Posted by Ame Sans Vie on January 14, 2003, at 8:30:51
In reply to Hydrocodone or Soma for SP?, posted by utopizen on January 2, 2003, at 7:33:49
Hydrocodone seems to work all right for my AvPD, but unless you're talking about straight hydrocodone, I don't think it's such a great idea. I'd be worried personally about the acetaminophen/ibuprofen in Vicodin/Vicoprofen and its effects taken long-term-- especially considering the tid-qid dosing schedule. Although a simple cold water extraction could filter out the APAP/ibuprofen, it's not a process I'd feel like going through all the time... though I did have to when I was taking Vicodin for post dental extraction pain. I'm deathly allergic to acetaminophen, aspirin, and NSAIDs, but hydrocodone is the only drug I can take that is both effective for my pain and doesn't leave me with my head over the toilet all day. Now I just keep a supply of Canadian Hycodan on hand (the U.S. version contains homatropine) at my mdoc's suggestion for headaches and the like. But that being said, hydrocodone itself is definitely not bad for SP, if you can manage to keep from developing a tolerance. I've tried Darvon in the past and found it much less effective than hydrocodone, excluding one occasion when I experimented with raising my evening dose to 195mg... but then, I suppose I'd discount that as anxiety relief is pretty common when one is in a complete narcotic stupor, lol. As a side note, not an enjoyable experience, actually... what is it with propoxyphene? It seems so far removed from the other opioids as far as its effects...
I found Dilaudid exponentially more effective than Darvon and quite a bit more effective than hydrocodone... I think. I don't really remember the week I was on the stuff, lol. Actually, the reason I D/C'd the Dilaudid was because I found it to feel *much* too similar to heroin for my liking. quick note: no, I'm not a former junkie, but I'd definitely be lying if I said I hadn't done it once or twice before years ago. (This just popped into my head and, while on the topic of heroin, I may as well see if anyone has any insight. It's well known that heroin, diacetylmorphine, turns instantly into morphine upon entering the blood. So why do addicts prefer it? Not that it matters... just wondering.)
A quick recommendation though-- one drug I have used recreationally in the past which was a wonderful opioid anxiolytic (and unscheduled, to boot) is Stadol NS. It's a nasal spray containing 10mg/ml of butorphanol. I haven't looked into it, but I assume it's an agonist/antagonist. The only reason I speculate on this (other than because of its unscheduled status) is because I've seen junkies use it, usually in conjunction with some combination of diazepam, Benedryl, and codeine (?... seems odd, I know), to reverse potentially fatal narcotic overdoses. Apparently they like the convenience of a fast-acting spray, though I've also seen Buprenex used intravenously for this same purpose. Anyway, definitely something to consider, and a great antidepressant as well.
As for Soma, I took it several times daily for a month and then had to D/C it abruptly. No withdrawal that I could detect... though I have to emphatically agree with the others regarding its abuse potential-- I've had several friends fall victim to this, including one who OD'd when he bought Soma Compound w/Codeine (200mg carisoprodol/325mg aspirin/16mg codeine) from some guy thinking it was just plain 350mg carisoprodol. He had developed quite a tolerance to the stuff and apparently went right ahead and took 20 of them from the get-go. Poor guy didn't survive another two hours. But it's definitely great if you can avoid the temptation to abuse it (which can be difficult, apparently even to those who aren't 'addiction-prone'-- this coming from my grandmother, lol). I imagine most people could get by on doses of 350mg, though I had to take 700mg/dose myself. Felt a little 'slow' the first week or so, then grew accustomed to it. Though the feeling is somewhat different, it's definitely not any worse than first starting benzodiazepine treatment.
Oh, and if you end up trying Soma and liking it, I'd suggest being extremely careful combining hydrocodone with it. There's something about hydrocodone in particular that seems to create an unbelievable synergy with carisoprodol. The combination, to me, feels even closer to heroin than Dilaudid... but of course, YMMV. Good luck.
--Michael
poster:Ame Sans Vie
thread:134085
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030113/msgs/135796.html