Methadone or Oxycotin

[Hinkster]

Hello Everyone,
  I've been away for a few days. Boy do I miss this forum. My
question is for anyone who might be able to help me decide what
to do. KIP are you out there? As you might know from some of my
previous posts I've been going to a Pain Management place to be
seen for my problem and to get my scrips (90 40mg oxys and 270
roxicodones). This allows me to function at about 75% on a day
to day basis. I know this amount will soon or later kill me. My
Doctor yesterday asked me if I would like to go on Methadone
instead. I would get everything righ there instead of going to
a clinic. In my state Methadone clinics do not take patients (?)
from Pain Management programs. I know some of ya'll have said
absolutely not to go on the Methadone management. You are talking tough withdrawals from the Methadone if I decide to try
to quit. But what the Dr. said is this would be a lifetime
comittment on the Methadone. I'am 55 years old (a young 55 though) so there won't be any withdrawals to worry about. I just
want some of ya'lls opinions as to what I should do. Stay on the
oxy's or go to the Methadone. Please also would you be kind
enough to give me your reasons for which you believe. I have to
come up with an answer by April 29th. Thankyou so much as this
ia very important to me.
Tom

[squirrel01]

Methadone, but only if you have never tried a detox or treatment center.  You are a addict and if you can't change your life why bother. I'm on methadone i have been for the last 2 years.  i have been to about 50 detoxes and sober houses, meetings. Im 27 years old 10 of those years i spent on herion. i was married to it. methadone has kept me away from hitting a bottom or i should say a habbit.  if i ever messed up i knew i could start over the next day.  this might sound wimppy but it works for me. im not perfect i have relaped alot but when i was on nothing and meetings only it was a matter of time befor i picked up again . now i don't hang around with x- junkies i have friends who have never even sene cocaine. they are facinated by the way i handle myself and most don't even have a clue about were i have been  
    If you a ready for a change do it sky is the limit. we have a disease and most get control of it . good luck

[squirrel01]

Methadone, but only if you have never tried a detox or treatment center.  You are a addict and if you can't change your life why bother. I'm on methadone i have been for the last 2 years.  i have been to about 50 detoxes and sober houses, meetings. Im 27 years old 10 of those years i spent on herion. i was married to it. methadone has kept me away from hitting a bottom or i should say a habbit.  if i ever messed up i knew i could start over the next day.  this might sound wimppy but it works for me. im not perfect i have relaped alot but when i was on nothing and meetings only it was a matter of time befor i picked up again . now i don't hang around with x- junkies i have friends who have never even sene cocaine. they are facinated by the way i handle myself and most don't even have a clue about were i have been  
    If you a ready for a change do it sky is the limit. we have a disease and most get control of it . good luck

[oh please already]

It is amasing to me how many nurses are out on this bourd,mee too but not working right now due to childcare and also the fear of having control of that narotics key.MY daughters now 4 and could go to school but i worry greatly about my own self control.I told a friend of mine, a Pain specilist about how many women i know who what to detox and yet cant leave small children behind.It is impossable to withdrawl with preschoolers in the house( but yet i keep telling myself that i woulndnt feel guilty if i was sruck in bed with the flu for a few days,but then they start to climb al  over you,calling and u have to get up.I  know to be careful what i wish for but if i could just get my 4 yr old to shut up ...yada yada  ha ha .anyway back to my conversation with this highy repectable dr who runs a big pratice  he said its just not cost effective. Our lifes, our childerns lifes are just not cost effective. It made me so angry i was at a lost for words, this was my friend,a dr ,someone who had started me on this hells road,and now adios,goodbye,no money in it for me. well the morel of this story is do not think that your doctor is your friend,half the time its money,half it to just shut u up.I am sure that there are good caring mds but i havent seen one yet who has taken the reponsabilty of starting pts on this oxy,who hasent jumped shipp with all the press,leaving people to withdral on there own or they make people with hoenst pain feel like a failure when they start to need more medication even thought it has nothing to do with willpower,but the bodys ability to reuire more narcotics with time.As a nurse i know that vicoden,perocet all metolize after 2-4 hrs and yet drs say take every 6hours and then wonder y you self medicate. I know for myself that when i frist started on pain med that i used to watch the clock,crying but afraid to take my med one min early,untill the day i just couldnt wait anymore and took that extra dose,and i didnt die so i took more and more and more ..........if id only had a md who had treated my pain responably i woulndt have had to suffer or take that first extra dose.I know that begin an addict is my own responabilty,but i cant help but be angry at the drs who start so many on the path. Most of the people on this site essm to have started the same way.

[rowanshyne]

Like another women I have noticed on this board, I'm a nurse.  Also not practicing nursing just now.
ANTSY
I'm curious - As you are taking the *medication* for genuine, severe pain and have a terminal disease, why do you feel the need to stop taking your pain medication?  It gives relief from your agony and you do not appear to be abusing it, so why wouldn't you take it?  There are several of us on this board who suffer from chronic pain, a couple of us who take a break from it now and again, but in order to have any kind of life, we still take it.
I am going to check with my Doc at my next visit about Buprenex.

HINKSTER
Have you and your Doc discussed the Duragesic patch?  My DH was just put on it a week ago, with Lorcet 10/650 for breakthrough and it's helping him a quite a bit.  It's just *wonderful* to see some of the agony reduced!

Wren

[antsy]

Please forgive my spelling.

I have terminal Soft Tissue Sarcoma cancer mets that reside in the lungs. I have had 4 surgeries so far that have left me w/ basicly one lung betwen the two. My second last surgery involved removing part of 2 ribs from the spine resulting in lots of pain, along with numbness throuhout the upper torso.  I am on Effexor and have gotten myself down to 75mg day from about 187mg.

I am also on Oxycontin and have been weaning myself off a very heavy dose of 120mg 3x day.  I am finally down to 2 x 40mg, but can't seem to get past that. I know that there are smaller doses (20 mg) and I imagine 10mg, but my Doc is on holidays. I also CANNOT cut these in half or a serious OD will occur, I am told.

As my nickname indicates the withdrawal symtom (fortunately the only one)I am experiencing is this spastic, restless feeling in my legs, especially behind my knees. This feeling also seems to affect my mind in a sense, because I feel jittery and can't stay still. Fortunately I have some 20 mg fast acting stuff that does the deed.

Do any of you have any tricks or suggestions I can use in the meantime, AND that my Doctor and I can use later on. I called my pharasist and he suggested Alprazolam but he is concerned about addicition to it as well.

Thanks ya all

[1fortheroad]

you should go to atwatchdog.org - they are a methadone support board.  you will get tons of answers there for sure. good luck

[missmissy]

thinks for the tip and ill defently check it out thanks again.

[missmissy]

I WAS REALLY LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ABOUT QWIUTING METHADONE COLD TURKEY.WHAT ARE THE THINGS TO EXPECT IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS TO COME.I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO HEAR ANY OPINIONS ON GETTING OFF ON MY OWN , AND WHAT THE RISKS ARE IN DOING IT.WHAT ARE ALL THE
THINGSTHAT WIIL HAPPEN TO ME WHEN I DO?

[Mace]

I was happy to see your post Francoise. I have been reading this page for some time now and think it is great that people have a place to go for help or just to vent. The thing about your post Francoise that I relate to is that I too have always taken my meds as prescribed by my doctor. I had taken lortab 10/500 for almost a year for a back problem when my doctor gave me oxycotin 40mg 2x a day. The oxycotin was a God sent to me! I was taking over 4000mg of tylenol with the lortabs and was on this rollercoster of pain relief then mimi WD. My liver was about shot when I went to the oxycotin. It has been almost 4 years now and my doctor increased my dose to 40mg 3x a day, he has offered OX IR for breakthrough pain but I find that if I take the next dose a little early works much better for extreem pain. I see the doctor every 30 days for refills. I can honestly say that I have never gone over the prescribed amount no matter what the pain level. (3 x a day) I know that 120mg a day is a lot of oxycodone but after 4 years I feel no "high" from the meds. I was unable to work for almost 3 years but was able to return to work just months after starting the oxycotin! I know that if I were to stop taking the oxy that I would face WD, not to mention the pain that drove me to the oxy in the first place. I have a good doctor and he has told me that if the time comes that I need to reduce or quit the oxy that he will give me a plan on how to taper off the drug. My problem now is that my back problem has gotten worse and all the oxy in the world will not be able to keep me walking, very soon I will not be able to walk even short distance and again I will be unable to work. Well that is my story. I guess what I wanted to say was that I blame the pain and not the pain meds for my problems. I know I am additcted to the oxycotin but I also knew what I was getting into when I started. I put my trust in my doctor and continue to do so. In the same respect my doctor put his trust in me. Trusting me to not abuse the pain relief tool he gave me. I dont want anyone to think that I am judging them, I am not. I am just telling "my story" for what it is worth. Thank you to everyone for letting me vent.....

[chancycook]

Jess, Thank you so much for your advice. It helps to relate to someone who has been there. I have 2 kids, both girls, age 2 & 6. I used to be a very strong person before my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.After that I began to drink. She was my life. Without her I am lost. She died my senior year of high school. My dad's family is full of unrealized alcoholics. I think that it is hitting me harder since my body takes after my mom. They don't understand why I have a problem since they drink at least a twelve every night and aren't hurt by it. My problem is that I am 5'4" while they are all at least 6'. I guess my size is finally a real problem with fitting in with the family parties.(My "little" sister is 5'8") I want to get help, but my husband of 2 years is unable to find child care while I'm getting help. (we are a merged family with him having full custody of his daughter and me having full custody of my daughter(2). He is about 10 years older than me and I wonder if that might have something to do with it. Thank you all for not being upset with me for intruding on what I see as more dramatic addictions. Thanks, Chancy

[vikequeen]

Does anyoe have any experience with Soma? I took 30 in 2 and half days and am having some weird withdrawls like, panic attacks and nausea. Last night I thought I was gonna wig out and I was afraid to go to sleep for fear I would not wake up. Thats it for me no more Soma. THanks guys, Chancy honey I too have issues with kids and detox I have a 2 year old and I wanna do an outpatient but dont want anyone to know, My husabd would leve this time for sure. I am so perplexed I wanna get clean cause I know I am compromising my liver big time but its hard.

[Francoise]

I'd go with the oxy, dude. However, I'd go up on the oxy and drop the Roxi. There's just no reason you need anything but the oxy.

I'm on 100 mg oxy twice a day. I get no high, no buzz, no nothing but a life with not so much pain in it. And, like you, I don't really have to worry about WDs since I'm on it for life. If you need something for breakthrough pain, get your doc to give you some oxyIR.

Additionally, get yourself a stash of oxy and put it in the freezer for a rainy day. "Rainy day" means you're covered in the unknowable future if something should happen to your doctor, or your pharmacy decides you've had enough, or who the hell knows what happens. I've got a small stash in my freezer. About once a year, I'll take the stash out of the freezer, replace it with a fresh prescription and administer the former stash to myself. This way, the stash is kept fresh. And keeping it in the freezer helps a great deal as well. Organic reactions require heat, and there just ain't much heat in a freezer, so the oxy doesn't deterioriate. You DON'T want to run out, but you know that.

I kept a very small stash on my boat just in case I had a breakdown out in the ocean and couldn't be rescued in time to get home and take the next dose. It stayed on my boat for over two years, through heat, cold, you name it. I tried some of it about a week ago, thinking it wouldn't be any good. It was fine.

I've heard too many stories about methadone to feel comfortable with it. It's cheaper, I guess. But if I lost my insurance, I wouldn't hesitate to switch to methadone. Anything to stave of opiod WDs.

Your dosage just doesn't make any sense to me. 270 Roxicets is something like 1350 mg of oxycodone, and it's not time release. And it's got Tylenol in it. I don't take Tylenol for any reason, or in any amount. So, in a month, you're taking 4950 mg oxycodone. Call it 5,000 mg, or 5 grams. So you're taking 167 mg oxycodone a day, 120 mg of it oxycontin, plus almost 50 mg in Roxicet. I don't get it. Why don't you just take 80 mg oxycontin twice a day and have done with it? I'm taking more than you, at 100 mg oxycontin twice a day and NO Roxicet, or anything else. Life is simple. When I get up in the morning, I take 100 mg. Then I don't think about it all day long. Then in the evening when I get home, another 100 mg. I'm done. No Perc, no Roxi, nothing. I don't spend half my life foolin' around with medication. If I get in pain during the day, I'll take my evening dose early.

And one other thing. I don't fool around with this stuff. I don't take any extra to cop a little buzz. I don't sell it outta my stash either. Someone knows I'm on this and wants some. **** 'em. They can go somewhere else. I take this stuff exactly like it's prescribed 100 mg twice a day, no foolin' around. I know people who take all their months worth in two weeks, then they come around wanting to borrow some of mine. No way, I say to them, you made this bed now you can sleep in it. Then they go away. I guess they buy it on the street for a dollar a mg. And I'm a son of a ***** if they don't come around again next month with the same sad look with their hand out again. Talk about a death wish. My stash is for me. I ain't in the drug business. I'm in the business of taking care of Francois' chronic pain. I've seen too many people **** up and no one wanted to deal with them any more. Doctors cut 'em off. Clinics don't want to see 'em any more. That kinda scene ain't for me.

Anyway, I've said enough for two posts. Hope this helps. Questions? I'm always ready to inflict my opinions on this. But, you know, this is serious stuff here.

Francois

[Hinkster]

As you can read from one of the older posts I drank also. For
some strange reason I found it not too hard to quit drinking. I
also quit smoking due to almost dying from Bacterial Pneumonia.
Also a good reasom for ME not to drink are the pain meds I take
for PN. If I ever mixed Alcohol and the amount of pain meds I
take I surely would not be posting here, I'd be on the other side
of the grass where no one wants to be. Also Lifeisbetter thanks
for your advice. I do take Roxicodone which has no Tylenol or
aspirin. At the Pain Management Center I take Blood tests ofter
so the liver is okay. Thanks to everyone for your support.
Tom

[Hinkster]

Hey Francois thanks for the great advice. A couple of things.
The Doctor use to have me on 270 Perks a month along with the
90 40mg oxys. She switched over to the Roxicodone saying I was
having too much Tylenol in the perks. That to me means there is
no Tylenol in the Roxicodone or why would she switch me over? As
for the Roxicodone they are for breakthrough pain. I'am suppose
to take 2-3 tabs three times daily or when needed, this on top
of 3 40mg oxys a day. That is such a great idea for stashing some in the freezer for a raininy day. I learn something every
time I open this site. Thanks again for the great info and for
caring enough to write it.
Tom

[1fortheroad]

i'm curious francoise...always curious...or just damn nosy!  if you are an addict, how do you manage to control your oxy intake so well.  i've even screwed up with taking buprenex, which doesn't give me any high at all no matter how much i take - and i still took more. when i used to get oxy, i'd take the whole bottle in 3 days nevermind 2 weeks.

are you ever really worried your dr. might move, retire or something, and the new one won't prescribe oxy to you?  you must be a little concerned or you wouldn't have a stash.

[Francoise]

Actually, I'm considered "dependant" as opposed to "addicted."

I take my medication as prescribed. I've been doing it for 3.5 years. All that stuff you may have heard about how if you're in pain and you're taking pain medication, you don't become addicted? Bullshit. If I were to stop taking that oxy, or even if I was to taper down at 10 mg over a 3.5 year period, I'd still have WDs. It doesn't matter whether you call it dependant or addicted. It amounts to the same thing.

I've seen what real addiction can do. I know what WDs feel like. I don't want to go there. I'll take my medication as directed; I won't doctor shop to get more; I won't buy any off the street; and Jesus Christ couldn't make me take one more milligram than I'm supposed to. (And I make enough money that I don't need to sell my stash. I wouldn't sell any of that stash for $100 a milligram. I've seen the inside of a jail, too. Not interested.)

Francois

[Hinkster]

MrMichael excellent advice. I think you just swayed me. I had
heard that methadone is not for everyone. I do seem to be doing
okay on the oxys and roxis combo. I may go the way of Francoise
and up the oxys to 80mg twice a day. My Dr asked me about that.
But what then for the breakthrough? Groovy your not just rambling
it sure is good to hear from you. Thanks again everyone.
Tom

[1fortheroad]

i could never take any pain meds as prescribed including the buprenex, which my husband is doling out to me now because i couldn't handle it myself.  i just always feel like more of an opiate will make me feel better and better.  i give those who take it responsibly a lot of credit, because now i am left with the pain issue and what am i going to do about it.  i have suffered from mind-numbing, chronic migraines, which led me to taking these meds in the first place.  i think they were under prescribed to me intitially, the pain didn't go away so i just kept increasing on my own - dumb mistake.  if i could have taken them the right way, i'd still be on them and there'd be no problem...now i'm just rambling so i'll leave you in peace here.  have a good night everyone.

[Hinkster]

MrMichael excellent advice. I think you just swayed me. I had
heard that methadone is not for everyone. I do seem to be doing
okay on the oxys and roxis combo. I may go the way of Francoise
and up the oxys to 80mg twice a day. My Dr asked me about that.
But what then for the breakthrough? Groovy your not just rambling
it sure is good to hear from you. Thanks again everyone.
Tom

[mrmichael67]

I am a chronic painer currently on 80 mg oxy three times a day and an additional 20 mg of oxy with the last dose of 80 for the day.  That equals 260 mg a day.  Your dosages sound fine to me.  They do make a 20 mg form of oxycodone that is fast released.  I have also been on the methadone for my pain.  Methadone does not work for everyone as far as pain goes.  It didn't work for me.  If you can take the oxy as prescribed, then stay with it!  Unlike what has been previously stated, oxycodone, when taken for a very long time, does not adversely affect any of the bodies organ systems.  Even heroin, in its pure form, is a safe pain med.  Morphine has been studied for a REALLY long time.  All of the opiates, when taken as prescribed, are safe when used for a long time.  Stay with the oxycontin.  And, when I mean opiates, I mean them by themselves.  No tylenol or ibuprophen, or aspirin.

[GOD]

I'm glad you found this board, Chancy.

ALCOHOL was my drug of choice for the last 3 years of my drinking career. 1.75 liters of vodka per day. I was killing myself at a rather good clip. I used Alcohol to get rid of my constant fear, and panic attacks. I couldn't even go to a grocery store without being looped up drunk. I couldn't deal with the people!

You know what? Once alcohol was out of my life, the panic attacks stopped! I had my life back... BUT, I just couldn't get off the booze by myself... it DID run my life, and I LIVED for it. It took checking into an inpatient treatment center (Valley Hope in O'neil, NE) to first Detox, and secondly learn HOW to live again. When I took Alcohol OUT of my life, that took out about 80% of my activities, so I had to find a new way of living, and what helped me was AA and NA meetings (Their style doesn't necisarily work for everyone... but it saved MY life.)
About your Liver, and probably pancreas: Yes they are probably damaged by what you have been doing, but the body has a miraculous way of healing itself. When I checked into the treatment center, the Doc their told me (After extensive blood tests) that I had the Liver and pancreas of an 80 year old (I'm 32 by the way!) This damage gave me Type II Diabetes, but being sober(off ALCOHOL) now for 6 months, the Diabetes is starting to go into remission, and I may get back to my old self! Please do what's right for yourself and kid(s)... If you Detox at home, make sure you have someone around 24 Hrs for the fist 2-3 days to help you. Alcohol Detoxing can lead to hallucinations or fatal seizures when the booze is taken away. It is SCARY. Trust me, if you have the means, go to a professional Detox facility. they are staffed with some of the best Nurses and doctors in the country. The added bonus is that you will have peers in there that are going through all the pain that YOU are going through.

Whatever your descision may be, I wish you luck and happiness in the near future!

Jess

[chancycook]

J.B. thank you so much for writing. I am sorry that you have suffered so much pain. I have been looking at AA online. I am unsure how to approach it. Should I call to set up a time to attend or do you just show up? I want to reach out so bad, but don't know how to. The mottled skin is really scarring me. I did try to talk to a doctor at a hospital once about my addiction. He just told me that since I am a female I am going to die from drinking. It was almost like he already declared me a failure. It terrified me yet my way of dealing with fear is to drink. I'm rattling again when others need help. Chancy

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

Yes, I drank heavily for many years.  Actually, my primary addiction is opiates but I abused alcohol for years as sort of a substitute for opiates.  

Concerning your mottled skin and pain in the right side, it could be liver problems.  I would have my blood tested ASAP for elevated liver enzymes.  Females tend to not handle alcohol as well as males physically.  You may already have some sort of liver disease that alcohol causes even more problems for you.

I have had the mottled skin and right upper quadrant pain myself.  Then came the jaundice, nosebleeds, fatigue, anemia and severe mental anguish(depression for one).  You could go on this way for years, yet again this addiction could get you in the next few minutes...who knows?

The point is to get some help and AA is a good place to get started.  Whether it takes one or a hundred meetings, you will eventually experience a moment of clarity that may save your life!

J.B.

[chancycook]

Hello everyone! I have found this forum to be very good for my spirit. I don't recognize most of the drugs mentioned here since I have not actually gone through detox. This is the second time I have written in a few days. I was wondering if anyone here has ever had an alcohol addiction? I know that this is my problem. A couple of years ago I was in college and exercising everyday. Now, I have gained several pounds, quit school, and become the worst mother in the world. I suffer from panic attacks when around people now so I rarely attend one of my oldest daughter's functions without a couple of drinks first. I drink every night. I want to quit, but I am terrified of all the possible problems. I am terrified to take any kind of pill. I am living in fear of all things. Lately, my right side has begun to hurt and the skin has taken on a mottled appearance. Sorry to dump on all of you, but it would be a relief to correspond with others that have similar problems. Thanks, Chancy