I've had RSD for 16 years and JUST now made my 1st medication mistake. I've been taking long-acting pain meds for 16 years. I've been able to handle the pain on the same dose of short & long acting morphine w/o needing to increase it. In fact I've always feared an increase- what would it do to me, etc.

Well, tonight I find out. Yesterday I sat in my family doc's office for 2 hours only to be told I have a sinus and ear infection, which I already knew. He started me on Bactrim and refilled my anti-nausea med, Phenergan. After a long week, I was just looking forward to getting to sleep this afternoon and no more nausea, no more pain in my face- just some sleep.

At 430pm I took my antibiotic, some tylenol for the ear pain/fever, phenergan for nausea, and the mscontin for the RSD pain. And b/c I haven't been sleeping, I took an Ambien. I have a full day of nothing to do so a good sleep, I thought, would make me feel better.

I keep all my medical info in my Blackberry so I never overdose or take too many or too few pills. As I settled in, I checked my last MSIR (2 hrs before) and for some crazy reason, I MISSED seeing that I had taken my MSC earlier. This has never happened to me before. I never assume, I always check. I guess it just happened b/c I was taking the sinus infection and sleep meds.

So now I've taken 2 MSC pills within 3 hours of each other! I immediately panicked & made myself vomit. But only the soda I'd been sipping and the saltines came up. Not ONE of those damned pills!

It's been almost 3 hours, my DH skipped a bowling deal tonight that was really important to him, and so far I'm feeling fine. Tired, but the ambien and phenergan would do that even if I wasn't already exhausted. DH is checking on me every 15 minutes, but didn't think I should go to the ER. His reasoning is that I've been on these meds for 16 years and my body is used to the morphine. I can see his side. I haven't felt side effects from the morphine since the 1st year I took them, 16 years ago. I don't feel any of those side effects now, but I do worry.

It's a long-acting med, so it could be hours before anything would happen. But like DH says, I've been on these meds so long that my body is used to them. I'm feeling normal, a bit antsy maybe, but wonder, should I even be worried? I mean I FREAKED!

I vomited (made myself as much as I could but that, too, is new to me) until I saw a streak of blood in my vomit- I think I have a tear in my esophagus from vomiting so much this week. And they DO make a MSContin that is double this strength. Is it possible to get sick from taking 2 pills hours apart when you're prescribed one?

I've worked hard for 16 years with safeguards, just to make sure this never happened. Then I get sick and things change, and this happens. I don't know which would've been worse, my taking an extra MSIR by accident or the MSC. But it sure shook me up. It should've been at least 3 hours before the next MSC and I messed up! I'm a responsible person- I mean 16 YEARS! NEVER took an extra ANYTHING.

I know I'm probably and hopefully overreacting, but I sure scared myself! I know people DO take the stronger strength, but wouldn't I have to have built up to it? I'm just going in a million directions. I don't have dry mouth or any signs of overdose. But as MSC is long-acting, that is possible. I know it could be worse- I could've taken them at the same time! At least they're 3 hours apart. And my body IS used to the medication.

I feel SO stupid! Am I the only one who has ever done this?