[Smurfboy]

I have severe back paid from a work related injury.
I have been taking Oxycodone 5/325 pills about 5 a day for the past 6 months for pain. After having cortisone injections a few weeks ago I noticed the pain got worse. So I asked my doctor for a stronger Oxycodone. And He took me off them and started me on Tramadol 50mg pills twice a day.
Does this make any sense to anyone? I feel like I’m in more pain on these and there not helping.
Please I really need some input here as my Primary Care Provider is also the Medical Director for the clinic.

He has informed me that Tramadol is the same thing as Oxycodone and has the same affect on you and that there is a Oxycodone shortage in the United States.

I have full health coverage so it's not about money for the pills.

[pharmstud(ent)]

Originally Posted by Smurfboy

I have severe back paid from a work related injury.
I have been taking Oxycodone 5/325 pills about 5 a day for the past 6 months for pain. After having cortisone injections a few weeks ago I noticed the pain got worse. So I asked my doctor for a stronger Oxycodone. And He took me off them and started me on Tramadol 50mg pills twice a day.
Does this make any sense to anyone? I feel like I’m in more pain on these and there not helping.
Please I really need some input here as my Primary Care Provider is also the Medical Director for the clinic.

He has informed me that Tramadol is the same thing as Oxycodone and has the same affect on you and that there is a Oxycodone shortage in the United States.

I have full health coverage so it's not about money for the pills.

Your doctor is not completely lieing to you as you make it appear. Tramadol and Oxycodone BOTH bind to opiate receptors and therefore can be considered similar (also inhibits norepinephrine and serotonin slightly). Oxycodone is combined with tylenol for a stronger effect. There can be many reasons he switched your medication. He may want to prevent addiction to oxycodone since it is a schedule II narcotic by switching to tramadol which is not a controlled medication at all. You said the oxycodone is not working so he may want to try something else. He may suspect drug abuse. Etc.

The drug may not be working because you are becoming tolerant to it which one option is to give a higher dose or switch to something else. He can call in tramadol over the phone versus needing to physically see the doctor for oxycodone (don't know the circumstances). If this is the first time you've been getting injections he may want to give you a little lower pain reliever since you should be getting some pain relief from the injection. This is not a simple answer to know what the doctor is thinking.

There was a shortage of oxycodone because of a factory recall. To my knowledge that has all been fixed because it was a few months back and we are now getting our oxycodone back in stock. The doctor may not be aware or where you live you may have not gotten your stock replenished yet. It may be a hassle for the doctor to write a script for that and you run around town only to find out no one has it and then bother him again for a new script for something else. I have no idea, haha, but those are the things that can be considered for something like that. Bottom line, your doctor is not exactly lieing to you but may not be thoroughly telling you everything he is thinking.

[Smurfboy]

I'm in Boston, MA. And I'm on a narcotic contract with him. the pharmacy is located 30 feet from his office as its in the same building. All he had to do was fax a perscription over. I went from taking 30mg twice a day of MS Contin and #4 5mg Hydocodones a day to just take 5/325 oxycodone about 4 months ago. There talking about lowering my meds and having some bone removed from my back so the nerve isn't pincing anymore. I have a Herniated disk of my L4-5 S1 pressing on my nerves causing shooting pains down my legs. I walk 50% of the time with a cane. I'm doing physical Therpy and seeing a chripractor.I feel more pain since taking the Tramadol. I feel like its not working at all. I still have a few perks left that i'm taking inbetween.
I tried just taking 4 Tramadols together when I got up this morning and I didnt feel a thing.
I Don't Smoke or drink anything and I'm not addicted to it as I took myself off of the MS contin on my own. I stopped it cold turkey and i had no side affects at all.

[pharmstud(ent)]

I have to be honest I do not know what you mean by "narcotic contract with him". I have never heard of something like that unless explained further. I actually know someone quite well who had a herniated disk in the lumbar region (L4-5) of his spine and has had surgery twice. Have you tried explaining that the tramadol isn't working and ask him why he can't give you something stronger? If you have, what did he say? Have you tried not taking any tramadol for decent period of time and seeing it hurt even worse to tell if it is working? (not saying to do that, but it may be working some but not fully taking away the pain) I don't even really see any question you are trying to ask except a bunch of statements and am confused what you want me to answer. You mentioned the doctor told you something about lowering your pain meds and obviously he has done that. If you are having surgery soon then hopefully that should help your pain in the long run anyway (and you will almost certainly get some percocet after the surgery anyway).

[snakelady628]

hello,
I know exactly what youn are talking about . Tramadol is in no way shape of form even close to Percocet. That was a Bull face Lie. I would find another Dr. just for that reason alone amd ill tell you why.. I myself am on pain management and have been since 2003 for a FAILED discectomy ( partial bone removel) that left me disabled the rest of my life . Just 1 surgery. I strongly suggest you go to a Pain clinic , they are designed specifically for the treatment of pain. I do think by what you said since surgery was mentioned that he could be lowering your doses perhaps to prepare you for the surgery. As after the surgery its hard to treat someone for pain if you have been on pain pills prior. BUT that wasnt mentioned he was doing it for that reason. Seems to me he doesnt say much of what is on his mind and that to me is very poor bedside manner . I would dump him in a NY minute. We are the ones who live in this pain . Period! no if's and's or but's about it. I totally understand what you are going through as i live this every single day. I love in the NH area and go to a very awesome pain clinic Dr. who takes the time to listen to me and I always try his way and he is willing to try my way if things dont work out. I found whats best for me , with the help of the internet.. I simply asked him if we could try.. Methadone for pain, as I have already been on Oxycontin and percocet at the time . I did get it along with Roxicodone 30mg 3x per day and this has been the ebst move I ever made . A good Dr isnt one willing to give you what you want . But what you need so that you can live life , and have a quality of life. If a medication isnt working for you , by no means should you be left in pain and that to me isnt a good Dr. Thats my opinion.. But because I live this , i have strong opinions on this. I also want to touch base on the back surgery.. I dont want to scare you but I am the flip side to that surgery. One surgery left me disabled the rest of my life . Im 39 yrs old. And I had to share that because maybe having what I knew today i wouldnt of done it. I would trade back in a second that dicision I made back in 2003. But like all surgeries theres a risk. I also understand what you mean by contract with your Dr. For the person who asked what a narcotic contract is .. is an agreement that you will NOT sek any form of narcotics from another dr. you are subject to random drug testing and should they feel abuse is being made they have the tight to make other arrangements regarding your meds and or Kick you off the program. The contract however Also gives you patient rights. you have the right NOt to be elft in pain and again if you are .. Seek a pain clinic . Im dead serious. In Boston theres one. I cant think of name but i want to say its by Beth Isreal or eprhaps even inside there (could be wrong). Ask your Dr for the referral if he denies it.. KEEP ON HIM!!! You have the right to seek the medical attantion you want and also let him know you want to use the PC for a second opinion about pain. GL.. Snake

[weso18]

I've been on Tramadol 50mg which is the least of my worries. I've now had two surgeries on my back and my first surgery was a bone fusion at L4-5 and when I thought it was painful then...boy did I ever have another thing coming as I'm in more pain now then I ever was in the rest of my life. Although, the pain that I am in is not because of the first surgery it's actually because I did not have that surgery sooner which was because I was fighting with the insurance company non stop with lawyers for two and a half years....during that time I now have perm. nerve damage that goes down both my legs and I feel like the pain has continued to get worse. The second surgery I had a week ago was to have a neuro stimulator put in my lower back to help controll the pain with less pain pills. Honestly...the only thing that really took 90% or more of my pain away was when I was taking 90mg a day of Methadone and another 120mg a day of oxycodone. Unfortunately after 2 1/2 months the drug tore me apart mentally....for 3 days I had no clue who the people were around me...didn't know my own wife thats how out of it I was. I've also tried 40mg oxycontin 3 times a day with 30mg oxycodone 4 times a day and that did almost nothing for my pain. I've also been on MsContin, did nothing other cause me to have an overdose and end up in the Emergency room to detox and I did NOT take more then what was prescribed too me...no ER but same results to lyrica and topamax....as rare as that happening is supposed to be...my dr. said I just happened to fall into that one in a million group. Guess I should have bought a lottery ticket that day huh? lol I now have a medical ID tag that wear around my neck with 6 medications that I won't take...either because of the effects they have given me, or the end reaction to the pill....whether the dr. gave me a dose too high or not....I still won't take the pill knowing what happened to me. Although the dr. told me that just like all the other pills that he prescribed me too he didn't start me off at some high dose. All my pills he started the doseage from the bottom and worked his way up month by month. I'm just sad there was one medication that worked for the pain yet it caused me to be so messed up aftr a couple of months in my blood stream. What I am getting at here is someone said don't have the surgery....well you really need to figure that one out on your own....I'm trully sorry to the person that became perm. disabled....as I'm currently perm disabled but no directly relating to that bone fusion surgery....I trully believe if I would have had the surgery almost 3 years sooner that I wouldn't be in the pain that I am in now. The insurance company let me have a herniated disk for 3 years before paying for the surgery. During those three years perm. nerve damage started setting in as well as arthritis between the discs in my back. Bottom line....I know have a neuro stimulator in me and it's helping me to cope with my pain. I actually ran out of my oxycodone yesterday and as crazy as im going right now...withdrawl and intense pain both at the same time...with out the neuro stimulator I'd probably of had myself commited already....I've been up most of the night. I'm in tears that the pain is so bad...I have to call my dr. in about thirty minutes when there office opens and atleast ask them to call in the strongest drug possible that you can actually call in over the counter which is probably something like vicodin. The pharmacy that mails me my meds....screwed up and is the reason I don't have my medication right now. Anyways...take what I said how you please...I hope something that I've said here will be of some help to some person here on this forum...unless someone has advice for myself.