Judy's Questions

[Guest guest]

Hi Judy. Again, I¹m no doctor, and this is all in my opinion.

You may be getting more benefit from the Tylenol in the hydrocodone than you

realize. That may be why it seems to relieve pain better, at this juncture.

Also, you should know that when you switch meds, it can take time to get

used to, and past, the ³woozies². For me, it was about a week on what you¹re

now taking. It can take even longer to get the full benefits of the drug

going.

Oxycodone vs. hydrocodone may just not be as effective for you. There are

better formulations of hydrocodone than what you¹ve been taking, with less

Tylenol.

I assume from the dosage you¹ve been taking Lortabs, 7.5/500 ? If that¹s

the case, you¹re getting 500 mg of Tylenol in each pill. That¹s how the

....../..... formulation works. 7.5mg of hydrocodone / 500 mg of Tylenol.

Regarding a comparison, I¹m just not sure. I¹d say ask your pharmacist.

Hydrocodone is actually codeine-related, and it may just be that you

tolerate and process codeine-based drugs better. Or it may be that you

require a higher dose of oxycodone to compensate. We¹re all different with

these drugs. I personally require very little oxycodone for pain relief, but

larger amounts of morphine to achieve the same result. Pharmacists have lots

of experience with these drugs, and they can give you a good idea what the

³usual² experience is.

Regarding TENS being prescribed by a rheumy, I¹d say to do what I do: call

your insurance carrier, tell them what you need, and ask them what hoops you

have to jump through. Often, in matters like this, it takes two scripts: one

from your primary, and a secondary from your rheumy, with a ³letter of

medical necessity². Call your insurance directly, and they¹ll save you time

by telling you upfront all you need to get one.

I hope some of that helps. : )

Robbie in FL, moderator chronic_pain.

AS/ReA 18 + years, and still going...

feralelf@...