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Avatar universal

Anyone else experience this with oxycodone

As I've stated before, I'm on a lot of medication for my pain.  There's a couple of things I've noticed, and I'm wondering if anyone else experiences this as well.

When I was younger, I was always very prone to headaches.  They've eased up a lot after I started having kids, but I still get them on occasion.  I would have thought that with all the medication I'm on it would cover any headaches, but the oxycodone really doesn't work on headaches for me.  I always have to take the ibuprofen.  

Another thing I've noticed is that my appetite is really poor.  I've lost quite a bit of weight while I've been on these meds (and I definitely needed to.)  Some of it was through watching what I ate and going to the gym.  But I haven't been able to get back to the gym in a while due to surgeries and pain.  But I've found that now I eat a bite or two here or there.  And I used to love chocolate more than anything and now I can really take it or leave it.

But I find myself craving what I call "junky" candy or "kids' candy."  I seem to love things like Sour Patch Kids, Mike & Ikes, Good and Plenty, and stuff like that.

Anyone else find their tastes change with the medication?  I also find myself craving fruit a lot.
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Avatar universal
Your headaches were caused by lack of water in your body.   You were misdiagnosed.    The medication prob. Exacerbated the condition and the root cause, water intake, was not address.   I suggest drinking Gatorade or something like that because certain salts and other subs. Are in Gatorade which will help you retain the water.  
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1 Comments
And yes , pain meds esp. Are known to cause loss of taste and /or smell
Avatar universal
I've found Oxycodone to be very helpful and yet any formulation that includes tylenol causes more pain then it relieves.  I've also noticed that the extended relief makes me tired while this gives me energy.  It is amazing how Oxycodone, Lyrica and Naproxen Sodium can be so amazing at one kind of pain while being so completely worthless or even antagonistic of another.  

I'm clockwork at 10mg every 4 hours and most interesting of the symptoms is 45 minutes in, whatever pain you have. even if it's just mental gets really bad for about 10 minutes.

I've had headaches since my original injury decades ago and have found, at least for me, that liver stress and often even pain on the right side at the bottom of the rib cage is a precursor to a migraine by a day or two in some cases.  Alcohol turned out to be a 1 day trigger and garlic in large quantities was a two day trigger.

I've found Naproxen Sodium to be a miracle for migraines on a level where I'm afraid to waste it on anything else.

More recently I've found that addressing the first sign of liver stress or even anticipating liver stress and taking Milk thistle extract has been surprisingly effective.

Chewing, Sugar, Low or no light, Naproxen, Marijuana, and no physical activity, when combined, and started at the aura has been almost 100%, and has been 100% in terms of eliminating the really bad ones.

I do crave sugar and while I also take Lyrica, which has allowed me to eat anything I want with limited repercussions for the first time since my injury, I read an article at science news about each person being very individual in their processing of sugar and carbs.  Some people spike with sugar but not carbs and some are opposite.  It's really important to listen to your body and looking at all theories can really help you find the pieces for success.  Ayurvedic diet theory helped my mom find out that Raw vegetables were a problem for her and that roots and fermented products were things I should avoid.  Listen to your body and help it help itself.

My best advice to anyone is to view food that is digested quickly as food for unhealthy stomach bacteria and food that is slower digesting as food for the healthy bacteria that defend you from the bad ones.  The science behind this is actually that pure quick fix foods feed bacteria that are starving by the time they get into your lower intestine.  They arrive with a giant army but no food for themselves or for the residents of the lower realm that defend your blood stream from the newly arriving army.  The enemy is strong from having just been fed and overwhelm your defenses and and attack you eating the intestinal wall and getting into your blood stream.

I think a great deal of the opiate difficulties are related to an inconsistent dose.  The same dose evenly over 24 hours has had no negative side effects but all other regimens seems to lead to a general decline in heath or regular significant side effects.

I have a side question...

My quandary that I'm testing positive for benzodiazepines with zero use.

I'm not taking anything I know to cause false positives except for Naproxen and I went through several migraines without it thinking that was the price of my doctors trust but tested positive again even without using it for a month.

I take Nuvigil, Oxycodone, Lyrica, Viveran (caffiene) and Marijuana daily and Milk thistle and an occaisional vitamin when I think it's needed.

That's it.  No cold, sleep or over the counter stuff.  No fragrance, creams or oils.  Crest toothpaste and neutrogena shampoo as well as glycerin soap.

Any ideas or experiences?
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1 Comments
Emac2.
You're commenting on an old post. I would recommend you start a post of your own so that way you'll get more comments.
4397957 tn?1354280922
You are accessing the pleasure part of your brain w/ the opiates, and sweets will do the same thing...The opiates release dopamine so your body will look for other ways to recreate this sensation.
Not a Dr but have done some resaerch.
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Avatar universal
OMG!  I'm in hysterics because I'm sitting at my desk with two boxes of Mike & Ike's and two boxes of Good & Plenty and I just read your post.  As I write this I have a 1 Good & Plenty in my mouth and 1 Mike and Ike.  I went on the web to ask if it's possible to lose one's sense of taste and smell, which I have, and I cam across this.  I've been taking Percocet 10/325 for about 5 years for chronic pancreatitis.  Aside from having almost completely lost my senses of smell and taste, I also have an insatiable desire to be chewing on something sweet while I work.  BTW, I've gone from 153 lbs to 118 lbs and I can not gain weight no matter what I eat.

The thing about the Good & Plenty and Mike and Ike's absolutely floored me.  How ironic!
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Avatar universal
You Wrote:
Kim -
Just out of curiosity, do you notice your headaches worse if you don't drink your "normal" amount of caffeine or if you've drank more than what you normally do?

My reply: yes to both...I drink two cups of coffee in the mornin and if I have more than that I do get a bad headache...But oddly enough I can drink Mountain Dews which I have started on after 23 years again and I am fine?? That is supposed to have more caffiene than coffee?? I also make my Lipton tea and have a glass at dinner time...So I DO drink allot of Caffiene? WoW...until you sit down and write it you really don't know do ya??

And If you think you're strange I can't imagine what I am LOL
Take


Chat soon ;-)
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Avatar universal
Kim -

Just out of curiosity, do you notice your headaches worse if you don't drink your "normal" amount of caffeine or if you've drank more than what you normally do?  I'm just wondering if my "reaction" to caffeine is similar to what others experience.  I don't drink a lot of caffeinated drinks (drink caffeine free whenever possible) - I used to be a BIG coffee drinker, but strangely enough, ever since having a HORRIBLE case of strep throat, ear infection and pneumonia this past winter, I've not been able to tolerate the caffeine like I used to (I get way too jittery, nauseas and dizzy with it, even in little bits).  It seems the only caffeine drink that I can consume without it making me feel too sick is Diet Pepsi, and even with that, I can't drink much of it.

Anyway - I started to ramble there - I've noticed that ever since this "change" in my ability to handle caffeine, if I do have some, later that day and the following day, I usually end up with a really bad headache.  And like I said, I don't drink much of the caffeinated stuff, so it's not like I've totally overindulged and have a withdrawal headache.

I know quite often they say if you have a headache and take say a tylenol or an advil for it, if you take it with something caffeinated, it can help that medication to work quicker and better.  However, for me, it only makes the headache worse.

Who knows - maybe I'm just strange!  LOL

Ok - now my Mike and Ike's are calling my name!  LOL
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Avatar universal
Wow, this explains a lot. So many of my experiences have been explained on this post today!!

I was thinking,(like I posted) that the weight loss I was experiencing was due to the Fentanyl patch that I started on in January of this year. Now, I'm thinking it's just because of the stronger pain meds. I've now lost 25 lbs. Thought it was slowing down, but just lost another 5 lbs. So I guess the answer is to force yourself to eat.

I don't experience any particular cravings, but I've noticed that my taste buds have DEFINITELY changed. NOTHING seems to taste the same at all. Things that I used to "pig out on" don't smell OR taste good  OR the same to me anymore. Even my toothpaste and my mouth taste different. Has anyone noticed that? I reallly miss not being able to smell the strong good smells when I'm cooking pot roast or stew or meatloaf any more.

You know that isn't exactly true. I don't crave ANY particular food, BUT I crave Cokes. So I'll drink about 3 or 4 cans of Coke a day. (Most of the cans are abandoned and not finished.) But the taste of the Coke is what REALLY tastes good to me.

Any suggestions how to get the taste and smell back for the food? Or is anyone noticing a difference in your taste buds and sense smell?

I've noticed since switching to the Percocet from the Norco that I've experienced some low grade headaches also. I know that it isn't the Fentanyl as I was on it and the Norco for 3 months before the switch to the Oxy and didn't experience it at all. The one time I took a full 10/325 Percocet I definitely had a headache (pressure type), which told me that the full tablet was too much for me. So I take 1/2 pill and take the 2nd half about 2 hours later and then I'm fine. (I checked with my Dr. before I did this to be sure that it was alright to do this.) I'm paranoid, I check with him BEFORE I do anything because I don't want to take ANY chances of breaking the pain contract.  :)  

Hope everyone has an EASY  low pain day!!....Sherry
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Avatar universal
Well I too can chime in on this conversation....I used to be a salt-aholic...Had to have chips on a daily basis...Now within the last few months I eat ice cream, sour patch candy, and lots and lots of coffee drinks (cold) not hot. I make my own imitation of Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins ice cream drinks especially the cappuccino blast or McDonalds new mocha frappe...I too have  lost weight EVEN with all this sugar and I'm 43? I did need to loose 12 pounds and now I have. I still eat a good breakfast-a small lunch but dinner time I have noticed I am just not hungry, So I either skip or eat a bowl a cereal.
Headaches though...I have been a migraine sufferer since the age of 19 and I do get the "rebound" headaches now assuming from these posts that's what they are?
Great reading all the interesting post on here...think it's time for a coffee drink.....mmmmm
Good luck everyone and enjoy another Monday of pain controll
Kim :)
Helpful - 0
485259 tn?1519047026
Wow. I just learned so much! It explains my headaches, my sudden new romance with Mike and Ike, and replacing my old fave Dove Chocolate for Sour Patch kids, sour jujubes and red licorice. All crazy, since my face/jaw hurts and it's harder to eat these!
So I take my hydrocodone as little as possible, takes the pain away, but i wake up with a headache. Now I know why.
Thanks for the interesting posts. and now, off to find me some candy!!
J
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Avatar universal
Thanks.  Luckily I don't get a lot of headaches, and ibuprofen works on them.  It can raise your blood pressure; you're right.  It raised mine a few years ago, and I had to stop taking it.  But since I lost weight, my blood pressure is okay now.

I've been on the oxycodone for a long time and my appetite is still poor.  It's not the worst thing, really.  But I do need to make a conscious effort to make the meal count nutritionally.
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Avatar universal
I, too, occassionally (fortunately not real often) get rebound headaches from my pain meds.  Unfortunately, I cannot take ibuprofen, naproxyn or any of that type of medication so I'm not able to take those for the headache.  I also cannot take extra tylenol, as one of my pain meds (Lortab) already has tylenol in it and of course, you never want to overdo with acetaminophen (or any pain reliever for that matter, prescripton or OTC).  So, I'm usually left with trying to relieve the headache with non-medicinal methods such as laying down in a dark, quiet room with a cool cloth over my eyes and sometimes an ice pack (a bag of frozen peas works great) on the back of my neck.  Sometimes, soothing music helps me to try to relax, but at other times, depending on teh headache, the sound of the music actually makes my head feel worse.  Another thing that I've found that sometimes helps a little is to use a couple of sprays of a saline nasal spray.  I'm not sure why it helps, but it does sometimes.  Also, sometimes just a caffeinated soda or coffee or tea can help relieve the headache too - just be sure not to drink TOO much caffeine or you could end up with a caffeine withdrawal headache and believe me, they are no fun!

Once in a great while, after I've tried all the non-medicinal techniques and they haven't worked, I'll break down and give in and take an advil, but I always suffer for it - I get HORRIBLE stomach pains, nausea and vomiting from it.  And the other reason I've been told to try to avoid these types of medications (anti inlfammatories) is because they can raise your blood pressure - they do with me.  So when I do break down and take advil, I only take one.  Somtimes a plain old aspirin does the trick too.

I can understand how a muscle relaxer might help also if you have them.  A lot of headaches are at least partially caused by tension in the neck/shoulder region, so it's quite logical that by being able to relax those muscles, it could help to relieve the headache.

It's also not uncommon for your appetite to be lower when you're starting a new medication.  How long have you been on the oxycodone?  If it's been relatively recently, you may find that this changes as your body adjusts to the meds.  If you're experiencing any nausea with the pain meds, that could also affect how your appetite is.

I've noticed my taste buds have changed a bit with my medications - I think that's also quite common to have happen.  I'm like you, I tend to crave the more "kiddie type" candies such as the Mike and Ike's and other "fruity" type candy more so than chocolate.  I still get some chocolate cravings, but they are few and far between and even when I do get one, it takes very little chocolate to satisfy the craving.

Do you notice that any foods/drinks either bring on or intensify your headaches?  With me, it's MSG, nitrates, if I eat/drink too much dairy (of any kind - cheese, ice cream, milk on cereal, etc).  I don't drink alcohol because of my meds, but before I was on pain meds, wine (and sometimes to a lesser extent, beer) would also trigger a headache for me - again I think that was related to the nitrites in it.  If you can determine that a food or drink is adding to your headaches, that could be a relatively easy "fix" for them - simply avoid the food or drink that is causing the problem.

I hope you find some relief soon!
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Avatar universal
Mellie,

My best friend has been going to Chicago to the Diamond Clinic for migraine headaches.  She has been to the ER so many times to get morphine injections that the doctor finally told her that he did not feel comfortable continuing to give her injections for the pain.  She has a neurologist that has her on several non narcotic medications for her headache.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that she also has been told that narcotics, morphine, hydrocodone, percocet, give rebound headaches and that those are not good medications for taking for headaches.  One of the medications she has been given is Toradol, and Norflex (a muscle relaxer) plus a lot of other medications that I can't remember.  I just wanted to tell you that I had also heard of the rebound headaches and that the neurologist and the specialist hospital stated that narcotics are not good medications to use for migraine headaches.  I hope you all feel much better!
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1187071 tn?1279369698
I had no clue pain meds caused headaches or made you crave sugar, we learn something new everyday.
Jamie
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547368 tn?1440541785
Hi Mellie,

I take hydrocodone daily for pain control. When I first started taking it and occasionally now I get headaches from the hydrocodone. I have to take Ibuprofen with the hydrocodone sometimes. Like you it does not work on my headaches.

I too find myself craving more sweets. I didn't use to touch them. I was never a sweet eater until the pain became extreme and I was prescribed hydrocodone. I don't know if it is because of the medication or because I use them as a comfort food.

However when I had a concussion about a year ago I had a lot of head pain, not a real headache, head pain. Hydrocodone didn't touch the head pain but oxycodone did. I think each of us respond differently to different medications. I also think that different types of pain respond differently to different pain meds. Just my thoughts.

~Tuck
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Avatar universal
I don't get a lot of headaches, but when I do, I just find it interesting that good old Ibuprofen works where the oxycodone doesn't.

I did gain weight when I was on Lyrica, like 15 pounds in 2.5 weeks.  When I came off it, the weight came off (though not as fast as it went on.)

I love sharing on this site and finding out all these little things, as well as the bigger things!
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535089 tn?1400673519
Hi:

You sound like so many of us. The Headaches you're experiencing are called rebound Headaches. They are generally caused by the Pain Medication. I get them too.

Also, it seems that opiates cause sugar cravings. I have never had these types of cravings until I started using opiates. I now NEED sugar on a regular basis.

LOL...I have actuallt gained weight. It's all the sugar.

Please stay well,
Mollyrae
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1187071 tn?1279369698
I don't crave food with my meds. But since my pain is in my face I do eat better when I am. The people on this board is very helpful so I am sure they will have some ideas. Sorry you have had to stop working out. I started out taking walks and that has helped my moods. I am different I crave stuff and eat more on meds when I know I  could lose alittle weight. I gained so much from taking a med I was on for a few months and I am trying to get the weight off since I am off that pill now.
I hope your appetite gets better, I know when a headache hits me I don't want to eat at all. I would ask your doctor bout this next time you are there to see if it is a side effect from the pills.
Best of luck,
Jamie
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