Pain Medication

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I recently tore the cartilage in my right knee, and had surgery. I was prescribed Hydrocodone for the pain before the surgery but complained about not being able to sleep. So after the surgery my Dr. prescribed Oxycodone. Again I find that I am not able to put my brain in neutral and sleep. I was wondering if anyone has had severe pain and found a pain reliever that doesn't have the side affect of causing sleeplessness. OR possibly a combination of drugs that would work with Oxycodone?

Thanks.

I've taken a fair amount of pain killers in my time, and there seems to be none that will leave your sleep restful. I've taken them with muscle relaxants, and still, although I'm relaxed, I can't sleep properly.

Now, my sleep is less than optimal as it is...and now I take trazadone for it, but I haven't been on painkillers in a while.

Good luck, I know the discomfort of not having a good night's rest.

diphenhydramine promotes sleep and is known to potentiate the analgesic effects of opiates. maybe try 50mg benedryl and adjust from there? also, grapefruit juice potentiates opiates - between the two you might could get by on a lower dose (and have to dose less frequently, i think), which might help you too. worth a shot.
google for 'diphenhydramine potentiates opiates' 'grapefruit juice potentiates opiates' for more info and other ideas.

and your doctor wouldn't approve, but a glass or two of wine will also lift the analgesic effects and promote sleep - just watch your respiration.

i was researching something else this morning and i learned that phenibut potentiates opiates. i hadn't thought of that one, but it's an excellent sleep aid. chronic heavy use leads to some mild withdrawal symptoms, but they're nothing compared to oxycodone's. you should definately check out phenibut.

Thanks for the suggestion. The Benedryl worked great. Slept through most of the night (until the pain medication wore off).

george

i wouldn't suggest the wine on top of the diphenhydramine and the oxycodone. mixing various nervous system depressants can be dangerous. the other possible issue would be if the oxycodone is mixed with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, in which case the alcohol combined with the other analgesic can cause liver or kidney damage (depending on which drug it is). so don't mix the wine in without consulting your doctor.

anyways, it seems the benadryl worked. it's a good sleep aid because it doesn't really give you a hangover and gives you decent sleep. I've used it for the start of the rowing season to get to sleep earlier and ease into the change of sleeping patterns. i have to switch my bedtime by 4-6hrs, depending on when i usually go to bed.

You can also try another route that could possibly kill two birds with one stone. You can talk to your doctor about trying a tricyclic (antidepressant) drug called amitriptyline. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitriptyline I know for a fact this drug even in small doses acts as a sleeping pill by inhibiting serotonin reuptake. Most people don't realize that maintaining a healthy level of Serotonin not only makes you feel better in general, but it regulates sleep. This antidepressant has some painkilling properties as well but I doubt they will be anything significant compared to the opiates. Another drug you could try is getting a prescription for triptophan which will also increase serotonin and induce sleep.

Another route (which MUST be cleared with surgeon) is to skip the narcotics and use NSAIDs instead. Narcotics make me very edgy and unhappy, to such an extent that I end up in more pain than before - nevermind sleep. I greatly prefer the effects of drugs like ibuprofen and keterolac (Motrin and Toradol). They can cause bleeding, so should only be used post-op with approval. They can, however, help with swelling, reducing one of the causes of discomfort at the root. I had a similar knee surgery (ACL + notchplasty) and was quite comfortable on ibuprofen and ice. Your life may vary.