New Medication - Side Effects

I have recently been switched from Percocet to Opana 10mg every 6 hours.  Since starting Opana about 1 week ago, I have noticed that I have bad gas, my stomach just doesn't feel great, maybe a bit nauseous, and I seem to be a tad constipated.  I am also still experiencing pain.  Will these side effects go away or should I call my Doctor now, versus waiting till my next appointment which is about 3 weeks away?

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

That is hard to answer without knowing how your relationship is with your doc;  some docs like to know every little thing, and others only want to hear if there is a body part actually falling off- otherwise wait until the appointment!  Those two medications are very similar;  I wonder if the change is because of the oxycodone shortage that was striking much of the country awhile back.  Opana, on a mg to mg basis, is about twice as potent as oxycodone.   Percocet comes in different strengths.  If he moved you from a ten mg percocet to a ten mg opana, he doubled you dose of pain medication, and that will cause bad gas, your stomach won't feel great, you will get a bit nauseous, and you might get a tad constipated.

That's from an old joke-- a real old joke.

But I suspect that is what happened-- he changed you over without cutting the dose of opana in half, and you are having side effects from the higher dose of opana.  If you have a pill cutter you could reduce the dose of opana a bit by cutting it;  it is a rare doc who becomes angry from a patient reducing the dose of narcotic.  The other choice would be to just keep taking it and in a few days you will become tolerant to those side effects.

[JoshuaY46013]

A related discussion, Cutting In Half was started.