[JENN_need_answers]

I've never done this, but I really need help. My husband has been addicted to lortab for about one year and cant kick his habit. He started abusing lortab last october (06), but I didnt find out until May (07), now he is taking 20-30 lortab 10's aday. I know that this is an outrageous amount and I can tell that it is taking a toll on his body. He wants to quit very bad, but he cant seem to handle the withdraws. He has insomnia, sweats, fevers, chills, aches and pains, vomiting, etc. His addiction is controlling our lives. We fight about this everyday because I know he is killing himself and it is costing us thousands of dollars a month (he is not prescribed them). I get so fed up with the excuses and I'm ready to leave him, but on the other hand I love him so much and want to help him. He can't go to rehab because of his work. He has a great job and no one would ever suspect that he is abusing drugs. I dont know what to do. Should I leave? Should I stay? What can I do to help? Will he ever be normal again? If any one has beat this addiction on their own (without Dr.'s help) and has any suggestions I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[Junkie781]

Hi There. Only you can decide if leaving or staying is the best option. You're married. 'nuff said about that.

The addiction *can* be beat, but he must really want to beat it and must be committed to quitting. The first course of action, if possible, would be to consult a physician, but if that's not something he or you are comfortable with, then I suggest you look up "The Thomas Recipe" for opiate withdrawal and follow that....it's posted on this message board in a few places, so it might work if you were search this forum for it.....

Let me just say this too: I am a junkie's junkie. I was taking a LOT more drugs for a LOT longer time than your husband and I was able to quit, cold turkey, a little over 6 weeks ago, but it was very, very difficult.

As for the job, he should probably claim he has the flu or gastroenteritis or something like that and try to schedule the withdrawal around a weekend so he can have like Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (for example) to get through the withdrawals.....

I hope some others will pop in here and offer their thoughts as well. Good luck.

[jmorri2nd]

Their is hope i to was using norcos vicodin and morphine 20 to 30 pills a day for 8 years i found out about a drug called suboxone and belive me the drug works i had to go through withdraws for a easy eight hours and in a matter of a half hour the withdraws were over and the cravings for the other drugs were gone. good luck

[Normankay]

The good thing about suboxone too, is that once you find a doctor that will prescribe it for your husband he will be able to get a months worth. I know that doesnt sound like much, but for instance if you go to a clinic for suboxone, youd end up having to go to the clinic daily for the suboxone. Also part of getting on suboxone is waiting till the withdrawls kick in from when he takes his last lortab, then you take prescribed amount of suboxone and within the hour the withdrawls from the lortab will disipate to almost nothing. This is also something he could do in as little as a weekend and be ready for work by monday, or do it in as little as a day. While on suboxone he to will not be able to feel the effect of lortab if he tried to sneak and take some because the suboxone will block lortabs effects. This will save you and your family a lot of money, esp if he is spending thousands of dollars on it a month like you say. You guys would only be spending about 200 dollars a month which will save you a lot of money in the end. I too spent around a thousand dollars or more when I was on opiates and just thinking about how much you could have saved instead of spending money on pills almost makes me sick. If he goes the cold turkey route it will be a lot harder and maybe not able to get back to work as quick. Atleast with suboxone he should stabalize and be normal enough to work without withdrawl hesitation. He will eventually have to withdrawl from suboxone, but if he tapers with the suboxone enough, the withdrawl effects should be minimilized a little more than if he went cold turkey from the lortab. If you have any other questions, there are plenty of us here that are willing to give you suggestions for you. Marriage with someone who has an opiate addiction would be dibilitating and I understand how you may feel. I too was once in your husbands position with a wife that was there for me in the roughest times. I now can tell how much not being on opiates has changed towards me, as well as how much damage I did to her while on pills. Its like she has a will to live back and I didnt realise how much I must of strained her to near insanity with my addiction, literally. What she tells me life was like is saddening, if I could take it all back I would. I am so greatful she stuck by my side and owe her imensly, it almost seems impossible to pay her back what she has done for me and how much she has helped me. It made me see how strong women are, guys don't deal with emotions as good as women do and well I am rambling now, but she and my kids are a big part of what helped me get clean. So if you have the strength stand by him, I know it can be hard for you, and probably emotionally is harder for you.

[Survivor23]

Originally Posted by JENN_need_answers

I've never done this, but I really need help. My husband has been addicted to lortab for about one year and cant kick his habit. He started abusing lortab last october (06), but I didnt find out until May (07), now he is taking 20-30 lortab 10's aday. I know that this is an outrageous amount and I can tell that it is taking a toll on his body. He wants to quit very bad, but he cant seem to handle the withdraws. He has insomnia, sweats, fevers, chills, aches and pains, vomiting, etc. His addiction is controlling our lives. We fight about this everyday because I know he is killing himself and it is costing us thousands of dollars a month (he is not prescribed them). I get so fed up with the excuses and I'm ready to leave him, but on the other hand I love him so much and want to help him. He can't go to rehab because of his work. He has a great job and no one would ever suspect that he is abusing drugs. I dont know what to do. Should I leave? Should I stay? What can I do to help? Will he ever be normal again? If any one has beat this addiction on their own (without Dr.'s help) and has any suggestions I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Would you mind if I PMed you? You need to change your settings so I am able to. On this thing I always talk about myself, but if I wrote on here what I want to write to you and someone in my family/town would KNOW FOR SURE that it was me, because well they just would. Let me know if you want me to write you.

[mpvt]

I agree that suboxone is the way to go. Goto suboxone.com and get a list of prescribing doctors in your area and start phoning for an appointment.He should be able to do a 6 week detox with the suboxone since he was only taking hydrocodone and was abusing for a year or so.These are actually pluses for him as he hasn't gone into heavy addiction yet.Good luck.....Dave