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OTC drugs vs prescription intervention
I know we have had many many discussions about OTC meds, which are better, etc. What I would like opinions on is the balance between OTC and the "right" prescription interventions..
I am going to talk to Dr. about ADs or pain meds, but not sure what to tell him I want. After 7 months of tx (shot 34 down, 26 to go) he pretty much just does what I want him too, (OK, maybe being a pushy broad has it advantages..) Not sure what is the correct approach, I don't think I am depressed, I just get "wired" feeling, hyped up like, and irritable...ok, maybe more than a little. I just called a fly a b@st@rd and told him he had to die. And again, I ache so much I can't sleep, so the question (((oooooohhhhh, swatting him on the back of my hand was both painful and gross....but the b****** is dead, and I'm lookin for his momma!!!)...is the balance between prescription drugs and OTC meds. I can't imagine one or two pills specifically targeting symptoms can be worse than 9-14 ibuprofen a day?????? Will an AD help with the hyper feeling? If I don't feel that way all the time, do I want to medicate? It seems like I am like an ADD child, I am fine, but get hyped up at the drop of a hat...So do I need a sleep aid, or a pain medication? Somehow, I know I am not the only one with these symptoms...
BTW waiting on procrit approval, HBG down to 10.6 from 11.6 two weeks ago..
I am going to talk to Dr. about ADs or pain meds, but not sure what to tell him I want. After 7 months of tx (shot 34 down, 26 to go) he pretty much just does what I want him too, (OK, maybe being a pushy broad has it advantages..) Not sure what is the correct approach, I don't think I am depressed, I just get "wired" feeling, hyped up like, and irritable...ok, maybe more than a little. I just called a fly a b@st@rd and told him he had to die. And again, I ache so much I can't sleep, so the question (((oooooohhhhh, swatting him on the back of my hand was both painful and gross....but the b****** is dead, and I'm lookin for his momma!!!)...is the balance between prescription drugs and OTC meds. I can't imagine one or two pills specifically targeting symptoms can be worse than 9-14 ibuprofen a day?????? Will an AD help with the hyper feeling? If I don't feel that way all the time, do I want to medicate? It seems like I am like an ADD child, I am fine, but get hyped up at the drop of a hat...So do I need a sleep aid, or a pain medication? Somehow, I know I am not the only one with these symptoms...
BTW waiting on procrit approval, HBG down to 10.6 from 11.6 two weeks ago..
I think the last time my doctor asked me if I'd like to go on ADs was around the 24th week of treatment when I got into a shouting match with one of his admistrative assistants in his office hallway.
In any event, when he finally did see me 1.5 late (part of the reason for the "shouting" :) )I explained I didn't think I was "depressed", but his response was that ADs often help prevent you from "kicking the dog". So, in this sense -- at least from his point of view, and from anecdotal stories here -- ADs might help the hyper feeling you're talking about.
On the other hand, you mention you "don't feel that way all the time" and expressed a concern about more medication -- which is more or less my treatment experience. In my case I never ended up taking ADs, but I live and work alone. If I had to interact more with others during treatment, I probably would have gone on them to keep the peace.
Regarding sleep aids, I've always viewed them as a slippery slope and therefore never took them. plus I just didn't want any more drugs in my system. It seems that once folks start, it becomes a lifelong habit. Still, if you really need them to get through treatment, you got to take what you got to take. But just go into it lightly, knowing that you may end up with an eventual withdrawal issue if your plan is to stop some day.
You mentioned "ibuprofen". I know there's been a back and forth on this here -- but from my doctor, most of what I've read, and from what they do in some trials I'm familiar with -- the only pain killer allowed is Tylenol. You might want to discuss with your doctor or do more independent research on that.
As an aside, we talk so much about "meds" here that one can become desensitized to the fact the toxicity of what we're putting in our body. It becomes easy to pile on the drugs when we read that everyone else seems to be taking them. Without many of these helper drugs. many of us have made it through treatment, but I still think a lot of folks are taking too much medication on treatment -- pain, sleep, etc, etc. Just an observation.
Prior to treatment I took no drugs, besides a one-a-day vitamin when I remembered, and that's my regimen now that I'm finished treatment.
Hope this helps and you start feeling better soon.
-- Jim
In any event, when he finally did see me 1.5 late (part of the reason for the "shouting" :) )I explained I didn't think I was "depressed", but his response was that ADs often help prevent you from "kicking the dog". So, in this sense -- at least from his point of view, and from anecdotal stories here -- ADs might help the hyper feeling you're talking about.
On the other hand, you mention you "don't feel that way all the time" and expressed a concern about more medication -- which is more or less my treatment experience. In my case I never ended up taking ADs, but I live and work alone. If I had to interact more with others during treatment, I probably would have gone on them to keep the peace.
Regarding sleep aids, I've always viewed them as a slippery slope and therefore never took them. plus I just didn't want any more drugs in my system. It seems that once folks start, it becomes a lifelong habit. Still, if you really need them to get through treatment, you got to take what you got to take. But just go into it lightly, knowing that you may end up with an eventual withdrawal issue if your plan is to stop some day.
You mentioned "ibuprofen". I know there's been a back and forth on this here -- but from my doctor, most of what I've read, and from what they do in some trials I'm familiar with -- the only pain killer allowed is Tylenol. You might want to discuss with your doctor or do more independent research on that.
As an aside, we talk so much about "meds" here that one can become desensitized to the fact the toxicity of what we're putting in our body. It becomes easy to pile on the drugs when we read that everyone else seems to be taking them. Without many of these helper drugs. many of us have made it through treatment, but I still think a lot of folks are taking too much medication on treatment -- pain, sleep, etc, etc. Just an observation.
Prior to treatment I took no drugs, besides a one-a-day vitamin when I remembered, and that's my regimen now that I'm finished treatment.
Hope this helps and you start feeling better soon.
-- Jim
Hi Fishdoc.........Iwas up to 4T3's in am and 4 in pm (that's 240 mg. of codiene, never mind the tylenol) I was really hurtin. My doc put me on 30 mg. codien contin taken am and pm and it worked like a charm. Some am's still needed a tylenol but most were doable. He also gave me Remeron which is an AD but puts you to sleep too. I slept well at night and helped to cut back the anxiety during the day. After treatment it was too much seratonin (I was also using prozac) but it was easy to just cut it out. Sleep is more restless but that's been the same my whole life. On really bad nights (maybe once or twice a month) I'll use a travel sickness pill (gravol) and it works just fine with no hangover. I'm down to no pain meds and .5 of Lexapro so things are working out. Getting through is the thing and for heaven's sake, dont play with heart pain!! I had some of that too and just had a whole patched and anyurism fixed a couple years ago so my doc freaked. It was fine , but get it checked!!! Take good care.......Diane
Part of the hesitation about the sleep aids is I sleep fine, unless I am in pain (hard body aches).....so will the sleep aids overcome that? Otherwise, a pain pill and a benadryl... JMJM, totally understand where your coming from...so far, I just take OTC stuff, but when does 12-15 ibuprofen (Dr. recommends ibuprofen only) become harder on your body than one or two pain pills...that is something not often discussed..
I agree about asking your doc about Ativan.I was told it's better on your liver then Valium.It worked well for me,I took it near the end of tx. Vicoden is a great pain reliever. However since it contains Tylonol I decided to switch to Oxycodone. However my pain is chronic and I'm still taking pain relievers post tx.I did'nt want to keep taking tylonol in the Vicoden. Many people have a difficult time at your stage of tx so if you feel like you need helper meds don't feel bad. One of my doctors said to me "I hope your not taking Ibuprofin", others didn't seem to be bothered by it.I don't like it because it's not effective for me and shreds my stomach.I hope you feel well and keep up the good fight.
It was about at the 24 week Mile marker that I had to up my dosage on ADs for the same reasons.... just irritable, & hyped up.... & I knew when I wanted to make road kill out of the DOT Worker (little traffic Flag dude) that it was clearly time to do something! That's when they put me on Xanex too!
It's okay to take helper drugs, I mean hats off to the folks that don't need ADs.... but unfortunately I was one that required them, & probably would have never made it thru TX without em.... & we don't have to take them forever...the day I took my last Riba, I took my last AD... I didn't even bother to cut the dosage in half or ween myself... the day I stopped TX I stopped every other helper drug all at once... so it's not like we get addicted to them!
So remaining on TX as comfortably as possible is all you need to keep in mind... & mean WHY suffer thru it, if you don't have too... that's what the helper drugs are there for!
Just MHO of-course!
It's okay to take helper drugs, I mean hats off to the folks that don't need ADs.... but unfortunately I was one that required them, & probably would have never made it thru TX without em.... & we don't have to take them forever...the day I took my last Riba, I took my last AD... I didn't even bother to cut the dosage in half or ween myself... the day I stopped TX I stopped every other helper drug all at once... so it's not like we get addicted to them!
So remaining on TX as comfortably as possible is all you need to keep in mind... & mean WHY suffer thru it, if you don't have too... that's what the helper drugs are there for!
Just MHO of-course!
If you get a chance, you might want to check out a recent thread over at Janis http://janis7hepc.com/ on NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen) versus Tylenol on treatment.
For some reason I can't link the thread but you can find it under "Questions and Concerns" on the address bar all the way to the left. The title of the thread is "Tylenol or the NSAID's...which is better" and will be on a list after you click on "30,XXX Msgs" at the top of the "Questions and Concerns" Bar.
Maybe I read your last post incorrectly but you ask if 12-15 ibuprofen are worse than 1-2 pain pills. Ibuprophen are pain pills so maybe you meant something else, but in any event often hard to compare one group of drugs to another, especially in terms of quantity. Look at what one little shot of Peg does :)
-- Jim
For some reason I can't link the thread but you can find it under "Questions and Concerns" on the address bar all the way to the left. The title of the thread is "Tylenol or the NSAID's...which is better" and will be on a list after you click on "30,XXX Msgs" at the top of the "Questions and Concerns" Bar.
Maybe I read your last post incorrectly but you ask if 12-15 ibuprofen are worse than 1-2 pain pills. Ibuprophen are pain pills so maybe you meant something else, but in any event often hard to compare one group of drugs to another, especially in terms of quantity. Look at what one little shot of Peg does :)
-- Jim
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