[blondee28]

I have recently been switched from oxycodone 80mg tid & Lortab 10/500 about 6/day- to Methadone 10mg bid for 1wk and then 10mg tid & Lortab 10s 4/day for chronic pain. This switch was made for cost reasons (at least that was my reason) the Dr may have something else in mind. What I'm looking for is someone who has been through this- its been 5 days and i've taken all my medication faithfully, well- I'm in more Pain NOW then before I went to the Pain Management clinic. My pain has gotten so severe that nothing is helping. Do I just need to give this more time or is it possible that this is the wrong medication for me? Someone- please advise....
Very miserable,
D-[xx(]

[mpvt]

Make sure you tell your Dr. how you feel.Methadone at the right dose will take care of your pain.It is an excellent pain killer.Your Dr. is just being careful and will raise dose as needed.Once you get up to a dose that you feel comfortable with then allother narcotics will become virtually useless because the methadone molecule is somuch larger than most narcotic molecules.This is one reason why it lasts so long and also why other narcotics have little or no effect......Dave

[krg9555]

Hi D,

Sorry to hear you're so miserable, but I surely understand. Did you withdraw from the oxycontin before switching to methadone? That may be why you feel so awful. Your system is trying to adjust to a brand new and very powerful medication. I switched to methadone from oxycontin, but my dr had me go in-patient to get off the oxycontin first. After 5 days of feeling horrible (cold, always cold) I started the methadone. It amazed me how well it controlled my pain. Here I'd been on oxycontin for 5 years and went through the fear of being ripped off all the time, when I could have been on methadone, had much better pain control and wouldn't have been afraid all the time. I still don't understand why it isn't more widely used for pain management. Does anyone know? Are there bad side effects to methadone?

Anyway D, I hope you're feeling better by now. Hang in there... K

[blondee28]

Thanks for the positive responses guys. It sounds like this is a good medication to be on- it just isn't working for me, or I'm not taking enough. Yes, I did go through terrible withdrawl from the Oxy and several other rx drugs. I hadn't been taking anything stronger then vicodin for about 6 weeks when they put me on the methadone. Im up to 40mg/day and I'm still having a great deal of pain. The only relief I'm getting is a full night's rest and I feel pretty good when I get up in the morning for about 45mins- which is an improvement, but I'm also constantly having to use a heating pad to help ease my low back pain. Can anyone tell me how far away I am from a therapeutic dose, I'm currently taking 20mg methadone in the morning and then 20mg again at bedtime with other pain meds in between as needed.
Please help- maybe methadone isn't right for me- I can't know for sure because there is so little info out there about it, I can't find what the therapeutic dose should be. I understand that it has to build up in your system, but come on now- its been 2 weeks...[?]
Thanks,
D-[xx(]

[mpvt]

Pain doses vary but generalloy speaking I would say 120mgs/day.You are definately underdosed and need to see your docotr as soon as you can.....Hang in there, your on an exellent drug.You just have to get to the right dose.....Dave

[Karen 42]

Dear Blonde,
I am on methadone. I realize now that my doctor just thought I was an addict when he sent me to a clinic, although this was not the reason I was given. In the end it saved my life. However I am not on any other narcotic, I work through the moderate amount of pain (which I have only had since I went from 120mg to 20mg, then back up to 40mgs which I am currently at. Give it time It may work well for you, also I would have a heart to heart with my doctor. In these situations trust and respect must go BOTH

[Karen 42]

ways for treatment to be sucessful.
Good Luck
Karen

[Karen 42]

Dear KRG
I would ask the same question. I did alot of research before I started on the methadone and the information out there isn't that great. It makes methadone out to be a bad drug. I could not agree less. It has saved my life. Not only does it control most of my pain but since it does not give you that (HIGH) you are able to slowly change your bad behaviors. I only take it twice a day, I don't over take it, I don't have to continually go to the doctor (they wouldn't prescribe the pain meds in the amount I felt I needed -of course it was never enough) exaggerate reasons or go to more than one doctor. It is great and I really don't think doctors even have a grip on the benefits because it has such a stigma attached (USED FOR HEROIN ADDICTS) that it is just discarded.
Karen

[jahailia]

I did exactly what you did because of cost.Well the methadone made me hurt worse and I fell asleep anytime I laid my head down.It was horrible.I now pay full price for my oxycontin but it is worth it,I may not eat as good but at least I feel like eating..Good Luck

[dotjon]

Methadone saved my life. I have been in severe chronic pain for 10 years and now i am on 60mgs 5 times aday for 3 years. it took about 6mos. to find the correct dose. I had been through a pain pump and a lot of meds that mess with your mind.