So I was addicted to a drug unintentionally

Kalmah

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2003
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For 2 years.

At some point ~2 years ago I started getting migraines. I started dousing them with exedrin. It worked for a while. Then I started to feel dizzy every day.. I felt high.. my head was numb all of the time.. slurred speech. I spent the last 2 years suffering from these things.. not leaving the house because of them. I was afraid to drive because I blacked out or nearly did all of the time. I stopped socializing for at least a year because I was in able to focus or think clearly. It's kind of hard to have a conversation when you feel like your head is floating you know?

I became unemployed before it got too bad because where I worked closed. I was afraid to sleep at night because I was afraid I wasn't going to wake up.. I would lie down and basically hallucinate until I fell asleep.

I thought it was all tied to a head injury that I had as a child.

I think I lost my gf due to this because I spent half a year with my face in a pillow.

A couple days ago I stopped taking excedrin.. I made a thread about it actually. My headache has been gone ever since.. no dizzyness or feeling like I'm high.

So, I'm assuming I became addicted to the excedrin.. I would wake in the morning and since my body didn't have any excedrin I would start to get a headache.. so then I would take excedrin to get rid of it.. A vicious cycle.

Why didn't I think of this sooner? I practically ruined my life because of this.

Now if I could only get my ex back *sigh*
 

l0cke

Diamond Member
Dec 12, 2005
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In before "This explains all of your posts for the last two years"
 

Q

Lifer
Jul 21, 2005
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Pretty sure that's not good to take Excedrin everyday for 2 years.
 
Oct 27, 2007
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Doesn't sound like addiction to me, it sounds like you have no problems quitting. From your description it sounds more like you were getting some nasty side effects of a drug.
 

bobdole369

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2004
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Excedrin has caffeine. A physically addictable substance (is that a word LOL)

How'd the quitting smoking go?
 

Kalmah

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2003
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Yeah, I wasn't addicted.. I just was in a vicious cycle of taking it and it was poisoning me.

Also, It did work.. it worked for like 5 months.. I didn't know what else to do after it seemed to not work quite as well other than to keep taking it.
 

Reliant

Diamond Member
Mar 29, 2001
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I'd worry about my stomach and liver more than anything after taking so much.
 

Kalmah

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2003
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Excedrin has caffeine. A physically addictable substance (is that a word LOL)

How'd the quitting smoking go?

I failed. :\

I went from a pack down to about 4 smokes a day though. I lasted the entire first day without a single cigarette.. The second day I was reading morning news and lit one up without even thinking about it. Then when I was putting it out I was like, "Shit!!! I'm not suppose to do this!"... it went down hill from there.

I should have hid the damn things from myself. I'm about to make a second attempt though. This time I'm removing all tobacco from the premises.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
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Why didn't I think of this sooner? I practically ruined my life because of this.

My first thought, after reading your first few lines. Sad story, bro :(
I think after a while I would've stopped and gone to see a doctor, or at least tried another pain medication (acetominophen, aspirin, ibuprofen).

Is your ex still single? Go back and have a chat with her, maybe you can explain the circumstances.
 

bobdole369

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2004
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it went down hill from there.

As it usually does. You won't be able to "cut down" and anything more than zero will quickly increase back to your normal amount. There is no positive side to relapse, no excuse for going back to killing yourself. Yes - as a former or ex-smoker I'm a fucking hardass and asshole to smokers now.

This time I'm removing all tobacco from the premises.

This.

It made it much simpler for me. Without access and also I would have had to explain to my SO who was also quitting at the same time where I was going LOL, and why I smelled like smoke.

I should have hid the damn things from myself.

Just chuck em. Now you have that first day to go through again. Each one you smoke brings you closer to disease and inability to quit.
 
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Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
23,720
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Excedrin is Aspirin, Tylenol, and Caffeine all in one tablet.

It's the Tylenol (acetaminophen) that's most worrying. Caffeine and aspirin are relatively safe for most people, though obviously you would want to consult with your doctor before taking any medication for that long, especially in combination like that.
 
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bobdole369

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2004
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Good job on breaking free and improving your life. Lets hope you can get rid of the more dangerous monkey on your back.
 

MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
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OP, that sucks. I take ibuprofen probably too much for chronic pain as well as self medicating with alcohol. It hasn't caused any serious problems though everyone's different.

I would recommend some kind of counseling though if the physical problems have caused or exacerbated mental/social problems. People are complex and physical health is intimately related to mental health. Changes in one definitely affect the other. Counseling can provide tools to better your life.
 

SirStev0

Lifer
Nov 13, 2003
10,449
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It's the Tylenol (acetaminophen) that's most worrying. Caffeine and aspirin are relatively safe for most people, though obviously you would want to consult with your doctor before taking any medication for that long.
I agree. I was merely posting that because it wasn't mentioned yet.

As far as I know, none have been linked with addiction. And tylenol is even more fun because it MOA is still undetermined. The whole COX-3 inhibitor claim is largely assumption as COX-3 has never been conclusively shown to truly exist nor has acetametaphen been shown to somehow affect this or the products it may or may not produce.

Where as Aspirin and NSAIDS like ibuprofen have been shown to inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 (which have also been found to truely exist) and lower the amount of their products PGI2 and TXA2
 

Kalmah

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2003
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It's amazing now.. I don't have to plan my day tomorrow based on how bad my headache is going to be. It may sound weird, but after doing that for a couple years..

No chance in getting the ex back. She gave me no reason for breaking up with me other than 'wanting to be alone'.. I was forced to move 6 hours South back to my mom's house and am still looking for a job. She has ignored every phone call and text ever since. I havn't talked to her since the day that I left about 5 months ago. I think she changed her number and her friends wont answer my calls either. If she only knew...

There was nothing wrong between us. No fighting or anything. I'm guessing she just got bored with me being retarded because of all this. She wants to go out, all that I can do stick my face in a pillow due to agonizing head pain. She is really really strong willed. I believe she cut me off completely because she thinks it would be the best for me.

Now that I have myself back.. I can't really do anything about it. Maybe send her a letter. I don't know.
 

Kalmah

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2003
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OP, that sucks. I take ibuprofen probably too much for chronic pain as well as self medicating with alcohol. It hasn't caused any serious problems though everyone's different.

I would recommend some kind of counseling though if the physical problems have caused or exacerbated mental/social problems. People are complex and physical health is intimately related to mental health. Changes in one definitely affect the other. Counseling can provide tools to better your life.

I've had some really bad social anxiety because if my inablilty to function for the last couple years. I think it's time for me to hit up a bar or a club now and see what happens.

Feels like my life is about to start over. :)
 

Aluvus

Platinum Member
Apr 27, 2006
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Then I started to feel dizzy every day.. I felt high.. my head was numb all of the time.. slurred speech. I spent the last 2 years suffering from these things.. not leaving the house because of them. I was afraid to drive because I blacked out or nearly did all of the time.

So 2 years of intense pain and frequent blackouts, and it never occurred to you to talk to a doctor?

Am I in a parody thread?
 

Aluvus

Platinum Member
Apr 27, 2006
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I think it's time for me to hit up a bar or a club now and see what happens.

After taking that much acetaminophen for so long, you should get your liver functionality checked before you even think about drinking any alcohol. Hell, you should just do it to confirm you aren't dying.