Sydney,

No, Oramorph is not Oxycontin. Oramorph is a brand of extended-release (long-acting) morphine. OxyContin is a brand of extended-release oxycodone. Oxycodone is 1.5-2 times stronger than morphine.

From the drugs you said you've tried, you were on relatively low doses, actually. Oramorph does not come in 45mg tablets so I'm assuming you were taking 2 different strengths to get up to 45mg-2X daily. MS Contin is another brand of extended-release morphine; 45mg-2X daily would give you the same relief as the Oramorph, give or take 30% (brands vary due to their absorption in the body, method of release, etc.) I'm not quite sure about Methadone; 20mg every 6 hours seems like it was a pretty decent dose. I know a few people who only take 5-10mg 3X daily and get relief.

I personally take Oramorph myself and I am up to 100mg-2X daily for my chronic pain condition (undiagnosed problems). I also take OxyIR (instant-release Oxycodone) for my breakthrough (BT) pain. A good friend of mine has to take 300mg of morphine 3 times a day just to get her pain levels down to 5-7. She has some serious issues though so it takes a lot of pain medication for her to be comfortable. Plus medication varies person-to-person as to how much it helps.

There is a new drug out called Opana. It is a formulation of oxymorphone, approximately 7 times stronger than regular morphine, I believe. It comes in both extended and instant release forms. Perhaps you can have a discussion with your doctor about this new drug at your next appointment. Also, I do believe Cortisone shots (per my experience) only last for a short while and don't provide *that* much relief. If all else has failed though you might as well give it a try as long as you don't have allergies to any type of steroids.

At any rate, no one should ever expect to experience total pain relief while being a chronic pain patient. Most medications are prescribed in the light of the patient realizing it will only minimize their pain levels and allow them to regain a somewhat "normal" lifestyle. Even with the morphine and oxycodone I'm still not able to work or go to school, so hopefully that will give you an idea of how some of us have to live; with the medicine I'm able to get out of bed and do what needs to be done around the house though and for that I'll be forever grateful to my doctor.

I hope that the information I have provided has been helpful to you. If you have any more questions or concerns, you can either post a reply or send me a PM. I wish you the best of luck!