The Perils of Doctor-Prescribed Narcotics.

Hi guys,

All my fellow ostomy friends out there will have encountered the dreaded narcotic habit as prescribed by your medical professional.

When we are in pain, we will do almost anything to relieve that pain, even if it hurts us in the long run. I was given Vicodin to slow the passage of food

when I had my J-Pouch functioning. I would have been in the bathroom 24 hours a day without it, but I was never warned about the highly addictive nature

of the drug. I was naive at the time, not anymore! I just took it every day, only about 6 or 8 pills a day, but it was enough to mess me up. I finally stopped cold turkey, and it was bad times for a while. I eventually de-functioned the J-Pouch, and I am very healthy now. I swim, ride a mountain bike, and want to get a kayak when I get home.

I am trying to get a relative off prescription meds at the moment, and no luck so far. She is taking way more mind-altering meds than she needs and stuff that

she doesn't need at all. The fact is that the person will never give up until they hit the proverbial wall. She has not hit it yet. I'll wait and catch her before she hits the floor. Loyalty is everything. A loyal brother saved me. I try to do it when I can.

Magoo

Hello Mayoman. Congratulations! The drug-taking has similar characteristics to ostomies in that not many people can fully understand and appreciate it ulesss they have been there themselves. That's also what makes it important for those people to help others in similar positions whenever the opportunity arises.well done also for recognising that there are sometimes 'windows-of-opportunity' where this can be done most effectively.Bestw wishes Bill

I have been dependent on an opiate for almost 10 years to reduce dehydration. I argued recently with my doctor about getting off this addictive drug, but he convinced me to do a cost/benefit analysis. Every drug we take exacts some sort of cost on the body and perhaps even the soul. So, I looked at a lot of pluses as well as a few of the minuses of this drug, and I concluded, hands down, the pluses far outweighed the minuses. Alternate treatments were ruled out. Things in life are not always black or white, and often discernment is required. I looked at the larger number of important benefits to areas of living I value, and then I decided to play the percentages. As a consequence, I know I remain effective in key domains of living. Bottom line: look at the effects of your medications judiciously. PB

Hi there PB, thanks for the read and response. First off, I did not mean to be judgmental!!! Never!! I was shitting 20+ times a day, the flesh was burned off my butt, and the agony was relieved by Vicodin. The real problem was when I very painfully got off the Vicodin and replaced it with wine---to kill the pain. That was even worse. Well, I eventually had my J-Pouch disconnected and got the Ostomy back... Since 2003, I don't take meds and don't drink...the pain was much relieved by getting the Ileostomy. I am so happy not to depend on meds...but when you need it, then you should have it. I do smoke a little of the herb sometimes...I find it very helpful indeed. Keep on truckin' PB. Stay happy and healthy, hope to hear from you again...Magoo.

Hi Bill, thank you for the good thoughts. You are absolutely right, Bill. Having an ostomy and using addictive drugs...of any kind...are similar in that neither one can really be understood by someone who has not been there. With the meds, people think that once the person has dried out then everything is okay...it's not. There are reasons for everything that we do. For me, the constant pain was the catalyst, the thing that made me use Vicodin...I needed something to take the pain away...it worked...and I needed it more and more. My surgeon had no other suggestions. The person I'm trying to help has several broken bones, knee cap, etc., because of falling over because of drugs, and with her broken bones, she needs more drugs. I understand the whole picture, the others involved cannot understand the big picture. If you haven't had an ostomy, then you cannot possibly understand the big picture...in exactly the same way as with narcotics. My ileostomy affected my life in more ways than anyone could imagine. Having a J-Pouch that worked and then getting the ileo back again was devastating. I've adjusted to it now as much as that is possible, but dating is still not on the menu, sorry to say. Embarrassment is a big deterrent, disclosure and rejection would not be good for me. Okay, enough for now. Thank you if you've read my ramblings. Later, Magoo.

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Hi Magoo. Welcome to this site. Thank you for raising an important topic: dependency. Most of us here have issues with this medication or that one, and we would all like to find the right drug to address our issues while keeping our heads above water. One way to accomplish this could be by listening to stories of other people's experiences and learning from them. Good luck in your efforts to save your relative from a miserable collision with that wall! And please don't think for a second that I considered your helpful intentions to be judgmental. Be well. PB

I personally have been on Norco for 4 years on and off. It would be tough the first week or so, but when I first started with pain meds, it was morphine. They were thinking my cancer had come back. I wound up in the hospital and was on the pump. Well, when I got home and was taking my meds as I should, I was having bad dreams that night. So, I had stopped, and my pain doctor put me on Norco. During that time, I have had to have my doctor raise the dose 3 times. But my pain has nothing to do with my ostomies. They are due to joint pain and very bad back pain. I don't abuse the meds. If it were up to me, I wouldn't be taking these meds. I am also on meds for anxiety that can be addictive. But if you watch what you're doing, you're not going to get bad with the addiction.

Hi there Tselio, nice to hear from you. As I said to PB, I would be the last person to judge regarding people who use these meds. When you need them, you should get as much as you need, no question. My comments were about people who really don't need the amounts that some doctors will supply. Also, warning patients about the pitfalls and how to avoid them. I was just not informed of the implications. The person I've been helping has been taking morphine, lorazepam, and many others. There is really no reason for all this except for sleep, and the doc has simply gotten into the habit of refilling the scripts. The doc is not really interested in pursuing the professed reason for taking all these meds and why or if they are necessary. I've had 25 years of surgery, meds, hospitals, and have seen more careless docs than I care to think about. The patient and family have to be involved in a patient's treatment for support as much as anything else. It is a lonely road if nobody else knows all the intimate details of your medical condition and your meds. I have found that a patient always needs a wingman to help interpret many medical treatments, meds, etc., and to step in and ask questions and to insist on receiving answers. A patient at home should also have the wingman/woman to discuss and empathize...if you're very lucky, then you will have this...another person to bounce questions and fears, concerns off. With an ostomy, nobody really understands unless they also have an ostomy...it's so great to have a site like this. I have only ever met one other person with an ostomy, and I met her through another ostomy site...obviously, nobody wants to declare their ostomy in public. I'm very lucky in that I'm in excellent health other than the ostomy, feeling great. I will have to have my J-Pouch and rectum removed at some point...maybe??? I've learned to live with the ileostomy, but dating is still a bridge too far...the fear of rejection is pretty strong, I guess?? I hope you get where I'm at as regards meds. I was shitting battery acid for years and had to have Vicodin to function on any level at all. With the ostomy, I'm not on any meds now. As I said in another post, I have a little puff of the herb instead of prescription meds, and it works for me. All the best, and I hope your life is going well. Good luck with finding a partner...I think that we all need one...I'm on a bit of a quest myself. Magoo XXX

Interesting.....I had emergency surgery for a perforated bowel on 12/21/13. My surgeon blamed the Percocet I have been taking for 3+ years......15-20 mg a day with blood/kidney function testing every 4 to 6 months.....as the direct cause of my problem. So I am now being weaned off of Percocet and worried about controlling my back pain. I also am learning to deal with life with a colostomy bag.....not liking it much, but at least I'm alive!