Hydrocodone as a treatment

I was wondering how many of you felt about Hydrocodone for your migraines. I am only using it right now as a last resort (because of the expense of my Relpax <rescue med>. My nuerologist told me that people who use a narcotic to reduce the pain of their migraine often experience rebound headaches...which is the problem as well with going to the ER and having a shot of demerol. He said that it caused rebound headaches. To me, as desperate as I can get, the pain med at least breaks up the monotony of the migraine..Opinions?

Hi BrownEyes,

I've used hydrocodone daily for, oh man, YEARS! I did go off all med's for about six months, includng the hydrocodone and had the same amount of headaches, just much more severe because I had not rescue drugs.

A failed experiment, but one I needed to try.

Hydrocodone keeps me working, most of the time.

Charlotte

I use fioricet with codeine 3-4x a week normally. No rebound here.

Vicodin(hydrocodone) was the first script my doctor gave me. Triptans don't work for me, so all I have to use is narcotics. I never got a rebound from vicodin however, it makes me feel high so I can't take it and take care of my daughter which leaves me in pain during the day anyways.

Every medication is different for people. Some migraneurs have horrible rebounds on codeine and couldn't take fioricet with codeine as often as I do. Some people experience rebounds with hydrocodone too, but you have to try it in order to know.

Being that I don't have the option to take triptans and can only take narcotics, I hope you stick with triptans. Narcotics aren't great for you either...side effects, liver damage ect... Plus I think triptans abort migraines a lot better. Narcotics just take the pain away for a few hours but never actually abort a migraine for me. You can also become addicted or dependent on narcotics and your tolerance will go up which will in turn make you take more pills for the same effect.

I would definitely prefer triptans, but it is a personal decision and if they work better for you by all means explore it.

I just realized, maybe to help ease the cost you can alternate. That might be a smart way to go. You would avoid rebounds, keep cost lower and avoid dependence at the same time.

Good luck!

Thanks!

Yes, I worry about the addiction part because my aunt used Morphine to treat her pain associated with her rheumatoid arthritis and got so addicted that she finally took her own life after years of use.

I really appreciate all the advice and info. I'm making a notebook to take with me to my next doctors appointment and I may be seeking a second opinion.

Thanks.

For me, hydrocodone gives me anxiety--a feeling like I can't get enough air--not a pleasant experience. I've received it following surgery and once in the ER. I now list it as a drug I'm allergic to because I don't receive any pain relief, only a frightful experience.

Becky

I've used hydrocodone as often as 3 x a week. No rebound. In fact sometimes I go a couple of weeks without taking it. I find that taking it with an abortive hastens the relief and takes away the drowsiness of the abortive. I also alternate with OTC drugs like Aleve as to not get addicted just because of what I've read about narcotics. I haven't seen it as a problem. They are by far better than OTC and cheap. I get prescribed 30 at a time but try to stretch it over at least 3 months. The last batch lasted 4 months.

I have never heard of this drug. Maybe we dont get it here, or under another name.

pen wrote:I have never heard of this drug. Maybe we dont get it here, or under another name.

It is Vicodin. Does that help? It is a combination of tyenol and a narcotic. It is a great pain reliever, for me anyway. Doesn't take the place of an abortive but helps. I was told by my neurologist to use it as a last resort to just konk out if nothing else works. I have never taken enough to konk out. When I get that bad, I figure I just have to weather the storm.

I dont think we use Vicodin in UK Linda. I have heard of Vicodin though.
There is quite a difference in the drugs our respective countries use and approve of it seems.
Thanks for explaining.

I use Vicodin to ease my migraines and have for years. I do exercise a lot of self control and have always utilized it as a last resort. When I take Vicodin, it's because the excedrin,the coffee, the topamax, the meditating, have all exhausted their efforts. I try to stretch the prescription of 30 over 2-3 months if at all possible. There have been times when I was lucky enough to go a week or two without. The thought of addiction and just not being able to receive narcotics if I were severely injured or had major surgery, are enough for me to keep the dosage in check. I would say if you choose , use it very wisely and with monitoring from your physician.

I have to agree with Olee and Gia. I was just discussing the rebound effect of hydrocodone, which I don't have any.

BUT, since I have been on it so long I have built up a tolerance to it which bothers me. I am concerned that if I get a very serious illness I'll have difficulty getting pain control.

I think alternating the hydrocodone and triptans is a good idea. Unfortunately triptans don't work for me.

Oh, and I take vicoprofen instaed of vicoden. Vicoprofen has ibuprofen in it instaed of tylenol. My neuro likes it better for its anti-inflammatorie properties. Plus, I don't worry so much about my liver, and my tummy seems to tolerate well.

Charlotte

Vicodin never worked for me for my migraines, or even for my daily headaches. My 2nd nuero/pain specialist prescribed it, and it didn't do a darn thing for me. I took it for menstrual cramps instead

I think rebound headaches are something the nueros exaggerate. Imitrex doesn't give me rebound, ibuprofen doesn't, Stadol has, but rarely, and Stadol is a narcotic. I never got rebound from vicodin.

I use Hydrocodone 3-5 dyas a week for my Migraines and have for over a year. (Almost 2) While my tolerance does increase and I find myself using more, I am always fine when I make myself take several days off to avoid addiction/rebound and let my tolerance refresh.

Without it I would not have been able to stay employed as long as I have.

On some really weird website I've found this information:

hydrocodone(vicodin) in the uk is called: dihydrocodeinone.

please enter at your own risk though, my Mozilla put this website under the question mark - not the red flash, though:

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37813

Risa

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but thought I'd mention a couple of things as regards this discussion. PLEASE know that I'm not criticizing anyone's choices and decisions. I just want to give you the latest info available. Fair enough?

First, a lot of doctors used to recommend alternating types of meds to avoid medication overuse headache (MOH, aka rebound). Not so much any more because now research is showing it doesn't work that way. In fact, in the International Headache Society's diagnostic and classification system, there are not subcategories of MOH. One of them is 8.2.6 Medicaton-veruse headache attributed to combination of acute medications. Described as, "Intake of any combination of ergotamine, triptans, analgesics and/or opioids on 10 or more days/month on a regularbasis for more than three months without overuse of any single class alone. (If you want to read more, you can find it at http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/medications-32544-5.html.

The other issue is new research showing that any use of opioids or barbiturates can increase the risk of transformed Migraine. More on that at .http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/news-280002-5.html.

I know this stinks. Been there myself. I hope this info helps someone.

Teri

Most doctors will advise staying below those numbers by limiting use to two or three days per week. For those who take triptans, doctors will sometimes recommend taking triptans two days a week and another type of medication another two days a week if absolutely necessary. Beyond that, there is no real answer for pain on additional days that week. The long-term answer is, of course, an effective preventive regimen that reduces the need for MOH-causing medications.

All nice and dandy, but what is one to do if the preventives does not work??? and one does have M episodes happening a good half a month?

However I must admit I am relieved to see my symptoms does not resemble MOH.
My daily HAs do worsen with activity, I am sensitive to outside triggers, and most importantly (I think) I do not have the same HA day in day out. I have better days and worse days. I have days when I take less meds and days when I take more.


Risa

Mine is prescribed as norco, but comes back from the pharmacy as hydrocodone.

I have been using this for well over 2 years, maybe an average of 2-4 times a week. No rebound. Effective as it can be, except for the super-extreme pain cycles, and that's when I have been having a steroid pack called in addition to the hydrocodone and my other pain med.

Makes me nauseous if I use more than 4 tablets in a 24-hour period. Can take it with or without food.

Have never taken more than 4 in a day, have never needed more than prescribed.

Norco is just the brand name for the type of Hydro/APAP combo you are taking. Norco = 10/325. I also take Norco which works wonderful.

It's just one of many different Hydro/APAP combos out there (Vicodin, Loratab, etc.) The generic version will always be listed as Hydro/APAP.

Ok think I have it sussed. They are forms of codeine.
I had dihydrocodeine for years and years for my IBS.
It worked quite well. I didnt find out for years that it had an addictive profile and I never had a problem with it
not side effects, nothing.

Seems Hydrocone is a close relative (cousin they are saying) but they are not quite identical.
Vicodin is Hydrocone and paracetamol/acetaminophen.
Hydrocone itself is sometimes combined with aspirin as Loratab
and Ibuprofen as vicoprofen.
Not heard of any of these here.

They are all opiates and as such highly addictive. Side effects are numerous.
Having said all that, clearly not to everyone.

Although I had migraines back then, they never increased and I certainly wasnt rebounding.
Oddly as my son pointed out, since I cut the medication back I have more migraines.
I stopped the Dihydrocodeine about 8 years ago.

Interesting read.

I believe there are several people on that site who are confused. Hydrocodone and Dihydrocodeine are not the same. Yes, they are both opiates (cousins if you will), but not the same thing.

CluelessKitty wrote:

Most doctors will advise staying below those numbers by limiting use to two or three days per week. For those who take triptans, doctors will sometimes recommend taking triptans two days a week and another type of medication another two days a week if absolutely necessary. Beyond that, there is no real answer for pain on additional days that week. The long-term answer is, of course, an effective preventive regimen that reduces the need for MOH-causing medications.

All nice and dandy, but what is one to do if the preventives does not work??? and one does have M episodes happening a good half a month?
However I must admit I am relieved to see my symptoms does not resemble MOH.
My daily HAs do worsen with activity, I am sensitive to outside triggers, and most importantly (I think) I do not have the same HA day in day out. I have better days and worse days. I have days when I take less meds and days when I take more.
Risa

Risa am I reading that info (on the link) wrong?? Seems to me that criteria for medication must cover just about everyone that has real migraine. We cant win. I think if we google around, we will find there are "other" reasons for chronic daily headache ( the result of trying to get out of miserable excruciating pain apparently). One, which applies to me is neck problems.
But as you say if the preventatives dont work, we are a lost cause then......
Perhaps a decent preventative that is actually for migraine rather than leached from other conditions might be helpful. They must have an idea where to go on this given the meds they give us.....
Sorry, bit fed up.