Thank you for your post Liz,

I do use the Bioclusive covers sometimes, especially when its hot, or
for some reason I have to do some yardwork or anything that makes me sweat, since the patches like to start peeling off in hot weather.
Can't say that I have noticed any difference, but I will try using them all the time, and see if it helps at all.
I've got the feeling that I will just go back to the brand name product, since it is far superior in my opinion.
I have tried to get my doctor to let me try oxycontin, but he refuses to prescribe them, saying that they are too expensive. In reality I think he just wants to stay away from that drug, because of all the bad press it has been getting. He stated that he refuses to buy into the whole deal, the drug companies making far too much money on it, and all the problems it causes with drug addicts. He is a really great doctor, and he will generally give me what I want, with the exception of oxycontin, so I don't push the issue with him. Perhaps he may change his mind now that the generic oxy is out. Besides, have you noticed the price of the patch? My 15 patches show on the pharmacy slip as costing anywhere from $650-750 a month, I can't imagine that the brand name oxy costs that much!
I may ask him to let me try methadone, I've heard it's a really good pain killer, and cheap as well. It's just that after 5 years on the patch, they just don't seem to work as well as they used to, and I have had to have my dosage increased 2 times. I realize that this is probably normal, so that's why I want to change to something else, at least for awhile.
He tried me on ER morphine last year, but he started me at such a low dose, (15mg BID), that I was sick as a dog for a whole week, probably from withdrawal from the patch. I ended up putting a patch on when I just couldn't stand the pain anymore, and I was ok again within 4-6 hours.
I can't imaine putting me on 30mgs of morphine, when I was on a 75ugram patch, with percocets for BT pain. Beside I didn't like the way the morphine made me feel at all, if I took enough to get any relief, then I felt like a hospital patient, very, foggy, sleepy, and groggy. So if that was a preview of the morphine, he can keep it....LOL
I would think a reasonable dose of morphine would have been something like
80-120mgs per day, not the 30 he started me on! I know they always start low on a new drug, but give me a break, 30mg wasn't even woking at all.
I would have asked him for an increase, but just didn't like the drug compared to the fentanyl.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer my post.
I hope you are having a low pain day, I was glad to see the sun today, that means my levels will be down a little bit anyway.

Peace
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