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percocet & oxycontin withdrawal

i have been on percocet 10/325 for nearly 4 yrs and my ortho added 2/20 mg oxycontin 2 months ago because the percocets don't last very long anymore.   i've got bone fragments in my neck & a lower back injury which caused total paralysis twice (temporarily) a few years ago & am on disability for such among other illnesses,  which may or may not include scleroderma and/or R.A.   the prescribing dr knows i've been having problems maintaining the prescribed dosages and when 3 random UAs came back with no opiates (running out earlier each month,  and i told him this)  he merely had me come in for a one week's prescription a few times and test a couple times before going back to every month.   i honestly cannot get this dr to stand still long enough to let me talk with him more than 10 seconds,  and i feel trapped,  living in fear that another dr might not give me the same meds and as with this past week, the withdrawals get harder each time.   my appt is in 24 hrs & it's very hard to sit still long enough to type this.    

i am also torn because i don't believe my quality of life would've been the same without the drugs these past few years; i was quite literally in bed more days than not prior to going on the percocets & using a TENS unit regularly.  

so the roller coaster continues tomorrow....   if all the nausea, diarrhea, vomitting & chills doesn't pass with a pill or two,  i'll go get tested for swine flu.   this is the sickest i have ever been even though a local ER i was completely honest with a week ago DID give me an additional dozen of the percocets & vistaril to help with the withdrawal.  needless to say,  for someone who has been taking at least 6 or 8,  10 mg percs a day,  the dozen 7.5 didn't last long.   no matter how hard i try to make them last,  if i have them & am hurting,  i take them.   so i am an addict?   or dependent upon these drugs?  what is the difference,  and please,  what are my options????  (please don't suggest neurontin.  i've been on as much as 1600 mg of gabapentin after an EMG showed nerve damage in both arms & legs a few years ago.... have weaned myself down to 400 mg of it at bedtime for the forearm pain about 2 yrs ago because i didn't like feeling LOOPY.  

thanks for allowing me this forum.


This discussion is related to opiate user with anger issues.
7 Responses
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356518 tn?1322263642
Hi,
Welcome to the Pain management community.
I know it is difficult trying to make medication last when your hurting. I would suggest that you find a Docotr that will sit down with you and discuss what is going on and that your medications just are not controlling your pain now. You are dependent on the medicine for a disease and this is not addiction. When you are not having your pain controlled properly then you tend to take more of your prescribed medicine and I know it is hard but you must try and take them as prescribed so you will not run out early.
As I said if the Doctor your seeing isn't helping you it is time to find one who will.
It is impossible to know what your pain levels are and how the medication isn't working if the Doctor isn't taking the time to speak to you.
It is important that you do have time to talk with your Doctor as without the consultation he has no idea what is going on and that your running out due to your pain not being controlled. Communication is very important.
I hope your feeling better:)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you so muck. Alot of people out there don't understasnd especially family. I did the whole 2800 mgs a day for a year, Lyrica, Cymbalta, the whole 9 yds.

I went from a very advid outdoorsmen to a recluse.Mow I was just Dx'ed with bipolar type 2. Have gone to every doc and specialist. My cost in donut whole is 1600 a month.

Thank you for your support. went to pain management wanted to put me nothing but shotsand ultram. I'm on oxy and perc and he wants me to try ultram? Whose the nut?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Wow, I am sorry to hear this.  I hope you and your doctor can get things straightened out.  It truly sounds to me as though your pain is not controlled.  It may be wise to up the oxycontin as for how many percs you were taking simply spreading 20mg of time release oxycodone over a 12 hour period is likely not enough but he may be working you up to a more realistic dose.  Try to stick out his schedule as messing up now may prevent him from upping your dose as he may intend to do.  

For what it is worth, for me it truly seems that switching from one "family" of pain medications to another when I started metabolizing them too fast seemed to work very well for me to help keep my doses lower.  The one downside of this was each time I done this I had to work back up on the new med to a level that worked acceptably so I was in pain many times for a couple weeks.  Though for me going back and forth from the oxycodone to the duragesic patch helped immensly until this last round with the oxy which made me extremely ill for some reason.  This metabolism of medications and switching from one drug family to another may help others or may not.  It just really worked for me.  You would want to get away from drugs very similar to oxycodone (dilauded is closely related if I recall correctly) so a move to morphine or fentanyl may help out alot.  Though I must warn with the fentanyl that it is very powerful even taken in the doses prescribed.  I did notice that after being on the duragesic for a few months that when back on oxycodone I had to be very careful as I would have breakthrough pain much easier.  However with the fentanyl I did not need breakthrough meds nearly as bad.  I found often that simply resting for half an hour to an hour that I could prevent myself from needing to take that breakthrough med.

I don't know what your living situation is but if you are married try giving your pills to your spouse to lock up and have him or her issue your pills as they are prescribed.  I know it is terrible to go through being under medicated but what I do not want to see is your doctor having a bad day and pulling your meds because you have taken more than prescribed and noting this in your file.  If this happens it can be very very difficult to get any medication let alone what you truly require.

It helps to get some support here.  We will be here for you through your tough time so when you are feeling bad let us know.  I find the distraction of posting and reading (especially here, I just wish I would have found this place sooner) really helps alot.  Try to keep your mind occupied on other things and not think about how much medication you are taking or not taking.  I know for me if I dwelled on it and thought about it, things were much harder for me.

Keep in touch.  We are all here for you,

Nickolas
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am on 80mg's of oxy and, 40 mg's of percs everyday. you are addicted. I started with hydrocodin and went to mscotinandd percs, then 20mg oxy and percs, now I am on 80's and 10's. Now the past week this is not enough. I am going through withdrawl everyday until I take an extra pill. I have never abused any pain meds and still need more and more it's been 2 years. If you can get off the oxy's. They are dangerous period. My bro wound up on herion after he got caught changing a script but, he did abuse them. That's why I never would snd, still am addicted. I know everyone isn't the same but, this is my story and, it is 100% true. My life is crap, but over a dozen ortho surgies and, diabetic neuropathies, I have no choice. Good Luck!
Helpful - 0
1245579 tn?1268612997
i suffer from lower back 2 herniated discs and 3 discs that are collapsing,i am curently on 200 mgs of ms-contyn 2 times per day,and 150 10/325 percs per month,i find after 4 years of being on them they have no effect on me,i have been know to abbuse them,i know when i was on a high intake of 200 mgs pure morphine per day and 120 mgs oxycodone per day my dose was cut in half i had diareha and vomit from the withdrawals,everyone is different,if you slowly cut back on your meds and hold off on taking them till you feelvery sick you wil detox safley.
Helpful - 0
547368 tn?1440541785
Hello,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. I am sorry to hear about your pain and pain management issues.

I have to agree with GaGay. It sounds to me as if your pain is simply not controlled.  Your PMP may want to consider or you may want to suggest an increase in the OxyContin to maintain a more even level of pain control. Going through the hills and valleys of pain only makes it more difficult to manage. Once our pain becomes high it takes more medication to bring it down to tolerable levels. Have a heart to heart with your PMP and explain what you have been experiencing.

When you are on an appropriate dose of a slow released narcotic you should not require as much medication for break through pain. There is a huge difference between pain dependency and addiction. Sometimes those lines are thin but when a chronic pain patients pain is controlled you do not see misuse of narcotics.

Good luck to you. Please let us know how you are doing. We'll look forward to hearing form you again.

Take Care,
Tuck
Helpful - 0
222369 tn?1274474635
Honestly, you sound like someone with uncontrolled pain issues. Addicts usually abuse their medications in order to overcome emotional feelings. The high makes life bearable and we take them to "sweep life's worries under the rug". That being said, you are abusing the medication, but not as an addict would. You're abusing it to obtain pain relief, not to suppress emotional feelings. You may want to post this in the pain management forum. People there may be able to suggest things for pain issues. I will say this, YOU are your best health advocate. However, if you're not getting through to your Doctor, then it may be time to have a strong willed individual come with you to be your advocate. Leaving the Doctor without a clear understanding of how and why your pain isn't being controlled is your fault. You must speak up. The Doctor, after all, works for you.
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