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Vicodin Question
havent seen any posting here for awhile so hope folks are still around.
i have a LOT of upper back, neck, can chest pain and have been prescribed two 500 mg Naprosyn and two Vicodin 5/500 to be taken daily -- one of each morning and evening. after reading up on vicodin and particularly this forum i became concerned that perhaps i was addicted since i have been taking these for about 6 months. so... i detoxed which only took about 4 or 5 days and only had problems sleeping during the nights - days were OK. after about 12 days my of feeling my body w/o the vicodin i am back to aching esp at the end of the day. the last 3 days i have taken 1/2 a vicodin and it helps a little - not quite the relief that i get from a whole one.
my question is what the long term side effects would be of continuing to take vicodin at that dosage - ( i.e 2 5/500 per day)???
bottom line -- if that dosage isnt going to have major long term side effects im thinking to resume them.
advice appreciated.
i have a LOT of upper back, neck, can chest pain and have been prescribed two 500 mg Naprosyn and two Vicodin 5/500 to be taken daily -- one of each morning and evening. after reading up on vicodin and particularly this forum i became concerned that perhaps i was addicted since i have been taking these for about 6 months. so... i detoxed which only took about 4 or 5 days and only had problems sleeping during the nights - days were OK. after about 12 days my of feeling my body w/o the vicodin i am back to aching esp at the end of the day. the last 3 days i have taken 1/2 a vicodin and it helps a little - not quite the relief that i get from a whole one.
my question is what the long term side effects would be of continuing to take vicodin at that dosage - ( i.e 2 5/500 per day)???
bottom line -- if that dosage isnt going to have major long term side effects im thinking to resume them.
advice appreciated.
thanks again for the responses.
i am going to try and not worry too much about it ... so long as i keep my dosing in the 2 per day range and just take things day by day. i would like to stop the nap and might try dropping to 1/2 the dose of nap over a period of a 10 days or so then dropping it all together to see if its actually doing me any good. the vic at this dosage level really doesnt take away the pain - it just takes the edge off and makes it more tolerable. i noticed that when i was taking it i was going to bed later - like between 12:00 and 2:00 am and when off i would be to bed by maybe 12:00 p.m. but i was taking my 2nd one at around 5 or 6 in the evening. i will try introducing my second dose earlier in the day (around 2 to 3 pm) and see if that doesnt help the sleep cycle. i do take a low dose of trazadone before bed (25 to 50 mg) which helps me sleep.
dealing with chronic pain is a challenge. in my pain manangment class they say that pain untreated or undermedicated can be a serious problem and that over time the pain can build build a permanent pathway to the brain. i had just begun taking celobrex when all the hoopla about it and viox began so i stopped. another route for arthritis sufferers is BIOLOGICS but i do not want to go there and believe that the vic is much safer.
while im temperate for the most part - i think i have an addictive nature. my mother was addicted to prescription drugs. i used to abuse alcohol so i stopped and didnt touch it for several years. then i resumed and it hasnt been a problem. well - maybe for a couple of years it was... but not serious. it was like if i opened a nice bottle of wine with my wife, she would have one glass and i would finish the bottle. and then there were the large BLUE SAPHIRE gin and tonics --------
now that i have diabetes and have lost about 30 lbs i cant really handle more than about 2 drinks. my tolerance has really dropped.
fwiw - i KNOW what can kill me quick - THAT NASTY CHINESE FOOD I ATE LAST NITE!!! seriously, i have been a diabetic for about 2-3 years and control my blood sugar by diet and exercise. the highest my blood sugar has ever been is around 180+ --- that is until yesterday. i ordered some chinese chicken to go (with rice and noodles) and ate the whole thing. i felt kindof crappy afterwards so about 2 hours after eating it i took my bllod sugar and it was 222. I WILL NEVER EAT THAT **** FROM THAT RESTAURANT AGAIN!!!
i am going to try and not worry too much about it ... so long as i keep my dosing in the 2 per day range and just take things day by day. i would like to stop the nap and might try dropping to 1/2 the dose of nap over a period of a 10 days or so then dropping it all together to see if its actually doing me any good. the vic at this dosage level really doesnt take away the pain - it just takes the edge off and makes it more tolerable. i noticed that when i was taking it i was going to bed later - like between 12:00 and 2:00 am and when off i would be to bed by maybe 12:00 p.m. but i was taking my 2nd one at around 5 or 6 in the evening. i will try introducing my second dose earlier in the day (around 2 to 3 pm) and see if that doesnt help the sleep cycle. i do take a low dose of trazadone before bed (25 to 50 mg) which helps me sleep.
dealing with chronic pain is a challenge. in my pain manangment class they say that pain untreated or undermedicated can be a serious problem and that over time the pain can build build a permanent pathway to the brain. i had just begun taking celobrex when all the hoopla about it and viox began so i stopped. another route for arthritis sufferers is BIOLOGICS but i do not want to go there and believe that the vic is much safer.
while im temperate for the most part - i think i have an addictive nature. my mother was addicted to prescription drugs. i used to abuse alcohol so i stopped and didnt touch it for several years. then i resumed and it hasnt been a problem. well - maybe for a couple of years it was... but not serious. it was like if i opened a nice bottle of wine with my wife, she would have one glass and i would finish the bottle. and then there were the large BLUE SAPHIRE gin and tonics --------
now that i have diabetes and have lost about 30 lbs i cant really handle more than about 2 drinks. my tolerance has really dropped.
fwiw - i KNOW what can kill me quick - THAT NASTY CHINESE FOOD I ATE LAST NITE!!! seriously, i have been a diabetic for about 2-3 years and control my blood sugar by diet and exercise. the highest my blood sugar has ever been is around 180+ --- that is until yesterday. i ordered some chinese chicken to go (with rice and noodles) and ate the whole thing. i felt kindof crappy afterwards so about 2 hours after eating it i took my bllod sugar and it was 222. I WILL NEVER EAT THAT **** FROM THAT RESTAURANT AGAIN!!!
Let me see if I can help a little....When taken in "therapeutic" doses (less than 4000mg/4g a day) APAP/tylenol/acetaminophen is proven to have a pretty safe profile. We use this in patients awaiting liver transplants and in those that have active Hep B/C infections. Over time, liver damage may occur, but I would doubt it at the dose you are describing....as others have said, if you have managed to not increase your dosage and still find it to be of analgesic benefit...I wouldn't be too concerned. Another option is talking to your MD about a formulation that does not have the APAP in it (Vicuprofen for example)....but again as someone said before...you then run the risk of stomach compications.
The naprosyn will trash your liver before the vicodin.
Your stomache will get messed up. It doesn't take long with the anti-inflammatories.
My stomache couldn't handle them after 1 year. My doctor said I could only take vicodin-which is probally how I got dependant. They simply stop working as well and you have to take more.
Maybe thats the time to stop for a while- 1 or 2 weeks?
If you can resume at same results maybe you won't get dependant.
I've never been able to feel relief with just 1 pill of 5mg(500) again. It use to work 4 years ago.
Your stomache will get messed up. It doesn't take long with the anti-inflammatories.
My stomache couldn't handle them after 1 year. My doctor said I could only take vicodin-which is probally how I got dependant. They simply stop working as well and you have to take more.
Maybe thats the time to stop for a while- 1 or 2 weeks?
If you can resume at same results maybe you won't get dependant.
I've never been able to feel relief with just 1 pill of 5mg(500) again. It use to work 4 years ago.
Your dosing is quite small. Maybe no side effects at all.
I probally dosed 1 - 3 5mg (500) pills a day for about 2 years with no effects.
It wasn't until I started using about 60 mg a day I noticed my hearing was getting bad. Possibly my sight getting worse is due to the vicodin also.
I know the hearing is definately from the vicodin.
The worse side effect as I'm sure you've read is getting dependant on them.
Real major problem getting off of them.
Be careful- try not to take them everyday and maybe you'll be alright. It's a shame because they work so good.
I probally dosed 1 - 3 5mg (500) pills a day for about 2 years with no effects.
It wasn't until I started using about 60 mg a day I noticed my hearing was getting bad. Possibly my sight getting worse is due to the vicodin also.
I know the hearing is definately from the vicodin.
The worse side effect as I'm sure you've read is getting dependant on them.
Real major problem getting off of them.
Be careful- try not to take them everyday and maybe you'll be alright. It's a shame because they work so good.
There is a difference between addiction to pain meds and dependence on them.. You my dear are probably dependent.. Anytime a drug like this is taken for a period of time longer than a week or two the body becomes used to it.. causing a physical dependence.. that does not make you an addict.. It makes you someone with pain issues that needs the meds to have a better quality of life..
geesh... i just posted minutes ago and already have two replies for which i am thankful.
i asked the pharmacist what the long term side-effects of the taking Vicodin is and she said liver damage. the docs first prescribed the vicodin then added the Naprosyn. i think the Nap helps only a little, but the vicodin takes the edge off and 6 months the most i ever took was 3 in a day and i didnt do that more than 6 times.
when i started reading up on vicodin i came across this forum and thought that maybe i was addicted so i decided to detox - which as i said wasnt too bad except for the nights. i did have a couple of days when i felt really fatigued and a lot of loose stools. (btw - i seem to have irritable bowel syndrome most of the time but while i was taking the vicodin that problem seemed to disappear. ) i will add that i am 5'11" and weigh 170 lbs and am diabetic. i drink - but not every day and usually not more than 2 drinks.
besides my primary care doctor i see a rheumy and a pain doctor. i have costochondritis and am arthritic. also am just getting over frozen shoulder in both shoulders.
my question for me really gets down to quality of life - because while i might have been or might again become addicted to vicodin - im not really concerned that i will take more than 2 per day - one morning and evening works for me -- in fact i often took only 1/2 in the morning and 1 in the evening.
thanks for the responses
i asked the pharmacist what the long term side-effects of the taking Vicodin is and she said liver damage. the docs first prescribed the vicodin then added the Naprosyn. i think the Nap helps only a little, but the vicodin takes the edge off and 6 months the most i ever took was 3 in a day and i didnt do that more than 6 times.
when i started reading up on vicodin i came across this forum and thought that maybe i was addicted so i decided to detox - which as i said wasnt too bad except for the nights. i did have a couple of days when i felt really fatigued and a lot of loose stools. (btw - i seem to have irritable bowel syndrome most of the time but while i was taking the vicodin that problem seemed to disappear. ) i will add that i am 5'11" and weigh 170 lbs and am diabetic. i drink - but not every day and usually not more than 2 drinks.
besides my primary care doctor i see a rheumy and a pain doctor. i have costochondritis and am arthritic. also am just getting over frozen shoulder in both shoulders.
my question for me really gets down to quality of life - because while i might have been or might again become addicted to vicodin - im not really concerned that i will take more than 2 per day - one morning and evening works for me -- in fact i often took only 1/2 in the morning and 1 in the evening.
thanks for the responses
my question is what the long term side effects would be of continuing to take vicodin at that dosage - ( i.e 2 5/500 per day)???
I don't think many of us can answer that. You are the first one that I have seen take so little over a 6 month period of time but if you get sick when you quit taking them (even one a day) then that is a good sign that you are physically addicted to it, if not mentally. Most people have to keep taking more and more to get the same results. It does not seem that you have done that. Is taking the meds making your life unmanageable? I pass a kidney stone at least once a month, the problem is that after I pass the stone I don't quit taking the drugs because I am an addict that has kidney stones all the time. Good luck to you, other's on this forum may have had 2 a day habits that can help answer your question.
I don't think many of us can answer that. You are the first one that I have seen take so little over a 6 month period of time but if you get sick when you quit taking them (even one a day) then that is a good sign that you are physically addicted to it, if not mentally. Most people have to keep taking more and more to get the same results. It does not seem that you have done that. Is taking the meds making your life unmanageable? I pass a kidney stone at least once a month, the problem is that after I pass the stone I don't quit taking the drugs because I am an addict that has kidney stones all the time. Good luck to you, other's on this forum may have had 2 a day habits that can help answer your question.
If you can keep the doses to just the 2-5/500 per day I think you will be alright. The problem starts when the prescribed amount does not kill the pain and more is needed. Most of us here have the problem that we cannot keep to the prescribed amount, and eventially the 2-5/500 daily won't do anything for you..
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