Living with illness or a health condition

NOTE: Quotes are presented word for word apart from minor editing for readability and clarity. Identifying details have been removed. Square brackets show text that has been added, e.g. ‘I want to maintain [my current level of drug use]’. Ellipses within square brackets […] show where text has been removed, e.g. ‘Counselling was good but […] I would have liked more information about other treatment options’.

Of the people interviewed for this website, many describe themselves as healthy and say they have not experienced significant periods of illness. However, some live with a chronic health condition or have experienced a period of illness (see also Living with a mental health condition). Here they talk about their experiences of living with a range of health conditions. In some cases the illness is described as connected to alcohol and other drug use, in others it isn’t. For those with a pre-existing condition, some say consuming alcohol or another drug has helped them to cope with the symptoms of the condition, while other find it makes their condition worse. Living with an illness has led some to cut down, stop or otherwise change their consumption (see also Changing patterns of consumption). A few say they’ve suffered complications while undergoing inpatient treatment for a health condition as they had to suddenly stop consuming alcohol or another drug while in hospital. Undertaking alcohol and other drug treatment led some people to access treatment for another health condition.

Health conditions

Our participants talk about living with a range of health conditions, including liver damage, seizures, lung conditions and diabetes. While some see their condition as related to their consumption, others don’t. Scarlett (F, 29, works in finance, ice), for example, says there is ‘a history of high blood pressure’ in her family, but she thinks that taking ice contributes to her blood pressure being ‘incredibly high’. Ben (M, 29, works in hospitality, alcohol) says his liver condition is connected to his alcohol consumption:

The biggest shock was some of the results I got back from my liver function [test], which at one point were very scary. That was before I went into rehab the first time. That was close to alcoholic’s hepatitis, or the next stage after that’s almost cirrhosis of the liver. So that put a scare into me and I just started treating myself well again.

As with Ben, being diagnosed with an illness or health condition has led some to cut down, stop or otherwise change their patterns of consumption (see also Changing patterns of consumption).

Conditions affecting the lungs are a concern for several participants, with some saying that smoking cannabis or cigarettes can make an existing condition worse. Ned (M, 49, not working due to illness, heroin) for example says, ‘I’m asthmatic. That’s the main reason that I have to give up pot [cannabis]. I can’t smoke it any more. I get to the point where I can’t breathe because of my asthma’. Misja (M, 40, not working due to illness, cannabis and heroin) is similarly concerned that smoking cannabis makes his emphysema (a chronic lung condition) and asthma (a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways) worse:

I’ve been diagnosed with emphysema and asthma; I’ve really got to stop [smoking] again. My stepfather died […] from emphysema […] and I don’t want to go down that same track. I get really short-breathed when I walk uphill or walk up stairs.

While some express concern that their consumption could make an existing condition worse, one participant, Josie, finds that taking heroin helps her to cope with the pain she experiences from her chronic lung condition.

Josie (F, 38, not working due to illness, heroin) says taking heroin helped her cope with a painful lung condition and post-traumatic stress disorder.

After being hospitalised for conditions they say may have been related to their consumption, a few say they suffered complications in surgery or when undergoing other treatment. They attribute these complications to rapid withdrawal from alcohol or another drug.

Luke (M, 44, works in retail, alcohol) underwent surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer that may have been related to his heavy drinking. He says his ‘body shut down’ during surgery.

For those who have a health condition not directly related to their consumption, a few say they accessed treatment for their condition through the alcohol and other drug treatment system (see also Residential treatment).

Dylan (M, 27, unemployed, cannabis) says he stopped taking insulin for diabetes for a while but resumed when he went to residential treatment.

Renee (F, 35, works in hospitality, ice) says she was diagnosed with angina and hepatitis C when she went into residential treatment, and began taking medication for her heart condition.

A few people interviewed have been diagnosed with HIV (a virus that weakens the immune system). In Australia, rates of HIV transmission are low. Where it does occur, it’s most commonly sexually transmitted, and is sometimes acquired through sharing injecting equipment. Those interviewed who have HIV don’t specify how they acquired it, but explain how it’s affected their consumption. Some manage their consumption to allow extra time to recover. As Jason (M, 34, studying, ice) explains:

Knowing that my immune system is compromised […and] also protecting all my partners by […having] PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis, antiretroviral medications) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) […I try] not to play as often as I’d like. Having [ice only on…] a special occasion, so that my body has time to recover and to get T cells back up to normal, or sort of normal levels, let my brain get back to normal chemical-wise.

Others, such as Zac (M, 53, works in health services, party drugs) below, find that their drug use has increased since their diagnosis.

After being diagnosed with HIV, Zac (M, 53, works in health services, party drugs) found support from other HIV-positive men who took ice, and began taking it more often. (Played by an actor)

Chronic pain

Chronic pain as a result of an injury is a concern for several people interviewed. Some say they manage the pain by consuming their preferred drug, and others explain how they combine their consumption with other strategies to look after their health and well-being (see also Looking after health & well-being). Having a medical history of drug dependence has made accessing adequate pain relief difficult for some.

Consumption for pain management

Several say they manage chronic pain by consuming alcohol or another drug (see also Consumption in everyday life).

After breaking his back, Phoenix (M, 48, works in the media, alcohol and prescription painkillers) drank alcohol to manage pain before switching to prescribed pain medication.

Callum (M, 36, studying, cannabis) chose cannabis over prescription pain medication to alleviate his chronic back pain. (Note: strong language)

Accessing pain medication

Several people say they have difficulty accessing opioid pain medication, such as codeine, morphine or oxycodone, because of their medical history of drug dependence. As George (M, 58, not working due to illness, alcohol), for example, explains:

Once I was hospitalised […] and I’d actually been attacked and had fractured my back and they sent me out of the hospital with Panadeine. I couldn’t even get [Panadeine] Forte (paracetamol and codeine) because they knew I had a past history of drug use. So, they wouldn’t give me anything stronger than Panadeine. I mean it’s ridiculous, I had a fractured back.

This lack of access to adequate pain relief is a significant concern for some. Several say it’s led them to consume alcohol or other drugs in order to manage their pain, and others say they felt they had no option but to consult different doctors until they found one willing to prescribe adequate pain medication.

Bobby (M, 49, not working due to illness, heroin and alcohol) had surgery for accident-related injuries and says he wasn’t given adequate pain relief.

Nadia (F, 32, not working due to injury, prescription painkillers) says she found it hard to access adequate pain medication for her back injury because of her ‘history of addiction’.

Hepatitis B & C

Several people interviewed have been diagnosed with hepatitis B or C. While some aren’t sure how they acquired the virus, others attribute it to having shared injecting equipment. Those who practise injecting say they avoid sharing or reusing injecting equipment. However, they note it’s not always possible to access sterile injecting equipment, particularly when needle and syringe programs (NSPs) are closed or far from home, or while they’re serving a custodial sentence where NSP is not available (see also Contact with the criminal justice system). Harry (M, 52, works in the arts, heroin), for example, says:

I had [hepatitis] B. I would never allow someone to use something I’d used: spoon, fit or anything […] I don’t care what anyone tells you, just because there are needle and syringe programs doesn’t mean people don’t reuse needles. Of course they do. Can’t always get out [to an NSP], it’s shut on the weekend, whatever. It’s one of the problems. [Having them] available in every chemist would be a smarter idea.

Undertaking treatment for hepatitis B or C is an important consideration for many of those diagnosed. While new (interferon-free) hepatitis C treatments became available in Australia in 2016, most participants discuss earlier treatments that were less effective and produced more negative side effects. Some of those considering treatment say they had been discouraged by the interferon side effects, or that some doctors had required them to stop consuming alcohol and other drugs before beginning treatment.

A few were not considering treatment at the time of the interview as they didn’t have any symptoms. A few say they cleared the virus without medical treatment, as Rachel (F, 50, works in the health sector, heroin) explains, ‘I got hep C off my partner […but] when I was pregnant I cleared it.’

Peter (M, 41, unemployed, heroin) says he acquired hepatitis C from sharing injecting equipment and wants to begin treatment.* (Note: strong language)

* Since the interview, new hepatitis C treatments have become available in Australia on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Harry (M, 52, works in the arts, heroin) acquired hepatitis B through sharing injecting equipment and later went on a treatment trial.

Grace (F, 58, works in manufacturing, heroin) found it difficult to stop drinking so that she could begin interferon-based hepatitis C treatment.* (Played by an actor)

*Since the interview, new interferon-free hepatitis C treatments have become available in Australia on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The new treatments are more effective and have fewer side effects than the older interferon-based treatments.