Nucynta

[atonicat]

Well I had my appointment with my PM doc today. She prescribed me Nucynta which apparently is a newish drug. I went the the pharmacy and they did not have it. The pharmacist called 5 other Walgreen's who also did not have it. So now she's going to order it and possible get it in on Thursday. She said she may not get it in at all. Ugh. From what I can tell this medicine is basically something like tramadol and morphine, but kills pain more like hydro or oxy. It also helps with nerve pain like Cymbalta. It's really confusing and apparently hard to find. My pharmacy said they had never had it in.

Has anyone ever heard of it or taken it?

[awb5150]

I am in chronic pain, i was given (after many months of loritab 5's and other things that just dont work) finally percocet started relieving maybw 20% of the pain, but the tylenol i guess after putting so many other drugs in my sensitive stomach, the tylenol wasn't cutting it, and it wasn;t enough, so they put me on roxycodone, 30 mg 3 times aday, hooray i got out of bed and started trying to have a normal life, still in pain, it got rid of 50 %, a miracle for me. but you cant find them, plus they are cheap, 20 bucks per 30 pills.. I dont have insurance.. but the pharmacist says the dea and local law inforcement is discouraging them from even carrying them.. since when does law enforxcement make people hurt.. there is something wrong with this picture! mean while i have to go to the emergendy room to get percocets and a demerol shot... why, why, why

[goochie77]

I currently take Nucynta along with Morphine, I am having less break through pain, but am very drowsy.

[Tuckamore]

Hi stayathomemommaof2,

Welcome to our Pain Mangement Forum. This is an old thread that was began by another member. Please begin your own thread (Question).  

It will help you obtain better responses and suggestions.

Thanks,
~Tuck

[stayathomemommaof2]

I am currently on Nucynta and its an absolute god sent it doesnt make you feel dopey and lasts longer then oxy which is awesome!!! I had to sctually go to several pharmacys in order to get mine filled they started me at 100mg/day now im at theraputic level of 300mg/day its the best I dont even have any break thru pain!!!

[namnam46]

Sorry - I was posting at the same time that you were. ;)   I HOPE that it will start to work for you!!

Hopefully, you will have GOOD results with it AFTER it's been in your system for a few days.

ANXIOUSLY waiting to hear the results and HOPE that they are EXCELLENT!!!

Best of Luck........Sherry

[namnam46]

I'm SO sorry that it didn't work for you.  I was REALLY hoping that you would have found something to help you!!

Mellie makes a REALLY good point about the possibility of it needing to build up in your system.

If I were you I'd give the Doctor a call and let him know and see IF it needs to build up or should you get a DIFFERENT medication.  I sure wouldn't wait too long as I would HATE to see you in pain all week-end!!

Good luck.......Sherry

[atonicat]

Yes I'm going to give it a few weeks. My next appointment is the 23rd so I will have plenty of time to see how it really works. My main source of pain right now is my knee thanks to a meniscus tear. I'm waiting to get an MRI and then surgery so my pain is more than what it normally is. Maybe that's the reason it's not doing as good of a job as Norco.

[mellie4]

Sorry to hear this isn't working for you.  Is it something you need to build up in your system?  Do you plan to give it a few weeks or anything?  Since tomorrow's Friday, I hope you have a backup plan so you're not stuck.

[atonicat]

Well so far this medicine is crap. I have no side effects but not real pain relief either. Sort of feels like I took about 8 Tylenol, I can tell I've taken something but barley. Really disappointing and not sure why this drug is made out to be so awesome by doctors and drug companies.

[Ashelen]

I'm glad you got it; let us know how it works. My neuro mentioned it at one point for me but because it works as an NRI and I have dystonic reactions to certain meds I'm a bit gun-shy about it. He says it works like a "real-opioid" version of Ultram.

That's so strange how it works in different states...here in FL (apparently the drug shopping capital of the world :-/ ) in my experience the big chains carry it all. I've filled dilaudid and percocet both at Walgreens AND CVS and my dad gets his fentanyl at Walgreens as well. I still with Walgreens now because they're closest, and because I had an awful experience with a pharmacist at CVS.

[atonicat]

I finally got the medication! I went to the CVS I called this morning to drop off the paper script. The pharmacist said the guy I spoke with earlier did not order it! She was convinced I called the wrong one so she called the one down the street to see if I called them instead. To my shock they actually had it in stock. I swear I called them yesterday and they didn't have it. Oh well. So with insurance it was $45 but my doctor gave me a card to take $20 off. That was really helpful. I took my first dose about an hour ago and it seems to be working all right. Just making me a little sleepy.

I'll report back tomorrow after I get the full experience.

[el_em_en_oh]

Wow... I guess it's different here in Houston, specifically. I tried (when I was taking them) to fill Opana & Dilaudid at Walgreens, HEB-Pharmacy, CVS, and pretty much every other chain pharmacy around, and came up with bubcus. Ended up going to a Mom&Pop, but thaqt's just my experience. Sounds like it's different elsewhere in the US.

Sherry- Good to be back. Been in & out of hospital for 20 years now, so it's kind of routine, although this last time was a bit dicey with the staph infection and all. I'm on new anti-cystine-kidney-stone medication, and have been for about 2 months now, and it seems to be working well. A combination of 900mg/day of Thiola, and 3,240mg/day of Potassium Citrate, and 2500ml-output/day (urine) seems to be keeping the stones at bay. BRUTAL side-effects from the Thiola, but small price to pay to lead a semi "normal" life and stay out of the hospital. I mean, 2-3 hospital visits a month to have stones removed isn't normal by any stretch of the imagination, so I'll take the side effects!

[atonicat]

I talked with two different people at CVS and they both said they could order it, the last person I talked to said he was ordering it right then and he would have it tomorrow. They both knew it was Schedule II also.  I know someone else in PM who gets her morphine and percocet at Walgreens and those are both Schedule II.

[namnam46]

Actually, CVS is filling all of my Schedule II drugs.  Thy fill my Fentanyl and here in AZ they carry several different strengths of tne Nucynta.  I called my CVS when atonicat was having trouble getting it at Walgreen's and that's where she got her prescription filled where she lives.  They are ordering it for her and will have it tomorrow.  :)

So if ANYONE needs a Schedule II drug filled, it might be easiest to check with CVS as they DO handle the Schedule II drugs.  

el-em-en-oh I HOPE that you are back to feeling REALLY good again after your hospital stay!!  I ALSO hope that you had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!!  It's so NICE to see you back on the boards again!!!  :)........Sherry

[mellie4]

I guess I don't understand the difference between differently scheduled drugs.  But I think it's too new to really know about abuse potential ... so many things they originally thought couldn't be abused or wouldn't cause addiction or withdrawals ended up doing just that.  Though I think for some things, it's also about the person.  I know I had taken both Soma and Tramadol years ago and stopped them both abruptly and never had withdrawals, yet loads of people have trouble with them.

I'm interested to see how you do with this and if you like it or not.  I hope it works for you.

[el_em_en_oh]

I just read that the DEA put Nucynta on the Schedule-II list, so the chances of you getting your Rx filled at a chain pharmacy are slim to zero. Not sure why the DEA is being so cautious with this, as the abuse potential is pretty low, but I guess their just being cautious as it's a new drug.

Really, the Mom&Pop pharmacies are about all you have to work with for Schedule-II medications. I don't think you can do Schedule-II through the internet pharmacies, but I could be wrong. Maybe someone here will be able to tell you that.

[atonicat]

Oh yeah I know about the kick backs for this drug. I've been reading a forum for drug reps who basically laugh about how much they push this on the doctors even though it's a crappy drug. The only side effect I'm worried about is headaches. The other side effects seem to be on par with other opiates.

My doctor finally called me back and said it was OK to go to CVS and she would put a note in my chart. I told her I didn't want to get in trouble or anything so that's why I called, and she seemed to like that. I called CVS and had the guy order it. He said just make sure to bring the script with you when you come get it obviously and then we both laughed. I thought that was funny. So anyway I will have it tomorrow and update on how it works.

[mellie4]

We're different, I guess.  I don't take anything until I do a bit of research.  I trust my doctors but they haven't experienced my pain nor taken the medication themselves. I want to know all the possibilities and side effects before I take anything.  I had a friend who was married to a doctor (a cardiologist) and I know all the kickbacks the drug companies give to doctors who are willing to prescribe medications.  

My doctors tend to be a little on the conservative side with the idea of "let's see what happens with others first." I don't think they would even offer me anything this new.

[atonicat]

Yeah the reviews are not good. But I take anything that my doctor tells me to. I figure I'll at least try it until my next appointment on the 23rd. I'm having RAF in January and her goal is to get me off opiates after that. So I think that's why she gave me this new drug. I doubt she would give me anything stronger even thought the Norco was not working at all for me so I'm not sure how this new drug will work since it's weaker.

It's weird because one pharmacy I called said that they couldn't even order the 100mg because it was being discontinued. That combined with all the horrible reviews leads me to believe that this drug wont be around much longer.

[mellie4]

Have you ever tried oxycodone ... it has no Tylenol. I was worried about Tylenol, too (I don't drink either.)  It's been the most helpful for me.

I tried to find some reviews on this drug and to be honest, it doesn't sound promising.  There were a couple that were okay, but the most didn't sound good at all.  And a good amount sounded like they ended up in withdrawals after stopping their previous meds.  

I think I would pass on something like this.  I feel like it's too new and not enough is known.  They used to think Tramadol was a great drug and wasn't addictive and then found out different and some say the withdrawals from that are worse than other opioids.  (Of course I think no one should go through withdrawals and that the doctor should make sure he tapers the patient properly when changing from one med to another.)

I'm going to keep my eye on this and see what happens with it.  Maybe as time goes by there will be more favorable reviews.

[atonicat]

I don't think we have small non chain pharmacies in my town. I know in my home town we did but that town was a lot smaller.

Yes it's an opiate with NRI properties. It's only been on the market for about a year I think. My doctor perscribed it because I was on Norco but was worried about all the Tylenol. Nucynta does not have Tylenol in it. Tylenol and NSAID's upset my stomach. Last weekend I was woken up at 11 (I go to bed early) with the most intense burning stomach pain I've ever had, that lasted all weekend. I also told her that I don't drink and now I probably have the liver of a binge drinker and that upsets me because both my grandparents died from pancreatic cancer so I want to avoid going down that road myself.

So now I guess I get to play the waiting game. It's not fun!

[mellie4]

I've never heard of it and I don't think I've ever seen it advertised around here.  I'd be interested to learn more about it.  Is it an opiate?  I've found my best relief so far has been a combination of the Fentanyl patch (only the Duragesic brand) and oxycodone for breakthrough pain, though I have to take a very high dosage of the oxycodone every 4 hours, which sort of seems to defeat the purpose of being on a long-acting drug.  My tolerance is pretty high now and because of that, I'm giving myself a little break on the oxycodone, though it's hard.

I've been on Cymbalta and am looking to get off it.  I don't think it's helping the nerve pain and I think it's making me more depressed.

That's a pain you can't find this drug anywhere.  Would your PM doctor know who does carry it?  I can't imagine she/he wouldn't let you go wherever you could find it, despite your pain contract, as long as you inform them ahead of time.

I'm really lucky with my PM team.  Though I have to use Walgreens because mine is covered by worker's comp, I use various ones as one never has the oxycodone in the strength I need and the other doesn't keep the patch in stock.  There's been a few times that I haven't been able to get what I need at any of the Walgreens I use and I just go to a CVS or Rite Aid.  (But then I have to pay out of pocket and get reimbursed.  When I have to pay cash, I call around to find where it's cheapest.)

[sandee1818]

You may want to try some of the smaller mom and pop pharmacies in town. They may have someone already on it and have it in stock. using a different Pharmacy should be no problem just let them know.

[atonicat]

Well Walgreens is not able to order it for me. I've called every CVS in my area and they don't carry it either. I called and left a message with the nurse at PM and she's supposed to call me before the day is up. So hopefully they can give me something else because I don't want to spend weeks trying to hunt this stuff down when I'm out of pain meds as it is.