hydrocodone

[myevilme]

I took a nasty spill on the ice (we had nasty storm here in the midwest) and sprained my already crippled carpel-tunnel hand and hurt my elbow pretty bad. They gave me hydrocodone 10/325 (10mg hydrocodone, 325 asprin) I used to abuse these like crazy in high school, never had any problems with them. This time around it's making me itch like crazy. No lotions have seemed to help. I'm thinking it's the hydro's because it's the only new addition to my regimen. I do have the occasional lamictal rash, but those aren't like this. Anybody had to deal with something like this? I don't want to quit taking them because I can't hardly use my right arm it's in so much pain right now. I'm also a bit manic I think, possibly euphoria from the drug? Should I tell my doc about this? I'm enjoying it actually, but something in me says something isn't right...I don't know...my mixed up brain doesn't make sense to me anymore....I guess I can't expect it to make sense to anyone else either. Thanks

[Croix]

Hydrocodone always makes me itch. I look like a crack addict scratching myself silly everytime I have to take it. I've found that I can take a benadryl to help. (Not that I'm suggesting you do that - consult your doc) But maybe between the hydro and benadryl they just knock me out so I can't scratch.

Anyways, Completely normal.

Croix

[Penny Century]

opiates cause itching. usually my nose is what itches. (try not to itch your arm raw, scratching won't help an opiate itch.)

unless there's a rash i wouldn't worry about it.

opiates can be sedating, or they can be activating. i know people think of "nodding off" with pain killers, but not everyone reacts like that. hydrocodone makes me an insomniac.

i think this is just how you react to this pain killer.

[Becca]

After about a week of taking Percocet after a surgery a couple years ago, they made me itch, too. Not at first... but any more than one pill and I'm an itchy wreck now.

And they usually wake me up for about an hour, after which I would promptly pass out. But they did always make me pretty happy and giggly. That's a pretty common reaction, too.

I hope your arm heals soon.

[myevilme]

Yea...the hydro's don't make me sleepy at all, I get the giddy effect. It's kind of nice. As for the benadryl, that stuff keeps me up all night climbing the walls, a weird reaction I know. At least I know that this is what is causing the itch, which gives me some peace of mind. I only have enough for 2 more days, so I guess I'll just grin an bear it and try not to scratch.

Thanks for your replies, you guys are great!

[Guest Papaw Reed]

TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO TAKING HYDROCODONE OR OXYCODONE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND DRIVEN TO THE BRINK OF INSANITY BY THE ITCH THAT IT CAUSES, NOW HEAR THIS:

I found a cure that works for me. I was browsing a vitamin handbook from my library one day and looked up "itching". The book said to take (2) 1000 milligram tablets of "time-released" vitamin C morning and evening. I started taking (1) tablet (3) times a day and in a couple of days, the itching almost totally disappeared. I've been taking 4 to 6

5/500's of hydro everyday for dengenerative disk disease. I always took vitamin supplements before, but never vitamin C at that level. The good thing is that all excess vitamin C is eliminated from the body on a daily basis. One other problem that plagues me.....constipation. All I can say about that is pump up your diet with lots of fiber. Take Metamucil or an equivalent product on a regular basis. It is vitally important to have a bowel movement everyday. If you don't eliminate the toxins in your bowel, your body can re-absorb them.

[AirMarshall]

If you don't eliminate the toxins in your bowel, your body can re-absorb them.

Ok, thanks for the suggestions. I hadn't heard the vitamin C thing. I'm loaded up on Darvocet the last 48 hours and started getting some itching. I'll try to follow up.

While its important and often difficult to keep the bowels open (as I'm presently contemplating, heh) I can't agree with your last statement. You won't find this disorder in the Merck Manual or any other medical text. What toxins? How? The colon serves to absorb water.

best, a.m.

[let me add: Other than fiber, the bulk of the bulk (little humor there) is nitrogenous wastes leftover from the chemical processes of digestion, which ARE toxic which is one reason to not eat them. However, if they were absorbed by the intestines then we would direct effects on blood tests like BUN and Creatinine. A doctor would be able to directly relate time since last elimination with rising BUN/cr levels. Since the kidneys are burdened with eliminating them from the blood stream we would then see a following chain in the urine. With time we would expect those with chronic constipation to suffer decreased kidney function and ultimately failure. We don't see kidney failure listed as either a symptom of constipation or as a risk.

a.m.