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pain in knee with med reduction

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Posted 8/24/2012 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone

 

My PM doc is reducing my oxycontin from 40 mg twice a day to 20 mg twice a day.

I look forward to the 12th hour when I can take my next dose.

 

Its not just the knee replacement it is my tibia to that has pain.

 

Im miserable.

 

Sleep is fitfull. 

 

Im limited in the amt of time im on my feet and it takes forever to stock the rv for weekend travel

I flow water into the water tank, places fresh clean clothes and food into the rv.

 

I have been getting headaches is that part of reducing oxycontin?

 

Betsey

 

 

Posted 8/24/2012 8:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Betsey
Sorry to hear you are still have a lot of pain, even after you've had your surgery. Why is your doctor reducing your pain meds when you still have so much pain? do you have b/t meds you can take?

I hope you can enjoy your rv ing anyways. I just came back from a three week camping vacation and wish I could go back NOW. I love my camping.

Take care Betsey
Suzane
Posted 8/24/2012 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Suzanne

I see the PM doc on 9-06 and no I dont have BT meds.

I do enjoy rving with our 2 dogs and hubby. I dont enjoy unpacking the motorhome and putting dirty wash into the washer and all perishables in our big frig in the house. It is to much going up and down the rv steps for my knee to tolerate
Betsey
Posted 8/25/2012 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
I was going to ask the same question, why at this point in time were your pain meds reduced by so much? I have an RV myself, and getting in and out can be painful. Hope you get some better relief.

David
Posted 8/25/2012 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
…you all beat me to the same question!….curious as to why it was reduced. Was it at your request because of the cost? I know you have mentioned this in the past…and they are expensive. Maybe MsContin might be a cheaper product to use…if it is effective in reducing your pain.

Hope you get something figured out. I'm working on my own problems…so I understand the frustration you are going through.

Take care!

SE wink
Posted 8/25/2012 3:48 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Betsy, I wish I had an RV lol, but I know the frustration with the stairs, I had to move out of my apartment because of stairs, just got to be too much. I hope it gets better for you, seems like med cutting is a growing trend around here, although I've only been here for a few weeks, so I don't know if that's the norm or not, although I've pretty well lost sight of what normal is these day's, whatever it was, it won't be again, so I just try to go with it. Anyways, take care, and I hope you have some fun trips ahead. If you ever need some ideas, I've driven all over the country except for four states in the lower 48, though with as big as this place is, I could drive the rest of my life and not see all of the country lol. Take care.
Posted 8/27/2012 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
I asked if my oxycontin could be reduced because my knee felt better.  Well, the knee pain was covered up by the med and when less mg entered my system, wow,, discomfort! 

 

I need BT med which I will discuss with PM doc on the 6th. 

 

David, whatbrand of motorhome do you have?  We have an 1989 Pacearrow by fleetwood.  We put $7,000 into it to fix everything and now we are working under the hood.  new fan clutch, thermostat, water pump etc.

 

We had 3 days of racing this pass weekend but sunday at 6:00 pm a gully washer came down and they cancelled sundays race.  I had started chili in a crockpot 2 hours before that and everthing was cooked and hot.

 

Now I have wash to do.  Oh, we had

 to go to Lowes to get perforated angle irons to sturdy up the retractable steps that were anchored to the wooden step of RV and not to the frame

Betsey

 

 

Posted 8/27/2012 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
 

      Betsey, they do make a 30mg Oxycontin, and I'm wondering if this might suit you better. I'm amazed at the drop in the med by one half of the original dose. You might be better off with the 30mg...and then add BT as needed for flairs. The idea is to get the ER med's to cover your pain in a stable condition...and then add the BT when your suffering above the normal daily pain... stemming from extra activity that may cause it to flair up.

    Take care,

   SE

Posted 8/27/2012 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Betsey I understand why you reduced the medication I am thinking of doing the same, again, lol. You are doing so much better than just a few months ago.

I do not think your doctor will be too surprised that reducing from 40 to 20 suddenly was not in your best interest. I know they make 15's. So 2 of those would equal a 30 if they do not make 30's. I hope you doctor sees things the same as we do.

All the stepping in and out would be far too much for me currently, I am having a hard enough time going up and down the 3 steps into our back yard. Hopefully this will all settle down quickly for you.
Posted 8/27/2012 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
 

      ...they make 30mg in both products. wink

   SE

Posted 8/29/2012 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Last night and into today my left leg had so much pain---up to an 8---So I took 2 20 mg of oxycontin because I couldnt take the pain anymore. Now that it is 4 hours layer agtewr taking the med Im a little better. Pain down to a 6.

I went back to bed and elevated my leg. That helped me. So I managed to dress myself, now im worn out. Im laying low today. Not doing anything, no wash,no dishes, no making the bed. Nothing.
Betsey
Posted 8/29/2012 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry you are having so much pain....I would make sure that you contact your Dr. and tell him that you took the extra Oxycontin as you don't want to run out early or have them do a urine test to find more medication than prescribed....So just make sure they are ok with this until you see them on Sept. 6th.

I forget if you are now being covered by insurance for the Oxycontin and not paying out of pocket as you were....I certainly hope so as it's just way too expensive each month to stay on it otherwise...

Hopefully when you see the PM you all can come up with a better comprehensive pain program to help long term.

I also forget...sorry....if you have actual muscle relaxers to take? These may be even more helpful at times at the end of the day after walking and using your knee. This, along with an anti-inflammatory...Are you allowed/able to take those? If so...then the Flector patches are very helpful at times for this too...

Just trying to find other things in addition to the opiates that you take if the PM is determined to tirate you down some.

So does this mean that your knee surgery failed completely? That stinks:( Or does the Ortho just say it's going to take more time to heal....

Sending some hugs (( ))
Posted 8/30/2012 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
Ortho doc wants me to do PT 3 times a week for one year at $72.00 a visit. I cant afford that and PT wasnt helping me.

I have a splitting headache again.

Im putting a lidocaine patch on my knee to see if it helps.

Betsey
Posted 8/30/2012 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
Are you paying out of pocket for the Oxycontin still? That was close to what...$500 a month I think?

I would switch over to MSContin which is very cheap...I pay $97 for 120 pills of both MSContin 30mg and 15mg...

So if you could save money on the switch of medications...then you can afford some PT visits..For some reason I was thinking you got backdated into Medicare already....or is there a reason you aren't on Medicaid?

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water all day...no caffeine....no sodas....and then when you rest maybe put a nice cool compress on your head to help your headache...
Posted 8/30/2012 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you need a low dose hydrocodone for BT. How you get better
Posted 8/30/2012 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
 

      Morning Betsey!...we have seen you suffer for such a long time with this knee problem, and I'm sorry you are not doing well. I think Snowy has a good suggestion and may make very good sense to consider...and that is to see if your Dr will seek out a cheaper med. This may indeed give you some financial relief, but of course what ever med he selects...you of course need it to work for you.

    The savings could be huge for you, so it might allow you to put the savings to work in other much needed areas of your health problem, such as the PT.

     Take care, and I hope you have better days ahead.

  SE wink

   

Posted 8/30/2012 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
Mscontin---is that morphine? I cant take morphine. I can take vicadan.

No cancellations at PM place I keep calling them to find out if there is any cancellations.

I put my leg on a pillow with a frozen compress and I recline and close my eyes

By bedtime im exhausted from dealing with my pain all dayand by 9:30 I crawl into bed and as soon as my head hits the pillow my husband says{Are you in bed already?}You bet your sweet bippy I am. LOL
Betsey
Posted 8/30/2012 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
 

      ...yes!..MsContin is Morphine ER.... Surely thare are other meds that may be cheaper than the Oxycontin. Just ask the PM/Dr when you finally get into him.

     Hope you find a solution to this expensive med, and hopefully what ever you find will bring relief as well. I had to laugh at the Bippy comment!...sounds just like you! LOL

    SE wink

Posted 8/30/2012 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
Methadone is another medication that is very inexpensive and many people have great success with that medication...

I had no choice to switch to something different than the Oxycontin as there was no way in the world I could afford the $500 plus it was for it each month...

I hope you can get things sorted out at your next visit Betsey...

I didn't see if you had answered or not but does your Ortho say that the surgery failed? Or does he think that it just needs more time to heal?
Posted 9/4/2012 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Ortho wants me to go see him to tell me what I found out today over the phone that I need manual manipulation of my leg, one year of PT 3 times a week, and rent braces for my leg to bend it for 4 hours a day and a straightner brace and wear that for 4 hous daily. So when do you do dishes, laundry, grocery shopping if you are anchored to a chair. I dont have enough money for any of those treatments

The nurse dismissed the pain of an 8 since it has been only 5 months since the implant.

I am not happy!!
Betsey
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