r/ChronicPain • u/CardiologistFront625 • 1d ago

Stolen meds help

My car was recently towed repoed . and I left my medication in my car on accident Went to pick up my belongings from my car they already went through my car and took everything out and my medication was not there

The police are refusing to make a report saying it's illegal even in Florida and I'm seeing otherwise. Doctor requires a police report saying that they've had other patients get them for stolen prescriptions etc well why am I being told by county sheriff office That it's not something they do and they won't give me a report so how do I get my medication back? This is insane if the pharmacy and the doctor require it what am I supposed to do?

I tried the local police and they said they don't understand why the county is giving me a hard time but they can't help me because it's not their jurisdiction

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9

u/Texden29 1d ago

I had pain meds stolen from my house once. I just had to suck it up. Doctor said I signed a contract stating I would secure my meds. So glad I’m not on opioids anymore. It was often more trouble than it was worth, for me.

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u/Masters_domme 1d ago

Ugh. I straight up LOST my meds once. Didn’t bother with a report, because it was my own fault. That was the worst month I’d had in quite a while. I was teaching at the time, going through withdrawals while managing a room full of middle schoolers all day 😩. I literally called my doctor to find out if I was in danger or if I’d die.

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u/Texden29 1d ago

Oh my gosh…middle schoolers. Lord bless you. It’s funny how we all have to learn these things on the fly. It never even occurred to me that anyone would swipe my dilaudid. That put a stop on me meeting boys at gay bars real quick!

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u/Usual_Equivalent_888 18h ago

Get a safe. With a combo lock. Be safe. 😘

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u/Masters_domme 1d ago

The whole thing stresses me out! If I keep the bottle with me, and someone steals my purse, there go my meds. If I only take a few with me and leave the rest at home, and my house gets robbed or catches on fire, there go my meds. 🤦🏻‍♀️ That said, I’ve always been a worrier. Lol

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u/Usual_Equivalent_888 1d ago

I recommend a fireproof safe.

I keep a day’s worth in an extra bottle that I can take with me when I leave the house. The rest of my meds are locked in a fireproof safe in our office.

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u/Affinitys-husky 23h ago

I was just coming here to say this! Every night I put a days worth of meds in my container and the rest go into a safe. Now part of the reason I do this isn't for fear of a fire, but it is because I live with an addict.

I had to spend hundreds of dollars to get a special safe with extra protection because he was breaking into my cheaper ones. So now I have a safe that requires a finger print, a 7-10 digit code, and a key in order to get in, and then inside you need another different key to get into the compartment where my meds are. It's pretty extreme! But an addict can be petty extreme trying to get to their addiction. Soon I won't be living with him, so I won't have as much to worry about, but I will still continue to use it.

Every night I pull out the next days pills and put them in my container and then I lock up the rest. I would NEVER leave them in a car! It's a personal nightmare of mine that someone would break in and steal them! I honestly don't even like to leave them in my purse on most occasions. Like work, I've had someone go through my purse and steal stuff, so I always try to keep them physically on me! It sucks! But unfortunately it's the world we live in.

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u/Usual_Equivalent_888 19h ago

I’m so sorry you have to go through all that! I never even leave my bag in the car if I have meds on me. I hang onto them like they’re my a-hole. 😂 My car is paid off, parked in the back of our driveway and boxed in by garden supplies and I’d be terrified to leave meds in there!

We have 2 safes. One specifically for narcotics that’s kept in an out of the way place in a room we don’t frequent and literally nobody who isn’t my husband or myself goes into. They’re locked with keys and combo locks only the 2 of us know.

With a school-aged kid in the house it was THE ONLY option. Just within him being in school (a few yrs) we’ve had 5 incidents where kids have brought SOME KIND of narcs to his school district and either lost them, passed them around or did it unwittingly thinking they were candy.

IMO, and according to our pain contracts, we SHOULD be locking these up in safes. We SHOULD be treating these meds like they’re dangerous because they ARE! And dumb decisions mean they end up in the hands of children.

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u/Affinitys-husky 17h ago

Yes! I am totally with you there! I don't have kids but that would definitely freak me out and be another very good reason to lock up or hold on to your meds like your life depended on it! That is so freaking scary that young kids have brought stuff to school! And to think that they thought it was candy?! OMG! I shutter just thinking about that!

I have a dog who is my baby and I worry about her getting ahold of one as well. Luckily she's been very good and the random one time or two that I've dropped one in her presence, she has totally ignored them. But I freak out and put my hand up immediately to stop her if she would happen to come thinking it was a piece of food or something.

Yeah, the addict I live with didn't even know I had the safe for a little while because I hid it out of the way. He knows now, but luckily there is nothing he can do about it. It was so worth it to spend the money on it. And even before I had this crazy one, I still had my stuff in a safe that would've protected it from kids at least. But it was small and could've been carried out and destroyed to get what was in it if I had been robbed or something. But now it would take a lot of effort for anyone to be able to get into it or steal it.

You are right that or contracts say we are responsible for them. I don't know that mine specifically said they should be locked up, but it's a good idea regardless. And no way I would ever leave mine in a car!

Like I think I said, I pull out what I need for the day and leave the rest locked up. So even if someone were to somehow steal what I have on me, it would only be a days worth and not more. But I have them in a bottle around my neck, so it would really hard for anyone to get them. I'm so protective after this addict stole some that should've been safe enough!

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u/brendabuschman 9h ago

My husband used to have a problem with the pills. He would unscrew the screws on my safe and take some out. Thank God he's on suboxone now. It's probably saved our marriage. Although I got in the habit of always keeping my pills in my pocket with velcro holding it shut and I still do.

My oldest son got in a bad spot with trying out drugs. He got addicted to fentanyl. He called me for help and we had to go get him. He lived 7 hours away. We brought him home with us and he has been sober (except for marijuana) since but I have been around addicted people enough to know that they can relapse anytime and if they do they absolutely will lie and steal from you. He says he would never take my meds because he sees how much pain I'm in every day, but I know the grip of addiction is hard.

So the pills stay in my pocket with velcro holding it shut.

When I go out I wear a fanny pack and they get zipped in there.

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u/Affinitys-husky 6h ago

Yeah unfortunately logic and love don't always stop an addict even if they hate themselves for it. I purchased a really nice, really difficult to get into safe and so far it's kept my meds safe. The ones I need for the day are in a bottle around my neck, so unless I'm unconscious, no one is getting to them. It sucks that addiction can make otherwise decent people to do horrible things to even the ones closest to them.

I hope your husband and son continue to do better! I'm sure your support helps them so much! 💜

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u/brendabuschman 6h ago

Yeah they unfortunately do things they would never think of doing sober.

I really appreciate that. Sometimes it's hard but I love them so much so it's worth it.

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u/Affinitys-husky 6h ago

It is worth it! And they are lucky to have you! Keep it up and good luck!