am i an addict

i broke up with my boyfriend a few months ago and i have been taking ambien and tramadol to help me get through it. it's very hard and the pills really help. am i an addict? i don't take a lot of medicine but it seems have to take more and more for it to be effective.

adamsgirl...

I had the same problem. When I was taking sleeping pills I took both ambien and another one, and I don't know if it was that they weren't working hardly anymore or if it was me wanting to be numb.

How long have you been taking these and how often are you increasing your dose? Are you talking to your pdoc about this? Maybe he/she can find something that wll replace and be a bit stronger so you don't have to increase your dose. I am not sure...just ideas.

I know I have struggled with taking more than supposed to for many years when either just want to numb out or don't care anymore...do you know what I mean?

Please keep us updated on how things are going...and please be careful on increasing your dose without your pdoc knowing or someone professional knowing. When I finally told my pdoc about what I was taking he said that i could have easily od'd if I wouldn't have stopped...so am not saying this is going to happen to you, just please be careful.

Please remember this is just my opinion as well.

Another thing are you seeing a therapist or anyone about what happened with your bf?

Take care
Jen

i start seeing a new therapist and pdoc tomorrow. i am sort of afraid to tell my doc about my overuse of the ambien and tramadol. i am afraid they will take me off of it and i feel like i need them. my heart has been completely shattered by the loss of my relationship and the pills are the how i get through the day.

Hon,

Please be honest with them right up front. Being honest up front will be the best for all involved. They may take you off them and they may not. They may find something better for you out there and probably less addictive if you feel you are addicted to it. I am not sure how long you have been taking more than prescribed or if you get a high from it? Do you feel you need more just to fall asleep or does it do something else for you?
Please discuss this with them and please be open. I know how scary that is, but being honest up front will be in the best interest of you. Hopefully they can find something that can help with the depression and the sleep issues.
But this is just my opinion.
Please let me know how it goes.
Take care and good luck,
Jen

Hello, adamsgirl. jen gave you some good advice. Another concern is if the psychiatrist gives you another medication thinking you are taking the prescribed dose for the medications you have, there could be a problem.

Good luck.

well my doctors appt was postponed until next monday so i will just have to manage til then

So, how ru feeling today? I know that its hard2get over a relationship sometimes. How old ru? How long have u been taking these pills for? U have to be honest when u go2ur pdoc Monday. U don't want2have a harmful drug interaction&end up in worse shape. Ru taking these pills throughout the day or just@night2sleep? For a while I took ambien during the day to feel high but it ended up causing me2have MORE emotional probs. Just be careful&good luck@your appointment next week. Be honest so they can help u. Tell them everything you're feeling so they can help find something that helps u.
(((((((Hugs))))))

I do not think you are an adict, but there is always the possibility of you becoming a adict.
The thing about pills is, they can help us in many ways, in all kinds of situations.
My dad has tooken Tramadol for about 2 years now, and he cannot give them up, he is addicted to them, even though there non-narcotict.

If I were you I would stop while you can, because once you get used to taking them all the time, there hard to give up.

Are these pills perscribed to you from a doctor?

yes my pills are prescribed and i am trying to stop taking them. i did not take the tramadol yesterday and i actually survived the day. thanks for all the good advice.

Best wishes, adamsgirl.

I started taking ambien when I was 18 & started on a low dosage of .5 mg. I immediately loved the high it gave me & in fact did become extremely addicted over the years. before I gave them up, I was taking between 40 & 60 mg just to enjoy my high before laying down to fall asleep... it even became so bad that I had to have my mom, boyfriend, & later my ex-husband moniter them for me & even hide them from me. I'm sure you know that temporary amnesia is a key side effect of ambien? I used to take my dosage, stay up to enjoy the high, then forget that I took them & take them again... which actually landed me in the hospital once because of an OD. that's an extremely scary experience to go through. I don't see you as an addict as of now, but I see you as heading down that path. I have far too many bad ambien experiences to list, but I guess my realization of my ambien addiction set in when people were having to tell me about all of the stupid, idiotic & embarrassing things I would do... oh, and mixing them with alcohol? definitely listen to your pill bottle lable on that one...