Xtampza ER for Chronic Pain User Reviews (Page 4)

• Mac...
• October 5, 2020

"I have been suffering for many years with chronic back pain. I have DDD, DJD, stenosis, arthritis, bulging disks, herniated disks, and the list goes on. I was switched to this from oxycodone short-acting in order to limit the number of pills I was having to take daily, which I was all for. I made it 3 days and couldn't take it anymore, and since I still work and need to work to get paid, I called my doctor and she switched me back to the quick release. This stuff doesn't work, and I can't understand why. If it's the same as oxycodone, then it should work, but it absolutely doesn't. I am now scared to try any extended release because I don't want to go through suffering for 3 days again. Maybe this stuff works, but from the reviews I have read after my experience, I'd have to say it may help 1 out of 25 people, which is a very poor statistic."

• pep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2018

"I just started this after my PM doc said that OxyContin was being targeted by most states. Was on OxyContin 20 mg for several years. Then was put on MS Contin 30 mg for a month, which didn't help with pain, but did help me sleep. Now on Xtampza ER 18 mg, and it seems to work okay. Seems inconsistent though. Some days it works great, and other days not so much, almost as if they put placebo pills in with the Xtampza. Going to continue giving this a chance since my insurance seems to approve of it after a doctor's exception request. Hopefully, it will get better. Haven't tried the sprinkling on food yet, but I will try that tonight."

• Shi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2022

"Was taking Percocet 10/325 for a very long while. It helped, but only for 4 hours, so I had bad ups and downs. So, the doctor put me on this rubbish. I've been taking it for a week now. This week has been hell. No relief at all. It's like taking nothing except for side effects. God-awful nausea. Worse back pain. I just want my Percocet back. This medication is worthless."

• Mim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2019

"Been only taking Xtampza ER for less than a week and am happy so far. 2X 18.5mg a day. Little itching, which is slowly stopping. Works well and has taken the down deep pain, so I now have my life back. Been in pain for twenty years, been there and done that, and can say this medication WORKS."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2022

"I've been a pain patient for nearly 20 years due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Switched from generic MS Contin 15 mg twice a day to Xtampza 13.5 mg twice a day. One word: torture. Constant GI upset with diarrhea and feeling like my insides are writhing with worms. A complete lack of dreaming (no darkness, just like being turned off and on again) with horrifying intrusive thoughts and mood swings. Pain in parts of my body where I didn't have pain before, or where pain was previously well-controlled. Feeling dangerously high and then going into total withdrawal (I kept the Narcan on my bedside table and told my family to check on me). I took it with a fatty meal, the same meal every time, and had a different experience every 12 hours. At no time did I feel safe taking this medication. This has left me feeling terrified to try anything else and suspicious of my doctor's reasons for switching me. I firmly believe this medication was manufactured to scare people away from opioids."

• Hur...
• January 31, 2018

"Medication takes 3-4 hours to work, no matter what you eat while taking it. When and if it starts to help with the pain, it stops in 3 or 4 hours. Sometimes it comes on so strong that I have a panic attack. I figured I would adjust to it, but after a month, I have not."

• Dmu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 28, 2017

"I've had myofascial pain syndrome/fibromyalgia for 16 years. Been taking 10 mg OxyContin 3 times a day and 15 mg Roxicodone 4 times per day. The physician dosed only 18 mg twice a day. I could feel some pain relief, but it lasted only 4-5 hours, and I was dizzy the whole month. As the dose wasn't high enough, I had to use all my 'rainy day' meds saved over time to compensate. Reps need to help physicians better understand the dosing procedure. I too will ask to go back on traditional meds. Also, eating a 'high-fat' meal first thing in the morning is really difficult to face. (Per package insert, a high-fat meal increases some of the chemicals associated with maximizing relief)"

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2018

"Just took a 13.5 mg capsule and sprinkled it on yogurt, it hit me in 10 minutes, extremely loopy, but yes, it really works. Those people out there saying that it doesn’t work probably may have become tolerant of everything. Take your meds as prescribed, people. Do not overtake, this stuff works great. I feel 0% pain right now for the first time in 20 years."

• Roy...
• February 19, 2017

"I have stenosis with degenerative disk disease. On a low dose and have not had surgery. Xtampza is better than not having any pain relief, but not by much. Very slow onset, lasts perhaps 8 hours (same as OxyContin) and unpredictable relief depending on diet."

• She...
• February 16, 2018

"Not only is this a very expensive medication, even with insurance, the 18mg capsule twice a day does not help my pain one bit. What it does help me to have are abnormal, very real, and terrifying nightmares that leave me howling for help in the middle of the night or yelling myself awake if I lie down for a nap. As someone else mentioned, these dreams are hard to wake up from on your own. Nightmares like half-man, half-beasts after me, a boat ride spinning out of control down an abyss, inanimate bizarre objects coming to life and after me, odd places I've visited before but haven't. I cannot deal with this, not at all, and I will not take anymore of these. At this point, I would rather deal with chronic pain than chronic nightmares and losing sleep. Acupuncture may be my next step since positively nothing medical has helped one iota. More meds have worse side effects, and cheap generics do nothing. So now what? I give up."

• Sam...
• May 12, 2021

"Was forced to Xtampza from former med. This medicine was, I believe, to make you ill, sick, so you don’t want to take it. That designer drug works to make you sick. But doesn’t work too well on pain and takes hours and hours to get any pain-relieving effect at all. It is also inaccurate on how they are made, there must be no controls on the manufacturing process. The 4 score is accurate, many are being forced to this medication even though it’s not effective and takes way too long to work, if at all, and it’s just as expensive as Purdue. I would not recommend this med unless you have no other choice and you’ll just have to force it down and be sick to try to get any pain relief at all. Take it with NSAIDs or Tylenol if your doctor allows it. But just remember how dangerous NSAIDs and Tylenol are. Don’t take that like it’s nothing. Good luck on this one. I only wish the designers and doctors had to take it."

• Pea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2018

"Works great but causing a severe sore throat. Taken steroids and antibiotics with no relief. Everyone, including the pharmacist, says it would not cause a sore throat, but ever since I started these, I have had a severe chronic sore throat. If it wasn't for the sore throat, I would love it. It helps with back pain much more than MS-Contin."

• Rog...
• September 15, 2017

"Dose is two 36 mg every 12 hours. Plus breakthrough meds. The Xtampza doesn't last the full time, so I've found that switching to 1 pill every 6 hours DOES WORK because there is a steady stream of meds, plus the breakthrough as needed. Hope this will help."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 14, 2022

"Insurance company switched coverage to Xtampza about 18 months ago. Never worked well for pain relief. I complained to my PM doctor, who was totally unsympathetic. About 2 months ago, my PM doctor was popped by the DEA and lost his practice. Had to find another PM (so few left). Ran out of Xtampza. What an unexpected bonus. The massive migraines that I blamed on sinus infections disappeared. I realized that by taking Xtampza, I was at the same level of pain as using it. However, without it, I feel better and no longer have massive migraines and constant confusion. This stuff is garbage, and I will never take it again."

• Tee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2019

"I started taking this about two weeks ago, and I'm very happy. It doesn't completely eliminate all pain, but nothing will. I can walk most of the day with limited amounts of pain. For me, the morning is the roughest, because it takes about 4 hours to peak for me, that's with a handful of almonds with each dose of twice daily, 13.5 mg. I'm glad my doctor made this switch."

• Dia...
• April 21, 2018

"I have constant, chronic severe facial pain from a head and neck injury that was recently helped in a major way with stimulator implant surgery in Denver. Still need pain meds but much lower dose. Forced to use this drug through the insurance company's refusal to continue providing Oxy ER. Was put on Xtampza for about 2.5 months, gained 25 pounds fast without changing diet, extreme headaches with pressure like never before, every joint hurt. Doctor said to maintain 18 mg/2x day dose anyway. Took one more week, gained 5 pounds more, and said enough. Got off it using leftover fast-acting, now down to just occasional doses for severe breakthrough pain. Found out all my allergies and general body aches the past 13 years have been due to pain meds and my body's reaction to them, so once I'm off, symptoms disappear. Wouldn't have known that without Xtampza, but my headaches aren't easing after being off it for a month, plus going off Topiramate. Will these headaches ever get better, or is this my new normal?"

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2022

"After being on Perc 15 mg for several years, which worked very well for the pain, but the doctor said I had to switch because it's a short-term medication. So we tried a few other long-term meds, which help but weren't lasting the full length that they were supposed to last for, so I asked my doctor to put me on another long-term medication, and he put me on Xtampza ER 36 mg, and this new medication, Xtampza 36 mg, does not even work. It doesn't touch the pain I'm in. Why would you prescribe this medication to anyone? It's junk, it doesn't work."

• Bam...
• July 24, 2017

"Works well for me after finding a dose that was equivalent to the Oxy regimen I was on before being switched to this. Definitely recommend the diet recommended in the directions, works better that way."

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2018

"Have just started, seems to be working as advertised. I have had chronic pancreatitis for 12 years and have struggled for years to get pain under control. Like I said before, just started taking it. It has been a week, I don’t have to take as much breakthrough medicine. I can finally sleep more than 4 hours, yeah!!!"

• Cor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2021

"I have been getting physical therapy, doing physical therapy anyway as epidermal delta cortisone shots into shoulder, back, and well-diagnosed pain, varicose veins, rheumatoid arthritis, torn tendon, and neuro-pain. I've been taking OxyContin 80 mg CR every 12 hours, with lidocaine patch, until the OxyContin was not covered, so I was now prescribed Xtampza ER 36 mg twice daily every 12 hours. It made me have withdrawals, sweats, changes in behavior, and not much analgesic pain help. This medicine makes people bloated and drag their butt around in pain all day. And nobody wants to take something that just gives poor sleep from pain that keeps you awake and bad dreams of how you still have pain. It should be remade or off the market of pharma for false advertising."

• Bad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2018

"Xtampza works very well for being extended release. I have half the breakthrough pain and flare-ups taking this med. Take it around the clock on time. Be patient with this med and find out what dose works best. It changed my life drastically for the better."

• LDM...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 26, 2022

"Have been on 40 mg ER of OxyContin 2 x a day, along with ten Percocet 10/325 and many other drugs for severe chronic pain for 20+ years. Was made to switch to Xtampza 36 ER 2x a day and 5 Percocet. The Xtampza ER is worthless! Shame on whoever decides that a drug works or does not, as every individual person's body is different, as are their diseases. For people who are responsible and do not have a life without adequate pain relief, you are making us prisoners in our own bodies. Even with OxyContin 40 ER 2x a day and all the other meds, most of us still suffer plenty. I am not even 60 and can hardly move with new drug changes. Have had over 40 surgeries and am full of hardware. I do not like having to eat the high fat with Xtampza twice a day. When you are in severe to debilitating pain, you have no appetite. I am probably 10 pounds overweight but do not need to carry any more weight with eating high fat twice a day, as I eat healthy. Suicide rates will increase with this new drug."

• Lon...
• July 10, 2017

"Have had chronic lower back pain for over a decade. Insurance co. made me switch to Xtampza from OC. The first few weeks were a bit of a challenge because we had to find what dosage strength and dosing frequency was best for me. But once we got through this, I find the drug works well when I use it as directed, particularly as it relates to diet. Also, I have my backup of fast-acting pills when I have breakthrough pain. I think people that say this drug doesn't work aren't being dosed appropriately, or they have just been on high doses of OC alongside short-acting narcotics for so long that they are just too far along to be helped by anything new because their bodies have just gotten so used to their incredibly high dose OC regimen. Sorry, but push through."

• BBQ...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 12, 2021

"Was on OxyContin 20 mg twice a day. Percocet twice a day as needed, 5/325 mg. Never had to increase. Was switched to Xtampza a few years ago, started on 18 mg twice a day, took time as no conversion chart between both meds, so ended up taking 27 mg twice a day. With food, worked but very strong, couldn't function, so just decreased to 18 mg twice a day, clear mind, pain-free and taking fatty food with it as that's how it works. Switching between meds takes time, but will work, take it with food to help plasma levels, it's strong, so be careful."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2022

"Xtampza ER 9 mg didn’t help with my chronic pain at all. It did, however, make my anxiety level increase greatly and my blood pressure go up. These side effects are such that I’ll be talking to my doctor about an alternative pain medicine."