when is it a concern?

[beastieangel01]

This is long, and personal, but oh well. I just need some sort of input I guess.

So, when I got sick a bit after Christmas I've been pretty heavily medicated.

The pain was so bad and I was so shaky that the doctors gave me the first valium I've ever had in my life, and a prescription to vicodin. I had to refill the vicodin a few weeks later. I still have half that bottle left.

Because of this and tons of other things I've had a pretty high level of stresses for weeks now.

Admittedly, maybe I shouldn't have, but a little over a week ago I was getting a massive headache (and was feeling stressed because I didn't have a new job yet) and having a really shit day and I ended up popping a vicodin. But that was that.

So today I was hit with MAJOR stress. I mean major. Pretty bad compared to the past few weeks.

The stress was so bad to the point that I gave myself a massive headache and was on the verge of puking. I couldn't think straight and I had a hard time breathing. My roommate was prescribed valium recently and she was worried and asked me if I wanted to take one. I said sure because I wasn't sure what else to do. I took it and that was that. The roommate then opened a bottle of champagne and even though I had the valium I figured a glass of champagne wasn't a big deal so I grabbed one.

My boyfriend has been around since I first got sick. He knows all the medications I had to be on. He knew I took that vicodin that one day and tonight he called me and I said I was just sitting drinking a glass of champagne and watching a movie. My roommate happened to ask while I was on the phone if the valium helped.

He said "So you are drinking and took a pill that you don't have a prescription for?" and he seemed really upset with me.

I wasn't really sure how to respond. I mean, he has only been around me for a short amount of time (and thus the majority of that I've been on medication) so maybe it seems like a big deal to him... but I've never ever taken medications before except when I broke my right hand and before that when I got my wisdom teeth removed.

It it really all that bad that I took that vicodin, and took that valium tonight? Is this a concern? :/

[Otis Driftwood]

Not as long as you don't enjoy it enough to do it on a regular basis. Nah, one glass of champagne is irrelevant. Tell your bf not to be so uptight...;)

[ToucanSpam]

I'll be straightforward; I think it is a concern. If I were in his position I would definately be worried, probably because I know friends who took medication and drank at the same time, which caused all kinda of problems mentally and socially. Not that you're in the same position by any stretch of the imagination, but due to my experience seeing that kind of action, I'd worry.

[abcdefz]

I would definitely watch it at this point. Your pain is real, but now you're starting to connect stress with pills. Maybe you should discuss it with your doctor and see if you legitimately should be managing things with medication or if maybe you should pick up some sort of decompression skills and see how that goes.

[icy manipulator]

what exactly is vicodin? is it an ampethamine based drug?

[abcdefz]

It's a painkiller. You might get them to help after, say, getting your wisdom teeth pulled.

[icy manipulator]

ah, an opiate. yeah, dont get addicted to that. as long as you dont have an urge to constantly take them you'll be fine

[na§tee]

i am sorry to hear you have been going through a lot of stress lately, c :( hopefully things will start picking up soon. you have a gorgeous new man friend to help you through. you'll be okay!

uhm. when i was in third year at university i got a low dose presciption of valium to deal with my teeth grinding. the doctor actually said as he was writing it out 'be careful, because of course we don't want you to get addicted to these LOL!' and i was like whatever, man, i just want to sleep properly!

so, i got the valium and it worked, of course, but then r. tried to dump me - pfft! nice try, son! - and i took, well, plenty more just because it was a huge effort to even get out of bed in the morning and perform normally.* also i was taking some muscle relaxant my mum sent me. thanks mum! my body just went bbllaahhhbbllaaahhhblloooooooop. when i ran out, i lied and told my doctor the grinding was persistent so he upped the dosage and gave me some more. that was stupid. when i was younger i was even wary of going on the pill because i didn't fancy 'fake' hormones etc going in my body and making it do something which wasn't 'natural'.

we worked things out, of course, but i was still abusing them in entirely the wrong way, if only for a month or something. i think it was just bizarre having your first major crisis with your first ever boyfriend, and you turn it into this massive life-crushing thing. now, if he tried it, i don't think i'd even care half as much. :/.

anyway, what i'm saying is you are getting into dangerous territory by equating stress/personal pain with a pill. if it is so disabling you cannot work or leave the house, sure, do something about it, but only if it is really, really bad. one glass of champagne is not going to make you crazy if you took one low-dose valium. but if you make that habit it's going to reach "hey.. another glass! why not? i feel GREAT! TOTALLY BLISSED OUT MAN!" levels, and that would be not so clever.

EDIT:*of course, valium doesn't help you get out of bed, at all - it just helps you feel less distraught while you spend more time in it! WOOH!

[hitmonlee]

hey, i had a guy be really worried when i mentioned something like that, because he had an ex who was a major pill popper. he was worried i was just like her, and he hadn't seen it yet, so that could be a concern.

i say chat to him about it and explain what your situation is, he might explain why he reacted that way and you'll both be relieved.

[kll]

I would say you should talk to a doctor to find out if there's other options for you to be dealing with your stress.

Life only gets more and more stressful the older you get, so I would like to see you learn how to manage this early on before you get into trouble.

[beastieangel01]

anyway, what i'm saying is you are getting into dangerous territory by equating stress/personal pain with a pill. if it is so disabling you cannot work or leave the house, sure, do something about it, but only if it is really, really bad.

yeah I agree. Granted I've only done it twice (and only the once with a glass of champagne) but still. That and I ate through the most vicodin I've ever had in my life (during legitimate physical pain) last month and maybe that's why my brain thought "hey pain, eat a pill" right away without having to blink an eye.

Seeing some of your responses, I better understand now why he is worried even though this kind of thing is something I've never done. Especially because I think he's dealt with either himself doing this or knew someone that did... he was kind of vague about it and it was late so I didn't get to talk to him much about it but he seemed so upset that I am pretty sure that's the case.

last night I was on the valium and just really didn't comprehend why it sounded so bad. Now I'm thinking "geez, this isn't bad yet but has the potential to be" and I feel kind of shitty for doing it.

I'm thinking I'll just get rid of all my pills. I'm not sure that I'd be tempted again, but at least that way, they just aren't there so it won't matter.

[beastieangel01]

I would say you should talk to a doctor to find out if there's other options for you to be dealing with your stress.

Life only gets more and more stressful the older you get, so I would like to see you learn how to manage this early on before you get into trouble.

I think right now, I'll be okay I just am starting a new job on Monday and because of being sick I was unable to exercise and all that. As simple as it sounds, being back to work + exercise I think will help a ton.

But if it continues to be an issue then I'd definitely talk to a doctor. Thinking about taking pills the rest of my life when bad stress occurs gives me shivers.

[kll]

haha, just think anna nicole smith...

[beastieangel01]

ahahahah

a correlation between me and Anna Nicole Smith is completely unacceptable! /tosses pills out window

:p

[befsquire]

out the window!? someone's gonna make a mint, selling those for $10 to $20 each. or maybe they'll trade it for crack.

your boyfriend, since he's known you, has seen you on several pills and now he's hearing you're taking more, even though it's just one, and it's not yours, and you're adding alcohol with it. viewing the situation through his eyes only, i can see where he would be concerned. personally, i'm not concerned for you yet because you still have half a bottle of vicodin left.

does your stress have any real outlet? it sounds like you're had an anxiety attack when you talked about having trouble breathing. maybe see a psychiatrist to get some of that out. you've been dealing with a whole lot of stuff, and i'm just kinda thinking that maybe none of your friends could hear it all without a fear of something getting back to someone, etc.

[marsdaddy]

The moment you ask, you know it is. Also, if you laugh at the Bar Bitch You Ate joke.

Being aware that a job and regular exercise will help you feel less stressed is good. When you get to less stressed, work on finding a way to deal with stress that isn't mixing pills and alcohol. Sometimes life gives you melons -- or something like that.

[Johnny Railroad]

haha, just think anna nicole smith...

And Robbi Williams , ....Brittney ......... this is the End !