My best friend's husband suffers from either Bio-Polar disorder or is manic depressive. He took Rx. Meds. for a while and didn't like them, now he has decided to treat himself with marijuana and Loritab. I'm not that concerned about the marijuana, but what really bothers me is that my friend doesn't seemed too concerned about all the loritab her husbands taking, 2 to 5 a day she thinks and she's not sure of the milligrams. I mean in her shoes I would be terribly concerned. I think she is just enjoying him being much more pleasant to be around. I mean I've even noticed how much nicer and easy going he is, but certainly this is not the way to self medicate.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew of a website specifically dealing with the dangers of over using pain medication, specifically loritab. I would like to be able to give her some information that would make her realize he needs to stop, I mean scare her if necessary, anything to make her realize what a big deal this really is. She's not a stupid person and I can't understand why she is allowing this to go on, with little or no concern for what this is or could do to him.

Thank you.

Lortabs contain hydrocodone (the same ingredient in Vicodin) and are opioids, i.e., true narcotics with potential for addiction as well as serious side-effects, including cessation of breathing. It's bad enough to take pain pills for pain, but to use opioids just for the euphoria is truly foolhardy.

I looked on drugs.com and found this Lortab pill identification guide (you have to type in "Lortab"). More info is here: hydrocodone with acetaminophen. Here's another link: drug-addiction.com. There seem to be many treatment centers, though I can't vouch for any.

They're lucky to have you for a friend. Good luck.

Here are a couple of reports from the National Institute on Drug Abuse / National Institutes of Health. I have included the one on marijuana because we have become so accustomed to it that we have forgotten its dangers.

Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction

Marijuana Abuse

Another hydrocodone link

The number of Lortab the friend is taking is consistent with a prescription. Prescriptions are usually for short periods of time to avoid abuse and dependency.

I see you are in SC. Anywhere near York County, or within driving distance to treatment in Charlotte? Here is an excellent place:

McCleod Center

There is also a place in Gastonia if you are in the Upstate SC area and can get there.

Dr. Jonnie McLeod, for whom the center is named, is a family friend and remarkable lady.

Blue, once again, I say psychiatry is an art form, not a science. This guy's doctor failed to help him with real psychological issues and left him to 'self medication'. This creates many illegal drug addicts that went for professional help, but got no help at all.

From word told to me, not any nursing experience, pain killers are a nightmare of addiction. You almost can't get off of this and end up at some methadone clinic to live as something like the dead.

Pain killers are illegal, unless you have the script. The only alternative is a methadone clinic. My son's friend's mom ended up there, living among the dead. I have talked to this kid, for understanding. He is bluntly honest, but a small dose person. He ran the house, not his mother. His father is dead. He definitely has serious attitude problems.

Any member, please enlighten us, but the two most horrible drug withdrawals are pain meds and benzos. Pain meds win! With benzos, you can taper, but methadone clinics only up your dose because of drug tolerance which really put them in a serious withdraw.

Everyone seems to think addiction is a choice. Well, I guess it is a choice between a drug that makes you somewhere close to ok or so drug sick you will wish you were dead.

No one seems to understand addiction. Addicts fear drug withdrawal more than death. You cannot reason with addicts telling them their life will be better if they just don't take the addictive drug of choice. They are far from ok and may actually die, if at home, while people think this is a choice of wanting to be wasted.

If you really want to help this family, this guy need help beyond what you can give. You cannot understand him. He cannot describe his addiction to you in a way that you could ever understand.

I would bet this guy really does love his family, but drug sick can actually kill you with pain killer addiction. He will be a screwed up disaster for a long time, with drug rehab. He needs time and something realistic that he can deal with. That is expensive and not easy to find.

This is another example of our health care professionals not understanding their own chosen profession, human psychology. Blame our own American culture. We all want a cure for physical problems, while ignoring the real problems all of deal with, stress overload and no valid treatment.

This isn't right. Your friend's husband need real help, not abandonment. If he honestly thought there was a realistic way of helping him, he would never buy street drugs. That is reality and it sucks!

Not a single American is willing to admit any psychological flaw, so it really is a demand topic. No one cares about an addict or a person with psychological problems that cannot cope. It is the American Way!