Vicodin and UC....?

Any experience taking hydrocodone 5/500 (Vicodin) for pain unrelated to UC.  It is for my knees.  I have never taken anything that strong.  I only take Tylenol for pain.  Used to take Motrin occasionally but can't due to risk of bleeding.  I am very sensitive to narcotics when I have tried them.  Trying 1/2 one tomorrow to see how I feel.

I need the pain relief but don't want to upset anything else!

ElaineNY

I've had Percocet and I've tolerated it fine. In fact, it's constipating quality slowed down my gut nicely. I would try 1/2 a pill to see - good idea.
I am taking the Ryzolt, a new thing. It's a 24 hour time-release ultram. It doesn't affect my gut at all, doesn't make me goofy or loopy, and for the 8-10 months before I was taking it I was awake 2-3 hours every night with horrible arthritis pain. Since taking it I'm sleeping well, and in the day I'm not all that aware of the arthritis, unless I overdo!

     Elaine, I take hydrocodone for my UP pain and pressure.  I take it sparingly.  Thank God I haven't needed one for about a week now.  Things are calming down.  After my flex sig a week ago Wednesday I thought I was gonna croak! LOL!  It really rattled things up plus the Fleets I tried to give myself to clear out...whewieee, almost burned my butt out.  Every day seems to get better now though.  My daughter said..."mom, remember when I had a cut on my arm and I went into the ocean.  It burned like the dickens, but it healed within a few days."  Hmmm...maybe it helped after all.  I learned to take only a teaspoon of Immodium after my second bowel movement and that seems to help a lot!  Keep your fingers crossed that the Humira works.

Oh, Christine - you don't know how much I hope the Humira works for you.  We "seniors" should not have to deal with this along with getting older!  I will be 70 in a couple months and not looking forward to it.  Maybe getting a new knee will give me a little more encouragement to go out and enjoy life - which is much too short!! I am also getting a new gastro doctor.  I love the one I have (second very experienced one) but he is too far away and my husband's health just isn't good enough to drive there or to leave alone here - just too much for us.  There is a good "group" near here and I think they will be fine.  I have to wait for appointment after they get my records from Albany - maybe 4 weeks she said!

ElaineNY

Yes, I feel so bad for the young people here.  Just pray there is a cure in their young life!

My husband is doing better.  Dealing with many things - lung cancer in remission nearly 3 years, painful back, now congestive heart failure.  His heart is very weak but with lasix to keep his BP low and pacing himself he is doing pretty good.  I just worry too much to leave him alone too long.  I make him carry his cellphone outside when I am not here - he says "yes, MOM"!!

Take care and keep us up on the Humira injections.  I am having the Synvisc injection in my knee on Tuesday as a stop gap before hopefully knee replacement in summer. 

My son who worked for Abbott who makes Humira lost his job.  He was a research scientist there.  I have a feeling they wanted him to do things he was not comfortable doing.  Anyway, he will find another job as he has a doctorate and lives in Chicago area.

ElaineNY

ElephantPipe... I see you have arthritis in both knees.  Take care of them.  Mine started at age 35 and now no cartiledge left.  That is why I ask for something stronger than Tylenol Arthritis for once in a while.  I can't do any yard work or much housework and would like to do a little more.  I think 1/2 doseage will be all I can handle also.  Trying it in the morning - we will see.  I will take my walker outside and see if I can rake the flower gardens if I feel better. 

I need both knees replaced but that is not always a piece of cake either!

ElaineNY

Your Dad should get a second opinion - I did!

The arthritis you have is probably like fibromyalgia - moves around.  Of course, when you overdo it with a joint it flares up there!  I can't take Motrin anymore (used to occasionally) because it messes with my stomach - probably the IBS!

Adding update on the Vicodin...

ElaineNY

kops2da said...
UPDATE on Vicodin...


I took 1/2 of the 5/500 this morning. about same pain relief as the Tylenol Arthritis but I was just trying it for side effects. As per usual with me - it seems to be working backwards from some other people - I feel "hyper" and not tired at all. Maybe I will get some house cleaning done after all. (NAH) At lease my stomach feels fine. Planning on taking 1/2 tonight before bed with a 325 Tylenol. Hope I am not up all night LOL!

ElaineNY

thanks for update.
i started a thread a couple of days back regarding this medicine...i have a minor surgery next week and my surgeon asked me to take this med. for pain relief..... all the replies on that thread made me relaxed & now your post relaxed me even more...thanks!