I would like to share an experience that just occured, it mostly relates to the interactions of recreational drugs and prescriptions, and of two prescriptions. Ok, a lot of people have told me that using hydrocodone while on an ssri is for the most part safe. I am here to tell you that there are exceptions to this. After going through a hellatios "experiment" if you will, on myself, I have determined that vicodin interferes with the breakdown of the ssri lexapro. Whether or not it is prinically caused by the hydrocodone or the acetaminophen, I am unaware of. However, It definitly speeds up the breakdown of the ssri, causing serotonin syndrome.
Normally, I wait at least 24 hours after taking my medication to take vicodin, or at least 36 hours if i am taking it with cimetidine, because cimetidine has been known to slightly increase blood levels of certain ssris, escitalopram being one. Today, I figured since I have plenty of vicodin and I would be home alone, i would try and see if doing vicodin alone (without weed) after taking my meds this morning would have any effects. I did smoke some this morning, so i was a little high still. I took one and a half 7.5/750 tablets with a glass of water. I went on my computer and was playing my favorite game, and suddenly felt the worst coming. I got the "body hot flash" feeling, and a feeling that I had to poop really bad, and nausea, I didnt know what was going on, I was praying I would be ok.
After a minute of this feeling i ran to the bathroom to induce vommiting, i was unable to, and decided it would be best to just lay down. This definitly made the effects go away, and my heart rate went down to normal. However, I knew that it was only going to get worse, because this happened only 15 minutes after ingesting the hydrocodone. About 5 minutes later, lying on my floor in my room, watching tv, I was feeling better, not delerious or shakey, but i started getting that feeling again, nausea and ,, anal nausea if you will. This time, since I had been drinking some water, I was able to start vommiting, I put my hands down my throat and vommited until when i put them in and nothing came out. For the most part, i think that the hydrocodone was 75% already in my liver or whatever, however I did throw up a lot of the cereal i ate this morning, which I ate after taking my meds so, I feel totally fine now. I'm not sure if i needed to throw up, or if it was just the fact that when the vicodin was kicking in and giving me that rush, I was already feeling kind of speedy from the weed I had smoked.
I think my serotonin levels were actually higher than normal just from the marijuana, which normally doesnt have much of an effect on me. I had been trying to wean my dose down lately, so I took 5 mg more today than i had in the previous 3. What I did was not very smart, and I am very happy that I am ok. I feel somewhat of a vicodin buzz, and my heart rate/blood pressure is normal again. Unfortunately, I cant smoke weed right now, so I cant fully enjoy it. Ill probobly wait a few hours and smoke a little if I dont experience any further difficulties. To all the opiate users, potheads, and combiners of the two, please be careful! If your on an ssri, make sure you spread your dose times apart, and always start small!
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
....I'm sticking with strictly the Klonnies, unless I need the instantaneous effects that Xanax give ya. Thanks again.