[bptoo]

As some of you already know, I've been being treated for cronic pain for several months due to a series of injuries and resulting surgeries. I've been treated with Hydrocodone and have reached the point where I've been taking between 8,000 to 10,000mgs a day for pain control. I saw my doctor a few days and he decided to start me on Oxy-Contin, 20mgs, 1 every 12 hours. I took my first one Tuesday evening at about 5:30pm and it worked fantastic with the pain, it made me a little light-headed, but nothing severe. I took my next dose after arriving at work at 5:30am the next day. About 6am I started to get disoriented, had dizzy spells, trouble concentrating, felt a little nauseated. This went on all day. The up side to all this was that I was pain-free all day. When I got home after work I called my doc and told him what had happened and he said to cut the tablet in half and only take half the dose.

When I got up this morning I was still feeling a bit strange, not real bad though. I decided not to take the Oxy today, just the Hydrocodone and wait until the weekend to do any further experimenting with it. I'm actually thinking that I'm going to go down to 5mgs and see how that works, and then work my way up to a tolerable dose.

Has anyone here had any experience with Oxy-Contin? If so, did you have any side-effects at start-up? How long did they take to go away?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. The pain relief is wonderful, but the side-effects are something I can't live with.

bp

"A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart."

[calli]

bptoo; No, I don`t know much about the Oxy but I do know about Fentynal patches, they are 3 day patches and worked very well for me. I have chronic back pain from nerves that were messed up in an accident. There expensive, here [in Madison,Wi] there $20.00 per patch but well worth it. I don`t use one every three days though. If you have Ins. to cover them it would be nice?? greg

G.B./calli

[jenniscared]

I know a little about oxys. They do work well for pain. Lots of people I know take them to get high from the effects of them. Some of my freinds even snort them. Please be very careful with them they are highly additive, I hear that they are one molecule away from heroin. 5mg oxys are actually percosets, they also work well for pain. I am no doctor just wanted to give you some advice...Hope it helps......good luck and I hope your pain gets better...

[bptoo]

I do have an update on this. I contacted my doctor and he instructed me to cut the 20mg tab of the Oxy in half. Well, I didn't know any better so I was going to do that. I happen to be at my pharmacy and mentioned to my pharmacist what my doc had told me and the guy went ballistic! He said you NEVER cut Oxy in half. Because it's a timed release formula, you'd be releasing all the medicine into your system at once which could have disasterous effects. I went to the manufacturer's website and on the very first page in big bold print it tells you not to cut, crumble, crush, etc., and that doing so could even be fatal... So after arguing with my doc about it for a few days, I finally got him to write an rx for the 10mg, which is the lowest dose available. It's not as effective on the pain, but doesn't make me feel loopy like the 20's do. He also kept me on the high dose of the Hydrocodone, which by that time was up to 12,000mgs a day.

Now keep in mind I was taking the Hydro at the doc's instruction OK? About a week and a half ago I called in for a refill. I got a call from his nurse telling me that he was afraid that I was becoming an addict and that he wasn't going to prescribe anymore Hydro to me, he was cutting me off cold turkey. Now, I didn't have an issue with him being concerned about me becoming addicted to the drug, but I was very concerned about him cutting me off like that with no contingency plan for tapering me so I wouldn't go thru withdrawals. I voiced my concern. Not only didn't he care, but told me to find another doctor... I went thru 4 or 5 days of pure hell detoxing from the Hydro, including a trip to the ER. That's why I haven't been around here lately. I'm just now finally starting to feel back to normal. I've decided to go pain med free and I still have the 10mg Oxy, but I will only take those if the pain is so bad that I absolutely can't tolerate it.

In the mean time, I am drafting a letter to the American Medical Association to report this doctor. What he did was wrong. If he wanted to get me off the pain meds, fine. I could appreciate his concern over that. But to hang me out to dry like that was poor medicine and I don't wish what I went thru on anyone.

Sorry to tell you such a long story, but this seemed like a good opportunity to tell it. That you so much for the feedback, I do appreciate it!

Be well,
bp

"A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart."

[Willow]

Wow BP! I can't believe your doctor has such poor judgement about meds This is quackery if you ask me. First wanting to cut a pill in half that could kill you if you do so and you had to find out the truth on the web site and from the pharmicist. THEN... if that wasn't enough, he cut you off and left you in withdrawals and without his support. I think he must've gotten scared of a law suit because he had such disastrous advice for you about the initial problem. That is a breach of the hypocratic oath. He's supposed to take care of you first. I'm glad you are reporting him and terribly angry you had to go through this cold turkey

It's a wild world, but someone's gotta ride it!

[splash]

Yikes! bp. Well, he did give you one good piece of advice: "find another doctor". But it's sad that he's out there, possible treating others as he's treated you.

I hope you're feeling better and can find a better doctor; you deserve better treatment.

Take care,

splash

[bptoo]

Thanks all for the support on this. I did draft the letter, about 10 different times actually. Do you know how hard it is to not come off sounding angry about something like this? I sent it off to the proper office at the AMA, so we'll see what happens. I hope it doesn't get caught in the infamous "red tape".

I have an appt with a Pain Management Specialist in about 10 days who comes highly recommended. Hopefully she'll be able to put me on track to some relief. I'd had my pain masked by the pain killers for so long that I'd forgotten just how bad it is.

Wish me luck.

bp

"A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart."

[Willow]

(((((BP))))))
I wish you didn't have pain. That makes me really sad.
I'm thinking of you and your appt. with pain management.

Willow

It's a wild world, but someone's gotta ride it!

[Zorah]

<font color="red"> </font> These are all very addictive. I had a kidney specialist who had me on Palfium for 6 years then cut me off cold. Same thing if on painkillers while waiting for surgery, even if on for many months, as soon as op. over, boom.
I have become an addict three times while under treatment & each time they just stop it cold. Very bad & prolonged withdrawals. BE CAREFUL WITH THE OPIATES GUYS. Just coz a doc prescribe it does not mean he will not drop you cold with a bad habit. They are not supposed to let you get a habit, so when they see that you have they freak. Covering their v vulnerable backs. Still its just not good enough, is it?

[wisewoman]

Greg, I am confused. Hydrocodone is usually given in a mix with tylenol and called vicodin or something else. On the bottle it says 5/500 or something like that. 5 means hydrocodone and 500 means tylenol. I can't imagine anyone taking over 40 or 80 mgs daily of hydrocodone. Too much tylenol is also cause for liver toxicity, kidney failure. My script for mild pain says 1 tablet of 5/500 every six hours for pain. I know it is safe to double it as doc and pharmacist both told me I could. However, if you still think about it it's certainly not thousands of mgs? Confused and concerned here. The time released oxy is good stuff and a smaller dose could be what you need. I did not feel high on it but forget the dose. I take percoset a few times weekly and take 5/325. Your doc is not well educated in pain management. You need to bring your old bottles with you to the pain specialist. Also, I keep meaning to try Larry Hoover's tumeric pain reliever, gotta get me some. It's a spice and he suggests a teaspoon in a cup of water. Can't hurt? Good luck.

[drunksunflower]

Greg ...

I don't know you too well ... which is why I didn't know you were in such horrible chronic pain I guess ...

What your doctor did was extremely unprofessional and you are doing the right thing making a complaint.

Good luck with both reporting him, and with successfully managing your pain.

all the best

tara

[T_MD]

Sorry to hear about your experience. OxyContin should never be cut - I thought every doctor knew that. The deaths from OxyContin have really been associated with people intentionally tampering with it (crushing it and injecting it, etc.) When used as intended it is safe and effective.

OxyContin is simply the brand-name for a 12 hour delayed-release version of oxycodone. Oxycodone is an opiate that normally lasts about 4-6 hours. It is the active ingredient (sometimes combined with another pain reliever) in Oxycontin, Oxydose, OxyFast, OxyIR, and Roxicodone; sort of like how Tylenol (acetaminophen) is found in lots of combinations with over the counter cold remedies.

For bad chronic pain, OxyContin and a similar 12hr delayed-release MS Contin (active ingredient morphine) are quite revolutionary medicines. By only having to take a pill every 12 hrs instead of 4hrs, patients avoid the rollercoaster pain coverage of the immediate release morphine and oxycodone. Because there aren't as many "dips" in medication blood concentration during the day, patients avoid some of the mini-withdrawal induced as each dose wears off and the new dose begins to take effect. MS Contin and OxyContin for this reason are thought of as wonder-drugs by some pain specialists. Just recently I have seen advertisments for "Palladone" which is a 24hr version of Dilaudid. I haven't prescribed this yet since I am a psychiatrist who only uses pain meds when my patient's regular doctor dosen't understand/care about these principles. Normally, because the extended release takes a while longer to kick in, it dosen't rise to the high peak levels in the blood as immediate release meds do and therefore delayed-release pain meds are associated with fewer side effects. Remember too that it can take 6-12 hours before the dose of OxyContin you took starts to work; you need to factor that in to your dosing schedule.

Save yourself the trouble of writing the AMA, they will only refer you to your state medical board where these complaints are handled (Google your state's name and 'medical board'). Many doctors don't understand addiction and use pain medicines improperly and then blame the patient. The fact you were asking for *less* medicine than he gave you clearly shows you aren't addicted to it. Pain specialists are much more likely to get this right. Good luck.

[kerria]

Hi bp,

i'm sorry about your chronic pain and your difficulty in finding safe relief. As the Dr that posted said, you should never cut the sustained-release pills in half.
They're meant to release slowly and i find that for pain relief i have to take it every eight hrs instead of every 12 hrs. i go to a pain specialist for chronic severe pain that has been very bad for fifteen months now. i fisrt started with medicines like vicodin then tried the fentanyl patches and became sick in the summer at work (i work in hot greenhouses and the medicine gets released too quickly). So the Dr put me on oxycontin- the SR type and oxycodone for breakthough pain which i usually take between doses. i don't have very many side effects and when eight hrs is up i wake up in pain, like now. Somehow i ended up going to sleep early a few days ago and have this schedule that i need pain meds in the middle of the night since a few days ago. i never can miss doses because the pain comes back. i worry a lot about how it will be to get off of this- i take 60mg of oxycontin three times a day and 10mg oxycodone for breakthrough three to four times a day. i only weigh about 100 lbs so it's a large dose and it scares me so much but i need to take it because the pain is very bad. If it isn't treated it's horribly bad and if i don't pay attention to the time and am late on a dose it gets hard to get back on track with pain control and nothing helps for a while.

It's a good medicine - it's terrible to be in pain that 's unbearable. i'm really afraid of going deaf or making a mistake and overdosing by accident or on purpose, i have DID and have separate parts that don't remember what others in my system do. The Pain medicine dr may do a nerve block so i won't have to take medicine any more- or as much, but that is scary also because of the nerves that will then be blocked. They control many important body functions and there is a risk involved that my life will be so different afterwards. i'm still in the process of having all the tests to rule out what is wrong. i have too many M-proteins in my blood. It isn't high enough to definately say i have multiple myeloma but i have very severe pain. i've had so much testing and bone marrow biopsies.

Anyways, bp, i hope that you're able to have pain relief without so many problems soon. Oxycontin seemed to work the best to help me live as pain free as possible. i still feel pain a little and between doses it's hard but it's so much more bearable and i can be active- just not as much as i would like because the pain will be worse. i used to love to backpack two years ago and hiked 8-12 mi. every weekend. now i can't but am trying to get back to doing more of the things i love.

Another thing about oxycontin worries me- i have almost constant ringing in my ears and i'm so afraid that i'll lose my hearing. It's terrible to have to take pain medicine but nothing is as bad as constant sharp unlivable pain if you have it. i hope that my dr won't desert me and not help me off it when i have to get off it.

Another thing is really difficult- picking up prescriptions. The pharmacies automatically label and treat me like a drug abuser. That's been that most difficult thing about taking oxycontin for me. It's been really hard dealing with them- they refuse to fill prescriptions sometimes despite the dr's instructions. Sometimes it's so hard to find pharmacies that carry it.
That part is a nightmare. i'm happy i only have to go through that once a month.

i hope that you find a solution that works for you.
Take care,
kerria

[drunksunflower]

kerria - that sounds horrid ... can you not have your doctor contact your local pharmacy (well, one that carries it) and make an arrangement that you will be making a monthly collection?

You are obviously in lots of pain - I can't imagine how it would be to have to explain yourself everytime you pick up a prescription.

*hugs*

[kimmydawn]

i feel so much for this post. i really do. i've suffered with chronic pain for over 20 yrs. after 16 yrs of being misunderstood and assumed neurotic by drs, i was told my problem...trigeminal neuraligia. it's nerve pain in and around the face due to multiple sinus surgeries.

i see a pain specialist. he's actually a neurologist who's working strictly with pain management. the first time i saw him he wanted me to go on oxycontin. i declined as i'm blessed that hydrocodone had worked for me for 3 yrs...without altering dosage.

i was worried about the amount of tylenol going into my body on a daily basis though. i mentioned this to the dr and he told me of Norco. it's 10 mg. hydrocodone with only 325 mg. of tylenol -- half the tylenol as before. i was thrilled. i've been on that for a year, with no adjustments. we tried topomox to take with it, but i kept have periods where my mind went completely blank, and some other side effects. another med they prescribed for me for nerve pain is klonopin. i don't take it but every few months. i keep a steady stream of the norco in me and i've never had to up the meds or anything. i realize that i'm sorely blessed with this.

another reason that i hesitated to take the oxycontin is when i took percocet, it upset tummy badly then gave me a horrible headache after a couple of hours...i was afraid i'd go thru that...time released for 12 hours! whew.

they've mentioned a patch for me, but as long as the norco works, i'm sticking with it. it's been four years and it still helps, not like it did in the beginning, i'll admit, but i dealt with this for 16 yrs. if the time comes to change to something different or stronger, i don't know what i'll do

gl to every here who suffers. love to you.

kd

There is a really good book on this subject by a pain spec/addition specialist Dr. Jennifer Schneider (PhD) "Living with Chronic Pain". There is GREAT confusion within the medical community about good pain management. This book is informative, instructive and is clear about the difference between addiction and physical dependency. Sorry you were caused additional hurt by your own physician!

OxyContin is a very good drug for chronic pain IF used for the right situation and IF all guidelines are followed. And the physical withdrawals that are NORMAL for A LOT of drugs do not imply addiction!

[kerria]

yes, it's hard to pick up- sometimes my H gets it for me.
The new HHPA regulations are a real problem. The government (DEA) has knowledge of what drs prescribe and interferes with the privacy. The DEA watches the pharmacies records and gives them a hard time and they give the patients a hard time to discourage them from coming to their pharmacy. Some do not carry it at all or are always out or short of a whole month's medicine. It's a pain for the pharmacies to deal with the record-keeping, i guess, so they keep a small inventory.

Bp- i just want to add a warning to what i said about my dose and weight in case anyone reading may think that they can take the same amount that i take and be ok. i've been having pain for almost a year and a half. The amount that i take is so much because we have a tolerance to the medicine. It was very slowly increased because of necessity over a long period of time. i had major surgery and recuperation during this time also and had pain medicine for that. Someone that doesn't take oxycontin or other type of narcotic and took this large a dose would be in serious trouble.
Everyone should check with their dr for the correct dose.

Take care bp and everyone,
kerria

It was bothering me - i don't want anyone to get sick or worse because of reading of my experience.

[krzyk101]

I myself understand the NEED for Narcotic pain Medications in dealing with Chronic Pain....What really to be honest confuses me is the author of this paticular thread had not updated this thread in over 2 years?

I appreciate support as much as the next person only IMOH wonder why or how much 'digging' was done to find a thread on this topic? Support is a wonderful thing as well as sincerity which I also appreciate. Yet the support given here if anyone noticed the last post of the author was in the year 2003.

Best wihses in the present 2005 (((((Greg)))) and would really be interested in how things are going with your medications and Pain in there here and now. I do hope at present things are improving in reference to your pain. Take Care and I do hope now 2 years after the fact things are improving ort at least looking up....Do hope to hear of an update on your condition soon...
TAKE CARE and Best Wishes-Chris

[JayL]

Well, yes i've had experience with oxy after some pretty freaking serious injuries but everytime they gave me the meds i just zonked out and went to sleep. I never noticed any addiction or side affects but i've heard tales and i assume them to be true like any powerful painkiller. I recomend staying away. Hell, stay away from any medication if you can, but don't endanger yourself either. good luck-J>L

[luvtiels]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Sorry to hear about your experience. OxyContin should never be cut - I thought every doctor knew that. The deaths from OxyContin have really been associated with people intentionally tampering with it (crushing it and injecting it, etc.) When used as intended it is safe and effective.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I've been cutting my 5/325 Percocets in half for about 6 months now, and its been working beautifully. Havent had any side/bad effects at all. I also cut my 5mg Methadones in halves and quarters - my pain doc knows all of this.

[kimmydawn]

luvtiels, yes, cutting the percocet is fine. it's not time released. oxy-contin is. ppl cut it and crush it to get the fast, immediate realease. it's very dangerous to cut/crush the oxy-contin as it's extended release and not set up to be absorbed at one time int he body. percocet is.

btw, i'm so glad that works for you...low acetomenophen and pain relief! awesome!

kd