My response you quoted what not only to you and if your on a medication if dropped its for one of 3 reasons either its effectiveness wears off/ no need for it, your allergic, or your doctor feels your gaining to much of a dependence or adverse effects from it. Dilaudid is another potent drug from the opiate class. 4mg of Dilaudid is equal to that of 20-30mg of Oxycontin so one can quickly see with higher dosage you exceed Oxycontins strength. Dilaudid as well has a longer effect over the day then Oxycontin. A lot of RSD patients find relief with use of this drug. Methadone is another and is extremely potent it may take longer to effect but is worth it completely. Think of it as a chart at the top you have methadone and then under you have Dilaudid in higher doses as well as higher end Fentanyl (patches and pump) then Oxycontin 80mg. I have been in this field for over 7 years now and have been to quite a collection of specialists as well as through the med line. In regard to the point of whose fault it is while its reckless and childish of the abusers its the FDA that needs to be responsible, just because people abuse items does not mean they(the addicts) should be the ones we base our choices on. As the FDAs responsibility is to take care of us not the addicts. The problem is while physical therapy and no medications does work well in some cases and those others that can get away with blocks, they are a world of difference from those of us with internal and internal full body. Once your RSD reaches the point of control over your body even to the point of causing respiratory failure there is no question that meds are a must its just the hard job of trying to find a level that works enough. Ketamine is a complete joke as most of us know. If you can work with nothing I'm extremely happy for you gabbycakes seems your a fortunate remission, but unfortunately not all of us have that ability.

Lordwood,

First when you say you have been at this for 7 years also, I believe you stated in a previous post you are around 19 or 20, so you where 13 and collecting data from doctors? I do not have any reactions from meds. I take and get whatever I need so don't mistake what I say or put words in my mouth. And I am not in remission I suffer everyday just like you and all of us who have this disorder. I have had decided to try other modalities to change the way we all have to live with RSD, drugs are not the answer all the time, but I do take them when I need them and sometimes everyday. I hope I cleared up your misunderstanding.

Also, there are quite of few people who agreed with me so I really don't know what to tell you...
Gabbycakes

Also, it is dangerous to quote comparables in dosage of extremely dangerous medication unless you are a doctor or pharmacologist. If mis-used based on your post things really could go very wrong. Please be carefull.

I think what is most important is that we get the relief we are needing and looking for as best as possible from what ever the medication that the Dr. prescribes for us. If they change a drug that no longer works as well then we need to work with our Dr. to find a new drug that will work and replace the old one.

Sure its a p.i.t.a. but we have to change along with the way they are making the new pain meds so they are safer for everyone or so they say. I don't like it any more then anyone else here but we have no other chose but to deal with it . We are to small as a whole group to fight this against the big giant drug co. They have more money than the government has right now. Insurance Co. are next with the big money to control what happens with how drugs are made.

Blame the new administration with their health reform this is why mine and everyone else's premium's took a big jump. I now pay more for less coverage.

Both the drug and insurance companies control what goes on with our drugs not the government. And over the next 3 years it is going to get even worst. So sit back because we are in for a long bumpy ride until the next election for the white house. This is when we need someone that is going to fix this mess that we are now in and needs to stop this from continuing. While watching national new on the 3 stations what adds do you see every time. All drug adds for you name it. Just 2 years ago on these same time slots where auto adds. Also you now see more and more insurance adds as well. These are the people with all the money. So as long as the government tries to push the drug makers they will fight back by take away from us the little people by making our drugs weaker so we have to buy more and then blame it on the FDA. It is sad but true. This is my 2 cents.

I've been dealing with specialists since I was 1.5 years old as I started with Ulcerative Colitis and then it went to crohns. I've had more health issues then most people have in there entire life. I've dealt with RSD specialists since 13 so don't mistake what I say or put words in my mouth. What other "modalities" physical therapy? HBOT? Nerve blocks? Or perhaps there new method of freezing and killing the nerves they choose to do it to? I will not even list ketamine as its a joke and a lot agree with that and I'm not just talking little infusions I'm talking also about those that get the full schwartzman routine. My apologies as from most of your posts you act like your in remission. In regards to your additional post I have 2 pharmacists that are family friends as well as doctors. I was thrown into this insane world of RSD just like many others who started younger and yes we actually do know quite a bit as we've had our lives stripped away and quite a number of years dealing with it. Just because your older does not mean you know more. Hopefully you can understand that others do actually know what were talking about.

Dear Austin,

I'm so sorry that you have been sick for so long - what a bummer. And that there are so many other things that some of us attempt to use as much as we can to compensate for the absense of strong opiates in our system that you find you can't tolerate.

It seems that you have had a really hard time of it. Life is just SO not fair.

After being on a medical LOA for my RSD for a while, I really wanted to go back to work, and knew that I couldn't do it on the meds I was taking. So I needed to do something to help myself. Ketamine infusions have helped me get SOME of my life back. (I'll never be like I was before the RSD.) I'm so sorry that it's not something that seemed to work for you when you saw Dr. S. Have you considered consulting with Dr. Getson in NJ? He's not too far from where you live and is really one of the nicest docs I have ever met. I bet you would like him a lot. And he will help you with everything - your meds, your belly, migraines, possible ketamine, etc. He talked to my doctor up here in RI when my case was transferred up here a few months ago. He's just a great guy.

What would be wonderful is if maybe you could plan to go back to school someday.

Hyperalgesia, or rebound pain, can occur when you've been taking really high doses of meds for a long time. You won't find out if that is the case until you've come off of them for a day or so. I think that happens to me with all the Fiorcet I tend to take for my headaches sometimes....

What's interesting is how many hits this thread has had - obviously Oxycontin is a med a lot of RSDers have taken, and the change that the drug company has made to the formula has impacted many users. My doc wouldn't prescribe it for me though, he said it was too addictive. I have the 5 mg. Oxycodone for occasional use when needed, most of the time I just take Fiorcet for my head pain.

All the best to you, Sandy

SandyRI I have attempted other options and they all turn to be nothing but complete waste of time. If dealing ok without meds then there is a clear difference between you and most of the rest of us. As we do not have the option of something else as we have all ready be there done that. *edit*
On the concern of "Hyperalgesia, or rebound pain" this is not an issue as I've been off my meds for a full week and nothing happened while in the hospital and then was off them for over 2weeks when my insurance switched. These meds are nothing more then false hope which is better then nothing at least Im doing something. I'm glad to hear ketamine helped you. I am currently in the process of getting with a doctor out of New Mexico that does a different way with the use of ketamine compared to the others as well as higher doses.

Lordwood...

I have been reading these posts flying back and forth... unfortuantely, I caught your last post prior to the edit version and I want to pipe up and say please, take it outside..those posts are not necessary..This whole RSD group are like family to me, I care about them..lets not go there..

Sandy RI and Gabbycakes (I am sure as well as you and all of us here)... have and paying a very big price with our daily struggles due to RSD. Gabby and Sandy are merely trying to help with experiences and facts. Please, don't take any of it personal...our Personal trumps, good and bad are all in an attempt to tame this mean disease..Please, no more darts just concern, support and caring for one another here..

I hope you have a nice day and keep us posted on how you are doing...

Take care, Kathy

The other members and I were having a discussion on the actual item at hand, before and somewhat during the time gabbycakes decided to chime in that she knows better then the rest of us so I simply defended the others. I'm finding many won't speak up for their views as they've become to used keeping quiet and don't like to disrupt. Thats sad as when your a family everyone should be able to speak up on anything as well as you shouldn't have one that believes there in control, no others that are truly being sarcastic and getting away with it.

This post is meant for those effected by Oxycontin.