Addiction can happen to anybody, and quite often starts innocently.
If you saw me walking down the street, a white, middle-class guy in his 60s, I doubt you’d think I could be someone who was once addicted to opioids. But I was, and I’m sharing my story about this journey to help people understand that addiction can happen to anybody, and quite often starts innocently.
My primary care physician started my approach to pain management by referring me to physical therapy. Since I was also recently diagnosed with a minor case of spinal stenosis, the thinking was that this was the safest way to get on a path to relieve my pain. Next in line was getting a prescription to the popular pain medicine oxycodone. It, too, didn’t work. My doctor was left with no other solution other than to refer me to a pain doctor.
Relief, followed by dependence But the methadone worked. It even felt good. The pain was still present, but it had been reduced dramatically. The calming effect of the methadone was very pleasant at first. MiraLax also became my friend, since opioids are notorious for causing constipation. Overall, I was feeling much better and more able to think straight and get back to writing.
The neuropathy, of course, was still there, but not so prominent. I think, perhaps, I was simply getting used to the pain. The medical cannabis significantly diminishes the neuropathic pain temporarily and relaxes my entire body and mind. I still feel pain but I’m very happy to say that opioids are no longer a part of my life and that I finally have this under control.
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