[Mara13]

Well I hope this is where this Q belongs. It is an odd question as well but.....since changing from the 4-4@1/2 (sometimes 5) Hydrocodone 10-500's to the Morphine Sul 15 CR's, I seem to now have something odd happening today. I was going to just stop the Hydrocodone and switch 100% to the Morphine but the Morphine seem to have alot of side effects such as fatigue. (I tried taking them during the day for a good 5 days before deciding to only take them at night@take hydrocodone during the day). Now I take 2@night at bedtime. I noticed today tho esp. as the day went on that I had this feeling in my arms like just could NOT stretch enough. I have taken opiates for much of my life for pain and there have been times over the years that I quit taking them abrubtly. I recognize the "feeling like I can't stretch good enough" as a feeling, (a ************ feeling) that FEELS like withdrawal! My question is: Is it possible to get addicted to Morphine THAT quickly? I only took 4 at the most for 5 days! @ I still take 2 at night. Yet, sure enough, I just took my nightly 2@ the wierd feeling in my arms is pretty much gone already. Could it be a combination of cutting back from 4 to 2 Morphine (even tho I only took 3-4 for 5 days then switched it down to 2) and the cutting back to 2-3 Hydrocodone from the 4 1/2 I was taking? Thanks for your help with this perplexing (to me anyway) problem! Mara.

[lokiklown]

Hello Mara,

Personally I believe that if and how soon someone becomes dependent on any drug depends on each person. While it may take some people taking large doses frequently it may take someone else just a few. I know this is more so the case for a lot of street drugs so we can only assume it applies the same for any drug that alters how someone feels.

I do not believe you should be taking two opiates at the same time unless instructed to do so by your doctor, and if in fact he does want you to continue to take the vicodin with the morphine then you should probably talk to him/her about what is going on.

[Mara13]

My doctor trusts MY judgement unless there would ever come a time (and there WON'T come a time) when my judgement would prove faulty. I have, in my life when I was much younger, abused them, taking much greater quantities than I should have. I'm being very honest here. There came a time tho when I truly needed to take them 4 pain so I quit taking more than directed by my doctor. This happened about 6 years ago or so@ I have since then taken them as directed. I am not exactly sure why my posts are not replied to and if they are someone gets snarky with me. (with the exception of Cat's Meow@she is always very kind@helpful). From what I can see if someone isn't abusing something or in dire straights, no-one responds. Thanks for not helping me at all@thanks for your snarky comment. It was absolutely of no help whatsoever@ I am just tired of being nice here when it seems as tho the only people who are responded to are basket cases.

[Mara13]

Besides who the heck are YOU to say a person shouldn't take more than 1 opiate????? What really MATTERS is what works for the individual not what you believe or think! If it works for me to take a sustained release at night and a regular non sustained release pill during the day what is it to you? I asked for advice NOT, I REPEAT~~~ NOT, judgement! :~( Mara.K.

[tired2]

Mara.. We are all willing to help ...
I was addicted to opiate and benzo's which were all prescribed to me by my P/M doctor and a Physiatrist which I took as prescribed for the last 10yrs. I finally made the choice to stop using and went on Subutex...
and have been opiate free now for 15 weeks and in less pain.

I have also used pain meds,benzo's ,sleeping pills etc .. for over 25yrs on and off...the thing is after so long you will actually find that when you get off the drugs that your pain is not as bad as it may seems .

You are addicted to these meds and your body is developing a tolerance...It does not take long some people faster than others .You will develop fatigue it is a side effect of Morphine .I too was on Morphine so I have been there.

The issue with your arm you really need to discuss with your prescribing doctor and since he TRUST YOUR JUDGEMENT as you stated then he can advice you much better.

I see in one of your thread you were taking benzo's are you still ?

This forum has a drug look up so you can always just check it out to see what the side effects are etc...along with interactions of all medications you may be on.

I hope this helps some

[Cats Meow]

Mara, 15mg MS CR is very close in strength to 10mg hydrocodone, I'm really surprised that you notice a difference. For some reason certain drugs seem to be more effective for an individual, from my personal experience I too found hydro more effective then morphine. I think it's quite possible that you have such a strong dependence on hydro from taking it for so long that you know exactly what to expect from it, and it's easier for you to cope surfing your pain curve. Whenever there's a med switch it takes time to adjust, your receptors are set for hydrocodone, you body/brain is use to processing it, the introduction of morphine may take a little time to get all the gears in synch, and you into tune with a new pain curve. You might try stabilizing on the morphine only for a few days before bumping it with hydro as a break thru pain drug. If you're taking the same amount of hydro as you were (or even a little less), and then MS on top you should expect being over medicated and your tolerance to shoot up, this will happen very quickly. You arm pain doesn't sound like w/d, I don't know what's going on there, I cannot advise you, but you should not see any w/d symptoms unless your morphine intake is less then your hydrocodone intake was, and that doesn't appear to be what's going on here.

I hope this helps.
Cats

[Debpurpletiger]

Mara13,

I say "bravo" to you standing up to people! I have done the very same things and said the same things as you and asked similar questions....most of the time to be slammed.

ABOUT YOUR MED question.....I DID answer it on another thread!!!! So please look for that, too.

I am ALSO on 2 Pain Meds; 120mgs MS Contin (60mg in a.m. 60mg pm) AND Percocet 5/500 (2 daily) for breakthru pain. AND am on Clonazepam (Klonopin) 1 mg 3Xdaily and have received a LOT of flack about that!!

BUT! Do I see an MD behind their name? NO! Do they know me? NO!! Have they seen the MRI's? NO!!! Did they talk to the P/T's, the surgeons? NO!! Do they go with me to me Dr.'s every month? NO!! AND do they knaow that she KNOWS my previous problems? No, they don't.......but I do...and that's all that matters!

[jloops]

Originally Posted by Cats Meow

Mara, 15mg MS CR is very close in strength to 10mg hydrocodone, I'm really surprised that you notice a difference. For some reason certain drugs seem to be more effective for an individual, from my personal experience I too found hydro more effective then morphine. I think it's quite possible that you have such a strong dependence on hydro from taking it for so long that you know exactly what to expect from it, and it's easier for you to cope surfing your pain curve. Whenever there's a med switch it takes time to adjust, your receptors are set for hydrocodone, you body/brain is use to processing it, the introduction of morphine may take a little time to get all the gears in synch, and you into tune with a new pain curve. You might try stabilizing on the morphine only for a few days before bumping it with hydro as a break thru pain drug. If you're taking the same amount of hydro as you were (or even a little less), and then MS on top you should expect being over medicated and your tolerance to shoot up, this will happen very quickly. You arm pain doesn't sound like w/d, I don't know what's going on there, I cannot advise you, but you should not see any w/d symptoms unless your morphine intake is less then your hydrocodone intake was, and that doesn't appear to be what's going on here.

I hope this helps.
Cats

The MS is controlled release though, so that 15 mg. of morphine is being released over 8-12 hours rather than all at once... If your total daily dosage of morphine was no higher than your current daily dosage of hydrocodone (plus the morphine), then you shouldn't have any significant withdrawals.

That said, it seems weird to me to take hydrocodone all day and then morphine at night.

Stick to one drug all day, and one drug for breakthrough pain (if you need one). Doing anything else just messes with your body in weird ways on a daily basis, and is pretty purposeless.