taking 8 norco a day prescribed by Dr for chronic headaches, will this hurt me?

I am 28 perfectally healthy except for chronic migraines due to head injury from a car wreck
I get migraines so bad I can't stand up(throwup split vision etc)
I go tos doctor  that adjusts my head and neck and I do physical thearpy there as well he prescribes me 8 10/325 norco per day I don't take more than that
I tried oxyvontin ang it was too strong
I have taken pain meds for 5 yrs
I got off of them once because of conviction but 1 year later I stared taking them again because of migraines
Can I take them the rest of my life and be okay? I take an herbal  body cleanser every 3 months to clean my liver and kidneys
I also take herbal water retention- diuretic pills so I won't be bloated is that ok to take every day? Please let me know what you think I would like an unbiast opinion thanks!

[GA Guy]

I think that you're taking an awful lot of opiates. We all have to choose what demon is the worst, the pain or the drugs. I also have migraines, not nearly to the extent that you have, but about 1 a month. Opiates actually make my migraines worse. Have you tried other migraine drugs? Imitrex? Axert? Axert is the one I take, and as long as I head it off before it starts, it will reduce the severity or knock all of my migraines out. Give the people here a full history of what you've tried and they will make suggestions. My suggestion is to find a non-opiate  migraine drug to control the headaches, and then get off the pain meds. They will begin to bite you before you know it. They did to me.

[marcatj]

i can only speak from my own experience, but having taken 8 norco a day myself off and on for 9 months, i very much was not ok.  my life became pretty unmanagable.

as for the physical stuff - what this is doing to your body - i'm sure others can give you more info...

it also sounds like a really high dose, btw.  i've never heard of that many being prescribed for use in one day...

good luck to you...
mj

[megan123]

I also am prescribed 8 norcos a day for fibromyalgia. My bottle reads take 2 every 6hrs for pain. So, that's 8 in a 24hr period. marc is right---most people I know also say that is rare, but its all new to me because my doc just started me on them 2 months ago. I get 180 a month with 2 refills. Then I have to go for a re-check. The pharmacist told me that my script is a 22 day supply instead of the usual 30 day supply. Now you got me kind of worried, too---is my doc prescribing me too many? I really and truly take them for pain, sometimes the fibro gets so bad, I am in tears from the pain. These norcos I have have been great for pain, and they do elevate my mood, I'll be honest.
That's why I started doing a little research and I found this site, to see if others are taking as many norcos a day as I am. I know I'm not addicted to them...but now I am wondering what's going to happen when I stop taking them altogether....from what I have been reading here on this site, it doesn't look good for me when I stop taking them.

[peekawho]

The trouble is, that eventually that won't be enough, and you'll have to take more and more.  And then either your doctor will get nervous and cut you off, or something else will happen and you'll be up the creek without a norco.

They're probably ok for short term (week or two), but anything beyond that, you'll be better off looking at other methods of chronic pain relief.

[mom2rachie]

Your body will become dependent onthem whether you're taking them as prescribed or not.  It's just a fact.  8 norcos a day is usually the most you could take but that being said it doesn't necessariy mean that you should. I suffer fromthose types of migraines too.  I can't even wath Tv or answer the phone.  I get sick to my stomach from being dizzy.  I can't keepfood down.  I had to get black out shades for my bedroom and wear a sleeping mask so that light doesn't make it worse.  I too had to take pain medication for it.  Non of the migraine meds ever worked on me.  
As far as the fibro goes.... well if you are in that much pain perhaps something stronger that is al ittle more long lasting and a controlled relesae wouldbe better like oxycontin.  1 or 2 pills will last you all day.  But, of course you will eventually become dependent on those too.
The amount of tylenol is what's distressing in hydrocodone.  I believe it's 325 for norcos so 325 times 8 is 2600 and that is a safe amount to take I think.  4000 is the daily limit I believe
It's really up to you to decide if this is a problem for you but you will experience withdrawal after taking them for a prolonged period of time.  Talk to your dr about being tapered down.  

[kimmieb]

Your question is "is it too much?"  Well....for right now, probably not.  Those 8 a day probably control your pain adequately and you're able to function fine.  However, as everyone else has said, we can guarantee that a year or few down the road, 8 pills will NOT adequately control your pain.....maybe 10 or 12 will....then it will have to be 16 to get the same amount of relief.  By that time, you will begin to feel the effects of being on the medicine for awhile.  It's just a fact of the drugs -- they WILL lead to dependency/addiction -- it's just a matter of when.  I have been/was on hydros for YEARS before I started to feel like I was out of control with them.  One wasn't enough, two wasn't enough, now it's 4 or 5.....and I can bet if I stayed the course, in another year, I'd be needing and wanting 8 or 10 a day.  It's just the nature of the beast.  So, best to start looking at other options while you can still function and before the hard addiction really takes hold.  I know it's easier said than done.  I'm still struggling with it.....but wanted to share my thoughts with you as well.  Good luck with your choice.....and everyone's opinions/advice on this post are right on.  Blessings to you, K.

[hockyfan73]

Hi megan...the reason that your pharmacist says its a 22 day perscription is that if you take 8 a day over a 24 hour period then 180 will, in fact, last exactly 22 days.  The problem is this. You forgot to sleep.  Now if you take two every six hours, (which is 8 in a 24 hour period) but sleep for six to eight of those hours, then you will only take six of them and they will then last you the whole 30 days (180/6 = 30) This is a disparity between Doctors and Pharmacists that I have never understood and had to figure out for myself  

As long as you aren't actually taking 8 a day (I know what the label says...but think about it...you do actually sleep)  Then you will have enough for the month.  besides...from your Liver's point of view (if it had one) six is going to be better for it than eight)  

So no, the doctor isn't giving you to much...just make sure you aren't taking too much.  (more than prescribed by doc that is...not misinterpreted by pharmacist)

Allen

[fishmeal]

80mgs of hydrocodone a day will cause physiological changes in the brain.  You will be creating more

[Hopefalls]

8 norcos a day isent to high of a dose, if they were lortabs 10/500 that would be about the limit, but i have been given 310 norcos before for a month suply. 11 a day, the script read prn. or as needed

[Addicted2Pain]

Yes, you can take these pills for the rest of your life and be OK. Be sure to have your doc do regular check-ups on your liver.

However, as someone said, there is always the possibility that what you take today will not be enough farther down the line to ease your pain. I have been told by several docs, and one is very highly respected in my area, that I will probably be on my pain meds the rest of my life. Either that or learn to live w/the pain. Unfortunately, my problems is my foot, and I haven't figured out a way to get through the day w/o walking. :)

Don't know anything about the water retention pills.

[katelefor]

Wow! Thank you to all of you who wrote back to me! I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to talk openly about it! I know that 8 per day is a lot but the alternative was oxycontin and me and my doc didn't want to go that route so the norco was the less of the 2 evils
Can anyone tell me from any experience if they have notice any signs of aging or looking "rough" while takinG pain meds? I am 28 and have always been very vain about the way I look I just want to know if this is gonna destroy what beauty I do have!  Also I read about people who have gotten off these meds and all they say is how its a daily struggle and how the urdge really never goes away, that's why I really dread getting off , I don't want to constantly want them and have it be an up hill battle every day!
I really apprecate your comments! Thanks!

[dendster]

Fishmeal....my question is to you regarding what happens to the brain. If the brain creates "more receptors to catch the opiates", then what happens in the brain down the road when opiates are required/needed i.e. for surgery? I'm currently withdrawling from not only nor, but percocet as well. (OMG...I can't believe what my Dr has allowed me to consume!) After 3 year of abuse, the drugs have become ineffective....unless I overdose. Will I regain the ability for opiates to again become effective one day or will I always require high dosages to eleviate severe pain?

[oxneme]

hey guys, this is bad trust me i have a problem!! i take 6 norcos at a time about 3 times a day! and when i dont have them i withdrawl (withdrawal) rally bad so i get suboxen of the street and take that till my next dose!! the most norcos i have taken in a day is 22! i try and cut down and i tried every thing besides treatment cus i cant afford it. can anyone help!!

[oxneme]

ppl may think im lying but im not their is no reason for that!!it all started with my dentist giving me 500 then i woul get them from the street and so on. its been about 2 years and i was doing oxys 80mg but for some reason i prefer norcs! every dose i take has to be at least 5 or six for me to even feel it! and i belive the lethol dose for tylonol is 4000mg i think! so im worrid what effects im doing to my brain and liver! i took suboxen while i was on morphing and it kicked me into withdrawls really bad, so no i wait a little till i start to hurt and then take the suboxen! is their free treatment or will helthnet cover my detox??? i have no clue and i really need to stop a.s.a.p thanks everyone

[jhb1980]

The max on acet. for the liver is 4000mg  a day.  That's why most doc's who rx opiates for patients knowing they will be taking a high amount do the norco route to protect the liver.  When you have to take pain medication for chronic pain, in the medical community, we do something called opiate rotation.  That is simply when one drug stops working/the tolerance/dependence has gotten so high we rotate to another drug.  We have an opiate calculator; and when we rotate we go up in strength from say lortab to percocet, etc----here's an example: if you are taking 80 mg of hydrocodone per day orally and we opiate rotated you to oral percocet, your new dose would be 40mg of percocet/oxycodone a day, which is a 25% reduction. Then we would do that till the dose got to the level we didn't feel comfortable was treating your pain anymore again, and rotate to another;  we would keep doing this up and down the opiate list as to best control your pain as anyone that takes opiates over extended period's of time will develop tolerance/dependence even if you don't abuse your medicine.  Also, there are a host of other medications out there that we call "adjunct" pain therapy to take that have been on the market for a long time that can be tried to see if they can be part of a pain management regimen.  Such as neurontin, many antidepressants, anti-inflammatory, migraine based drugs, etc etc.  Also, make sure you are talking to your doctor about your sleep and you are getting a solid 7-8 hours a night and if not then talk to them about addressing that.  It's important to get good rest when you have chronic pain.  Overall the cycle is:  pain feeds depression, depression feeds pain, both feed lack of sleep and overall mental health, and it's a chain that repeats itself.  You have to be willing to address all the links in the chain to have th best chance of having meaningful results in your pain management.  Just my two cents worth from a "arm chair" medical person. Best of luck to everyone and hope you find relief!

[sparkadoo]

if your taking 8 10/325 norcos a day .....just wait till you try to stop. Im sorry to say but you WILL be addicted

[PositiveK]

I was searching for some help with my pain  and came across this board. I take 4-6of these norcos 10/325. I have vicodin but someone told me it has more tylenol in it? Is that true? So I stopped taking it and switch out to these that I had been prescribed at some point.
I went from taking 8 vicodins a day to these norcos I now take. I have severe chronic back pain and now the migraines that cause nausea dizzy spells-I don't know how this started? Otherwise I am perfectly healthy, workout, eat right-no junk, no drinking, no drugs, also take milk thistle...well other then the meds. Anyhow, my question is if I can manage the pain and take less one day or perhaps the maximum one day when its bad, even if I'm not addicted can I continue to take if my tolerance isn't met? Hope that make sense, I am steadily coming down off of it and wonder if I stopped cold turkey would it kill me? I know the pain would be there but is it harmful to withdraw like that?

[hiskidd]

Hi! Please take this in a positive tone, but I had a doctor tell me that I needed to see my chronic pain like diabetes, and the pain meds (oxycontin) like my insulin. She also said it would be life-long, but that I could take "drug holidays' and try not to increase my dose.

My wife cried when I told her that. So I said damm that. It's hard, but get 10 opinions if you have to to find out what you can do for the pain, because a life spent on these drugs isn't much of a life. We rationalize "quality of life," but in my case, I know - even taking only the amt prescribed - opiate life is really death warmed over.

Be encouraged! Keep fighting!

David

[DylanStud1]

Well lets just say this... Im posting this 4 years after you mentioned this I took Vicodin(Hydrocodone,lortab) whatever the hell you want to call it for neck pain and recreational use and emotional pain for 3 years straight. First off, it is is a narcotic on the plain fact no matter who takes it it either makes you extremly tired or EXTREMLY EUPHORIC. in my case it was Euphoria and I was addicted for 3 years. I took about 6 - 9 10mg yellow Norcos a day. Ive been sober for a 15 months,,, a little over a year and i still can feel the bad side effects like not wanting to take any pain med when i am in the hospital and having EXTREME anxiety, and no lie ****** up my whole life... I hope it wears off but ive had blood tests and my liver is fine even after taking over like 2,000 pills in 3 years and spent 30,000$ on the drug in the street. I regret every minute of it but the pain I was in from physical and emotional was to much. I regret it so much not for the money part but for all the ******** I cant do anymore I freak out when i get put on anything from tramadol...to any other pain med. I dont react good t ANY pills anymore from anti-biotics - painkillers etc... I quit cold turkey after taking 6 a day for three years bcs one night i almost Overdosed and I told myself I was done. Hardest thing ive ever done in my life. Still going strong dont miss it just regret the Neuro (brain) damage all the opiate abuse my body has went through. Now after being sober a year im diagnosed with chronic Cluster Headache... go look that **** it up its terrible. Everyday headache pounding off and on 6 ina  day. But i dont give up. Oh and I was hospitalized for 3 days 3 different times stopping cold turkey becasue when your on opiates for over a year straight it something that YOU DONT DO, but in my case this was the only way. Love you.. hope this helps anyone who reads it and
If your reading this and your an addict of opiates remember.... God loves you.... And there is hope... im a example of you can quit cold turkey and be done for good. Might need a week off work and school and stay home and just lay in bed but you can do it. If I can do it... You can do it <3 Much love.

[austintex]

Yes thats alot for pain, but dont feel bad sweety. Pain is bad stuff, i know i live in excruciating pain, it is so bad you rather be dead. Ask your doctor to add MS Contin(morphine) it wont wear on your liver at all, and it works great for pain. last all day.

[hatchet4]

i to am taking norcos now for sevrn years from a pain clinic they gave me 180 norco, 90 10mg volumn,and nuerotin  plus zanax and 60 oxcontin 60 mg  i actualy thought he was tring to kill me. i have ocipital neuralgia, fail neck fusion and radiculathapy i am working part time and i just recently started going to my primary care dr. so he can monitor my blood work which i had checked yesterday and all was great. i do take vitamins like b-12, he said my blood count was extrordrarly normal what ever that meant but my chronic pain if it wasnt for taking at least six a day i would be bed riddin and im only 40 years old i broke my neck at work when i was 33.

[442x]

I've been on Norco 10/325 for the last 10 years.  I broke my spine in a car accident. Had to learn how to walk again after 2 months in the hospital.
I had a L3 shatter/burst fracture, my soft tissue was compressed.  And I now suffer from moderate to sever spinal nerve compression.
I still lead a normal active life WITH medication, the down side is I AM definitely addicted to my medication.  If I loose my meds (falling out of a back pack hiking), I withdrawal.  I get sweaty, suffer from sleepless, and diarrhea.
In my mind I am addicted to prescribed synthetic heroin.  I plan on speaking with my doctor, and tapering down to a level that I can manage without suffering major withdrawal symptoms.
Has anyone successfully done this under doctor supervision?
And how long will it take?  

[OldOxy]

Yes, at one point I was taking 80mg of Oxys a day, and I went to my doctor, and was very honest. I told her I was addicted, worked full time, and had a kid to take care of, and didn't want to take Methadone or resort to street drugs.

She initially recommended Methadone, but I was too scared. She ended up prescribing me Fentynal patches which I was to cut in patches. I would cut them into smaller and smaller strips (based on her math/size recommendations) and place them on my arm. That way, the withdrawal symptoms are lessened since you're prolonging and slowley weening off. That being said, if you have a psychological addiction to them, this is NOT the answer, and cold-turkey is your answer, along with 12-step meetings. Unfortunately, there are many people who get classified as addicts who only suffer physical addiction. These people just need help weening off. The people who need the drug after prolonged use because of emotional reasons, will not benefit from having a doctor "Rotate" or ween off.