[Mickeycbee]

When I was in the hospital (mental hospital) this past March I was told that ANY narcotic, whether it is prescribed or not, would in essence zero out the effect of my psych meds and it would be like I had not taken them at all. Now I have noticed with some of the operations I have had, coming home I had to go right back into the mental hospital to get my meds straightened out, but I was on a morphine pump, so that I can understand. However, can taking the hydrocodone off and on for pain (mainly migraines) totally nix the psych meds?? Does anyone have any experience taking this sort of mix?

[Bannet]

Hi Mickey. I'm not qualified to give you answers to your questions but I'm sure if you talk to your doctor they could explain it all to you.

Good luck.

[bastille]

Hi Mickey,
Many meds/narcotics etc can interact with hydrocodone but I assume if all are prescibed by the same doctor that should have been sorted out.
For your peace of mind though what medications are you on?
Nick

[Mickeycbee]

Originally Posted by bastille

Hi Mickey,
Many meds/narcotics etc can interact with hydrocodone but I assume if all are prescibed by the same doctor that should have been sorted out.
For your peace of mind though what medications are you on?
Nick

well, Im on lithium, trazedone, klonopin, remeron, and synthroid(?), which were prescribed by my psych doc, but my neuro doc put me on the hydrocodone for pain....now I know my psych dr didn't like the fact that I had the hydrocodone prescribed to me, but she did not go into it. So Im trying to manage with ibuprofen, which really isn't helping.

[Kathi49]

Mickey,

I take Vicodin and Klonopin and have for a long time. I don't feel they cancel each other out. The Klonopin is for nerve pain and the Vicodin for mechanical pain. I am not so sure I would use Hydrocodone though for the migraines as the narcotics can cause a rebound effect.

[bastille]

Hi Mickey,
It would be safer to take the hydrocodone than to use Ibuprophen. None of the prescibed meds will counteract each other. Ibuprophen and others in the same class have been known to decrease renal (kidney) clearances, meaning the body can't flush out lithium at normal rate. This can lead to an increase in blood/Lithium, sometimes to toxic levels. So, as you say the Ibuprofen isn't effective enough for you, better to stay with the hydrocodone.
I agree with what you've said, if it's after operations, possibly the anesthetics temporarily upset your metabolism, not in a toxic sense but enough to effect your well being.
good luck
Nick

[mrsD]

I see by the drug list you posted, Mickey, that you may have bipolar disorder.

There are standard drug engines on the net, which you can plug in your drugs and read potential issues. I have some listed in the stickies here.

While hydrocodone may cause increased sedation, or cognitive impairment mixed with other drugs that also share that side effect, there is another potential reason for affecting you.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread54633.html

It has been known for a while that some people with OCD or refractory depressions react favorably to opiates. This is not well understood yet, but involves the mu receptors in the brain. Opiates vary also in this effect. For example, some opiates, (oxycodone more so than others) also release serotonin in the brain, which is similar in action to antidepressants.

Here is a drug checker with the lithium/ibuprofen interaction explained:
http://www.drugs.com/interactions-ch...=1310-0,1477-0

MONITOR: Several case reports and small studies suggest that some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase serum lithium levels and increase the risk of toxicity. The exact mechanism is unknown but may involve inhibition of renal prostaglandin synthesis by NSAIDs. Lithium toxicity has been reported during concomitant use of indomethacin, ketorolac, mefenamic acid, and piroxicam. Lithium plasma concentrations have been shown to increase in healthy subjects or patients taking various NSAIDs including celecoxib, diflunisal, flurbiprofen, meloxicam, naproxen, and valdecoxib. Limited data suggest that sulindac may participate in the interaction to a lesser extent than do other NSAIDs. Aspirin and other salicylates do not appear to interact with lithium.

MANAGEMENT: Patients who must take lithium in combination with NSAIDs should be monitored for evidence of lithium toxicity, although clinically significant interactions are thought to be rare.

Not all doctors know about opiates and bipolar however.

[Doody]

Hi Mickey. I just read your migraine + hydrocodone with interest. I've been a migraneur for 39 years and hydrocodone does not help with my migraines at all.

For the migraines and regular headaches I start with a couple of aspirin. When that doesn't take off the edge I take Imitrex nasal spray and that normally kicks the migraine in the butt. Though in the past I've made many emergency room trips and had to have demerol.

I kinda wonder about him prescribing the hydrocodone for that. Though on occasion they did help me but not as well as the Imitrex.

I hope you feel better soon.

[Mickeycbee]

Originally Posted by mrsD

I see by the drug list you posted, Mickey, that you may have bipolar disorder.

There are standard drug engines on the net, which you can plug in your drugs and read potential issues. I have some listed in the stickies here.

While hydrocodone may cause increased sedation, or cognitive impairment mixed with other drugs that also share that side effect, there is another potential reason for affecting you.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread54633.html

It has been known for a while that some people with OCD or refractory depressions react favorably to opiates. This is not well understood yet, but involves the mu receptors in the brain. Opiates vary also in this effect. For example, some opiates, (oxycodone more so than others) also release serotonin in the brain, which is similar in action to antidepressants.

Here is a drug checker with the lithium/ibuprofen interaction explained:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Interac...22+&CheckFDA=1


When using this checker, there is no interaction (classically known) between lithium and hydrocodone/acetaminophen products (like Vicodin/Lortab)

This does not mean there may not be one, only that there is no documented evidence thus far.

Not all doctors know about opiates and bipolar however.

Thanks for all the information. I do use ibuprofen for milder headaches and pains and not one doctor ever told me in eleven years about that interaction. I have had lithium toxicity before, and at the time they could not explain it, but I never would have dreamed that ibuprofen may have been the cause. Thanks for all the information, you probably saved me from another trip to the hospital with toxicity issues

[Mickeycbee]

Originally Posted by Doody

Hi Mickey. I just read your migraine + hydrocodone with interest. I've been a migraneur for 39 years and hydrocodone does not help with my migraines at all.

For the migraines and regular headaches I start with a couple of aspirin. When that doesn't take off the edge I take Imitrex nasal spray and that normally kicks the migraine in the butt. Though in the past I've made many emergency room trips and had to have demerol.

I kinda wonder about him prescribing the hydrocodone for that. Though on occasion they did help me but not as well as the Imitrex.

I hope you feel better soon.

Let me tell you, when I walked into this esteemed neurosurgeons office and took one look at him, I knew that would be my last visit. He looked like a serial killer dressed from the 70's. I'm going to talk to my doctor about getting the Imitrex nasal spray. I had the adavan in nasal spray and that worked great when I had my seizure episode this past summer. Thanks for the information, I greatly appreciate it.