you can get addicted to painkillers when in pain. that should be pretty obvious. my grandpa is on painkillers because of some kind of chronic pain (unclear origin), and they demand that he has a few days off the painkillers every once in a while, it is very bad for him but I think they do it so he won't get addicted/build up tolerance. but that's no excuse to not take them at all especially when they are needed! I'm sorry OP! perhaps you can get them yourself?

medfly: Sounds like your grandpa needs to get into a better pain management center. I've had chronic pain for 5 years, most of that time with an "unclear origin", and I'm way younger than the average chronic pain survivor. All of that would make docs more nervous about tolerance and addiction issues, but I've never been told to take a few days off, ie live in EXCRUCIATING pain, to prevent it. And I've been in some very highly regarded pain management programs. I've actually chosen to do that myself a few times to delay switching or upping a dosage, but to HAVE to do it is ridiculous. Poor guy :( I've heard something like the whole "you can't get addicted when your body is in pain," but I think that's a misstatement. You can get addicted, but it's difficult because your body doesn't get the "high" escapist feeling as easily when you need the pain relief. Chronic pain addicts are indeed rare— as I said earlier, only about 2-9% abuse their medications— but tolerance and opiate-induced hyperalgesia are always concerns.

Jane, that reminds me, you never pm'd me when I asked about your chronic pain... not trying to be nosy at all, I was just curious because my mom has chronic pain issues.

Oxycontin is the drug that's called "hillybilly heroin", not Percocet.

if that's true, you'd know that oxycontin is an opiate, a derivative of the poppy plant (like heroin) and that percocet (oxycodone) is an opioid, which is a synthetic compound made to act like an opiate, and is mixed with acetaminophen. percocet is not heroin, oxycontin is much closer to that in chemical composition.

Also, if that were true, I'm sure they would know that "heroine" is not a drug...

Oxycontin and Percocet both contain Oxycodone. Percocet just has less Oxycodone and it contains acetaminophin.

oh i know ill be ok i had 6 pulled out the day before i got my braces on to make room but it just really ******* sucks

That happened to me on the first day. I keep throwing up. Which caused more bleeding. I am glad it was only the first day though.