Hi Paula, Long acting Oy or OyyContin and the generics use a dual phasic release, meaning half it's mg strength is released during the firstyt hour and the other half at around the 6th. So a 40 mg oxy sustains roughly 20 mgs in your system for it's duration. For most it's closer to 8 hours than 12. So that would be roughly the ame as taking 4 5mg oxycodone tablets every 6 hours. Thwe problem is that oxy doesn't last 6 hours whether it's an instant release version or what is released from the LA version. The advantage is to sustain the level of medication so that you treating the pain before it gets totaly out of control. The disadvantage is that you become dependnet on the med much quicker than you would taking it as needed where some days you dose would be minimal and during flairs you have been taking a higgher dose. Your body gets used to the drug so when you do have a flair you will likely need some method to ddeal with additional pain. Some docs use short acting meds for break through pain and other docs want you to use methods you learn during your years of trial and error with other methodds. relaxation techniques, stretching, heat, ice, gtopical creams and lidoderm patches. Every doc is different and if this is your GP treating your pain he isn't going to have the tools to manage chronic pain other than a script pad. I consider being dependnet on meds a large price to pay and a last resort. If your 40 now, you have another 30 years of chronic pain to live with. IF your only method of pain management is narcotics, your dose will slowly rise and become less effective over the years if you don't take advantage of the relief your getting now and do the stretches and excercises to keep the fibro under control.

You might want to consider seing a PM doc since your pain is severe enough to need meds once reseerved for cancer pain. PM docs should be better triained and have more to offer than just a script pad. People with cancer don't have their pain treated by their GP, it's a specialty so when GP's cross the line and start playing specilaist, your really not geting the care you deserve or that may benefit you more than the simple answer which is take more pain meds which a GP can supply but knows little about. The simple answer has a pretty hefty price to pay for relief and at some point your dose will reach levels your GP just isn't aware of. In the old days before OxyContin "1996" if you had spine surgery, joints replaced, kidneys remobved, the strongest med you would have been given was 5 mg percocet.

Oxy is notorious for developing rapid tolerance and only lasting 8 hours. If your prescribing doc isn't a PM doc, he isn't going to know what to do with you in 10 years. The prescribing information and the anufacturer stuill insist OxyContin, The name brand version lasts 12 hours. If your GP knows nothing more about the med than what he read in the prescribing info, that's likely what your going to get.

Good luck and you should really llok for a PM doc or clinic that can do more than write script. for pain killers. The goal of PM isn't to eliminate all your pain, it's to manage your pain enough to make it tolerable so you can do the things you need to do to prevent further muscle wasting and stiffnees and improve your ability to function.

IF the meds impair you more than your DX's than you really need a specialist that knows what he's doing. It blows me away to hear about a GP prescribing methadone to a CP patient. It's considered a 3rd or 4th tier drug that you use as a last resort. IF your GP Diagnosed you, I wouldn't even be convinced the GP was right. Have you had a surgical consult to really look into the neck problems, they can mimik most of the symptoms of fibro. If there is a surgical solution, or interventional procedure like trigger point injections, epidural steroids, nerve blocks,,even Botox is being used more and more to treat neck muscles that are constantly in spasm. Robaxin infusion can be helpful, tens units, even acupunctuiure, chiro , and myofacial release techniques are all things PM doc specialize in and are trained to do that your GP isn't.

These are so many things a GP just can't offer,you should really look for proper pain management that takes a multi faceted aproach. A good doc isn't one thsat just gives you what you want or more of the same that used to work. If you can find other modalities to manage your pain or at least decrease your need for pain meds It's better than spending the next 30 years dependent on pain meds and slowly increasing your dose to keep up with developing tolerance if you have other options you haven't tried.

Good luck and welome, Dave