oxycodone vs ms cotin - Pain Management Message Board

penny 3760 · 12-07-2007, 04:15 AM

I have been on oxycodone 15 mg every 4 hours for 3 years for constant back pain. Yesterday my doctor changed my meds to ms cotin 15 mg 2 times a day. because I was in so much pain again. Can you tell me which is a stronger pain killer? Ms cotin or oxycotin.Can you also tell me what breakthrough meds are for? I haven't started to take the Ms Contin yet. I also heard that oxycotin is basically synthedic heroine. I am scared of taking all these drugs but I need to get some kind of pain relief.I am getting so many different answers from so many different people, I don't know what to believe.

madhatter · 12-07-2007, 11:36 AM

You have been cut down.You were taking 90 mg. of oxycodone a day[6 a day]
Now your taking 30mg of morphine a day[2 aday] I know for me,morphine doesn't do a thing,and my opinion,oxycodone is stronger. In most cases,when switching meds,the doc. will start you at the lowest,which in your case,he[she] did.Oxycontin is time-released oxycodone.[the same opiod in percocet]ms. contin is time-released morphine. In my opinion,if your pain level was up when taking the oxycodone 15 mg 6x a day,then i'll bet the house its going to be even higher[pain level] on the ms. contin 15 mg 2x a day. And again,[IMO] you did good on being on the 15 mg oxycodone for 3 yrs and never going up,[on mg.]
I hate to tell you,but you have been cut down more than half on your meds.!
Talk to your doc. and ask him why? Goodluck,let us know how you make out!

BrittleBones · 12-07-2007, 05:38 PM

Hi Penny - welcome to the pain board! I can tell from your statement about oxycontin being "synthetic heroin" that you've heard all the bad press that's out there! Oxycodone and oxycontin are synthetic narcotics, but attaching the word heroin to them only scares people away from two very helpful drugs! As Madhatter mentioned, you have been switched from oxycodone to morphine - I'm not sure what the equal dosages would be when switching from one drug to the other. Sometimes it isn't the dosage that matters during the conversion....you may find that you get more relief with morphine than you did with the oxy. Everybody is different and I bet you could find lots of folks who would prefer one over the other. If you do find that you are feeling withdrawal symptoms when you make the change (muscle cramps, sweating, diarhea, runny nose, hot and cold, restless legs) you should call your doctor and let him/her know right away. You may need to be weaned off the oxy while incresing the morphine. There is no reason that you should have to suffer when switching from one to the other. Let us know how it goes for you Penny and good luck! Memere (K'Mac)