Pain Meds

[niki12]

I have not started tx yet.  Had genyotype and a few other lab test done this morning, but my question is I have that "leg pain" I have been reading about here.  Last night it woke me up as it was shooting into my hip and my question is right now it is kind of unbearable and want to know if anyone has taken any pain pills for this.  I take the Sam-e but today this is just not helping.  How bad will it be to take a pain pill?  I try not to take any meds but today, I need it.  Anyone out there been here?????

[cuteus]

I have been taken Vicoprofen + ibuprofen as needed, it is the only combo for moderate pain that works for me. others take tylenol. I told my GI that tylenol did nothing for me, so of course she had to agree to ibuprofen.
GL on your tests, hope you have the easier to vanish geno.

[doll face]

While I was on treatment, my pcp prescribed me Vicodin ES for my many different pains (leg pains being one of them)I made sure that it was okay with my hepatologist first and was prescribed up to 8 a week, to take when needed.

Good luck to you. I know how bad it can get. If you can't get your hep doctor to write you a script ( some can't or won't) then ask your personal care physcian to do it.

[susan400]

I was on pain meds on and off for a 6 mon. period of time when I had a herniated disk in my back.  The pain meds made my LFT's go pretty high, but they're back down lower again (still not normal, but hey, they're rarely normal).  I've been off the pain meds now for approx. a month and other than occasional Tylenol, that's all I'm on.  I ended up having a microdiscetomy, which was done almost 5 weeks ago.  BTW, I've been around on this board for awhile with the whole HEP thing and various different treatments.  I'm unable to take NSAIDS, Ibuprofen, etc. because of the stomach burning and having thrown up a few times w/blood tinge to it.  So, I have to either go the narcotic route, or just plain Tylenol.  I am able to take Ultram (no Tylenol), which is a non-narcotic pain reliever that so far, they do not consider it a narcotic.  Reading up about it, it says that it has (opoid-like tendencies).  Ultram is different from Ultracet, which does have Tylenol in it.  Anyhow....that's all I can say, personally about this so take care...

Susan

[twotells]

There can be a number of causes of leg pain like you describe, whether related to HCV or not.  A small minority of us with HCV have problems with painful neuropathy related to something called cryoglobulinemia (Cryo)- the test for that is called a Cryocrit.  Your Doc may have done one of these.  I am one of only a few around here with the cryo and neuropathy and have needed pain meds throughout.  I can't take NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprophen, etc.) and needed to avoid the large quantity of Tylenol found in most strong pain preparations because of potential liver toxicity.  I was on Oxycodone 15mg/day but it stopped working well so I am now on Kadian 20mg/day (Morphine)- both of these are kind to the liver.  My situation is a very unusual worst-case scenario.  If your pain is a continuing problem, you may want to see a Neurologist.  God bless you,  Dave

[cuteus]

I was wondering if you went ahead with the back surgery.  How long did it take you to recover? Is the pain relief very significant? what was the advantage of that procedure over a laminectomy?
I hope it was worth it for you.

[Laika]

I have taken vicodin for the back/leg pain when it starts wearing me out, and also for a few severe headaches that I've had during treatment.  I only take 1/2 at a time, try not to overdo it.  Tylenol by itself doesn't help and my stomach won't allow me to take ibuprophen.  I just had my 12 wk PCR, which is still negative, and my LFT's are very good.

Laika

[LvdByGod!]

how is your thyroid responding to coming off treatment? could it be getting hyper at all? my other question would be do you stop sleep meds too when you stop tx or do you stop other meds when you get off tx like pain meds of zanax or something else that helps sleep?

i hope you can figure it all out and get some zzzzz's. being on the tx affects my sleep more than any other side effect. i hope when i get off tx sleep will improve not get worse...i feel for you kiddo...

i'm thinking hormone changes or something... (((???)))

[LvdByGod!]

i get the hip pain at night and it wakes me up...esp if i haven't taken my ultram/tramodol before bed...tramadol acts on the opiod recievers in the brain but is not a narcotic and is not addicting. it does seem it works best if taken every night as opposed to just when the pain hits. i think it has a better effect if it builds up in the system rather than just used at the time of pain....at least this seems to be the case for me...i have taken vicodine too for extreem  pain before but it is addicting and causes me constipation and that's no fun.

[susan400]

Yes, the microdiscetomy was the answer for me.  My recovery has gone good.  

I agree, the Ultram does work better taken daily.  When I'm doing treatment, I take it daily and it helps a lot with the muscle aches and arthritic type pains.  

Another subject here....have any of you have sleep problems coming off of treatment?  Every time I stop treatment, I get the worst insomnia.  I don't sleep real well on treatment, but better than when I come off.  I've been off it now for 3-1/2 mon. and it's really not improved a lot.  I do get some sleep, but very little.  For example, last night I got about 3 hrs and that was it.  Most nights, when I'm sleeping, I get up 3 times at least.  I don't think I remember what it was like to get a total 6-8 hours straight without having to get up.  I took Ambien for awhile, but then, that stopped working.  Do the rest of you have this problem?  Do any of you know if Lunesta (the new sleep aid med) is safe for the liver?  I do all the normal things to help with sleep such as exercise, avoiding caffeine after about 10 am. in the morning, trying to go to sleep at the same time every night, etc., etc.  

Anyway, sorry to get off of subject.

Susan

[susan400]

Actually, I stopped the Ambien after being off treatment for 2 mon.  This same insomnia thing happened to me a year ago when I stopped treatment the last time and at that time, I hadn't taken any Ambien.  As far as the hormones, it could be, but I do take hormone replacement, unless it's not working?  I just had my thyroid checked 2 weeks ago and it was perfectly fine.  I've been blessed in that, with all of my treatments, I've never had a thyroid problem.  Weight problems because on treatment, I don't eat enough and rapidly lose.  Mood swings.  Sleep Disorders.  And in general, aches and flu symptoms.  These are what happens with me on treatments.  Sometimes I feel like the treatments have turned me into a bipolar person.  Because I've gotten really, really hyper that past two times coming off of treatment.  Then, I go back on treatments and I crash back down.  It almost sets me up for this cyclic thing.  I don't remember being so up-down-up-down in my previous life before Hep C was known about and treatments were started.  Who knows....God only knows....I can't figure out all these things.  I do know that I don't like antidepressants and gave up on trying any more of them.  I tried 10 different ones and their side effects to me, were worse than being depressed.  So, I just deal with the depression thing by trying to talk to people, my counselor and by praying.  Take care.  Sleepless in Florida...   Susan

[LvdByGod!]

susan i'm sorry your having such a hard time...that really stinks. i can't understand what's happening with you from the tx. i pray that you will find out and be able to reverse the problem. perhaps those meds are still in your system? doesn't it take at least 6 months to begin clearing out? but it still is wierd that you loose sleep after getting off meds...i would think it would be the oposite. so strange...i'm sure there is something going on.

now that you are off treatment have you tried melatonin at all? it's suppose to be good for regulating sleep patterns. but you only need a little bit of it...less than 1 mg.

when i first began trying AD's i had horrible side effects from it and some of them really disagreed with me. i had to cut the pill into a quarter of its size to be able to get used to it...then it really started helping me. (i was on prozack)
i have been on this for ten years now and nothing at all happens when i take it now...but the trick for me was cutting it into a small enough dose and raising the dose slowly from there...that really helped...

GOD BLESS SUSAN! i pray for your sleep to get better and that God will help you figure this out...

sandi

[channon1]

I'm new on this site, so hope you all don't mind me jumping in... Susan, I'm also from FL, Hi neighbor! Luckily the Ambien is still working for me, otherwise I'd get no sleep at all.  

I'm geno 3, stage 3/4, grade 4.

Currently not taking pain meds, but I know exactly what you mean about effects from anti-dx.  I've tried 4 different brands, and have found that the sides from anti-dx are worse for me than not taking them at all.  If it wasn't the migraine headaches, it was getting the shakes so bad I could hardly hold my head up.  I tried halving the dose and it didn't help... haven't tried the quarters like LBG suggests.  Maybe I'll do that if I find I really need something.

Nice to find this site, btw.  Thanks,
Connie