General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Horrible Side-Effect of the War on Opioid Addiction [View all]thbobby
(1,474 posts)I have fairly severe stenosis and am constantly in pain. I am also an addict (non using, but once an addict, always an addict in my case).
I was prescribed oxycodone by a neurologist for my pain. I abused them. It scared the shit out of me. A month's supply would last a week. And the pain was still there, even in the week I had them.
Opiod abuse for me is a mental addiction. It is not a physical addiction and I do not want it to become one. I quit taking oxycodone after 3 months. I now use ibuprofen. It helps, but I am concerned about constant use.
I suspect many have my condition. Maybe to a lesser extent, maybe not. But, use of opiods does lead to resistance to them and lead to larger dosage. By the time most people know they are prone to addiction, they have been addicted a long time. The power of denial is so great.
I cannot give anyone meaningful advice on this. I just know that in my case pain and ibuprofen are better than addiction or overdose.