Hydrocodone/Apap - Pain Management Message Board

vcfsfatigue · 08-27-2003, 02:51 PM

Anybody else here take Hydrocodone/Apap for pain management? HOw does this help you.

hottrodd · 08-27-2003, 03:23 PM

Hi,

I take Hydrocodone APAP 5/500 for pain. It used to help, but now it doesn't help much. I mostly have to take 2 at a time to feel just a little relief. I am also concerned about taking so much tylenol and harmful reactions to my liver, even though I have never had any red flags with my liver.

My doctor says if your taking 6 or more a day, then they need to switch to something else because of the tylenol. I have reached that point!

I have my first pain management appt. today at 3:30 and hopefully they can look into the possibilities of trying a different med.

I don't think it's a good med for chronic pain that is going to last all day or most of the day. We need a longer acting med that's stronger, instead of a roller coaster ride of high's and low's.

I am not sure what my doctor will put me on, if any switch will even occur. I am willing to give anything a chance, and move on to something else, if it doesn't work. If they want to put me on lortab 10, or percocet, then I will try them. Most docs will go through the chain of command meds before trying something longer acting. I say "most" because not all docs are that way. I am assuming that because I am only on 5mg-10mg of vicodin that they will try the others first.

Hottrodd

------------------
* 27 years old, male
*Chronic upper back pain for about 6 years, recently getting really bad, really stiff in the morning takes forever to get going, lasts all day everyday.
*Crackling sounds from rib cage area across upper and middle back when stretching.
* Pain, tightness and burning all day long, usually ranges from a 4 through 9 depending on the day and how my body wants to react. Usually it's at least a 6/7 all day recently, used to be an annoying 3/4 all day, which I lived with but hated.
*Problem areas are mainly around breastbone area of chest, across shoulder blades, dead center upper back, upper shoulders and back of neck. Feels as if it's muscles and bones/joints, possibly ribs.
*Muscles spasms, had a couple that were severe enough to go to ER, felt like I was having a heart attack, pain radiated through upper back to chest area.
*Taking Vicodin 5/500 Soma 350 and Celebrex 200, which also helps somewhat but not to where I am not bothered by the pain, burning, tightness ect..
*Chiropractic 3 years, PT on and off again, all of which produces results that do not last for more than the day I have them.
*Can't remember any trauma I had that would have caused all this. Don't understand how it's getting worse.
*Can't really do anything, lifting, heavy physical ect.. Try and walk and stretch when I can.
*Still undiagnosed and waiting

grizzk62 · 08-27-2003, 04:05 PM

Vcfsfatigue,

Hello and welcome to the board. I was on any number of hydrocodone preps for the last 18 yrs since I broke my back. Its considered a potent narcotic and some may say mg for mg stronger than morphine. However it is a short acting narcotic and really like Hottrod said not a good PM drug because of the short acting nature. For longterm PM it is not recommended not only because of the short acting nature but because of the APAP in all of the various preps. As Hottrod said APAP can do damage to the liver in the long run. Their are some Docs that will use it in PM as a break thru med, meaning when on a longacting narcotic med has been Rxed and doesn't handle the pain that comes on suddenly then a BT "break thru" med is Rxed. My experience with it in the past was before I was put on methadone and Oxy IR for BT pain, is that it worked ok. While on it I experience fair pain relief it just didn't last long enough and because I have HepC a liver virus it was damageing my liver more than I could handle. When I finally got into a PM doc a year ago. He started me out on Oxycontin and kept me on Norco for BT pain. Norco being the least APAP prep out there. Then I was switch again because of side effects and my doctor not wanting me to take any APAP preps switched me to methadone and Oxy IR which has no APAP at all. And I'm getting great pain relief as well. I probably rambled on to much but theres my experience with hyrdocodone in a nutshell. Please keep posting and if I can help at all don't hesitate to ask.....

Matt

SFangel · 08-27-2003, 10:25 PM

I have severe chronic pain caused by Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy in the left knee/leg. I tried different types
of medications to control this pain. One of them was Vicodin 5/500 (hydrocodone with acetaminaphen). This medication was absolutely ineffective for me; it did not relieve completely or even reduce my pain.

The meds that work best for me are the strong narcotic painkillers such as Oxycontin and Duragesic. These meds
are lifesavers for me! Vicodin worked for breakthrough pain IF and ONLY IF I took Oxycontin or Duragesic for the control of my severe chronic pain.

Each person's body reacts differently to medications. What works for a person might not work for another. However, I strongly believe hydrocodone is NOT stronger
than morphine.

grizzk62 · 08-28-2003, 07:34 AM

SFangel,

I can total relate to how you think of hydrocodone after being on my long acting meds methadone and OxyIR hydrocodone is like taking candy. It is good only in the short term pain relief. Its not even recommended in treating chronic pain. It just doens't last long enough then you have the APAP aspect and liver function. Hey take care...

Matt