Please Help! switching from Methadone to Oxycodone IR to Oxycontin starting tomorrow.

 

 

Wow!  I don't see a problem...You are such a low dose of Methadone that changing over would be a Godsend for you.  I take 120 mg. of Methadone a day along with Oxycodone IR 30 mg. 4 times a day....and when I tried to change to Morphine it was a disaster!!  The Doc didn't titrate it properly so I went through MAJOR WD's....but you won't.  I can almost promise that you will be fine.  So, don't worry about that part.

 

I am going to change to Opana ER next month.  I have been on Methadone for so long that I need to try something else.  My tolerance is soooo high that the Methadone really doesn't help as much.

 

From the symptoms you stated I would think that you weren't taking enough Methadone and were going through Withdrawls....but if you can stop taking it I would.  It is the hardest drug to come off of...so do it now.

 

Tell me how things are going after the change...I'd like to know.

 

Me

R,M, the statement that you made about not finding very many doctors in Toronto could be said about almost anywhere. There are so many different approaches to dealing with it anytime you change doctors, the approach seems to change. I agree with uniquelyme that the low dose of methadone that you are on will make the transition easier. Our bodies all rerspond differently to medications so what you experience will be different them someone else and that includes changing from one medication to another. That does not remove the fear that we all face as changes take place.  Hang in there and you will find caring and compassionate people here to listen.

Hey ya'll! Thanks for the nice replies, it's cool to see that others don't mind taking a bit of personal time to help another in need.

Fatherjohn, I know exactly what you mean about great treatment being hard to find no matter where you are. I've read many stories during my time researching on the internet about other individuals issues and struggles. And I found out the hard way that some medications are not for everyone, it's too bad my original doctor didn't want to take that seriously and forced me to continue the Methadone treatment for over 4 months.

Straydog, Thanks for the warm welcome and your right.. this forum has been the most helpful out of the few that I've tried. Uniquelyme has been so helpful in making me feel better/safe in this mixing of meds.
As far as my new family doctor.. he is a really nice, easy going and helpful guy. He does know what he's talking about but what I meant is that I don't think he's very experienced in pain management. I don't think he's read many case studies, researched patient treatments. I say this mainly due to the fact that he automatically stated that short acting pain meds would NOT be prescribed while he's giving me long lasting pain meds. Yet 90% of cases I've come across patients are prescribed a dose of Oxycontin mostly twice a day and a sort acting pain med as a "break through" med for in between. And of course his statement that he will NOT raise the dose of the Oxycontin once I'm on it and he will NOT prescribe anything above the equivalent of the 25mg Methadone I'm taking now. I tried to explain to him that the reason I'm taking such a small dose of Methadone is because the side effects are way to much to deal with so I have to deal with a bit of pain in order to function.. and of course everyone knows that over time ones body develops a resistance to the dose one takes for a while... which means eventually the dose will have to be raised.

Anyhow... like I said before, at this point I'll take what I can get as long as I'm allowed to get as far away from that sickening Methadone as possible.
When it comes time to talk more about my meds and what I want/need I'm not afraid to do so. I'm also doing everything I can to get into a Pain Management Clinic at one of the hospitals here.. been waiting to hear back from someone for ummm... 2 months now.

YES, YES! I would NOT wish Crohns on my worst enemy either... well maybe to someone like Osama, or George Bush.. someone really bad that hurts people.. like pedophiles or rapists.. haha.
Believe it or not I've never been on anything other than Prednisone for my Crohns. The area of my intestines that was originally affected was only about 10cm long and my GI decided that instead of trying all kinds of different meds that cutting it out would be best. Well I quickly mentioned in my first post how well that went.. They almost KILLED ME!
Another reason I never tried any medication for my Crohns was because (and this may sound silly/ridiculous but it was important to me) I was the singer of a fairly successful band at the time, we were signed to a well known indie label, had a major label manager and were on our way. I researched meds and found that the side effects were just too scary and could've potentially ruined my career. Hair loss, skin tags... etc. sounds vain I know. But I had responsibilities not only to myself, my career but I had 4 other individuals careers to think of (the guys in the band) not to mention the label, management, a team of people counting on me.
Anyhow. I've since left the band and am taking a long break from my music career so...

Well today is Monday. I took my first dropped dose of Methadone (20mg instead of the usual 25mg) I went to the pharmacy and picked up my increased dose of Cipralex (now 20mg up from 10mg which I take at night before bed cuz it makes me drowsy), and the 30 tabs of Oxycodone IR. I'm hoping that I don't have to take any today and can deal with the 20mg of Methadone.

thanks again all you guys, and I'll try to keep you updated. Your replies, experiences, comments, advice, comforts, politeness is really appreciated. Take care.

Rocket.

I just got a letter from a PM program at one of the hospitals here in Toronto. I have to call to make an appointment!

Hey Straydog, Thanks for your reply.

Yeah, I actually just got the letter in the mail last night out of the blue. I went to see a psychiatrist a couple times after having to go to the emergency for an anxiety attack that made me feel like I was going crazy (one of the side effects of the Methadone). The ER doctor didn't feel he could do anything but send me to a psychiatrist and so I went. She was great and really tried to help me. She put me on Cipralex and instead of just masking the side effects of the Methadone I asked her to make a referral to a Pain Management Clinic... and she did. I didn't hear anything back from anyone about so I almost gave up. But thank God I got accepted and have to make my first appointment.

It does make one chuckle how afraid I was/am about the Crohns meds and loosing my hair, skin tags, etc but you have to realize that at the time my looks was a very important part of my career. It's not like I was in a garage band playing bars, I was the lead singer of a band that was on it's way up the industry ladder very quickly. We had a lot invested, people working for us, touring, doing photo shoots, etc. And unfortunately what a person looks like is a bigger part of success in the music industry than should be... a sad but true fact of life in music.

I have spend countless hours reading and researching my disease.. before the music thing turned into a career I did spend 3 years in college so I'm not dull if you know what I mean.
I'm fully aware that the surgery wasn't a "cure" and that anything could've happened afterward. I could've gone into remission for 30years, 3years, or 3months. And I know about Prednisone, I've heard horror stories but for myself.. I didn't find it effected me negatively at all, though I understand it was only a matter of time.
As far as my surgery.. I hate talking about it cuz it forces me to remember what I went through, and I honestly can't explain all the horrible details. If I actually could most people wouldn't believe me anyway.. that's how messed up it was. Let's put it this way, that 2.25 months spent in the hospital left me physically, mentally and emotionally scarred for life.

From being pushed into the surgery by my GI and the head of surgery at the hospital, being in so much pain that I pushed the Morphine button to the maximum and almost overdosed to the pain specialist interrogating about what "street drugs" I did while I was so sick I could barely speak. The night nurse sending 2 huge security guards to escort my girlfriend (who is 5'1, 110pounds) out of the hospital at 3am downtown Toronto (talk about dangerous!) forcing me to be all alone after the head nurse said she could stay with me.
Being left alone with no one answering the emergency button for over an hour forcing me to drag myself to the washroom to try and get something out and be sick.
No nurses, doctors would listen to me when I told them something was really wrong with me.. until a few days later I spiked a fever and couldn't stay awake, kept passing out. They finally decided to do an emergency CT scan and found 2 major absess in my abdomin caused by a hole in the bowel at the resection site(someone didn't know how to sew properly!). Drainage tube time!
Weeks later was sent home even though I told them something was still wrong (no one listened again), I was back in the ER in 3 days when I woke out of a dead sleep and projectile vomited over and over. Another emergency CT scan found from the resection site all the way down my bowels were collapsed and obstructed. Shove the drainage tube further in!
The hospital then made the most neglectful mistake yet when they put an elderly man with dimensia, whom didn't speak or understand english in my room. He and I were the only people in the room at the time. I found out a day later that he was originally in isolation due to the possibility of Tuberculosis, then moved to my room before the test results were concluded. Of course instead of waiting he was moved to my room while I was recovering, and yes he was positive for TB.
I called the section of the hospital that is supposed to deal with patient rights and help patients in need, to my surprise they conspired against me immediately and concocted a story that made it nearly impossible to do anything about the situation and or sue the hospital.

Anyhow.. that is not even all of the events or things I went through during my 2.25 month stay in the hell hole they call St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Ontario Canada!
So I tried to ignore my disease for as long as I could.

Yesterday was the first day I dropped my Methadone dose by 5mg (from 25mg to 20mg).
So it's Tuesday today and I took 15mg of Methadone this morning, I really felt the lack of opiates in my system about 10 minutes after I woke up and jumped in the shower. I decided NOT to take any of the Oxycodone last night cuz I was scared! I felt okay yesterday until about 7pm but didn't want to take an Oxycodone and something happen that late at night, and my girlfriend was at work til 10pm so I was alone.
I assume I'm gonna have to take a couple Oxycodone tonight cuz it's 10:30 and I feel really lagged out and tired.

Should I really be afraid to take one 5mg Oxycodone tonight when I only took 15mg of Methadone this morning? The only thing that worries me is the fact that Methadone stays in the system so long so realistically my system has approx. 25mg or more Methadone in my system that is slowly draining out with the dropping of dose even though I can't feel the effects.

My doctors seem to think it's perfectly safe but then again they have never taken these meds themselves...
So come on my experienced pals.. make me feel safe about this or I'm gonna make myself suffer.


Thanks again everyone!!! So appreciated.


-rocket.

Thanks PAlady,

Well it's 8pm and I just swallowed my first 5mg OxyIR tablet. I took 15mg of Methadone this morning and can't believe I made it this long with that small amount and to be honest I probably could've gone the rest of the night without an OxyIR but I bet my morning would've been awful. It wasn't great this morning when I took 20mg yesterday morning.
The main reason I took the OxyIR now was because I was feeling kind of tired and crappy, and also because my doctors wanted me to start taking them yesterday.
Hope all goes well.

Hey everyone!

Well I didn't die! haha. On the contrary.. I felt pretty good for the first hour after taking the OxyIR after that I started getting really tired and a bit of a headache coming on. To be fair I always have gotten really tired (like so exhausted I can't stay awake) around 10pm ever since taking the Methadone. It may also have something to do with the fact that I get really tired at work at around 11 everyday and have to drink like 3 coffee just to function. So it may be caffeine crash?
I'm not sure if it's just me or what but I seem to remember from a while ago that I did take some OxyIR for about 4 days one time when I ran out of my Percocet prescription. (A close friend had them and I was in dire need.) And I remember never feeling anything but good on the Percocet but always got a headache taking the OxyIR. Does anyone have a comment for that?

Yeah Straydog, when I first went to the emergency for an unknown pain that I never imagined was humanly possible they automatically assumed it was appendicitis and almost rushed me into surgery to have it removed but one doctor said NO! do some tests first. And of course my appendix was fine. thanks doc!

Like I said before, I took Prednisone for probably a year and a half straight and never had any negative effects. Odd, but great.

NOW FOR THE UPDATE:
Today is Wednesday and I woke up pretty messed up. I got up at 7:30, went out for a cigarette and had to immediately go to the washroom(which I assumed was gonna be a mad case of the "runs" as my mother would call it. haha.) But to my surprise it wasn't.. just a normal painful excretion.
I was shaky and felt just run over so I got to the fridge, took my dose of 10mg (down from 15mg yesterday) and had to go back to bed. Work probably wasn't too happy but what can ya do?
My lovely girlfriend woke my up at 9:30ish and I felt much better! Took a shower, walked to the subway station, got on the train, transferred to the next train, got off, grabbed a coffee and walked to the office. Got here at 10:40ish and here I am. Feeling okay, wondering when I'm going to feel the need to take an OxyIR. I know I could probably go a while without one but like I said yesterday, as far as my doctors are concerned I should be taking about 4-5 of them today. Which would be a good idea just to get my body used to the change but of course I'm leery of having too much of both drug in my system at the same time.

So there it is. Have a good day everyone.
ttys.

-rocket.

Well, I did talk to a pharmacist and actually more than one... for some reason they don't like to talk about these medications without an ignorant tone and ugly face. The info I got from them basically boiled down to the "well your doctor should know and have told you" answer, or the frank "yes, they should be fine" answer.
It sure is fascinating how fast ones demeanor can change with one single word, "Opiate".

I'm sure I'll be fine with the switch.. my mornings are gonna be ruff for a while cuz I'm running low on the Methadone in my system and I don't feel like waking up in the middle of the night to pop an OxyIR (unless I absolutely have to). I can't help the consistency issue at this point though.. I'm dropping the Methadone dose by 5mg day which from what I've researched is very fast and not easy on the system, and the same time I'm slowly uping the amount of OxyIR tablets I take in a day... I'm just going slower with the OxyIR than the doctors thought I would need because I'm afraid of mixing meds. I hate dealing with pain and WDs but I think I would hate dying even more. haha. I have too much to live for to even take chances.

But with the doctors, meds, all your support and playing it safe I'm sure I'll be just fine.

-Rocket.

Hello,

I don't know where to start this today. As far as my medication is concerned everything is going alright. But yesterday my sister was rushed to the hospital to have emergency c-section for her 2nd baby. At 11:30 she had a baby girl who is seemingly healthy, but at 3:15 she was rushed back into surgery for internal bleeding. They gave her a hysterectomy due to a ruptured uterus. She is currently still in the ICU and under. They aren't sure why this happened, happening, but she's had diabetes since a young age and had issues with her first pregnancy. She's on a ventilator, had all her blood transfused. Her blood sugars are high and blood pressure very low and for whatever reason the blood in her body won't clot so she's receiving plasma. I had a doctors appointment this morning and she said something about DCI.. and that basically this is about as serious as it gets. I am 7 hours south by car from my family and my sister and have no means or money of going there. My mother is with her while taking care of her first child who is only 2 yrs old. Her husband is far in the bush and can't get a helicopter out until Friday.

I am going out of my mind and don't know what to do. I am completely helpless.

I'm waiting for more news at this point trying to do anything possible to keep my thoughts from becoming negative. I can't believe this is possible.. this is Canada, 2010.. people don't come this close to death in child birth.

-r

Rocket,
I'm also very sorry to hear about your sister. Straydog's advice is right on point, although I know it's easier said than done. It's probably not time to try to not take the OxyIR, and just follow your doctor's instructions so your pain doesn't get too bad.

Do you have any friends or even someone from a local Church or social agency that might be able to drive you there?

In the meantime, take comfort in the fact your sister seems to be getting the best care. Things can happen, especially with diabetes, but at least she was in the right place when it did - to get immediate treatment.

We will all keep you in our thoughts.

PaLady

Dear Rocket
I have been reading all the posts and my heart goes out to you. I pray you will get to feeling better on your new meds.
I will also pray for your sister. Please keep us up to date on any news.
Myself I suffer from constant horrible headaches and no one has been able to help me. It's been ten years since this all started. No pain med has helped me.
I also wanted to tell you I am in Ottawa and would enjoy sharing emails with you. Can you send me your email.
Take care and thanks for sharing your story.
Have a good night.

Any news Rocket (what is your real name)?
I hope you are doing OK.
Thinking of you.

Suzane