weaning from narcotic pain killers - worried about addiction

I've been on percoset for about 8 days every four hours. I had complications during surgery, very large hematoma all over my stomach and abdomen. Doc said I would feel like I was in a street fight.

Anyway - I really want to be sure I don't get addicted. I'm looking for info on how to make sure you don't get to that point.

I tried switching to ibuprofen, but it did nothing for the pain. At the end of the four hours, my stomach feels heavy and I have pain.

Can your body trick you into thinking you are in pain when you really aren't?

Thanks for any help you can provide,
Cherie

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Miss Elaineous Can your body trick you into thinking you are in pain when you really aren't?

Yes it can. But, you could also really be in pain because you just had a major surgery along with some complications.

I would suggest you call your doctor and talk to him about your concerns. Your doctor can either alleviate your addiction fears, or can share some tips for managing your pain with alternative methods. For one, some doctors will suggest patients stage a narcotic with an over the counter pain medication.

It is best to check with your doctor as you may not heal well if you do not manage your pain well. Also, your doctor is not likely to prescribe pain meds for you for a long period of time for a variety of reasons so you will need to know what his plan is for not taking them long term anyway.

I can share a little insight on addiction to painkillers, it's something I dealt with many years ago after a car accident.

Basically, the clinical definition of addiction is when you're taking the pills for reasons other than what they were prescribed for. So if you're still in pain and still needing the heavier medications, you are most likely not going to get addicted. If you're not in pain anymore but are still taking those medications because you like the way they make you feel, you're probably dealing with addiction. Don't forsake your pain medications without talking about this with your provider; you're not going to heal completely if you're still in pain.

My Dad was on Percocet regularly for about three months after his double bypass a few years ago; so it is possible to be on it that long and not get addicted. I would encourage you to talk to your health care provider, and in the meantime, try not to worry about developing an addiction. It's very, very rare when the meds are used correctly.

I was really worried about addiction too after my c-sections. I took hydrocodone for 2 weeks after each of them. I'd try to stop the pain meds at day 8, but would hurt too bad to be up and about. I stopped taking the pain meds the moment I felt well enough to be up and about doing light housework and cooking. If the pain is still too sharp to do that, then you probably still need the prescription.

I was on prescription pain killers every 4-6 hours for the 3 months pre op. I had a surgery 8 weeks before my hyster. I am 4 weeks post op now and just stopped taking the pain killers every 4-6 hours 3 days ago. I still take one in the evening. I am not addicted, so you at 1 week have nothing to worry about. You need your pain killers if your in pain or you won't heal properly. Talk to your doctor if it makes you more comfortable. I am only taking Motrin now except for the one in the evening. When I cut down to the one I didn't have any cravings or urges to take more. You'll be fine.

Thanks so much for this guys. This helps.