Prescription pain pills

[berdonj]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Hawaii, My husband had several serious surgeries within the past 7 yrs and after each surgeries the doctors would issue pain pills. My husband at first was taking the pain pills according to what was prescribe for the Doctor to take accordingly. Well, one thing lead to another on the different surgeries and my husband had to take months of work off due to the surgeries and later on his addicted to pain pills. He has a pain management Doctor, pych Doctor, and has to go to Rehab. My husband has and is going through so much suffering, emotional, and phyiscal. The doctors kept on giving him pain pills and for too many years. Then the doctors tried to whine him off cause my husband told them he was addicted. The doctor then gave him an opiate to counter the hydrocodone and he got so addicted to the opiate. Our finances are so bad due to my husbands addiction. Bills weren't getting paid. I was freaked out the first two weeks when my husband detoxed and I saw him flipping out and had to call the police and rescue to get him to the hospital. Now, my husband cannot work and is under the doctors care. Scary!! My husband keeps coming home with new pills every two weeks. It's crazy and very sad. My husband is not himself and our marriage has been affected by all this. Is there anything that can be done? We are struggling and in deep financial debt. Why do these doctors do this? Why do they keep giving pain pills when they can see my husband asking for more all the time? He can take a 90 day supply and use it up in 2 weeks.

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Hawaii, My husband had several serious surgeries within the past 7 yrs and after each surgeries the doctors would issue pain pills. My husband at first was taking the pain pills according to what was prescribe for the Doctor to take accordingly. Well, one thing lead to another on the different surgeries and my husband had to take months of work off due to the surgeries and later on his addicted to pain pills. He has a pain management Doctor, pych Doctor, and has to go to Rehab. My husband has and is going through so much suffering, emotional, and phyiscal. The doctors kept on giving him pain pills and for too many years. Then the doctors tried to whine him off cause my husband told them he was addicted. The doctor then gave him an opiate to counter the hydrocodone and he got so addicted to the opiate. Our finances are so bad due to my husbands addiction. Bills weren't getting paid. I was freaked out the first two weeks when my husband detoxed and I saw him flipping out and had to call the police and rescue to get him to the hospital. Now, my husband cannot work and is under the doctors care. Scary!! My husband keeps coming home with new pills every two weeks. It's crazy and very sad. My husband is not himself and our marriage has been affected by all this. Is there anything that can be done? We are struggling and in deep financial debt. Why do these doctors do this? Why do they keep giving pain pills when they can see my husband asking for more all the time? He can take a 90 day supply and use it up in 2 weeks.

Is he seeing the same doctors, or is he "doctor shopping" to find doctors that will prescribe to him?

And if you and your husband already know he has a problem with addiction, then why have you not gotten him into rehab to safely deal with the addiction?

 

[Mass_Shyster]

I really know very little about addiction, however I understand al-anon may have resources available for family members of people suffering addiction.

Good luck.

 

[commentator]

Over-prescribing pain meds, and pain medication addiction is a problem nationwide. In my state, where every man woman and child could get about 50 pills a year, based on the number prescribed, many many people are hooked on prescription pain meds. And when people get the meds and don't use them, they are frequently passed on to relatives and friends who do not have a prescription. The problem perpetuates.

Because it is legal to prescribe them and to sell them in legitimate facilities, it is very rare for a doctor to be disciplined for giving out too many of these prescriptions. Sometimes it does happen. As someone said, did your husband "doctor shop?" And the answer is very likely that he did not just see one doctor you could blame for his addiction. As an alcoholic doesn't usually frequent just one tavern or liquor store.
But if there was one doctor he kept getting these pills from, you might report the doctor to the state. Your chances of suing the specific doctor, or doctors in general for getting your husband hooked on pain pills --absolutely slim to none.

In order to recover, if he ever does get into recovery, you and your husband will have to learn to own and take responsibility for his addiction and overcome it, regardless of the fact that there are still doctors out there who over prescribe and there are still places where he can get the thing he is addicted to if he still wants it. I suggest that you begin to seek out and attend Nar-anon or Alanon meetings to help you deal with his addictions, and your response to them, even if he is unwilling to do so.

 

[berdonj]

frustrated

Thank you for your feed backs. No he was not Doctor shopping. He had several surgeries over a 7 year span and each one took him a long time to get over/heal. That his how he got addicted to the pain pills. The worst one was the lower back surgery and in between each surgery the doc gave the pain pills to him just until he couldn't bare the pain anymore. It was frustrating and now he suffers and is getting help. it really pissed me off when the Doc told him he could take the opiate for life. These Doctors are all from the same Health Facility and all of them can access my husband health data/History on the computer. Their suppose to be all working together to help my husband, and not make him an addict. The same Doctors are now trying different non narcotic meds to help him. To me why did they let this go so long?

 

[Silverplum]

Thank you for your feed backs. No he was not Doctor shopping. He had several surgeries over a 7 year span and each one took him a long time to get over/heal. That his how he got addicted to the pain pills. The worst one was the lower back surgery and in between each surgery the doc gave the pain pills to him just until he couldn't bare the pain anymore. It was frustrating and now he suffers and is getting help. it really pissed me off when the Doc told him he could take the opiate for life. These Doctors are all from the same Health Facility and all of them can access my husband health data/History on the computer. Their suppose to be all working together to help my husband, and not make him an addict. The same Doctors are now trying different non narcotic meds to help him. To me why did they let this go so long?

I'm sorry, but these are not legal questions.

 

[Ladyback1]

Thank you for your feed backs. No he was not Doctor shopping. He had several surgeries over a 7 year span and each one took him a long time to get over/heal. That his how he got addicted to the pain pills. The worst one was the lower back surgery and in between each surgery the doc gave the pain pills to him just until he couldn't bare the pain anymore. It was frustrating and now he suffers and is getting help. it really pissed me off when the Doc told him he could take the opiate for life. These Doctors are all from the same Health Facility and all of them can access my husband health data/History on the computer. Their suppose to be all working together to help my husband, and not make him an addict. The same Doctors are now trying different non narcotic meds to help him. To me why did they let this go so long?

a lot of people are "legal" junkies.

oh, and your husband or you could have raised this concern at any time

 

[commentator]

Quote: "they were all supposed to be working together to help my husband, and not make him an addict."

For your husband to get better, he (and you) must learn to accept that nobody but nobody but your husband could "make him an addict."

I've had more surgeries than Carter has little liver pills. Sometimes pain meds are necessary. I understand this. Some of these pills are addictive. Some kinds are more highly addictive than others. That nice "warm muffin" feeling is much better than surgical pain any day.

However, he did not have to take all the pills they gave him. He did not have to have the pills. At any time, he could've said, "No thank you, don't give me any more .... I'm worried that I'm becoming dependent on it." In fact, I suspect he carried on a lot and asked a lot to get the pills he got. I bet his body actually manufactured more pain so he'd need the pain pills, after he became very addicted.

You say he's getting help. You need it too because you're blaming somebody else for you husband's addictions. You are actually addicted to going to bat for him, helping him pin blame on everyone else in the name of supporting him, and trying to make life easier for him since he is an addict and has had such a hard time. As long as you are pissed off at anything or anybody else because he is the way he is, you won't be helpful to him in his recovery.

 

[Proserpina]

There is a HUGE difference between dependence and addiction. It is very common for a person who has taken opiates for a long period of time to actually NEED more and more to reach the same level of pain relief. That is called "dependence".

Addiction is a different animal completely and the two terms must not be used interchangeably.

 

[berdonj]

Thank you

Thank you for your comment and feedback. I am just sad to see him go through what he, but at the same time Commentator you are so right. I know he should've been a stronger man and say "no", but he didn't. Addiction is a horrible thing to see a love one go through. I thought the detoxing was going to be maybe only 1 week, but this seems to be something I will have to deal with for a long time. I do support him getting the help and he did that on his own. I wish the best for him and his journey to recovery. We have a lot on our plate right now with a 3yrs old Grand Daughter and a newborn that just made a week old. These two babies are our happiness and joy and that is what keeps me from going insane. Thank you all and I was venting a lot more then just blaming the doctors. The patient should know better when they are getting out of hand, and once your an addict you will always be an addict for life.

 

[commentator]

My hopes and prayers are with you on your journey. And it is a long journey. When I began to be active in programs I was shocked to see people who had been in such program for years, addicts who had been clean for ages, still there. I thought it was going to be an "in and fix it and go on" deal. Boy, did I have a lot to learn.