I am not a mother, but actually had great difficulty almost my entire life with my mother's addiction to pain pills. A little over two years ago, my mother woke me up to help my grandfather shovel some snow. That would be the last time I would ever talk to her. I found her dead on the living room floor when I returned upstairs.

I tried so hard for many years to convince my mother to talk to me about her addiction...to at least admit it. That I loved her and that I wasn't trying to attack her, that I was simply here for her. I could never even get her to admit it until shortly before she passed away.

My mother had many medical problems, and my grandparents and I tried desperately to convince the doctor to stop prescribing her such large amounts of the medication at a time. My mother was hospitalized several times for pain medication related problems, and finally she passed away because she had taken pain medication with another med that wasn't suppossed to be mixed.

I now find myself spending my day thinking about how I will obtain pills, even after what happened with my mother. I find myself thinking about pills more and more each day. Lately it seems almost impossible to feel good and have fun without them.

i just wanted some advise on how to handle the withdrawls i havent had them yet. i have endometriosis and ive been on percocet for about 4 months my doctor has recenly took me off what do i do?

Well, first of all my heart,and prayers goes out to all of you. my husband is addicted to plain pills.He left me and my kids,but at the same time i know that god can and will save and deliver him.And when the time is right send him back home to us his family. Sometime the only thing i know to do is pray.i said all of that to encourage you all that God is faithful to him word so,don't give up on you love ones. no matter how things my look,God can do the impossible take care
me2

I was the first person on the show for "Mom's on Prescription Drugs" I had written before, but somehow it didn't make it on. Dear Viewers of the Dr. Keith Show and the American Society for Action on Pain,
I first want to thank you for your comments about the addiction to pain pills show that aired on October 25, 2006. This was a very painful show for me to do. But one I felt compelled to ask to be done because of a need. I have a tremendous guilt and shame of feeling alone and misunderstood as a prescription drug addict. Unfortunately, the story is true. I have been an addict for 7 years. I have been unable physically and mentally to stop taking opiates. I become deathly ill if I try to detox myself from the drugs. I didn’t realize I was an addict until 5 years ago when I decided I’d had enough of the pain medication, Methadone at this time, and a muscle relaxer, Soma, and just stopped taking them. This put me in ICU for 5 days with seizures and an enlargement of the heart. This was only the beginning to a whole new set of problems. What I wanted everyone to understand from my story is, I didn’t even realize I was addicted until then, when things got so bad I had to almost lose my life and be in denial about my problems which were going on a couple of years of already of taking it prescription medication. Until then I worked productive full time within the community and no one suspected a thing. I still feel the Duragesic Patches is a wonderful pain management for those suffering from chronic back pain. I let other issues lead me from the path I was to follow to manage daily physical pain into a mental anguish that began to affect everyone near me. Everyone looks back now and can’t believe they didn’t know. They too overlooked signs, didn’t want to get involved, or just didn’t notice any difference. It’s a horrible thought now, but I went about my everyday life everyone believing in me, while I was suffering in silence. It is in no way something to be proud of. You end up giving up on yourself and life and everything and one around you. I am so ashamed of myself and for anyone watching the show that may not be treated with the respect they should in order to get medications they may truly need. I believe, continuing with spinal injections and injections in other areas of my lower back, I could have managed the pain better. It is true I had surgery in 1988 for two herniated discs at L4, L5 and am still suffering of degenerated discs of the lower back and hips.
I have suffered off and on with the pain of my back and hips, I see a Pain Management Doctor who has had to treat me with the pain medications due to the chronic pain. It has become a way of life for me and I have used the medications as a crutch. As my own life was spinning out of control with everyday living, my past coming back haunting me, my mother and grandmothers deaths, and several minor surgeries I began self medicating myself of the opiates based on my mental pain and no longer the physical pain. As I continued working and using the selfish side of addiction began showing its traits. To the outside world was super mom, always with her kids and doing for her kids, but on the inside or behind closed doors, a more selfish mom arose always lying down while at home. Too tired to cook or clean. Not ever feeling well and the kids began to basically raise themselves and each other while I laid around eyes opening one at a time taking turns opening and closing never seeming to open both at the same time. This is the life we began to live the past few years. Sometimes I could go for weeks taking nothing and other times, I’d be detoxing myself, not really even aware, and would be very ill. I couldn’t manage to get out of bed and was deathly ill. Then it would start all over again. I’d wake up thinking "Here goes another day. Let's see, get the kids off, take the dog out and crawl back to bed. What else do I have to live for? Selfish? Very! How can I stop this morbid reality I have created and concentrate on the three beautiful creations I kiss good night and wake each morning?" After getting a diagnosis of being Bipolar and not receiving the correct meds, gets very frustrating and intense. Just when you think you've got the meds to do what they were meant to do, you do something stupid like go back on the opiates. Then the doctors don't know which illness to work with. So, they decide it's not there problem. Psychiatrist-Bi-polar, General Family Doc-irregular heart beat and sleep apnea, and Pain Specialist-lower back pain. No one wants to hear about the others. Then to wrap it all up nice and neatly, you could add the cardiologist and/or pulmonary specialist. Where do I start or where does it end? I can't seem to get any straight answers because the diagnosis might run over on one of the other illness or illnesses and my doctors only want to treat what they came across. Thus the beginning of the self medicating begins! The numbness takes on its trait and I try to figure out if I was beginning to feel better, did the pain truly come back, and what level of depression am I at? Is it manageable? Life could be great if someone was willing to take the moment to listen to MY reality and decide what meds would be best for me and necessary and which I never needed to begin with. It's not unrealistic most of my issues could be addressed safely and correctly. It's finding someone who is willing to take the time to listen and who will be patient with my lack of ability to talk through my issues to find the path to walk down. In doing so, I know not only a good psychiatrist will be needed but also a psychologist, yet again, adding two more to the pot of physicians. I have now decided to enter rehab full time. This will be the beginning of life for myself and my family!

I Have 2 children a girl who is addicted to pain pills and is now on oxycontin snorting it up her nose,and i know she is doin other things, she is 24yrs old has 3 beautiful sons which she doesn't have as of 2 mnths ago, my son is 25 and is now takin pain pills i'm soo praying he doesn't end up like my daughter ,i have tried to get her help for so long and never seem to get anywhere with the system,i had her acted in a treatment program but takes up to 8 months for an open bed, i'm going total crazy here ,somedays i just want to give up and other days i'm angry others i'm sad and depressed. to the lady with her husband on oxycontin i feel for you it's going to be tuff your in my prayers goodluck

Lynne, I really wish I could talk to you. I was addicted to pain meds and was taking way more than perscribed for me too. I have 3 children. My husband wound up having to bring me away from everyone and everything for a month and cleaning me up. That was the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life. I know what you mean about how you can do so many more things on the drugs than off of them, but I also think that is what makes it so evil and so addictive. You are always going to get ammuned to one dose and have to up it. It winds up getting to the point where you have to have so much money to just survive from day to day. What has been hard coming clean is that I have had anything to compare the things I'm feeling to. I've never known anyone to come off of them before. Everyone I knew who came off of them, got on Methedone, which is just another drug to come off of.

Erin

I have ahusband who got addicted to vicodin 4 years ago after a surrgery after about 2 years on the pills the doctor stopped the perscriptions he has since been buying them from a friend that can cost up to about $600 a month because he has taken the pills for so long he has resorted to stronger pain pills like oxycotion now this so called friend gets perscriptions from at 3 differnt doctors is their any way for them to find out about all the perscriptions or do you you think I should contact one of the doctors myself and tell them whats going on?

I get sick to my stomach that your show and others always do stories of people addicted to pain medication, what about those who suffer so very much with severe pain on a daily basis and no one or any doctor will do anything to help. In fact a few years ago I fractured my ankle and was sent home with 4 (FOUR) pain pills. That is masochistic! Earlier this year I slip and bounced on my left butt cheek down a long flight of deck steps and had a lump swell that was a big as a grapefruit the pain was off the charts and I went into the clinic each day crying for something strong enough because the hydracodone was not helping at all and was told NO! I could not understand why, I told them a vet would not let an animal suffer like that. I had a hematoma, but there was also infection that the antibiotics took over 5 days to get the pain to subside. I can not get the help I need because there are some people can get scripts from a few doctors all over the US and then when there is addictions documented then the rest of the doctors will not help the patients who really need the help.

Mine name is Lisa, I was the second guest on the show. I've just now read all the comments and will try to respond to as many questions as I can.

I worked for a police department for 8 years (civilian) and was injured on the job. I had to fight like heck to get proper medical treatment. I had 2 surgeries in which they did 12 procedures, it was very aggressive. The surgeries did not take care of the back spasm that I had in my right scapular area so 2 treatments of cortisone shots were given with no results. I got a couple of chiropractic treatments which seemed to be working and then further treatment was denied, medication was not. My back spasms were keeping me up 3-7 nights a week, I ended up in the ER twice. My doctor started prescribing vicodin for the pain and over time, your body becomes resistant so you take more. Francyne, "Francy," could not have said it better, "You try to learn the difference between pain calling for more drugs or the drugs calling for more drugs." There came a time where I was feeling really good, physically, and didn't take the vicodin and I started going into withdrawels, became scared and took the vicodin regularly so it didn't happen again. My workers comp primary doctor sent me to a pain management doctor, that is where I get my medication. I go once a month for refills. Workers comp will pay for narcotics for me, but they keep denying treatment for my back spasms.

What wasn't mentioned on the show is the fact that I am also severely depressed, suffer from anxiety as well as agoraphobia. None of this looks promising as I am currently not working (lost my job last Sept. due to my injuries), currently not receiving any income other than child support (I don't qualify for any state or social disability as I worked for a government agency and they don't pay into either) so next month, I am looking at being homeless.

Ummm.... Teresa? Are you forgetting someone? LOL! I am the most beautiful, caring, loving, and smart of your 3 step-children! Hahaha... Love ya! *~Amber~*

My sister is Ronda from the "Mom's addicted to pain medicine" program. I love her dearly and it upsets me and the rest of our family how her life is deteriating before our eyes. Her children are suffering terribly. The most frustrating part is how clueless and co-dependent her husband is to the situation. I think he is truly lost and doesn't know how to handle it so he does nothing at all. When we tell him we (her siblings) are willing to help, he gets very defensive as if he isn't capapble. But he isn't...he's provided NO counseling for the kids and they are so angry and distraught. He has never MADE her go to rehab. Is there anything as siblings, we can do for as her husband won't help her or the family by providing consistent counseling, at the very least for the children. My heart aches for the entire family. Brenda

I am step-mom to two children who lost thier mother to prescription drug abuse. They are beautiful,caring ,loving,smart children who are doing well after therapy and love and care from thier father and I. This occured in 2000. She is missing out on sooooo much.

I would like to comment on the "mom's addicted to pain medicine" show. I would really like a response if possible because I am having an issue I just cant get past. I have taken pain medicine off and on for several years. I recently quit because my husband and I want to have another baby and of course I wouldn't take any medication while I am pregnant.

Ok, so every show I have seen on mom's addicted to pain medicine talks about how they have hit bottom and need help. Well, I never hit bottom. In fact, although I was taking WAY more pain medicine than was prescribed, WAY more than most people could ever handle, I never had anything negative happen to me. The medicine didn't make me sleep all the time or do nothing around the house like your guests. I was productive, creative and active with the medicine. I could do WAY more than I could without it. I took care of my 2 year old, I ran an business from home and then had dinner on the table at 6:00 when my husband got home from work. See, I was just way more productive with the medicine. I didn't get sleepy or just lay around. In fact now that I have quit taking them, I am so much more lazy. I want to watch more TV and it is very hard for me to approach a task with my business that I have to really think about. It sucks to be blunt.

My question for Dr. Keith is how do I get these thoughts out of my mind. I have stopped, but I think when I have to do a project how much better and easier it would be if I could just have some pills. What do I do about this. I cant get it out of my mind. I want to be productive and busy, but it is so hard to be motivated to do anything without the pills.

I think I am so different from most people in the way the pills affect me. I keep hoping that some talk show will have someone on that will be more like me so I can get some advice. So, Dr. Keith what do you say abou this???

Regarding the question "what is there to help with the withdrawal from pain pills"- Check into Suboxone (generic name: buprenorphine)..
This FDA-approved treatment program has helped me immensely... However, I *have* learned that I cannot depend upon *only* a pill to wean me off of the addictive substance.
As well, I wish that there was more people who could understand the difference between "medically-necessary" (non-abusive) prescription medicine usage. However, there just might be quite a Fine Line between "therapeutic" usage and "abuse" by patients- with the "addictive" substances. GoodsLuck2All. :))

Steve, it is best to have the help of a physician. There are risks including seizures depending how much you are taking. You should be on a blood pressure med to reduce that risk. You will need a nausea med such as phenergan and something for the trembling such as ativan or klonipin. Staying on tylenol or motrin will help the aches and fever some. Beyond that you just have to tough it out! If you don't have access to rx meds emmetrol is otc for nausea and benedryl can be used to calm you. Take at least double the dose. Of course continue with the pain relievers and try to drink plenty of water. Hold on, it will eventually end and it will be worth it!!Try to find a supporter you can call or a chat room to help when you are weak. Good Luck!!!

to steve cooper......
the best thing to take when you are in narcotic withdrawel is suboxone, it has to be prescribed by an m.d., an addictionologist, look it up on the web.....there is a ton of info on this miracle drug, its legal and it works, no more cravings..14 months clean, and happy.
god bless...jenny

I just went back into a pain management program after voluntarily going off all of my meds for severe damage to my spine. It was a horrible 8 months. My new pain specialist doesn't see how I managed for 8 months. I went off everything due to the ignorance of people who don't know what severe pain really does to a person's quality of life. I wish I could get a buzz once in a while. My pain is so bad that medications make me feel normal. Hence, I have NO mental addiction to my meds as I don't get the euphoria, etc. that other people want to get with their narcotics.
A big thank you to the physician(s) who believe in their patients stories of pain.
Anyone who portrays all people as addicts merely because they take controlled substances are AIDING the criminals & making the innocent who need their pain meds just like a diabetic needs insulin suffer needlessly. It's too time consuming and expensive to try to get narcotics from doctors if you don't have real pain. I have to jump through the right hoops, sign contracts, etc. to get relief. It's not as easy as people think it is to get it. It is easier, I hear, to get it on the street (even though more expensive) than to get into a pain management program. My family practitioner got me into a program. It's been a godsend to have relief again.

I think there is a huge difference in the people who are using pain pills to treat actual pain and people who are addicted to them. If you have a serious injury that results in unbearable pain, it is necessary to maintain pain meds in your system to tolarate it. Of course you are still dependent on it but it is not the same. Unfortunately it is now part of your life, like a wheelchair would be to someone who suddenly couldn't walk. Not pleasent, but necessary. When you take pain pills for pain and then continue after the pain is gone is a serious issue. That is straight abuse. I know because I have been there too. I was first given a rx for vicodin when I was 20 for back pain. From the very first one, I knew I was in love. I loved the way they made me feel. I had energy and I felt like I was always happy even though I was dealing with painful family issues at home. Eventually I had to take more and more to get that same feeling. My dr's got tired of prescribing meds to me and I think they knew I was no longer in pain. I went to a pain management dr and that is when I lost control. He had gave me a months supply of 3 narcotics. 240 tramadol, 180darvocet, 90 vicodin es, and muscle relaxers. I was in paradise! Untill I ran out of pills in about 7 days and withdrawl set in. Anyone reading this knows what hell that is so I won't go on but I still had obligations. I had a baby and a 3 yr old, my husband worked 24 hr shifts at the fire dept. and of course church, soccer and keeping the house running. I could not function with out the pills so I resorted to calling in the rx myself. I did this 2 or 3 times a day at dozens of pharmacies in several towns. It worked for awhile but eventually I was caught. Now I have a criminal record with 3 felonys on it. I had never been in trouble before, not even a speeding ticket. I lost my citizenship which means I can't vote among other things and my sentence was substantial. The worst part was the disappointment and hurt I had caused my husband and children. My husband stuck with me and I have been clean for over a year. i am happier today than ever before but it takes hard work. Dealing with life on 60-70 vicodin a day is much different than when you are sober. You have to learn it all over again. I hope that someone who reads this and is suffering with this learns from MY mistake. Eventually you will have to stop. It is your choice if it is by death or jail or by seeking treatment. I feel happy healthy and strong now. My boys are thriving and my relationship with my husband is better than ever. I am very involved with my sons school and our church and some local charities. But I still think about it all the time. I usually remind myself of the lonliness I felt when no one knew what I was going through. Or I look at my boys and think about how much it would kill them if I was not here. I curl up in my husbands arms and remember how blessed I am to have such a wonderful man. I go to church... everyday, and ask God to give me strength. In some ways I am greatful for my addiction. I might not have ever realized how incredibly wonderful my life really was and how strong I really am.

I have a sister-in-law who has been on prescription drugs for many, many years. She has a husband and three children. Two of the children are grown and live away from home. The one child that is living in the household is 15 years old. In the past five to six years, we have watched her health and physical appearance deteriorate. During this time, her son has watched over her, taken care of her, cleaned up after her and lived in fear that she would catch herself or their house on fire. She smokes and has fallen asleep with a cigerette in her hand many times. She has burnt holes on her bedroom floor and on her sheets. This is far too much for a young child and young teenager to have to go through. Is there any way that we,as a family, can get her help? Does she have to agree to go into a detox facility or can her husband/family have her placed in one if we feel she is a threat to herself or to others? She takes so many different types of pills each day (Oxycotin, Morphine, Vallium, Lunesta, Excederin, and Cymbalta) and the quantity she takes is unbelievable to us. She sleeps so much of her life away. She has no quality of life the way she is living. She doesn't get out unless she is going to the doctor or to the pain clinic. That is another thing, how can the pain clinic doctors continue to give her medicine? They ask her what level of pain she is in,and of course she claims it is high, and they up her dosage. They never seem to run tests on her. They just take her word. She has overdosed several times. We all love her and want to see her get help. I know she feels that she doesn't have a problem, but she does. We have confronted her a few times, but she is in denial. Comments/Responses are welcome

I began using pain medication when I was 15 for severe menstrual pain. (endometriosis) I am now 44. I have been in 4 severe car accidents in 3 years. My Dr gave me 120mg of morphine per day last summer. After 6 months I took myself off of it as I did not like the way it made me feel and act. I don't even allow it for surgeries to alleviate pain. However, I have cervical disc degeneration on C-4,5,6. I am in a great deal of pain. Without Vicodin on a daily basis (I abused morphine) I am crabby and cannot function because of the severe pain everyday. I take no more than 3-4 Vicodin ES a day because I don't want neck surgery. I have always before wanted to take it to get high. Now I take it strictly for severe pain. It is because of people who abuse (including me in the past) that Dr's. are afraid to prescribe pain meds. I've always been honest with my Dr's. about my morphine abuse. That's why I was put on morphine, so my liver would not get damaged by the acetomenophen. Why? Severe Pain! Morphine is the best pain releiver but I refuse to take it.

My point? Some of us are in such severe pain that we have to take pain meds. I'm also Bipolar I and on Effexor XR among 6 other meds. They have alot of side effects but I have to take those. Does this make me a drug addict?

I don't think so. OR - am I in denial?

Tracy, I feel terrible for you. I only have Fibromyalgia and the Effexor 150 XR is the only thing that makes my life worth living. Yeah, I felt addicted and I was able to wean off it and then only four months later begging for another prescription because I was in such misery from the pain. I think the Effexor gives me my IBS and I must also take a daily stool softener unless I want some mind shattering pain when I move my bowels. The medication is the only thing that enables me to be functional and work a full time job. Am I addicted to my medication?? I would like to say that I am very reliant on it for my quality of life issues. Don't let a show like this beat you up. I was in the audience for the filming of this and these women are a hazard to themselves and to their families... I doubt that we are.

I wear a duragesic patch for pain. I have had 4 back surgeries and was going to have another complete with fusion but in the meantime had a triple bypass. Since then I have been put on the patch and 10 mgs percocet for breaktru pain. I use my patches as prescribed and for the first time in years I can function as a normal human being. I am not high, sleepy or goofy. My kids marvel at the change this has made in my life. I occassionally take a pain pill at bedtime and when the weather gets very cold but I do not abuse. I don't understand why these women take so many pills when they are on a patch.

My wife and I have been married 28 yrs. In Jan. 2005 I found out she was addicted to vicoprofen for almost 2 yrs. This was her secret for almost 2 yrs. She was taking as many or more than 60 pills a day and still working full time. My wife worked for OB/GYN's for 20 yrs. Her last employer suggest she take some vicoprofen samples she had in the supply room for her cramps. My wife became partial to them, then addicted. She would order them through her employers medical supply vendor. She would call in an order, she would receive it at the office, and the doctor would ok the invoice not knowing the content. In all my wife ordered approx. 40K worth of vicoprofen through one vendor. My wife is still paying the price for all this. Her ex-employer went after her with a vengeance and prosecuted her. Her ex-employer called the D.A.'s office daily demanding jail time for my wife. One day before her court date Nov. 8, 2005, she tried to commit suicide by drinking anti-freeze. The doctors at I.C.U. saved her life. This addiction to painkillers causes unbelievable horrors that a family has to endure. My wife didn't have to become an addict. I want to see a law passed that makes it mandatory for all medical suppliers that sell pharmaceuticals to contact the physician personally to confirm a order has been placed through his or hers practice. I also believe physicians have a responsibility to themselves and others to oversee and manage their vendors. Something needs to change when an office worker (from a two doctor practice) can order 40K worth of addictive narcotics from one supply company without ever being questioned. Thank you.

You have to wonder how these people obtain all of this medication. A doctor that would prescribe that much must have some accountability.

what is the best thing a person can do to quit taking pain pills,to releive the withdraw feeling?

Pain pills / perscription drug abuse by my ex-wife ended our marriage and destroyed our family. My ex-wife had gastric bypass surgery four (4) years ago that almost killed her because of infections (MRSA).

She could not swallow anything "solid" for a very long time. Therefore, all of her medications were in a "liquid form". Including Oxycotin. Need I say more? I caught her on numerous occasions taking a "swig" of the medication as if it were cough syrup.

After she was able to tolerate "solids" again (some 3 months later), she abused percocets like they were M&M's! A tripe to the emergency room because of a violent fight (provoked by her) with our then 15 hear old daughter, resulted in her being perscribed percocets for rib pain. She was given enough for 96 hours of coverage (4 days worth). They were gone in less than 36 hours (1.5 days). I know because I kept a running count.

Pain killers / perscription drugs are not only dangerous to the abuser, they destroy the lives of loved ones who try to help but are ignored because of the "feeling" they get while under the influence of these medications. Unchecked, not only does the sedated feeling go away over time, so do the family members who refuse to live in that matter!

Here is a poem our daughter wrote about this:

Why?

Some of the things you do hurt more than just you
Keep taking them so your reality disappears
You lost Dad, Me, Your oldest son
Why?

At times you would be all there
We would have a Mother Daughter day
Watch TV till late at night
Then you changed
Why?

I used to be able to trust to you
Talk to you like a good friend
Laugh with you till it hurt
Then the you I knew was gone
Why?

Can you see that what you’ve done
You managed to push us away
I warned you
I tried to talk to you
You didn’t listen
Why?

We don’t talk
I’m not your friend
Hardly even your daughter
One pill at a time
You did this
Why?

When you listen (or read) to how this problem is seen through the eyes of a child, kinda drives the point home. Doesn't it?

Hi my name is Patricia and I am a 4 year recovering addict from the pain pill Vicoprophen. I took 60 pills a day for 6 years and I was arrested for calling my own prescriptions in I went to rehab and court paid my fines and I was on probation for 2 years I went to school and I am now a Medical Assistant and I have 2 kids ashley 15 and tommy 11 and I am so happy and clean. I wanted to let the mother's know that they can do this you always here that there is a chance you could relapse well there is a chance you won't. Thank you Patricia

I watched your show of moms addicted to pain killers. I was very amazed with the show, however, I am to on pain medicines for a back surgery two years ago and one two months ago. Yes I may be like them, however, I am one that is in severe pain, I have to have the pain medicines regardless. I get up in the middle of the night screaming in pain and my daughter gets up with me and rubs my legs because the pain is so bad. My L-4 and L-5 disks were distroyed and my sciata nerve has been pinched for 1 1/2 years. So, you being a docter, you can imagine. When it is time for me to go off the medicine, which I will not until the pain is managable, I am sure I will have the same trouble as these ladies, but its people like this that make it hard for me or anyone else that is in very need of the medicine, so you can't judge everyone that is on pain medicine until you see their situation.

Thanks
Kelly

i watched your program on "moms addicted to Pain pills" first let me say that i take pain meds
daily for back pain, neck pain, and dd desease. i have been taking them for about 8 years, but i am in a pain management program.
the first lady that was on the program was chewing her pain patches! what was she thinking? i used the same pain patch and never did i once think about doing something like that. i have had alot of stress to deal with while i have been on all these pain meds;i lost my mother who i took care of, i had to deal with a daughter who
was using meth and i help get her off of it.i know that life can deal out alot to a person, but stop and think what your doing to yourself and the people who really love you. as far as the pain meds affecting my family they don't. the only problem that i have or have had is that i know if i am taken off these meds that it has to be done slowly.if it was not for the pain meds i would not be able to enjoy
life with my husband and family because i would be in chronic pain. so they do give me some quality of life. i would like to know how these moms where getting all this pain medicine? most of it is regulated by the federal gov. i have to get a new
order from the doctor each month for these pain medicines. so how and where were they getting them? i really hope that things work out for everyone that was on the program.
sincerely,
s. newman

What are those of us who are in chronic pain supposed to do? I take 8 norco, 3 soma, 1 Effexor XR 150 mg, and a 50mg Duralgesic a day. And I still feel pain. I had spinal fusion at l4-s1. Mine are prescribed by a pain management doctor.

Stories like these just make my family put pressure on me to quit. I also have fibromyalga, carpal tunnel, osteoarthritis, and knee surgery twice in the last two years. I just turned 40 and of average weight.

Tired of the pressure to quit because story like these make people think I'm an addict too.

Seeing the show on mom's addicted to med's was a reminder of what I have been through for the past 5 years. After hurting my back in a fire, I started taking pain meds. Then while my father was dying, I used them to "feel better" so I could work, raise three boys and go to the hospital at night with him. After he died, I became so depressed. I began to over medicate. See numerous drs,etc. I stopped eating because of the excess of pills I was consuming.Ex:4-6/10xday! I lost two apts. and lived with my mom in between. I lost two jobs. I've lost almost all my teeth because of malnutrition. If it weren't for my brother pushing me into a rehab and my mom watching my boys, I wouldn't be alive today. It's a miracle that I didn't die from a diet of pills,coffee and a bite of something my sons would incourage me to eat. They've witnessed me passed out in the bathroom and laying on the couch all day with no ambition. This once very vibrant and bullheaded person was a thing of the past, so they thought!! It will be one year this Thanksgiving since I last used. I have learned why I had resorted to alcohol in my youth and then meds in my 40s. I had a strict upbringing. Religiously mostly. But because of that, my relationship with my dad was weakened. All these years I have been living for others approval. Two divorces later and raising them with no help from their dad, I just cracked when my dad died.
This does start out with a legitimate injury. But for some of us who are mentally and emotionally scarred, we cling to the feeling of our minds "not hurting" anymore. For someone who has never lived through this, God Bless you. Dispite your physical need for meds, you're better off than we. So don't judge someone for their misfortune.
Remember ladies...You're not alone, HE never left you!!

After viewing you show on addiction I knew it was time I did something about addiction. My fiancee has been takeing pain pills for years and I am seriuosly considering breaking off our Marriage. I have watched her slowing failing and it is so sad. All because of a pill. I have tried differant methods of getting her to quit but have failed. I would hate to give her an ultimateum. Shes 55 and I'm 47.If there is anything you can do please save a life.

Dear Dr. Keith,I watched the end of your show about moms on pain killers.I have been addicted to pain killers and many other prescription medications for several years. When I tuned in,it was when an audience member asked one of your guest about how she can say she was a good mom?It got me thinking about my own situation. I have been through withdraw overten times at least.It is very painful both psycicaly and mentaly,but I did it for my kids,husband and myself.I don't know if I am making any excuses for myself but I never neglected my duties as a mom or homemaker. I always kepted a clean, tidy home, made breakfast,lunch,dinner for the whole family,had clean clothes for everyone which includes work,school uniforms,sports uniforms,towels,sheets and every day clothes. I always did their homework,studied with them,took them to thier sporting events. I was always awake when they came home from school. They never found me passed out, stoned out of my mind. I guess what I am asking is am I making excuses for my addictions or am I proud that I have a handle on my situation?I am once again in the battle of overcoming this everyday srtuggle. Since I don't go to a Dr., I find myself buying what I need from other sources. This causes alot of maritial problems which I couldn't notice at the time. Anyway I want to thank you for the topic of this particular show and I watch it every day. I have so much more that I could go on about, but thank you again for making me do a double take of my own life.

I had a middle brain stress-stroke 4 1/2 years ago. Seven weeks after that the palsy went away and some thing call post-stroke pain syndrome jumped out at me and I have been on mass quantities of hard drugs ever since.

Each month as the strokes' side effects revealed themselves, the doctors didn't know what to do with my constant, increasing and burning left side pain, so up went the prescriptions. I can hear my constant plea that I didn't want to be addicted. Please watch that I'm not addicted ...

Not for me. I have gotten up to monthly 300-5mg. tabs of oxyicodone and 15-75mg.fentanyl patches (changed every 2nd day instead of every 3rd day) because my pain is so great. (My “environment” trips the switch that sends the pain again and again. So because my thalamus is constantly being stimulated it's all this pain!

What is a mother supposed to do? I've had to learn what in my environment causes my upsets and then get rid of them. I've had to bite the bullet and try to learn the difference between pain calling for more drugs or the drugs calling for more drugs. And then only feed the pain signals. The oxyicodone is down some now, but the family is gone. My husband is still trying to put up with my mood swings and pain swings, but at least I can say that He's trying to stick this thing out with me.

The doctor says that the thalamus pain will never stop and I have to learn to live with all of this. But as the enamel on my teeth wears thin I wonder if I’ll be able to smile about all this in the end. I could have been a guest on the show for so many things as this merry-go-round has turned and turned and turned. But in the end learning to cope with what has been my plight in life seems to be what helps me get through. And then there is my great Faith in God and the Lord and what that all means to me. A person just has to keep going on. Thank you, Francy