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What Causes Elevated Liver Enzyme Levels While On Hydrocodone?

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Posted on Thu, 12 Oct 2017
Question: Hydrocodone not working and it has acetaminophen in it . I don't use alcohol but my liver enzymes are extremely elevated they think from 10 years of 4500 MG of acetaminophen/ day.They want me to go on oxycodone . Don't want to get addicted but my pain is unbearable . Is there another alternative?
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (56 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
many

Detailed Answer:
But first, oxycodone at > 4000 is an overdose and can be fatal.
My son fell off a 3 story roof 5 years ago from being drunk.
He isn't going to NOW get a punctured lung from something 5 years ago and you aren't going to get an overdose from drug taken years ago either. There is another cause of elevated liver enzymes. It should be looked into.

The same drug is perhaps available without tylenol. Hydrocodone without tylenol isn't that much different than the same drug at the same dose WITH tylenol. It is slightly less effective at pain.
Hydrocodone and Oxycodone are actually a bit closer than they sound. They are about even equivalent in strength. They are classed identically in addictive risk. They have about the same duration of action along with the potency but this differs between individuals with most having a preference on one versus the other. They do have addiction risk.
Frankly, when someone is starting to have problems of addiction it would make sense to start a drug like suboxone early rather than later. Shame there's a federal law that sorta kinda makes that illegal.


Next part.


PAIN
Several features of pain can be helpful in clarifying what is going on and the next steps for diagnosis and treatment.

Type of pain. Burning mostly means a nerve is having problems. This can be either a sick nerve or a nerve that has had an injury. Electrical, shooting would be others implying nerve source for pain.

Location of pain. There is a lot to this. First, if something goes in the pathway of a nerve, then that is the nerve involved. Nerves are long and the pain is in a belt-like long pathway. Smaller areas are smaller nerves. This also tends to say what might be going on. Obviously if there was an injury to the area and then there was pain outward from it "hit a nerve" would be a possibility. Sick nerves are MULTIPLE areas and tends to be the TIPS of the nerve not the whole nerve

What hurts. Moving a particular way that triggers the pain tells what is hurting. Specifically it can distinguish outward structures like skin, muscles, tendons, joints from deep structures like organs and nerves.

``     Having a diagnosis leads to choice of medicine for the pain. Inflamed outer structures respond to treating inflammation. Inner structures need diagnostic tests because something internal is broken. MRI's.

And, structures that cannot be fixed need adaptations. Physical therapy, pillows, supportive structures internal and external.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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What Causes Elevated Liver Enzyme Levels While On Hydrocodone?

Brief Answer: many Detailed Answer: But first, oxycodone at > 4000 is an overdose and can be fatal. My son fell off a 3 story roof 5 years ago from being drunk. He isn't going to NOW get a punctured lung from something 5 years ago and you aren't going to get an overdose from drug taken years ago either. There is another cause of elevated liver enzymes. It should be looked into. The same drug is perhaps available without tylenol. Hydrocodone without tylenol isn't that much different than the same drug at the same dose WITH tylenol. It is slightly less effective at pain. Hydrocodone and Oxycodone are actually a bit closer than they sound. They are about even equivalent in strength. They are classed identically in addictive risk. They have about the same duration of action along with the potency but this differs between individuals with most having a preference on one versus the other. They do have addiction risk. Frankly, when someone is starting to have problems of addiction it would make sense to start a drug like suboxone early rather than later. Shame there's a federal law that sorta kinda makes that illegal. Next part. PAIN Several features of pain can be helpful in clarifying what is going on and the next steps for diagnosis and treatment. Type of pain. Burning mostly means a nerve is having problems. This can be either a sick nerve or a nerve that has had an injury. Electrical, shooting would be others implying nerve source for pain. Location of pain. There is a lot to this. First, if something goes in the pathway of a nerve, then that is the nerve involved. Nerves are long and the pain is in a belt-like long pathway. Smaller areas are smaller nerves. This also tends to say what might be going on. Obviously if there was an injury to the area and then there was pain outward from it "hit a nerve" would be a possibility. Sick nerves are MULTIPLE areas and tends to be the TIPS of the nerve not the whole nerve What hurts. Moving a particular way that triggers the pain tells what is hurting. Specifically it can distinguish outward structures like skin, muscles, tendons, joints from deep structures like organs and nerves. `` Having a diagnosis leads to choice of medicine for the pain. Inflamed outer structures respond to treating inflammation. Inner structures need diagnostic tests because something internal is broken. MRI's. And, structures that cannot be fixed need adaptations. Physical therapy, pillows, supportive structures internal and external.