I have had my lower back from L-2 all the way to S-1 fused with Titanium Rods and screws. I ve had long problems getting to this point, including breaking one of the rods and going for 2 weeks before the DR. believed me that something was wrong and that I felt something snap and it dropped me to the floor. But long story short, I have been on major pain medications since 2003 when I had my 1st surgery to present due to major nerve damage and Disc, Vertebrae Fusion and Rod Breakage. So the Point I am tap dancing around is how do you know if I am doing damage to my body because of opiates and if they are doing damage to my Kidneys or Liver. When I wake up in the morning I hurt all over but my hip area around the side from front to back hurt so bad its all I can do to walk, Now I m not going to lie, the medications no longer do anything for the pain. I am taking 100 mg Morphine Sulfate 3 times a day and Hydrocodone 4 times a day for break through pain. But it doesn t work and my Pain Management Dr. says they can t increase the strength of the Medications. So over the last few yrs. I have had to take my Morphine and the break through at the same time, then it just kept getting worse and worse to where I now am to the point to where I have to hold all the break through and the morphine (4)+(3) ea. night all at once just to get the pain under control enough that I can get 3-4 hrs of sleep at night. and yes I have to suck on them for aprox an hr. to get the gross coating off them before I can crush them up and chew them so that I can even get them to stop the pain. Now I don t do this every night it started when I was trying to slowly ween myself off them and so when I didn t need to take a morphine pill I would sash it away, and over time I have stashed over 30 to 40 pills that I haven t needed, and those I don t touch, but if I have a bad day and I hurt bad then I take that days pills when needed. so its going both ways I m not taking them all every day but when I hurt that bad it takes that much just to get the pain under control and the Dr. says that because of the Opiates are being strictly under control by the government which I can understand but what do you do with the people that really hurt and need something for the pain just leave them curled up in a ball crying because it so painful. and I live in a state that Marijuana is illegal and am also a 100% Disabled Army Veteran, so that is strike number 2, because they drug test every 6 months. so I can t try to self medicate that way even if that would help, so many people in my situation say that it does. and I am worried that I am damaging my body, doing it the way I am, and could possibly O.D. and I don t want that by any means but its the fine line I have to walk because I can t get the help that I need. please keep this anonymous I could loose my benefits with the VA if they get wind that I have to do this to get my pain under control even if its for only a couple of hrs of pain free sleep.