[melee40]

Hi. I'm the one having the panic attack over making my switch from long-term use of long-acting oxycontin for chronic pain to methadone. Having to discontinue immediately for $ reasons.

Was searching the group for expereince in making the switch from oxy to methadone. Got some good feedback and then a "scare!"

Q: I have chronic pain. I need to be on meds right now and for .. some time into the future. If I don't make the switch to methadone - I'm left with taking absurdley high amounts of short-acting Roxycondone, etc. instead. My research has always been the 'short-acting' (while easier to expell from the system) is much riskier in the long term.

The oxycontin gave me a fairly full life - amazingly more full than when I was debilitated and on the floor with nothing. It's been a long time.....I don't want to get 'high' nor deal with the risks of high/low stuff, etc.

Bottom line: should I continue to make my switch to the methadone or.... or WHAT? Or take xxxx # of short acting opioids (which I'm sure won't fly with the pain docs anyway).

Oh......pain is a DRAG. Medications are a drag. Such is life in the present.
Once I again I sent the plea: ANYONE?

[Robert_325]

Melee .... you are asking a very good question. I would have to answer it with a question for you. Have the doctors given you any idea as to how long you might be taking narcotic pain medications? I think your question can only be properly addressed if we know how long this therapy will continue. Will it be short term or will it possibly be for the rest of your life? Or will it be somewhere in between? It it's somewhere in between, do you have any idea where that would be?

[melee40]

Well.... as I've said, it's already been 10 years for me on long acting opioids. A few years before that on short-acting (that was pre-oxycontin). So the prognosis is a long-term issue. I have several 'chronic pain' things going on - and the 'best' point I attained was 'on' the medication and functioning at high-capacity.

I'm at a lower-capacity right now having fought a tough battle with a cancer-like illness that almost killed me and a lot of 'fall out' thereafter. Battling a a difficult and unexpected Divorce and large (physical) move and becoming a single mother and waging a horrible 'divorce battle'....exacerbated all conditions and killed the immune system on top.

So... the answer is - I'm definitely a 'long-term' patient. I always have 'hope,' I think I've gone through the 'worst' physically and now am seeking to get back to where I was: the 'well functioning pain patient;' which again, even then, it was the medication (and lifestytle, etc.) that allowed me to live the great life I did.

Does this help answer any questions - and in turn - help to better answer my overall question?

thank you thank you.

[money_chick]

You have no reason to doubt yourself, and no one has the RIGHT to make you second guess yourself. This decision has been made- and I think with much thought and research- and you should stick to it.

I know several people who are on methadone maint. for pain and live full rich lives. Those who I have seen on it for addictions seem much less thrilled with it- probably because the withdrawl is hard.

But, Melee, you deserve to have a good life with as little pain as possible. For you, I think that the methadone may be your best bet.


You need to trust yourself on this, and take it one day at a time. You can do this. You can take care of yourself, and you need to have faith in yourself and your decisions at this point.

I'll be praying for you.

[Robert_325]

Melee ... did you read the last post on your other thread by Dave??? His user name is mpvt. I suggest you read it if you haven't. Like he said, methadone should be a last resort decision. It should not be used for the short term as it really is harder to stop. But short acting opiates have a lot of apap which is awful on our liver. That is why pain drs don't want you to take it. I don't like to recommend that we take anything, but if this is for long term use .... not just because insurance doesn't like OC, then this is where methadone has a real place in pain management. I am not a proponent of methadone, but it does have a place for managing ongoing longterm pain. Good luck.