Oycodone to Butrans

[tazzigirl920]

I have been taking Oxycodone 30mg for almost 3 years. Started on 5mg and my dr increased over the years. I have two hernitated discs in my back & my pain at time was so awful. I finally received a epidural and starting to feel better. Saw my dr today and he stopped my oxycodone and put me on Butrans patch 20mg. It has not been 24 hrs yet and I am starting to get ill. Will this get better? He told me I would be fine, but I feel super sick.

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

Darn doctors....

BuTrans, like Suboxone, will precipitate withdrawal if care is not taken when starting the medication to match up the person's tolerances.  There is a ceiling to the effects of buprenorphine;  you would get to that maximum effect at a dose of around 2 mg per day (you are now getting about 0.5 mg per day).  At the maximum effect-- i.e. at 2 mg per day-- butrans is ABOUT as potent as 60 mg of oxycodone per day.  These are rough dose estimates, as every person is a little different, and the route of administration-- transdermal-- has different 'efficiencies' in different people.  But if you were taking, say, 100 mg of oxycodone per day, there is no way to match your pain relief using buprenorphinne-- even if you wore ten patches.  The ceiling on the effects of the medication limit the analgesia that the medication provides.

You are now likely either in withdrawal from coming off oxycodone, or in precipitated withdrawal from the buprenorphine's opioid blocking effects.  I wish I had an easy answer for you, but the right way forward at this point depends on many different factors-- factors that I do not know.  I would recommend getting back on the meds you were taking, and making sure that your doc understands the complex effects of buprenorphine-- including the opioid blocking effects of the medication.

Darn doctors....

[Purdue_hydrocodone]

Percocet is the brand name of the generic drug oxycodone and acetaminophen and Vicodin is a brand name of the generic drug Hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Both oxycodone and Hydrocodone is a narcotic drug and are often used in combination with acetaminophen or APAP, a no steroidal anti inflammatory drug which helps in increasing their potency. Other brand names available under oxycodone are Endocet, Magnacet, Narvox, Tylox, Roxicet etc and under Hydrocodone are Anexsia, Dolorex Forte, Hycet, Liquicet, Lortab, Lorcet, Xodol, Zydone, Zamicet, Maxidone, Norco, Polygesic, Zolvit etc. Both are used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. However Percocet is a better pain medication than Vicodin as it is a stronger opioid.

http://www.findrxonline.com/blog/percocet-vs-vicodin-%E2%80%93-the-better-pain-medication/

[trisha55]

A related discussion, butrans from norco was started.