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Posted 1/25/2009 10:13 PM (GMT 0)

I am on percocet  and read on the board you are suppose to take  it every 4 hours and my dr told me take one every six hours 4 times a day. Are you really suppose to take it every 4 hrs or is six hours ok? I appreciate any info. I hope you have a low pain night.

Posted 1/25/2009 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
Kara,

I think that 4hrs is the lower bound of when you can safely take the next dose. I know that oxycodone is usually prescribed as every 4 to 6hrs (although it depends on what your doctor instructs you to do). Because percocet is oxycodone with tylenol, you have to be more careful about when you take it, as you can only safely take so much tylenol/day without causing liver damage. I'm sure people who take percocet regularly can tell you more, but I'm pretty sure that it has to do with the tylenol -- the greater the time between doses, the lower your risk of damaging your liver from too much tylenol. The effects of the medication last different amounts of time in different people, so your doc may have started you off slowly, hoping that the meds would last the full 6hrs for you. I'm sure your doctor could explain his reasoning if you were to give him a call or bring it up at your next appointment. I certainly wouldn't change the way you take it without talking with your doc & getting his okay.

Skeye

Post Edited (skeye) : 1/25/2009 5:46:09 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/25/2009 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
Kara,
Please follow your doctors instructions on all of your meds. Yes, you can learn what different people do on the forum, but none of us should consider changing how we take a medication based on that. If what your doctor has prescribed doesn't cover your pain, then you need to tell him/her that. Your doctor has your complete medical history, knows all the other meds you're on, etc. So follow the instructions on the bottle.

PaLady
Posted 1/26/2009 1:43 AM (GMT 0)
Kara:

Remember that our goal with any medication is always to take the smallest dose necessary to achieve the results needed, and I saw in another post that you said this dose was helping you. Like PaLady said, you also have to consider so many other things such as drug interactions and your own medical history. Each person reacts differently to medications and some are much more sensitive to medications than others. Please follow your doctors directions for your medications.

Ry
Posted 1/26/2009 9:58 AM (GMT 0)
Kara; I agree with each one of these posters. Percocet has a high dosage of acetomephen and you do not want to hurt your liver. Take only what your doctor prescribes as you may react to it differently to it then me or someone else that is on it. My dosage is 1 every 6 hours but I am on the 10/325. Yeah I could take two every 6 hours but I would rather keep with doctors schedule then hurt my liver and have something else go wrong with my body that I am forced to deal with because I decided to go against my doctors orders.

As it is my PCP is requesting that I get a liver and kidney function test every year starting next visit to make sure that nothing is going on with these things and this is just a precautionary thing as I have been on pain medications for the last 6 years now and want to be safe. Anyway I hope this helped hun to ease your mind a bit.

hugs

Scarred
Posted 1/26/2009 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
Scarred, I am also on 10/325 of percocet. I have been following the dose schedule and only take it every six hours. Yes the percocet is helping my pain better than the lortab. I pray it continues to work.Thanks everyone for your advice.
Posted 1/26/2009 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Well I take 10/650 every four hours up to five times a day. That's a lot but necessary for my pain. I also get liver and kidney function tests four times a year. I also take an antidepressant called Serzone which is very hard on the liver so I have to be very careful and get frequent blood work. So far, so good.

Thanks for letting me share.

Gentle hugs,

Lindaloo
Posted 1/27/2009 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Kara,
I believe everything has been covered in this thread.
Always listen to your own doctor. We posters all have different ideas.
I personally think you might need more. But don't take more cause I said
that (or anyone here!!) It's a good medicine.
I think what we need to do is be careful that we don't take more than
prescribed -not ever.
If we take more, then at the end of the month we end up hurting.
I'm having a terrible time wanting to take 1/2 mg more of Xanax. If I take
it, I can sleep. I counted my pills today and I'm still ok, but not for long.
I hate to talk to my psychiatrist about it, but I'm going to have to.
Be well.
Pamela
My stupid computer keeps breaking down. Frustrating.
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