Addicted to dihydrocodeine and pegabalin
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi, I'm new to this forum and in quite a bad way health wise, it started approximately 1 year ago, I'm taking sertraline and mirtazapine for treatment resistant depression since the age of 15, I'm now 40 I would like to add. I gradually started getting pain and swelling on both feet and ankles, so after many doctor appointments I was diagnosed with having re-active arthritis in connection with a stomach bug I'd had very recently, very strange I thought?! I was told to elevate my legs and have baths in Epsom salts and the swelling and pain would gradually ease. I also did some research on my condition, turns out that it is possible that some of the bacteria from the stomach can reach different parts of the body and cause exactly the symptoms I was experiencing, but it not very common and only effects parts of the body which are already suffering someway and that you are unaware of?! Anyway the swelling did not get better and it was not long before both my legs were swollen. So again after many doctors visits I was sent to have an X-Ray's on both ankle's, the results came back and showed I had bone osteopytes and my diagnosis changed to ankle osteoarthritis, this was now about 4 months from when it all started, the pain was so bad I was put on codeine which helped at first but then just did nothing even though quite often I would take more than the prescribed dose of 240 mg. My symptoms continued to get worse with more swelling and pain, now in my hips and legs and started to put on a lot of weight due to inactivity, I had a blood test which came back fine, so as far as the doctor was concerned I was O.K?! Now I was put on Dihydrocodeine which helped tremendously and could go about my day no problem at all. Soon enough I found myself taking much more than 8 a day, more like 25-30! It was shocking and could not believe what I was doing to myself, I was far too embarrassed and ashamed to tell the doctor and just said I'd like to come off opioid medication and try something different to manage the pain. Then I was put on Pregabalin, so I started these right away. They worked so well I was able to almost stop my Dihydrocodeine completely, but after a while I found myself being addicted to both and I lost control of things completely. I now to this day take at least 600 mg pregabalin and 300 - 400 mg Dihydrocodeine! Obviously now I am buying elsewhere to keep my habit going. My health to this day is still the same with swelling in both legs with pain and have gained weight rapidly.
I hope I have made things clear as the last 1 year of my life has been all over the place and have not spoken out to anyone.
2 likes, 5 replies
constance.de DannyB123
Posted
I can’t help you with your pain and other difficulties I’m afraid Danny, but there are blogs on patient.info that deal with addiction of all kinds. Just type in Addiction in the explore box above and I am sure someone with similar problems will be able to help.
Good luck! 😏
DannyB123 constance.de
Posted
Thanks for your advice and interest in my post. I think this forum is great and I'm sure sooner or later I'll be chatting with people in similar circumstances. I've just about have enough of this situation but I strive to move forward, I have a 5 year old daughter who is a great little companion for me and I love her company, she also gives me the strength to go on. Thanks again.
frances57106 DannyB123
Posted
hi Danny x poor you xx i am addicted to DHC too and i take Pregabalin xx I buy off the internet and i am in lost of debt because of this xx i hope you are feeling a bit better today xx you can talk to me about this as i know exactly what you're going through Xx lots of love xx
DannyB123 frances57106
Posted
Hi Frances,
Thanks for you reply, no improvement in my situation I'm afraid to say, but all I can do is keep trying and live in hope. x x
hope4cure DannyB123
Posted
Danny so sorry that this health problem has evolved in addition to pain meds & coping with addiction. Your bio meds are not addicting it's intended to block the pathway in your immune system causing the reactive arthritis a bio drug Lyrica or band name Prcegablin is a drug that your doctors should check your blood levels every Few months.
Dihydrocodene is addicting and the best thing that you can do for yourself is to accept that you have become dependent on the drug and ask for help. If your worried about how much you take now then consider how much you will need to satisfy the cravings for this drug in the future.There are medications Naltrexone nalmefene baclofen that can help ease withdraw symptoms. If you cannot taper down slowly on your own then you're need professional help.
Addiction is a progressive disease a medical issue. It's not that you are week or have no self control it's a brain disease controlling your pleasure center in the brain over rides all reasoning to not take additional amounts, overwhelmed by the mental and physical need to function. There is no shame in addiction . Medications that are particularly addiction can become a common reason so many fall into the habit of the body craving more and more for many.See more info on how addiction control the brain centers to crave the drug and the many scientific treatments available.