This week we interviewed "Jenna", a 37 year old female who suffered from prescription drug addiction, stress, anxiety, and malnutrition. Her symptoms began approximately 11 years ago when she sought medical treatment for severe headaches and was prescribed Fioricet with Codeine. It was not long before she began taking the medication for stress and anxiety. She also learned that if she did not eat while taking the Fioricet, that the medication seemed to work better and the effect lasted longer.
Within several years of taking the Fioricet, she suffered from malnutrition; and other side effects of the drug included uncontrollable anger and anxiety and even occasional "black outs". In 2000, due to the side effects, she was taken off the Fioricet and prescribed Vicodin. This medication seemed to work for approximately one year until she slowly increased the dosage. At one point, she found herself taking 20 extra strength Vicodin per day.
In July of 2003, she realized the drug addiction had taken over her life and she was no longer able to control most aspects of everyday living. Fearing for her life, a family member recommended she seek treatment at a local Methadone Clinic and she took their advice. Fortunately, for"Jenna" this was the start of her recovery process.
The Methadone treatment was designed to be a gradual process and if dosages are decreased too fast, the side effects range from excessive sleepiness to extreme exhaustion and lack of appetite. In May of 2005, "Jenna" was admitted to the hospital for her drug addiction and was relieved when she was able to leave the hospital in just 2 days free of all prescribed medication. Within a few months after her treatment, she also learned that a medical condition she had been plagued with during her drug addiction had suddenly corrected itself.
Fortunately for "Jenna", she is finally able to experience a drug-free existence and she and her family could not be happier.
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