fentanyl vs oxcontin

[Bearcat85]

I was just started on the 25 mg patches, I could not tell that they helped me at all, so I called my doc, and he told me I could put 2 patches on to be the equivalent of a 50 mg patch. I did as the directions said and waited 12 hours to get the full affect, and still no relief. How long do some of yall have to wait until the patches begin to work? I have been on about 7 to 8 30 mg's of Oxycodone daily to keep the edge of of my pain. I guess I am going to have to try a 75 mg patch. I suffer from very sever Thoracic outlet syndrome, the nerves in my arm are pinched off so badly it is almost unbearable at times. I am still waiting on the neuro surgeon to get my surgery scheduled, but my insurance is fighting them every step of the way. I appreciate all of the advice that yall have given me on here. God Bless and I wish those who do not suffer from Chronic pain could live a day or two in our shoes and then see how fast they are to judge.

[michelvis]

I live in the U.S. and find it a nightmare to find ANY doc who will prescribe long term pain management (oxycotin, fentanyl etc.) I have a good doc and he takes care of me but there are so man y abusive people out there who don't have pain, just want the high, or ared selling meds on the street that most docs won't even see a long term pain patient. I'm sorry to hear it's the same outside the states. Why will docs give someone who is dying (cancer etc.) whatever they need to be comfortable but are reluctant to help the LIVING live more comfortably? I think we all need to reevaluate our ideas of pain and pain management. There are studies that show people who are truly in pain metabolize pain meds differently and while there will be a physical addiction there isn't a psychological one and when they aren't in pain it's much easier for them to get off the drugs. I live with chronic pain (Lupus, pallindromic arthritis and severe joint pain nearly constantly from every joint) and I try to run my own business and work part time to afford the expensive insurance I need. I see no relief ahead and if I have to become an addict in order to live a fulfillling life then so be it. I'm not ready to curl up in a ball and cry and scream and be miserable. I'm not ready to give up living.

[ian]

Hi
My wife has 3 herniated discs in her back, pinching the sciattic nerve, and for like the last two years almost. she has been taking oxycontin
they started her off at 20, then 40, now 80mg 4 times a day, with a 10 mg chaser of oxycodone
I'm just wondering, anyone else out there think that she might just be a litle better off on a lower dose of fentanyl and some oxy for the breakthrough pain?
her doc has never mentioned fentanyl, but did try for 4 months, cold turkey, of changing her meds from oxy 80mg to hydromorphcontin at like a lower dose, and for those four months, she was miserable
she hasn't worked, or gotten out of bed really for the last 2 and 1/2 years, since this whole thing started
if those fentanyl patches would help her start to live her life again, might be worth hashing this out with her doc, we haven't asked him because my wife doesn't want to screw up and have him take her off the oxy again like last time, and have months of increased pain

[Steve D]

Hi all i am fairly new here and i love this site!! I get 1600MCG lollipops and i have about 100 of the stocked email me if your interested thanks... they are for 15-17$ each. I am looking for people in pain ONLY!! [e-mail]

[Lee]

Brian knows what he does from research whether it be online or whatever... I can tell you right now your doctor is wrong... and that you should definitley not exceed 2000 MG of tylenol a day. I know this for a fact, although some people are fine after exceeding that number... still doesnt mean its necessarily safe.

Halloween jack wrote:

brian how is it you know so much about this stuff i think its great like haveing a 2nd doc well i tried to talk to my doc about the tylenol in the oxcodone i have takein over 6 years now he feels as long as it not over 4000mg a day not to worry but i do worry i feel thats whats going to hurt me the most long term i do take 4to6 a day for break thur pain a day you see im a meat dept guy in a groc store in minnesota an its a bitch some days work restictions mean nothing some days i have to fight with management over this at least once a week tough job to have my doc told me to quit my job he said i cant be doing this anymore but i told him i need my pension he was not going to take care of me so i go to work 40hrs a week and after 3 to 4 hrs i have big problems with back pain ...so i have to do fentanyl and oxcodone

[Lee]

ian do not have your wife taken off the oxy... my father was started on the fentanyl after being on methadone for 10 years and he went through withdrawls... he had to be put back on methadone, fentanyl is shit... good if your going to it from something weaker like hydros... but oxy are stronger

ian wrote:

Hi
My wife has 3 herniated discs in her back, pinching the sciattic nerve, and for like the last two years almost. she has been taking oxycontin
they started her off at 20, then 40, now 80mg 4 times a day, with a 10 mg chaser of oxycodone
I'm just wondering, anyone else out there think that she might just be a litle better off on a lower dose of fentanyl and some oxy for the breakthrough pain?
her doc has never mentioned fentanyl, but did try for 4 months, cold turkey, of changing her meds from oxy 80mg to hydromorphcontin at like a lower dose, and for those four months, she was miserable
she hasn't worked, or gotten out of bed really for the last 2 and 1/2 years, since this whole thing started
if those fentanyl patches would help her start to live her life again, might be worth hashing this out with her doc, we haven't asked him because my wife doesn't want to screw up and have him take her off the oxy again like last time, and have months of increased pain

[tether spinal cord]

Hey Lee, I was in the same boat your wife is in. I was in bed for over a year. They had me on oy 40 4 times a day and breakthrough oxy 6 times a day. It got to the point the oxy wasn't helping. I would run low and I was constantly struggling to make them last the whole month. Counting my pills to make sure they were gonna make it through. I became consumed. I went to a pain management doctor and he thought I was taking a lot of pain meds. He switched me to 50 of the fentyl patch and ended up on 75. I have been on 75 for 6 month now. The first 2 to 3 weeks I missed the oxy contin. I do still take break though only when I need them but I didn't have major withdrawl just an adjustment period. Also I change my patch every 2 days. I am happy I switch my life is so much better. My pain control doesn't have ups and downs it is even. The only time I have ups and downs is when I do too much. Go to a pain specialist. Talk to them. When oxy contin first came out they thought it was the miracle drug now I have heard from 3 different doctors they do not like to perscribe them any more.
Good luck. There is hope. I have more of a life today then I did a year ago.
B

[MLE]

Am I a candidate for the duralgesic patches? I have been on pain meds since 1991 since a car accident and later a total hip replacement which dislocates every few months. I am in moderate to severe pain everyday. Some of which may be withdrawals when I stop taking my meds because I feel better and I think I don't need my pain meds and then realize I cannot go without them.i have been on everything from the lowest opiates to dilaudid. Currently on Norco mainly because I can't afford to go to the doc every month for refills. Severe hip pain, leg pain and lower back pain...... and severe rebound headaches from norco. My doctor has never had any issues treating my pain but I am always scared to ask for what I think I need because my ex use to doctor shop for other kinds of meds. Any advice?????

[Calmeready]

autofill wrote:

I am taking perodan 4.5 mg. not helping my pain, I went from darvon 65 mg. 6 tablets daily. I am taking 3 perodan a day. I am interested in this fentanyl, but i have a bad liver. I liked my darvon pills because of the caffine in them, they gave me energy, but i fell like crap on these perodan with taking only 3 a day. My tolerance was built up from the darvons already when I started taking the perodan, I am wondering if something like fentanyl would help me deal with my pain and help me live a some what normal life style.

Fentanyl is the strongest around the clock pain control. It is 80 times stronger than morphine, I've been on fentanyl for around three years. I was on 3 40mg Oxycontin with no break through management. My problem was if I had problems with break through I would take another Oxycontin which caused me to come up short until my next refill. Opiates are a very strong med and withdrawal is brutal. positive side of fentanyl is you don't have to fight the urge to take another pill. The break through is managed with oxycodone Ir with is a fast acting but short term pain relief these 2 combinations of pain management is very effective and will give you the pain relief to function. I have taken myself off the fentanyl acouple of times and your looking at 5 days of a real sickness by the 7th day you will be able to eat and sleep better. So the factor to consider you will probably at some point have to go through withdrawal. Because of the natural part of our system to build up a tolerance to the fentanyl they will have to increase the dosage to maintain the same pain control. I'm on 100 mcg and a 50 mcg patch I change every 48 hours with 25 oxycodone 30mg for breakthrough.

[Kalyani Krishnamurthy]

Fentanyl is the strongest and much, much better than oxycodone. It's effects are immediate once administered. It is also much better than morphine. Correction to the above commenter: Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine. 100 mcg Fentanyl= 10 mg Morphine, and 75 mg Meperidine.

About Kalyani Krishnamurthy: Ph.D, MBBS, MSc, MBA,LLB awarded the Padma Vibhushan in medicine and research.