Fioricet with Codeine for headaches - Opinions?

[Sust]

Have they tapped you too?

 

[Bryophyte]

Excedrin migraine was the best over-the-counter drug that worked for me. BUT I ended up with an ulcer for taking it for so long. My GP said she'd smack me if I touch aspirin again.

There is an aspirin-free formulation available for Excedrin. I think it's the 'Migraine' one.

 

[Bryophyte]

He seems to have had a lot of consultations, however it's not certain that he's had a proper evaluation. Three things which can be absolute nightmares to diagnose correctly are certain skin conditions, food allergies and headaches.

Another one for that list is chronic urticaria. Doctors hate to see you coming when you've had them for 14 years.

 

[eits]

If the other imaging tests were negative, really the only other thing that a cerebral angiogram would do is identify if you have a vasospasm issue, by injecting drugs to induce a spasm. (narrowed arteries would likely have already been picked up with an MRI/CT with contrast)

Dunno what to tell you, although I would suggest staying away from the chiropractors, their ultimate goal is to get you to make a standing appointment with them for "adjustments"

Seeing as how there aren't any joints inside your head other than the spine & jaw, I think they're marketing snake oil for headaches.

I'll readily admit some conditions are treatable by a visit to a chiropractor, however, IMHO, headaches are really stretching it...

I caught a lecture from a neurologist some time ago and his comment on headaches was that you need to find out the cause and fix it asap because it'll just get worse, same for chronic pain, in my experience.

The problem with chronic pain is that a feedback loop for pain is screwed up and being stimulated all the time, think of a small creek that turns into a river as more and more water begins to run through it, your nervous system starts to trigger continuously after a time, and honestly, it may be too late to fix it.

Were you a family member I'd strongly suggest:

-keep the neurologist appt, follow their advice
-if neurologist is not helpful, start learning about chronic pain
-find a support group
-consider short term antidepressants
-learn to meditate (find a book or group to help with this)

Since this is ATOT, I think the problem may also be solved by posting pics of your mother if she's near my age and hot

lol

you wish you knew what you were talking about

 

[eits]

He seems to have had a lot of consultations, however it's not certain that he's had a proper evaluation. Three things which can be absolute nightmares to diagnose correctly are certain skin conditions, food allergies and headaches.

You might be completely correct that exercise may benefit, especially if it's due in large part to chronic stress, which is entirely possible. What Moose was suggesting is that a study be done to make sure there is no structural defect in the circulatory system that is causing the problem. Not to creep the OP out, but a slow growing tumor may put pressure on tissue and increase the pressure within the skull. If that's the case there might be something waiting to pop. That's really really bad. Exercise in this case could kill him since the nature of it increases blood pressure for the short term. Perversely perhaps this increases cardiovascular health in the long run, but if you are a runner, you may have heard of Jim Fixx. The OP doesn't want to wind up like him.

You aren't automatically wrong about increasing activity being beneficial, but we don't have a complete patient history here. There's a lot which we don't know and so "first do no harm" applies.

the mri and ct both showed nothing and the fact that he's had it constantly for 11 years would suggest this.

 

[brainhulk]

I probably can't offer any advice that hasn't been given already, except that a specialist needs to determine what's actually causing the headaches. That being said, since it seems you've exhausted many options already, have your tried:

botox
calcium channel blockers (verapamil)
vitamin B2
viscous lidocaine dropped into the ipsilateral nose
ergotamine
antidepressants-tricyclic(elavil) and selective serotonin (prozac)
subcutaneous octreotide

herbals:
butterbur
feverfew

if its hemicrania continua, have your tried indomethacin?

 

[duragezic]

Barbs are pretty serious stuff. I've heard the dependence to it and withdrawal can be worst than benzodiazepines, which are very serious. Plus you also have an opioid (codeine) in there that causes dependence.

Though if you've been suffering with this for so long and it ruins your daily life, then I'm not sure I'd avoid a drug that helps just because it has bad side effects (short and long term). Though the Wiki page for Fioricet says it's been implicated for causing headaches with repeated use.

I'd probably want to look for alternatives. Withdrawal from pain meds, benzos, etc can be hell. Also I'd look into alternative methods, stuff like yoga and whatever. Maybe spend a week hiking and camping or something. You never know how the little stuff in life can affect you in a big way.

 

[Pliablemoose]

lol

you wish you knew what you were talking about

He obviously needs an adjustment...

Go pedal your shit elsewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjA_huKK_no

 

[eits]

He obviously needs an adjustment...

Go pedal your shit elsewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjA_huKK_no

lol @ that outdated, incorrect video

not a single thing in that video is true... but i guess it must be, because it's on the internets.

first off, there are a bunch of different ways to adjust. secondly, the most recent studies show that cases of stroke from a chiropractic adjustment are EXTREMELY rare.

http://www.sportspineandwellness.com/blog/can-chiropractic-cause-stroke/

third, the op is FAAAAAR more likely to die from the pain meds he's taking than he is from getting his neck adjusted. the problem might not even be in his neck... it could be coming from his foot or his pelvis or anyplace else along the spine... anything that could cause his alignment to be off could cause non-scoliotic lateral curves in his spine up to his neck to cause headaches.

finally, just because one lady may have gotten a stroke from a chiropractor (assuming she wasn't having a stroke previous to coming to see the chiropractor, assuming it was just a sinus headache) doesn't mean it's a common occurrence. in fact, the statistics show the complete opposite. can we agree that there are negligent practitioners in every field out there, from being a janitor to being a rocket scientist? couldn't it be possible that if this woman got a stroke from the adjustment that the doctor giving the adjustment was just a shitty chiropractor?

this is why i offered to help the op find a good chiropractor in his area. just finding a random chiropractor is not good enough... not all chiropractors are good or honest. i'm offering my time and effort to finding him the best guy in his area.

 

[eits]

Barbs are pretty serious stuff. I've heard the dependence to it and withdrawal can be worst than benzodiazepines, which are very serious. Plus you also have an opioid (codeine) in there that causes dependence.

Though if you've been suffering with this for so long and it ruins your daily life, then I'm not sure I'd avoid a drug that helps just because it has bad side effects (short and long term). Though the Wiki page for Fioricet says it's been implicated for causing headaches with repeated use.

I'd probably want to look for alternatives. Withdrawal from pain meds, benzos, etc can be hell. Also I'd look into alternative methods, stuff like yoga and whatever. Maybe spend a week hiking and camping or something. You never know how the little stuff in life can affect you in a big way.

good advice.

 

[Modelworks]

I had a problem like this with headaches that started suddenly, got so bad I would get nauseated , continued for about two years . I was taking immitrex to try to treat it and it helped but didn't fully solve the problem. It was never discovered what the reason was why I was having them and thankfully it went away on its own.

Pain meds are different for everyone. For me codeine doesn't do anything for me as far as getting high. It feels about like aspirin to me . It takes something like Oxycontin before I really notice I have been effected. I take amphetamines for another condition and it doesn't effect me in the normal way either, often making me sleepy.

 

[Pliablemoose]

lol @ that outdated, incorrect video

not a single thing in that video is true... but i guess it must be, because it's on the internets.

first off, there are a bunch of different ways to adjust. secondly, the most recent studies show that cases of stroke from a chiropractic adjustment are EXTREMELY rare.

http://www.sportspineandwellness.com/blog/can-chiropractic-cause-stroke/

third, the op is FAAAAAR more likely to die from the pain meds he's taking than he is from getting his neck adjusted. the problem might not even be in his neck... it could be coming from his foot or his pelvis or anyplace else along the spine... anything that could cause his alignment to be off could cause non-scoliotic lateral curves in his spine up to his neck to cause headaches.

finally, just because one lady may have gotten a stroke from a chiropractor (assuming she wasn't having a stroke previous to coming to see the chiropractor, assuming it was just a sinus headache) doesn't mean it's a common occurrence. in fact, the statistics show the complete opposite. can we agree that there are negligent practitioners in every field out there, from being a janitor to being a rocket scientist? couldn't it be possible that if this woman got a stroke from the adjustment that the doctor giving the adjustment was just a shitty chiropractor?

this is why i offered to help the op find a good chiropractor in his area. just finding a random chiropractor is not good enough... not all chiropractors are good or honest. i'm offering my time and effort to finding him the best guy in his area.

eits, your advice is inaccurate and dangerous

I just hope to hell that in my lifetime you quacks are shut down for good.

What I suspect will happen , is that as health care $ gets tighter as the population ages, you guys will be squeezed out of business.

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chirostroke.html

Those numbers represent real people suffering real injuries from chiropractic "care"

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chirosub.html

http://www.chirobase.org/02Research/jwk.html

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/ak.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9820258?dopt=Abstract

Based on intent-to-treat analysis, no significant differences between the manipulation and control groups were observed in any of the 3 outcome measures. However, by week 7, each group experienced significant reductions in mean daily headache hours (manipulation group, reduction from 2.8 to 1.5 hours; control group, reduction from 3.4 to 1.9 hours) and mean number of analgesics per day (manipulation group, reduction from 0.66 to 0.38; control group, reduction from 0.82 to 0.59). These changes were maintained through the observation period. Headache pain intensity was unchanged for the duration of the trial.

Sanjay Gupta on chiro strokes:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChiropracticStroke

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChiropracticStroke#p/u/17/8LBSss6M57E

 

[BW86]

I've been taking fioricet with tylenol for a few years now. I used to take immitrex, but it stopped working. It's not an everyday thing though, so I don't really have to worry about withdrawals. It's only when I get a migraine, which could be once a week to once a month. Overall its a pretty good medication - it stops the headache before it can develop into full blown migraine.

 

[eits]

eits, your advice is inaccurate and dangerous

I just hope to hell that in my lifetime you quacks are shut down for good.

What I suspect will happen , is that as health care $ gets tighter as the population ages, you guys will be squeezed out of business.

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chirostroke.html

Those numbers represent real people suffering real injuries from chiropractic "care"

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chirosub.html

http://www.chirobase.org/02Research/jwk.html

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/ak.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9820258?dopt=Abstract

Sanjay Gupta on chiro strokes:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChiropracticStroke

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChiropracticStroke#p/u/17/8LBSss6M57E

Lol your ignorance makes me laugh.

 

[Pliablemoose]

At least I don't lie to people and gain financially from it.

Your ignorance and profession hurts people.

But then again, you know that, don't you?

 

[DaTT]

I take Tylenol 3 for my headaches (migraine's). Sometimes I get them 1 or 2 times a week, sometimes 1 a month. Still working on my triggers. Dehydration seems to be one of them. Also, a "normal" headache is another. If I can't get a "normal" headache under control, within about 2 hours I have a migraine. Been getting them for about 4 years now....shortly after a sea doo accident.

 

[Zebo]

lol irst off, there are a bunch of different ways to adjust.

You'd do more for your patients taking them out for 5 mile runs a day than any adjustment does. Another thing I had besides headaches, sleepless nights, depression carrying 320 lbs was lower back problems again no more at 240.

 

[eits]

You'd do more for your patients taking them out for 5 mile runs a day than any adjustment does. Another thing I had besides headaches, sleepless nights, depression carrying 320 lbs was lower back problems again no more at 240.

Adjusting obese people is often nothing more than s temporary relief. I make them understand that unless they try hard to lose their weight, these low back pains will continue and they'd spend lots of Monet for temporary relief. Most of the time, they don't care. Sometimes, I get through to them and we discuss weight loss and they follow through.

 

[eits]

at least i don't lie to people and gain financially from it.

Your ignorance and profession hurts people.

But then again, you know that, don't you?

lol

 

[Zebo]

Adjusting obese people is often nothing more than s temporary relief. I make them understand that unless they try hard to lose their weight, these low back pains will continue and they'd spend lots of Monet for temporary relief. Most of the time, they don't care. Sometimes, I get through to them and we discuss weight loss and they follow through.

I was not even obese people could not believe it when I told them 320. Only wore a 40" waist. Now it's 34" and 240. Anyway it's not just weight loss. It's the strengthening of muscles, ligaments and tendons which connects everything that makes pain go away and various hard parts grinding and impacting stop.

We've all been here unless you're a lifetime fitness fanatic. You're fine though childhood and through college. Then you graduate college get a desk job, hang out at bars and late, eat fatty sugary foods, don't exercise, wake up early with 4-5 hrs sleep and one day about 30 yrs old say WTF is going on???!?! What changed? Could it be we don't eat mamas food and don't play HS/inter-mural sports no more? Yup sure enough. At that precipice which always hits people can make a choice, go you see you, get hopped up on MD meds and continue on their unhealthful life or get back to where we were which involves strenuous workouts again. Choice is yours. Grow old hopped up or live again.

 

[eits]

I was not even obese people could not believe it when I told them 320. Only wore a 40" waist. Now it's 34" and 240. Anyway it's not just weight loss. It's the strengthening of muscles, ligaments and tendons which connects everything that makes pain go away and various hard parts grinding and impacting stop.

We've all been here unless you're a lifetime fitness fanatic. You're fine though childhood and through college. Then you graduate college get a desk job, hang out at bars and late, eat fatty sugary foods, don't exercise, wake up early with 4-5 hrs sleep and one day about 30 yrs old say WTF is going on???!?! What changed? Could it be we don't eat mamas food and don't play HS/inter-mural sports no more? Yup sure enough. At that precipice which always hits people can make a choice, go you see you, get hopped up on MD meds and continue on their unhealthful life or get back to where we were which involves strenuous workouts again. Choice is yours. Grow old hopped up or live again.

you're right. you weren't obese. you were morbidly obese. whether someone can believe how fat you are or not doesn't matter when you're fat and causing lots of stress on your joints daily.

also, whether you have pain or not isn't an indicator of whether or not degeneration is happening. using the way you feel as a barometer of true health of body parts is a terrible practice.

ultimately, i agree with you on diet and exercise fixing many ailments people get prescriptions for.

 

[Dedpuhl]

1. Teeth – I’ve spent a lot of time in the dentist’s chair lately and he hasn’t seen any evidence of grinding, clenching, etc. I have had 1 tooth with a hairline crack; however, it was from the amount of work on that tooth (#31; opposite of ‘headache area’). Also, all 4 wisdom teeth are gone and all other teeth are upright.

2. Spinal Doctor – I haven’t been to a spinal doctor.

3. Spinal Tap – I’ve never had a spinal tap. I may have to consider this and see if the fluid tells a story. The last neurologist felt that my headaches aren’t pressure related based on the type of headache and medical history.

4. Exercise – I’ve felt the same regardless of exercise. I actually dropped 50+ pounds (to 180lb) by eating healthy and exercising daily. I had zero change in the headaches. They were still there.

5. Indomethacin – I was given this since the headache seems to originate from the left side. It didn’t work.


I'll be sure to post what the neuro says this time and what she ends up trying.

 

[Pliablemoose]

1. Teeth – I’ve spent a lot of time in the dentist’s chair lately and he hasn’t seen any evidence of grinding, clenching, etc. I have had 1 tooth with a hairline crack; however, it was from the amount of work on that tooth (#31; opposite of ‘headache area’). Also, all 4 wisdom teeth are gone and all other teeth are upright.

2. Spinal Doctor – I haven’t been to a spinal doctor.

3. Spinal Tap – I’ve never had a spinal tap. I may have to consider this and see if the fluid tells a story. The last neurologist felt that my headaches aren’t pressure related based on the type of headache and medical history.

4. Exercise – I’ve felt the same regardless of exercise. I actually dropped 50+ pounds (to 180lb) by eating healthy and exercising daily. I had zero change in the headaches. They were still there.

5. Indomethacin – I was given this since the headache seems to originate from the left side. It didn’t work.


I'll be sure to post what the neuro says this time and what she ends up trying.

I want covert camera phone pics of neurologist please :biggrin:

 

[MetalMat]

I'll say this Codine makes me feel like Jesus... I love that stuff.. I had to tell my Dr. To get me something else for my neck because I could have easy style been hooked.. Hell I sometimes miss the euphoria it gave me.

I'm on the same boat as you, I like the high a little too much so I try to avoid it for my own health reasons. I used to take painkillers and drink every so often, its a very bad combination that can kill you.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm on the same boat as you, I like the high a little too much so I try to avoid it for my own health reasons. I used to take painkillers and drink every so often, its a very bad combination that can kill you.

heh-heh...I used to like a couple of percodan washed down with a couple of good strong mixed drinks...