Re: Oxycontin just started on it

[Guest guest]

Moderator's note: COntent of previous message edited.

I'm on 80 mg twice a day and they do make them up to 100 mg now. They used to

make 160 mg to many deaths had resulted and they stopped making them. I also

take 15 mg. of Roxycodone twice a day for breakthrough pain. I was getting 400

mg of Demerol a day but with the increased Oxys I don't get them anymore. My

spine was crushed in a logging accident and I managed somehow to survive. I take

each day as it comes and I hope this will be of some help. Take care. Mike (new

member)

----- Original Message -----

From: valijohn@...

Hello all,

today I told my doc that the vicodin was not working well, I'm taking 6-9 a

day. He has started me on oxyycontin 10 mg and I can adjust the dose. One

small snag-my insurance only pays for 102 a month. Does oxycontin come in 20

mg?

[Guest guest]

Vali,

Hi. I'm on 80mg Oxycontin myself. I take 2 per day. I'm not sure they

have a 20mg but I know they have a 40mg tablet as I took those first. I

didn't know they had cut out the 160mg dosage. I have noticed that lately

the 80mg is not doing much good because I've been on them for some time now.

I also take Lortab 10/650 for breakthrough pain. They both do help actually

but I feel that I have some severe problems within my back at this time that

is not allowing me much comfort even on the meds I'm currently taking. I'm

afraid that things are not going to get any better for me and I'm not going

to allow them to cut as I couldn't handle being totally blind which could

happen to me if put under again. I'm already partially blind from my last

surgery. It really stinks.

I hope that you can get the relief your seeking. It's good that you have

a doctor that is willing to help you as well.

Regards,

Oxycontin just started on it

He has started me on oxyycontin 10 mg and I can adjust the dose. One

> small snag-my insurance only pays for 102 a month. Does oxycontin come in

20 mg?

> Anyone else notice that the 10 mg is not a lot?

> vali

[Guest guest]

Moderator's note: Content of previous messages edited. Also, please do not type

in all caps. It makes reading very difficult for many people and in Internet

usage is considered yelling.

OXYCONTIN IS THE BRAND NAME FOR ROXYCONTIN CALL YOUR PHARM AND CHECK IF YOU

WANT TO BUT THE GENERIC NAME IS ROXICODONE

TALK TO YOU DR ABOUT A INTERNAL MORPHINE PUMP I DID THE OXYCONTIN FOR 8 YRS

THEN HAD THE PUMP PUT IN WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT TREATS THE NERVES INSIDE THE

SPINAL CANAL AFTER LONG TIME USE OF OXYCONTIN I REALLY GOT DEPRESSED EVEN

MORE THAN NORMAL

WE WENT TO THE PUMP AND DOING 95 % BETTER I STILL HAVE TO TAKE THE OXYCONTIN

OR ROX FOR BREAK THRU AND WAIT 1 TO 2 HRS FOR SO RELIEF

THE PIMP USES APROX 1 OR 2 % OF THE DRUG BECAUSE IT IS NOT TREATING THE

WHOLE BODY

I SHALL PUT THE URL AT THE BOTTOM FOR YOU TO LOOK AT

I JUST EXPERIMENTED WITH THIS THIS PAST WEEK FOR ME THE ONLY WAY I HAVE

REDUCED THE PAIN LEVELS THRU THE DAY WAS A NAP THAT RECHARGED MY BODY AND

YOU KNOW ONCE YOU NEED BREAKTHRU PAIN IT IS TO LATE

I CHEWED A OXYCONTIN IT WORKED WITHIN 20 MINS AND REDUCED ME FROM A 80 PAIN

OUT OF 100 TO A 60 THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE FOR ME

BOTH OXYCONTIN & ROXOCONTIN ARE TIME RELEASE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SAME

DRUG

I FELL IN 93 AND FUSED FROM L2 TO THE SACRUM BOTH SIDES

ANOTHER DRUG THAT HAS WORKED MIRACLES FOR ME IS NEURONTIN IT SETTLES DOWN

THE NERVES FROM FIRING UNCONTROLLED SOME WHAT.

I AM LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE IN A BIG CITY I FOUND A PAIN CLINIC WHICH IS

PART OF A MEDICAL UNIVERSITY YES I AM A GINNY PIG BUT THEY HAVE KEPT ALIVE

FOR 11 YRS ALONG WITH THE HELP FROM MY SHRINK AND HIS DRUGS WHICH HAVE

REALLY HELPED WITH SLEEP

IF YOU NEED HELP FINDING SUCH A PLACE CLOSE TO YOU PLEASE ASK AND I SHALL

CALL MY DR AND FIND OUT WHO IS THEIR

HAD MUSSEL SPAZ REALLY BAD AND HAD TO BE SEDATED EVERY 6 TO 8 WEEKS FOR THE

PAIN WAS SO BAD WE STARTED USING BO TOX 5 YEARS AGO DID APROX 10 TO 15

INJECTIONS AT TRIGGER POINTS IN THE BACK WORKED GOOD RELEAVING APROX 70 % OF

THE SPAZUMS HAD TO REDO EVERY 3 MONTHS UNTIL I DID THE PUMP THEN THE

SPAZUMS ARE MOSTLY GONE.

THE COMPANY WHO MAKES THE PUMP IS BELOW

I DO HOP THIS HELPS FOR I AM WALKING OR CRAWLING ON THE FLOOR WITH YOU

WWW.MEDTRONICS.COM

POOBEAR

[POOBEAR]

----- Original Message -----

From: valijohn@...

... Does oxycontin come in 20 mg?

[Guest guest]

Moderator's note: Content of previous messages edited. Please do not type in all

caps.

YES THEY COME IN HIGHER DOSES JUST TELL DR PROB WITH INSC COMPANY

-----Original Message-----

From: valijohn@...

Hello all,

today I told my doc that the vicodin was not working well, I'm taking 6-9

a

day. He has started me on oxyycontin 10 mg and I can adjust the dose. One

small snag-my insurance only pays for 102 a month. Does oxycontin come in

20 mg?

[Guest guest]

Moderator's note: Content of previous messages edited.

Mike,

That sounds ver painfull what happened to you. I'm

sorry. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I was

surprised to hear how much pain medication you were

taken that was untill I heard what happened to you.

Now I know. I'm on a very low dose of oxycontin and it

doesn't work for me at all. I go to the Dr.'s today.

Not sure if he will up it or just throw it out. Im

surprised though at how I havn't had any side effects

while on this. I don't feel drowsy or the slightest of

anything. Do you have any bad effects at high dosages?

Just curious. I wouldn't need anything that high. I

would probably be fine at about 40 0r 50mg every 12

hours or so. Although I noticed Oxycontin does not

last the full 12 hours that it is suppose to. My Dr.

was very specific about taking it every 12 hours on

the dot. It lasts maybe 6 hours for me. I'm at 20mg

every 12 hours. It's not even close. Has this happened

to you or anyone else out there?

Ellen

--- wrote:

>

> I'm on 80 mg twice a day and they do make them up to

> 100 mg now. They used to make 160 mg to many deaths

> had resulted and they stopped making them. I also

> take 15 mg. of Roxycodone twice a day for

> breakthrough pain. I was getting 400 mg of Demerol a

> day but with the increased Oxys I don't get them

> anymore. My spine was crushed in a logging accident

> and I managed somehow to survive. I take each day as

> it comes and I hope this will be of some help. Take

> care. Mike (new member)

>

[Guest guest]

Extra copied text deleted by moderator]

Vali,

Yes, I also just started oxycontin 2 weeks ago. I

started out on 10 but was allowed to go to 20 if I was

still in pain. Well after trying 10 for two days(fair

trial) I noticed I needed to try the 20 mg and I also

noticed that it only lasts like 8 hours for me. It is

suposse to work 12 hours. Now it is only working like

6 hours. So it is decreasing already. Also the 20mg

that seemed sufficient for about 10 days is starting

to feel like the 10 mg. I do have more pain at

different times of the month though. But I'm starting

to think that this may just not be working out for me.

But it works very well for others.

Ellen

[Guest guest]

> Hello all,

> today I told my doc that the vicodin was not working well, I'm

taking 6-9 a

> day. He has started me on oxyycontin 10 mg and I can adjust the

dose. One

> small snag-my insurance only pays for 102 a month.

I don't understand the dilemma. Even with 31 days in a month, if you

take 2 a day that is 62 pills. To take 3 that is 93 a month.

>Does oxycontin come in 20 mg?

i think so.

> Will give it a day or two and then call doc.

always a good plan.

> Anyone else notice that the 10 mg is not a lot?

I've been on 10 mg for six weeks now and I think it will be upped at

next vist in two weeks. It has done wonders considering how I was.

But... I'm getting greedy, I want more out of my life.

The wonders I've experienced in last six weeks include being able to

put on my socks and carry empty garbage cans from curb back to house

(about 30 steps). I also go to physical therapy 3x a week. That is

also beginning to help. But I need the oxycontin and a larger dose of

neurontin to be able to actually do anything at PT.

Mira

[Guest guest]

it takes the body aprox 3 weeks to get use to olphins OXYCONTIN or

ROXICODONE you will find that the drug does not work for the 12 hr period

but some days it does some no way we all have out peak points or time of

day that pain is at the max for me is after 5 pm

every case is different and if you have not gone thru a pain camp I do

advise it it is 3 weeks long and it did me so good especially 8 yrs after

the fact I am a little hard headed lets say

make sure you stay on a stool softener especially now. the oxy is not the

cure all all it will do is take the gasp for air when you take the step. I

call it a shock absorber it just takes a little of the ice pick feeling

away not all of it but you can still move.

no matter what. the first step you will always feel like you are going to

fall but you don't. fir those who are in this horrible boat I do suggest you

get a good shrink they have the ability to dispense drugs that will help you

sleep and combat the bad times. after 11 years my shrink just found a drug

that I can sleep for sure I have had most every sleeping pill out their.

get a shrink in your corner

remember this is a marathon not a sprint

poobear

[Guest guest]

Poobear, you can increase the font size you know. this makes the words bigger

for you so you don't have to type in all caps and anger the rest of us. What

email client are you using " ?

Tath

[Guest guest]

DON'T SPLIT OR BREAK OXYCONTIN FOR ANY REASON.

[Guest guest]

TY all again for all the help. BTW, does oxycontin increase your appetite?

I have suddenly thej lst 2 days noted an increase. Haven't started naytig

else new.

vali

[Guest guest]

.. I'm on Wellbutrin now as well but we shall see how it helps or not.

>This is just my second week on it. I can't sleep much at all. I go to bed

>at like midnight and awaken all through the night and then just get up

>around 4:30 or 5am.

>

>Hello

First let me say that I am very sorry for all your troubles and hope you

find something to help with your pain.Wellbutrin is a very powerful

antidepressant and can definitely cause insomnia. I hope it isn't

contributing to your insomnia.

Kaylene

>

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[Guest guest]

valijohn@... wrote:

> BTW, does oxycontin increase your appetite?

I'm always feeling sick, from my meds. so I haven't put on any weight in

3 years. I do notice taking MS contin and vioxx really makes me sick and

vomit. So i take vioxx 3 or 4 days in a row and break for 3 or 4 days,

so I don't fade away. Good excuse to eat lollies!

But no the ms contin doesn't increase my appetite at all.

Have you put on much weight? and if so in how long?

Sharon..

[Guest guest]

Suzan,

I know this E-mail is a little late but I saved it

because I wanted to answer it. The day I went in I

wrote a letter to the Dr. saying that I thought the

oxy could be a little stronger or that we should maybe

change it to every 8 hours because it was not lasting

12 hours. Instead he took me completly off of it and

put me on a morphine capsule. I wasn't very happy

about this because I really felt that the oxy would

work very well ay maybe 30 or 40 mg every 8 hours.

{ Extraneous text deleted by Moderator }

{ Text altered for better readability kerning/white spaces added }

In fact I know it would. I was taking 20mg every 12

hours. Turned out that the Avinza that he tried me on

was even worse and had side effects so we went back to

the oxy. But im still on the 20mg every 12 hours. Why

wont Dr's listen? My next appointment is next

Wednesday. I just saw him last week and he wouldnt

even refill it. I had a weeks left and he told me to

make a another appointment so he can refill it. I get

the feeling this Dr. does not trust me.

When I was there that day getting back my old prescription I had

to turn in my bottle of Avinza. We went into a room

and he spilled them out on to a table and counted

every single one and then counted back to the date

that I got it. He did that with the Oxycontin too.

Thankgod I dont mess around or he wouldnt treat me.

But I dont like the fact that he does that although I

do understand why. I doubt Wednesday if he will change

my prescription and probably should be thankfull for

what I have. Has this ever happened to you? Does

anyone else have a Dr. that counts thier pills that is

reading this? Im a new patient for him so I probably

have to build up some kind of trust with him. Anyway,

Thought I would share that. have a nice night.

Love, Ellen

[Guest guest]

> <<. Doctors and nurses need to be required to take more classes on pain

> management and how it affects physical healing as well as psychological

> wellbeing. IMHO. :-)>>

>

Hi Robin-

This is a great point. I was in and Noble bookstore the other day and

was looking in the medical reference book isle. I was struck by a book titled

something like " Pain Management made easy " for nurses. It was in a series of

books of " Pathophysiology made easy " etc. I flipped through the pain mgmt.

book and began laughing. Unfortunately, it did not accurately depict chronic

pain pts or post-op pain control methods well. Hopefully one day more drs and

healthcare professionals will be required to undergo extensive training on pain

mgmt as our population ages and is in so much pain. I do not mean in any way

to crack on healthcare professionals- I hope to be one some day. Margaret

[Guest guest]

Hey Ellen,

I was struck by your descriptions of how your pain doctor treats you -- things

like how he counted out your Avinza pills in front of you when you turned them

in. I hate to hear about things like that. Is there any alternative in your

community? I am fortunate enough to live in a town with four or five reputable

pain management physicians, so when I was not happy anymore with my previous

doctor, I was able to change. Many people go to my former doctor and are

perfectly happy with her, but I just didn't feel comfortable with the way she

treated me. My new doctor doesn't do anything all that different clinically, but

he treats me with respect and compassion -- as if he truly understands that I am

coming to him for help in getting better, in managing my pain so that I can live

as close to a normal life as is possible with rheumatoid arthritis.

I know that not everyone has choices and alternatives close to them -- which is

a damn shame. One thing I've kept from previous bad experiences with pain

management is my determination to be an advocate for better education of

physicians and other medical professionals regarding pain. Doctors and nurses

need to be required to take more classes on pain management and how it affects

physical healing as well as psychological wellbeing. IMHO. :-)

That's the end of my Norma Rae speech for the afternoon. I just want to

encourage you to consider looking around, if choices are available to you. You

may find a doctor who is much more compassionate. And you certainly DESERVE

better!

Good luck,

Robin

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robin@...

[Guest guest]

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Robin,

Thanks for your post. I thought maybe this happens to

everyone. Maybe not. No, I didn't like what he did at

all. He did that twicw now. I'm a new patient of his

and he has no reason to doubt me. But I do understand

the pressures they are under. It just makes me feel so

disgusting. I don't know how else to put it. No, your

right about not having any where else to go. I live in

a small town and he is the only Dr. that treats Fibro

and the only Dr. that is a pain specialist.

In fact heis only here two days a week. he is actually from

somewhere else. The first visit he was so

compassionate and understanding. Then I go in the

second time and thats when he started questioning me

and secong guessing me. Repeated the same questions as

if I was going to answer them differently the second

time. Thats when he counted the pills. Then when I

dropped by to turn in the other pills he counted them

again. I'm not sure what is going on. Does he believe

my pain is real? Or does he think I'm faking or

something? What is it?

I know that he might be under some kind of investigation

right now because one of his patients took more

than what was prescribed and got into a accident.

So that might be alarming him a bit. That could be

it right there. Well, I hope your night is a good one.

Love, Ellen

[Guest guest]

Hi Ellen,

I just wanted to comment on your situation.

It is not unusual for a treating doctor to ask to count your meds. Most pain

specialists have you sign a contract when you start out.

One of the stipulations is that they can ask to count your meds.

This is not done to make you feel like you've done something wrong.

It is the only way that doctors have to keep a check on their patients and

their medications. Unfortunately many have gone before us who have abused their

medication and we pay the price for it. Also many doctors are under scrutiny

from the powers that be because of other doctors over medicating their

patients. Your doctor has to answer for the medication he prescribes, and his

license is at stake.

For me it's a small price to pay to have continued treatment for pain.

I don't like it, but I'll go along with it.

Kathleen in Calif.

[Guest guest]

{ Extraneous text deleted by Moderator }

Kathleen

Yes, I don't care for it. But I told him that I don't

mind. He can do what ever he wants that makes him more

comfortable with me. I want him to trust me and I want

pain relief. He has been very hesitant about giving me

a higher dose. Thats the only thing that is kind of

urking me at the moment. I need it either changed to

every 8 hours or a higher dose. I just need to be

worked with more and he is not doing that right now.

Maybe he will tomorrow at my appointment. Right now Im

only taking 20mg Oxycontin every 12hours. No break

thru pain meds or anything. Nothing else but good old

IBprofin. Which of cours doesnt touch it.

Ellen

[Guest guest]

Hey, ,

I'll use that soapbox if you're done with it. :-) See my previous reply to

Ellen -- I agree with you about the DEA. It's absurd that our own tax dollars

are going to harass doctors and pharmacists who are trying to help people. I'm

not sure about keeping the " mules " in prison, since I think much of the time

those people are just as exploited or desperate as some of the abusers, but I'm

all for hanging illegal drug dealers up by their toenails (no offense to you,

Al -- after reading your story, I hope you will understand I am not passing any

judgment on what you've done in the past!).

>I don't know if you've signed a pain contract or not, but docs can call us in

at any time for a pill count.

I do have a contract with my pain clinic, but it doesn't include anything about

a pill count. It mainly says that I can't seek out or receive opiate medications

from any other doctor. I dunno. I feel conflicted about having such a line in a

contract. Part of me feels like, hey, I'm not going to abuse the system, so why

worry about it. But part of me feels a bit insulted by the idea of having my

pills counted like I'm a five-year-old rationing out the Halloween candy. Does

your doctor's office do this on a random basis? Say, you could just get a call

one day saying, you have to bring in your medication this afternoon at 2 p.m.

for a pill count?

> I heard a doc on the radio who said he was almost POSITIVE that a certain

young lady was sadly in need of her pain emds. He called her in one day for a

pill count and found that she had no need for the pills --she just sold them on

the street. That's the reason we are called into question with such regularity.

Yes, that is a large part of the reason. It's a damned shame. Another part is

the societal stigma -- see my other reply, to Ellen. It's just really hard to

combat the deep-seated, ugly fear and misunderstanding of narcotic medications

that many, many people have. I try to take it on myself to educate people I come

in contact with about it, as I also do about rheumatoid arthritis ('but you're

too YOUNG to have arthritis!' ::sigh:.

>OK I'm offa my soapbox for a few minutes.

<g> Here, you can have it back now -- unless somebody else wants on!

Take care,

Robin

--

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robin@...

[Guest guest]

Ellen, while it maybe doesn't happen to everyone, unfortunately it seems to

happen all too often. It does sound to me like it's possible your doctor is

worried because of the incident you mention. I have often wondered whether that

was the problem with my former doctor. I had been seeing her for more than two

years when she suddenly changed her whole demeanor and office procedures. She

started having her nurses make a xerox copy of your driver's license each time

you came in to pick up your prescription, and you had to sign and date the form

that showed when you picked it up. She had had an arrangement with one pharmacy

in town that allowed her to call in scripts even for schedule II drugs, and she

terminated that arrangement. She also started requiring a urinalysis at each and

every visit. I wondered whether she had been investigated or had just been badly

scammed by some other patient, and decided she needed to cover herself. I also

wonder whether part of the reason my current doctor is a bit more relaxed is

that his clinic is part of a HUGE hospital, so he would have all its resources

behind him if something happened.

It's doubtful that your doctor thinks you are faking -- but doctors are under so

much pressure from the DEA and from the medical community as a whole, not to

mention the general societal stigma of prescribing or using narcotics, that he

may be just overcautious. It's hard, though, not to feel it is a reflection on

you! I wish that doctors could treat us as mature, responsible adults UNTIL we

prove otherwise -- rather than treating us like suspected malingering junkies

until we prove otherwise.

That's why I feel like legitimate chronic pain patients need to band together --

we need to lobby the government for more reasonable and realistic laws regarding

schedule II medications, and we need to raise awareness among our own friends,

families, and the general public that, when prescribed and used correctly,

opiate medications are as useful, necessary, and legitimate as antibiotics or

insulin or high-blood-pressure medication.

Take care of you!

Robin

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robin@...