So I think I understand what's going on Mr. Campbell at this point. You really started off with this acute back pain that over time became chronic in nature and you said that it was consistent, always there radiating towards your butt off and really interfere with your ability to work, to do the things that you love to do like play tennis, to do your act or activities and working in the garden and things like that, and not really being able to take your wife out on dates and things like that. At first the oxycodone was helping you that you got from the first doctor, but it was tapered off very quickly. The second doctor said, "No. We don't do this anymore", and it sound they pushed in a situation where you start to buy the oxycodone from the streets, but it really just got too expensive and you switched over to the heroin and now you really feel you're backed into a corner where you don't want to use the heroin. That's not how you see yourself but at the same time it is helping your pain. Does that sound accurate? Yeah and that's right. I stopped the heroin and I'm buying the oxy again but that's why I'm seeing you. I want some professional help. I would like to get it prescribed and help me taper off. Yeah. Well I can definitely tell you Mr. Campbell that we're here to help and you've come to the right place and we can help you, okay? It will be important for me to just have a better understanding of your opioid use, okay? So I'm going to ask you some questions about that. You've mentioned that you would have to take larger doses of the oxycodone over a longer period of time. Is that true? Yeah. That's true. Yeah, and now that you're finding it more difficult to really cut down or control your opioid use? Well, like I said I stopped the heroine. Yeah. Even though it's costing me a ton of money a day, I went back and I'm buying the oxy. I'm it buying it on the street, but I'm trying to taper myself down. I don't like seeing myself as a heroin user. Right. I just wish I could get legally prescribed medication to help me with my back problem. Yeah and we will. Again I just need to make sure that I have a clear understanding of exactly what's going on. Do you feel you're spending a lot of time managing the pain and trying to get the opioids to buy that help you with your pain? Well the heroin was really problematic. Yeah. I found myself leaving the house to try to have to score during the day. Score. Of course I never told my wife that I was using heroin so I had to hide it. So in that way it's affecting interpersonal relationships because you have to hide from your wife what's really going on? Yeah. Just the money that I've spent over the years on it like I said it makes me sick. Yeah. We started. We argue a little about money and finances and I just don't like the way it makes me feel too. What about work? Are you having some problems in that area or? Well I'm having issues at work. I mean I have trouble not even just with motivation or even with concentration. Wow. Yeah. On top of the activities you had to give up that we already mentioned, yeah, your [inaudible] working in the yard. Well I had a situation at work. Okay. That was about a month ago. A bunch of us were in New York on a business trip. It's a week long convention and I was still using the heroin then, and I knew I was going to be away so I brought some with me. Strange city, I didn't want to be stuck without it and I didn't really know where I could reliably get it. Anyway, throughout the course of this week well I ran out. I ran out about midweek and another day or so. I started. I have had headaches and nauseous, sweating. So really those withdrawal symptoms. Diarrhea. I feel bad. I am ashamed. I told my boss I said, "Hey, I'm coming down with the flu and I have to go back home", and I [inaudible] again. Yeah. It's a wake-up call for me really. Yeah. I just wanted to take. That's why I started buying the oxy again because I figured it would be an easier way for me to taper down. Yeah. Now you're definitely describing what we call tolerance. Taking the medication for awhile and then when you don't have it, your body really does go into withdrawal what you are describing and it sounds too Mr. Campbell you we're having intense cravings for the opioids as well. It was pretty intense. Yeah. Yeah. Can I ask were there any situations that when you were using the opioids that you were driving or doing things or you put yourself in a hazardous situation or anything like that? Did I drive? Yeah. Of course I drove. Yeah. I had to drive. Yeah and what about any medical or psychiatric problems as a result of your opioid use? Like trouble concentrating or problems with your sleep. Things like that. Well I definitely have trouble sleeping. Just with the pain I've had trouble sleeping. Yeah. I have trouble concentrating at work. When I left that convention, I missed a couple of projects that came up there that I really wanted to work on and I feel bad about that, and I missed a couple of deadlines and yeah. There's a lot of stuff like that going. Yeah. So Mr. Campbell again I appreciate you being humble and honest with me, but I can definitely tell you at this point based on the information that we have so far, you'd definitely meet criteria for what's called a opioid use disorder. Okay? So what does that mean? Yeah. I know it's hard to hear disorder, that word, but basically means that you've lost control and you definitely don't want to be doing the things that you're doing, and as a result of the opioid use, you're not functioning at a place where you need to. How I'm supposed to manage my back pain without having some pain medication? Yeah. Now I hear you and again I'm here to help. So I'm on your side and I can only imagine how frustrating it is. One of the things that we can do is talk about some medications that not only will work for your back pain, but also for you losing control as a result of this opioid use disorder, okay? Some another pain medications? Again, these medications can be used for pain, but they are also used for when people are losing control as a result of their opioid use. So for you it would be really good because it can treat your chronic pain and also the loss of control that you've been having with getting the opioids.
