[painfulCRPS]

I have been disabled for a year and now the doctor's are doing pain management. I was on heavy amounts of hydrocodone and the doctor was worried about addiction so he put me on Methadone. It makes me so tired and sick, I am only up to 30mg a day. It seems that this med. is causing a lot of side effects including visual problems. Is this usual? The pain is still unbearable from CRPS and I wake up with my hands so swollen that I can’t use them. After I am up for a while the swelling goes down until late evening. Does this medication really help with pain after it has built up in your system? Is this really a dangerous painkiller?

[anotheraddict]

Hello, and welcome! I, too, suffer from RSD/CRPS. I tried the methadone at one point, and also had the same issues. It seems that either the methadone is the greatest thing ever or it doesn't work....no rhyme or reason to it. I also tried LES injections. I ended up switching my PM doc as the first one said it was methadone, scs, or get out of his office.

My PM doc manages me with narcotics. I was on hydro until the levels of tylenol got too high for it to be safe. The doc should be willing to try you on oxycodone. It's a bit stronger, but it comes in formulations with tylenol as well as without. There are several long acting narcotics. Methadone is not the only option. Many CRPS patients end up with some sort of a long acting med (oxycodone, oxycontin, ms contin, kadian, opana) as well as a short acting med for breakthrough pain (hydrocodone, oxycodone IR). The long acting meds are usually taken on a consistent basis to try to keep the pain at a manageable level, while the short acting meds are only taken as needed for the pain that makes its way through the barrier of the long acting med.

I have a family member who swears by the methadone, but I was not impressed. Best of luck with your decision and your pain. If you have any questions or want to talk to a fellow sufferer, I am here.

[magsj]

Originally Posted by painfulCRPS

I have been disabled for a year and now the doctor's are doing pain management. I was on heavy amounts of hydrocodone and the doctor was worried about addiction so he put me on Methadone. It makes me so tired and sick, I am only up to 30mg a day. It seems that this med. is causing a lot of side effects including visual problems. Is this usual? The pain is still unbearable from CRPS and I wake up with my hands so swollen that I can’t use them. After I am up for a while the swelling goes down until late evening. Does this medication really help with pain after it has built up in your system? Is this really a dangerous painkiller?

Dear Painful-

I took Methadone for 2 years. Starting at 40 mg and then I reduced it to 20mg. I took it for pain control for back pain. I had the same side effects as you. I was tired all the time, no motivation, just wanted to lie in my bedroom alone and stare (sometimes at the TV). Everything seemed like a HUGE effort. Of course, I was also adding Norco to it, which wasn't wise, but even when I was just taking the Methadone life was not good. I also felt like I had no emotional response to anything. I couldn't even cry about appropriate things. I had a scare about 6 months ago for about 4 days the doctors thought I had ovarian cancer.....of course my husband and family were beside themselves, but my thought process was "oh well, if I have to live like this, let it be true". I have usually been a very active person but methadone really caused havoc with my ability to do anything, or want to do anything. I am off of it now and the Norco and tapering off of a medication called Suboxone and I feel much much better. Of course, this is just my experience. I know there are others who do very well on it.

I hope this helps you make a decision about your pain management.

mags

[jennmkillgore]

I think that the other two have very valid points. Methadone is good for some and not for others, just like any other med. I would suggest talking to your pm doc and asking him/her to try you on a long acting med with a shorter acting med for breakthru. What worked for my husband was Oxcontin twice a day and Oxy IR for breakthru. He was in the hospital for 22 days while trying to figure out what worked. Methadone did not work for him either. He stayed in the hospital because his pain made his blood pressure become out of control. I really think it is just trial and error until you find a combo that works for you. I know it is frustrating, but once you find what works, it makes all the difference in the world. It's like night and day. I wish you the best of luck!!
Jenn