Switch from Fentanyl 50mic's/hour to OxyContin input please!

Hey Medicalkid,

Sorry the fentanyl gave you these issues :( Fentanyl works great for my pain; just can't use it in patch form. Yes, I've been on both - fentanyl and oxycontin (which I'm currently on) - as well as most opiods.

Are you going to give your doc a call about the fentanyl side effects or do you have an upcoming appointment? It sounds like you really need to let the doc know what's going on. That basically is what the patch does for me - I have fevers and other stuff w/ my health issues - so I don't even make it 48 hours w/ the patch. I just gave it another try and it was unsuccessful. (The patch can be written to be changed every 48 hours, just harder to get insurance to approve, but mine did).

But, regardless, it sounds w/ the side effects (sedation, being in school, pain relief, etc) - it's not the right med for you?

All I can say is that I advocate very strongly in being open and direct w/ doctors. I think what you wrote is basically what you need to say. You gave the fentanyl a try... it's too sedating and you are going into withdrawal on day three.... etc etc. That you get the best pain control w/ the oxycodone... by the way, are you in Canada? (I saw you mention hydromorphcontin - I don't think we have that here in the US)... anyway, have you been on the 7.5mg or 10mg percocet?

I don't think anything is wrong w/ oxycontin over fentanyl... if that's what is best for your pain control and your doctor is willing to prescribe it. But has he said he won't?

Finally, I can't remember what your pain issues are... but have you tried a muscle relaxer? nerve meds? Anything else, med wise, for pain control? I need these as part of my med combo.

(Sorry for the questions, just trying to help, lol). Hope you get this figured out! --Tina

MedicalKid if you plan on being in the heat this summer you may as well forget about using the Fentanyl patch. The insert advises not to be in the heat, take hot showers, anything that increases the body temp. The heat causes the patch to release too much medication, which results in the patient getting too much and then you have to deal with withdrawals because too much of the medication was released. I had heard something about this problem was going to be addressed but nothing was set in concrete.

From what you have described since being on Fentanyl it does not sound like it has been a good match for you at all and thats a shame because it can be an excellent pain reliever for some. Hopefully your dr can come up with something else that will help you out. I was on Fentanyl patches and that was some of the best pain control I had in a long time. I had no peaks or valleys with it. Take care...Susie

Thanks guys! I have an appointment on the 17th of this month thank God.

As a reminder of my pain issues, I have had Crohns disease for about 4 years now...its in remission now but I still always have a baseline of pain from it that the maximum dose of Ibuprofen and tylenol combined doesn't touch not to mention bouts of severe sharp pain....I've seen about 5 GI's (horrible experience in the past but thats another story) and everyone is saying its Crohns...I had such sharp pain at times I went to the ER because I was seriously afraid something was wrong but each time it was just a spike in pain and nothing serious...script for Vicodin call your GI :/ . My body temperature is usually all over the place from the Crohns so I have to stay hydrated, no big deal.

about a month ago I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis after I had severe neck pain for a little over a year, I always had muscle tension in my neck so I thought it was nothing until it got worse and worse on top of a bulging disk in my neck. Today I live in constant pain I probably couldn't even fathom a while ago, I never thought hell on earth was real. I was a competitive athlete all through out high school rowing pretty much all year long, I ate a very good selection of food and made sure I stretched, TENS unit after a rough practice with lots of muscle tension following, regular massages, and counseling. I still do all of those and make a point to stretch every morning...I loose track of conditions, medicines, treatments, etc. these days now as I'm trying to focus my energy on other things, I still do them I just have trouble recalling them thats all :p I'll update my signature too. (EDIT: I also have degenerative disc disease...its inevitable for every person in my family, literally the whole side of my dads family has it and my moms side all has AS or RA...as if I could notice the degenerative disc disease above everything else!).

I've always had pain, I never expect it to be a consistent below a 4/10 but I do expect to have a much higher quality of life than I currently do know when I KNOW its possible...my conditions may be bad but their are people that have it MUCH MUCH worse that live much better, yes everyone is different but I KNOW If doctors instill a little trust in me and stay consistent, stop playing around with medications without warning, and actually collaborate I can live well. I take honesty and openness very serious in everything about life, I'm not going to say Ive not told a lie but I'm pretty darn honest lol. I tell my doctors everything and I tell them I believe the best patient-physician relationship is built on honesty on both ends which is why its frustrating when they make assumptions about my honesty or intentions, I do not sleep with a dirty conscience and allot of the assumptions and guilt from other things still haunt me in my sleep every night...I think the guilt of letting people down, missing school, and distrust from doctors has got to be tied or a close second to the actual physical pain. If I say Im going to do something I usually mean it from the heart, breaking that hurts allot I'm not sure if you guys have similar trouble with that or not.

My whole goal is to be active again. I know a few people who have severe chronic pain that requires 24/7 opioid management and you would never know because they are so active. I don't want to be a couch potato....that to me is not a fair way to treat your body if you can get up :D

Post Edited (Medicalkid2) : 4/14/2012 3:33:27 PM (GMT-6)

straydog said...
MedicalKid I also have crohns and have done the resection bit and still have not achieved remission whatever that is. I am on Humira, Lialda, Entocorte & Imuran. What meds does your dr have you on? Even with you being in remission you should be on a maintenance medication like Imuran, never know what is being done to the insides, going drug free because they sy remission is not a good plan. You said you were dx'd with AS last year, are you doing Remicade infusions? By doing Remicade for the AS it can also help with your crohns. I was on it for three and a half years before building up antibodies to it. Last of all, if this were me I would stay totally away from Ibuprophen.

Take care....Susie

I was only on Pentasa but my rheumy is going to do Humira this summer. I just can risk getting sick as I live on campus in college around other kids and a compromised immune system is no good for me. I've been in the hospital from random serious infections like scarlet fever, etc. :O My doctors used to say stay away from Ibuprofen but now they advocate it...?..I guess they must be overwelhmed with all that is going on I'm not sure...I told my Internist that I was having severe heartburn from Ibuprofen and she gave me some strong antacids but I'm not sure how to explain to her that its just a bad idea....exact same thing happened with my mom and now she has stomach ulcers...you would think we could apply some critical thinking in the cause and effect department here :O ! I'm concerned about cost too...I mean my family is upper middle class but with my mom being sick with Lupus & RA two people on Humira seams like allot...I don't want to tax my family anymore money (which is another reason I don't like the Fentanyl, expensive and if you loose a patch its like loosing a piece of gold!)