percocet

[mapleleaf]

I am feeling very upset and need some support or advise. I have had WED for over 20 years and have a severe case. I have been able to get some relief from using miraprex 2 mg daily and half a percocet about every 6-8 hours. For the last week the half has not been helping and I need to take the other half an hour later. Does this mean I am building a tolerance ( once again to a med) and need to change it or is it ok to increase. Does anyone else out there us perc. and how much do you use to control your WED? Feeling depressed and angry that once again I am losing the battle of this "crazy, unpredictable" that has complete control of my life!!!

[ViewsAskew]

I'm a bit concerned that you are taking 2 mg of pramipexole (Mirapex in US and maybe Canada) daily. That is much higher than the experts currently recommend. In terms of the increased symptoms,it's possible it's tolerance. It's also possible it's augmentation of symptoms caused of the pramipexole. Are you familiar with augmentation? In case not, it's when the drug actually makes symptoms worse.

I hear you on being angry and depressed about this disease and how it controls us. It's very difficult to deal with. I've been on many medications and had to change them many times. Knowing as much as you can can help you gain some control. Getting a doctor who is current is also a key to help you feel more in control. Do you feel your doctor is really up to date about this disease?

[veldon7]

Maybe the Mirapex was what was helping you the most, since you are on a high dose. I have a severe case of WED too. So far the only thing that helps me is Mirapex, and Neurontin helps some. I have been on Mirapex .75 to 1mg for 7 to 10 yrs. the Mirapex helps me some, but I have been augmenting for a while, and I don't want to increase it. Sometimes my arms get WED. I just started Percocet 3.5 mg to 7.5 mg in the evenings. So far I am not having much luck with the Percocet. Maybe I have to take more of it to start. I am trying to stop the Mirapex, because I"m afraid that if I keep taking it and increasing the dose, that eventually it won't work at all. Apparently you have to take Mirapex with the Percocet, so I assume the Percocet alone won't work, Maybe you are augmenting from the Mirapex, but I think I will have to take a lot of Percocet to see any results:(

[badnights]

There are a number of different Percocet sizes. If you have the common 5/325, it has 5 mg oxycodone, so half a Percocet would have 2.5 mg oxycodone. That amount will barely have an effect on severe WED. I suspect most of the relief has been given by the pramipexole, and I suspect, like Ann, that teh pramipexole is now doing its common trick of causing the disease to get worse (augmentation). What times of day have you been taking the meds? are the WED symptoms beginning sooner in the day than they used to? That is characteristic of augmentation.

Have you had a ferritin test lately? It is not always included in an iron workup (blood test), so you may have to ask for it specifically. People with ferritin below 75 ng are at greater risk of augmentation on DAs, and should not even be taking DAs. Please follow the second link in my signature below for medical papers that discuss this - these are good to take to your doctor. The more you inform yourself, the better equipped you will be to point your doctors in the right direction. (might sound odd, but we do have to point them the way sometimes).

[veldon7]

I have the 7.5/325 Percocet, but I am itching so much from it, I am gonna have to stop it. The Pharmacist said that all the opioids in this family would be about the same, so I guess the Methadone would make me itch too, even if the Dr. would change it. I still have to take the Mirapex anyway. I tried taking 7.5 two in the evening and bedtime and Neurontin, but still having to take .5 of Mirapex. I haven't had my Ferritin checked in about a yr, last time I think it was around 50, I try to take Iron sometimes, but have to watch the Nausea, I get nauseated easily.

[debbluebird]

I itch with Percocet but not with Methadone. Go figure. Percocet, along with others are made with Morphine. I think that's the difference. I can't take anything with Morphine.

[veldon7]

Really, maybe I can't take Morphine either, I am sensitive to a lot of things, I have grass and pollen allergies, dust, and cat. I left a message for the Dr. to see if he would change it to Methadone, but I don't know if he will. I am just taking a low dose of the Mirapex with Neurontin for now.

[badnights]

veldon, perhaps you should provide your doctor with information about augmentation. To get off Mirapex once you've augmented is hard. The symptoms get worse when you take less, but you have to go through that for a week or so until the Mirapex leaves your system. Then a person will almost always be better off, with symptoms better than when on Mirapex. Still, the withdrawal period is so bad that an increase in opioids is needed temporarily.

Taking any Mirapex at all during the withdrawal just makes the torture last longer, though an initial taper might be in order. This is something a WED specialist would be able to advise you (and your GP) on.

May I suggest? Your doctor might feel better, and might be able to provide you with better care, if you refrain from requesting specific medications; sometimes, all you really need to do is request a change. The problem with requesting methadone is only that there may be other opioids that would work better for you. Your doctor might consider one of those instead.

deb it's heartening to know you didn't itch on methadone even though you itched on Percocet (oxycodone)! Just goes to show, the side effects aren't always present.

[ViewsAskew]

Oh - just remembered something.

I itch when I take methadone - no other opioid.

I vomit when I take hydrocodone - no other opioid.

I get migraines when I take hydromorphone and ocycodone - no other opioids.

Go figure.....

[rthom]

I get really weird responses to medications as well, my dr told my wife last week (I wasn't there) that she can count on me reacting oddly and fitting into the small list of occasional stuff at the bottom of the medication problems sheet. I get water around my heart with some of them--very scary really and you can see it from the outside as well--I just can't remember which one it was--I think it was Neurontin.
That being said, I also get a really sick stomach from the hydrocodone and have to take nexium to help or I just can't eat. Also I've mentioned before that I get migranes from the same and from the gabapentin. I wonder how many others get these?

[veldon7]

Well I get migraines alot, especially when it is cloudy or rainy the Barometric pressure sets off Migraines in a lot of people. I do get nausiated from Lortab if I take a large dose. The Dr. that gave me the Percocet is actually a Pain Dr. he wouldn't even listen to anything I had to say about the WED. He is treating me for neck problems (Facet joint and degen. disc.) so he won't even go there. I have to wait until I can find a Neuro. who will help, the last two don't have a clue. I try to give them info., but they aren't interested and won't give any narcotics.

[debbluebird]

I was unable to stop the methadone. I have to report that I am now itching with Methadone. I think that I was itching just a little before but it really didn't bother me. Plus I totally forgot about it. My memory is terrible. But two nights ago I itched like crazy. Almost as bad as when I take morphine. Last night my husband said, lets try an experiment. I took one Methadone, then instead of the second one I took an oxycodone later. This doesn't make any sense either, but I itched less. The oxy should had been like the morphine. This is one reason I want to stop the methadone. I am really interested in what will happen when I try the neupro patch. My hope is that I will be able to stop the methadone. I also hate the hassle of getting the scripts for the methadone. But this last time she finally wrote out three scripts, so that I don't have to pick one up every month. I just hold on to them until the beginning of the month.

[veldon7]

That's good that she will give you three scripts, most Drs. want you to come back every mth, they make more money that way. I work at a Psychiatric office now, but I use to work for a family practice. It's hard to know how the meds. will effect you, each individual reacts differently to meds. I know I am sensitive to a lot of things, unfortunately.