Vicodin + Aspirin

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Mary - 09 May 2005 14:46 GMT

I had surgery a week ago and can't sleep for the pain. Lack of sleep is
making me completely miserable.

I'm taking Vicodin 5/500 every 4 hours. Can I add one regular strength dose
of aspirin at least once before bedtime?

Thanks

Mary

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getsumonya - 09 May 2005 16:40 GMT

The pharmacist that dispensed the Vicodin should talk to you about that.
They are much more familiar with your other meds that might interact.
You already paid them for this counseling when you bought the Vicodin.
BTW, did you really get brand name Vicodin?

Brad

> I had surgery a week ago and can't sleep for the pain. Lack of sleep is
> making me completely miserable.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Mary

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anon - 10 May 2005 00:08 GMT

getsumonya on 5/9/05 10:41 AM at conspiracy@theory.com in
JwLfe.4126$Fn1.3374@trnddc03 wrote:

> The pharmacist that dispensed the Vicodin should talk to you about that.
> They are much more familiar with your other meds that might interact.

I'm not taking anything else.

> You already paid them for this counseling when you bought the Vicodin.
> BTW, did you really get brand name Vicodin?

No, generic.

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halo2 guy - 09 May 2005 19:05 GMT

You woul probably want to talk to your doctor in this case given you had
surgery and aspirin is an anticoagulant for all practical purposes. Also
depends on what other meds you are on.

If the above is ok then there is no problem taking Vicodin and aspirin. You
would probably be better off taking the Vicodin with ibuprofen or naproxen.
ie, Advil or Aleeve.

The thing you don't want to do is od on APAP so stay away from the Tylenol.

By the way you are taking the maximum dose of Vicodin.

A better way might be to go to the doctor and get a stronger pain med.
Vicodin isn't really that strong compared to others.

> I had surgery a week ago and can't sleep for the pain. Lack of sleep is
> making me completely miserable.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Mary

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Mary - 10 May 2005 00:14 GMT

halo2 guy on 5/9/05 1:05 PM at somewhereovethe@rainbow.com in
eZadnXA9Cp18OOLfRVn-qw@comcast.com wrote:

> You woul probably want to talk to your doctor in this case given you had
> surgery and aspirin is an anticoagulant for all practical purposes. Also
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> would probably be better off taking the Vicodin with ibuprofen or naproxen.
> ie, Advil or Aleeve.

Okay, but I like Aspirin.

> The thing you don't want to do is od on APAP so stay away from the Tylenol.
>
> By the way you are taking the maximum dose of Vicodin.

I'm taking 6 tabs a day, maximum is 8.

According to RXList: "The usual adult dosage (for the 500 mg/5 mg tablet) is
one or two tablets every four to six hours as needed for pain. The total 24
hour dose should not exceed 8 tablets."

> A better way might be to go to the doctor and get a stronger pain med.
> Vicodin isn't really that strong compared to others.

I tried Oxycontin but I had more side effects on that - I hated it. What
else is there? My Doc hasn't suggested anything.

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Tom Malcolm - 10 May 2005 04:03 GMT

> > A better way might be to go to the doctor and get a stronger pain med.
> > Vicodin isn't really that strong compared to others.
>
> I tried Oxycontin but I had more side effects on that - I hated it. What
> else is there? My Doc hasn't suggested anything.

Time release morphine is best for this, it lasts 10-12 hours,
so you can sleep, but beware of constipation. Anyone taking
opiates MUST eat lots of fiber and if they notice they are
not going #2 as often as they used to, take mild laxitives,
and eat prunes. I once had horrible pain due to a pinched
nerve, docs gave me vicoden, said take 1 pill every
6 hours. I found I had to take 3, every 3 hours to kill
the pain so I could sleep. I was so scared at the APAP
levels I was ingesting. The morphine sulfate was much
better - it turned the pain into warm feelings, and I could
take such a low dose there was no side effects - except
constipation. At the pharmacy, they acted like I was
getting heroin, grilled me, lectured me, but did not mention
the BIG risk - constipation.

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halo2 guy - 10 May 2005 04:42 GMT

Constipation is the number one side effect of pain killers. They obviously
should have counseled you on that when you picked them up.

The pain medication causes the intestines to stop moving as much which
allows your waste to just sit in your intestines

>> > A better way might be to go to the doctor and get a stronger pain med.
>> > Vicodin isn't really that strong compared to others.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> getting heroin, grilled me, lectured me, but did not mention
> the BIG risk - constipation.

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Nicole H - 12 May 2005 05:18 GMT

There is a 24 hr time release morphine- Avinza.

> > > A better way might be to go to the doctor and get a stronger pain med.
> > > Vicodin isn't really that strong compared to others.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> getting heroin, grilled me, lectured me, but did not mention
> the BIG risk - constipation.

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Nicole H - 12 May 2005 05:23 GMT

Max dosage- there are many opinions about what the max dosage of tylenol
should be... my pain dr says no more than 4 grams a day. At one point, I
was taking 12 Norco (10mg hydrocodone/325mg apap) a day. If the hydrocodone
is working ok but you could use a little more at night, why not ask for
Norco or its generic? More hydrocodone and less tylenol.
There are a lot of other pain meds out there. Not sure why you were rx'd
oxycontin for an acute problem. My pain dr only rx's time released meds for
chronic conditions.... not those for which pain will be gone in a few days.
Not sure what your side effects from the oxycontin were but you could try
percocet/percodan (oxycodone with tylenol/aspirin) It comes in various
dosages.

> halo2 guy on 5/9/05 1:05 PM at somewhereovethe@rainbow.com in
> eZadnXA9Cp18OOLfRVn-qw@comcast.com wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> I tried Oxycontin but I had more side effects on that - I hated it. What
> else is there? My Doc hasn't suggested anything.

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Mary - 12 May 2005 05:45 GMT

Nicole H on 5/11/05 11:23 PM at crimsonshedemonREMOVE@hotmail.com in
yTAge.11632$ya2.3626@tornado.socal.rr.com wrote:

> Max dosage- there are many opinions about what the max dosage of tylenol
> should be... my pain dr says no more than 4 grams a day. At one point, I
> was taking 12 Norco (10mg hydrocodone/325mg apap) a day. If the hydrocodone
> is working ok but you could use a little more at night, why not ask for
> Norco or its generic? More hydrocodone and less tylenol.

That's a good suggestion. But, the hydrocodone is causing sweating and
depression I think, I'd rather not make those worse.

> There are a lot of other pain meds out there. Not sure why you were rx'd
> oxycontin for an acute problem. My pain dr only rx's time released meds for
> chronic conditions.... not those for which pain will be gone in a few days.

Well, because of the way things unfolded, I've been on the Vicoden for a
month now. The injury was supposed to just heal. That wasn't happening.
Turns out there was another problem they hadn't noticed. Then I had surgery,
so now I'm recovering from that.

> Not sure what your side effects from the oxycontin were but you could try
> percocet/percodan (oxycodone with tylenol/aspirin) It comes in various
> dosages.

The side effects were reflux/stomach upset type problems. Hard to explain,
but yucky.

I'm going to mention the time-release morphine. Sounds like I should have
been on that from the start. But, truth is, the pain is fairly bearable,
it's that I cannot sleep more than 2 hours at a time because of what pain
there is and the discomfort and I cannot move much (cannot roll over or get
comfortable in a new position) and have to sleep sitting up. I'm falling
apart from the lack of sleep for a month. Maybe I don't need more pain meds,
maybe something to directly help me sleep. I don't have too much trouble
falling asleep initially, it's the sleep-maintenance that's the problem. Any
suggestions?

Mary

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Nicole H - 12 May 2005 23:45 GMT

I have sle and fms so I can understand the sleep.
I can't fall asleep or stay asleep if my pain is out of control.
If the pain is bearable, I doubt a dr will put you on morphine. I have
reflux from all the meds, it's not uncommon.... just have to take Protonix
now and occasionally a zantac
Pain can cause depression too. It's not fun hurting all the time.
I take several rx'd meds for pain and a few herbs that my dr told me to use
(valerian is one)

> Nicole H on 5/11/05 11:23 PM at crimsonshedemonREMOVE@hotmail.com in
> yTAge.11632$ya2.3626@tornado.socal.rr.com wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>
> I'm going to mention the time-release morphine. Sounds like I should have

> been on that from the start. But, truth is, the pain is fairly bearable,
> it's that I cannot sleep more than 2 hours at a time because of what pain
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Mary

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Tom Malcolm - 13 May 2005 05:10 GMT

> I have sle and fms so I can understand the sleep.
> I can't fall asleep or stay asleep if my pain is out of control.
> If the pain is bearable, I doubt a dr will put you on morphine.

Morphine is very mis-understood and very maligned as an anti-pain
med. Low doses of slow-release morphine are very easy on you,
no side effects except constipation - there are millions of people
taking time-release morphine every day, no addiction, no sleepiness,
sometimes the oldest drugs are the best drugs.

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Nicole H - 13 May 2005 09:00 GMT

It's great stuff! I can't believe how wonderful it is. The only side
effect I have is that my pain is much lower. People are shocked that I take
morphine... because I'm not stoned, high, whatever.
then I have to spend time educating them on chronic pain. =)

> > I have sle and fms so I can understand the sleep.
> > I can't fall asleep or stay asleep if my pain is out of control.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> taking time-release morphine every day, no addiction, no sleepiness,
> sometimes the oldest drugs are the best drugs.

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Mary - 13 May 2005 09:18 GMT

> I'm going to mention the time-release morphine. Sounds like I should have
> been on that from the start. But, truth is, the pain is fairly bearable,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> falling asleep initially, it's the sleep-maintenance that's the problem. Any
> suggestions?

Update:

I had an appointment today. No new pain meds. I'm to reduce Vicoden during
the day, and only take it at night to reduce the depression. Dr gave me
Ambien. Though, I did some reading on Ambien and it apparently doesn't work
for sleep maintenance, only for falling asleep. But, if it helps me get more
than 2 hours at a time, I'm all for it. Off to bed...

Mary

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jerez2005@msn.com - 12 May 2005 01:18 GMT

If you are taking hidrocone 5/500 then aspirin may not help much for
the simple fact that it is a blood thiner and may be for pain but it
would not help much and vicodin is for pain. If you see that vicodin is
not helping then i suggest you talking to your physician and leting
them know that its not helping. speak to your local pharmacist for
advice.

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