Serious Question-Opiate Nausea

[AbraMontague]

This is a kind of serious question so please no stupid replies...Anyway, my Mom has been having a lot of pain lately in her kidney areas. She had a MRI and lots of other fun tests, and her doctor has told her that her kidneys show signs of deterioration (excessive blood in her urine and pain). She has been checked for a kidney stone and doesn't have one. She was just tested for cancer today but won't know the results for a week. So to my question, she has been taking Vicodin HP for about a week or so and the doctor just gave her another script for it. My mom hates pain medications because her mom was an addict so she is only taking the vicodin because the pain is unbearable. The problem is that she is working again after a week off and she can't take the medicine while at work because being on her feet and moving around after taking it makes her sick to her stomach. So I am wondering if there is anything she can take or do that will relieve her nausea. I suggested promethazine but she said that it makes her too drowsy to work. Are there any other drugs that might help? Dramamine perhaps? I am not sure what to reccomend but she really needs to be able to take her pain medicine at work. Also, could the APAP in the Vicodin be bad for her kidneys since they already aren't functioning normally? Should she ask her doctor about a pure opiate or would that send her tolerance through the roof? Any useful replies would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Duotone]

I watched my mom go through a similar situation when she hurt her back. The medication she was taking was working for pain, but she was sick to her stomach, and unable to do anything. The best thing to do is tell her Doctor, and have something else perscribed, no more than 10 pills at first just to make sure they work. She may have to go through several perscritions before she finds what works for her. My mom switched from vicodin to percocets, and it really helped her. If you're worried about the apap, then maybe percodan may be better suited. As far as opiod tolerance is concerned, ultram is a possible choice because it's supposed to be non-habit forming. Discuss all your concerns with her Doctor, what she is going through is quite common, and I hope she feels better.

 

[Bry Guy]

it seems the APA is making your mother stomach hurt...there is an APAP WATER-ABSTRACTION method that she could use to get rid of the APAP...someone will come along and tell you/her how..
thats why i love OXYCONTIN..no tummy ache

 

[PhreeX]

Good question... it's not an easy one to answer either, as thereare SO MANY factors involved here...
First, she has to STAND all day at work? NOPE! There are laws, she either gets sick time or they give her a 'medical accomidation'... now, I would DEFINITLY suggest getting away fromthe APAP - she is having (possibly) serious kidney problems so she doesn't need any APAP - and no, don't have her extract it with cold water, go to thedoctor!
Often nausea is caused by the peaks and drops inthe amount of medicine in the body - so yeah, OxyContin might help, and I am fairly positive she would respond good to Duragesic - it is VERY steady and not rough on the stomache...
Have her talk to her doctor, explain the situation, and work to find the right drug!
I know of some chronic pain support forums, where HUNDREDS of people that hjave been in her shoes share knowledge... e-mail me if you want a URL...
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# unzip ; strip ; touch ; finger ; mount ; fsck ; more ; yes ; umount ; sleep

 

[AbraMontague]

Thanks for the info PhreeX. Of course I would never suggest a coldwater extraction (she needs a steady, exact level of medicine) to her and I can't discuss her condition with her doctor, only she can. She had a week off from work because the doctor made her take it off but she only has a limited amount of annual and medical leave and might well end up in the hospital in the future. She has to work to pay her bills, she can't afford to sit at home and not get paid. The bottom line is that she has to move around at work and I personally know that too much movement on opiates can make you dizzy and nauseous. The APAP isn't hurting her stomach but might well be bad for her kidneys. If she is on the Vicodins for much longer, I will tell her to ask about something without the APAP. It will be a week or two probably before she knows what is causing her pain and whether it will ever go away. If it is going to chronic then I would suggest to her to ask about a pure opiate.
It seems like the following are out:
Vicodin, Percocet (APAP)
Demerol (Buildup of normeperidine from kidney dysfunction)
I guess she could try Percodan and see if that helps. For some reason I think they will still nauseate her.
I guess these are the choice if the pain is going to be chronic:
OxyContin (might be hard to get with media hysteria)
MSContin
Duragesic Patches
Does anyone know about the side effects of Dilaudid and Methadone compared to the others? I know that these aren't very recreational when taken orally but I have read that they are still very effective for pain. Is nausea less common with these drugs? Will they produce worse withdrawl sickness than oxy's or ms's?
Whatever she decides on has to be something that leaves her functional mentally (she is almost 50 so you know, older people are more senstive to the effects) and doesn't cause too much nausea.
So I guess there aren't any antinausea drugs she could take with it?