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how much vicodin is too much?

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Posted 10/16/2007 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
so i was put on vicodin for pain this past weekend. i have taken it 3 days in a row now. saturday was a bad day and sunday i didn't let it get to a bad point and took it early. i really tried not to take it today but i have had awful pain all day and finally gave in about an hour and 1/2 ago. i have to say i feel it helps with some of the pain, my abdomen doesn't feel as tense & crampy and i think it helps with the sudden sharp pains. so, my question, is it ok to take vicodin every day i have pain? i just want to see how often other people take pain meds. i don't want to over do it ya know?!

thanks :)
Posted 10/16/2007 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Stephanie hi, I understand where you are coming from as I felt the same way.I will tell you what my pain doctor told me the goal is to get your pain undercontrol and keep it that way,so there for take it as script so I am on oxycodone 30mg and I also wear a pain patch that I wear for 72 hours and then put a new one on and this has helped me keep my pain down to were I can deal with it.Mypain doctor aslo told me that if you let your self get in alot of pain and then take your pain meds it want work as well.But my advice is to share your concern with your Doctor and see what he/she has to say about it.I hope you get to feeling better.
Posted 10/16/2007 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
thanks curley. i guess i am very fortunate that the vicodin seems to be helping with my pain. i know like yourself, it seems a good amount of people on here are on some pretty strong scripts for their pain. still don't want to take it too lightly and make sure i am not doing more harm then good :)

thanks for the well wishes!
Posted 10/16/2007 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
One thing you need to be very careful about is how much acetominophen is in the pain killer you are taking. The upper limit of acetominophen is 4 grams per day or else you risk serious liver damage. There is also a limit to the length of time you can take this amount. Vicodin contains acetominophen.
Posted 10/16/2007 8:37 AM (GMT 0)
rootsmith - the vicodin i have is 5/500mg so i believe that equals .5 grams acetaminophen in each pill. it says i can take one every 6 hours though i don't plan on using it quite that often. i also haven't been drinking since i have been on steroids 5 weeks ago. kind of a bummer but alcohol and my guts hate each other anyway :/

thanks for the info!
Posted 10/16/2007 12:54 PM (GMT 0)
Right, its just something you have to keep in mind and not all doctors are always aware of it. Pharmacists have to call them to advise often. I am not familiar with all the doses of these drugs but before I posted my respone I did a quick google search on vicodin and apparently there are doses with 750mg acetominophen? That would mean you can only take 1 at a time because you are also not supposed to go over 1,000mg at a dose. If you took the 5/500mg dose 1 every 6 hours that would be 2,000 mg a day.
Posted 10/16/2007 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
I take 1/2 percoset twice (and on bad days, one additional dose) a day. If you are only using 1 per day, that's not bad at all. If I don't need my pain med, I can skip it one day with no problem. And I have been on some form of pain med for years. Don't let yourself suffer, if you are hurting take the pain meds.
Posted 10/16/2007 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
rootsmith - thanks for the additional info. don't need to be screwing my liver while i am at it ;)

nanners - you are always so helpful :) thanks for the advice.
Posted 10/16/2007 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
When I have the stone problems, I usually could not go more than 4 hours before needing another Lorcet or Tylox. Unfortunately, there are issues with too much tylenol causing liver damage.. As far as hydrocodone itself, my highest dose has been 15 mg. Above that & nothing improved anyway. Below it & I was still in quite severe pain.
I take Tramadol these days, for my back & my CD arthritis. I don't have the liver worries & it works better than a classical opiate for me..
But the answer to your question is: When it no longer helps or the side effects become too strong. As said above, be careful of doing too little too. Once pain gets really cranking up, its hard for ANYTHING to help much. IME anyway..

Ciao,
Matthew
Posted 10/16/2007 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
hey dust....I took vicodin when I had severe back issues. I was eating them like candy. unfortunately, i have found vicodin does nothing for me except make me constipated in a big way!
It sounds like you are being cautious and that's a good thing. Just make sure you keep the constipation from getting too bad. You may want to check with your doc if that gets bad.
Posted 10/16/2007 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
If you need more pain killer than drugs with acetominophen will give you without going over 4 grams acetominophen per day or even that much for an extended period of time, then you need to find another pain killer that doesn't have acetominophen in it.

I don't think you can get hydrocodone alone, can you? I know oxycodone comes by itself but I think (not 100% positive) that hydrocodone only comes with acetominophen.
Posted 10/17/2007 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
thanks for the replies y'all! today was a 2 vicodin day :/ it definitely helps with the crampy/achey/sore stuff. i don't think it helps as much with the sudden stabbing pains that come out of nowhere. but i will take whatever relief i can get and see how long i can last on these for my pain.
Posted 10/17/2007 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
Try it on the schedule they rxed for you. Too often, we under medicate ourselves fearing addiction, & side effects. People in pain very rarely become addicted to narcotics. That is a myth. Side effects usually become less bothersome in time ( ask anyone who has had cancer pain). Don't let fear of that keep you from using your med correctly. Now if you can get by on 2 a day great!
Yeah, the blasted Tylenol is a problem. I think Percocet maybe a little better than Tylox.
But as I said, Tramadol works for me & it comes free of acetamiophen.

Matthew
Posted 10/17/2007 8:37 AM (GMT 0)
matthew- my gi prescribed me 1 pill every 6 hours. last night it was like clockwork, 6 hours after my first pill i my pain was coming back with a vengeance! i have some mild discomfort right now, i get an overall soreness like someone has been using me as a punching bag, my whole abdomen aches, especially as the day goes on. when i talk to my gi in 2 weeks i will mention the acetaminophen issue, thanks :)
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