Is it OK to take a Darvocet or Ibuprofen pill while wearing a fentanyl (72 hour morphine) patch???

Question

I messed up my lower back the other day & have extreme lower back pain & Im currently wearing a fentanyl patch,I took an 800 Ibuprophen about 2 hours ago because its an antideflamotory,if its still bothering me in a few hours or in the morning is it save to take 1 darvocet pill?? I've done this before to my back and i know it will be bothering me for the next few days which is why i am using the morphine patch but how safe is it to be mixing the darvocets & Ibuprfen with it?? I've taken two ibuprofens since about 2 pm this after noon until now 11:38 PM..i know not to take too many just curious about taking a darvocet with it??

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

First of all, fentanyl is not morphine. They are two different drugs. Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate.

Darvocet is another opiate. If you combine two opiates, you are combining their side effects and toxicities. If you are at the upper level of your safe dose of fentanyl, you might actually be able to overdose with the Darvocet.

You really need to contact YOUR doctor and explain the situation. You'd be better off maxing out the ibuprofen, and will probably get better relief from that.

Your doctor may want to prescribe muscle relaxants (like Flexeril or Soma) for you. They may also provide better relief than an opiate will.

You can take 2400 mg of ibuprofen every 24 hrs, so that's 800 every 8 hrs, or 600 every 6 hours, or 400 every 4 hours - whatever works best for you. Don't forget to try a heating pad and other non-pharmaceutical things.

CALL YOUR DOCTOR and good luck. Back pain can be so difficult to treat. I hope you feel better soon.

Source(s):

I'm a doctor.
http://www.medicalminutepodcast.com

Answer 2

Do not exceed dosage on
acetaminophine...as you can
fry your liver.
The morphine should be doing the job. If not, get an
increase--altho you know its
addictive?? Darvocet is also
a narcotic but I don't know how it works in the body.
You question should be asked
of a pharmacist or call your
dr. If its after hours, your
local ER will probably answer
this question.

Answer 3

It is OK for an adult of average weight to take 800 mg of ibuprofen three times a day if needed, and yes, you may combine this with Darvocet if the ibuprofen is not providing adequate pain relief. This is fine to take with your fentanyl patch. However, I am assuming you are not doing any tasks that require mental alertness, as the combination of Darvocet and Fentanyl can make you drowsy and somewhat sedated. Also, the most common side effect is nausea or stomach upset; take your medicine with food if this occurs. Do not take additional Tylenol with Darvocet. The "cet" in a medication stands for acetaminophen, which is the chemical name for Tylenol. Darvocet usually contains up to 650 mg of acetaminophen. Too much is not good for your liver. Once your acute pain is controlled, you should seek either physical therapy, see an orthopaedic or osteopathic specialist to determine how to get you back on your feet. Good luck!

Answer 4

hellyaellen's right. all 3 meds have been used together, but it's better to find one medication that works and stick to it. you don't want to take additional meds because that can lead to possible unwanted side effects. also, make sure you do not take more than the recommended dose of OTC meds. acetaminophen's max daily dose is 4000 mg for those without liver disease, 2000mg for those with liver disease. any more than recommended can lead to liver toxicity. for ibuprofen, the max daily recommended dose without MD supervision is 1200 mg so 2-800mg pills are already exceeding max OTC dose. fentanyl is the strongest out of the three. it's stronger than darvocet so i'm not sure how helpful taking an extra darvocet would be. if ibuprofen works for you, then stick with it. make sure that you take it with food or you may have stomach upsets. don't take it for too long, because it may lead to gastrointestinal bleeds. and, remember, if you have any questions you can always call the pharmacy and talk to a pharmacist! especially if you are taking any other meds so that they can check for drug interactions. hope you feel better!

Answer 5

Yes

Answer 6

I'm only a pharmacy tech so I can't say for SURE but there are lots of patients at my store who are using all 3.

They are 3 different drugs (well really 4 since darvocet is a combo). I KNOW you can safely alternate Ibuprofen and acetominophen so that's half of what you'd be combining (acetominophen being part of the darvocet).

As long as you're not also taking additional otc acetominophen or ibuprofen I think you'd be ok. You could double check that with your pharmacist though.

Answer 7

I would take the Ibuprofen, but not the Darvocet, unless you clear it with your doctor first. Since they are both narcotics, there may be some side affects of combining the two. Try to alternate plain acetaminophen with the ibuprofen. For instance, take 1000 mg of acetaminophen in about two hours, the halfway point until your next dose of ibuprofen. I was told to do this by my Dr. the last time I pulled my back.