[krank]

My wife who is an RN thinks that I have mood swings now that I am on methadone as a regulating dose...I us Dilaudid for breakthrough pain...I know I get a little unrulely sometimes but I dont think that its anything out of normal after losing a career, mobility, independence, and any sort of self esteem that I once had...I am wondering if anyone has bad side effects from Methadone and if so what other meds are out there that would work as well as meth without the side effects...Im happy that Im on only two right now but they are very potent. And if this demon decides that the dilaudid isnt enough whats next...Please Help..I know Ketamine is a good answer but my insurance along with my employer BNSF Railroad will not pay a dime...

[hannah1234]

I DO ketamine which doesn't tame all my pain... and I started on norco... and im having major mood issues when it starts wearing off about 2 hours I take 20mg every 6 hrs. I know I didn't think I had mood issues until it was points out to me ans my family and friends told me. As hard as it is to accept... you might not be able to take methadone or maybe just take it at night so you can sleep so you aren't awake. It's so frustrating when something like a mood makes us have to get off medication. but... its for the best for our relationships around us. Its not fair to them. Have you tried a fetanyl patch?? You leave them on for 3 days per say and then change....

I posted this exact problem with norco... its so frustrating and just makes me cry and more angry to think it could help but its altering my moods. Sigh... try the patch!?! maybe talk to.your doctor about it.

Let me know what you.end up doing!

Hi, krank:

Some medications can cause mood swings, but to say that in your case, it is the methadone that is responsible for your mood swings... How can your wife, even if she is an RN, be sure it is the methadone and not something else, like your chronic pain condition, its pain, etc.

I used many different narcotics for breakthrough pain:
-Tylenol with codeine #3, Tylenol with codeine #4, Vicodin: these were totally ineffective for me, and
-MSIR (morphine sulfate immediate release), Dilaudid, Actiq: these were all effective for me, even though I prefer Actiq, because it seems to me that this medication acts much more quickly than the other medications.

My anesthesiologist, also a pain management specialist, told me to mix pain medications (in capsule or tablet form) with carbonated beverages, be it soda or water. My doctor says that the active principles or ingredients in the medication will be made available to the body more quickly and, thus, work more quickly because of something (I do not remember what, but he might have been talking about the "bubbles") contained in the carbonated beverages. Of course, some people cannot stand carbonated beverages; these people should not drink them. Every time I mix my pain medications with carbonated beverages, I can feel them working more quickly. I can assure you that when you are in severe pain, you do not want to wait eons for the pain medications to take effect and kill your pain.

It is normal to sometimes become unruly after losing career, mobility, independence, and self-esteem, like you said.

Apart from methadone, medications that might work as well are oxycodone extended release, morphine extended release, hydromorphone extended release, fentanyl patches (I use these patches at the dosage of 125 mcg. At first, these patches gave me severe nausea and vomiting, but these are now gone since my body got used to the fentanyl. I had no constipation or other side effects from these patches. The only thing is that, in hot places, you have to use tape around the patches to prevent their coming off because of the sweat; water is not a problem for me.)

RSD is a demon; when the monster decided it did not have enough fentanyl and the doctor would not increase its dosage (at that time, I was using the 100 mcg dosage), and because of some surgeries and falls, RSD spread to my spinal cord, brainstem, and brain (in other words, the pain became centralized and I now also have, besides RSD, Central Pain Syndrome.) Hopefully, this will not happen to you.

Good luck in getting the pain care you need and deserve. By the way, where do you live? In the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, or some other English speaking country?

Most medical insurances, if not all, will not pay for the RSD Ketamine Coma treatment, which is done in only two places in the world, because it is an experimental procedure. I have all the papers signed for Mexico, but not the money, U.S. $ 50,000, plus travel, lodging, food, and medical costs for complications that might occur with this procedure.

[krank]

Thank you both for responding. I have tried Fentanyl early on and it made me sick so we dumped it and moved on. I think it might be something that I might want to go back to considering how my mood was today. Kitty I havent heard of actiq. Do you have any side effects of it? I know with my meth I have to use it as a maintenance dose, so, Im taking it about 3 to 4 times a day and it seems that the little demon isnt satisfied. So Im going to have to switch it up a bit. Kitty when you take you meds with a pop or soda do you disolve them into it before drinking am I getting that wrong. It would make sense that it would help with your pain because your getting rid of the coating that makes the med disolve slower in your body. I just want to thank you both again. This demon is taking a toll on my family and my marriage. Especially when we found out that my wife has RA too. So we are struggling to keep things together and raise two teens and a tween and two older ones in college and getting married and all the other stuff life throws at you. May God bless you both and give you the mirracle of healing thank you

[hannah1234]

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ACTIQ... as it willl rot your teeth and you have to brush your teeth 12 times a day with it... it is an oral fetanyl "sucker" and you rub it on your cheek/gums and it goes straight to your blood streem, quick acting. It is awesome for pain relief... short acting... but not recommended at all because of the dental issue for regular use. GREAT to have on hand for injuries... but not good for all the time for sure. I got 2 cavities from using it for breakthrough pain after having a surgery.... The fetanyl patch (duragesic)is a great way... it gives you a continuous flow of fetanyl so no ups and downs... maybe approach it that way?

I might try duragesic for my pain not sure yet... I can not take hydrocodone as it makes me angry angry angry.

[gabbycakes]

Originally Posted by hannah1234

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ACTIQ... as it willl rot your teeth and you have to brush your teeth 12 times a day with it... it is an oral fetanyl "sucker" and you rub it on your cheek/gums and it goes straight to your blood streem, quick acting. It is awesome for pain relief... short acting... but not recommended at all because of the dental issue for regular use. GREAT to have on hand for injuries... but not good for all the time for sure. I got 2 cavities from using it for breakthrough pain after having a surgery.... The fetanyl patch (duragesic)is a great way... it gives you a continuous flow of fetanyl so no ups and downs... maybe approach it that way?

I might try duragesic for my pain not sure yet... I can not take hydrocodone as it makes me angry angry angry.

Hannah that is great advise. I had problems a couple of years ago with any kind of morphine based medication. It just started to ruin my teeth, I mean really ruin my teeth, which where fine before all this happened. I have also heard the same about actiq, but I never tried Actiq.

Wishing you the best.

gabbycakes

Hi, krank:

There are different kinds of fentanyl patches: the ones with the reservoir and the ones without the reservoir. There are also brand name and generic fentanyl patches. You have to see, by what doctors call the trial and error method, which one works best for you and with the least side effects.

Actiq is a fentanyl lollypop, usually used for breakthrough or incident pain. I had absolutely no side effects from it, but everyone is different. Of course, after you take this medication, you have to brush your teeth well in order for them not to rot. After all, lollypops, even if they contain medication, are candies... and like with any candies, you have to brush your teeth after taking them. Make sure to keep these lollypops, if they are prescribed for you, out of your children's and teenagers' reach, for example by locking them in a safe place only you and your wife know about.

Fentanyl is supposed to be the strongest narcotic painkiller available on the market (in Duragesic and Actiq) but, like I said, everyone is different and reacts differently to medications.

When I take my medications with carbonated beverages (my doctors agree with my doing it), I first put the capsules or tablets into my mouth and then I swallow them with the carbonated beverage (which can be soda, water, but not champagne, because it is alcohol). When I take my fentanyl lollypops, I do not use carbonated beverages; I just suck them in 15 minutes to get the most effect from them, as mentioned on the notice I got from the pharmacist.

Good luck in getting the pain care you need and deserve.

Hi, hannah1234:

I used Actiq for many, many months. The only reason why I had to stop is its cost (about U.S. $ 480 for a box of thirty 800 mcg lollypops); I do not have good medical insurance.

Actiq never, ever rotted my teeth, even once, because I brush my teeth after taking them. Like I told krank, a lollypop, even if it contains a medication, is still a lollypop, that is, a candy. If you take Actiq 12 times a day, of course you will have to brush your teeth 12 times a day. If you take X candies or lollypops a day, you will have to brush your teeth X times a day. It makes sense.

Quote: "The fentanyl patch (Duragesic) is a great way... it gives you a continuous flow of fentanyl, so no ups and downs..." I also love Duragesic. I now use a dosage of 125 mcg: one 100 mcg patch and one 25 mcg patch every 72 hours. I sometimes have the chance of getting my hands on some Actiq but, usually, for my breakthrough or incident pain, I take MSIR (morphine sulfate immediate release) which, with my doctor's permission, I take with some non-alcoholic carbonated beverage, to make it work quicker.

Have you ever tried Duragesic? The only side effects I had from this medication, nausea and vomiting, only lasted a few months...

I took hydrocodone (Vicodin), but it did not work for me at all.

Good luck in getting the care you need and deserve.

Hi, gabbycakes:

Just a side note: your screen name makes me want to eat cakes, since I love eating sweet stuff..., especially cakes, cookies, and ice cream.

Quote: "I had problems a couple of years ago with any kind of morphine based medication." Do you mean all morphine based medications ruined your teeth? I could understand this would happen with Actiq, if you did not brush your teeth, because Actiq is a lollypop, thus, a candy. Everyone, children like adults, has to brush their teeth after eating lollypops or candies. I personally never had any teeth problems with Actiq or other narcotics; is it because I brushed my teeth? I also brushed my two-year-old baby boy's teeth after the doctor gave me some Actiq for him to take after his one heart, two lungs, and two kidneys transplant.

[daniella]

I am not on methadone or as needed meds but had some mood issues that my mom was very concerned about. Anyhow I was pushed to see a psychiatrist who put me on meds to help with stabalizing my moods. It did seem to help that aspect though sometimes I feel it is the time and issue I am in. Does that make sense? I am not sure if you find methadone helpful pain wise but I am wondering if there is a med you can use in addition for the mood?