Vicodin, Effexor, and xanax

[sweetbrokensoul]

Hi all,

 

I am currently taking Vicodin for leg and back arthritis.. 2-3 a day. Xanax- .5 mg at night to help me sleep and panic attacks...and I just started Effexor for depression. I was taking Lexapro and before that Prozac, heard that Lexapro can contribute to my RLS. (restless legs syndrome). For those of you that dont know, that is a fairly new diagnosis because noone knew what it was before. It is very painful and keeps you up at night in constant need of motion through the legs. Here is my question, I just started taking the Effexor so we will see the effect on that. I find myself needing the Vicodin when i get up in the morning, just one, because I can barely move or get out of bed. I only take xanax at night because I cant shut my mind off and had past panic attacks. Is it possible to get addicted to Vic with only 2-3 per day? I cant get on the prescribed meds for RLS because I do not have insurance right now and my prescribing doc wont see me until I pay them a small balance off.....ridiculous....I had the RLS in high school, thought they were "growing pains" as so many young ppl think. I just started getting the symptoms again a couple months ago and suffer 4-5 times a month. I am also taking a multi-vitamin and citracal for my bones and arthrits. My grandmother has the same arthritis all over her body and is immobile now, this scares me. I am distressed. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you and have a great day!

[MadBambi]

Yes! Vicodin and xanax are very addicting. People get hooked on them a lot without even realizing. I've never experienced it but i've seen many people get hooked on them. People claim xanax are not addictive but before you know it you're popping one every time you wanna relax and soon will reach a point where you can't relax without them.

 

Just remember the pills are to help and sometimes a person will use them as a crutch instead. You know to take away the problem - then will become dependant on the pills. LoL, i know about pills - i can't tell you how -but please believe me i've seen some pill poppers and addicts!

 

Just be careful with it - that's all.

[sweetbrokensoul]

thx, but I dont even like the way xanax makes me feel, cant function on them because they make me sleepy, that is why I am taking them only at night.....my concern is the 2-3 vics a day for about 9 months now. Im educated about addiction since that is one of my counseling areas in my studies but not sure on how to wean myself off and choose something else. Basic motrin, tylenol, aleve, do nothing for me.

[carhill]

Who's in charge of your med cocktail? I hope there's a single medical professional who is overseeing a combinative cocktail like you're on or proposing. It's easy to get "lost" in such situations.

 

My wife had transient short-term memory loss for a year after taking Effexor XR for only 3 months.

 

I've experimented with the other meds and didn't find the results to be remarkable. 2mg Xanax doesn't even phase me so I just use mental tools to manage anxiety. I tried it for a period back when I was taking care of my mom. I never took Vicodin long enough to note any positive or negative reactions. I was rx'd it after some surgery. It didn't really affect the pain, so I just quit it.

 

As a class, in general, benzodiazepines, of which Xanax is a member, are considered to be "addictive", and reverse titration (going off the drug) should be mapped and monitored by a medical professional.

 

IIRC, my wife reversed her Effexor over a month-long period but still had side-effects for the next year or so.

 

I don't have relevant long-term Vicodin use comments to share but the body of information out on it suggests careful consideration of side-effects and addiction. Psych meds and pain meds in general can become very addictive, due to the benefits they provide and the organ they affect, that being the brain.

 

All I can say, from the standpoint of monitoring such issues for a mentally ill person, is to take care and have a proactive doctor involved. If your doctor isn't fully informing you on these issues and is rx'ing willy-nilly without a plan of action, find another doctor

[sweetbrokensoul]

Who's in charge of your med cocktail? I hope there's a single medical professional who is overseeing a combinative cocktail like you're on or proposing. It's easy to get "lost" in such situations.

 

Im not sure what "situation" you are saying I am proposing carhill? My doc has had me on xanax for awhile for panic attacks and sleep problems...I was on lexapro and they switched me to Effexor for ongoing mild depression.

 

The Vicodin is for my leg and back pain as I mentioned. I have been seeing the same doctor for awhile now. Although, the RLS has not been taken care of yet. Anyon else know anything about RLS? I'd like to hear some more input about this diagnosis.

[carhill]

Effexor and Lexapro are psych meds. Is a GP rx'ing this stuff? I'm thinking Vicodin and psych meds can be a "situation". By that I mean the interactive results on your brain chemistry can be and often are hard to predict. There's a method of adding or subtracting medications and observing results/symptoms which a specialist will use to find the right "cocktail" for the patient.

 

Here's a minor example:

 

Interactions between your selected drugs

xanax (alprazolam) and hydrocodone (Ingredient of Vicodin) (Moderate Drug-Drug)

MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.

 

MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring complete mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.

 

xanax (alprazolam) and Effexor (venlafaxine) (Moderate Drug-Drug)

MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.

 

MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring complete mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.

 

hydrocodone (Ingredient of Vicodin) and Effexor (venlafaxine) (Moderate Drug-Drug)

MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.

 

MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring complete mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.

[sweetbrokensoul]

I understand what you are saying, but basically these are all saying they all have side effects and can interact with one another which I am already informed of....but thank you.....It surprises me that you mentioned the short-term memory loss on your wife, however, with the Effexor....scary..and mild depression and anxiety are very common all around the world....the term "mentally ill" is probably not the best diagnosis for me.....

 

Still wondering about the RLS?

[carhill]

The H of one of my wife's friends had/has RLS so I'll ask her. I don't know anything about that condition. I do know, for him, it was hard to treat and they often slept in separate beds because she couldn't sleep next to him, even on medication, and get a good night's sleep. It's kinda the same with my wife's snoring, but I can wear earplugs and she isn't smacking me all night

 

BTW, my wife appears normal now, memory-wise, similar to how she was before taking Effexor (she was on the XR version). She had taken Prozac in the distant past and had no negative effects from it. IIRC, it took about two years for her to recover fully. Remember, every person's brain is different and reacts differently. This is why I recommend a specialist for handling brain chemistry issues. IME, GP's don't have the time nor special training to work these issues competently. I would agree that neither you nor my wife were/are "mentally ill". My mom is mentally ill. She can't function outside of a locked facility. Be thankful for that difference For awhile, I thought I was headed for that facility myself...

[sweetbrokensoul]

Thank you for the input!