Combinations - does phenergan (promethazine) really potentiate opiates?

[Stiffy]

I read somewhere in this forum that promethazine makes the opiates more potent in some way or another when taken together? Also, does this mean it just increases the effects or makes it more dangerous?

I have quite a bit of 25 mg promethazine tablets that SWIM could take in conjunction with hydrocodone syrup...

[Forthesevenlakes]

please use the search engine, this topic has been covered before. If you're having trouble finding it on the forum try searching for "opiate potentiation", theres a copule potentiation threads in here. Please remember to use SWIM.

[drug-bot]

swim has a dozen or so phenergan's(promethazine) , 25mg, on hand and has heard various reports on the net that they can potentiate the effects of opiates (swims on 90mg methadone daily). does anyone have experience combining phenergan w/ any opiate? results, positive, negative, none? if it does work well to potentiate opiates any dose suggestions? please help by responding peace.

[award11]

In SWINs opinion, the phenegran will have no added recreational value at all. It is regularly prescribed in combination with opiates to take away from the nausea assosiated with certain medications. I do not foresee any positive or negative issues other than the phenegran possibly making you somewhat drousy and in my opinion, take away from the opiate feeling.

[mbarnes0]

SWIM agrees with swiAward. SWIM has found through experience that the phenegran w/codeine syrup may help potentiate opiates, although this is most likely the combination of the codeine and the syrup itself containing a small amount of alcohol. SWIM doubts that the promethazine tabs will enhance SWIYs experience.

[Richard_smoker]

basically, phenergan has been said to make the effects of less-powerful opiates like codeine more similar to heroin by adding an element of drowsy sleepiness to the experience. as far as doing anything else, the only other opiate-friendly activity would be to prevent nausea. -DICK

[Baltiland6.0]

Swim would recomend taking 12.5mg's for the first time so you know you wont be too drowsy. Swim loves 25mg's occasionally with his methadone and when swim used to shoot H taking even 12.5mg's definetly helped with nausea and just made it feel a little better. Swim has actually I.V.'d Phenergen with dope with very good results. Just try it out, you got em' so if you dont like them just hold on to them till your really sick and are nauseaous and can use them for there prescribed use.

[SouthSideK]

SWIM was in the hospital for a long time and was on Dilaudid. They Dr's gave SWIM phenergan after SWIM's surgery and SWIM got an allergic reaction. The phenergan and Dilaudid made SWIM stop breathing. SWIM's wife had to keep SWIM up for several hours so SWIM would keep breathing.

[static_vodka_420]

swim says promethazine only slightlly potentiates euphoria and has more of an effect on swims nod than anything obviouslly bringing it about sonner at a lower dose

swim prefers dipenhydramine and hydroxyzine for his opiate potentiation both seem to potentiate the euphoria more and the nod less and swim likes to enjoy his buzz not sleep it off

to all those swimmers be careful swims close friend recentlly dyed from a mixture of prescription narcotics... just remember it can happen to anyone, the same dose on a different day can have a vastlly diffferent effect depending on many variables suck as food consumed, unknown potentiators, spacage of doses, etc.
swims friend had a huge tolerance but he didnt know about his allergy to coconut cake or grapefruit juice potentiation so his normal dose was too much this time.. so swiys start out small and work ones way up

- swim-=

[hamsterdam]

Before swim starts.. there's a warning for this..

It is highly recommended you cut your opiate dose by a QUARTER to a HALF for the first time you experiment with this. If you normally take 100mg of something, cut it to 50 - 75mg for the first time.

Taking promethazine with hydrocodone resulted in a much better high for SWIM. It has a slightly sedative effect, and it kills any nausea (SWIM actually doesn't mind puking at all, but the nausea leading up to it isn't enjoyable). It also reduces the itchies slightly, but for SWIM he still got plenty of enjoyable scratching. SWIM hasn't noticed that much of a synergy effect, just a much nicer, cleaner high. It even made him feel well enough to eat a couple pieces of bread to kill the hunger pangs. Normally he won't eat anything since any food induces more nausea and ruins the puking if there is any. But with promethazine, there was absolutely ZERO nausea throughout the entire night.

SWIM's dose for the night:
- 28.8mg hydrocodone (estimate)
- 25mg promethazine
- 400mg cimetidine
- 1 gram calcium carbonate
- 466.3mg APAP (estimate)

Another benefit is that it helps you stay asleep throughout the night.. since it is a mild sedative. No more waking up at 4 AM desperate to get off again.

[trannyboy]

Promethazine sounds like quite a medication but I wanted to mention that it is conterindictated is the acute porphyrias. I checked because I thought it might help me but I can't take it because of acute intermittent porphyria. So if you have any of the acute porphyrias be very careful and really you shouldn't take it at all in those cases unless it is absolutely needed in which cause only in hospital with heme available to stop the attack. Also it has to be injected very slowly, no more then 25mg per minute with a concentration of 25mg/ml as it can cause very serious side effects. Take care and have fun safely.

trannyboy

[hamsterdam]

No no no, this was a promethazine tablet.

Swim highly advises you do NOT inject promethazine, even if you have the ampule.

Google for phenergan levine

Don't screw around with that shit, you'd be safer off injecting heroin off the street.

There's also a promethazine suppository.. if that's your kinda thing. And as always.. you should be reading the label for all warnings/contraindications/interactions before taking any new medication.

[trannyboy]

The reason I mentioned porphyria is often the drug information sheet included with the prescription doesn't mention whether it is safe with porphyria. I agree that the dangers of injecting even an ampule of promethazine isn't too high to risk for anyone. The dangers and known complications in healthy people are frightening. My statement was in regards to injections in case it was available mixed with an opiate. However other ROA seem reasonably safe if you read the contraindictions and follow them to a T.

trannyboy

trannyboy added 1 Minutes and 15 Seconds later...

Opps I meant the dangers ARE too high not isn't too high to inject.

trannyboy

[hamsterdam]

Not to mention there's no real benefit to shooting up promethazine if you're after the synergy/anti-emetic effects.

Just take the tablet an hour before and it'll be in your system. It has a very long half life.

[trannyboy]

Thanks for the info Hamsterdam. I am sure it will prove useful to many people on this forum. You seem to be very knowledgable on this medication.

trannyboy

[pinksox]

Also it has to be injected very slowly, no more then 25mg per minute with a concentration of 25mg/ml as it can cause very serious side effects.

The SwiOP is referring to the PO(oral) dose of promethazine...which IS accurate at 25mg. there is actually a black box label on promethazine now as they reformulated a few years back and the standard IV dose is now 6.25-to-12.5mg. 25mg of IV promethazine will now knock a grown man out cold for hours. And SWIM does mean hours...(and that's NOT with concurrent opiate administration).

SWIM would recommend as the OP said cutting their opie dose by 1/3 to 1/2 with 25mg promethazone PO OR halfing the oral promethazine to 12.5mg PO and cutting their dose by 1/4...at least until they're familiar with how promethazine will affect them with concurrent opiate use.

[hamsterdam]

Also, just an FYI. Oral promethazine has really shitty bioavailability.. the suppository (And if you do intend on sticking this up your ass.. please do get the proper suppository and don't try to do it with the tablet!) may have better bioavailability.. just something to keep in mind since both are common routes of administration.

In the UK you can also get 20mg promethazine tablets OTC (you lucky bastards, not having to bother w/ a dr appt for trivial stuff like this ). It's marketed as a sleep aid (since it is a mild sedative). So you can pick that have a nice cwed codeine/apap + promethazine combo.

[trannyboy]

You really have an issue with misunderstanding me. The original poster mentioned dosage, I only mentioned concentration and injection rate as stated by wiki. As for self imcrimination, it is kind of hard to do that with an admittedly legal substance that I didn't mention me taking. I said I was thinking about but it was conterindictated for me and others with acute porphyrias. Why are you bothering to read my posts if you can't be bothered to actually read it.

trannyboy

trannyboy added 31 Minutes and 54 Seconds later...

My last post was in reference to pinkfox and not hamsterdam. Sorry should have been more specific.

trannyboy

trannyboy added 17 Minutes and 4 Seconds later...

In mentioning rate of administration and concentration, I was not in anyway suggesting that someone use this medication by route of injection. Nor am I suggesting a dosage as that should be determined between the user and their doctor. I am not experienced with this medication at all and the only information I have is from wiki (rate of injection and concentration) and a few medical journals (porphyria risk). Since the original poster appears knowledgable in this subject I would suggest taking his information as a starting point, do some research yourself and talk to your doctor about your conclusions. Since pinkfox has stated different dosages, I would further encourage you to do your own research and speak to your doctor. Please remember though that I have very little knowledge of this medication beyond it's dangers in acute porphyrias and nothing I say on this subject should be taken as fact besides the porphyria risk but then again anyone with an acute porphyria will understand my concerns.

trannyboy

[rodentsaurus]

HI All;

I know this thread is a bit OLD, but I figured that it's never too late for some first-hand experience.

Back in 2003, I was treated to the dual whammy of getting away from OxyContin, and a case of appendicitis, at the same time. To say I was miserable is an understatment of epic proportions; between the abstinence syndrome, pain, fever, nausea, headache, etc., extinction didn't seem like such a bad way to go at the time. My ER doctor was a very compassionate man, and decided to try to make me comfortable, at least as best he could, and sent a nurse over to my tortured carcass with a syringe. She explained that the doctor had ordered an injection of demerol and phenergan to help keep me comfortable, until tests could be run, and I could be admitted for possible surgery. This made me very agitated, as I'd had a BAAAAD experience with demerol several years back, owing to two of its metabolites, the infamous normeperidine, and normeperidinic acid, and I initially refused the injection. My ex-wife was with me at the time, and she convinced me to accept the injection, in hopes that I would feel better, at least temporarily. Well, what happened next was both completely unexpected, and completely unique in my experience; as I'd had Demerol before for pain, and thought nothing of it, I was completely unprepared for the unbelieveable rush that passed over my body. Think somebody shoving a Saturn V up your behind, then reaching back to the business end of the rocket with a lighter, and setting the monster off; yep, that was me, complete with Vangelis' "Ask the Mountains" playing in the background. Despite my substantial experience with prescribed opiates for a birth defect in my spine, and the accompanying tolerance, the combination of Demerol (a worthless medication anyway, IMHO) and Phenergan, resulted in a potentiation of the former to the point that it was nothing short of "psychoactive", rather than simply analgesic, or slightly euphorogenic. I know that this thread started with a question about the accuracy of statements implying that phenergan was an opiate potentiator, and the answer, in my experience, is ABSOLUTELY! There is no if, and, or butt about it. On the down side, the incredible feeling produced by the mixture was very short lived, and when it passed, it did so very quickly, and very abruptly, replaced by a marked feeling of anxiety, and agitation. This may have been due to one of the two metabolites I mentioned, but there is no way at this time to be certain. Also, it seems to be accepted in the pain management community that Demerol and codeine respond best to phenergan potentiation, whilst the more efficacious medications show a less marked potentiation. Finally, to those out there who are thinking of just charging in and shooting up, I say DON'T DO IT! Unless you are seriously tolerant (can you take a 64 mg hit of Dilaudid, I.V., in one blast? No? I didn't think so - stay away from potentiation!), you run the risk of blasting yourself right into resperatory depression, and the life-ending coma that will follow it. Remember, opiate potentiators, by definition, increase the activity of the medication on ALL of the body's systems, so if the analgesic effect is increased, so will the effects of respiratory depression, slowed breathing, and CNS depression. It's an incredible risk, for an essentially worthless return.

It's not worth it.

Peace, and good health to all

Skweek

[RoboCodeine7610]

I know that this thread started with a question about the accuracy of statements implying that phenergan was an opiate potentiator, and the answer, in my experience, is ABSOLUTELY! There is no if, and, or butt about it. On the down side, the incredible feeling produced by the mixture was very short lived, and when it passed, it did so very quickly, and very abruptly, replaced by a marked feeling of anxiety, and agitation.

Had you ever taken the pethidine intravenously before?A fast, euphoric onset of action followed by a quick and sudden comedown is consistent with IV administration of any opiate.I believe this is a more likely explanation, as there's no pharmacological reason to believe promethazine would potentiate any opiate, save for increased sedation, other than possibly codeine.

Robo

[rodentsaurus]

Originally Posted by RoboCodeine7610

Had you ever taken the pethidine intravenously before?A fast, euphoric onset of action followed by a quick and sudden comedown is consistent with IV administration of any opiate.I believe this is a more likely explanation, as there's no pharmacological reason to believe promethazine would potentiate any opiate, save for increased sedation, other than possibly codeine.

Robo

Hi Robo:

Yes, I have; before, and afterward, and as I wrote, there was no comparison. But again, Demerol and codeine are the two opiates (I think demerol is possibly best described as an opioid, not opiate, but that's just my opinion) mentioned to be most affected when combined with the phenergan. I have not tried the potentiation again with any other medication, as I knew nothing of it until I got it by default in my local ER, and my only use of opiates is by prescription.

Skweek

[RoboCodeine7610]

Yes, I have; before, and afterward, and as I wrote, there was no comparison. But again, Demerol and codeine are the two opiates (I think demerol is possibly best described as an opioid, not opiate, but that's just my opinion) mentioned to be most affected when combined with the phenergan. I have not tried the potentiation again with any other medication, as I knew nothing of it until I got it by default in my local ER, and my only use of opiates is by prescription.

Very interesting report then.It'd be even better if you could find some pharmacological mechanism to back up your claim, as drug experience can be very subjective.