself some time to get well.

Best to you,

Denise