medications

[wadster]

I'm currently wearing a 100mcg fentanyl patch-chaged every 48 hrs, and taking 4 30mg roxicodone pills daily.  Is this a rather high dose of pain medications, or should I change to something else?

[mellie4]

Tapering or a medication holiday sounds interesting to me.  But how do you manage?  Do you just suck up the pain?  How long do you take a break from it?  When you go back on, can you do with less?  Does cutting back once a week really make a difference?

I hate being on everything I'm on.  But my pain is bad.  I just feel like I'm always increasing.  Now I'm on 75 mcg Fentanyl, changing it every 48 hours and up to 6 oxycodone, 15 mg., a day.  

The Fentanyl seems to be working as a good base for me, but I have a certain area of my hand that nothing ever touches.  I think I'll just have to live with that.

[namnam46]

Hi,

I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are GLAD that you have found this Forum. I want you to be sure that you understand that there are NO Doctors on this Forum, just CP (Chronic Pain) Patients that help each other thru our own experiences and expertise that we get from our pain conditions.

I've read your OTHER posts and I saw that you are getting ready to have back surgery again in the same place that you had it a couple of years ago. I'm VERY sorry that you are having continual problems.

I totally agree with EVERYONE on here that what you take for your pain is between you and your Doctor.  I don't believe that ANYONE on here would EVER suggest that what your Dr. has you on is either right OR wrong as there are going to be mitigating circumstances that we wouldn't know about as well as the fact that we AREN"T DOCTORS!!

I hope that you will discuss this with him as you seem to be QUITE concerned about this.

When are you going to undergo your next surgery? Would you mind filling us in on exactly what the Diagnosis is?

I do hope that y ou will keep us updated on your surgery and your progress as we are VERY concerned about you.......Sherry

[Bobbi48C]

It seems to be a strong pain medication - but if it is chronic pain or pain from cancer then it is indicated.  There are non-narcotic applications you can try--accupuncture/massage/meditation, etc.  You don't say what your pain is from so it is hard to say. Blessings to you, though.  Keep your chin up.

[JadedSweetheart]

I agree with Jaybay completely. It's definetly the kind of thing that is between you and your doctor.  My doctor recommends taking less of our meds one day a week on a day we don't have to do anything, but that's really something you should talk to the doc about.  I don't know how anyone could do a self-taper with fentanyl.  

[Jaybay]

It's high for someone who is opiate naive, but your doctor obviously thinks you need it.  Dosages and tolerance concerns are a conversation that every patient needs to have with his doctor.  Has something happened that makes you think you either don't need your medication or that you should lower or change it?  

I do think it's a good idea for pain patients to try a taper once in a while.  Some even take an "opiate vacation" at times.  It's a good technique for tolerance that allows the brain receptors to reset and also determine exactly where your pain levels are at.  The only other option to dealing with tolerance is to constantly increase the dose.  At some point we hit a ceiling that more medication isn't even therapeutic or can be downright dangerous.  If you want to try a taper to see how you do, thoroughly discuss it along with your reasoning with your doctor.  Tapering is not something you want to take on by yourself, particularly with fentanyl.