Misc URGENT: HELP? severe pain + hydrocodone + methadone + lorazapam?

I recently shattered the bones in my fingertips and have since been in the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. I am wondering if anyone can tell me whether I should be ok with the combo of drugs I took. I am feeling fine right now other than a bit tired and a tiny bit nauseous, aside from the crushing pain in my fingers. The hospital gave me tablets containing 5mg hydrocodone with 500mg acetaminophen. They help a little bit, but not much, and seem to abruptly wear off after only about 2 hours. I was already on methadone maintenance, recently tapered down to 10mg twice daily, so I've been taking that too. So this evening, 9 hours ago, I took 2 of the hydrocodone/acetaminophen, 10mg methadone + 2 extra-strength ibuprofen. Then 4 hours later I took another hydrocodone/acetaminophen, and another 10mg methadone (which I would not normally be taking so soon after my last dose but I thought it might help). Then I finally fell asleep and had a horrific nightmare, and suddenly awoke about 1hr+30min later with my fingers feeling like they were being smashed by a sledgehammer. So I just took 5mg methadone and 1mg lorazepam (Ativan). Is all this an ok combination?


I am hoping to just be able to get some decent sleep until I can go back to the doctor, although I doubt they'll give me anything much stronger. I am in constant excruciating pain, which just seems to be getting worse. I don't have access to any other drugs than what they're willing to give me or I can buy OTC, (they didn't give me the lorazepam and I don't have any left). I also really don't want to be upping my methadone dose like this as I've worked very hard to get it down to this low level and my goal was to get completely off of it. Although I don't think it's really helping with the pain anyway. I don't want to take too much of the hydrocodone because it is 99% acetaminophen (which hasn't been helpful for me for pain relief in the past and is very hard on the liver and the digestive system), plus I have only been given a limited quantity. Any advice?

If the methadone isn't helping the pain it's unlikely you'll find much else that will. Be careful as you are taking a lot of CNS depressants and if you depress your breathing too much you will die. Are you alone? I would reccomend trying to sleep as much as you can then you won't have to think about the pain. I would also speak to your doctor, they can advise you better than we can. If anyone can take your pain away its them.

If I don't hear back from anyone within 5min I guess I'll just go to bed and hope I'm ok!

EDIT: edit-conflict, we must have posted at the same time.

My breathing appears fine right now. Sleeping is exactly what I'm trying to do, I just keep waking back up with brutal pain. There's someone else here but they are asleep and a very sound sleeper. I don't have a lot of faith in the doctor's willingness to "take away my pain", but that's my only real option. I plan to just go back and say I'm still in immense pain and the 5mg hydrocodone are obviously not cutting it. I guess that's all I can really do. Don't want to be accused of "drug-seeking" though. It's really frustrating to not be able to get help when you are in real severe pain.

EDIT: Also the methadone not helping the pain is not surprising, since I've been on it for nearly 10 years. My body is like immune to it. Methadone is a notoriously shitty painkiller anyway, especially in opiate-tolerant people taking it long-term. I could probably get a bit of relief from a much higher dose but I'd really rather not do that after working so hard to taper down.

Yeah, thats what i meant, it really is your only option. Self medicating to too much of an extent can lead to some extremely serious concequences. Thats all you really can say. Knowing what is wrong with you they cannot deny you are in pain. Explain it to them as best you can and hope they see it is the truth. It will get better.

Thanks. Right now it seems to be getting worse and worse, which I wasn't expecting. I am still feeling fine right now and it's been about 40min since I took the last methadone + lorazepam so I guess I'm going to try to go back to sleep...

Remember the more you think about the pain the worse it will be. Sleep and try to keep busy.

an antihistamine like benadryl can also be used to help potentiate the opiates for pain relief.. worth a shot if you're in that much pain. I know it helps me but i use hydroxyzine (prescribed).

Just to let everyone know that I was totally fine with the mix of drugs I took. Nowhere even close to feeling "high" let alone overdosing. However, for others reading this, that does NOT mean it's a safe mixture/quantity for everyone. For someone who is not in severe pain and does not have a high tolerance to opioids I would NOT recommend it.

Will give a more thorough update later.

You should just tell your doctor what you told us. You should touch on the subject of your methadone maintenance. I am sure he will understand.
Since this is no longer urgent, I will close it.