long term percocet usage with high amounts of APAP - Pain Management Message Board

Tired_of APAP_YUCK · 08-12-2002, 02:39 PM

HI all. Im new here and have read alot of posts and love all the info i have recieved,

also sad to hear what some of you have been though.

About me: Im a 23 year old male with a rare back disease. Its know as Shermans.(if anyone has any info I will love you forever, lol) Ive seen various doctors thought the years, oh sorry, ive had this condition since i was 12 years of age. Well as of recenly (february this year) the pain has been sooo unbarable, it takes me an extra 30 minutes just to get out of bed to get my daughter out of her crib and dressed and then me into the shower, and thats usually on a good day. The worst part is I have two young children, a boy too. I am physically unable to play with them as I once did. *depressed*

Now to present time. The so called rehab/ortho. doc has been scribing me percocet 7.5/500 32 pills a week for the last 6 and a half months( along with some other crap that dont work, ie. bextra, cyclobenzaprin. IMO, that is a whole #hit load of tylonol(APAP)with the percs'. So because this doc is so scared to write out for example Oxycontin he wants me to continue this strength and dosage im on. you know all that bad media attention that oxy-c's has been gettin the past few years, I thought it was impossible to find a doc to write out some oxy-c's.

Back to the Percocet's for a second, as we all know, long term APAP usage IS VERY BAD for the liver, and im just assuming that all doctors know this. Well all of them of course except mine. Four nights ago I called the pharmacy that I use and discussed my situation with him about my APAP concern, I mentioned Percodan but because I also have cronic asthma I am not allowed to use that. The sad think is, is thats what my doc switchd me over to, and he knows I have asthma, AAARRRGGGHHH. sorry.

So while im talking to this pharmicist he told me that they cary the same oxcodone strenght that i have been taking but with less APAP. 325 instead of 5oo. That blew my mind that a doc knowingly that i have been haveing to take the ones with 500 mg, when this whole time I could have been saving some of my liver by taking the ones with less in it. If I have any liver damage does any one know if I can press a suit against this particular doctor. I mean he KNEW that I could have been taking less APAP with the same oxy in it, and any damn fool knows that 6 months straight of all that tylonol is ver BAD? Any sugestions will be helpfull.

Good days ahead......A uncle of a very close friend of mine happens to be a nuerosurgyn (sp)? so he looked at my MRI's and CT scan and saddly to inform me that their is no possiblity of surgury to fix me ( which my crappy doc above said the same thing). well he ended up refering me to a Pain Medicine doc. at the University that can help me. Hopefull no more apap. Im sceduled for sep. 4 this year. finally lol

So thats my long story. sorry to have board all of you but i have been very frustrated lately and need some people to talk to that are kind of in the same boat as i am. So I would really Appreaciate any feed back from any of you on suggestions or your own stories.

Thank you very much.

another back sufferer. (SP?)

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People who say money dosent buy happenies, doesnt have any.

[This message has been edited by Tired_of APAP_YUCK (edited 08-12-2002).]

davidc66 · 08-12-2002, 06:14 PM

Hi Tired of apap, There are also a a number of name and generic products that are pure Oxy other than Oxycontin. Like OxyIR is available in 5mg,there is a generic 5mg oxycodone pill. Roxicodone is 15 and 30mg tabs and they make a liquid with metered dosing. 20mgs per ml.Also a generic availagle

There are plenty of options but since you have a surgeon treating you he's not likely use to prescribing strong apap free meds for any length of time. I would personally look for someone that specialized in pain management and will work with you at managing your pain if you have exhausted other methods surgically and non opiate.

I really think a surgeon will only prescribe for so long. Once you start developing tolerance to your dose he won't know how to deal with you. I have a great PM doc and haven't touched apap for anything other than an ocaisional headache in 3 years.

There are also other advantages to seeing a PM doc, like using long lasting meds so you don't wake up and have to wait for something to kick in before you can tend to your children. Good luck in sept. and welcome, David

lvm6 · 08-16-2002, 02:57 PM

have u looked up info for your disease on the net? you might want to try "Scheuermann's diesease" or "Osteochondritis deformans juvenilis" as your search terms.

i know all about your pain as i can relate. i have MS and another condition we havent figured out yet. anyway, i see a pain doc: a doc JUST to treat my pain. i've had it with regular GP's and neuro's who dont give a damn. i take oxycontin regularly along with plain oxycodone for breakthrough pain.

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 08-16-2002).]

Tired_of APAP_YUCK · 08-19-2002, 11:27 AM

actually i have done some research and havnt found much. the sad think too is ive had some of the best ortho.and nuero surgyns (sp?) evaluate me an every answer was the same, long term pain medicine treatment. so right now im stuck with my ortho doc and he dont believe in oxycontin and such meds for pain so all i get is 32 percocet 7.5/500 every week. well at least until i get on at this one pain specialest at a local univerisaty.

anyway im rambling on here. thx for the responces.

Jesse

sorry about all the spellin errors, im sort of having a bad typing day and am too lazy to fix them.

[This message has been edited by Tired_of APAP_YUCK (edited 08-19-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Tired_of APAP_YUCK (edited 08-19-2002).]