[silverlady]

I have been on OxyContin for 7 years for back pain and osteoarthritis. It does a great job of keeping me out of a wheelchair and moving....for 8 hours. Then I start going into withdrawls. So now I take my first 40 mgs in AM, second pill at 3pm and rely on sleeping pills to get through the night. (Usually wake up during night with the "creepy crawlies" that I recognize as withdrawl) Every time I am forceful enough to get my Rheumatologist to understand that the stuff doesn't last long enough, he ups the mg's-says a stronger does should last longer. Are there others out there who only get 8 hour relief from these "12 Hour" pills? (I am taking a head count back to my doc at next visit!)[font=Arial][/font=Arial]

[Phospheros]

Oxycodone is a pro-drug, meaning it's dependant upon being converted into something else in the liver to actually relieve you pain. Because of this, it can induce it's own metabolism and be effected by other drugs which have an effect on the P450 enzyme system in the body. (Which is 90% of medications out there).

You may find that certain antidepressant drugs in particular make Oxycontin *less* effective. I know this goes against the current so called wisdom of medical practice, but most of them are schooled in voodoo and not chemistry. <G>

Taking Oxycontin (Or MScontin for that matter) 3X a day is not uncommon.
If he wont write it 3x a day, perhaps he will give you a substantial breakthrough medication dose and allow you to use that to get through the hump. They make Roxicodone in a 30mg formulation... Or perhaps Percocet 10/325 if he will write you several of them.



Are you numb yet? No. AARRGGGGGHH! I told you I wasn't numb! Sorry, I didn't believe you.

[psisci]

No offense, but oxycodone is not considered a prodrug that is why abusers snort it. Codeine, and hydro are prodrugs and antidepressants can really interfere with them being metabolized into morphine. Oxy does get metabolized as such, but is also an active opiate in itself.



Dr.S.