Methadone and long term pain management - Pain Management Message Board

mbujwid · 08-02-2002, 09:27 PM

Hi this is my first posting and am looking for folks with a similar situation and some advice to go along with it. I have chronic and permenant pain from botched total knee replacement and also degenerative arthritis of the spine. I am on an escalating regimen of pain meds and have recently been to a conference wherein they spoke of methadone as a lifelong pain treatment option. Any and all thoughts would greatly be appreciated. I live in the US, Southern Indiana to be exact.Thanks Marc

Marc, please do not post email addys per terms of service, Thanx.Newmod4

[This message has been edited by Newmod4 (edited 08-03-2002).]

mbujwid · 08-03-2002, 01:52 PM

Thanks so much for your response mod4 the article link was a very enlightening and helpful tool. Living in a rural area it is often difficult to get access to reliable information. My internist is trying her best, at the same time has no clue with chronic and constant pain. So she adds one med after another but is afraid of the stigma of oxycodone. The abuse rate here is horrible. (I am a retired nurse and drug counselor) but Vicodin ES although somewhat helpful also puts me into a "haze" and the dreaded constipation keeps me from taking the medication as scheduled. I know better yet with "Rhoids" are always on the prowl and it is a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation. Anyway thanks for the info and sorry about the addy thing I never read the rules just say that I do, no harm meant. Marc

jane2 · 08-03-2002, 01:56 PM

I haven't taken that one. But many of us end up continuous opiate maitenance - most on a long-acting opiate so that you have a steadier serum level. Less ups and downs. I am not sure if methadone is technnically a long-acting opiate. It does have a long half life, which means it stays in your body a long time. Can make it a little harder to get off of.

The pluses are that it is very effective for neuro pain. It is very cheap. Downside is some complain that they felt out of it. On the other hand it was designed to get you less high then heroine. Maybe the out of it feeling is only a problem at high doses. I have heard many great things about methadone as a pain reliever. Don't be put off by its reputation.

Being on a continuous dose works much better to stop pain. You are waiting for the pain to get bad and then beating it down. It is a much more effective way to manage chronic pain. Less high, less ups and downs and better pain relief. Yes, you will be physically dependant. That means withdrawals if you go off abruptly. That has to be done with a slow taper.

There are many long acting opiates: OxyContin (oxycodone as in percocet) MS Contin & Kadian (morphine), the patch (fentynl) and methadone. Which is best for you is impossible to tell till you try it. Takes some time to find the right drug or the right combination of drugs and the right dose.

Hope this helps. Hope somebody who has actually taken it comes along.

I am on MS Contin and have tried OxyContin and the patch. Good luck!