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About Eric Brandt
Expertise
I am a practicing pharmacist.On my drug information website, I have answered hundreds of questions to date. The articles posted on my site include Parkinson`s disease. depression, menopause, diabetes, sleep and aging, congestive heart failure, calcium channel blockers, thyroid hormone replacement therapy, ADHD, multiple sclerosis an more.
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I have experience in retail as well as hospital pharmacy pracice. Currently working in a hospital pharmacy. I am experienced in drug information. Over the last 6 years I have developed a successful web site for drug information.
The addressfor my drug information website is http://www.druginformation.bc.caThere you can read articles on varios areas of health interest. You can also leave me questions which I will personally answer. I also have a free health information newsletter called The Caplet. To subscribe send e-mail to
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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Pharmacology > Pharmacy > vicodin dependency?
Expert: Eric Brandt
Date: 5/9/2008
Subject: vicodin dependency?
Question
Dear Dr. Brandt,
I am scheduled for day surgery in a couple of weeks for hemmorhoids and a partially prolapsed rectum. (I am 36 years old, in excellent health otherwise, and have 4 small children). They will be sending me home post-op with some prescription pain meds, presumably percoset or vicadin, as I have been told to anticipate quite an uncomfortable recovery.
I will only take pills if I am in a lot of pain, but assuming I need to use them, how easy is it to build up a dependency on them? How many times per day is it "normal" to take them? Will it be possible to care for a 2 and 4-year-old child while on such medication (I am sure driving is out of the question)? I hope these are not dumb questions, but I have never taken any kind of controlled substance before and do not want to harm myself by overdoing it. However, I do not enjoy pain and will want to use them for relief. Please advise!
Answer
Hi Marie,
I sympathize with regarding not enjoying pain and I am in favor of pain relif. Depencey on opiods can occur depending on the persons personality. Short term use, a few days, will not likely lead to dependence. I would say 3 or 4 times a day only if needed for up tp one week is safe. As for caring for your childre, driving should be avoided while taking these. Other caring functions depend on how you respond to the medications. Since you are opioid naive, I recommend you have another adult with you as a backup should you need it.
The first time a took a Tylenol #3 and tried to pick up a crying baby, I felt like the room was spinning abd I was going to drop my son. Fortunately my wife was near by and took over. That has been my experience, but yours maybe different. Try to avoid taking these strong pain meds unless absolutely necessary.
Thank you for using Allexperts
Sincerely,
Eric Brandt, B.Sc. Pharm
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