Hi--I took Vicodin and other pain medications for four years for back pain and you're exactly right. It gradually takes larger and larger doses to take care of the pain and you become dependent on it.

It took me six months last year to feel like I was over the effects of the withdrawal. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, so I caution you to take the Vicodin only when you really need it.

If you didn't have withdrawal symptoms when you quit taking it, then maybe your body might already be reset.

First of all, you are not taking 1000mg. The 1000mg is the amount of Acetaminophen you are taking in. Assuming you have 5mg Hydrocodone/500mg Ace pills, you are taking two at a time correct?

Opiate tolerance develops pretty quickly, if you are not getting the same effect due to using it daily and increased tolerance then just bump up your dose. Or you could talk to your doctor and get something different like Percocets (oxycodone) or hydromorphone if its really that bad pain.

Thank you for that good information. I am definitely not taking it everyday. You are correct on the dosage information. I guess I would be dead if I took that much hydrocodine! I guess I just want to be able to take the medicine ONLY when I am in pain enough to warrant it. I know that my definition of enough pain has surely been exaggurated. I was just curious of how long it will take my body to respond and be out of pain with a normal dose.

I am taking Oxycotin and Oxycodone for severe chronic back pain and I will say this. The two most worst side effects I can't stand are the felling of being drunk but not really drunk and my vision toward the late afternoon into early morning start to go crazy. All the letters start running into each other.
As with any narcotic (take as directed only) the long your on it the harder it is to get off without withdrawl. From what I hear, I'll be on it for a while. The ehealth gang can come see me in rehab when the time comes to get off.

Thank you MsCarrie and I do wish you good luck with your back. My husband has a bad back and from time to time his flares up. My plan is absolutely not to take the vicodin unless I really need it. I'm having some implants and sinus lift surgery in early February and that was what I was really worried about - not having the pain pills effective, or having to take mega doses before they work.

Take Care

Thank you MsCarrie and I do wish you good luck with your back. My husband has a bad back and from time to time his flares up. My plan is absolutely not to take the vicodin unless I really need it. I'm having some implants and sinus lift surgery in early February and that was what I was really worried about - not having the pain pills effective, or having to take mega doses before they work.

Take Care

Just try and understand not to wait untill your pain threshold get to high before you take something. Talk to your doctor about it and see what he says. Never let you pain get so out of control the medication does not work. I usually take my breakthrough when my pain is about a 3 on a scale of 1-10. If I'm at a 5, too late. Your dortor should advice you the best way to space them out to get the best relief benifit from a smaller dose.
And yes, the above poster are correct. The longer you are on any narcotic pain medication the stronger of a dose you will need due to the fact you system becomes immune to the previouc does and says "I can't help you, I need more".

Not really "immune".... But yes, you build a tolerance. Your body becomes adjusted to such a regular dose that it almost loses the effect that it had on you at lower doses.

Thanks - I kind of thought that was the case. My insurance company has cut me off of vicodin. Thank goodness I get the generic so it's not that expensive.

I feel I kind of abused it for a while. I have periperial neuropathy from the chemotherapy drug Oxaliplatin that I was on a couple of years ago for colon cancer. It causes my hands and feet to feel like they are being pricked. Even though I know that nerve pain is hard to treat, I took the vicodin to try and relax me. Instead of taking 1 500 mg dose, I took 1000 mg. I used to get pretty sick with codeine, but this didn't make me sick. Anyway I guess I really used it for purposes other than what it is really for - Pain!!! So now I'm paying for it's overuse. Hopefully by not taking it much, when and if I do need it, I won't have to take mega doses.

Thanks again.