OxyContin and Pain: What Users Say

• gim...
• August 26, 2010

For Pain "OxyContin has helped me so much to live my life. I have no arms and only one leg from an IED when I was in Afghanistan. I suffer from phantom limb pain and numerous other problems, but I don't care because had I not gotten in the way of the blast, then a 2-year-old and 3-year-old would have died. So, I'm fine with how I look. OxyContin has made the pain bearable."

• Chi...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 9, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I've been taking 80mg IR OxyContin for 15 years. With 30mg IR morphine, I have stage 3 lung cancer and colon cancer. My pain doctor stopped the 80s with no warning. I suffered for three months with withdrawals and had to go to the ER a lot. My pain has increased and the pain doctor won't do anything. He's scared of losing his license. Now the ER wants nothing to do with me. So I cry a lot sitting at home, wishing somebody would do something. I don't understand how they can't help me with the pain. I know they closed down Purdue, all those billions the lawyers took, but what about us, the people suffering from pain? Nobody cares about us."

• dol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 12, 2013

For Chronic Pain "This medication is great for my chronic back pain. I have been on the same dose for over two years, and it helped me get through most of the day just on two 20mg pills. Lately, it has stopped working as well, and I am having a lot of breakthrough pain as the OxyContin is extended release. From it working for almost 6 hours per dose, it now only helps for about 2 hours. It is great if you are also given something for breakthrough pain, but I cannot imagine being off of it, to be honest. I have had severe chronic lower back pain due to a pinched nerve, which causes shooting pain that goes up and down my spine and even causes my legs to go numb. I also have carpal tunnel in my right hand and fibromyalgia. Overall, this medication has been very helpful."

• Ozz...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 11, 2013

For Chronic Pain "I have been taking it for about 7 years. Started at 10 mg 2 times a day plus 7.5 mg Vicodin 3 times a day. Now taking 30 mg 2 times a day and 7.5 mg Norco 3 to 4 times a day. Before they changed the formula, it worked a lot better. It does give pain relief, but it doesn't last 12 hours, like they claim. I have a herniated disc in my back, also AVN in my hips. Just had my left hip totally replaced, now I need my right hip replaced before they will do surgery on my back."

• 1ba...
• January 11, 2010

For Pain "After a series of operations on my lower back, the nerve scarring caused chronic pain. After being prescribed one pain medication after another, I was finally referred to a pain specialist. In 2000, I was put onto OxyContin at 30 mg twice a day. After less than 3 months, I suffered very bad withdrawal symptoms after missing the morning dose. The pain during those hours seemed to increase tenfold. By 2003, the dose had increased to 60 mg three times a day. I have now been taking OxyContin for 9 years. I still have breakthrough pain that keeps me from most activities, and my heart and lungs have been affected. I would like to stop taking the medication but have bad withdrawals."

• Con...
• September 3, 2008

For Pain "I fractured my L1 in 2/08 and have had chronic back pain since. In addition, I have had 7 knee surgeries. My doctor is recommending knee replacements, but I'm only 36 and in no hurry to have it done. I've tried every kind of pain medicine there is. I found that Norco 10mg worked well but only lasted 3 hours or so, and I was developing a tolerance to it. My family doctor finally referred me to a pain management doctor, and he suggested OxyContin. I was hesitant at first because of the stigma associated with it, but decided to give it a try. What a difference it's made in my quality of life. I take 1 x 20mg tablet in the morning and 1 in the evening and live pain-free. I still take the Norco for breakthrough pain, but don't need it often."

• Chr...
• August 29, 2016

For Chronic Pain "I've had orbital implants, neck surgery, and I am a juvenile diabetic since I was a year old, now I'm 50. The pain in my head, neck, and right arm, and the neuropathy in both feet are very, very painful. I've been on doxycycline for 6 years. It works great, but if you're treating chronic pain, take it when it's time, don't wait until the pain is at its worst. It works consistently better."

• Bet...
• April 13, 2009

For Pain "I am now on eighth year of OxyContin 40 mg twice daily. Though I have breakthrough pain whenever I am a bit too active or on my feet too long, I never wanted to increase the dose because I can bear a certain amount of pain. OxyContin is a wonder drug. Before that, I was to the point that I thought my working life was over and it was time to go to the welfare office."

• mou...
• January 13, 2010

For Pain "I am a 47-year-old male who has taken this drug for 10 years (300 mg per day, every day). Yes, it will ease pain, but normally after 2 to 3 years you have to increase it. I was medically dependent within months. In late fall '09, the medicines just lost their effect by at least 50%. So I was faced with a 50% increase in medicines. I said NO! So I tried a medical detox place to start. After 90 hours there, they said, 'You have done great, we are sending you home.' I was so proud till 4 a.m. the next day. I threw up 90 times in the next 60 hours. I lost 34 lbs. in 8 days and had severe withdrawal symptoms for 2 more weeks. It has been 30 days since I started this, and I will never put that poison in my body."

• zoe...
• February 19, 2011

For Pain "I have used the OC for 11 years. During that time, I have only decreased my dosage. Now, the OP formula simply doesn't work. I take 2-3 times the breakthrough pain medicines, and I have added ibuprofen and naproxen to my regimen. I am going to have to increase my OP dosage on my next visit because it simply doesn't work. This new formula is ineffective. I'm going to discuss switching to a different medication, but the OC used to work so well. I was able to go canoeing and walking in the woods. Now I'm back to missing work."

• man...
• September 28, 2011

For Pain "I've been on OxyContin for 10 years. First for severe osteoarthritis. 5 years ago, had failed bilateral knee replacements. In the future, they are supposed to be recalling my knee replacements, but for now, I can't live without my OxyContin. I started out with 20 mg twice a day. Now I take 120 mg 3 times a day and Percocet 10/650 for breakthrough pain 4 times a day. I can't walk without it."

• kle...
• September 16, 2010

For Pain "I have worked the coal mines all my life. About 5 years ago, I was in a major mine accident. After 7 orthopedic surgeries, I realized I was going to have to live with this horrible pain. It was so bad that the thought of suicide lingered in my mind so often it became my only thought. That was until I went and saw my family doctor. He started me on Vicodin, then Percocet and a list of others. I didn't have much luck with all those other medicines. Finally, he put me on OxyContin. What a difference it made in my mental health and my physical well-being. Now I take the 80 mg three times a day, and I can finally live again. I still get horrible breakthrough pain at times, but even with that, my life is so much better."