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What Causes Leg Pain While On Percocet?
Question: I have been prescribed the following medications for relief from my spondylolithesis (I am having surgery 11/18):
50mg Tramadol
500mg Robaxen } as needed
5.3mg Percocet
I take the following medications for anxiety/ depression & ADHD:
37.5 Effexor
10mg Celexa } 1x Morning
27mg Concerta
.5 Xanax (at night)
In the evening my legs hurt really really bad and thats when I take the Percocet. Sometimes I even need 2. I cannot take the Tramadol in the evening because I feel like it has a stimulant effect on me. I have "jerks" that wake me as I am falling asleep. This has been happening with the Percocet too. Is Percocet a stimulant? I have been taking my .5 of Xanax at the same time in the evening. When I am laying there trying to fall asleep I find that my breathing is very slow and long. It seems that I exhale all of the air in my lungs and just pause before I inhale again. As I am relaxed and about to fall asleep I notice that I am doing this and it alarms me a bit. Is this ok and a common side effect? Is 10.6 mg Percocet and .5 Xanax an ok combination? What about 10.6 mg Percocet, .5 Xanax and 500mg of Robaxen? I cannot fall sleep when my legs are aching, so that is why I am asking. But, I do not want to stop breathing either. My surgeon and pharmacist are both aware of all of medications and did not alert me of any possibility of bad combinations. Thanks.
50mg Tramadol
500mg Robaxen } as needed
5.3mg Percocet
I take the following medications for anxiety/ depression & ADHD:
37.5 Effexor
10mg Celexa } 1x Morning
27mg Concerta
.5 Xanax (at night)
In the evening my legs hurt really really bad and thats when I take the Percocet. Sometimes I even need 2. I cannot take the Tramadol in the evening because I feel like it has a stimulant effect on me. I have "jerks" that wake me as I am falling asleep. This has been happening with the Percocet too. Is Percocet a stimulant? I have been taking my .5 of Xanax at the same time in the evening. When I am laying there trying to fall asleep I find that my breathing is very slow and long. It seems that I exhale all of the air in my lungs and just pause before I inhale again. As I am relaxed and about to fall asleep I notice that I am doing this and it alarms me a bit. Is this ok and a common side effect? Is 10.6 mg Percocet and .5 Xanax an ok combination? What about 10.6 mg Percocet, .5 Xanax and 500mg of Robaxen? I cannot fall sleep when my legs are aching, so that is why I am asking. But, I do not want to stop breathing either. My surgeon and pharmacist are both aware of all of medications and did not alert me of any possibility of bad combinations. Thanks.
Brief Answer:
Good air in, bad air out.
Detailed Answer:
Percocet doesn't come 10.6. It comes 5 mg and 10 mg with acetaminophen. If it is 10 mg, six of them at a time, then that is quite dangerous. If it is 10 mg with 500 mg acetaminophen, then it will cause an alert in the presence of any other sedative at any other dose on the pharmacy profile BUT, it isn't really all that bad with the lowest to next to lowest doses of xanax. The problem would occur most the first time or so it is used and people get tolerant to it with less problems over time.
Two other issues, though.
1) The interaction if it were to be a problem would be with lowering respiration rate. Instead of wondering about it, getting a sleep study can show precisely what the risk is. The oxygen level (good air) would certainly be monitored. The carbon dioxide build up (the bad air) is also very likely to be monitored. The levels of the gasses can be measured in a sleep study and then you would know.
2) The muscle twitching at bedtime is very common and occurs in about 1 in five people frequently, it occurs at least once in nearly everyone. It also can be assessed during a sleep study but it is unlikely to be anything other than restless leg syndrome. Robaxin might work, but quite safe medications (ropinorole) can be given specifically for restless leg. They work, they are safe, they do not interact with other medications. (requip is another name. There is also synemet but that is less commonly used).
Good air in, bad air out.
Detailed Answer:
Percocet doesn't come 10.6. It comes 5 mg and 10 mg with acetaminophen. If it is 10 mg, six of them at a time, then that is quite dangerous. If it is 10 mg with 500 mg acetaminophen, then it will cause an alert in the presence of any other sedative at any other dose on the pharmacy profile BUT, it isn't really all that bad with the lowest to next to lowest doses of xanax. The problem would occur most the first time or so it is used and people get tolerant to it with less problems over time.
Two other issues, though.
1) The interaction if it were to be a problem would be with lowering respiration rate. Instead of wondering about it, getting a sleep study can show precisely what the risk is. The oxygen level (good air) would certainly be monitored. The carbon dioxide build up (the bad air) is also very likely to be monitored. The levels of the gasses can be measured in a sleep study and then you would know.
2) The muscle twitching at bedtime is very common and occurs in about 1 in five people frequently, it occurs at least once in nearly everyone. It also can be assessed during a sleep study but it is unlikely to be anything other than restless leg syndrome. Robaxin might work, but quite safe medications (ropinorole) can be given specifically for restless leg. They work, they are safe, they do not interact with other medications. (requip is another name. There is also synemet but that is less commonly used).
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you.
I was reading the prescription wrong. The Percocet is 5mg with 325 acetaminophen. Is it ok to take 2 of these at night with one .5 xanax and one 500mg Robaxen? Can I increase the Robaxen for more relief from my spondylolithesis? Will the combination of these medications at bedtime cause any problems?
I was reading the prescription wrong. The Percocet is 5mg with 325 acetaminophen. Is it ok to take 2 of these at night with one .5 xanax and one 500mg Robaxen? Can I increase the Robaxen for more relief from my spondylolithesis? Will the combination of these medications at bedtime cause any problems?
Brief Answer:
the same amount gives the same effect
Detailed Answer:
unless something has changed. 5 mg is the lowest dose. So, lowest doses of percocet and xanax interact, but they are lowest doses.
If you've actually always taken 10 mg, it is hard to say it is bad now. If someone is increasing (doubling) the dose of a medication that has a potentially dangerous interaction, then that could be bad. Xanax and percocet definitely interact. It's just a dose dependent effect with very small doses not meaning much.
But, the severity can be assessed with a sleep study in which you take the medications at the highest dose you are likely to take them.
the same amount gives the same effect
Detailed Answer:
unless something has changed. 5 mg is the lowest dose. So, lowest doses of percocet and xanax interact, but they are lowest doses.
If you've actually always taken 10 mg, it is hard to say it is bad now. If someone is increasing (doubling) the dose of a medication that has a potentially dangerous interaction, then that could be bad. Xanax and percocet definitely interact. It's just a dose dependent effect with very small doses not meaning much.
But, the severity can be assessed with a sleep study in which you take the medications at the highest dose you are likely to take them.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Should I not take my Xanax at all then? Or lower the dose of the Xanax to .25? Will increasing the amount of 5mg pills of Percocet to 2 at a time (instead of one at a time) increase the effect? Does the Percocet and Xanax cancel one another out? I need the effects of the Percocet more than the Xanax as I am in pain when I go to sleep. I will only need to take this until my surgery- so I don't think I need a sleep study. I am just trying to avoid the possibility of harming myself. Ive never taken narcotics or muscle relaxers so I not used to the effects.
Brief Answer:
cannot give specific drug prescription advice
Detailed Answer:
Without actually being there, I can give general information but several points to clarify that are quite important.
xanax and percocet are both depressants. they INCREASE each others' effects including stopping breathing.
The prescribing of both at low doses is rarely dangerous but will result in a warning popping up on the prescribers and the pharmacists screens.
This is really significant if the person hasn't taken them together before. If someone has been taking the combination for years/decades then it's really really unlikely anything different is going to happen this time.
cannot give specific drug prescription advice
Detailed Answer:
Without actually being there, I can give general information but several points to clarify that are quite important.
xanax and percocet are both depressants. they INCREASE each others' effects including stopping breathing.
The prescribing of both at low doses is rarely dangerous but will result in a warning popping up on the prescribers and the pharmacists screens.
This is really significant if the person hasn't taken them together before. If someone has been taking the combination for years/decades then it's really really unlikely anything different is going to happen this time.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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