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[roseross]

The stupid, stupid kidney stone still hasn't gone on its merry way. I've been following instructions and drinking three quarts of water a day but it's taking its own sweet time to move on. Last two days were identical, so I guess I can anticipate the same today. Wake up in wee hours of the morning feeling queasy. Keep myself occupied till about

Comments

[kisekileia]

I may be wrong here, but my understanding is that while people who use opiates for pain on a long-term basis (e.g. for cancer) can develop tolerance, the risk of actually being unable to go off opiates if you're taking them for time-limited pain is low. I think it's more people who take opiates for lifelong conditions (e.g. arthritis, fibromyalgia), who end up addicted. Did the doctors give you a time frame for how long passing the kidney stone is likely to take?

[roseross]

Alas, no estimate on how long it might take. I'd assumed less than week.

You're probably right about the opiates. I guess I'd rather be safe than sorry but if I don't have to squirm in the evening, that would be good. Well, since I'm down to taking a half pill, maybe I'll splurge tonight. :-)

[kisekileia]

I was on opiates for five weeks last summer/fall for a broken foot that didn't heal properly, and while I was just taking Tylenol 3 for most of that time, I was taking it every four hours, and I had zero difficulty going off it. I just stopped taking it when the pain got better--no withdrawal whatsoever.

If you have no history of addiction or substance abuse, your odds of getting addicted to oxycodone from one week of use are probably virtually zero. I would take as many pills as you need to relieve the pain, and call the doctor back if you don't pass the stone in the next few days.