Hi all, I'm new here so please be gentle! I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis a year ago and quit drinking alcohol as soon as I was diagnosed. I was taking 400mg tramadol per day, then took gabapentin 3600mg per day and decreased the amount of tramadol I was taking. I then switched from gabapentin to amitriptylene. I now take 2mg tramadol 4 times a day, sometimes go a little higher with my night time dose if my pain increases, up to 50mg if its really bad and I take 25mg amitriptylene every night. I would really like to have a few drinks when I go on holiday next week. I would be very grateful if someone could help me with the following:
How much do you think it is safe to drink the days I take 4 x 2mg doses of tramadol?? (I asked my pain nurse if it was OK to drink with such a low dose and she said it should be OK given my dose is tiny but I didn't ask what my limit should be. I had built quite a tolerance the 10 years previous to my diagnosis but would still be pretty drunk after a bottle of wine. I now intend on drinking vodka with blueberry juice as its easier on my bladder but may also try wine and see how I go).
If I drink one night and then get horrible pain the next day am I safe to increase my tramadol the next day? And if so what should my limit be? Should I wait until the following night or could I take some in the morning?
How long should I leave between having alcohol and taking 2mg Valium (I sometimes take Valium for bladder and urethral spasms)?
I know ideally I wouldn't be taking opiates at all and especially not with alcohol but I tried coming off the tramadol, tapered down over 6 months and came off with barely any withdrawal apart from a bit of rls at night but I think the stress of coming off it does something to my bladder which makes it freak out and get really painful, yet with 2mg tramadol I'm OK most of the time, go figure? In all like likelihood, I will need a small amount of opiate painkiller for the rest of my life and I can handle not drinking for most of it but once in a while, like on holiday or at Christmas, it would be nice if I could!
Thanks in advance for any help xx
How much do you think it is safe to drink the days I take 4 x 2mg doses of tramadol?? (I asked my pain nurse if it was OK to drink with such a low dose and she said it should be OK given my dose is tiny but I didn't ask what my limit should be. I had built quite a tolerance the 10 years previous to my diagnosis but would still be pretty drunk after a bottle of wine. I now intend on drinking vodka with blueberry juice as its easier on my bladder but may also try wine and see how I go).
If I drink one night and then get horrible pain the next day am I safe to increase my tramadol the next day? And if so what should my limit be? Should I wait until the following night or could I take some in the morning?
How long should I leave between having alcohol and taking 2mg Valium (I sometimes take Valium for bladder and urethral spasms)?
I know ideally I wouldn't be taking opiates at all and especially not with alcohol but I tried coming off the tramadol, tapered down over 6 months and came off with barely any withdrawal apart from a bit of rls at night but I think the stress of coming off it does something to my bladder which makes it freak out and get really painful, yet with 2mg tramadol I'm OK most of the time, go figure? In all like likelihood, I will need a small amount of opiate painkiller for the rest of my life and I can handle not drinking for most of it but once in a while, like on holiday or at Christmas, it would be nice if I could!
Thanks in advance for any help xx
