is oxycontin the only thing that works for this?? (cry for help)

[charlesinselmer]

I hope I have come to the right place for a few answers..here it goes! I have a lover of eight years who is a cronic pain suferer and victim of IC, he suffers every single day I have no dobt of this I know. he has been prescribed a high dose of this medication for sevral years and it really seems to work for him. THe problem is his doctor overprescribed so much that I myself was able to induldge in my addiction and it has gotten out of control! now that I am seeking profesional help for my problem the doctors tell me that returning home sober with himn still on the oxy would be a very bad idea. I know that there are a lot of people out there that will think very badly of me but you must know I have an addiction that is so deep I can't even explaine! I know it was a terrible thing to start dabbling in a cronic pain sufferes meds but I just couldn't control myself. I would never ask him to give up his meds because of my problem, but my question to all of you is HAS ANYONE EVER FOUND ANYTHING THAT WORKS?? besides oxycontin? he has a pain controll unit stimulater that dosn't do a thing for him as it is..the oxy does work very well for him but I think it is a stigma of the drug, because now that he has had it he seems to think that nothing else in the world would ever work, does any of this sound fammillar to anyone out there?? this is truly a cry for help and hopfully somone can offer some advise..I love my husband with all my heart and certinly would never want a pill come between us, if it is the only thing that works then I guess I need to go back to the drawing board myself,i'm sure I will figure somthig out as long as I keep a good attitude the world will go on! thanks for listing and hopfully somone can help....
charlesnselmer

[icnmgrjill]

Hi! Well, this is a real handful hon. It's hard for me to respond... because we're not professionals. We're not counselors. You MUST and SHOULD be working with a professional therapist and addiction program. I'm proud of you for getting the help that you are getting... please keep it up. Their support, guidance and advice has to be your first priority.

There are a number of pain control options available. Medication is usually only 50% of the work. The other 50% are the self help strategies that every chronic pain patient has to learn. I used to be a horrible pain patient and, yet today, rarely have intense pain. Diet is critical.... because even one cup of coffee a day can have devastating consequences to bladder pain. Relaxation to help reduce the muscle tension which naturally occurs when we're in pain. The problem is that muscle tension creates trigger points which, themselves, can then be a huge source of pain. And, of course, it's the little daily things which can make a profound difference, stress management, anxiety control.. etc. etc.

We have some things in our online shop that can help.. including the Chronic Pain & Control Workbook, a number of heating pads (heat can help muscles relax), great audiotapes on relaxation & pain control, etc. etc. etc. You definitely want to explore those further. You can find them at: http://www.ic-network.com/shop/

And, in the meantime, I think that we all understand that addiction is a disease but, you're right, there is no excuse for you jeopardizing your husbands health care by stealing his medication. I think that the best place for you to be is in an addiction program and with weekly NA meetings. Your husband deserves that from you... and, frankly, you deserve it too. But, it takes great courage. So, please keep it up hon!

Jill

[Dixiefireball]

jill is so right.
sending you hugs and prayers
Rhonda:pray:

[dyno]

Praying for you and hoping things work out. Stick with your programs.:grouphug:

[Iris]

Hi, sending prayers your way and hoping that you will find the help, and strength to handle your problem. Well wishes and hope things will start to turn around with some professional help, Iris.:pray:

[creatingkarma]

I am so sorry to hear what you are going through & am glad that you are getting some help. I have heard that oxycontin is just as hard to quit as herion for a drug addict. Please stick with what you are doing! I have lost many friends to drug addiction & it really is a hard life to live. I wish that they could see how they are hurting themselves. Best of luck to you, my friend! The only advice I can come up with is to have your husband lock up his meds so that you can't get to them. Would he give them to you if you begged for them? If so, then I don't know what to say except BE STRONGER THAN YOUR ADDICTION & be open & honest with everyone in your life so that they will know how to best help you.

Remember this: Just because you make a mistake, doesn't mean that you are a mistake.

Karma

[charlesinselmer]

you guys seem like a wonderful support group! I really feel for the pain you all suffer each and every day. I am just looking for alternitinitives for my husbands treatment , Yes addiction is a terrible disease and I have a tough battle ahead(I am on a week long waiting list for adiction treatment) This is my third day clean in over TEN YEARS!! I am here at home detoxing myself with no medical help..I am keeping my spirts high and I have the best support system a boy could ask for in the world..my main problem is I don't want to subcontiously resent him for being able to take the meds I abused for so long..I don't know maybe it is selfish of me to ask him to seek alternitive options for treatment..it's not only for my benifit it;s for his as well(i'm sure you all know how addictive and harmful this drug is) need I say more.....Thank you guys for being so understanding, I sort of figured comming out with this to a bunch of cronic pain sufferes I would be maulled to death for getting in this situation in the first place..thank you so very much for understanding and prayers..I will keep posting with progress..
charlesinselmer

[Teri]

How many NA meetings have you been to?????? Seems like you are dumping all of this into your husbands lap and not taking the responsibility for YOUR addiction. I can speak this from living thru it. YOU are the one with the problem, not your husband.

Living with IC is bad, really really bad. Especially when we can't get our pain under control. You husband is lucky because he has found a medciation that works for him. Why would you want to take that away from him?

I am a recovering alcoholic. When I married, my husband was a practicing addict.......I went to the meetings that I needed to go to to help me stay sober. I didn't dump my problem in his lap. Yes, shortly after the marriage, we almost ended up in divorce court but he (on his own) got clean with going to meetings. We have made it thru 14 years, both of us staying clean and sober.

Getting clean is HELL. It's the worse experience there is. BUT, unless you get the help that you need, you may as well kiss your hubby good-bye because your problem is your problem, not his. You should not expect him to change to make your life easier and put him back to a life time of pain.

I'm the hard head of the group. Sugar coating just doesn't happen real often with me.......unless you go to meetings, you will probably loose your husband. Is it worth it?

[charlesinselmer]

I have not started any meetings yet, I have to detox myself here at home before entering intreatment later next week, It is HELL and somtimes I think I can't do it! but with my support system I intend on beating this once and for all!! ANd yes I do have a lot of guilt surronding my adiction and taking my husbands pain meds, that is part of what I will have to deal with! I would never ask my husband to suffer so that I can be sober,. I was just looking for other means other than THE MOST POWFUL PAINKILLER ON THIS EARTH!! not only for my benifit but for his own.. I hope somone understands where I am comming from..
will keep posting with update

ps this the begining of my FOURTH day sobber in TEN YEARS!!!!
YEAAA!!!!!!! I can do it!! thank you for your support

[Morgan Stone]

Hi,

First I would like to say congrats on taking the first step.. I wish you all the luck in the world as it will not be easy.

You asked if Oxycontine was the only thing that works... Ive tried everything from Lortab in all strengths, Percocet, Fentanyl Patches and Morphine and the only thing that has worked for me has been Oxycontin.

I do not want this to sound harsh, but if your husband has IC and is prescribed oxycontin, then he should be able to take it guilt-free. IC pain is a horrible pain and noone should have to deal with it needlessly.

I have a question or two... Do you have chronic pain also? Or do you use Oxycontin for a buzz? Do you plan on getting on Methadone to get off of the Oxy? Alot of ppl are using methadone very successfully for addiction. It is also prescribed for pain relief. The one thing I know about Methadone is while you are on it, if you were to slip up and take Oxycontin, you would not get a buzz from it. Methadone prevents this from happening. Since beating addiction is partly in the mind, just knowing this sometimes helps those who are trying to beat an addiction.

Qutting cold turkey is extremely hard on the body and mind. If Methadone is an option for you, please talk to your doctor/therapist about it. I am not a doctor and this is only my personal advice... I know of several people who have used methadone to get off of oxycontin and lortab and they say the methadone changed their lives.

If you would like to talk more with me, you can find me on Yahoo Msgn as mahjongphreak - feel free to message me anytime. Sending you healing energies and wishing you the best of luck!

Morgan Stone
Pain Management Board Moderator

[charlesinselmer]

Hello,
The infamous husband is here. Nice to meet you. My name is david and I have been suffering with IC for almost five years now. Even though my husband stole my medication for the benefit of getting high, you must understand (TO THE HARD HEAD), drug addiction is a disease just like IC, so if I just threw my hands up and said well you are throwing all of this in my lap, then i would not be any better of a person to him than he was to me by stealing my medication. When someone is on here and reaching out for help, then slapping them in the face is only going to put them two steps back. Thanks to the ones of you that have replied and sent prayers to my husband, as I have sit and watched him go through hell for the last five days, but together we are going to beat his addiction. I just thank god that this addiction is something that can be dealt with and eventually overcome totally and would give any thing in this world if I could overcome my IC along with him and his addiction. I love him for what he is doing and I look at him and now I know that after ten years of severe drug addiction now he is clean and wants to remain that way, that anything is possible and with this, it gives me hope and courage.

Much Love,
David

[Morgan Stone]

ok... im confused.. (which is a easy thing to do lol) - from the last post, I am not sure that I know exactly what is going on... let me see if I have this right: David has IC and is prescribed oxycontin for it and his wife(or is it husband?) - lets just say spouse :) has been taking his meds for an addiction and is now wanting to get clean? The last post kinda confused me a bit so I wanted to make sure I had the story straight. :)

Regardless, the fact that you are admitting you have a problem and want to get help is a major step in the right direction and I commend you for it. The reason I suggested the methadone is because it has been used so successfully for addiction and seems to work well.

I agree, addiction is a disease and you are very lucky to have someone who will stand beside you and help you through this. As I said before, im on yahoo msgn as mahjongphreak and am here anytime you need me.

((((((((((((hugs to both of you)))))))))))))