Need a little help tonight ...

[Flagg]

I've had a nasty headache all day. I have some vicodin (brand name!) and some butalbital APAP to take care of these.

I had 3g APAP from these earlier combating the headache. That was seven hours ago. It's back full force now. I know 4g is what the FDA says but I know some have gone a little over that ... and it will only take about 2 Fioricet and 1 Vicodin to get to 4g. What would happen if I went a little over? I've been to 4g before just fine but never had enough pain to warrant considering going over.

Thanks in advance and I'm sorry if I've stepped out of line in any way, but my head HURTS right now and I trust you guys ...

[Black_Pony]

I usually get headaches from taking too much opies and getting dehydrated. Firstly, I would chug a couple of glasses of water and then chase it with more pills. The water will keep the headache from coming back after the pills wear off but you need the pills to stop the headache.

They say 3g isn't great for your liver to begin with, your liver is probably in bad shape anyway from continued use, so I would say F*ck it and take the extra 1g IMHO. Headaches annoy me alot though, so I do whatever it takes to get rid of 'em.

Hope you feel better! Grub a few benzos and take a nap.

[Chemical_Boy]

I am not going to say to go over the limit, but here is what I have done. . .

I have taken as much as 8 to 10 grams of apap spread out over 24 hours before. I get migraines to and when I was young, say 14 or 15, I would take 4-6 extra strength tylenol (500mg each) sometimes 2 or 3 times a day.
Then I got into partying. I have been known to take 5 or 10 regular vics (5/500) while drinking heavily (50/50 mix Captain and Coke) in a short period of time.
I have also been prescribed Vicodin ES (7.5/750) where I could take 8 per day (6000mg apap) according to the doctor- for short periods of time.

I am not saying these were the healthiest choices, but even after a bad 2 years of alcohol binging (straight whiskey) and one case of honest to god alcohol poisoning that was very nearly fatal, I have had a liver enzyme test that came back normal.

I am not recommending to take too much apap. But in my opinion, it will not hurt you to go a bit over for short periods of time (unless you have liver problems already)

I get some wicked ass migraines. . .Here is some advice: If you have already taken quite a bit of vicodin and fioricet without knocking your head ache, then taking a little more of those same things will probably not help.
Switch it up- take 800mg of ibuprofen (this is the prescription strength dose of ibuprofen and will not hurt your stomach unless you do it for months on end), and take 50 mg of benadryl or doxylamine succinate (unisom) unless you have prescription strength antihistamines like hydroxazine or phenergen. I say do this because A) mixing more medicines, while not great for you, works better for treating stubborn headaches, and B) an NSAID like ibuprofen mixed with a strong antihistamine is a powerful combo that will treat a migraine or tension headache by not only covering up the symptoms (painful headache) but also treating the root cause (inflammation and blood pressure constriction/dilation). And if you haven't had caffeine today, drink a cup of coffee (a small cup) or have a coke. Lot's of caffeine will cause or make headaches work. Small amounts of caffeine will help headaches sometimes (blood vessel dilation again) and kick that medicine through your system in high gear.

This is what I do if I don't have my actiq and zomiq or relpax.

Oh yeah, drinking lots of water like Black Pony said is important too. Dehydration is a major cause of headaches. Sometimes you will be dehydrated and not realize it. If your pee ain't clear, or close to it, you are dehydrated. Even if you don't feel thirsty. Always drink plenty of water.

[kyuss]

Try some
Migraine Alleve,
it really does help

[Flagg]

I've actually eradicated the alcohol COMPLETELY (except for a few shots of delicious scotch every now and then) in fear of the interaction with the Fioricet.

The Hydrocodone is a bit of a bonus. My girlfriend had it as a script for her back and she got four refills on 20 vicodin ... which I gladly paid extra for name brand :) It will soon end, however, since her back pain is gone (she only needed half of one occasionally)

I chewed through the 60 vikes given to me in about three weeks ... never any more than four a day because I don't want to feel that WD again. I have some XR Tramadol for when the six remaining pills are gone. There's a chance she's gonna get one more bottle here in a week, but it's not bloody likely. They want her to get a steroid shot, which she won't do.

Tonight was a stranger night than usual. Normally I don't do over 2g/3g tylenol a day with the Fioricet alone (320mg Tylenol per pill on these is WIN) and that's enough to chase the tension headaches away and give me a very nice little perk to boot (I'm one of the few who actually ENJOYS a butalbital high).

I killed this TERRIBLE headache with the following, taken two hours to just a few minutes ago:

Four Vics
Three Fioricet
One Alleve
Two Cyclo (very Soma-like muscle relaxer)

I'm friggin buzzin' too :)

It's too bad I can't get any god damned Xanax. I hate that stuff enough to only use it "properly" (when you have a large hole in time like I did over Thanksgiving Break with Klonopin, you tend to not want to repeat the experience). I can't get them from a ROP because I have no documentation of ever being prescribed them, and any doc on my insurance won't give them to me because of my addiction history. God, I want some back, though, because it WORKS when I'm freaking out and it would've WORKED tonight, big time. Cyclone is close enough for government work though :)

God damn dehydration. I hear you on that. I don't usually pee any color than clear unless I've taken vitamins, but I know I'm dehydrated when I ... em, "dribble" (men, you know what that means). I will be taking some water here in a bit. Tylenol does dry me out considerably, and I'm up to 6g now (and stopping) after nearly 12-hours. Don't worry though - I'm a HUGE boy (200+lbs) and can take it.

Thanks to all for your concern. And of course I invite other tension/migraine sufferers to post their experience here.

Damn I hate living in rural Iowa sometimes ... what a little bit of OC80 wouldn't solve :(

[Flagg]

P.S. Points to you three for curing me of my nasty headache. Back to playing Zelda: Twilight Princess until I doze off ...

[Chemical_Boy]

If you want to get xanax prescribed, go to a walk in clinic and ask to be seen because you feel like you have some chest pain. They will probably do an EKG to check for heart trouble, and while doing it they will probably ask you other questions. Mention in the past you have had chest pains and that you went to the doctor (while on vacation or something so there is a reason why not locally) and was told after some tests that it was anxiety. And that the gave you some medicine that helped, but you can't remember what it was. You're not too worried today because it has happened before but still think it would be better safe than sorry. Once they are done with the the EKG and possible chest xray, they will likely determine that it is anxiety again, especially if you mention a stressful situation. . .Boy going to college and working full time is tough, and I had a fight with my girl friend and oh yeah I think that is about when the pain started.

I know this because I really did have chest pains and due to my past heavy use of cocaine and methamphetamine, I was really scared that it was heart problems. But sharp chest pain/weird pressure is (make sure you describe it and not say just chest pain) really sometimes caused by acute anxiety attacks (choking feeling or feeling like it is hard to breath can be another common symptom). At a walk in clinic they focus on treating the symptoms right then and there and then having you follow up with your doctor. While your pcp doctor will probably be more likely to treat anxiety with an anti-depressant like Zoloft, stuff like that takes 2-6 weeks to start helping. A walk in place is focused on getting you comfortable NOW, and the most effective treatment for acute anxiety attacks is a benzo like xanax or ativan. Zoloft, and other anti depressants (and some atypical antipsychotics like Abilify) are only effective in treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which is long term anxiety. Antidepressants are not effective in treating acute anxiety or panic attacks.

Of course, there is a possibility of them using something like buspar (mild tranquilizer antidepressant hybrid kind of) which is not really effective in most people's opinion, or hydroxazine which is an antihistamine that is also a mild anti anxiety agent. In that case you take the script and then call back in the evening or the next day and just let them know that it doesn't seem to be helping and there will be a good chance that they will call in something more effective. When I got xanax for my anxiety, as I have several times over the past 3 years when I get chest pains, they will usually give you a two to three week supply to "get you through until you can talk to your regular doctor. You don't want to take this all the time because it can be habit forming, but you might want to talk to Dr. Blahblah about keeping a small supply on hand so that you can avoid having to come in here for something like this again. . .etc etc"

Anyway, good luck and enjoy your vicodins:D

[kyuss]

P.S. Points to you three for curing me of my nasty headache. Back to playing Zelda: Twilight Princess until I doze off ...


glad to help
headaches suck