June 21, 2007 - 8:22pm
this is my second post (every one was very helpful on my first"opana er side effects"-thank you.)i am currently having therapy (neck)intended to help disks rebuild fluid.im in my second week and have found this to be a painful process. i am very undereducated when it comes to meds . my doc is a hard man to speak to(really gets upset when i ask about my meds).today he told me i had to decide-double my opana er 5mg or patches.he didn't say what kind.strange as this might sound i am very intimidated by him.i have taken hydro-7.5 for 2 years with no problems,but he says they aren't strong enough.any advice would be very helpful as i am afraid of addiction to strong meds.
June 22, 2007 - 1:01pm
#2
Wow! hydrocodone 7.5 to
Wow! hydrocodone 7.5 to opana er 5mg? That is quite a jump. No percocet, or IR oxycodone/oxycontin in between? That seems like a pretty unusual step to take a patient who is taking norco, lortab, vicodin, lorcet, etc 7.5mg and put them on an extended release of an extremely potent narcotic. Just seems a little strange to me. I agree, I you don't feel comfortable talking to your dr. about your meds, find a new doctor.
MY OPINIONS ONLY!
PDX
June 22, 2007 - 2:29pm
#3
I don't think you can rank
I don't think you can rank narcotics on a potency scale like that. If you are taking Tylenol #3 two tablets every 6 hours, you are taking 240mg of codiene. That should be about the equivalent in analgesic potency (and potential for dependance) as 12mg Oxymorphone, or Opana ER 5mg twice a day. That would be about the equivalent in analgesic potency (and potential for dependance) as a 12mcg/hour Fentanyl patch, or 24mg of Oxycodone (Percocet 5/325mg, one tablet every 4-6 hours), or 36mg of hydrocodone (Vicoden 7.5/750mg, one tablet every 4-6 hours).
This does not take into account incomplete cross tolerance, and is not ment to recommend any particular dosing schedule. I just did the conversion using Globalrph narcotic dosage converter. The jump from Opana ER 5mg twice a day to Fentanyl patch does seem a little steep since the next upward titration of Fentanyl patch available is double the dosage you would probably start at.
First off I would suggest that if possible find another doctor. You should feel comfortable talking with your doctor - I feel its impoprtant to have that relationship with your doctor so you both can decide whats best for you. After so long on a particular med we can develop a tolerence to it therefore reducing its effectiveness. Addication can occur while taking any strength of opiates. You mentioned "patches"- the one patch form I am familiar with is fentanyl(duragesic) which come in different strengths-25 mcg, 50mcg, 100mcg so on.. Depending on how the doctor percribes it you change the patch every 72 hrs. The patch form is normally used for chronic pain or cancer.
Personally when your dealing with chronic pain and taking narcotics to help -over any extened period of time - you're looking at becoming physically addicated. Doesn't mean you're an addict jusdt stopping any medicine abrutly can cause withdrawal systoms.
Views expressed are my own opinions. I'm not a doctor.