(MCT) — I've got this herniated disk thing going — not my usual topic of conversation — except the pain-killing pills and patches are showing me how easy it is to become addicted to the euphoric state of narcotic meds.
As the drugs do their thing, I start to zone out, relax, feel instantly "high."
I don't crave that narcotic high. Sipping a couple of martinis is one thing — the atmosphere, the conversation, even the olives add to the ambience of a pleasant experience.
But a couple of martinis do not make me instantly woozy. I'm reasonably confident I couldn't become what author Joshua Lyon calls a "Pill Head," title of his new book.
This is a compelling, terrific read, and I rarely endorse books. It's a heart-breaker, a personal memoir of a GenX addict who is part of the new generation of pill poppers.
And it even reaches out to the 50-plus crowd, pointing out that grandparents need to worry they can become the drug sources for grandchildren.
Now, Lyon is 35 and his pain-killing addiction comes from the instant drug reaction. GenXers, he says, are turning to Vicodin, Percocet and related medications long used by seniors for the legitimate purpose of stifling pain.
"My argument with painkillers is jerks like me abuse them so they should be harder to get," Lyon tells me. "But it should be OK for the elder people to get them. Except of course they are able to destroy your liver."
Michael Jackson's death and revelations about his addictions should make it obvious more restrictions are needed on pain-killing meds, Lyon says.
And he acknowledges physicians are "smarter about prescribing these drugs just for the people who need them."
Which is why these kids are stealing meds from their grandparents, he says.
"Kids who would never do heroin will take oxycontin and think it's safe," Lyon says. "They crush the tablets and snort them for a full rush and high."
Grandparents need to hide the pills, he says. Even lock them up, if that's an option.
"Now I don't blame the docs for prescribing these meds," he says. "I don't think docs are feeding us poison. But good medicine, you know, can still cause bad behavior."
How can you tell if someone is addicted to these pain pills? Particularly a senior who can go "doc shopping," getting prescriptions from several sources?
Lyon, who has done his share of rehab, says there are some outward signs like constricted pupils, memory loss, inability to finish sentences and itching. "Itching is a common side effect from these pills," he says.
The problem, for seniors, lies in self-medicating some form of depression.
"People do build up a tolerance for these medications," Lyon says. "Even with legitimate pain, you have to take more and more of the medication.
And, while at a certain point in life, living without pain is certainly a goal, there also is a problem when seniors deny themselves a full clarity of life."
Muddled thinking from opiates. Not a good thing.
So, did I tell you I have this herniated disk thing going? And that I take an opiate-based pain killer until the doc gets an epidural or related treatment to work?
And my med is suddenly one of the favored drugs of choice by teens and others looking for a quick high.
Maybe I need to switch pills?
Maybe I need to go to a detox center, Lyon says. "Don't stop cold turkey or your body will go into withdrawal," he says.
A detox center? Not after five days of meds, I suggest.
"Oh, you're not addicted yet," Lyon says.
I'm sighing with relief. Not from physical pain but mental anguish.
My grandchildren are too young to be poppers — yet.
So I'm conflicted. Do I throw the pills away? If I'm pain-free, am I on the road to becoming a pill head?
When did feeling good start making us feeling bad?
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.