Guaifenesin and headache question - Fibromyalgia Message Board

April414 · 11-27-2005, 05:44 PM

Ok, I think I remember someone saying that while taking Guaifenesin you'll hurt worse whn you get to the right dose for fibro. Is that right? I have been taking 2 at a time 2 to 3 times a day,I first started it becuase I have bronchitis then upped the dose remembering that it can help with fibro. I hurt. I feel like steam rollers have been running over me for days.

My hips and back hurt like hell. Iit supposed to be like that? If so how long til it actually helps instead of intensifying the pain? 1 other question, since I am hurting worse I called my arthritis dr. and he prescribed perocet, it seemed to help for a while, now I have the most intense headaches and when I cough or blow my nose it hurts worse. A friend that studied nursing for a while told me that some narcotics can cause this headache pain and it seems I do remeber having headaches when I had surgry 1 year and they kept shooting me full of demarol, Everytime I said my head hurt bad I got another shot. Now, do any of you get headaches from your pain meds? Does it eventually go away but still help with pain? Should I go back to my hydrocodone-even though it wasn't really helping or is there another pain med as helpful as percocet without the headaches? I decided today that if the guaifenesin is causing the run over feeling then I'm stopping it until after the holidays as I've got quite a lot of things that I need to do and some places I really need to go to also.
Please help. All this pain and headaches are really bad.Really really bad

Thanks.
April

kirstee · 11-27-2005, 07:36 PM

April 414:

I am on the guiafenesin protocol. What I suspect is you are taking too much guiafenesin. Start off by taking 1/2 of a 600mg tablet 2 times per day. Take that for a week and let your system settle down. In a week, up the dose to one 600 mg tablet 2 times per day. If you notice the symptoms are considerably worse, you are at your right dose. If you do not feel considerably worse, titrate the dose up 1/2 tablet (1 1/2 tablet 2 times per day). By taking too much guafenesin than you need to, you are actually cycling very hard, which is why you are in so much pain. If you are really sensitive to the guaifenesin, you might be at your correct dose at 1/2 tablet 2 times per day. The trick is to take the right dose so you aren't in so much pain, but which causes you to cycle (which is good). If you need more help, let me know.

When you take narcotics, one of the problems is you will get a re-bound headache. Ouch! I occasionally take Ultracet (tramadol), and it doesn't cause as bad a headache, at least for me.

Take care,
Kirstee