MomOf4VA
03-06-2006, 01:31 PM
I am having a horrible time with finding the right amount of medication for myself. Can you tell me what dose of oxy you are currently on? I am on 80 mgs 3x a day and it is starting to become less effective. This seems like a pretty high dose to me. I am going to ask for my doctors advice and follow what he says, but I am curious as to whether an increase in the oxy or a switch to a new type of med would be better. I will do whatever is best, just trying to get a little information from you guys.
Thanks,
~ksv
Thanks,
~ksv
Sponsor
Director
03-06-2006, 02:46 PM
Oxycontin is a very individual medication. What you may need to have your pain under control, another person may need twice that amount. Believe me, there is no ceiling when it comes to opiate meds.
You say you're on 80 mg TID. Oxy is a med that requires increases quite freguently for a lot of people, me included. When I went off the Oxy, I was up to 160 mg TID and that's not that high. So, what I'm saying, your dose is still fairly low. Are you taking the brand name or a generic? That sometimes makes a difference.
There are other meds out there you could try. Talk to your doctor and see what he thinks. Maybe you need to be titrated up a little to find your dose. Maybe switching to something else would be best. I'm talking Methadone right now and it's quite effective in dealing with my pain. Best bet is to talk it over with your doctor.
You say you're on 80 mg TID. Oxy is a med that requires increases quite freguently for a lot of people, me included. When I went off the Oxy, I was up to 160 mg TID and that's not that high. So, what I'm saying, your dose is still fairly low. Are you taking the brand name or a generic? That sometimes makes a difference.
There are other meds out there you could try. Talk to your doctor and see what he thinks. Maybe you need to be titrated up a little to find your dose. Maybe switching to something else would be best. I'm talking Methadone right now and it's quite effective in dealing with my pain. Best bet is to talk it over with your doctor.
slipperyslope
03-08-2006, 05:02 PM
Hey Mom, I am confused, are you on OXY and Subutex for addiction?
MomOf4VA
03-08-2006, 06:56 PM
I voluntarily asked my dr yesterday to switch me to the bupe. I am having a hard time with the oxy guilt, I think. I feel that 80 mgs 3 x a day plus 4 vicoden 10/325's a day is high enough. Told him I was getting very depressed over it. I am so sick of this pain. I have exhausted all avenues except for medication. PT and massage help short term. So, I feel like I either have a choice of being in pain on the bupe or being sedated. My husband notices a half hour after I take the oxy. I slur my speech and am slower, etc. I DO NOT WANT MY KIDS MOM TO BE THIS WAY! I am scared. Scared to death. That I am condemned to lving my life miserable with pain or sedated and not living "real life". He said that there has been some success with some patients using the bupe long term for pain mgmt, so I thought I would give it a try. This is day 2 and my pain is off the charts. I forgot how bad it can be. I keep going back and forth about the meds and the guilt. I just want it to end. And I don't see a feasible end in sight for me. Thanks for letting me vent. Any suggestions?
Amsterdam
03-09-2006, 12:33 AM
I know where your coming from and I did the same thing when I just couldn't take the rollercoaster anymore. I decided to quit and I was in terrible shape even with the Sub trying to ease the w/d's.
The only thing I can suggest is to give some different meds a try that don't quite have the same side effects as the oxy and hydro. I won't even accept a script for OxyC or hydro anymore because of the mood swings and severe ups and downs associated. I am on the Fentanyl patch, a low dose, and I would really rather not be on anything but I am tolerating it. I hate being in pain everyday but without any kind of pain med I am unable to walk due to my nerve pain.
My wife and I are expecting our first child and I can't stand the fact that I have to take meds that have so much control over my life, but in a way I also feel fortunate to get some kind of relief.
It really comes down to what you can tolerate. If you have the type of pain that is constant throughout the day and you can't think of anything because its always in your mind then I would say that you may have to tolerate some kind of medication. If your able to tolerate the pain and want to give up the meds than its a trade-off that your body will eventually tell you whether or not you can physically handle it. I had to give in after landing in the ER many times when I quit and that was more trouble than managing the meds.
The only thing I can suggest is to give some different meds a try that don't quite have the same side effects as the oxy and hydro. I won't even accept a script for OxyC or hydro anymore because of the mood swings and severe ups and downs associated. I am on the Fentanyl patch, a low dose, and I would really rather not be on anything but I am tolerating it. I hate being in pain everyday but without any kind of pain med I am unable to walk due to my nerve pain.
My wife and I are expecting our first child and I can't stand the fact that I have to take meds that have so much control over my life, but in a way I also feel fortunate to get some kind of relief.
It really comes down to what you can tolerate. If you have the type of pain that is constant throughout the day and you can't think of anything because its always in your mind then I would say that you may have to tolerate some kind of medication. If your able to tolerate the pain and want to give up the meds than its a trade-off that your body will eventually tell you whether or not you can physically handle it. I had to give in after landing in the ER many times when I quit and that was more trouble than managing the meds.
Shoreline
03-09-2006, 03:51 PM
Hey Kathy, The bup may give you a little holiday as far as tolerance and may make a md change a little more effective if it doesn't owrk out. It's a pretty unique drug which may help in ther long run.
My hats off for the honesty and efffort to find that balance between pain relief and function. There are certainly longer acting meds that wouldn't create the roller coaster that Oxy does. Kadian dosed properly is very smooth and you don't notice it come on after dosing or wear off. Meth requires more frequeit dosing so you have the "need a pill" issue throughout the day, but it is effective and there is the patch.
Have you talked about pumps or SCS with your docs. The difference in clarity between oral meds and the small amount needed from a pump is amazing. You could certainly crank the pump up to the point off feeling drugged. But to obtain equal relief from what I got from orals is truly unnoticable. I can actually feel BT meds when I take them because they run through your body systemically rather directly to your spine.
Having to except that this is as good as it gets or the best I can do and not be sedated does get hard to deal with. Not because they can't increase doses or change meds and manage the pain, but because there is just so much they can do without causing sedation or impairment .I'm only 40 and have plenty of years ahead I'm not looking forward too. I'm too young to start taking naps and too old to start over.
I'm back on a PT kick, I bought a recumbant bike, use my thera ball and dumbells. I figure if I'm hurting just sitting on the couch, why not hurt and sit on the ball and do a few excercises and work on my core, balance and strength. I'm up to 30 minutes on the bike, but that's about where I'm done for the day and the same brick wall I keep hitting every time I think if I just make a huge effort things will change. They improve as far as feeling better health and strength wise, but it hasn't done great things for the level of pain and getting past the half hour makr.
I often think it's not so much the intensity of the pain but more the duration. It does where you down but when you have kids you find the energy somewhere. I can't imagine 4 kids, One keeps me buisy enough but she is the center of attn in the house. I guess she's spoiled but I didn't want my condition to be the center of attn.
I know I mentioned you might experience some withdrawal the first few days so just be prepaired mentally, the depression you experience from withdrawal can be very profound and it's not a good mix with a huge increase in pain. After a few days the Bup should take over and stop the withdrawal. It's just another med change and you may even need to increase your initial dose, but It dosn't have to be the last or your only option.
Hang in there, Dave
My hats off for the honesty and efffort to find that balance between pain relief and function. There are certainly longer acting meds that wouldn't create the roller coaster that Oxy does. Kadian dosed properly is very smooth and you don't notice it come on after dosing or wear off. Meth requires more frequeit dosing so you have the "need a pill" issue throughout the day, but it is effective and there is the patch.
Have you talked about pumps or SCS with your docs. The difference in clarity between oral meds and the small amount needed from a pump is amazing. You could certainly crank the pump up to the point off feeling drugged. But to obtain equal relief from what I got from orals is truly unnoticable. I can actually feel BT meds when I take them because they run through your body systemically rather directly to your spine.
Having to except that this is as good as it gets or the best I can do and not be sedated does get hard to deal with. Not because they can't increase doses or change meds and manage the pain, but because there is just so much they can do without causing sedation or impairment .I'm only 40 and have plenty of years ahead I'm not looking forward too. I'm too young to start taking naps and too old to start over.
I'm back on a PT kick, I bought a recumbant bike, use my thera ball and dumbells. I figure if I'm hurting just sitting on the couch, why not hurt and sit on the ball and do a few excercises and work on my core, balance and strength. I'm up to 30 minutes on the bike, but that's about where I'm done for the day and the same brick wall I keep hitting every time I think if I just make a huge effort things will change. They improve as far as feeling better health and strength wise, but it hasn't done great things for the level of pain and getting past the half hour makr.
I often think it's not so much the intensity of the pain but more the duration. It does where you down but when you have kids you find the energy somewhere. I can't imagine 4 kids, One keeps me buisy enough but she is the center of attn in the house. I guess she's spoiled but I didn't want my condition to be the center of attn.
I know I mentioned you might experience some withdrawal the first few days so just be prepaired mentally, the depression you experience from withdrawal can be very profound and it's not a good mix with a huge increase in pain. After a few days the Bup should take over and stop the withdrawal. It's just another med change and you may even need to increase your initial dose, but It dosn't have to be the last or your only option.
Hang in there, Dave
choctaw_n_ok
03-09-2006, 04:01 PM
Hi Dave ..!...While reading your reply to Kathy I noticed you mentioned methadone( Im on it..well methadose) anyways you stated that ' Meth requires more frequeit dosing so you have the "need a pill" issue throughout the day, but it is effective and there is the patch. "...whats that mean ? I know thats a dumb question , but Im new to the methadose and wanting to leasn all I can !...
thanx !
deana
thanx !
deana