When I read your post today, I was very surprised that your doctor has you on morphine 2x a day. As Gerry said, 12 hours is a long time for morphine to remain effective. It is usually taken 3x a day, some doctors will even go 4x a day. Perhaps it is because you are also taking Oxycodone as well, I do not know.

Methadone is a very scary prescription. There are so many side effects that could potentially be life threatening. It does work on the NMDA receptors, but there are others that do as well... Tramadol, Nucynta, Dextromethorphan, and Ketamine. I am sure that there are plenty of others. Those are just the ones I know of.

I know very little about SFN. I do not know if your doctor wants to use Methadone because it is an NMDA receptor blocker or other reasons, it is just my best guess.

Sending healing hugs and thoughts. I hope that you are able to find the relief you are expecting with the increase in morphine.

Hi Debi

So glad to hear you were able to get your doctor to realize you needed more pain relief.

Hope it's starting to work for you and you're felling better and can relax a little.

Time to start looking forward to summer - How's Bubba (the pool) project going?

Debi, It will do much better than the 15mg's of Morphine twice a day. I guess another option could have been taking 15mg's of Morphine 3 times a day rather than two; but never did understand Your PM wanting to put you on Methadone. Glad Luke is opposed to the Meth as well.

Please keep us informed on how you are doing


Gerry

You may be talking about the immediate release morphine ? I do know that Susanne's dr lets her take her ER 3 times a day.

My dr seems stuck on 3 pain meds only: BuTrans, morphine and methadone. He's never mentioned any others but I know there are so many other pain meds out there like you mentioned above.

Thanks so much for your message. I know you've had some issues going on and I hope those are getting better for you my friend.

Debi

If the pool people are still on schedule I'll have my pool in 2 weeks ! I won't be able to get in it yet but am going to enjoy sitting by it. Hope it brings some of my happy back

I think I need to have a sign made for my pool......an 'In Honor Of Bubba' sign. Gosh I miss that man

Took my first ER 30 mg last night before bed. I have high hopes !

Thanks so much.....Debi

Christina did ask him about ER 15 mg three a day......He said it's against the rules per the govt ? (Can't remember the name of that dept...lol)

Surely dr's have some leeway on this stuff ? Hmmm

Debi

Debi,

Mostly insurance reasons .It is the Opioids this applies to. They will only allow two doses a day (every 12 hours)..

My PM has prescribed my dose/prescription to read...."Take 2 tablets by Mouth every 12 hours". This enables me to get a total of 4 Oxycontin tablets of the same dosage... I know waiting to take 2 every 12 hours would wear very thin before the 12 hours are up. (Also now the prescription reading 2 doses every 12 hours is approved.)

With the okay of my PM,..... I take 1 tablet of Oxycontin every 6 hours rather than 2 every 12 hours. As previously mentioned, I know my taking 2 at the same time would not hold out 12 hours; but taking 1 every 6 hours would level out and extend the dosage.

Even if you were still on the Morphine 15mg; and your prescription read......Take 2 tablets by mouth ever 12 hours...;(thereby following the rules for approval) you would be able to take 1 Morphine15mg ever 6 hours, which in your case as well would level out the medication and extend the dosage much better.

Hopefully, I was able to make myself clear and not muddle my explanation.

You are right; doctors can figure something out to get around this. I am fortunate my PM is willing and agrees.


Gerry

Debi,

I was referring to MS Contin - Morphine Sulfate Continuous in particular, a brand of morphine ER

It is my understanding that it is slowly released over a 6-8 hour time frame. I think I read somewhere that it has about a 7 hour half life but I am not sure about that. Part of my problem was I did not think it was helping me much. When I tried to go off of it, I started to have withdrawal symptoms when I started taking them every 12 hours and also realized that it was helping. Going through mild withdrawal twice a day on top of having to deal with the high amount of pain for a few hours before I the next pill started to help again was not much fun. It was still better when I ended up going for 2 days without it at all. After those 2 horrible days, my PM had me go back on it titrating back up to 4x a day. We tried 3x a day, but that was not working either.

We all have different rates at which our bodies process our medications. Hopefully 30 mg every 12 hours works well for you. If you start having any problems, whether it is pain from SFN, or even a really bad headache, shaking, muscle aches, that seems to come on the same time every day, don't be afraid to bring them up with your PM.

Alaina, that is exactly what I am taking; the controlled release Oxycontin which pretty much the same; but it really does not last the 12 hours; that's why taking it ever 6 hours totally up the same amount; but now you have taken the 2nd one just before the 1st starts to wain down. The Morphine Debi is taking has pretty much the same extend time; just does not hold out for 12 hours.

I have been doing the same dosage and taking this the same way for the past 4 years. The insurance company and whatever agency is not considering the patient constantly going thru some withdrawal. Thankfully, I have a doctor that understands this.

It is great having you, or for that matter each of us going thru our pain; but care about helping each other out the best we can.


Gerry

I am so glad to read how to manage dosages with insurance constraints and the life of the dosages expiring and causing withdrawal symptoms between dosages. I think the information that has been provided here is very valuable to the members that are reading this post.

It certainly makes sense that one should need to take another dose of medicine BEFORE the prior dose has totally worn off and that a small overlap near the end of one and the beginning of the other is most beneficial to the sufferer.

No one needs to go through withdrawal symptoms between dosage each day.

Thanks to all that have posted on this thread. I think it has been very helpful.