taper off time release?

[lexmimi]

I take MSContin for RSD and at my last Doc appointment he said he wants me to cut down. My question is this... How do you taper off a time release? I'm all for doing this to see how my pain is, but I don't see how, since the next time I take it, I will be back to the same mg. Not to mention withdrawals every day!! Has anyone done this and if so, how did you do it? My doc offers no suggestions and cuts me off when I ask what do I do about the pain? And what do others do with RSD and his response is "Live with it" I have been on some form of morphine for 3 years, so I know I will have WD's. Please anyone help. I'm looking into another doc for another opinion, but in the mean time??? My doc says he is getting too many patients, so I feel he is throwing me to the wolves. I have NEVER done anything like try to get more or fill early, NOTHING! so I know that is not it, I think something fishy is going on with him. Not sure what, but something is.
ANYBODY know what I should do?

[jporter10]

>How do you taper off a time release?<

I have no realistic answer for you. I have often thought the best way to get off any opiate is to be put to sleep for a week. When you wake up you should be through with withdrawals. Otherwise, you have to go to a detox clinic and see if they can help you out. But if you are in pain, why get off? I don't want off as my pain makes life unlivable.

>My doc offers no suggestions and cuts me off when I ask what do I do about the pain?his response is "Live with it"<

Well crap. You cannot just cut a person off. I would think that is criminal and a report to the medical board might be in order. You just cannot "live with it." No way. Evidently this doctor does not deal in pain management. This is the wrong technic in dealing with morphine patients. Get an appointment with a pain doctor.

>I have been on some form of morphine for 3 years.<

I have been on for 10 years and take 120 mgs per day.

> Please anyone help.<

Should we spring for 2 tickets to Afghanistan and offer to help the opium poppy growers in exchange for some product? Just make contact with pain management doctors. They are the best source. What state do you live in? City?

> I'm looking into another doc for another opinion, but in the mean time???<

I know what you mean. I ran out once and liked to have died. It was a weekend and I could not get anyone or anything. Not even on the street. I had to hide all the guns; didn't sleep at all. Damn it was miserable. I've tried to keep a small stash around, but it just does not work. I rather have some semblance of life rather than to lay on the floor and bawl my eyes out. Pain is not fun. Do look for another doctor and fast. It is really a shame you are being treated the way you are. It is deadly to just stop taking your opiates and the doctor should know this.

>I think something fishy is going on with him. Not sure what, but something is.<

Some doctors get afraid of the DEA when they prescribe opiates for patients. And because you need more and more as your body gets used to it, that creates more nervousness with the doctor. So most would rather not deal with the drug. In my opinion it goes against what they swear to. They are supposed to help people, not tell them to "tough it out."

>ANYBODY know what I should do?<

Find a source for your opiate, NOW. Call pain management doctors and if there are none call neurologists. They know about pain. You must get a supply going at all costs. No one will just give you any either, unless it is a close friend and then maybe one or two tabs. Find a doctor fast as you can as you have to establish yourself as a patient to be serviced correctly. Other than going to south east Asia where morphine is sold on the street, I do not know how to get any except from a doctor. Beat the bushes, do it yourself 'cause no one will really help you the way you need help. My prayers are with you and I wish I could help you out. I have never been able to find any help on the internet either. I just happen to have a real good doctor. I would do anything for him.

[lexmimi]

JPORTER10...Oh yeah what you said about Afganistan was hilarious. I live in Lexington, Ky

[jporter10]

I am serious about Afghanistan. Although I think we would have better luck in Thailand. They have the morphine there. Otherwise we would have to be satisfied with opium. I hear it is not bad, but do not know what it does for pain.

You should have pain doctors in Lexington KY. Try Goggling pain doctors for Kentucky, then sub headings for Lexington. You might be surprised. Let me know how you fair.

[jporter10]

Opps, I meant Googling. But then it does not look right. Try Ask.com . One of the two. Good Luck from WY.

[lexmimi]

JPORTER10
This IS a pain management doc!! He is not from here(Iran)and I think there is a serious communication problem. At first he was all compassionate and was very willing to give me the medication I needed and in the past few months he has been telling me to cut down. I have been, because I went from 100mgs Kadian to 60mgs MSContin 3 times a day to now 2 times a day. Thats the most I can cut down to as the pain comes back as well as WD's. He said to take just 1 day. which that is why I'm on these boards because I don't see how I can taper down any further with a time release??? I mean lets say for arguement sake I do this. Take a tablet in the morning, well after 12 hours it wears off and then I suffer thru until the next day, well, then I take another and the cycle starts all over again, right? And the thing is the 60mgs don't take care of my pain! I'm living with it because I KNOW he will not go up, like you said tolerance builds. This doc has me very upset and confused. Most people with RSD have docs that care and give them what they need to live some sort of a life, and this was doing that until about 6 months ago, he said he could no longer keep giving me these meds and said he was "getting too many patients" and that he would keep doing the nerve blocks, but I would have to have another Doc do meds. Then the next time I go, it's like he forgot and everything was the same, then this last time he brought it up again and said to come back in 7 weeks, which we had discussed before to lenghtnen the time between visits, but keep the meds the same. Then I left the office thinking he just increased the time by 1 week and went to the pharmacy and WOW he wrote it for 60 tablets instead of 90!! I called his office and he relayed via the front desk, to "See how I do" He's so vague and doesn't explain anything. He leaves it interpretation. He could have said,'Now I'm only writing, bla bla bla and then we could have discuss what to do and stuff, BUT NO... Needless to say I'm looking for a new pain management doc. But in the meantime, I have to deal with this guy. It's almost like something weird is going on like he is under some kind of legal scrutiny because he has been my doc for 4 years and he's all of a sudden, doing this??
Let me know what you think and thanks for replying, I'm learning more on message boards than the whole 4 years with this guy. And I really do appreciate veryone who has replied and it's helps a whole lot to have someone to talk to about all this.
Thanks :-)

Kim

[pain-x-pert]

lexmimi wrote:

JPORTER10
This IS a pain management doc!! He is not from here(Iran)and I think there is a serious communication problem. At first he was all compassionate and was very willing to give me the medication I needed and in the past few months he has been telling me to cut down. I have been, because I went from 100mgs Kadian to 60mgs MSContin 3 times a day to now 2 times a day. Thats the most I can cut down to as the pain comes back as well as WD's. He said to take just 1 day. which that is why I'm on these boards because I don't see how I can taper down any further with a time release??? I mean lets say for arguement sake I do this. Take a tablet in the morning, well after 12 hours it wears off and then I suffer thru until the next day, well, then I take another and the cycle starts all over again, right? And the thing is the 60mgs don't take care of my pain! I'm living with it because I KNOW he will not go up, like you said tolerance builds. This doc has me very upset and confused. Most people with RSD have docs that care and give them what they need to live some sort of a life, and this was doing that until about 6 months ago, he said he could no longer keep giving me these meds and said he was "getting too many patients" and that he would keep doing the nerve blocks, but I would have to have another Doc do meds. Then the next time I go, it's like he forgot and everything was the same, then this last time he brought it up again and said to come back in 7 weeks, which we had discussed before to lenghtnen the time between visits, but keep the meds the same. Then I left the office thinking he just increased the time by 1 week and went to the pharmacy and WOW he wrote it for 60 tablets instead of 90!! I called his office and he relayed via the front desk, to "See how I do" He's so vague and doesn't explain anything. He leaves it interpretation. He could have said,'Now I'm only writing, bla bla bla and then we could have discuss what to do and stuff, BUT NO... Needless to say I'm looking for a new pain management doc. But in the meantime, I have to deal with this guy. It's almost like something weird is going on like he is under some kind of legal scrutiny because he has been my doc for 4 years and he's all of a sudden, doing this??
Let me know what you think and thanks for replying, I'm learning more on message boards than the whole 4 years with this guy. And I really do appreciate veryone who has replied and it's helps a whole lot to have someone to talk to about all this.
Thanks :-)
Kim

Kim, I have been a CHRONIC pain patient and Paramedic for 8 years. When I lived in Cincinnati, I was treated successfully by Dr. Howard Schertzinger ofCinci. Mason actually. Look him up online. His practice is called "Advanced Pain Solutions".
He is, by far, the most well educated person for this topic.
Good luck to you.
The DEA is into area they have NO business in (IE) breathing down doctor's necks based on the NUMBER of patients they have-rather than the REASON those patients get CII meds.
Bless you.

[pain-x-pert]

By the way. I presently live in Florida where THIS situation you have described does not exist.

[tom]

I was taking 1000 mg kadian daily for neck and back pain then down 7 days later to 700mg, now 400 and in a couple of days 200 so far at 400 am doing OK does this mean that I can probably get off doing it this way? Wouldn't I have already had problems if they are going to happen or will it be all of a sudden at the end?? I just want off and feel normal again.

[LCOASTMOM]

Tom How long have you been taking it?

I was on Oxicontin for awhile, didn't like it so quit over a week,(I was fine but doc about had a heart attack) next the doc tried xxx used it for a few months, didn't like it so I quit over a week of tapering off (again, I was fine but doc had a heart attack) finally found one that worked and all was good.

Then I moved, new doc (For 5 yrs now) doesn't care what works or not. it's OXI or nothing, so I'm currently doing the same as you. I want my life back.

If you've been taking this for less than 6 mos you'll be fine, stay at the dose you're at for a few days then drop again.

Depending on the med you can have traces in your system for a couple weeks, so if you haven't been taking it for years reducing quick may not bother you for over a week.

You start having head pain or flu symptoms or cold sweats get a little in your system again. Some of these like the Oxi if you go down too fast can kill.

[tom]

I have been on 1000mg for ten years and now I am down to 225 mg. Kadian anyone know how much I should taper to quit. I want off of this. They found coke in my system and therw me off in a month. I snort coke occasionally. I know I shouldn't but should they throw you off

[LCOASTMOM]

No they shouldn't throw you off, you could die, I guess they figure if you can do coke you can get your hands on whatever you need to keep yourself alive or die from something on the street, not their problem...

You should be able to get off if you've been down to 225 for 6 weeks now.(225/day or 225/dose?) at 225/day cut down to 100 for a week then 100 every 3 days, you should be good to go by New Years!