Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
170654 tn?1330079129

Propoxyphene and INT/RIBA treatment

Had my routine doctor's visit yesterday and asked for a refill of my Propoxyphene (Darvocet-N) which I take for Migraine headaches, and she said I couldn't take them while on interferon treatment. She thought I was on treatment but am not as of yet. Any info would be great.

Thanks
DoMusic
17 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
170654 tn?1330079129
Ahh, the great out doors. What better place to ponder God's creation. I don't use that term loosly. I was born and raised in the rural's of Kentucky and grew to appreciated the wilderness. Chiggers and poisen ivy aside, it's a great place to be. I'm one who loves his solitude.

Chow

DoMusic

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Those were fabulous.  Loved them both.  The owl?  Loved the song, and the title couldn't have been more appropriate!  The owl is my all-time favorite on the creek and river.  We have a lot of them here.  Barred owls are the best to listen to.  Great horned is awesome but you won't hear them often because they aren't as numerous as the barred. See you on the other side or we might get in trouble for getting off hoo hoo hoo hooooo topic lol . But before I go...

http://tinyurl.com/ydqaxz  (barred owl)

scroll down to the audio and hear the "male and female call response" of the barred owl -lmao  (both my dogs just ran in here and are barking like crazy at the computer right now - oooo....they hate that sound.)  Anyhow....that is a common sound on the creeks here in March and April. They get real loud. Their concert starts up up near sundown.  They've been known to scare the H outta tourists who have been known to wonder if it's monkeys in dem dar' trees. Stupid tourists :) but we love them too.

Hope you had a nice morning at church.  I might be headed to church today (the woods :)  to hear nature's songs.  Thanks so much for the songs. Both of those were awesome!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I LOVED the link to the bluegrass myspace. I really do like bluegrass. When I lived in KY back in the late 70s we used to hit some nice bluegrass jams and festivals. They had a lot up there. Lotta fun.  

I was holding my breath mopping that gas up. I guess we (notice "we", yes it's always "we" when there is something I didn't put up like I was supposed to, i.e. we didn't let it run out of gas or AT LEAST cut off gas valve to "off" :)

I'm a lot more careful with fumes since diagnosis.  I used to like to refinish furniture, but..no more.  My shrink wrote me a Rx for Chantix  (I never got it filled because I was supposed to check with GI doc on its safety first, and I never did.) 91 and 96???!   WOW!  I have several uncles in their 90's.  One uncle - his nick name is Little Smokey - lol (he got that name because he was smoking by the time he was about 10 yrs old).  He's 98! I think he gave the cigs up though  (but I can't be sure that did - for all I know he's still puffing :) It's funny how cig smoke can kill some pretty quick while others can be huffing and puffing in their 90s and be doing fine.  I hope I'll be one of em but I SERIOUSLY doubt it.  GI doc this last visit told me cig smoking can contribute terrbly to liver fibrosis.  Since I quit drinking long long time ago, I would almost bet that the liver damage I do have can be attributed mostly to cig smoking (and maybe some medications - like too much Tyelnol, was eating a lot of Tylenol at one time) but I think it was smoking a lot of cig smoking.  What a bad habit.  Wish I didn't have it.  I asked the doc about the patch, but I forgot to ask him about the Chantix.  I hear it's good stuff.  It can't  be any worse than SMOKING!  Smoking is on my list of habits to break, too.

Rambling Man and Jessica by the Allman Bros?  Oh yeah.  Neat story about your daughter.  Have a great night!  

Jessica Allman Bros
http://tinyurl.com/y5hbxz

Rambling Man Allman Bros
http://tinyurl.com/y72dys
Helpful - 0
170654 tn?1330079129
What are you a walking juke box? Seems like you can pull a tune out of your hat on command. Great . . . I'll save those Almond Bros songs so I can put then in my MP3 player. I wear it while carving away on instruments, it's a great life.

I sure hope the VA can get the chantix for me. I have a friend that tried it after 40 years of smoking and trying all the other tricks to stop. He said with Chantix it was a piece of cake. He's been smoke free for around 4 months now and feels twenty years younger.

Try to get it if you can and quite! It's a bit pricey. My friend said his investment for one months supply was around $120. Well worth the investment. Heck, I spend twice that in a month for cigarette's. I've been sitting here for what seems like twn minutes and Jessica is still playing. It must be looping. Nope, here comes the end. Boy that tune brings back memories. Nope there it goes again, it is looping.

By the way, thanks for turning me on to TinyURL. That's pretty nifty. I'll put it to good use. I send links to people all the time. I do have to ask you though . . . Where do you find all of that good music ?????

Here's a good one about a guy with AIDS, took a while for me to figure it out, you'll see.

Johny Get your gun - By: The Burns Sisters
http://tinyurl.com/yfdquv

And another
http://tinyurl.com/yyj7cc

Gota go or I'll never get up in time for church in the morning.

DoMusic
Helpful - 0
170654 tn?1330079129
Hope you got the Gasoline cleaned up. As I said, those carbon bases fumes as from gas, or lacquer, varnish etc. are really rough on not just your live to detoxify, but their hard on the lungs. Having breathed the lacquer for all those years and being the smoker I am it's a wonder I'm not dead from it. My grandfather smoked all his life (non filters) and lived to be 91. His sister smoked also and lived to 96. My mother (still living and 83) still smokes. My family must have good genetic regarding lungs. Shouldn't push my luck though and last Tuesday I gave my PCP doc the brochure for the new drug, "Chantix". A friend of mine who had smoked for over 40 years and has tried to stop many times kicked the habit with Chantix. He said it's a wonder drug. I hope she (doc) can get it through the VA for me. Smoking is on my list of bad habits to kick.

BTW, do you take requests? If so try Blue Sky, Ramblin Man and Jessica. I liked the tune Jessica so much and the picture on the album that 30 years ago I named my daughter Jessica. She turned out to be my darling. She watches out for dad and keeps me on the straight and narrow with my health.

http://tinyurl.com/mm6tt
DoMusic
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Rx.    You guys have a great night.  It's past my bedtime.  I had no idea it was close to 1:30 a.m.   I guess this means I need to turn off the rock & roll and put some meditational new age cr** on?  :)

Duane Allman and John Hammond, Shake for Me
http://tinyurl.com/wqxsu

John Hammond, Nasty Swing
http://tinyurl.com/v7vrk

Allman Bros South Bound
http://tinyurl.com/y5hmjk

JJ Cale Low Down
http://tinyurl.com/y7948n

John Hammond No One Can Forgive Me
http://tinyurl.com/vztu8

JJ Cale Crazy Mama
http://tinyurl.com/vq6lx

Santana and Hooker The Healer
http://tinyurl.com/y98poh

SRV Tight Rope
http://tinyurl.com/y954cl

Helpful - 0
148588 tn?1465778809
You may want to research an alternative to that particular pain med. There is talk that, after all these years, the FDA may pull their approval of propoxyphene. There is a feeling that it is too dangerous, has too many side effects, and there are now plenty of other drugs that do the same thing with better safety and efficacy.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Domusic.  I can't say for sure, but I've never heard of any comparison to methadone maintenance to a Rx for Darvocet for pain management when treating Hep C.  You haven't asked my opinion, but I'm going to give it since I would give the same to any friend with Hep C - I would not take Tylenol in addition to the Darvocet because Darv already has it in there. But I guess you know this.  Maybe I'm just ultra paranoid about Tylenol ?  

I don't know about the sneaking of a drug screen in there unless you consented to random drug screens.  (I'm not up on how / when docs can do that.)  But since you mentioned it, I'm wondering (since she asked you why it came back positive and then commented on it) if that mean she is wondering about something.  (I'm just throwing thoughts out :)

Do ask your hep doc about the Tylenol and Darv.  You've had this virus for over 3 decades (and no liver biopsy if I remember right), and I'd be careful with the Darvocet and Tylenol (better safe than sorry).  I'm not one to tell anyone they should or should not take whatever it is they find the most relief in, but I just want to make sure you know as much about Darv and Tylenol so that you can make the decision for yourself.  

Music always helps, eh? RIght?  lol  it does, that's for sure.  OK.... hmmmm.  I'm thinking.  I got it.  This is very appropriate right because the d*** generator in the garage leaked gasoline all over the d*** floor last night, and all I can smell is gasoline right now. Gotta get back to cleaning it up and figure out why the generator suddenly sprung a leak.  Man what a smell and what a mess.  Glad I didnt strike a match : )  

http://tinyurl.com/y6y4cs
Helpful - 0
170654 tn?1330079129
I don't think that's why she said that. We've already gone over the Acetaminophen thing. I've always uses Tylenol for my more minor headaches but always well under the max dose. The liver toxicity is something I've been aware of for many years. She has in the past recommended I try to stay at or below 2 grams in 24 hours. That's half the max dose. She didn't call it Darvocet but Propoxyphene which is the Opiate component of Darvocet among others.

This all came up while we were reviewing my last blood labs. They snuck a drug screening test in one me, you know, heroin, cocaine, marijuana etc, etc. They all came back negative except Propoxyhene. She asked why that came back pos and I told her the doctors up in orthopedics gave me a prescription a couple months ago for a hand injury. She just said, Oh Yeh. Anyway . . . I got the prescription so I'm all set. She knows I don't abuse them. They certainly don't give you any kind of high. But they do relieve the migraine pain and what I like about them, I can still function, work etc. (as apposed to more powerful Class C drugs)

I looked over the VA Hepatitis website and they don't like to treat when someone is on Methadone, which Propoxyphene is a close realive of. Another site stated that people on methadone treatment need close monitoring. Not quite sure I understand why though. I'll have to ask my Hep Doctor next month when I have my visit.

You can read about it at the VA Hep site, enter the "provider" section. It's pretty interesting. http://hepatitis.va.gov/

Take care, Where's the music tonight?

DoMusic
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am very impressed that you can "dial up" a song that fits your mood/situation almost simultaneously!!! :)
Helpful - 0
170654 tn?1330079129
Fried Chicken Huh? I like it . . . If your not going to fill me in on this TinyURL deal, I'll have to get intuitive and do it myself.

I cut my teeth on Dickie Betts and Almond Brothers. So Sourthern Rock is my forte, Actually I am originally from the south.

The VA is very dedicated to not giving potential drug users their drugs. That's why ( I guess) my doctor is a bit reluctant to prescribe opiates. She's my PCP and also the head of "Women's Health" here on the north coast VA hospital. How I got her (being a guy) I don't know. She's the first female doctor I've ever had but I'm glad to have her because she's also the most caring doctor I've ever had. And smart! They should all be like her.

What I read about propoxyphene was it was in the same family (chemically) as Methadone. The VA will not treat hepC in patients who are continuing IV drug users or continuing alcoholics. I guess it's SOP (standard operating procedure). Could be methadone is somehow associated with drug users as in "methadone Treatment". Really am not sure, but will ask. This is my second visit with her (my PCP)as I've only been with the VA since this last July. She's just trying to get to know me better. After this last visit, I don't think she could know me any better. It was a bit embarrassing.

The routine blood tests given in the Hep C evaluation process include the drug screen part. I did consent to the tests, but didn't know they were going to check for drug use. Don't really care though, those days are over three decades behind me now. I prefer to be judged by who I am (now) as apposed to who I may have been 30 years ago.

I'd get that gasoline cleaned up. Breathing the fumes has to be rough on the liver. I used to breath lacquer fumes in the old days when I would spray an instrument. I know that took it's toll on my liver. I now use a respirator, nuff said.

Take care, send music . . .

DoMusic


Helpful - 0
170654 tn?1330079129
Thanks, I did look around on the propoxyphene / FDA news front and found some interesting articles. They said P didn't offer much more analgesic effect above acetaminophen alone. It said when propoxyphene is metabolized it is converted into Norproxyphene which is also a CNS depressant and norproxyphen takes even longer to be eliminated from the body. In other words norproxyphene builds up in the body and can become toxic.

To give you a hint as to how much propoxyphene I use, My most recent prescription was for ten tablets and will last 5 to 6 months. I don't get migraines that often and their intensity is way less than they were 20 or 25 years ago.

Way back when, they were 3+ day events and were very debilitating and what I took for them then was much more powerful than the propoxyphene I take now days. Thank God they have waned over the years. There may be a hereditary thing with migraines because my Mother got then really bad too. The doctors told her that as she got older they would diminish and probably stop having them. For her they began to wane when she was in her 50's, which I am now (57). I sure look forward to the day when they are gone. I have enough things trying to hold me down now without migraines.

Regards,
DoMusic
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I didn't see your previous note before I began mine. I began mine waaaay long ago but was interrupted by the smell of gasoline. Generator is stored in the garage (never run in there).  I guess it wanted to be moved :)  Best of luck on the Darvocet!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have no experience or knowledge of propoxyphene but thought I would google it to see if I could help. You might try it as well. What I found from a couple of sources is that it should not be used with some anti-d's or if you are experiencing depression (which inf can cause). Also it indicated notify your doctor if you are having liver problems (I guess that goes for most meds). This might be why she said what she did. Maybe you could discuss another med for your migraines. I feel for you, I had those when I was in my late 20's and they are disabling.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi domusic.  It could have been because Darvocet N100 contains acetaminophen  (some docs might not like to use it for pain in Hep C patients because of that.)  They let me use it while on treatment (it was only for a week, though - for acute pain, not on it long-term), and of course I knocked off any Tylenol while taking the Darvocet.  Best of luck!
Helpful - 0
170654 tn?1330079129
Thanks, I googled like you suggested. Turns out it is in the same family as Methadone. Also learned that Combo therapy is contraindicated if one is on methadone, as in methadone maintainance/treatment.

My Doc's on top of it. She's a great doctor, my regular doctor not my Hep Doctor.

Thanks,
DoMusic
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was precribed Hydrocodone (Vicodin) for headaches while on tx. My doctor told me if that didn't work I could take Darvocet. So I assume that it is ok.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community

Top Hepatitis Answerers
317787 tn?1473358451
DC
683231 tn?1467323017
Auburn, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Answer a few simple questions about your Hep C treatment journey.

Those who qualify may receive up to $100 for their time.
Explore More In Our Hep C Learning Center
image description
Learn about this treatable virus.
image description
Getting tested for this viral infection.
image description
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
image description
4 steps to getting on therapy.
image description
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
image description
How the drugs might affect you.
image description
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.