Darvocet or Hydrocodone and more Questions ???

Luvmypugs · 05-03-2008, 11:37 AM

Hi everyone, hope all is well. I have a question regarding Darvocet and Hydrocodone. Can anyone help me with the comparison? I have looking on the internet and can't find any comparisons. How does one Darvocet 100/650 compare to Hydrocone? How many Darvocets would it take to equal a 10mg Hydro? I am curious because my Ortho doctor gave me a script for Darvocet yesterday. I have been on Ultram 50mg off and on for a while and find they don't work as well anymore. I know Darvocet is supposedly a very weak drug.
My MRI showed a torn meniscus, lots of fluid and that my kneecap is tracking to the side on the bone and not in the groove like it should. But insted of surgery (again) he want's me to start Celebrex and PT 3 times a week ?.?.? I don't know how well our insurance will pay for PT. If it's (what I think) $30 copay a visit I can't afford to do it. I guess I'll cross that bridge next week.

Thanks for any help in advance.

feelbad · 05-03-2008, 01:42 PM

i am kind of just wondering why your ortho does not want to actually do a surgery on you at this point? it would be a pretty simple arthoscopic procedure. has he bothered to even aspirate the accumulating fluid for you? i too had a torn menicus along with alot of other knee issues. the torn meniscus actually occured while i was already waiting to have the other knee problems fixed. it really is not that big of a deal for him to do for you. that alone would help with your pain and possibly even take it completely away for you too. do you have some other medical issue that would make this a high risk or something? i am just a bit confused as to why he is continuing to ignore such a simple fix for you thats all. have you ever sought out another ortho for a second opinion? he could have at least aspirated out that fluid for you. that alone does help with pain and swelling.

i really don't know how the darvocet would compare as far as how many pills would equate that level of coverage but my concern is in trying to do that you may have to take ALOT of tylenol since darvocet if i remember right has like 650 mgs of it? you are right,it IS a very weak level of narcotic,like a schedule five i believe? it does seem to work much better than some other narcotics tho for more inflammatory type pain. not too sure just why but it does. the thing is,as long as that menicus stays torn and unrepaired,that inflammation just wont go away for you and you will continue to have this going on,ya know?

i am just kind of suprised at your orthos take on this and why he simply cannot take like a half an hour in an OR and fix it. like i said,its a simple arthro prodedure. i cannot even fathom a good reason from his end as to why he is just letting you continue to have to suffer and deal with this? did he explain anything to you about the reason for not doing it for you? honestly,if there is no medical reason on your end to actually have to hold off on this,it just really needs to be done. i would defintiely seek out another ortho if i were you,if that is possible. he is just letting you continue to suffer very uneedlessly ya know?

the thing is is our knees are a load bearing area/joint and when anything is actually damaged in the knees,the feet or even the hip areas,it can create that certain level of weakening and make you more susceptable to further inury in just letting this go without fixing it. the knees and the feet suffer the most in just simple walking. its alot of force with every step that right now is getting placed upon a damaged knee for you.

honestly LMP, if he cannot offer you what you really need done right now(the logical thing??),i would really seek out someone who will. instead of feeding you more meds he should be fixing the problem so you dont HAVE to take more meds ya know? you just deserve much better treatment than you are currently getting. you are hurting and this is just the right thing to do.

the way he is treating this really sounds more like what you would be doig AFTER doing a surgery that still left you in pain,you know what i mean? its just not going to get better without surgical repair being done,so i really am wondering just what he is waiting for here,and i am sure you are as well? i would either just tell him i want this fixed or move onto a much more caring ortho who will just do the right thing for you.

sorry i really couldn't answer your main question LMP,but honestly,i do feel for you. you do need this fixed surgically soon. i wish you lots of luck in getting this all better. he just should not be putting you thru this when its so simple to repair ya know? please keep me posted as to how you are doing. take care,Marcia

just reread your post and saw the part about the PT possibly being done? i would NOT got there if i were you hon. that will NOT help your type of problem that actually just needs surgical repair. if anything it would possibly create an even more painful situation by imflamming things even more,and possibly creating an even worse injury. please don;t EVEN go there right now,for your own sake. he just needs to fix this problem himself.

cmpgirl · 05-03-2008, 02:06 PM

I thought it was just me, when I read about the PT. I haven't had a torn meniscus, but my brother did, years ago, and all I could think was that PT would be like adding salt to the wound, so to speak. Thanks Marcia, for clarifying. LMP, I wouldn't go to PT either. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

As far as the Darvocet vs Hydro goes, I'm no expert on meds either, but I do know that I've often heard of Darvocet being compared to baby aspirin, in terms of the narcotic pain med scale. I did not know it had anti-inflam qualities, though, so maybe this is why he prescribed it. He also may be uncomfortable prescribing anything more potent. Many docs are, as we've read here so many times.

Best of luck and I would agree with Marcia about maybe seeing a different ortho. It makes no sense to not treat the injury, when there is a surgery that can. God Bless, cmpgirl

Fabrashamx · 05-03-2008, 03:29 PM

I agree with Marcia :::waving at Marcia and Cmp

I am amazed he would prescribe an outdated med like darvocet, it is not a good pain killer, and there are many many more effective anti inflammatory meds out there, even naproxin and advil are better, and those are over the counter.

I would ask him why he is not choosing to be more assertive with resolving this for you, and in the meantime, could he put you on a better med!

Good luck and hang in there, I suffer from knee pain sometimes, it is the worst, you have my sympathy.

Hugs, Fabby

Executor · 05-03-2008, 03:39 PM

The chart I usually use shows that 30mg of hydrocodone is equivalent to 130-200mg of propoxyphene. Referring to the starting dose of lortab, 5mg of hydrocodone would equal 21.67mg-33.33mg of darvocet and the doses of darvocet that are generally prescribed are 50mg or 100mg. Statistically speaking, darvocet 50mg is more potent than 5mg of hydrocodone, about the same as 7.5mg of hydrocodone and less potent than 10mg. 100mg of propoxyphene is more potent than any dose of hydrocodone.

Fundamentally, the problem with these charts is that in some cases, they use "ranges"....Like they do for the propoxyphene. Well, 130-300mg is one big range!

Furthermore, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the same for everyone. If the Darvocet isn't working, I would tell the Doc.

Hope this helps.

Ex