Loading ...Lower Oxycontin dosage
As some of my regular blog readers know my husband is addicted to Oxycontin. He has been taking the pain killers for over three years now. Getting off it is a long and painful process. But… he has finally taken the step to lower his dosis again. Yesterday he has started with 10 mg twice a day instead of 20 mg.
I don’t know what the doctors were thinking when they put him on it. I know he was (and still is) in a lot of pain, but there are other ways to manage pain. The fact that the pain clinic even cranked up the dosage instead of looking for saver and better alternatives is disturbing. They don’t call Oxycontin Hillbilly Heroine for nothing!
It is hard to see my hubby go through this. It’s almost like living with a junkie, except for the fact that we get this on prescription. He’s having bad withdrawels, all his muscles are aching and he constantly has hot and cold sweats. And the worst thing of all is that I can’t do much to help him. I just have to see him go through it. It sucks…
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May 9th, 2008 at 12:22 am
I wish you and hubby all the best. I’ve been there before…my hubby suffers from chronic pain due to adhesions impinging on a nerve…he was on some pretty strong narcotics for a long while, and it was hard as hell to watch him get off of them. Standing by while your spouse suffers like that is AWFUL.
*hugs*
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May 10th, 2008 at 12:45 am
That’s awesome! It really is. The GOOD news - and you can remind him of this as WELL as yourself - that the withdrawing is the most painful process and it will absolutely NOT last forever. There *is* an end to it.
You can continue helping him by acknowledging that what he’s doing is admirable and just being there when he needs something. And remember that as tiring and emotionally painful it may be for you to watch, that for him to go through it is like a hell unknown and he just has to live through it. It just sucks that that’s the way it is and YES what were those doctors thinking?
Hillbilly heroin indeed!
My sister got addicted to vicodin and percocet due to her back problems and those aren’t even as “bad” as I understand it. But still then she had to go into a detox! I can only imagine your husbands pain.
Keep reminding your husband with every hour that passes, that he is that much closer to freedom. [When I was getting off alcohol...again not as *dangerous*...I continued to remind myself of that.]
As long as he is constantly made aware that this pain is going to be WORTH something in the end, I think he has a great chance! I really do.
[For so many addicts/alcoholics, we seem to think the pain we're currently in will last forever so we have to do something to STOP it and that means picking up again....you know?]
Do you have some chocolate on hand? That should be a great help or some hard candy if he dislikes chocolate. Plenty of water too. The chocolate [sugar] releases beta endorphins in his brain which is the human “pain alleviator” and the water expedites the poison leaving his cells. The chocolate clearly will not do the “hillbilly heroin” job but it would help emotionally and mentally to some degree. [And doesn't every little bit help in this situation?]
Good luck and my prayers are with you both.
Love, Samsara
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