fiorcet

[lorriem]

Hi I am a new poster but I have been reading this board for awhile under Lung Cancer since my husband was diag with it last year. he has had the surgery and chemo and we hope all will be ok. I have been taking Fiorcet for over 20 years. My old doctor in another state understood what I was going through with my migraines and would always give me 120 pills a month with 5 refills. We moved to another state and I have had a new doctor for a year who also gives me the fiorcet but I know he does not want to.I have to see him once a month just to get a script. Last month I told him I wanted to stop. I just didn't want to have the stress of getting the pills every month. I have cut down to 1 a day and I have not had any trouble doing it. I thought everything would be ok until I found a post on this board posted in Jan about seizers. Since I have not had any problems getting down to 1 a day will I still have seizers. Yesterday I was not afraid but after reading that post now I am. I also take neurontin for rsd and innopran xl for a rapid heart rate. I wish that fiorcet didn't have such a bad rep.It really helps me and I cannot take any of the new migraine meds due to my rapid heart rate.I dread having migraines and no meds except tylenol but I see no other option.

[BrittleBones]

Hi Lorriem - you may have read my post about my experience with Fiorecet. I think the reason that I had seizures was because of the high dosage that I was on and the fact that I didn't taper the drug once I decided to stop taking it. I think I was probably taking up to 15 a day, if I remember correctly. If you have weaned yourself down to 1 pill a day, I see no danger of having a seizure at this point. I'm not a doctor and if you can't ask your doc about it, you might call your pharmacist and ask him/her. They are usually good about giving you the drug information about stopping a med cold turkey. Sure hope my post wasn't the one that got you so worried. If it was, I apologize. It was meant more for folks who have taken large amounts over a very long period of time and who quit cold turkey. Good luck to you! ********

[lorriem]

Hi ********

I am not sure who it was but I have taken fiorcet for 20 years every day and some days I would take six if I was really hurting.So I am a long time user. I am seeing the doctor friday and I am going to ask him for 10 more pills so I can take 1 a day for 8 more days and then half a pill for the remainder. My husband really doesn't want me to stop because he knows what I go through with the migrains several times a month but in this state it is so hard for a doctor to give any type of pain meds. I would rather stop then have the doctor think I am an addict who just wants the high though I have noticed that my moods are much better since I have stopped taken all but one pill a day.go figure.

[bdean]

Lori,
Though there is a chance of seizures dropping quickly from high doses of fioricet I think you should be fine 1.because you tapered to 1 a day and 2. because of the fact that you are on nuerontin even though you are using it for RLS it was originally a anti-seizure med so that greatly reduces your chances of a seizure also.Another thing about the nuerontin is its also used as a migraine preventive medicine.I want you to know that I understand 100% what you are going through with the whole migraine thing.I have suffered with severe migraines for 16-17+years and I am not able to take any of the new migraine meds which really broke my heart because I had such hope when they first came out.My problem stems from an allergy to the meds.Back when I was a teenager,well shortly after they started using the imitrex sq shots for migraines I was given one at the emergency room and almost immediately went into anaphylaxis(sp?) shock.Then several years ago when Zomig came out the doctor wanted me to try it despite my history with the Imitrex well I was at home and took it and my throat started swelling shut and luckily I had some liquid benadryl from when one of my kids had been sick and chugged it which reversed the swelling before I got to the hospital..Anyways to make an already long story short they have been scared ever since to try any of the others since they are basically the same formulary idea..I have a mass on my brain that isnt life threatening or anything but causes me to have what most people consider a "bad" headache on a daily basis.I live on excedrine which since being clean the past 2 years is all I can really take....Another med thats awesome for migraines or atleast keeping you from getting them is good old fashioned Belladonna its an older med but its one of the BEST things Ive ever taken as far as keeping the migraines away...Well good luck with the migraines and the taper from the fioricet....
Briton

[lorriem]

Hi BDEAN
Thank you for the info on Belladonna. I looked it up and I will call my Doc to see what he has to say.I just came back from seeing him and asked him for several more fioricet and asked him about the seizures and he said he has helped people get off of fioricet and even if you take four or five a day it is safe to stop. I did know that the neurontin helps seizures as well as pain including migraines as does innopran xl (indreal) which I also take for a rapid heart rate. He did tell me to take an extra innopran when I stop the fioricet. He also gave me a script for 60 fioricet just incase. I do feel so much better without fioricet my mood is so much better and I haven't had a rebond headach for several days. I started this quest to stop when I saw his partner a few months back (he was ill) and SHE was the one who made me feel like an addict. She told me that their was better drugs out there and I was stuck in the 80's with fioricet. I do not like woman doctors. I cannot take those other drugs and was told this by my old family doc. The warnings on the newer drug to me are worse then a migraine. to me death is not an option. Thank you again for answering my post and btw I will not be taking all the fioricet that the doc gave me I will take 5 more. 1 a day for 5 days.