Oxycontin

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This is a long story but I will try to make it short.  A friend of mine has chronic pain from fibromyalgia and other pain issues with her back.  She has been on pain meds for about 5 years - first on vicoden, then vicoden along with oxycontin gradually going up to 160 mgs per day and 7 vicoden per day, then switched pain doctors because the previous doctor didnt know what to do anymore because this amount of meds was not helping the pain.  She then went to a new pain doctor who put her on methadone at 140 mgs per day and 7 percocets per day, but she didnt like the side effects of methadone and it didnt realy help her pain either.  So she weaned herself down and off of methadone (but is still on 7 percocet per day) and her doctor recently put her back on oxycontin 60 mgs a day and kept her on 7 percocet per day.  Now this is not helping her pain much at all.  She is allergic to morphine based meds and methadone had terrible side effects for her.  Her doctor will probably increase her oxy dose.  It seems that oxycontin is the only med that she isnt allergic to or have bad side effects from but what Im concerned with is the tolerance issue with the oxycontin.  She used to be on 160 mgs a day and it didnt help much.  She has tried lycria, neurontin, and other non narcotic meds in the past and none of them helped.  My question is this - for those of you on oxycontin, what dose are you on?  do they need to keep increasing it over time?  can a person stay on oxycontin without tolerance issues?  what other meds are available to her besides methadone, morphine based, and non narcotics?  Any info would be appreciated.  Thanks.

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Thanks for your response.  I did not know that about breakthru meds that generally 3 is the limit when on a long acting.  She has been on pain meds for about 5 years and has always had 7 vics or percs a day to go along with her long acting med.  Im just really concerned because when she was on oxycontin before, it didnt take her that long to get to 160 mgs a day (about a year).  And when she was on 160 mgs a day, she could easily take double that (and Ive seen her do it) and I seen her chew them a couple of times which in my opinion is a sign of abuse.  She had said that as long as she has enough for the month, she can adjust according to her pain which pretty much meant over doing for 2 weeks and then having to cut back to make it to refill.  So Im concerned about her going back on oxycontin because of the way she used to handle them. And that they are the most addicting narcotic based on studies.  The methadone was a God send, she did not over do them at all and had no desire to.  Seeing she is back on oxy, she swears she will take them as prescribed unlike before.  Im just not so sure.

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Thank you very much again for your comments and advice.  And i will check out your blog.  My friend is on 7 of the 10 mg percocet (10 mg oxycodone/325 mg acedominiphine) per day and when she was on vicoden she was also on the 10 mg/325 mgs.  At this point in time she is on 60 mgs of oxycontin and 7 of the 10 mg/325 mg percocet per day.  the last time she was on oxy she was on 160 mgs of oxy a day and 7 of the 10 mg/325 mg vicoden.  Right now 60 mgs of oxy doesnt do anything, she said it feels like she is taking nothing.  and the 7 percs she said do not work well either like taking nothing.  She does get all her medication from a pain doctor and does not buy off the street.  But Im still confused if she is "addicted" or "dependant" on her medication because I do see indications of an addict but at other times I see indications of being dependant to help the pain.  

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Thank you very much again for your comments and advice.  And i will check out your blog.  My friend is on 7 of the 10 mg percocet (10 mg oxycodone/325 mg acedominiphine) per day and when she was on vicoden she was also on the 10 mg/325 mgs.  At this point in time she is on 60 mgs of oxycontin and 7 of the 10 mg/325 mg percocet per day.  the last time she was on oxy she was on 160 mgs of oxy a day and 7 of the 10 mg/325 mg vicoden.  Right now 60 mgs of oxy doesnt do anything, she said it feels like she is taking nothing.  and the 7 percs she said do not work well either like taking nothing.  She does get all her medication from a pain doctor and does not buy off the street.  But Im still confused if she is "addicted" or "dependant" on her medication because I do see indications of an addict but at other times I see indications of being dependant to help the pain.  

[redblue]

Thank you very much again for your comments and advice.  And i will check out your blog.  My friend is on 7 of the 10 mg percocet (10 mg oxycodone/325 mg acedominiphine) per day and when she was on vicoden she was also on the 10 mg/325 mgs.  At this point in time she is on 60 mgs of oxycontin and 7 of the 10 mg/325 mg percocet per day.  the last time she was on oxy she was on 160 mgs of oxy a day and 7 of the 10 mg/325 mg vicoden.  Right now 60 mgs of oxy doesnt do anything, she said it feels like she is taking nothing.  and the 7 percs she said do not work well either like taking nothing.  She does get all her medication from a pain doctor and does not buy off the street.  But Im still confused if she is "addicted" or "dependant" on her medication because I do see indications of an addict but at other times I see indications of being dependant to help the pain.