oxycodone tolerance

[eastncpain]

On oxycodone for over 7yrs and within the past year not getting adequate pain relief. My pain management Dr doesn't believe in tolerance and can't afford to change drs. So lost, any suggestions or literature out there to prove tolerance exsists?

[trixy71]

First may I ask what is your pains and have there been any surgeries involved?

If it were me, I'd maybe ask him for some idea's to help get your pain down. Explain that your meds aren't as helpful as they once were. Ask for suggestions, maybe even ask for an injection or other procedure to see if that might help. Many doctors want to make sure that their patients aren't in it for just the meds and are really looking for pain relief. Even though you have been on the same dosage for a long time, doesn't mean that he isn't getting pressured from the DEA or something. I'm actually surprised that he hasn't switched you to a long acting medication yet, 7 years is a long time to be on a short acting medication.

BetterGetBetter is right about if you go in with online research its liable to make your doctor angry. Remember he is the one who is the expert and spent a lot of time and money to become a doctor.

Good luck to you. Let us know how things work out for you.

[BetterGetBetter]

Can I be blunt? Do you really think your doc does not believe in tolerance? EVERYBODY knows tolerance exists. He just doesn't want to UP your dose. And waving literature in his fact is gonna **** him off. "Well, doctor, this internet forum I posted to says tolerance really exists, and you're wrong...." LOL

Tolerance is so real that there are SEVERAL posts on this forum, as well as others, about how people take their opiate pills *exactly* as prescribed (e.g. "one pill every 6 hours," etc., or whatever), and then after several months, they find they HAVE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS between doses!

Ugh!

That's why narcs are such serious business. That's why docs don't wave them around like candy "here, come and get more." They hem, and they haw, and the seem like real meanies..... and they will say stuff like "oh i don't believe in tolerance." They just don't want you to go down the path of addiction and dependence!

There are other things to do, to take, to think about, to study, etc., besides opiate pills for pain. There are other therapeutic modalities to alleviate pain. For example, some doctors recommend physical therapy. Some doctors prescribe concurrent medications to reduce the dependence on a purely opiate-based therapy.

So, for  example, if it were me, I might say to my doctor, "Hey doc, my pain has gotten worse. I really don't want MORE oxycodone than I'm already taking. Are there other therapies or techniques, or even medications that would be safe and help me manage my pain so it will stop feeling like it is getting worse?"