My neuro chucked three sample boxes at me to try stating 'I suppose we need to address your pain issues'. And that was it! I've done my research and still don't really 'trust' this med.
Think I'll just stick with my pain killers.
And talk to my lovely pharmacist.
And keep asking questions here.
And hope for the best.

Bad neuro! what a horrible way to introduce someone to a medicine! we want answers! we want to know why this works, how it works, how long will i be on it, why do I need to add another pill...the list goes on! BAD NEURO! no wonder you are worried about taking this pill.

I've tried Lyrica but it was ineffective.

But to answer your question - absolutely not. I would never take something I could become addicted to. Well, never again, if beer and cigarettes count...

Tom

I am addicted to Klonopin, although the dose I take is very small, less than the child's dose. I had to start it because I was addicted to meprobamate, a much worse drug for people with Porphyria, and could not get off it in a whole year's trying to cut back. Finally the doc said let's go cold turkey onto Klonopin and you can stop Mepro. Yes, that worked, no more Mepro. Mepro was a very very bad drug for Porphyria but it controlled abdominal spasm and allowed me to work. Now looking back I would not have tried to work if it meant taking that drug...but that was a drug which was bad for me, while Klonopin is actually not so bad. My dose is 3/4 of a .5 pill a day, divided into 3 doses, and that's very small, but I have found that if I stop completely I get rigid...and it's not worth it.
I can only take Demerol for pain but I am very far from addicted. If I am not in serious pain it never even crosses my mind to take Demerol. I make a prescription last so long the doctor thinks it's funny. But I need it if I get into serious pain, as I can take nothing else, because I have porphyria. Oh, I can take aspirin but it makes my stomach hurt really badly.
There are other pills that I could stop without side effects, and thus I'm not addicted, but I would have symptoms of the problem for which I take the pill. I take a "water pill,"
Diazide, to control swelling. If I don't take it I would swell. Possibly I could avoid swelling if I reduced my salt intake to almost zero, but that would have other deleterious effects.
I guess the only addiction I have is Klonopin but I am not even sure that's an addiction because what happens when I quit it is spasticity and tremor and I may be just controlling the spasticity and tremor with it. Who knows?
My doctors don't discuss these things with me either, just say that I'm doing fine on what pills I take.
My one really bad addiction was Meprobamate, which they encouraged me to keep taking for about 14 years, and increased neurological burden so badly I had to get off it some way. It was a way to keep me out of abdominal pain and shut up. My husband encouraged me to take it. My son said I should stop it. My son was right. My doctors didn't much care until I just cried and cried because my symptoms had worsened very badly, including Optic Neuritis, dizziness, and emotional exhaustion.

isn't being addicted to something when the person "craves", enjoys or feels like they must have the X substance? For example - they take a pill to primarily feel the high or pleasurable sensation - not to simply control a body acting up in pain/twitching/etc.

Needing to take a medication (either sporadically or regularly) to control physical symptoms/issues is to me treating a medical problem. Taking something simply for the pleasurable feeling is addiction. *just my personal opinion*

You're sure right, Jane. But there are some meds which are really hard to get off of. I have heard Wellbutrin is one. Meprobamate was one for me. There are others. I know folks who took Wellbutrin and liked it up until a certain point, then wanted to stop, and had really severe withdrawal symptoms, nearly convulsions might be a word to use, although I can't recall if they used that word. This effect would happen even if the person wanted to quit the drug because the motivation for taking it had changed.

For me,all drugs have sufficient side effects, even the best ones, that I eventually want to quit them. Some are easy to quit. Others like pulling teeth.

I find it so hard to find a GP or a neuro who will even listen to me let alone help me!!! I think they see 'RN' on my notes and assume I'm drug seeking or whatever.
I never have ANY luck getting anything that might help me!!!!

And I realise the difference between addictive and dependent. I just don't want to have to reach for a pill that I know nothing about, even if it works.

How do you guys get the pills you want/need?

How do I get the pills I need/wish. I speak DIRECTYLY to the Neuro. I tell him, Look...my record looks less than clear I know, but I am really suffering, and I would like YOUR help in figuring this whole thing out. I know this is the type of disease that can bring out the drug seekers, and the whiners, but after walking a mile in their shoes I can see why! Can you help me? and that normally unlocks many closed doors and hearts.

Thanks Dej. I did try this approach with a new GP but my old records hadn't been transferred yet. He did however agree that I didn't look like a druggie and he gave me emergency endone and some tramadol. I think he might be a keeper once my records get there.

As for my neuro, well I had the Tysabri blood test so when that comes back with a yay or nay I'll get a transfer to someone else.
It was obvious he had no interest in my pain until I mentioned the 6 panadeine forte's a day I was on (not mentioning the tramal and the endone) and then he chucked the boxes my way.

combat misinformation with honesty. If YOU step forward and say HELP ME! I know what my record looks like, but please, help me fix this. Most will step off their hot rock and see YOU the person, not you the scribbles on a page.

Im glad your's is listening now.