Please somebody help me

[smithjr1981]

I'm not understanding why I am feeling like this from my pain meds. My doctor has me taking Norco 10/325...been on them for about 7 months now. The first few months that I took them...I was fine...now all of a sudden...when I take them I feel like my heart is going to stop, and I get so tired, then I have panic attacks because of the way they make me feel...what is going on?? I take three of them every 8 hours, and like I said before...the first few months of taking them I was fine, now my heart feels like it's gonna stop...I'm scared to take them...somebody please help!!

[smithjr1981]

Speedy recovery I wish...lol. its gonna be at least a year before I can walk again...lol. uneventful...hopefully.

[Tuckamore]

I am glad that your surgery was successful and is over, now the healing can begin. It's also good to hear that your medications are managing your pain.

"Addiction" is rare in ppl that have true pain and take their medications are prescribed. Studies by reputable groups conclude that the percentage of chronic pain patients that actually become addicts are less then 4%. There are keywords in my statement... chronic pain patients and take as directed. So don't be fearful of pain medications that you require. Always it's true that the less medications you need to control the pain the better....overkill is not helpful or conducive to healing... short term and even more importantly long term. But I am sure you are aware of that fact.

Thanks so much for the update. It's great to hear from you and I hope you will continue to to keep us update. I wish you a speedy and uneventful recovery.

Peace,
~Tuck

[smithjr1981]

Okay friends. Yesterday was the 27th....which was surgery day. It went quite well although the surgeon added on another procedure so I had four procedures done to the foot instead of three. The surgeon said that he now thinks I have a better than 95 percent chance of keeping my foot after all and making a full recovery with good long term prognosis. The only downfall which we already discussed before surgery is the fact that I'm never gonna be able to work any sort of standing or weight-bearing job again. Now the numbness from the nerve block they did is pretty much worn off and here comes the pain. He did send me home with 4 prescriptions so I basically have a plethora of pain meds. He wrote scripts for: 60 percocet 10/325; 60 20mg. Oxycontin; 60 norco 10/325; and 20 10mg toradol. I prolly wont take the norco as I have been experiencing ill effects from those. I doubt I will take the oxycontin for a few reasons being....my insurance only covers them for cancer patients and the script is 284 dollars cash...which I don't have and if I did...that's a lot of diaper money for my nine month old, and I heard that the oxy's are hard on your body and highly highly addictive. Right now I'm taking the percocet and toradol and managing well....with no ill effects.

[nurseaudrea]

Sorry, meant to say better for you. HeHe. I think I was being Narcosistic unconciously.

[nurseaudrea]

I also just wanted to add that with a blood pressure of 92/80 could indicate dehydration. Your diastolic and systolic numbers are awfully close together. Many times when they are within 20 points of eachother dehydration is the cause and when within 10 points I would be really concerned and you are almost there. You say you just added the Morphine back? I also took Norco and Morphine together and I can remember anytime I weaned off the Morphine, for various reasons, and went back on they made me feel just plain awful. It would lower my blood pressure to around 90-100/60-70 and would give me a very "heavy" feeling. I think if I were not a nurse it would probably induce some anxiety like it has you. I can understand having symptoms and being scared it is going to kill you. That is a very real fear and can cause severe anxiety attacks. I recently had a scare three days ago where I went to the ER as well because of the side effect of an Epidual Steroid Injection. The steroids made my heart race around 165 and my blood pressure went up to 175/110. I was scared enough to visit the ER and I knew it was probably from the Steroid in the ESI. It still scared me though. I have had over 20 ESI's in the last 15 years and that has never happened so I was concerned. Did you just take the Norco by itself and you felt this way, or did it start after adding the Morphine? For me anytime I start Morphine after stopping even for the shortest while, it would always make me feel awful. Hopefully that is all it is. Your state of mind can also play tricks on you. If you know you are going to get scared after taking your meds, you will. My aunt has this problem when her blood pressure is taken. After accidentally being on too much Steroids, pharmacy gave her the wrong strength, her blood pressure was too high. She then thought she could have a heart attack and went to the ER three times in one months and everytime her BP is taken she gets anxious giving her a false high reading. She was put on too much BP meds. and started having problems from that thinking she was going to die because her heart was beating a lot slower and she was feeling dizzy at times. Again, she became anxious. Thankfully I helped her through it and she is now on the proper dose and does not respond as bad to having her BP taken. I kind of made her let me take it over and over again until she got over it and when she goes to the doctor I go with her and do the BP machine myself. It's the only way she will not have a "false" high reading.

I only tell you this story so you know your mind can really play tricks on you. I am not saying that is what is going on with you, just that it can. Hopefully this helps and I hope things do get better for me.

My sincerest, Audrea

[Tuckamore]

Hey Smithjr,

The fear that they are "missing something" is a common one with us chronic pain sufferers. Your drop in B/P could simply be from the medications you are taking. Actually
your B/P is my normal B/P, has been since I was a teenager. So unless it drops lower I wouldn't be overly concerned with it.

When you say you felt like you were going to die, exactly how are you feeling? Is that the "heart stopping" feeling you described in your first post? How does that feel to you? Are you weak, breathless or light headed?.... does it feel more like anxiety... or physical symptoms? Sometimes the two are difficult to separate.

You may want to discuss changing the med regimen with your prescribing physician. Instead of taking three Norco tablets every eight hours ASK HIM if you can take half of your current dose every four hours.  Then you would be taking such a high dose all at once. DO NOT adjust your meds on your own without consulting your physician. Never follow a suggested med dose change from anyone but your physician.  I am merely offering this as something to discuss with your physician.

Please keep in touch.
~Tuck

[smithjr1981]

I do believe that something changed in my system as well Tuck. It scared me the other day when I went to the doctors because my blood pressure was 92/80 something. I felt like I was gonna die. All the lab tests that I am having done are negative...I'm worrying if they are missing something....

[Tuckamore]

I am still learning towards something may have changed in your system...or you are building an intolerance to the medication.

I am not overly concerned with the acetaminophen you are consuming. I have been assured by numerous physicians that the dosage you are taking should not be an issue. That doesn't mean that there are not exceptions....it's the exceptions that have caused most of the concern over the consumption of acetaminophen.....and the ppl that do not follow the guidelines. You are within the recommended guidelines.

Sorry I haven't any other suggestions.....be sure and consult your pharmacist. If you believe the feelings that you are experiencing are related to the medication(s) don't miss asking the true expert.....the pharmacist.

Best of Luck,
~Tuck

[smithjr1981]

Yes diane I am on morphine as well however the norco was already making me feel like this before I started the morphine and it seems as its just getting worse by the day.

[smithjr1981]

Yes diane...am on new meds...however the norco was making me feel like this before I went on them.

[ddiane719]

Have you added any new meds? I had a similar experience after my doc punctured my lung during a trigger point injection. They increased my pain meds and didn't take into consideration my sleeping meds and I nearly stopped breathing. Some have a side effect of respiratory depression. Or are lethal when combined.

[smithjr1981]

I was worried about damage to my liver as well, but various blood tests done have shown that my liver and kidneys are 100 percent well. I went to the hospital today and asked them to monitor me while I took my meds. All vitals were fine. I am down to taking 3 norco twice a day, and as I know this is a high dose...I have a huge tolerance to pain meds. I expressed my concern to the doctor at the hospital that I was worried the norcos were possibly affecting my heart in a negative way but they informed me that heart issues are not a side effect from hydrocodone and all the research that I have done backs up that statement. Basically I'm back to square one. I think that my body just isn't liking them, but I still want to get down to the reason why so I am still requesting help from you all in trying to figure this out ...I look forward to our next communications.

[geminigirl1963]

Thank you for clarifying what meds you are on.  I completely agree with the other posters here that you need to speak with your doctor ASAP about this.  The symptoms you are experiencing are not anything to be taken lightly - at least in my opinion.

I also agree with Tuck that 30mg of hydrocodone in one dose is a very large dose - and if you're taking three of those doses a day, that's HUGE!!  Another thing to consider is the amount of acetaminophen you're getting with those doses - while it's still under the maximum daily amount of 4,000 mg, it could be that over the time that you've been on the Norco, there has been some damage to your liver and therefore, it is not metabolizing the meds the way it should.

Please do contact your doctor and let him know what's going on.  I know you rely on the norco's for helping with your pain, but based on the symptoms you're having when you take them, I think I would avoid them if at all possible untili you at least speak with your doctor.

Best of luck and please let us know what your doc says.

[Tuckamore]

Sorry I am late to this post. If I understand it correctly "I'm taking three of them every 8 hours" you are taking 30mgs of hydrocodone at one time. That is a huge amount.... far above the recommended dose.

It would have built up in your body long before four months. It's a better guess that something has changed in your system.....or that you no longer require this high of a dose. Again 30mgs is a huge dose at one time.

You may also have developed a reaction to this medication....not an actual allergy but more of an intolerance. Please contact your physician today. I hope you will let us know what you discover.

Best of luck to you and please take care.
~Tuck

[smithjr1981]

Yes I know it is the norco I just don't understand why. I stopped taking them for a few months and they have me feeling like this again. I have had a lot of tests done and they can't find anything. I need them for my pain I just don't want to die from taking them.

[flower12345]

I would bring this up with the doctor. I know that you probably fear your pain not being controlled if you stop taking them, but maybe he can help.

My question is this: Are you one hundred percent sure that it is the hydrocodone that is causing this? Could this possibly be another completely different health issue?

Let's say though that it is from the Norco. I would not want to take medication that made me feel that way. I actually just stopped taking one of my medications because of the side effects, and for some other reasons, and it was the BEST thing that I EVER did! I feel so much less anxious! IT's wonderful.

There have got to be other options for pain control besides something that makes you miserable.

Hugs, and please keep us updated.

Flower

[smithjr1981]

I got put back on the norco and am still on the morphine as well. I just don't understand why they make me feel like this now when the first four months I was on them I felt totally fine. I'm so frustrated!!

[geminigirl1963]

I'm a little confused and apologize if I have missed something.  I was reading your previous posts about your medication and pain issues.  In your January 2011 posts, you stated that your doctor had taken you off of the Norcos and had you on 30 mg of morphine twice a day.  Then in this question you say that you've been on the Norcos for 7 months - it has only been 3 months since you stated your doc had taken you off the norcos.

So, my first question is - and please understand I'm not accusing you of anything - simply trying to understand so maybe I can help and give advice - are you on the 30 mg morphine twice a day or are you on Norco 10/325 three times a day?

If you can clarify exactly what you've been prescribed and at what dosage, it would certainly help us to be able to maybe provide ideas of what might be going on.  Thanks!

[lynnla87]

YOU MAY BE HAVEN THE PROBLEMS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT TOOK THAT LONG FOR THE MED TO GET INTO YOUR WHOLE BODY SYSTEM AND NOW THAT IT IS ALWAYS ON PAIN MED AND THEN YOU TAKE MORE YOU ARE SLOWING DOWN YOUR NERVE SYSYTEM AND THAT SLOWS DOWN YOUR WHOLE BODY YOU MAY ASK YOUR DOC ABOUT NOT TAKEN SO MANY PILLS A DAY..