Why not Oxy's

[shelter1]

I have been on pain pills for over 3 years. I have had 5 spinal blocks and they don't last. I get a script for percocet and that works for the day time. At night I wake up every 2 hours with pain in my hip and leg and have to walk it off. I asked the Dr. if he had something timmed released for night and he gave me Advenza. I couldn't sleep on it so the next month he perscribed Opana. The pharmacist questioned why he is going morphine and not oxycotin. I asked the office girl and she said "He will never perscribe oxycotin". Why would that be? I have a guy in my program that has cancer and he gave me 2 oxycotin 40mg and they worked great. I have never abused my meds and have never tried to get a perscription early. Are most legit. doctors afraid to write a script for oxy's?
Is oxycotin more addictive or abused more than Opana or Advenza. The oxy's can't be more expensive I couldn't believe the price of Opana and Advenza. Maybe that is the reason?

[nick30]

i think the pharacist meant why is your doc prescribing oxymorphone(opana) instead of oxycontin SR.
oxycontin doesn't have other meds in it like percoset(which has oxycodone and an anti-inflammitory in it).
the reason your doc might not prescribe oxycontin might be because of the widespread abuse of oxycontin. people who abuse oxycodone prefer oxycontin because it does not have the anti-inflammitory in it(so they can take more w/o ruining the stomach).
opana is more expensive as just as abused(however it isn't as popular to prescribe, there is less of it around so it doesn't get noticed the way oxycontin does).
hope that clears things up a bit, and yes, even good dr's are afraid of certain drugs, regardless of weather you are abusing them or not.

nick

[Red931]

I agree with Nick in that alot of doctors are afraid to prescribe Oxycontin because it has gotten a bad rap because of idiots that crush it up and stick it up their nose. However if your doctor was prescribing Percocet and you were taking them as directed, he has no reason to refuse to prescribe you Oxycontin.

The stuff he did give you is actually stronger and you will become dependent on it easier and faster. I don't know what your relationship is with your doctor, but if he will listen to you tell him you would rather have the Oxycontin. Do not tell him that you took someone else's medication. You should not have done that in the first place.

I am on Oxycontin 20mg, and Percocet 5/325 for breakthrough pain. My Primary prescibes the Oxycontin and my Orthopedist prescribes the Percocet. Orthopedists have a problem prescribing it also. As a matter of fact they would rather give you a truckload of Vicodin that will ruin your liver. That has been my experience at least.

Oxycontin is a very safe and effective pain medication if taken as directed by people who have legitimate conditions that cause them moderate to severe pain.

Good Luck.

[ChronicPain1]

It's sad that doctor's seem to be behind the studies and truth on pain meds prescribed to those actually in pain.

Thing is, those who take long acting meds for actual pain almost never ever abuse, nor get addicted. You may get dependent, but not like someone snorting and taking them for fun and the high.

A lot of doctors balk at Oxycontin simply because people abuse them. There's a difference between people in pain not getting high, and people taking them illegally to get high. Doctors need to start realizing this.

[Red931]

I agree 100%. However as long has you have people out there selling the drugs that we need to control our pain on the streets illegally to thouse that are using them illegally, the people that really need them will suffer.

I do know the difference between addiction and dependency, thus I used the term "dependent" in my post to Shelter1.

However I did make a statement about taking medication that is not prescribed to you, (a controled substance) which is also illegal. Doing things like that will only turn doctors off more on prescribing the proper medication to a patient.

[opus88]

hi, I just stumbled upon this site also looking for answers
I suffer from degenerative disks along with fibromyalgia and OA...I have alot of lower back pain and nerve pain down both legs...
I recently had cortisone shots to both hips witch did help with the OA pain, but NOT the leg pain.
I have been on percocet for abt a year, this helped marginally.
The doctors (team) I am now seeing...one is a PAIN SPECIALIST (who also does alot of work with our NHL team).....
He put me on 20mg daily of oxy. to build up to more as required.And percocet also for breakthorough pain.
I was told by him and also another vry trusted dr. that oxy when taken for pain has abt. a 3% chance of ever leading to 'addiction' problems...and the ones that fall into that 3% are people who already have an addictive personality themselves or in the family.
From what I understand...percocet is basically the same thg as oxy except oxy is longer lasting, percocet only has a 4 hr window, oxy 12....they r both a form of morphine
I also take a drug named gabapentin(neurontin) for sciatic pain and this drug is a life saver for that form of nerve pain.
I think u need to talk to someone who specializes in Pain to give u correct info and also prescr. some thing more effective for you

[Tuckamore]

Hi Shelter,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am glad that you have found us but sorry to hear that you also have chronic pain.

Your physicians refusal to prescribe Oxycontin is in all probability a personal one. My PCP will not prescribe them either. I have a long standing great and trusting relationship with my PCP.  I respect her feelings and opinions as she respects mine. Don't get me wrong she has RX percocet short term for me. She has also prescribed just about every other "Big Dog" medication you can name, my system has accepted none of them.

Some history on Oxycodone/Oxycontin: Freund and Speyer of the University of Frankfurt in Germany first synthesized oxycodone from thebaine in 1916], a few years after the  Bayer had stopped the mass production of heroin due to hazardous use, harmful use, and dependence. It was hoped that a thebaine-derived drug would retain the analgesic effects of morphine and heroin with less dependence. To some extent this was achieved, as oxycodone does not have the same immediate effect as heroin or morphine nor does it last as long. So Oxycodone is not a form of morphine. It is a synthetic opiate and morphine is a pure (non-synthetic) opiate.

MS Contin (long lasting morphine) is not as strong as OxyContin. And it really comes down to what works best for the individual. Some ppl obtain little releif with Oxy's as compared to MS. I went int ER a month ago in acute severe pain (huge kidney stone) telling them that MS did not work well for me. Well they hit me with enough MS that it did reduce my pain significantly. Why than does MS Contin not redice my chronic pain to any degree??? Medications and our systems and circumstances are different. Not only are they different from person to person they can be differentiated by individual circumstances.

Again I think your Physician is just uncomfortable with the Oxy's. If you are not accepting of his preference you may have to change physicians. I will live with my PCP's preferences. She does not let me suffer needlessly. That is her only quirk and I can live with it.

You posted a good questions that has caused some good debate and provoked lots of thoughts. Good luck to you. Please let us know how you are doing.  Peace, Tuck