Hi Cathy,

You haven't written anything wrong; we all learn together here.

When dealing with opioids and chronic or intractable pain, dosages are relative. Oxycontin is a controlled-release (long-lasting) medication. For an opioid-naive patient, 20 mg of oxycontin may be a lot; it's equavalent to 10 mg of oxycodone every six hours, or two 5/325 percocets every six hours. To an opioid-tolerant patient in a lot of pain, it may be sufficient or not even close. Opana is an opioid, so Dani is likely somewhat tolerant, and RSD is one of the most painful conditions I know of. Also, with opioids, there is no upper dosage limit; someone in intractable pain for 10 or 20 years may be on many times that dosage. Dosage decisions are up to patients' doctors, who are familiar with their histories.

Here is some information on Opana and RSD:

Oxymorphone (active ingredient in Opana)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004942/

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004456/

Doc