I've just been taken off Oxyxontin and placed on Avinza. I know nothing about them except one is a 12 hour medication and the other is a 24 hour medication. Is one better than the other for chronic back pain? Does one have less side effects? I just wondered what everyone else took. I've never been given "resue" medication either. Is that normal?
They are going to be pretty comparable in terms of side effects. It probably won't last the 24 hours though, they usually never do but you might get lucky. It is Morphine sulfate just one that releases slowly over time in a continuous manner as opposed to the Oxy which was in spurts of release.
You will have problems with constipation which is the most common side effect, tiredness, possible urination delay (takes a while to actually go even though you are going to burst), possible confusion.
The first few days be sure someone is with you when you take it because you don't know what the side effects will be. Defintely don't drive with it until you know for sure, you wouldn't want something happening. Definately don't drink with it either.
Hopefully you'll get a good 24 hours out of it but even if you get say 18 you are ahead of the game.
To combat the constipation make sure you take or eat 20 - 30 grams at least of fiber per day and lots of water. This is very common in anyone who takes narcotics, you may of had the same thing with the Oxy.
Oxy probably gave you a little more energy when you took it yes? Expect the opposite in this medication. Hopefully the tiredness will go away over time for you. If it doesn't gradually change the time you take it so that when the peak of tiredness hits you 'll be at home at night or in bed.
Breakthrough meds or what you called rescue are common. Do not take them more than prescribed. Most people or doctors dont take them more than twice a day. If you are taking them quite often that means your Avinza is not working for you and you need to ramp up the mg on it.
I take MS Contin 30mg 3x, Vicodin for breakthrough and flexeril as needed along with sleeping medications.
Your information was interesting and very helpful. I already have all the side effects of the Oxy, having been on it for over a year. I also take Vioxx and occasional Valium for spasms. And Nuerontin. So I know what groggy is. I walk around with my head in a fog unless I just keep to the Oxy and the Val. Nuerontin just hits me like a ton of bricks, but it does great when my leg is acting up so it's a choice of two evils. I was wondering if this Avinza is basicly the same and I guess they are with minor differences. Thanks for the info.
They basically the same in terms of what they do but morphine definately makes you much more tired. I've been having problems with mine where I get tired then wide awake. I haven't slept well in the last few weeks from it. Fortunately for you it's more of a constant or sustained release, the one I am on hits me with 15mg at 45 mins and then another 15 about 4 - 6 hours later. I think it's more like 4 for me as I take it just before I go to bed and like clockwork I wake up 4 hours later just as a dose is released.
I start this stuff tomorrow night (the pharmacy had to order it) and the doctor put me on the highest dose they make (120mg). I'm worried about this. I take 120mg of Oxy a day total, and she's treating it as one to one. I thought they were different when one is a synthetic and the other is the real deal. I've asked my pain management doctor to call her (my PCP) today so they can work it out before I end up in trouble. I hate the emergency room. /sigh
Last edited by Stormygale; 08-23-2004 at 10:39 AM.
I believe that are in fact close to 1:1
Make sure someone is home with you because it will hit you hard when you first take it, in fact for the first few days don't plan on going anywhere or driving.
Oxy is a synthetic form but they work pretty much the same just a difference in side effects pretty much.
Well, I wont be able to have anyone here with me when I take it, but I have had morphine before with no untoward affects. I will try to take it when hubby comes home, if I can last the hour or three it takes from when my Oxy wears off and he gets home to take the new Avinza pill. I surely don't like doing this without rescue medication. I have some Norco around. Can I take that, do you think? I don't want to blow myself up. /wink
