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401095 tn?1351391770

OPANA for pain...anyone have any input?

My pain doctor had recommended 10 mgs of opana 3 x a day///i have had a problem with hydros in the past/lortabs to be specific...he says they r longer lasting and do not cause the euphoria that hydros do?   he says i woulnt need to take 8 a day to get pain relief...still a bit skeptical as i have been addicted in the past..any help here?
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6621596 tn?1383072887
Hi I have a lot of health problems I have 3 slip discs in my neck and my lower lumbar has a lot of problems i cant remember what the L 2,3,5, r called but my bones are  bones rubbing bones they are deteriorating to. I have a lot of artist around my lower lumbar I am seeing a  pain management doc. now be for i seen him my doc has had me on hydos 10mg  for 10yrs 3 to 4 times a day and it don't help well it does maybe 2 hrs . I all so have fybermalge  sorry my spelling is not to good im trying the shots we tried one it worked for 3 days I was so happy.but then the pain came back i just cried . so the pain doc gave me 2 shots wow i got so sick and no help with pain  so i stopped the shots  now he want to put me on oxynorphone 10 mg do you think that will help. and make me feel better.I all so 2 months a go hurt my ankle and had a big operation on it.with pins and needles and what ever they did with it lol    it really is not funny  how it happen was i was sleeping and i must of layed on my back to long and my legs went to sleep. so when i sat up and put my legs down i felt my right leg it was just tingling and my left to but when i got up i felt my left leg but it went numb when i tryed to move it and i thought i did and i just went down i felt a pop up buy my nee and my ankle felt like a big crush it was omg bad so now from that I had gained weight  i am 5'1 and now 196 pounds iv never was this big so now the weight is not helping i cant even stand long enough to do dishes or walk down the st.with out having so much pain in my left side of my lower lumber of my back so do you think that meds would help me and hes going to just give me 1 shot. sorry i just wanted to let you know everything so u could understand my problem. thank you mom of 7 you can find me on face book under jackie lockard if u can talk to me more about it.if not i understand ty peace      
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Avatar universal
I'm new to this site and in particular this forum.  Chronic pain suffer for over 3 years now. Herniation L-3-L5, stenosis of spine, spur on my tailbone plus arthritis in both hips but no lower back pain.  I have constant pain in both legs from the hips down to just above my knees.  After the numerous tests that I'm sure everyone has been through, they tell me they don't know exactly where my pain is stemming from. I'm 42 years old.  Anyway, I've been on all of the pain meds.  PM dr started me on the Opana 10 mgs 3x's a day about a month ago.  It barely takes the edge off of the pain.  I too do not get that euphoric feeling at all. I go back to the PMD on Thursday, not sure if I'm going to stay on the Opana or search for other options.  IMO, it doesn't really do a whole lot.   I also take Cymbalta for depression pain, without it I think I would have gone over the deep end along time ago.  

BTW, I'm so glad I found this site.  It's nice to know you're not alone.
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Avatar universal
LOL-yes i have pain. EVERYDAY....but, i started off at the other forum because that was more of an important issue for me to handle (at first).
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547368 tn?1440541785
Hi Worried,

I sent you a PM. I can relate.

Peace, Tuck
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401095 tn?1351391770
I shoulda looked out for myself during my divorce...i looked out for my kids but not for me...i am afraid of narcotics and do not want to take anything that requires taking something else as well...just worrying about being able to work....feeling my time as a nurse is limited as i get older...worrying gets me no where tho and i am trying to live in the moment..thanx
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Avatar universal
When I looked up opana which is oxymorphone I found that it was discovered/invented in 1953 in Germany and because of it's addictive properties it was never manufactured in the states until the early part of this year! Also there is no generic for this drug yet either! I had to pay full price one time as it was too early for my refill and the insurance company wouldn'y cover it and I had to pay 249.00 for 60 tabs of 10mg  opana er and with insurance it is 45.00 and with my opana discount card I pay 20.00 but the card is only good for 12 refills I guess I would have to get a new card from my md or contact endo pharmaceuticals as I think that is the only company right now that is making the opana! When I first started taking opana I thought the same thing as Shell Bell but if you take a percocet with the opana in the am then take another percocet in the afternoon and then another percocet with the opana again in the evening or before bed like I do they will work! They are slow if taken alone but they will be effective if taken with an ir pill like percocet or lorcet or something of the same nature! Good luck!!
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401095 tn?1351391770
I have heard it is a "new supposedly "safer" drug as the euphoria if takn by mouth is not there but it does help pain...if snorted or used IV it is suppsed to go way up on the abuse list...dont know..i took methadone before for a week twice...20 mgs..no buzz at all but it did help my pain,...holy cow just afraid of all of this stuff i guess...never snorted or anything..never even thought about it til i got on the forum for addiction..just never occurred to me....but i do know that just cos u dont feel high does not mean u wont get physically addicted to a med if it is a narcotic
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Avatar universal
I took OpanaER for about 2 to 3 months and started last Dec. Before that I was taking 2 vicodin es 4 times a day and the 25mcg Fentanyl patch. My new PM doc didn't like drugs like vicodin,etc. So I went from taking what I was taking and he put me on 10, then 20mg of Opana er. It did absoulutely nothing for me. I had my psychaitrist looked it up b/c it has the same generic name as diludid and he found out that it is not diludid. He says it wasn't the same as diludid at all. It has its own new ingredients. Thanks God, I still had my refills on the vicodin es b/c I would have been screwed just taking the Opana er. It might help you, I just know it was like taking a sugar pill for me.
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Avatar universal
You really need to tell your doc about the depression! I didn't for a while and they eventually asked me if it was wearing me down mentally!  There are different meds out there for different types of depression of course you need one for pain depression which is like cymbalta or my mom takes effexor 75mg after she had two strokes that left her 60% handicapped on her right side and totally deaf in her left ear! And they show no signs of euphoria but you will no it when you stop taking it! My mom has run out before and she was unbearable to be around until she got a refill the bad thing is if you let it get out of your system it takes days even weeks to get it back in! When I started taking the cymbalta I called the doc back after 3-4 days and said this **** is not working and thay told me to wait at least 10 days to see if it was going to work and it did! About the 4-6 day into it I started to get really tired after the dose in the am and about the 10th day I was back to normal feeling and after a month of that is when I had to change md's so I could get the combonation of pills that I am on now! If you read my post on here it will tell you everything I have been through with pain management and how I got discharged because they left me without meds for 6-7 days and I took some of my old meds that were prescribed by that same pain management doctor and he claimed that I was in breach of my opiate contract! So that is why I usually type in most of the replies I send in caps to DO NOT TICK OFF A PM DR!!!! If you look at my main page and check out my posts you will see all the **** I have been through and the reason I told all of this stuff is hopefully people will read it and cover themselves so they will not be left out in the cold with no help for intense on going pain! Take Care of yourself because most doc's out there are really just in it for the money and reputation in my opinion!
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401095 tn?1351391770
u guys r great...i am trying to keep going but the pain is keeping me depressed half the time...people say i have a funny look on my face...it is not funny at all!  it is pain.,.it will wear my bu11 out
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Avatar universal
Hi again, If the euphoria from the drug makes you feel like you are abusing it then opana is most likely the drug for you! Amph is totally correct about the pain at one time the doc's had to put me on cymbalta for a while until they found a combo of drugs that would work for me! Eventually the pain will make you go nuts if it isn't controlled and kept at a bearable amount! I thought I was going crazy there for a while with the pain just antagonizing me day in and out and it was starting to show through my patience with my kids! My patience level with them was reducing rapidly! Don't get me wrong here I was and never have been violent towards kids which I have three girls 15,12 and 5 and it was to the point that I could not stand to even hear a vacumn cleaner running! The doc's made sure it was a short time of usage of the cymbalta as they said I was going to have enough trouble tapering off the pain pills once my injury has been corrected! They did help for a while until the docs got me regulated! It is very scary thinking about coming off the pain pills as I can never forget how bad it feels just going a day or two between scripts and I am 35 yrs old and up untill 2-3 yrs ago I had never touched a pain pill unless I had a tooth fixed or pulled or something of that nature! Now I can't get out of bed or even put my socks on in the mornings unless I take my meds and wait in bed until they start working! Anyway good luck with whatever you decide on! I try to explain my situation so hopefully people will read what I am going through and take heed to it and not let pain pills run thier lives and the respect you get from loved ones as well! Take care and have a merry x-mas
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604266 tn?1236358985
Worried, please don't make yourself suffer with such pain. Your a strong person and from what I gather you wouldn't even be considering taking pain meds again if the pain wasn't to a point which is really effecting your daily life and the quality of it.

All narcotics now have a bad name but that only applies to how your going to take them. IMHO if you feel it's time to try something out and let your doctor know you would like to be monitored very closely (if they know of the past) it's very possible to control your use if the med doesn't provide a euphoric like feeling and you keep a close watch on how your doing internally. Maybe even go a stepy further and have someone you trust hold them for you just as a precausion until you feel you can safely take them.

Of course the decision is yours and always will be. But living in pain can be devestating. After three years I finally agreed to take my pain meds and it was a nice change to be able to sit in peace and finally take a breath.

Just make sure you give it all the thought you need to and don't rush into the decision. But you know your own internal strength and what's best for you. I just hate to see you suffering. You help so many here and are always there for someone when they are having a bad day. Maybe it's time to make sure your getting the support you need for the pain. Even if it's trying any other non-narcotic options possible before you decide.

Amph
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401095 tn?1351391770
i read up on it...orally/without chewing it is only 10% absorbed....is probably why they made it for chronic painers.....chewing goes up a bit on absorption...snorting goes way way way up...iv use even more...so perhaps if taken orally at prescribed doses it may not produce euphoria to the extent that people would abuse it...I have taken dilaudid orally for pain which is a tad stronger than opana with no euphoria..also taken methadone which is almost equal and no euphoria...but even tho drugs do not cause euphoria there r still wds when stopped as the body becomes physically dependent...i have researched the net on opana and people have found every way on earth to take it except prescribed/even saw rectal use/ and perhaps given it a name as a bad narc when it was intended to be a safer narc
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Avatar universal
I posted on another thread about a fellow pain management patient that chose to snort the opana and he got caught as it shows up different on drug screens rather than oral consumption! Now he only gets ultram 50mg and he also said that it is very very addictive and it is not advised unless you have an unlimited supply and want an incredibly high tolerance to the drug! Also the withdrawals are different than other opiates much more severe and then after a while they reduce to regular opiate withdrawals so you get twice the pain and discomfort than other opiate wd's! I cannot stress enough of not taking this med in any other way than through the mouth as I saw him in person and after the doctor cut him off he was a total wreck for over a month!
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401095 tn?1351391770
no euphoria from what i have heard with the opan unless u snort and stuff..i never did that kinda stuff


love mypillhead...do u have a pain problem?  or r u bored with ur life and now  jumping around on the forums?


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Avatar universal
I am sorry I read your post wrong I thought your doc said you WOULD have to take 8 opana a day! Since he said you wouldn't then he is spot on! Also he is probably worried about all the aspirin in the hydro's if those are the kind you were taking? I don't know of a hydro without apap that I have ever seen? Is the strongest hydro the 10/650? That is the strongest ones I have ever had! I was started on hydrocodone in the very beginning of my long pain career but was quickly moved up to oxycodone then on to oxycontin and now finally opana with the small amount of oxcodone 10/325! You may want your md to give you something for breakthrough pain because the opana is NO good for that! I had to change dr's before I could get one to understand my need for a resque med! Also in my opinion your dr should not just switch you over to opana without letting you ween down from the hydro's my dr didn't and I was in hell for a while with withdrawals biggg time! As before any help just let me know
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Avatar universal
I take 3 10mg opana er a day and I was at one time up to 160mg oxycodone per day and the opana 3 x a day is working for me very well! Not doubting you a bit but I can't believe a md would tell you to take 8 opana er a day! Or are you taking just regular opana ir? I guess that would make a big difference! My md now has me take the opana extended release 10mg 3 x a day along with one percocet per opana and it is very very effective and I have L-3-L5 herniations, stenosis of the spine,6-8 bone spurrs and arthritis of the hip joint along with degenerative disc deteration and i am only 35yrs old and it is still going down hill! But all in all the md told me a while back that all the oc's had to stop or my organs were going to be damaged to the point that my life span would be effected! I wish you all the luck with your pain I hate to see anybody hurt! I have been taking the opana now for close to a year so if you have any questions please feel free to pm me anytime
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648944 tn?1241469694
Hi, worried.

For what little it's worth, I've been on Opana 40 mg. twice a day (ER-extended release) for about four months now.  I feel that it's been the most effective of the ER drugs I've been prescribed, with only nominal side effects..  

Cheers!  fpainestam
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401095 tn?1351391770
no...not taking the hydros anymore...and was trying to decide if i couolld take the opana safely...just in case I end up need something for pain so I can work...had a nerve study done and seems i have nerve damage...wasnt happy with the results...am still not going to get another fusion right now tho
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547368 tn?1440541785
It sounds to me that you just weren't getting pain relief from the hydro's. My PCP per scribes me 60mg daily. There are some days I take an additional 15mg and she is aware of that. It is a lot of hydro but I don't snort, crush or any of those things. I simply require the pain relief. I obtain absolutely NO euphoria with them. Initially they gave me some energy but that lasted just a few months.

So it does not sound to me like you have a problem with narcotics. It sounds like you have a problem with chronic pain. I would take the Opana that your physican prescribed for you. I have heard others with addiction problems state they had taken many, many more than what you were taking on a daily basis.

Again good luck to you and please let us know how you are doing. Peace, Tuck
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Avatar universal
U are currently taking hydros tho, right?
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401095 tn?1351391770
i used between 60-80 mgs of hydros on a given day..have usedd 100 mgs at times when i had enough....never chewed or snorted...nothing like that....i think perhpas i was just not getting pain relief from the hydros
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401095 tn?1351391770
chronic neck and shouolder pain, degenerative disc disease..one fusion and now wanting me to do another fusion cos my arms r falling asleep,,,i dont want anymore fusions as they cause more troube for the vertebraes that have to take up the slack for the fused vertebrae,,hence another "squished disc that will burst with time..they will fuse on their own when need be...i will wait it out and let them fuse naturally..i do not want all my neck muscles cut again...it was the worst weakness and it slowed me down,...another fusion would cause me to lose my job cos i am a nurse.
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Avatar universal
Your dr said that u wouldnt get the euphoric feeling because they are long lasting?

Oxycontin is long lasting---and u can get the euphoric feeling from that.....???  

What the heck?

What type of pain/illness do u have ?
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