Too many meds?

[daddyjaxx]

I have been suffering from on and off again lower back pain and sciatica for the past year.  I also have GAD, BPH,and high blood pressure.  I went to see the Ortho today and he prescribed 10mg hyro and 10 mg Flexeril until I can schedule PT again.  I am going to make sure to go through all 3 weeks so that my cheap insurance will pay for an MRI.  I had one a little over a year ago thatt revealed a bulged disc at L4 or L5...can't remember which.  My insurance at that time paid with no questions.

My question is this, I am taking so many meds that can cause drowsiness, I'm afraid I will be a zombie.  I work from home, but don't want to fall asleep on my laptop working.  The doctor or pharmacist didn't see an issue, but here's what I'm taking:

.5 mg Avodart daily
.4 mg Flomax daily
5 mg Altace daily
75 mg Effexor XR daily
2 x 7.5 mg clorazepate daily.  (I usually only take 1 since it's a long acting benzo)
Now the hydro 10/500 3x daily as needed and the Flexeril
Ambien CR as needed (Don't think it will be needed)

The clorazepate and hydro really make me sleepy alone and I have never taken the Flexeril, so I have no clue.  The Effexor even makes me a tad bit sleepy, but not too much.

I see everyone here are on a lot stronger meds and I was wondering how you do it without becoming a zombie.  Is it best to space them all out at different times and not take them all at the same time?  

[mellie4]

Usually people end up becoming tolerant to a certain dosage and the "buzzed" or drowsy feeling doesn't happen anymore.  When I first started taking Percocet, the 5 mg. made me really drowsy.  I couldn't even keep my head up.  Now I take 30 mg.  When the dose is adjusted, I'll have a few days of the drowsiness.  During that time, I won't drive.  Once I'm used to the dose I will go back to driving, though I tend to only like to drive locally where I'm really familiar with.  I'm sort of afraid of driving at night or where I'm not familiar with because even though I don't feel it, I'm sure my reflexes are not what they used to be.

[daddyjaxx]

Yeah, I don't have the tolerance that most people here have. The longest I have ever been on pain meds is about 5 weeks when I really hurt my back and could not move...had to call 911 and they ended up kicking my door down.  :) My sciatic pain is pretty bad but I'm sure my pain is nothing like others on here are suffering. I took a clorazepate about 7, my other meds about 8:30 and the hydrocodone about 10:00.  I'm still pretty buzzed.  The 10mg hydro has always done me pretty good.  The 5mg is just too weak for me.  The strongest meds I have ever taken orally have been Percocet 5's when I had all my wisdom teeth pulled and Tylox for a couple of broken ribs.  I'm a light weight in the pain meds world....

[sandee1818]

As said above different medicines affect people differently.
Most of us on the higher doses have built up tolerances to get to the point where we are now. We did not start out on such high doses but worked up to that dose over a long period of time.
My medications do not make me sleepy but when I am tired and have overdone it they seem to allow me to rest better.
Your medications will make you a bit drowsy most likely but if you were doing okay before the two added prescriptions you may want to try them separately and see how they affect you. The flexeril always makes me sleepy but as I said you may be different on it.
Let us know how it goes and how your doing:)

[Sarajmt]

We all react to medications differently,  What might knock one person out may barely faze another.  

As for myself, I try to take the ones that really make me tired at bedtime.  Unless it's marked not to take with food, I never take them on an empty stomach.  

If there is a particular drug that makes you sleepy, you might want to discuss this with your doctor.  Perhaps there is an alternative medication that won't make you as sleepy.

Good luck to you.  I hope you adjust to your medications quickly.