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Ultracet/Other posts
I saw a rheumatologist last week for investigation of the cause of elevated ANA (antinuclear antibody), wide spread joint/muscle/tendon pain, blurry vision and shortness of breath. He ordered several blood, breathing and heart tests and prescribed Ultracet. This is a combo narcotic/antiinflammitory/ad type medicine. Between the Ultracet and Celebrex that I was already taking, I feel a lot better. Has anyone else used this? What are the side effects and can it be used long term? I still have the shortness of breath and blurry vision, but the muscles and tendons sure feel better. Thanks, caruu
Yeah, we were talking about using both sides a while back and I've actually been trying to keep it in mind, especially doing work around the house. I haven't been able to manage the mouse with my left hand. Just came in a while ago from working in the yard and I feel pretty good tonight. Yeah! Maybe things will start looking up. I've been wondering if some of this is deconditioning from gallbladder surgery and then tx soon after (basically I've had 18 months of medical stuff going on). I hope you are feeling good. Thanks for the ideas. caruu
No where to turn -- Wow! You are really dealing with a lot. I hope you have a good weekend and are able to relax. I know that all of the Dr. appts. get to be very stressfu.
Cindee -- My neuro. chalks the hand/finger tingling up to bulging cervical discs and says the only thing to do would be surgery. He doesn't recommned that now, says I'm too young and the surgery could cause some other problem down the road. I read that you're not supposed to rest your wrist while typing, only when you stop to rest. I'm trying to train myself to keep them up so there will be less pressure. I work at a computer all day so I'm also trying to take more breaks, watch my posture, etc.
The new doc (rheumy) is running a bunch of tests, but the results aren't back yet. He says bulging disc pain would be at the site of the disc (this seems to conflict with what the neruo said). I've been working all day today and my arm/wrist isn't as bad as some days. Do you think the ultracet could be helping the tingling and numbness? I took it last night and just took 1/2 a few min. ago since I'm about ready to go home and my muscles are starting to bother me.
I would still go to the doc and have the hand tingling checked out and let them know it comes and goes. Maybe it's related to your previous surgery??? Good posture, exercise and lot's of breaks! Take care and have a great weekend, caruu
Cindee -- My neuro. chalks the hand/finger tingling up to bulging cervical discs and says the only thing to do would be surgery. He doesn't recommned that now, says I'm too young and the surgery could cause some other problem down the road. I read that you're not supposed to rest your wrist while typing, only when you stop to rest. I'm trying to train myself to keep them up so there will be less pressure. I work at a computer all day so I'm also trying to take more breaks, watch my posture, etc.
The new doc (rheumy) is running a bunch of tests, but the results aren't back yet. He says bulging disc pain would be at the site of the disc (this seems to conflict with what the neruo said). I've been working all day today and my arm/wrist isn't as bad as some days. Do you think the ultracet could be helping the tingling and numbness? I took it last night and just took 1/2 a few min. ago since I'm about ready to go home and my muscles are starting to bother me.
I would still go to the doc and have the hand tingling checked out and let them know it comes and goes. Maybe it's related to your previous surgery??? Good posture, exercise and lot's of breaks! Take care and have a great weekend, caruu
Yes, my plumanoligist has me on home 02 now and after I have a heart stress test down, which will have to be done lying down and some type of med's given IV to speed up my heart. I have already had a sleep study done and now I have to be fitted for a c-pap.My heart dr will do a right heart cath due to damage from the plumonary hypertension. After all that then my lung dr wants to send me to New Orleans, Ochsner Clinic due to the fact the medication for PH is hard on the liver (but wants not). I hope everything will go good for you. I'll keep you in my thoughts. keep in touch maybe we can pass information on to each other that might help.
Hey girl, I'm happy to hear you are getting some help. In the past I had to take Ultram because of my back. I had surgery on my L5 disk about 9 yrs ago. But I found I couldn't take it, because it caused me to have migraines! So there must be some allergy there for me and Ultram. I am praying it will WORK for YOU!!!! BTW did you talk to your new doctor about the numbness in your fingers hand and wrist @ above? I was sent my referal date for an appointment with a neurologist on July 18th. It doesn't seem as bad lately and I'm wondering if I should even go at all. Let me know what you think. Your judgement has always been good for me!!!! So let me know what he said about the numbness???? TY in advance for letting me know! Love ya girl, prayers your way! Cindee
This was mentioned as a possibility for my shortness of breath and I'm scheduled for an echocardiogram next week. I had a PFT yesterday. Yes, my doc mentioned it as a possibility (but I don't know if he said in relation to HCV/INF TX. It's hard to remember everything with so much going on. My daughter has had to go to the last several appts with me because I felt really bad and we were both tired of me going from doc to doc. We're hoping the rheumatologist comes up with some answers, but we've discussed the possibility of a visit to the Mayo Clinic. Has anyone done this? Do you know how to get it started? Thanks, Caruu
u I was having
db, fatique, heart racing, and alot of adema. During treatment I thought it was the meds and just having hep-c. But after treatment it seem to get worse. I was on a 160 mg of lasix and still could not get the edema down. And the fatique and shortness of breath was bad. My primary dr was not doing anay thing until my husband demanded they put me in the hospital and run some test and get the edema under control. come to find out I had plumonary hypertension which has caused some right heart damage. This can be brought on by hep-c,portal hypertension,or even the tx for hep-c. From what I have found out this can be over looked by dr's. This also applies for polyarthritis. The test they done to find out about the plumonary hypertension was a Echocardiography. I'm wondering if any one else has had this same problem? (sorry about my spelling)
db, fatique, heart racing, and alot of adema. During treatment I thought it was the meds and just having hep-c. But after treatment it seem to get worse. I was on a 160 mg of lasix and still could not get the edema down. And the fatique and shortness of breath was bad. My primary dr was not doing anay thing until my husband demanded they put me in the hospital and run some test and get the edema under control. come to find out I had plumonary hypertension which has caused some right heart damage. This can be brought on by hep-c,portal hypertension,or even the tx for hep-c. From what I have found out this can be over looked by dr's. This also applies for polyarthritis. The test they done to find out about the plumonary hypertension was a Echocardiography. I'm wondering if any one else has had this same problem? (sorry about my spelling)
Actually, the PPI's (I've used Protonix and Aciphex) are helpful but I still had unpredictable GERD problems. After the gastroparesis dx I was prescribed Domperidone. I had to have it compounded in the U.S. for the first 6 weeks or so until the Canada Meds script was delivered. BIG price difference. It's not covered by ins. because it's not approved in the U.S. I think it's mostly a money thing (not enough demand and Regalan is prescribed most of the time). The dom. has fewer sx.
The doc is in the process of elimination now and has not determined if the issues are HCV related. He did state that high ANA could be the result of HCV and/or INF. Thanks for the reference to the rx site. I'll take a look. Hope you are feeling well today, and yes, I'll keep your ideas in mind. Tylenol worked for me during tx. It was a couple of weeks after tx was done that the muscle and breathing problems seemed to escalate. Now that I've been through all of the anxiety/depression b.s. and have finally convinced the docs my breathing isn't just me freaking out but actually an imparement, maybe I'll get some answers (I'm hopeful but not necessarily confident). Anyway, thanks for your note, caruu
The doc is in the process of elimination now and has not determined if the issues are HCV related. He did state that high ANA could be the result of HCV and/or INF. Thanks for the reference to the rx site. I'll take a look. Hope you are feeling well today, and yes, I'll keep your ideas in mind. Tylenol worked for me during tx. It was a couple of weeks after tx was done that the muscle and breathing problems seemed to escalate. Now that I've been through all of the anxiety/depression b.s. and have finally convinced the docs my breathing isn't just me freaking out but actually an imparement, maybe I'll get some answers (I'm hopeful but not necessarily confident). Anyway, thanks for your note, caruu
Those PPIs are like a miracle drug as GERD sufferers can attest.
Has your doc tied some of your symptoms to the HCV or is he in the process of elimination?
A decent site is www.rxlist.com for getting a handle on some of these meds.
I've had good response with 1 gram Tylenol + 10 to 20 mg Methadone. No euphoria or noticable impairment, just relief. Keep that in your hip-pocket as a fallback. Other drugs such as Bextra (Ibuprofen like) work wonders for some people.
Has your doc tied some of your symptoms to the HCV or is he in the process of elimination?
A decent site is www.rxlist.com for getting a handle on some of these meds.
I've had good response with 1 gram Tylenol + 10 to 20 mg Methadone. No euphoria or noticable impairment, just relief. Keep that in your hip-pocket as a fallback. Other drugs such as Bextra (Ibuprofen like) work wonders for some people.
I have taken Ultram off and on for years for throracic outlet symdrome (won't go into that here). It's the original form and is stronger than Ultracet. Ultram has 50mg of tramadol and Ultracet only 37.5mg along with 325mg of Tylenol. For me, I found Ultram worked well on an occasional basis. While on tx I had debiliting headaches and took it more often. It quickly quit working at all (after a couple of weeks of taking it a couple of times a day) so be careful, OK?
Thanks for your replies. I have not heard back on the blood tests yet. They took 6 tubes for lupus, RA, Cryoglobulina, Scleraderma, etc. I had the PFT today and it was not bad at all (sit in a phone booth and blow in a tube for about 30 minutes).
The doc said it's not unusual for ANA to be elevated from HCV and/or INF, but it was worth doing all of the tests. The pain is characeristic of Fibromyalgia. The gastroparesis is helped greatly with a PPI and Domperidone (have to buy from Canada because it's not approved in the U.S.) and I'm now on Advair and Albuterol for breathing. Don't know yet if it's asthma, emphasema, ??. The echocardiogram is next week. I go back to the doctor on Aug. 2 (but I hope to get a phone call with some results before that). In the mean time the Ultracet seems to be helping the muscle pain AND the brain fog. I'm at work now and feeling better than I have in a while. Thanks, Caruu
The doc said it's not unusual for ANA to be elevated from HCV and/or INF, but it was worth doing all of the tests. The pain is characeristic of Fibromyalgia. The gastroparesis is helped greatly with a PPI and Domperidone (have to buy from Canada because it's not approved in the U.S.) and I'm now on Advair and Albuterol for breathing. Don't know yet if it's asthma, emphasema, ??. The echocardiogram is next week. I go back to the doctor on Aug. 2 (but I hope to get a phone call with some results before that). In the mean time the Ultracet seems to be helping the muscle pain AND the brain fog. I'm at work now and feeling better than I have in a while. Thanks, Caruu
As cuteus pointed out ultracet is not a narcotic (but plays one on T.V.). I would recommend not taking the stuff daily - only when you really need to. There can be some "physical dependence" with this med. I'm glad you found something that works well.
I am so very happy you found a med that is alleviating your pain, how was the test?
I take vicoprofen, combination of hydrocodone and ibuprofen.
Ultracet has tylenol, which does nothing for my pain and the tramadol is not a true opiod but it does act centrally to ease the pain, it is amazing the array of pain meds and its various effects on each one of us. I have tried almost all the old anitinflamatories and stick to ibuprofen and the narcotic.
I am glad you found something that works, chronic pain is so debilitating.
I take vicoprofen, combination of hydrocodone and ibuprofen.
Ultracet has tylenol, which does nothing for my pain and the tramadol is not a true opiod but it does act centrally to ease the pain, it is amazing the array of pain meds and its various effects on each one of us. I have tried almost all the old anitinflamatories and stick to ibuprofen and the narcotic.
I am glad you found something that works, chronic pain is so debilitating.
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