DOSE:

oral

Opioids

(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

230 lb

I had a job I hated. I worked 7 days a week, almost always. I hit my 'cruising altitude' of daily narcotic use (Vicodin, Percocet, Liquid Morphine/Roxanol 20mg/ml) about 2 months into the job. I stayed at my dosing level of about 60mg of of oral morphine and 4-7 percocets and/or vicodins (varying strengths but always a solid dose) per shift for the duration of my job. After 3+ years, I quit the job, and got a new job that was far less onerous psychoemotionally. Also very important to note is that I extricated myself at the same time from a very unpleasant domestic environment. When I quit my job and changed my living situation, I stopped narcotic pain reliever completely, 100%, with no taper period. This required no effort on my part.

I waited for withdrawal effects. There were no withdrawal effects, except one: Instead of having normal bowel movements, my bowel movements became a little more 'loose' (i.e., not solid), as they had been before using narcotic pain relievers. I had no irritability, or trouble sleeping, or masked pains emerging, or change in motivational levels, or craving, or anything negative.

It has been years since my period of using narcotic pain relievers, and I am clean and sober, with no effort. I have had zero need to hook up with a 12-steps program. Why did I 'get away with it?' I think it was because I wasn't using drugs to escape, but just to blunt the effects of a very nasty working environment and home situation. My use was constructive, not escapist. Once I didn't need it as psychoemotional protection (think sunblock), I let narcotic pain relievers go without a problem.

It's amazing that some people simply don't believe what I am saying. What I am saying it simply true. I am not in denial, period.

One might have thought, as I did, that I would have had some sort of physical withdrawal symptoms, even though I was not using the stuff to escape but to be productive. Yet, as already mentioned, there were no withdrawal symptoms except for that aforementioned minor change in bowel habits.

My two cents.

[Reported Dose: "Daily, about 60mg Roxanol, 4-7 Vicodin or percocet or more (varying strengths)"]

Exp Year: 2003-2006	ExpID: 81649
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 41
Published: Mar 13, 2018	Views: 2,767
[ View PDF (to print) ] [ View LaTeX (for geeks) ] [ Swap Dark/Light ]
Hydrocodone (111), Morphine (211), Oxycodone (176) : Addiction & Habituation (10), Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), Retrospective / Summary (11), Not Applicable (38)