Opioids Opiates w/ Acetaminophen and Hepatitis C

[Ava_]

I have had the hepatitis c virus my entire life but have only known about it for about 8 months (I donated blood and tested positive for it and then went to the doctor and was diagnosed), though the virus hasn't caused any real damage. I got it from my mom during my delivery and she got it from a blood transfusion when she was a teenager, before they even checked for hep c. I'm not being treated for it because insurance won't cover it until I'm 18 and treatment is crazy expensive. Also new treatments are being approved by the FDA so treatment shouldn't be as bad by the time I'm an adult.
I'm not positive on this so someone please correct me if I'm wrong--all opiate painkillers have acetaminophen in them, which is something I'm supposed to avoid. If that info is wrong, at least the painkillers I've had contact with all had it. Are there any that don't?
Anyone with medical background, is it safe to use painkillers at all and how many mgs should I avoid taking? Besides painkillers I don't take anything with acetaminophen in it, not Tylenol or anything like that.
Thanks for the help in advance, guys!

 

[Animoe]

all opiate painkillers do not have acetaminophen in em.

only the ones that specifically say apap on em or acetaminophen listed in the ingredients.

you can go ahead get prescription pain killers with no apap in em.



you can also do a CWE for meds with apap in em.

 

[J3MOd-h3NOW-X3S]

Opiates don't have acetaminophen at all, now some OPIOIDS do =P .. lol, ok sorry for being a drug nazi.. But to answer question #1, YES, there are plenty of opioid medications that do not contain acetaminophen. Question #2 ; They're not life threatening if used as prescribed. Question#3; This is the wrong question to be asked, it's not how many mg's you should avoid taking, it's what's the least amount of mg do you need to achieve analgesic effects, either way, they both depend on a number of factors, e.g, what kind of opioid, tolerance, body make-up... That should probably be answered by your Doctor.

 

[hellocatastrophe]

Opiates don't have acetaminophen at all, now some OPIOIDS do =P .. lol, ok sorry for being a drug nazi.. But to answer question #1, YES, there are plenty of opioid medications that do not contain acetaminophen. Question #2 ; They're not life threatening if used as prescribed. Question#3; This is the wrong question to be asked, it's not how many mg's you should avoid taking, it's what's the least amount of mg do you need to achieve analgesic effects, either way, they both depend on a number of factors, e.g, what kind of opioid, tolerance, body make-up... That should probably be answered by your Doctor.

if you're going to call yourself a "drug nazi," at least know what you're talking about.
there are plenty of opiate medications combined with apap, as well as opioid medications.

having hepatitis c, it is obviously best to avoid those medications which do have apap, or do a cwe.
the amount you would take is going to depend on your tolerance.
i am a long time IV opiate user and also have hepatitis c.
i did not lower my doses upon finding this out, and have actually increased since.
my liver has shown no increase in damage from doing so.

OP- where do you live?
i live in florida and can receive treatment for free.

 

[Ava_]

i am a long time IV opiate user and also have hepatitis c.
i did not lower my doses upon finding this out, and have actually increased since.
my liver has shown no increase in damage from doing so.

OP- where do you live?
i live in florida and can receive treatment for free.

I live in South Carolina and my insurance doesn't cover it until you're 18 unless your liver has been pretty damaged by it, which mine hasn't, and I don't show any symptoms either. My other option was to do a drug study, but I would have had to drive six hours to get to my doctors but there actually weren't any studies I could get into. I'll begin treatment in less than a year though, so it really isn't too long to wait now. A new drug was just approved by the FDA that is supposed to make treatment a lot more comfortable for patients--only 4 months instead of a year, no shots, less chance of feeling sick, etc.
That's interesting that your liver hasn't showed any damage... The doctors made it seem like I was supposed to avoid acetaminophen in them like the plague.

 

[flyhighk]

You don't have to avoid acetaminophen... but avoiding it is a very good choice.
Just ask those doctors who told you that you should avoid to give you some pain killers with no acetaminophen.

 

[hellocatastrophe]

it's not going to kill you, but if you've been avoiding it this long, you may as well continue to do so when you can.
i was first tested several years ago, i didn't test positive but they could tell me that my liver function was irregular.
i did however eventually test positive. the nurses told me that some people go years, sometimes even their whole lives, without ever exhibiting symptoms or accumulating severe damage. i'm going to have to read up on this new treatment. i have friends who have successfully undergone treatments in the past, used the shots, etc. i'm currently 5 months pregnant so i can't go for treatment yet, but i'm interested now to see what that's all about.

 

[CaveBear]

i recently read an article that stated the FDA is going to limit the amount of acetaminophen to 325mg in pharmaceuticals. i like it. the stuffs as bad if not worse as booze on the liver.

http://www.ismp.org/tools/fdasafetyalerts.asp