In this I will assume that everyone knows the difference between 12 hour extended release OXYCONTIN...and fast acting release OXYCODONE.


I am a paraplegic with bad back pain. I used to be on Fentanyl 75 AND three 30mg Oxycodone (fast acting) for breakthru pain. I go so sick of using the pain patches and wanted off and was advised that I was on too much pain meds that it was making my pain worse. So I titrated off the Fentanyl. I was terrified I'd go thru withdrawl. Well my Dr who was amazing gave me Clonazepam, Clonidine and he helped me get off the patches every two weeks, we'd drop. From 75 to a 50 and a 12, then a 50, then a 25 and a 12 and so on. It was painless and no withdrawl.

He then put me on 30mg Oxycontin (extended 12 hr release) twice a day and three 15 mg Oxycodone fast acting for breakthru pain. Was on that for almost 3 years.

THEN...my Dr moved. Enter a Russian Dr from a renown Cleveland Clinic who moved to our small clinic. For those of you who don't know, Cleveland Clinic is one of the most renown clinics in America and was cited in the Presidents speech.

So. He tells me how new reports have just come out saying narcotics are poisoning your body. He said there are reports saying it lowers your immune system and the next step, in his opinion is that it will be linked to causing tumors.

So. I decide to get off these and try other methods for pain relief.

So here is his titration plan. Now remember, I am on two 30 mg Oxycontin ER every 12 hours, which from what I thought and I'm 99% sure it's a 12 hour release medicine although I've read it varies but I've always been able to make it 12 hours or more. And the three 15mg of fast acting normal oxycodone for breakthru pain for 3 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So he tells me that he will titrate me down and it will be PAINLESS....same words my first Dr told me about Fentanyl and I didn't believe him but it was true.

So I think we come to an understanding and the nurse comes in and he gives me an RX for THREE 30mg Oxycontin ER Per day for one week, then TWO 30mg ER Oxycontin per day for the 2nd week, then finally ONE 30 mg ER Oxycontin per day for 1 week. Also gives me Clonidine and Lyrica.

I immediately tell the nurse this is crazy. First its a 12 hr med 3 times a day, then drops to what I was on originally MINUS the meds for breakthru, then One 30mg ER 12 hour med per day. I say this isn't what I thought we talked about.

So the nurse goes out and talkes to the DR and the nurse comes back in with...get this. Three 10mg Oxycontin ER per day for one week, then two 10 mg Oxycontin for 1 week and then one 10 mg Oxycontin for 1 week.
What about going to 20mg. I mean I could have just took the ridiculous amount and TRIED to titrate myself but how do you titrate without going down from 30mg to then 20mg then 15mg and so on.

I tell the nurse this is going to be a nightmare.

So of course day one I am in severe withdrawl. Skin burning to were I don't care and take extra. First day I take five 10 mg Oxycontin and I call. The say it should work. I say it's not. So I say screw it and take two 10mg 3 times a day....which even as I'm doing it I'm thinking this is stupid...it's a 12 hour med, why am I taking it three times a day, but the withdrawl was unbearable. I then stretch it over the week to two 10mg Oxycontin every 10 hrs which was the best I could do. To me it makes NO SENSE WHAT SOEVER TO TAKE A 12 HR MED 3 TIMES A DAY.

So I tell them, look I can't physically, painwise and almost more so withdrawl wise do this. I tell them I had to take two 10 mgs 3 times a day and that was hard. So they get the pharmacist involved...which I don't understand...isn't a pain Dr supposed to understand the idea of titration and withdrawl?

But I am at least thinking ok...now I will be ok. So the impression I got was they would figure it out and do it right. So they then give me AGAIN three 15mg Oxycontin...per day for a week. Ok....I'm thinking then 10mg Oxycontin for 1 week...then 5mg Oxycontin for a week. Which I was gonna try to go the full 12 hrs or as close to it as I could get. Well since I told them I was taking 20mg Oxycontin 3 times a day for 2 weeks by this time...they give me 15mg Oxycontin three times a day for a week, then two 15mg Oxcontin per day for a week then the final week...you guessed it...one 15mg Oxycontin for a week.

DOES THIS MAKE SENSE TO ANYONE ON THIS BOARD?
PLEASE HELP ME. I KNOW THERE IS NO WAY THIS WILL WORK. SINCE I HAVE COMPLAINED AND COMPLAINED THEY NOW WANT ME TO SEE AN ADDICTION SPECIALIST AND I AM LIKE .....GIVE ME AT LEAST A CHANCE TO GET OFF THESE IN A SANE AN PRACTICAL WAY THAT MAKES SENSE.

ANYONE EVER HERE OF TITRATING SOMEONE LIKE THIS? I AM JUST STARTING MY FIRST DAY OF 15 MG 3 TIMES A DAY...AGAIN THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME AND ITS JUST GONNA MAKE IT HARDER TO GO TO 2 TIMES A DAY IN A WEEK.

AND WE ARE TALKING OXYCONTIN EXTENDED RELEASE ON ALL THESE ABOVE ACCEPT WHERE I SAID OXYCODONE.


PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT

THANKS