Tylenol 3 withdrawls or RLS?

[T3Veteran]

I am really sick of taking pills, I just want to be pain free again. I've tried and or am taking: Flexoril, Gabepentin, Tylenol 3, Torodol, Alendronate, Celebrex, and others. I have been to massage therapy, chirpractors and Physio. X-rayed to the extent of feeling like I glow, cat scanned, and cut open to remove torn up bits of my knees.
To my problem, original source lower back pain (very physical occupation).
I get about two hours of relief from 2 Tylenol 3's. I have been taking them for about 8-10 yrs (my poor liver). To me this sounds like my body is built up a tollerance or perhaps a taste for them?
I stopped taking them a few days ago. I feel like the definition of pain. This morning my wife said perhaps I have RLS (restless leg syndrom) as I was having very bad restless feelings almost like my muscles itching, and APPARENTLY my legs flailing about. I woke up and took two Tylenol 1's, thinking it maybe withdrawls?
I searched RLS apparently Tylenol 3 is/can be used to treat it's symptoms.
So my question is: Can anyone say if this is withdrawls or perhaps RLS mis diagnosed?

[road2recovery]

Welcome,
i would say definetly withdrawls..RLS comes with it..I have RLS even before i ever took pain medicine..i take requip , works magic, it is presribed...When i went through w/d's that was the worst..My legs would jump on their own ..hurts so bad had to stay in a hot tub..Slept in it too...
That is just my opinion , many here will give you adive
good luck
sorry about your pain..

[shelby74]

RLS is part of the withdrawal.  You have been taking them for quite some time so I am sure you have a pretty high tolerance and coming off them will not be easy.  Do you plan on quitting all your medication at once?  Just be careful sometimes stopping meds cold turkey can be very dangerous.  Talk to your doctor or a doctor who understands what you want to do.  Maybe tackle on medication at a time.

Best of  luck!

Shelby

[T3Veteran]

Thank you...
This leaves me with some choices I guess. Stop doing the things I love, ie: building, working, landscaping. Or.... perhaps find a pain reducer without tylenol as that is starting to scare my liver.
I have been reading up on this RLS and I think it can be diagnosed by a blood test is this correct?
I'm off to see a new doc today at 1:30. Apparently my old doc went off his meds and crashed his motorhome into a friends friends cabin. Ahh and I thought he was quite the brillant doc, fine line they say.
I guess it's true what they say about the brain drain down to the U.S.

[T3Veteran]

Pretty name by the way, cool car as well.....
My first quitting experience happened years ago on a road trip with two of my kids into the U.S.. I ran out of Tylenol 3's around Oregon and had a bugger of a time trying to sleep, but it went away the next day and I was ok except for the pain. I picked up something and carried on the trip.
My next bout was getting off of Gabepentin (sp?) Fed up with taking pills quit it cold turkey, or was that the Flexorill? Regardless it was the same kind of discomfort and a cpl of tylenol 1's got me threw it. Later I read up on the drug and found out I was NOT supposed to quit it cold turkey. *shrug* who knew, but I did it.
I should add my wife is a nurse on an Orthopedic unit. She is a real tighty on handing out pain meds to patients. She has told me that studies have shown that if a person is using the meds for pain addiction in unlikely. Any comment on that?

[shelby74]

I am surprised your wife being a nurse said that and I mean no offense.  I think that is how most of us got started becoming addicts.  It was prescribed for real pain but we abused them and after awhile became addicts.  I know there are people here with geniune pain.  There are alternatives to pain meds or being up front with your Doc and letting them know you are an addict.  Then maybe it can be controlled but beware most docs hear the word addict and run the other way.

And thank you for the compliment!  I like the car too! :)

Shelby