Besides giving up sugar and sodas and high calorie food....a few days ago I decided to give up narcotic pain killers that were prescribed by my doctor for my bad knees. I never took as many as prescribed....he prescribed 4 a day and I usually took 2, but I found myself taking them more because they "made me feel good" and less for pain in my knees. Oh, I have pain in my knees alright. But I have decided that I am not going to count on a pill to make me "feel good". I haven't felt good since I made my decision, but I'm okay with that. I know I will feel better. I have been in and out of bed all day, but I've had breakfast and though I skipped lunch, I am having a healthy dinner and I have drank even more water than usual. I'm sure I will make it, although the first days may be difficult. I will never let a doctor prescribe me narcotics again. It just isn't worth it.

I've been in most of the day but rode my exercise bike twice and will get on it again before I go to bed.

Just wanted to tell y'all this....to sort of help keep me honest.

Good for you! My DH's daughter died a couple of years ago due to an overdose of prescription drugs. She started out just taking a little...please don't let this happen to you. You are so fortunate to have realized that it's never too soon to get it under control. I'll be thinking about you.

Congratulations on making a decision that you feel is significant and good for your health!

I work with so many people whose lives have been trashed and devastated by doctor-prescribed drugs. They often cause more trouble than the benefits they give! Good luck!

Thank you. I have noticed over the past several months that I had difficulty swallowing. I had to cut my food in about dime sized pieces. My husband has been off work for almost a year total, and right now, waiting on a settlement. I don't have hardly any money. I knew I had to go to the doctor...figured it wasn't esophageal cancer because I have never smoked. I thought maybe a hiatal hernia. I didn't know. However, in just since I quit hydrocodone on Saturday, the swallowing difficulty has almost completely disappeared.

The thing is, when I started these meds, he did a complete blood work up on me, and I had perfect numbers all down the line. He couldn't believe it. I told myself I would be a fool to be blessed with perfect health and to ruin it over something like this.

Tonight when I went out to do my chores, I was dragging. It was so hot and I was sweaty and I didn't feel good. It is a time I would usually take a pill but as much as the thought occurred to me, I didn't do it. I was surprised that once I got out there, and got busy, I was okay. I got half way through and came in and laid down for 20 minutes and then got up and went back out and finished. I've read enough to know I will feel bad for several days, walking was suggested. It is too hot to walk, but I have ridden my bike twice and getting ready to climb on it again...in here in the a/c.

The funny thing...I have never used any drugs or smoked or even drank alcohol more than one margarita once in awhile with Mexican food. I never thought I would be addicted to anything...except maybe Coca Cola.

I know this is a hard decision to make. On the one hand, you have a legitimate need for pain relief. On the other hand, you have been able to identify a potential for abuse when you use these pills. I truly think there is a physiological difference in people who seem to be susceptible to addiction rather soon after starting use of these meds. My mother had severe back pain and I watched her become dependent on these medications. I then watched her lose the true sense of how much pain she was experiencing, and then using the pills when she was afraid she would be in pain. I believe her use of these meds exacerbated her depression, which made her abuse of the pills worse. I do not think I have the same brain chemistry as she did. I have taken narcotics many times in my life due to surgeries and injuries. I always stopped use long before running out, and never felt that "high" that these drugs can give. My father is also a long time user of narcotic pain medications. I have never seen him stuporous or acting as though he was totally in need of these medications. He also has never seemed to abuse them. There is no easy answer to this problem. I am glad you have decided to make a change for your health. I hope you feel better soon and find that once you get off the meds that your pain is manageable without them.

Good job on avoiding the meds when you normally would, byugal, as well as taking the break to do the chores in sections.

Also is great that you have identified an improvement in the swallowing difficulty since stopping the meds.

Truly, YOU are the only one who is able to make this decision for yourself as all situations and people are different. I admire the excellent clarity you have on your reasoning and that you have implemented this and are determined to see it through.

As time goes on you may find different avenues than that particular drug to help your pain and you have already started with breaking down the chores and napping, an excellent choice.

Please do not construe any post I make as advice or analysis as this is YOUR journey. Just wanted to say hello and woot on your progress! Have a great rest of the week!

Just an aside - you might try looking up the book and/or blog Wheat Belly - http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/
- many reports of significant reduction in pain for some people. He posts reports from folks and others comment about their experience.

I feel a little better today. I couldn't go to sleep and was awake all night. I finally dozed off about 7 a.m. and slept a couple of hours. I don't feel all that bad to not have any sleep, but hope I will sleep better tonight!

I have been reading a forum on withdrawing from narcotics and that has helped. I don't think I will have a problem staying off of them. I just found that I was taking them for the "good feeling" more than the pain. I only took one at a time....never a handful like some people, but my pain isn't such that I can't live with it. I think losing weight is the best thing I can do for my knees. And I am down another couple of pounds but I am sure that is from all the time spent in the bathroom over this. :-/

Anyway, thanks for your kind words. I think I will feel a little better each day and I am looking forward to improving my health in every way I can.

Glad to see you feel things are slowly improving byugal. If you don't try you won't find out will you. It can be too easy just to take the tablets. Hope your swallowing is also better that must mentally give you help, not thinking something might be going on there! Nothing is written in stone if the knee pain is too bad there may be other options!

I didn't sleep well last night either....awake until 4 and fell asleep twice and woke up a half hour later. I think I will be able to sleep tonight though. I have been kind of dragging but still riding my exercise bike three times a day and still on track with what I am eating.

I had the same experience as you did with the narcotic pain meds. I have had 2 surgeries in the past 12 months, the second one having complications that caused pain long after the surgery. Luckily, my doctor never gave me many pills at a time. I also have arthritis in my knees and it's painful and causes difficulty when I exercise. The pain pills made me "feel good". Not necessarily high, but just not in pain anywhere and a feeling of well being. I made myself stop taking them, although I still have some left. My complications are healed and I really don't need the meds for pain anymore. I felt that I could live the rest of my life wonderfully with those pills, but in my heart I knew better. For my knees, I am taking Glucosemine and Condroiten. I believe it is safe. It has done wonders for my knee pain. The bottle says to take 2 per day. I started out taking one a day for a week then upped to 1 twice a day. After 3 weeks my knee pain is almost non existant. I am also doing the following exercises daily. I sit in a chair with my thighs flat against the chair. I slowly raise and lower my outstretched lower leg about 10-12 times alternating legs. This helps to strengthen the muscle above your knees which takes some of the pressure off your knees. If you place your hand on that muscle you can feel it flexing as you raise and lower your leg.

We are about the same size, give or take. I don't know how old you are, but I am 66. I am trying to keep myself moving well as I age. I don't want my bad knees to put me in a wheel chair or walking with a walker.

Good luck to you! Keep up the good work!

I also am losing weight to help my knees and other things that hurt in the bod!

Thanks for posting on the glucosamine/chron... I have been wondering if I should try it or if it might upset my stomach.

You are doing great! Woot!

Good for you, I hope it all goes well. I would just say try not to skip meals, skipping meals slows the metabolism and as much as you think I didn't eat that meal I'll be better off, it's not the case. You should try and have all your meals and snacks in between. Reduce your carb intake and try and replace it with protein and you'll be kicking goals

Thank you so much for your support!

Carol Sue, I will definitely work on those exercises...in fact, I had started already. And I will get some glucosomine/chrondroiten. We are almost the same age....I will be 66 in October.

Today I feel great. I have been off the pills of 8 days and I slept good last night. I am over the sick feeling....nausea...that goes with withdrawal. I have been reading a forum on people trying (some succeeding, some not) to withdraw from narcotics, and they have helped me so much. I have read some stories that are absolutely heartbreaking.

I realize some people may have such chronic pain they have to take these meds, so anyone who reads this....I am just talking about what I needed to do because I found myself taking them initially for pain, but then later, more for the feeling of well being. I had a couple of bad side effects...horrible rash and my throat was swelling...so I quit. Withdrawal is not fun, but I am glad to have the physical part behind me, and will continue to work on the mental part, whenever if I think I need to take another one.

I only skipped one meal....concentrated on eating a lot of protein, because they (wd forum) stressed it. I drank maybe more water than usual, and rode my exercise bike every day. During the week, I only took two tylenols for pain. This morning, I am down another five pounds. I won't log it for a couple more days. I couldn't believe it when I saw the scale. I guess I want to be sure it is real.

Thanks again, everyone.