Mixing certain narcotic drugs

[Koolaid333]

Hi,

I have chronic back pain.  I have been taking Hydrocodone,10 mg pills).    I was prescribed 120 a month or 4 a day.  I was taking 3 every 3 hours.  I told my doctor that these worked fine but I needed more of them.  She refered me to a Pain Center (more on that later, Uggg!).  The doctor there took me off of the hydrocodone, and prescribed Methadone, 5 mg, twice a day to start.  These take 3 to 5 days to get into your system.  My question is, can you mix Hydrocodone and Methadone? I want to take the Hydrocodone until the Methadone is in my system and working. I am in a lot of pain and don't want to have pain while I wait on the Methadone to kick in.  Also, after reading all of your emails regarding Methadone addiction, etc.  I am scared to death to take this medicine.  What if she takes me off of Methadone for some reason and all of a sudden, I am a Methadone addict?  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dede

[VicoMom]

How long have you been taking Hydrocodone?

Both of these drugs can be very addictive and should be taken with extreme caution. Be sure to let your physician know how many pills you have been taking and your worries about being put on Methadone... Maybe the two of you can come up with something that will help your back pain but keep you as far away from full-blown addiction as possible. (I use that term very loosely.)

Physical pain can not be truly assessed when you are dependent on pain medicine. When you run out of pills, your back will hurt a lot more than it might actually hurt due to the havoc that detox wreaks on your body and the confusion/chaos created at receptor sites in your brain... At least, this is what I have read and have been told by those I know that have had chronic back pain.

As for your question, I am unsure what advice to give you on that.

Good Luck with whatever decision you make! :)

[Kyleintown]

I have had chronic back pain and now getting off hydr 10MG, it's been hell! I quit cold turkey, i had surgery for the back 2 mos ago, and would rather be in pain than a slave to the pain meds. I can't imagine taking both together. I am on 6th day and still WD's. I think looking at other options to manage your back issue without pain meds at all. Know thats easy to say, but I been there and this is worse. I am on the road now, still in pain but welcome my spirit back..

[cathy5841]

please read sadinmichigans journal entry about methadone.  it was written by a dr who was addicted to methadone.  many here have taken it and it is a very addictive drug.  please be careful with it.  good luck to you.

[Turbo1250]

I agree - to assess back pain you have to be clean at least for a couple weeks.  W/d's hurt alot but unlike the back pain they should go away after 2-3 weeks.  Not completely but mostly gone.
Now see how your back feels. Mine after 16 days clean of Oxy feels different every day sometimes OK sometimes hurts like hell.
BUT.......knowing that I am clean makes the bad back days better.  At least I'm clean.  I am really proud of that.  As far as my back goes, I 'm sure it will always give me trouble to some degree, but I refuse to be a slave to the Oxy.  Lets's face it, it always hurt even with the Oxy but was a good excuse to use/abuse and get high off the ****.  That time has to end at some time and better sooner than later.
Stop using,  feel terrible for 2-3 weeks then feel way better for the rest of your clean life!!

[worried878]

If your pain is ruining your life...then being clean is not always the answer for everyone and depends on ur goals..methadone is hard to get off of for sure..that is a small dose but u will probably end up needing more than 10 mg a day if u were taking 120 mg of hydro a day for pain as it is stronger but not too much stronger...getting off hydro is no picnic but isnt as drawn out as methadone..ur doctor needs to tell u what is ok to take with the methadone and follow his advice...if u were taking 3 x what was prescribed, do u think u may have been abusing them or did u take that much just for pain relief?  that is too much hydro and it is obviously not the drug for your pain....sometimes narcotics just are not the answer for pain relief and the tolerence u build to them makes them dangerous to take long term...and i agree, i would be scared as well, that ur doctor may quit prescribing to you or something may happen to him and leave u out on a limb...it is a chance people take when on narcotics as addiction to them, be it physical or mental is always something that is controlling us while we use

[sadinmichigan]

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/15543?personal_page_id=793 This is the link to my journal. I am sooo sorry you are in this position..Please think this over very carefully before you take this medicine..also not does NOT take but 20 min. to get in your system, yes yu can mix them but to be honest the hydro is no match for methadone..methadone considerably stronger of a drug then hydro...in fact it is most often the last stop for pain patients...you do have a reason to fear this drug..I would ask your Dr. if she would just stop you on this..Most Dr.s do not understand the horrible w/d that comes with methadone..It is one of if not the worst w/d out there..I know this first hand..it is horrific..so , unless you want to stay on it for life..or just know that even weaning down to 1 mg..is harder than you will ever know..it's possible, but the w/ds are bad,..not too mention it makes you gain weight, can rot your teeth and many other crappy things..please feel free to Pm me...

[worried878]

I also dont think 10 mg a day will cover 120 mg of hydro for pain tho..I have taken it for pain..never addicted as I used it short term in the past for a pain crisis twice...but 20 mg a day helped my pain..10mg put a small dent in it...I was at 80 mg a day of hydro..I was afraid to take it any longer than a week...the drug scares me..my son worked at a methadone clinic and i have heard too many horror stories...The only way i would get on it is if i knew i was on it for life..and some are for pain or addiction...but not a drug to play around with unless ur pain warrants it...but high doses of hydro like that daily is not going to cut it either....must be a happy medium that ur doctor can find for u....

[sadinmichigan]

I just wanted to add that although Hydrocodone and the like are excellent choices for SHORT term pain..exa..after dental work, surgery..using it no longer than a month or so..But, it was never meant to be for long term pain control..I was on so much hydro that I should have never had a pain anywhere..but I still did..there is a thing called Opiate pain syndrome..after long term use the very pain that the hydro was first taken for ends up mimicking the very pain you originally took it for..

[Kyleintown]

I agree, the Hydro mimicked pain for me, on WD this past week, my back hurt me worse that any back pain I had in the past 12 mos. I had 2 ruptured discs and had disc replacement and fusion surgery. I wished I have stopped all meds before leaving the hospital....

[Koolaid333]

Hi,

Thanks for the comments.  I ended up on this website because I googled the question, "Can I mix Hydrocodone with Methodone.  I enjoyed the testimonies and joined.  I am not addicted to Hydocodone (no, not in denial, ha!)  I just ended up having to take so many of them that my doctor said I needed something stronger. I was getting immune to them and she didn't want me taking so many a day.  I didin't either.  Also,  my doctor was giving me Oxycodone and I asked her to switch it back to Hydro because it was less expensive (no insurance) and because they made me aggitated.  When I ran out of them until the next refill, I didn't go into withdrawals.  I had anger because I was again in pain.  So after her referral (sp)?, I went to a Pain Center.  This doctor said she would give me OxyCotin but didn't think it would help because my pain was so bad and also it is very expensive.  So, I was given Methodone.  I told her I wasn't a Herion addict and she laughed and said this was also used for pain.  The paper work that came from the Pharmacy and the Doctor said it would take from 3 to 5 days for this to work.  I just wanted to take the Hydocodone for a couple of days until the Methodone kicked in.  I have been taking Methodon for 4 days now, 5mg twice a day, and have just begun to feel something.  The pain is still there but the edge has been taken off.  ?????  Weird huh?  I know absolutely nothing about this drug but I don't want to get addicted to something the doctor gives me and then become an addict because of it.  How do people become addicted if only given for pain.  I don't feel high or anything great.  I can understand for addicts coming off other things but not from just beginning to take it.  I just don't feel the "YAH HAH".   Thanks for listening.  Dede

[sadinmichigan]

Honey, alot of us don't become adicitted because we want to..but taken for pain or not..the result is the same..You will be physically dependant n methadone very quickly and trust me it is no easy drug to get off. but if you are going to use this as pain management.then you will most likely be on it for life..5 mg isn't much to help pain..but that same 5 mg is a beat to get off of..like I said..regardless of why we are addicited..it happens and sogoing through withdrawals is the same..methadone did not get me "high" either..My highest dose was @72mg..daily..that is nothing compaed to some..but I went cold turkey off it..and have been off it over 2 years..thnaks god..but I was not taking it for chronic pain..Iwas taking it to get off pills...dumb mistake..lol  take care.

[worried878]

agree...5 mg twice a day just is not alot..it is stronger milligrm for milligram than hydro...but there is no way 10 mg can replace 120 or plus of oxies/hydros...it is just not that strong....i do know someone who became addicted to 20-30 mg a day of methadone after 3 months....gets sick when she doesnt take it...but she was an addict before hand...i do know if u use it for any length of time u will become physically/maybe not mentally addicted to it..methadone is not known for the high....but it will get you anyway...it is cheap and could be why she gave it to you..if u have to be on pain control for life then i guess decisions like expense and stuff come into play...we have a great pain forum that may could help u more...since u r not an addict and they r on long term narcotics on the pain forum....most of us are not so we cant really look at the situation clearly..narcotics have caused us alot of problems so our advice will be...DONT DO IT!

[Koolaid333]

Hi,  thanks for your comments. My doctor and I agree that the amount of Hydro was too much.  She suggests I go to a Pain Management Center and get something stronger.  The pain management doctor suggested Methodone as "long term treatment"  or epidural shots.  I am not addicted, the pain medicine was just not doing what it should and I didn't want to be taking so much Hydo.  I was scared it would ruin my liver or something in high doses.  I am just beginning the Methodone and am taking 5mg twice a day.  It is doing nothing for the pain.  My pain doctor said I had to give it time to work and she would adjust it in 30 days.  2 things-I wanted to know if it would hurt me physically if I took some of my hydo just until the Methodone is at the right dosage.  Although I don't know how much would be safe while mixing them.  Also, am I going to be addicted to Methodone now if I keep taking it?  One more thing, it amazes me that doctors give addicting narcotics to people trying to overcome addiction to narcotics, ie-Methodone to overcome Herion addiction.  You are just trading one addiction for another.  Don't they scream - don't substitute, and then they do this?  It just boggles my mind.  I do not want to become a Methodone addict when I have not ever been addicted to pills.  

Thanks,
Dede