PM Dr increased Meds does any one take a ER 3 x a day?

[debhun]

Hey I hope to start my Opana ER 15 mg 3 times a day. I have got up from 10 to 15 and she cut out my 5 mg IR 2 times a day all together.

I was on 10 mg of methadone every 12 hours and 3 perc for BT pain. After I cut back and then started my Opana ER every 12 hours and 2x 5 mg of IR a day. My pain shot up so high. I was on 10mg before the Methadone. Why didn't it work this time? I feel that the methadon must have been stronger. Oh well I am not to smart when it come to meds. I just want my pain to go down to a 3-4 and I will be happy.
Sorry to bother you all about this.

Deb

[Nana4&cntn]

Deb, I hope the Opana ER 3x daily works as well for you as it did for me. I have never had my pain down to a 3-4, I am lucky to ever see a 5.

[debhun]

Thanks I know I have high hopes.

[Boxerlover]

Hey Deb,

I have never been on any of those meds, I have had great luck with fentenyl. I have seen 3/4 so hopefully it's possible.

Melissa

[tortoisegirl]

Hope this works for you. It sounds like you have a lot of room for dose increases so just give it a shot and if you need more, talk to your doctor. Anytime you take a break from a med and go back to it, you can't always expect to start back at the same dose. Many times you need higher or lower.

Are you ok with not having a BT med? For me, this is necessary just so I don't freak out about having no control over my pain relief. Even a very small amount of medication (being able to take it 1-2 days a week) helps me. What was your doctors reasoning for this? Having no BT med seems rare among this group.

I try not to think about what pain level I want, but how much pain is being relieved by the medication. 50% relief makes a huge difference for most people including me. Realistic goals in PM are important. A 3-4 is not realistic for most. If you were able to get this in the past though, it seems feasible and you might just need a higher dose than previously. Keep the communication open between you and your doctor on this, and don't settle. Don't leave an appointment until you are happy with how things have gone.

One time my doctor wanted to keep a medication dose the same for me when I felt I clearly needed a higher dose. He tried to wrap up the appointment and I said no we need to discuss this more. He listened the second time. Don't just be quiet and nod in the appointment. Make sure the doctor listens to you. By listen I don't mean agrees with you, but I mean takes your concerns into consideration and comes up with solutions.

[debhun]

Kate this is what I asked for when I went to the new Pm. I hated the word Methadone. Yes it worked on my pain. But around Jan my pain level was going up and not under control. I told her this and she said it was cold weather. Okay sound about right. So it was April. Still no relief in sight. If any thing going higher. But was doing more. I work in the garden to get it ready to plant and did plant. Keep it chopped. Not one weed in there. Now my dad thinks he has too do the same. So now my brother gets in trouble all the time.LOL he is 58 and I 53. Are mom and dad live between us on the farm. My dad is 79 and goes and goes. He has pain too. but keeps going. Since We did all the corn pulled and froze 55 bags off the cob and 20 bags on the cob. I can't can't do any more.
I stayed up at the hospital for 10 days straight with my Aunt really put a toll on me.
I started my new meds the 30th the day I went to the hospital. I didn't have any trouble but my pain. But I would walk to try and see if that would help. It is a very big hospital.The next day after I came home I couldn't move tried Had zings in my head etc... I felt as a big truck had hit me. Now this is 15 days after I stared to cut back my Methadone. My head was killing me. But I couldn't go to the Dr.s cause it would cost me $60. co pay. So I waited till I had my Appt.
My PM Dr was very good. I had all papers work on the cost of meds. She told me that was a very good thing I did. I asked for new B/t Meds but I wanted to give Opana ER a very good try before we switched. So Her and My DH Hubby came up with this one. That way I would only have one high cost med. She was working on different things. but I told her I really want to give it a hard try. She told me that I was having withdraw from the methadone. That is when she upped my med to 15 mg. Now I don't have to take the ER 3 times a day if I don't need it. She told me I would now if I did or not. Now if this does not work. She will change all my meds to new ones. So she is really helping me.

I just wanted to know if any one Else take ER meds 3 times a day and is doing good with it.
I start today with the 15 mg so we will see. I was on Opana ER 10 mg when I first started PM. but had to go to Methadone cause of Money when DH lost his job. $275. a month for 60 pills was to high for us. and Methadone was $17.00. So that is the story.

I think I have very good Dr. It is just going to take time to get things right. Last night I took a X B/T and it helped me get some sleep that I haven't had in a long time. I woke up at 5:00 not 3:00. that is very good for me.

I am still weak from a very mild heart attack on the 16th. I still can't walk out to the garden and look. I tire out very easy. But each day is a little better. My BP is staying down. My PC Dr fell over the other day. He said Deb this is a first that your BP is right. Been going to him when he first moved here in 1995. My son was one of his first patient.

Thanks for your time and you input.
Deb

[tortoisegirl]

I still didn't understand your post. So you are not having a BT and only increasing the long acting because of money? There are several generic medications you could have for BT that would be affordable to pay cash with, like Percocet that you had before. If this works for you, then great.

I have heard of people taking a long-acting medication 3 times a day not 2 times a day, even if it was formulated for twice a day. Most people metabolize a long acting medication faster than the manufacturers intended. Dosing it more often should bring you relief, as would increasing the dose and still only taking it twice a day. Especially if you noticed increased pain the couple hours before you were supposed to take a dose when you were taking it twice a day, this should be helpful. Whether it will be helpful enough is the question. Glad your doctor is working with you.

Do you now have insurance or are you still paying $275/month for the Opana ER? There may be other options for a cheaper long acting medication, such as morphine. That would be maybe half that price when I looked at drugstore.com (a site that I use to price out the cash price of meds, although a retail pharmacy is a little higher than them, it's the only site I know of that you can type in a prescription name and get a cost estimate).

Almost every long acting medication has people taking it more frequently than intended--24 hour pill taken every 12 hours, 12 hour pill taken every 8 hours, patch replaced every 2 days not 3, etc. It all depends on the patient. Paying cash, wasn't it a higher cost to get more pills than you used to take, or was it the same?

[tortoisegirl]

Another note: If you are paying cash prices for your medicaitons, always shop around. I have found Costco the cheapest. Most pharmacies will match any other pharmacy's price. You just ask your pharmacy to call another pharmacy for a price check, and they will match it. Pharmacies each have high cash prices (Rite Aid is the highest that I know of for example), but will lower them if you ask.

[debhun]

Okay let me try and say this right. I am a very bad writer. I have ins now. the cost is $55. each For the IR and ER. I told her about that and was hoping for her to up my ER and change my IR for my B/T. SHe was going to do so many things that I said stop. You are getting me all mixed up here. Would you please let my DH come back so he can understand what is going on. She said no trouble. Called him in and then she thought of the 3 times a day only when needed. So she said on a really bad day you will take 3. on a good day take 2. I am like you are really joking right to my self. She said the third one would be like a B/T for me. That is how she put it. But in your other post you said something that make sence. Let me take it for 3-4 days and see how it goes. As I told you I took one and it lasted for 4 hours. I was cooking dinner and had to sit and rest I was hurtting so bad. I still have the IR 5 mg but I don't know if I should take it or not. What I have took today is at 5:30 AM a 10 mg ER than at 10:00 AM a 5 IR then at 2: my first 15 MG then at 10 I will take a 15mg. I am to much like my Dad I want it now to be gone. I know how to live with pain at 5-7 have done it for so long. but after some time it take a toll on me. I hope you understand now.

Oh I did pay that price when DH lost his job 3 years agoBut he has a good job with the state on NC now. He has been there for over a year now.That is why I was put on methadone.


Thanks Deb

[tortoisegirl]

So if you only take 2 some days and 3 other days, how do you space them out? That seems confusing to me! I guess if you know ahead of time you will take 3 doses not 2, you would take second dose of the day after 8 hours not 12, but what about if you later realize you need extra? Then, you are taking the doses more closely spaced together. That copay doesn't sound as bad now. I hope this works for you, or else you should have some options for BT that are less than $55, even if you paid cash.

What are your lower copay levels, if it's a tier system? I still don't get the take 2 on some days and 3 on other days thing...that's weird. If it was take 3 everyday that could make sense to me. As long as you understand the instructions though! Thanks for the clarification. That's good you have your IR for this time too. I think it is fine to take the IR as long as you follow the instructions on that bottle (don't take it too often) and you won't run out. If you are in pain, then you won't be at risk of taking too much of it in my opinion.

My idea also still sounds to have your doctor write the script for the IR for a larger amount, and you only fill it and pay your copay of $55 every 2 or 3 months instead of every month. I used to do this, and as long as you and the doctor talk about it and they are comfortable with giving you more of the medication with the understanding you won't get another script for a couple months, it's a great option so you still have the IR.

[debhun]

Kate Thank you. it is not working at all. Yes it is taking my pain down. But 4-6 hours late It is back again. Like you said I can't take the ER for 8 hours. So what good is this doing me none. I feel like crap all the time. I have not been in my garden for 7 6 weeks now. My head hurts all the time. Am tired all the time. DH has been having to cook dinned cause I just can't. At times I wish they would just cut off my neck and re place it when a new one LOLOL. But to feel the way I do is beyond me.
I call the co that makes the OPANA ER and she said that what is happening is I am having peaks then gos into withdraw. And she said that with the headaches and going to the bathroom less that they should take me off and on to something else.
I really am not understanding this. I was on this the first time it came out. It did good. But I also had perc for B/T pain. I had 7.5/ 3.25. I had it for 3 years 90 a month. Old Dr had me 2 in the day then one at 3 AM. cause of my pain at night. I was able to sleep to 3 then would take my perc and after about 45 min to a hour I was back to sleep till 7-8.

I go back today and I am so scared. I don't want to think I am a drug seeker. I am not. But I can't live this way. My daughter said to go back on Methadone. NOT on you life. I was thinking if maybe if they put it back like it was. with perc with B/T that maybe it would even out. I still think it is the Methadone. I can swear it is.
Steve have you heard of any thing like this. After about 4-6 hours after taking the ER I will get runny nose, week and my pain comes back. Why I should be doing good and not. I am lost. I feel bad most of the day.

What should I do here. I hope someone see this before I leave to go back to the dr's at 8:30 Am I leave the house.
I know I am not a good writer. But I need something to tell the Dr before I go today.

I aways take my meds like the bottle says. I never take more than I suppose to.

I start the 15 mg Sunday 3x a day and quit wed went back to 12 hours and used the B/t I had. It helped to some what with the up and downs. Now this is to be a 12 hour med then why does it not last that long? Is it just my body.

[william325]

Hate to be the grouch here guys, but news "OPANA IS THE SORRIEST PAIN MED THIS SIDE OF ULTRAM I CAN THINK OF". Just saying couse this month I was switched from ms contin 15 bid and Lortab 7.5 2x daily to opana 5 ER when i said can I just have a dose eqivilent to that in lortab please? so thats 6 Lortab 7.5 a day prn. Well he began..........Lortab isn't supposed to be taken like that.I wanna try something new........oxymorphone 5 mg delay release.In short (tis getting late and I gotta be up early....) Next months Appt. I plan to kindly thank him for his attempts at pain control, request my ct scans, a copy of the radiologists report,my records and release upon1 more months meds to get me through to another DR. this guys a FLAKE!! IM ganna post the whole thing tomorrow in a seperate thread. The moral "lyrica,opana,cymbalta,ultram are all as well to be a placebo if you want them for anything but a small headache". Just my 2 cents.
-Willie