mainecoon66
07-31-2006, 11:15 PM
Hi everyone..hope you are having a good evening. I went to see my PM doc today and she started me on methadone 10mg every 12 hours. First of all, I have to thank all of you who have posted here about the benefits of methadone. Without reading those I don't think I would have been as open minded as I was to trying it. So here's sending a big:D and thanks your way!
Anyway, I did have a question, which I will be asking my pm doc but thought I'd find out what your all's opinion and experience is. In my appt my doc mentioned deciding on a schedule to take the meth on, and suggested 10am and 4pm so that it would be in max effect when my activity is highest. On the bottle it says take every 12 hours, so that's what I will be doing until I talk to her. But I was wondering, what dosing has anyone tried and found successful (or not)?
I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this.
Take care,
Vickie :)
Anyway, I did have a question, which I will be asking my pm doc but thought I'd find out what your all's opinion and experience is. In my appt my doc mentioned deciding on a schedule to take the meth on, and suggested 10am and 4pm so that it would be in max effect when my activity is highest. On the bottle it says take every 12 hours, so that's what I will be doing until I talk to her. But I was wondering, what dosing has anyone tried and found successful (or not)?
I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this.
Take care,
Vickie :)
Sponsor
texascritter
08-01-2006, 04:39 AM
Hi !! I just started methadone last week. I take 10mg 3 times a day. It works wonderful as far getting out of pain. The side effects are what has been the most bothersome for me. First it makes me so sleepy that I almost fall asleep sitting here at the computer. It has my stomach upset all the time. I've only actually thrown up once. It just always seems to be right there waiting to happen. I sleep alot. My appitite is next to nothing. I have to force myself to eat and to stay awake. So for me I have to decide if being out of pain is worth it. Either way is no quality of life we are all hoping for. I can say being out of pain is wonderful. I hope this helps. I've been told that it takes up to a month for everything to settle out and not have the side effects. I hope this is true. Please stay in touch and we will compair our results with each other and know if we are reacting the same to the meds. Take care. TEXASCRITTER
Director
08-01-2006, 01:55 PM
Hi Vickie: I've been on Methadone for 3+ years and I am on 180 mg per day. My scripts say 60 mg TID. That would be every eight hours, but with my doctors OK, I take 10-20 mg throughout the day. By the nature of Meth, when taking it for pain, normal dosing is every 4-6 hours. Addicts taking it for maitenance, take one dose per day.
I have found there are several side effects to Meth, which I suffered with only a couple and they went away fairly quickly when I started taking it. The only ones I still have are I get sleepy when driving long distances, so I only take a minimum dose before leaving to go somewhere. Once we arrive, I can take additional medication. I also get sleepy when reading and watching TV. In other words, while doing non stimulating activities, you tend to get sleepy.
As for it's pain killing properties, Methadone is one of the best. It's one of the stronger ones on the market (Fentenyl is the strongest) and most people get by with under 100 mg. I take 180 because of my high tolerance to narcotic painkillers. There are a couple others that write into the boards that are taking what I take or more, but not too many.
As far as your dosing, I wouldn't be afraid to take the meds aa your doctor suggested, no matter what's on the label. There has to be some instructions on it and I have the same situation. My doctor told me to take it as it works best for me. You might take it at 10:00 and 4:00 and see how that works. For my situation, taking it throughout the day works best for me and I have the OK from my doctor. You may find some other times work better for you and you can ask your doctor about it. Also doseage, you may find you'll need additional meds after you've taken it for awhile.
One thing I do want to remind you and Texascritter of and that is the brand of Methadone your script is filled with. Do not let them fill your scripts with Methadose by Mallinckrodt. Insist on Methadone by Roxanne. There is a big difference with Methadose being an inferior product. I have told my pharmacy I will not accept any script filled with Methadose. I want Methadone by Roxanne and as long as you tell them, like I did, there's no reason they can't do it for you. You may have to call them a few days before you'll be filling a script that you'll be in on a certain day and then they can order it for you, if they don't have it in stock. Methadose can be as much as 20% weaker than Methadone.
Good luck to you and I hope the Methadone works as good for you as it has for me.
I have found there are several side effects to Meth, which I suffered with only a couple and they went away fairly quickly when I started taking it. The only ones I still have are I get sleepy when driving long distances, so I only take a minimum dose before leaving to go somewhere. Once we arrive, I can take additional medication. I also get sleepy when reading and watching TV. In other words, while doing non stimulating activities, you tend to get sleepy.
As for it's pain killing properties, Methadone is one of the best. It's one of the stronger ones on the market (Fentenyl is the strongest) and most people get by with under 100 mg. I take 180 because of my high tolerance to narcotic painkillers. There are a couple others that write into the boards that are taking what I take or more, but not too many.
As far as your dosing, I wouldn't be afraid to take the meds aa your doctor suggested, no matter what's on the label. There has to be some instructions on it and I have the same situation. My doctor told me to take it as it works best for me. You might take it at 10:00 and 4:00 and see how that works. For my situation, taking it throughout the day works best for me and I have the OK from my doctor. You may find some other times work better for you and you can ask your doctor about it. Also doseage, you may find you'll need additional meds after you've taken it for awhile.
One thing I do want to remind you and Texascritter of and that is the brand of Methadone your script is filled with. Do not let them fill your scripts with Methadose by Mallinckrodt. Insist on Methadone by Roxanne. There is a big difference with Methadose being an inferior product. I have told my pharmacy I will not accept any script filled with Methadose. I want Methadone by Roxanne and as long as you tell them, like I did, there's no reason they can't do it for you. You may have to call them a few days before you'll be filling a script that you'll be in on a certain day and then they can order it for you, if they don't have it in stock. Methadose can be as much as 20% weaker than Methadone.
Good luck to you and I hope the Methadone works as good for you as it has for me.
Sick of Hurting
08-01-2006, 02:33 PM
My husband was on 180 mg. of oxy, and went off of them because of health problems he was having. We felt like is was due to too much medicine, he was on about 10 other medications. He went for about 2 months with nothing for pain but lortab 10 mg. 3 times a day. He had lost down to 120 pounds, he is 6' 2". He almost died on me. We found a wonderful pain management doctor that has put him on methadone 10 mg. 4 times a day, and 2 other medicines. A big change from what he was on. He is doing better now than he was when he was taking all of that other stuff. I hope that methadone works for you and continues to work for my husband. Keep us in your prays, we need all of the prayers we can get, we have really been through alot, and by the grace of God we have made it.
From the Wife of a Husband that is Sick of Hurting
From the Wife of a Husband that is Sick of Hurting
ozzybug
08-01-2006, 02:47 PM
Vickie-
Hey girl...
I hope the methadone shows you great results in getting those pain levels down. Please let us know how you do with it! Fingers crossed over here that you don't have really bad sleepies or nausea..
Take Care!
Lezlee
Hey girl...
I hope the methadone shows you great results in getting those pain levels down. Please let us know how you do with it! Fingers crossed over here that you don't have really bad sleepies or nausea..
Take Care!
Lezlee
Director
08-01-2006, 03:32 PM
Hurting's wife: It's great that your husband can get pain relief on 40 mg of Methadone a day after being on 180 mg of Oxycontin a day. You said it was Oxy, I guess I'm just assuming you meant Oxycontin. Before I went on Methadone I was on Oxycontin too. I was up to 160 mg TID or 480 mg per day. That's why I am on 180 mg of Methadone per day for the pain relief I need. Between the Oxy and Meth, I was on Duragesic (Fentenyl) 100 mcg patches every 48 hours. I think without a doubt, Meth offers the best pain relief and without any BT meds.
Good luck to you and your husband. I'm glad to hear he's doing better.
Good luck to you and your husband. I'm glad to hear he's doing better.
mainecoon66
08-01-2006, 04:04 PM
Thank you everyone for your replies...I really appreciate them.
Texascritter - I am sorry to hear that you are having so much stomach problems. Nausea can be so miserable. Has your doc given you anything to help combat the nausea while you adjust to the meds? I take Phenergan as I have a very sensitive stomach when it comes to meds and that works well for me, tho it is sedating which may not help your other side effect :( Anyway, if you don't have anything it might be worth a shot. Reglan is another one I've tried which is less sedating and worked pretty well. I will definitely keep in touch - Here's hoping your side effects go down, and that your pain relief continues.
Director - thanks for all the good info. I just checked my brand and it is Roxanne. Thanks for the heads-up. I would have hated to have not gotten representative results because of a brand problem! Thanks also for the info on the dosing. Your explanation makes sense - now that I think of it I've had drs say just what you did - that they have to put something on the label, but take it as they have directed.
Sick of Hurting - I am so sorry to hear the struggles that you and your husband have been through. I hope that he continues to move towards good health. You will be in my prayers.
And Lezlee - thanks for the encouragement!! :D
Thanks again,
Vickie
Texascritter - I am sorry to hear that you are having so much stomach problems. Nausea can be so miserable. Has your doc given you anything to help combat the nausea while you adjust to the meds? I take Phenergan as I have a very sensitive stomach when it comes to meds and that works well for me, tho it is sedating which may not help your other side effect :( Anyway, if you don't have anything it might be worth a shot. Reglan is another one I've tried which is less sedating and worked pretty well. I will definitely keep in touch - Here's hoping your side effects go down, and that your pain relief continues.
Director - thanks for all the good info. I just checked my brand and it is Roxanne. Thanks for the heads-up. I would have hated to have not gotten representative results because of a brand problem! Thanks also for the info on the dosing. Your explanation makes sense - now that I think of it I've had drs say just what you did - that they have to put something on the label, but take it as they have directed.
Sick of Hurting - I am so sorry to hear the struggles that you and your husband have been through. I hope that he continues to move towards good health. You will be in my prayers.
And Lezlee - thanks for the encouragement!! :D
Thanks again,
Vickie