While I haven't been a mega long term pain killer user......I'd say consistently for a year if you take out the breaks I took but I'm concerned that I've become addicted. I don't take them recreationally. I do indeed have a medical condition that sux and prevents me from working properly but for three days in a row, I've taken 3 10/325s which I never do. My usual dose is 2 10/325s. When I was on 5/325s, my doc had me take 1 four times a day. I'm concerned where this is going and I want options to treat pain. I just came off of a break from taking pks and went with mj. But mj sometimes makes the pain worse which I read is normal. I just don't want my life in shambles due to some addiction. I don't know what to do and where to go. And please don't laugh....I know some might think a year is nothing but to me it's really something.
I would never laugh at anyone when it comes to this. You might not think a year is all that long when taking meds, but I can tell you, it takes no time at all to become addicted to these things. You can become addicted before you even know what's hit you. But, as you've said, you have a medical condition that requires meds, so you're going to have to take them, or sit around and be in pain. Since you've noticed that you may be becoming addicted, now you can take control. Cut back to taking what you have to take. Take them only when you really need them, and just push on. I mean seeing as how you have to have them for your pain, I don't know what else a person can do. The way I've always looked at it, damned if you do and damned if you don't. Addicted or not, if I'm in pain, and there's something out there that will curtail that, I'm taking it. I'll be like everyone else...dependent on my medication.
Look into Kratom. It's helped me cut back on my meds, and to a point cut my meds completely out. It's a great thing, Kratom.
I had a doc appt today and voiced my concern about addiction. The doc was amazing and he talked to me about the benefits of using medical mj over opiates and said as soon as my state smooths things out with the medical mj card he would approve me for medical mj. I'm feeling much better since I feel like I have an option plus knowing that mj is a plant and a little more natural. Not sure how long we are looking at before I can get the card but he said hopefully lawmakers will have it all smoothed out in the coming months. He talked to me about different strains and told me some strains do indeed make the pain worse sometimes but there are strains that take away the pain altogether.
Thanks a bunch for your input and thanks for not laughing. It's nice to know others out there are very compassionate. I do have lots of Kratom btw and I love that stuff however I had to back off of it for awhile because it was causing this weird tingling sensation in my gums that lasted for weeks. Not sure why. Does this ever happen to you? I've researched it and it seems it happens to others but nobody knows why. It's not a painful feeling, just more annoying and unpleasant, especially when it goes on for weeks.