Post by vanillacourage on Jan 22, 2013 9:47:12 GMT -5
If he doesn't get help, are you going to be comfortable with him being in charge of the baby while potentially under the influence of 10+ pain pills/day? I'm not asking this to be snarky - I'm just saying that if you're not willing to really take charge of the situation today, you need to be prepared to act as the baby's sole caretaker. If the baby is awake, you should be too. And really - that's going to suck. So I'd do whatever you can to get it under control now. If he were to check into rehab ASAP, he'd be back out relatively quickly in the life of your child.
Okay I agree with what others have said. Also go the epidural steroid injection way. I used to work in a pain clinic and those steriod injecdtions helped so many people so that they could live a normal life and not have to take pain pills.
But first thing is first. he needs help. Hiding drugs is a sure sign that he needs them and he doesn't want you to know how much he is having. Him getting mad at you is his way of making you the bad guy. Its what addicts do.
His doctor is prescribing massive amounts. He can fill them every two weeks of he wants to (he hasn't this month, but the fact that he can is disturbing) and they give him 120 pills. We talked this morning and he agreed to go see a counselor with me to explore the issue further and see how deep this problem really is. He assured me he would get it and keep it in check however I needed him to. I told him that counseling and a new pain management routine would be the only way. He agreed and is calling his PCP for a recommendation on a new orthopedic doctor. I am satisfied with his response for the morning, but he knows that I'm not messing around.
I am glad to hear the injections are a solid option--thanks sloan. He's open to that but understandably a little nervous about the procedure itself. He has a great chiropractor that he's considering seeing again...so maybe he will be able to find something that keeps it manageable. Once again, thank you ladies for your advice. I love that you guys keep the reality check present at all times. I needed that.
I'll add yoga to the other exercise and accupuncture, it's made a big difference for me. If "yoga therapy" is offered it's even better because they focus on positions that help specific problems and breathing.
Good luck. I hope he calms down and realizes you did the right thing and he does need help.
I still think something is up with his doctor. If his perscription is for 2 weeks and up to 6 pills a day they should only be providing 84(6x14) pills at a time.
That being said, I am glad he is willing to seek help. If he is serious about weening off of the meds, he needs to do it under the supervision of his doctor. H has been weening for a while and it's not an easy process and if he runs out of pills early it's hell for him.
Good luck. I hope your H is willing ot explore some of the other options. The injections really weren't that big of a deal for my H but they were not effective. It's really only a 5-10 minute procedure.
Post by lilafowler on Jan 22, 2013 11:00:23 GMT -5
Cindylou-I have a very close family member who is dealing with this type of addiction without being in an inpatient rehab. I am no addiction expert, just a family member who has dealt with something similar with a loved one. If you have questions or anything feel free to PM me.
If he is abusing the pain meds he is either getting more prescribed when he runs out too soon or he is buying them somewhere. If you have shared finances I would look at any strange cash withdraws that might cover buying additional pain pills, they aren't cheap but they are everywhere. Rx drugs suck and are terribly addicting, I contacted my doctors about 3 months after my injury and said in no condition are they to prescribe me more than 2 days worth of pain pills at a time and I would much rather them give me the suggestion for OTC remedies. I have an addictive personality and Rx addiction runs in my family (my grandmother abused Oxy's for 20 years).
Contact his doctors. PCP, PT, Chiro, Ortho, everyone and anyone that he might make an appointment with to be able to get meds. Call a pain management clinic and see if you can get information to give to him about being seen by a pain specialist, back pain sucks but drugs is not the answer.
I have a rotated spine, rotated, narrowed, and tilted pelvis (tilt and narrow are congenital), severely scarred / strained back, shoulder, and neck muscles, arthritis in my hip, left knee, and back.
Chiropractic care and massages work the best for me. I've had cortisone injections, steroid injections, epidurals, 3 years of PT, and some days I wish I could crawl in a hole and sleep until it didn't hurt any more, but I can't. Injections worked for a period of time, but like everything it wasn't permanent and I would need to have them weekly and that isn't practical.
Counseling and a long term pain management plan are great, but you need help right now, immediately, asap.
I've been through drug withdrawal. My doctor gave me Lyrica to help with nerve pain and when my one month prescription was over, I went through a terrible withdrawal. His needs to be managed. I needed Ativan and Ambien. They needed to ensure I wouldn't start having seizures. If you're interested, I'll explain what those ten days felt like, but the most important thing here is that he not go through the withdrawal without being monitored.
Lucy--He has been seeing this doctor since August. Our insurance finally approved the MRI in the beginning of November and he has been prescribed pain pills since the results came back the second week of November. So basically he's been on pain pills for two months now. And yes....new doc immediately. That's way too many pills.
emjacobs--I will look into the massages as well. Thank you.
Thank you to everyone that offered for me to PM them. I may really take you all up on that.
How long has he been seeing this particular doctor?
per his prescription (1-2 each dose), 240 pills a month isn't too far out of the range of possibility, but I have to tell you, a doctor prescribing that is incredibly rare and only under dire circumstances. My father's doctor used to prescribe like this, but my dad was terminal.
I would absolutely find a new doctor, immediately.
I missed that it was up to 2 each dose. Yes, I agree then that is seems possible but crazy for a doctor to be willing to perscibe such amounts for his issues.
Again, I can't really speak to the pills. But I can tell you that acupuncture and injections allowed me to live my life again. I only got the surgery when I had suffered so much nerve damage that I couldn't feel my foot (and still can't, but at least I can walk / run / ride / lift weights).
I'm not cherry picking advice. I think having a professional assess our situation, finding a new doctor, and exploring other pain management is perfectly acceptable. I will gladly give an ultimatum and demand rehab if that is what a counselor deems necessary. I could have a baby like, today, so throwing his ass in rehab isn't exactly top of the list. Give us a few days to sort it out first and agree to a solution together. I'm not a pushover.
Post by hopecounts on Jan 22, 2013 11:46:47 GMT -5
You've gotten Great advice and I just want to add that you really need to make arrangements to have help once the baby comes. It's very unlikely that you will be able to trust your DH alone with the baby. He is not a safe care giver while taking such high levels of pain pills and you will need a break to sleep/shower/just breath. If you are adamant about not telling your parents and getting their help you need to come up with a plan to have the help you'll need whether that's hiring a mom's helper/night nurse/etc. or confiding in a friend and asking for help.
My mom is coming to stay and H is taking off work for 3-4 days. I have some great friends and neighbors that have offered to help when I need a break. I'll definitely take them up on it, especially until everything is in check. We see the counselor Thursday afternoon.