Seeing my Pain Med doctor in a few days and trying to figure out what I can replace Oxycodone with.

Oxycodone works great. But the side effects will kill me.

Vicodin is not a good drug, it is like candy. Demerol has bad side effects.

Give you an example, I had been off the Oxycodone for a couple of weeks, then took 7.5 mg of Oxycodone. My Encore Pro software shows when I went back to bed, I was in solid apnea for over an hour. The Ventilator initiated most of the breaths. While taking large doses during painful oral surgery I asked my pain med Dr. if I could double my "normal" dosage, she said fine.

I fell asleep in a chair for a couple of hours and my Medic Alert Dog "alerted" my wife. She tried to wake me, but found I could could not remember how to wake up. I knew my wife and a friend were trying to wake me, but I did not know how to wake up. They gave me 100% oxygen and I finally woke up.

I was eating Chicken Noodle Soup and forgot how to swallow. I had to lean forward to let the liquid fall out of my mouth into the bowl, which I then poured out.

You may ask, why worry, just don't use it. Except I have another oral surgery coming up. I need the pain relief. I forgot to mention I am on Avinza and have been for a few years.
I am down to 30-60mg a day and realized I COULD increase the morphine, but I hate to. I was at 180mg a day and have worked my way down to this dosage.

Any experience here? I would like to have a couple of ideas before I see the main Pain Med Dr. The oxycodone sure relieves the pain fast. I hope their is a plan B that allows pain relief without shutting my brain/CNS down. Add CCHS to the mix and it means I have to find a plan B.

I am NOT addicted or dependent on the Oxycodone. If I never see another one that is fine with me. Thankfully, the Good Lord did not make me dependent on opiates. So far. Any ideas?

Hi,

I'm sorry but I'm a little confused about your question. I mean, I understand you are asking for advice on different types of meds, but I'm not sure what you need them for. I am new and I am still trying to learn about everyone. What are you currently taking pain meds for? From my understanding, the Avinza is a time release narcotic. If you are still having pain, why are you reducing this med? Did you have problems at the higher dose? I'm assuming the Oxycodone was for breakthrough pain. Is that what you are looking for, something for breakthrough pain, especially when you have your next oral surgery??

I'm sorry for so many questions, I'm just not sure what YOUR question is!

Have you tried Oxycontin, the time release form of Oxycodone? I have taken Morphine in the past and to me, it is like candy. It does not do anything for my pain. However, Oxycontin has been really great for me. Just a thought.

I'm sorry but I'm a little confused about your question. I mean, I understand you are asking for advice on different types of meds, but I'm not sure what you need them for. I WAS REAR-ENDED IN A SEVERE WRECK JUNE 2001. I HAVE MANY, MANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS, BUT THE AVINZA AND PAIN MEDS ARE FOR AN INOPERABLE CONDITION IN MY LOWER BACK.

I am new (WELCOME) and I am still trying to learn about everyone. What are you currently taking pain meds for? From my understanding, the Avinza is a time release narcotic. If you are still having pain, why are you reducing this med? MY GOAL IS TO GET OFF ALL PAIN MEDS, SO I AM TRYING TO REDUCE THE INTAKE, PLUS I HAVE SEVERE, LIFE THREATENING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. ONE PULMONOLOGIST, AFTER A BRONCHOSCOPY, TOLD MY WIFE TO GET ME OFF OPIATES BEFORE THEY KILL ME. I QUIT BREATHING 3 TIMES DURING THE PROCEDURE AND HE HAD TO TERMINATE THE PROCEDURE EACH TIME TO GET ME TO BREATHE AGAIN. I WOULD NOT START BREATHING ON MY OWN. (CCHS)

Did you have problems at the higher dose? YES.

I'm assuming the Oxycodone was for breakthrough pain. Is that what you are looking for, something for breakthrough pain, especially when you have your next oral surgery?? YES.

I'm sorry for so many questions, I'm just not sure what YOUR question is! NO PROBLEM, SORRY I WASN'T MORE CLEAR.

Have you tried Oxycontin, the time release form of Oxycodone? NO, AND I DO NOT REMEMBER WHY.

I have taken Morphine in the past and to me, it is like candy. It does not do anything for my pain. However, Oxycontin has been really great for me. Just a thought. OXYCONTIN IS A GOOD DRUG. DAY IN AND DAY OUT, IT MAY BE STRONGER THAN I NEED. THE AVINZA HANDLES MY PAIN MOST OF THE TIME. THE OXYCODONE HANDLES THE BT PAIN REAL WELL. BUT I HAD NEVER TAKEN 75-90MG A DAY --- COMPOUNDING MY ORAL SURGERY
(WHERE THE CUT THE ROOF OF MY MOUTH OFF AND SEW IT TO MY GUMS), WAS A SERIES OF 3 TO 5 TOOTHACHES TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY. THEN THEY SAID I NEEDED A ROOT CANAL AND THEN THEY SAID MY JAW BONE WAS INFECTED, CONTRIBUTING TO THE PAIN.
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BTW, I was not shouting, just typing in all caps to make it easier to follow my comments as opposed to yours. I try to take 30mg of Avinza a day. It is good for about 12 hours for me. I take it around 6pm so I can sleep without the pain waking me (as it used to do).

I am pondering not using a BT pain, just "ramping up" the Avinza. If my Oral Surgery was September 1st, I would take 60mg of Avinza a day from Aug 10th thru the 15th, then 90mg a day the 16th thru the 20th, 120mg a day and so on.

I have described my pain to various doctors as being similar to a storm than knocks down the power poles. As the wires swing in the wind --- when the wires touch each other the sparks fly. Same in my lower back. You and I might be walking into a store and I turn the "wrong way" and I fall down in agony. I cannot explain why, it just happens. In fact, my wife just steps over me when I fall down. She is used to it. Since I have been on Opiates,
I have passed out a couple of times (Respiratory), but not from pain. That is NOT to say I am not in pain many times, but I try to tolerate it.

One of my biggest disappointments was when I realized they call it Pain Management, NOT Total Pain Relief. They finally got it through my thick skull that the amount of pain relievers to relieve me of all pain would knock me out. My words, not theirs. So I am trying to balance between the stress caused my body from pain and the potential mental and respiratory stress caused by the meds.

Another scary thing for me is Alzheimer's. My dad had it. At around 84 or 85 years old. I am 62 and don't want to get a head start. My memory is very bad now. My "Google" won't search. I remember Mickey Mantle won the triple crown in 1956, but can't remember a lot of current things. Pretty frustrating. I know part of it is getting older, but the Opiates are not helping. Sorry, didn't mean to start a "Pity Party". I am a lot luckier than many on these forums.

Hi! Sorry I'm just now responding. It's been a rough couple of weeks for me. Thanks for sharing your experience with me. I totally understand how you are feeling, well at least the pain part and the memory part. I have never had any significant respiratory problems other than sometimes I feel short of breath when I have tachycardia or when I've exerted myself.

The memory part is very scary to me. I also have what I feel are speech problems with it. Daily, I can not think of words that I am trying to say. I will have a thought in my head but I can not come up with a specific word. I also mix up the first letters of words and say them wrong, similar to dyslexia. I have a lot of trouble with short-term memory loss. I'm like you, I remember things that happened long ago but things that happened a couple of months ago or even yesterday, I can't recall. Sometimes I don't even know what day it is. My doctors are convinced it is the crazy list of medications that I'm on but it is still frightening when you can't speak. I'm 39 and I often feel like I'm 80!

Well, I hope they can get your meds straightened out for you. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Blessings,

Hi Dilfo,
Know it's been a few weeks since you posted this, but thought I would share my feelings on pain meds in case you look it up again. Know what you mean about back pain. I've got 4 hearniated discs in Lumbar area, osteo arthritis, osteoperosis, degenerative disc disease, bone spurs (one of them fused to ribs so it feels like my ribs are broken when I breath. My doctor tried me on Avinza for a while and it didn't help me at all. I was up to 120mg.

Have you ever tried Fentanyl pain patches? They say they are 80 times stronger than morphine, of course they don't give you as much. They have helped me a lot. Right now they have three generics and the name brand. Only one that doesn't work for me is the one made by Mylan. They have many levels. I'm on 100mcg patch every 72hrs. That is the largest dose you can get in one patch. No side effects for me. He still has me on Vicodin for BT pain. That is what I'm going to ask my doctor about too. When I do hurt my back more than usual like you said the Vicodin is like taking Candy.

Not sure what to ask for. I've never been on Oxycontine or Oxycodone. Any feedback? In the past I used to take dilaudid and it worked pretty good. Now that did make me a little goofy though. Hard to work like that.

I als have Epilepsy and take several other drugs that are also used for pain, Depakote, Keppra. But haven't noticed it helping with the pain.

Sorry so long. I hope things went well with your surgery. Let us know what you Pain Dr. put you on and how it is working out.
Take care,
Dennsi