Oxycodone Withdrawal

[TAM63]

Originally Posted by k2white

Last post for now, promise
"They recommend longer acting meds rather than short acting, and both patient and doctor have to be more careful."
Why do they recommend this?
I've thought this myself that maybe longer acting would be better than the shorter acting (like the 5 mg oxycodone Im on now) because I would not get as much of an initial high and maybe lessen my "want" as an easier fight. Does fentynal patch do this, come in a low enough dose equivalent to the 5mg qid or slightly higher since the oxy only buffers the pain for a short period, and find myself waiting in pain til the afternoon for my next pills. The last thing I want to do is make it harder on myself by asking for more but If I can get this under control, fix it and then go through the hell of getting off the opiates. I was on a pain contract with my VA doc and decided to go to a civilian specialist cause its been 5 years now on the oxycodone but it was always for chronic with short burst, in the same spot that is now permanently acute for the last 2 months. I was completely upfront and told my new doc I did not want any narcs from him until there is a completely open channel with my VA doc....as co-care and then new doc take over my pain management without the possibility of me trying to “double dip” or “doctor-shop”....and thank you so much for this communication, I've not been able to talk to anyone about it at this level of honesty.....you have no idea how helpful are you.....I think many would agree.

Please do keep posting - many on the forum care.

I think you are absolutely correct - the longer acting medications don't give so much of a high. They likely provide better pain control as well. Oxycontin is the longer acting form of oxycodone. I believe there is time-release morphine as well. And yes, the fentanyl patch is often used - this might be a good choice. Even with something long acting, you might occasionally take oxycodone for breakthrough pain - but hopefully not very often.

Using more may not necessarily make it harder to get off when you want to. If you are in pain, and going to use opiates, I believe the recommendation is to use enough to control the pain. Otherwise you have the risk of using them, without the benefit.

I do not have an addiction problem myself - but if I was in pain and taking meds, and the med wore off and I hurt, I would want more too! Of course you do - anyone would want relief from pain. If you're craving the high at well, that is a battle you are fighting.

You seem to be on a quite low dose now. That may limit the choices - before they put on a fentanyl patch you have to be tolerant to the dose. However, you might be - and the patches come in various doses. So that would be one to consider.

Very experienced pain docs also use methadone for pain - of course, it doesn't have so much of a high. It is a good drug, in that it is an opoid, and also treats pain by another mechanism (NMDA antagonist) But you might not be on enough now to be able to take methadone. And I would recommend only letting someone prescribe that who is experienced with it - it can be especially dangerous.

You sound like you are doing everything openly and upfront with the doctors. If your pain is not sufficiently controlled, and it sounds like it isn't, I'd suggest you discuss it with them. And ask if there is something long-acting that you could try - both to reduce any high, and to improve pain control.

No one deserves to suffer unnecessarily.