Nervous about talking to my doc... (advice needed)

about pain meds. Due to a foot injury and a long (4 month) run of vicodin and lortab I can't take hydrocodone of any kind. I have no idea why but I seem to have some level of physical addiction to it. Once they finally figured out what was wrong with my foot I quit taking it, I finally had light at the end of the tunnel, but I went through 3 days of withdrawls. When they did the surgery on my foot, the doc put me back on it against my protests. He said take it like percribed and it won't be a problem (I had always taken it as perscribed so I didn't know what he meant) well I did so for 2 days after the surgery then didn't need it, guess what, withdrawls again, I was so mad.

Now my doctors know I can't take it, I can't take darvocet either as it makes me very sick.

But ever since I had this issue I get nervous talking to my doctors about it, I feel like they think I'm some sort of drug seeking addict. It's funny because I never take much of anything and never finish any pain meds I am given, except while walking around with a mis diagnosed broken bone in my foot for 4 months while it healed wrong and too short LoL.

Anyone have any suggestions for pain meds I could suggest other than Vicodin, Lortab or Darvocet? And how do I explain this to the doctor without soundling like some addict?

Be yourself.... and explain what happened the last time you had the same request. Tell your Dr that due to that, it's made you nervous, and you're worried about what they might think.

As far as pain meds? Ask about Percocet. For me... I cannot take Vicodin, Darvocet, or Loratab (they do NOTHING for me). I have a super low tolerance to almost everything, but those high power pain meds might as well be Skittles or M&M's. They just don't work. Percocet, though for me works like a charm, and I've not experienced any kind of withdrawls from it. (They give it to cancer patient, too because it mixes with other medications very well without adverse effects - my husband was on it before he passed for almost 3 years, and never had problems, and also never built up tolerance to it. When they took him off of it to give him Oxycontin and Morphine he said that he would rather be back on Percocet.)

Just a thought.... hope it was somewhat helpful.

-Bee

Hi!

I also have an "unlucky foot", with several injuries including a dislocated heel. (I know, I know -- who on earth dislocates a heel? That's right -- Miss Grace 2003. ) I know exactly what it's like to be on pain meds for an extended period of time, and I also understand the anxiety which surrounds the notion of pain control after surgery because of other meds I'm taking.

(((Bee)) and I are on the same wavelength here. I would recommend you say something like this to the doctor: I'd tell him/her that you don't react well to Vicodin and you'd rather have something that is not hydrocodone-based. You don't have to go into great detail, but if he asks, you can be honest and say you took them once for a long stretch and you had some unpleasant side effects. There are plenty of medicines out there without having to rely on hydrocodone.

I also feel compelled to let you know that there's a huge difference between building up a tolerance to a medication (which is completely normal) and becoming addicted to it. Just because you felt withdrawal symptoms when you stopped taking the Vicodin, this doesn't mean you had an unhealthy relationship with the drug!

Unless you were seeking out the drug even when you weren't in pain, or if you were taking it for the "effect" and not for pain control, it's doubtful that you were anywhere near what could be considered "addicted" to the medication. You had long-term pain and it was treated. There's nothing to feel ashamed about for that!

Hope this helps.