Hey Sue,

I just wanted to let you know that the brand name of the medication is "Norco", not narco. Norco is a fixed combination medication, like Lortab. Norco contains 10mg hydrocodone/325mg Tylenol. Lortab I believe is 5mg hydrocodone/500 mg Tylenol, and it also comes in 7.5 mg Hydrocodone/750 Tylenol.

I'm on a similar mix of meds for my spinal issues. I take Skelaxin 3x/day, Tramadol, Norco, and I am also on the long acting medication, Fentanyl patch 25 micrograms every 48hrs.

There are lots of different medications you can take, and in varying combinations. Dont' get frustrated if the first couple of times are a wash, with side effects and stuff. Medicine isn't an exact science, especially when it comes to treating something as subjective as pain. I personally get my bloodwork done twice a year and I also give a urine sample to check the kidneys, just to make sure everything is in good working order. I have a broad range of tests done (usually 5-6 tubes of blood), from the general physical stuff (CBC, chem 20, H&H, etc), and liver and kidney tests. Its really up to your primary care doc, but mine tends to be more proactive towards preventative medicine (he's a D.O.) so he's got no problems staying on top of things before there's a crisis.

Good luck to you.

Theresa