Benzos I’m having surgery shortly and need advice on mixing Xanax and oxycodone.

[israho]

Advice needed on mixing Xanax and Oxycodone because of surgery

So I have a pretty big surgery coming up in about a week and a half and it’s gonna be pretty painful and luckily I have a long acting anesthetic being injected in certain areas but there’s a good chance I’m still gonna be in some significant pain and taking hydrocodone is very Common. If not highly recommend recommended so you can stay comfortable because you have to stay in a certain position. The problem is I also take Xanax XR 1.5 mg every morning for panic disorder.

I’ve of course shared this with my surgeon and they haven’t raised any alarm bells, but I for sure know the possible side effects and consequences of mixing. Having my state of mind changed sometimes can screw with my anxiety, so actually taking Vicodin or something similar, can both feel good and add anxiety at the same time, depending on where my state of mind was to begin with. I do enjoy Vicodin every once in a while, recreationally, and I think I mixed Xanax and Vicodin once it wasn’t on purpose it just happened to be very close and it was very enjoyable, but I’ve never done it since. To clarify, I’m not judging anyone, vicodin I use recreationally once in a while because it feels good, but Xanax is purely for panic, that I do not use recreationally but again I do not judge what others do.

I’m gonna have someone with me the entire time for a few days after the surgery, but what do I need to do to make sure I stay safe as possible given the circumstances? Is there a rule sort of as to how much of both you can take? Should I have a blood oxygen monitor connected to my finger at all times just to make sure I’m still breathing? Unfortunately, I know there’s no way of eliminating all risk, but I want to do everything I can to minimize it as much as possible given the fact that I do need to mix.

I would appreciate any and all advice.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

I hesitate to give a specific number because ppl differ but I wouldn’t worry about it if you’re dosing 5 mg oxy at a time. Just take 5 mg, wait 90 min, add another 5 mg and titrate upwards like that….being sure that the Xanax is already at full steady state concentration and not increasing in strength also

Of your pain is so severe that you’re dosing enough oxy to nod or sleep when you shouldn’t be sleeping maybe use concern then or have someone watch you

 

[israho]

I hesitate to give a specific number because ppl differ but I wouldn’t worry about it if you’re dosing 5 mg oxy at a time. Just take 5 mg, wait 90 min, add another 5 mg and titrate upwards like that….being sure that the Xanax is already at full steady state concentration and not increasing in strength also

Of your pain is so severe that you’re dosing enough oxy to nod or sleep when you shouldn’t be sleeping maybe use concern then or have someone watch you

Thanks, that's good advice. I'll just make sure to take it easy on the Oxy, and use a non-opioid analgesic if I need more. I also don't want to itch all my skin off if I don't have to. I think the trauma to the body alone will have knocked out a good portion of the time the first few days.

 

[someguyontheinternet]

If you're used to taking xanax daily then mixing it with therapeutic doses of vicodin shouldn't be an issue which is why your doc wasn't concerned. Its usually when people are recreational and/or non tolerant users where concern would come up

 

[israho]

If you're used to taking xanax daily then mixing it with therapeutic doses of vicodin shouldn't be an issue which is why your doc wasn't concerned. Its usually when people are recreational and/or non tolerant users where concern would come up

My only concern is if I need to take the IR Xanax at some point if I getting super panicky for some reason. I'm used to the 1.5mg XR in the morning, but the IR I use sparingly, maybe once a month.

 

[someguyontheinternet]

Okay that makes sense! Do you always use the entire dose for panic or do you split it sometimes?

If I were to ever do a combo like that where I would be concerned about additive effects then I might just cut my dose down on one or both of the drugs. Usually docs want you to be on the minimal effective dose anyhow so that's a pretty good policy all around

 

[thelung]

If you're concerned about synergistic effects of hydrocodone and Alprazolam, discontinue the Alprazolam while you're using the hydrocodone for pain. You shouldn't need opioid pain meds for more than 7 to 10 days. Then resume your Alprazolam and if you're still in pain use Ibuprofen or ask for a non narcotic pain medication such as Diclofenac. Ibuprofen and Tylenol should suffice. if you experience heightened agitation/anxiety I think 1mg of extended release Alprazolam along with hydrocodone would be safe as long as you follow the doctors directions for dosage and don't take more than prescribed.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Taking your normal dose of Alprazolam shouldn't affect your pain medicines much, your body is already used to it. However, it's always good to play it safe. So, start with 1/2 a pain pill and see where it goes. Don't go to sleep until you figure a pain relieving dose that works on top of the Alprazolam safely. Really, all that's being extra careful but there's nothing wrong with that. Now, if you were trying to figure out how high you could get from the pain meds that would be a different kettle of fish. But, titrating up the first day to achieve pain relief is less worrisome.

Edit: Oh, and the advice to utilize Ibuprofen is sound. 600-800mg Ibuprofen can give surprising pain relief, especially when combined with 500mg Acetaminophen. Just be careful not to take either more than as directed and be aware that the Hydrocodone likely has Acetaminophen.
Gives surprising pain relief but it doesn't last the full 6-8 hours until I can dose again. So, when my back is acting up I will use the Ibuprofen and then take a hydro the maybe 3-4 hours in where the Ibuprofen wears off. The result is that I still need opioids, but at about 1/2 what I would normally take.
And, you can combine pot with all that rather safely.

 

[negrogesic]

If you're concerned about synergistic effects of hydrocodone and Alprazolam, discontinue the Alprazolam while you're using the hydrocodone for pain. You shouldn't need opioid pain meds for more than 7 to 10 days.

Bad idea. If you've been taking alprazolam daily for a long period of time, do not discontinue it.

If you are tolerant to alprazolam you can take the hydrocodone as needed. Included your occasional 1mg IR dose. The amount of hydrocodone you will prescribed will not produce significant respiratory depression if you take it as prescribed. If you take a handful, that's a different story, but taken as prescribed, you won't have anything to worry about. Just don't abuse the hydrocodone, and you'll be fine.

 

[thelung]

Bad idea. If you've been taking alprazolam daily for a long period of time, do not discontinue it.

If you are tolerant to alprazolam you can take the hydrocodone as needed. Included your occasional 1mg IR dose. The amount of hydrocodone you will prescribed will not produce significant respiratory depression if you take it as prescribed. If you take a handful, that's a different story, but taken as prescribed, you won't have anything to worry about. Just don't abuse the hydrocodone, and you'll be fine.

I see your point. I was erroneous in my judgement to discontinue an extended release benzo that has been on board long enough to produce significant withdrawal. I know people on high doses of methadone who take benzos as prescribed without issue. I apologize for my mistake.

 

[chippermonk]

For what it's worth, I think the oxy will have the have of dampening your anxiety, too, so having to bump up your Xanax dose beyond normal to deal with a burst of anxiety seems less likely. And I know for me, controlling my pain goes a long way towards making me less anxious. You got this.
Good luck