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Fentanyl/Roxycodone Addiction for Chronic Pain

I am disabled and have chronic pain, especially abdominable but includes RA, fibromyalgia, etc.; meaning that my pain is constant and "all-over".  I have been taking some form of "-codone" for 16 years; mostly hydrocodone.  My pharmacist got all upset that I was getting too mush acetamenophin so my Dr. switched me to oxycodone.  Actually they did not help as well, so my Dr. sent me to a pain clinic at a local hospital.  Now I am on Fentanyl patches, 125 mg patch every other day.  I also take 4 roxycodones a day, usually all at once at the end of the day.  One is like taking a certs.  Actually taking 4 at once is not much better.  I have been on this regimen for 19 months.  Anyway about 4 months ago, the patches started not relieving the pain.  Actually they never totally relieved it anyway but now the pain was increasing again,  The nurse that I see would not increase the patch amount saying that I was at the upper limit.  My next appt. was just a RX pick-up.  The next appt. I saw a doctor who said that with all my specifics considered he didn't think I had any other options but to increase the patches.  BTW, 4 break-through pills a day is the limit, period. So they will not increase those.  My last appt. was an RX pickup and my next appt. in a week and a half will be with my nurse again.  Back to the start of the circle.  I'm quite sure she is going to be quite belligerent about raising the patch dose.  This clinic is so hateful, they don't talk to each other, they keep me in tears most of the time.  Amyway, during these last four months, now not only is the pain not being addressed, I am experiencing mild to mod withdrawal.  I am so nervous, count minutes until I can take the next pill, etc.  I cannot go on like this.  If they won't increase the dose, what is the sense of even staying on them?  However, the thought of detox scares the **** out of me!  I have a 13 yr.old daughter who has health problems and emotional problems and I don't want to leave her for an extended period of time.  I am in the hospital quite a bit (4-5 days at a time) and it has really been hard on her.  I can't imagine being gone for 30 days!  Does anyone have any advice or encouragement.  I am so down.  Just FYI, I do not take these meds to get high.  If I can get off these drugs, will I be able to live with the pain!  Help!
Thanks,
crazyforlife
5 Responses
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Avatar universal
hydrocone vs. roxycodone for break through pain thans,  dreebird
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
pain is misrable,it alters your life,so do pain killers.To everyone who thinks these people are just using , you don't understand true pain.4 is not the limit of Roxies a day,at least not at my Dr. in Fl. I am given 8 30s a day and 8 10 mg. methadones a day.I dont get high,or tired.I also take Xanax 2mg 3xs a day.I try to live a normal life.I am still in pain but i must work for a livin.To the guy that gets treated poorly by his DR. ,I feel very sorry for your situation.With all the medication and information available in this world you should never have to be in pain.All these meds might cut a few years off your life but what kind of life is a life in pain.Take your meds properly,be honest with your Dr. and have frequent blood tests.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I think you all need to get off of these "codone" pills and get on Suboxone!  Believe it or not you all are addicted to these damn pain pills!  They DO NOT help with pain after 16 years....i'm sorry, but they don't.  
Helpful - 0
177003 tn?1266270355
Hello,
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with pain. My story is a little different and the only drug I take that you are on is the fentanyl pain patches. I should never have been put on them. I had four surgeries to remove the large bone in my upper left arm and replace it with titanium. It says on the box "not for post op pain." I had to go to inpatient rehab for PT and a nurse practitioner put me on 100 mcg fentanyl patches. When I was discharged my surgeon and my family dr. were livid that I was on them. My family dr, is working with me to get rid of them. I never got high on them and never abused them. I changed them every 72 hours. Since don't have pain, I need to be off of them. They won't last three days if they are exposed to heat or if pressure is applied. There are  about 50 things I can't do while on them.
Finally, my dr. has tapered me down to wearing just one 12 mcg patch. I go to the dr. on the 21st of this month and maybe she will let me stop them.

I think they do serve a purpose for someone who has chronic pain, such as you do. For many people they don't last the whole three days.Has your dr. ever tried morphine for  breakthrough pain??

I don't think you're an addict. You're more dependent on your meds. The main thing is for your dr. to find the lowest dose of meds that will control your pain. I hope that's what happens for you. You shouldn't have to suffer. My heart goes out to you. Keep posting.......Take Care.....LS
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey crazyforlife,I'm jealous about your screename,but all BS aside,I've been
on exactly the same meds as you. Ya,the patches suck,as far as pain releif.
My Pm Dr. started me on them about 4 years ago for the bone-on-bone pain
in my deteriorating hips. I got 50mg's and 100's. If I put one of each on,like
clockwork,24 hours later,I'd be pucking and they never helped with the pain.
The Dr. gave me Methadone and Roxi's for the past 3 years.High does of each,
since I'm a very opiate tolerant person. Well to make this long story shorter,
I ended up using the Roxi's to get high a few times a day,since I had 360/15mg's to play with a month. About 2 weeks ago,I started to taper the Methadone very fast,and by 4 days later,cut back from 80mg a day to 10mg
for the last 2 days.and just stopped cold turkey.Dumb move,but I'm on day 10
and now looking to cut back on my more than a few hundred mg's of Roxi
addiction/day.If it wasn't for the support of this forum,I don't know how I would
have made it through the devastating withdrawls alive. Cutting back on the
Roxi's will be hard work Crazy,but I'm confident you will succeed. You seem to
not be as far gone as myself and other's,but ask your Dr. to gradually taper off
the Roxi's.Get support from everyone you can I know from experience,what a
powerful drug Roxi is.Good luck,and hang in there.We are here for ya.
Helpful - 0
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