posted
Is there a certain pain med that is okay to take while you have lyme and are on antibiotics? I haven't been taking anything, but my back/neck/jaw/head pain is getting to be almost unbearable. Also, my anxiety has been out of this world and I have family coming in next week for my hooding and graduation and the holidays etc... Would be be safe to take something like xanax? Thanks for any advice.
posted
many take valium or something in the benzo category. just nothing w/ acetimetaphin....aka vicoden.
Posts: 184 | From taking pills | Registered: Oct 2011
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jackie51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14233
posted
I guess it depends on what abx you are on. I try not to take anything that would disturb the liver. Tylenol is not recommended. I would only take xanax if my LLMD said it was okay.
I just take Motrin or Advil, maybe 4 at a time when my neck is real sore. It gets the inflammation down and lasts for a day or so. Some people are allergic to ibuprofen so be wary of this.
My dad's wife rubbed castor oil into my neck once and it was truly a miracle how the pain was lifted. You could try that, though it is messy.
Congratulations on your gradution.
Posts: 1374 | From Crazy Town | Registered: Dec 2007
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Rhodiola for the anxiety (empty stomach, 2-3 times a day) and Zyflamend for the inflammation pain. You can get both online at vitaminshoppe.com
Benzos might help as well. Xanax put me in a panic attack.
Either way, check with your doctor.
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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tricia386
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29623
posted
Skullcap is great for tension and anxiety as well as Kava Kava.
Ltheanine 200 mgs is great too but will relax you alot
-------------------- Lyme activated in April 2010 by gardasil vaccine. DX: Lyme,Babs,Myco,Bart 11/10 Treatment Started: 3/28/11 Posts: 1752 | From Albany, NY | Registered: Dec 2010
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Marz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3446
posted
I regret the benzo route for my headaches. Am starting a taper due to posts here.
Search benzos or klonopin here before you decide to do it.
I'm using green tea capsules (theanine), fish oil and magnesium for calming from pain.
Posts: 1297 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I am not finding a search option on the site? How do I find posts related to my questions best?
-------------------- Treating lyme, bart and babs Posts: 506 | From NE | Registered: Dec 2011
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Marz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3446
posted
It's below the Post New Topic button in small print. Easy to miss.
Posts: 1297 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
i take both anxiety and pain meds, take them properly as directed its fine. I take tylenol when i need it. My liver is happy
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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BoxerMom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25251
posted
Try the supplement Zen by Allergy Research Group. It chills you out without making you tired. May clear some brain fog, too.
Razzle
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 30398
posted
I don't tolerate anxiety or pain medications well, so here's what helps me:
GABA - for anxiety; really, really makes a big difference for me.
Nettle leaves - helps me a lot with Lyme-related pain.
Valerian - relaxing herb (the drug Valium is a synthetic version of Valarian), will likely make one sleepy.
Vetiver - another herb with similar properties to Valerian.
Homeopathic Arnica Mont. - also helps a lot with pain.
Homeopathic Hypericum Perf. - great for nerve pain.
Homeopathic Arsenicum Alb. - good for anxiety.
Homeopathic Causticum - very helpful for arthritic joints, esp. hands. Also good for sciatica.
Homeopathic Ruta Grav. - helps with joint pain from tendon or ligament injury.
And a moist hot pack - wet towel on skin, plastic over the towel, then the heating pad and a blanket over that to hold in the heat. Or I got a heating pad that pulls humidity out of the air (called Thermophore Arthritis Pad) and it feels wonderful on an achy neck/back.
Take care,
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
You can take most antianxiety meds with opiates. I took xanax with every knows pain med after a terrible ankle surgery...what I am not sure of is the interaction with abx. It depends on the drugs.
The nice thing about xanax which most people don't know is that it is also a mild muscle relaxant. So it works on pain a little while bringing down anxiety.
There are short acting and long-acting versions of xanax. You can also take most analgesics and opiates with xanax, but like someone here said you want to be careful of Percocet which is a combo opiate and NSAID drug. NSAIDS like acetomenophin are hard on the liver and you have to be careful of that in particular.
I found that Klonopin worked when Xanax stopped working for me -I am a fast metabolizer of xanax. I had to have 3mg to get through the worst panic/anxiety I have ever experienced...I am now tapering off of it...down to 1mg a day!!!!
I cannot tell that it is easy coming off of it, because it's not, you have to do it in .25 mg every two weeks.....then stabilize for awhile and try to lower it again if you can....you experience an increase in anxiety every time you drop the dose but then the body adjusts and you can continue. It takes a lot of discipline and effort. But you can do it, lots of folks have.
At my worst I was on Klonopin Remeron and Wellbutrin with all my abx, including minocycline, zithromax, Plaquenil and mepron. It did not seem to hurt anything. The abx on the other hand did.... So I also took L-theonine to help get off Klonopin, its nice and not habit forming and relatively inexpensive.
You can also try ashgawanda an adaptogen then is good for adrenals.
You may want to try the herbs first if your anxiety isn't terrible, but IMO if your anxiety is very bad I would take Xanax or Klonopin and work out the dependency issues later. I would also use the herbal teas to try to keep your xanax/klonopin levels lower.
If you can get straight opiates like morphine, codeine, hydromorphone or hydrocodone without the NSAIDs added in that would be your safest route for your liver.
Take what you need to get through everything. Don't feel ashamed of needing these drugs.
Read the package insert that comes with your drugs carefully to see if there are contraindications for benzodiazapines or opiates.
I also found that if I put the names of the drugs together and googled them with the term side effects or contraindications I could find information about possible problems. I would ask other folks on the board about how to find if herbal remedies are problematic with certain drugs.
I'm using Vicodin for pain, and my LLMD is the one who put my on it.
Posts: 306 | From Brownsville, PA | Registered: Jul 2007
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droid1226
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 34930
posted
Everything I've read has said no acetaminophen. Very liver taxing if you are already taking other pills/supps. Personally, my LLMD said no way. But if your doc says o.k. then I guess o.k. and I definitely understand the need for it. I know that there are plenty of painkillers that compare that don't have acetaminophen. Also I just finished reading "The Lyme Diet" and that was one of her her golden rules. Who knows, if it's working and your getting better, great.
posted
NSAIDs and acetaminophen are two different drug classes. Both can be hard on the liver, so I wonder why one is a no-no and the other would be okay?
-------------------- Treating lyme, bart and babs Posts: 506 | From NE | Registered: Dec 2011
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droid1226
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 34930
posted
Because some Nsaids(Advil)are eliminated through the kidneys, while Acetiminophen(Tylenol and Vicodin) are eliminated through the liver.
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