Doctor's Changing Medication (Without Prior Notice)

[GarageFlower]

Well somebody I know has been prescribed Oxycodone.....

OxyContin 180mg twice a day And OxyNorm liquid 60mg 8 times a day for breakthrough pain.

He got a phonecall two weeks ago on a Tuesday telling him his Oxycodone was being changed to Morphine and that's what would be in his prescription when he picked it up on Friday.

They've changed him to....

Zormorph capsules 270mg twice a day and 120mg 8 times a day for breakthrough pain.


He's saying the morphine isn't helping him anywhere near as much as the Oxycodone did.

I've tried them, they're gash...obviously down to the terrible bioavailability.

He's been on OxyContin for as long as I can remember and IMO it's cruel to get someone addicted to a drug and then change it at such short notice with no prior info.

It's all down to cost. I wouldn't mind but the someone I know is terminally ill and only got about 6 months to live and is in a lot of pain a lot of the time and I can see that the morphine is helping no where near as much. He just looks like he's in more pain, and generally looks more unwell.

I've read about and the only other drug of equal strength is Dipapinone, and I don't think He'd get prescribed that.

His Pain Consultant agrees he should have been kept on the OxyCodone as it's working and now he's in pain on the Morphine.

Like I said he's terminally ill, does he not deserve to be pain free in his final months?

When he rang up the doctors all they said to him is "Morphine is the same as Oxycodone" - I can tell you first hand that is BOLLOCKS.

His Pain Consultant's getting onto his Surgery and seeing what strings, if any, can be pulled.


Complete joke.

 

[Erikmen]

Morphine is not the same as Oxycodone. When in real pain, the goal is about getting the best medicine with a long lasting effect. Analyse its pros and cons.

Depending on what type of pain you have. Doctors may go from patches of Fentanyl to Methadone due to its long acting and also because it´s stronger than morphine and the right doses.

IMO the doctor could only change the prescription after checking on the patient, physically speaking. Do the patient´s anamnesis.

That´s malpractice to treat a condition that requires such strong medication with a phone call. Suggest you look for another opinion.

 

[GarageFlower]

+It wasn't even the Doctors that phoned.

It was someone from the pharmacy who does all the costing, and my dads script must have raised a red flag as being expensive and money could have been saved by switching him over to morphine. It wasn't even a discussion, it was a phonecall to let him know that it had already been changed and they were merely notifying him of this.

The person in question is very ill, and is taking the painkillers (as you can see, in high doses) for genuine reasons.

He has pulmonary fibrosis and probably won't see Christmas.

This is on top of a host of other illnesses and ailments including: Above knee amputee, COPD, Base of skull infection, multiple DVT's, cranial osteomylitis, Epilepsy, Heart Disease, Emphysema.....Too name but a few.

And they've changed his medication, which was working, he could even go up to 220mg b/d when he was in more pain, to cut a few ££'s. As I've said he's only got a few months left as it is and this morphine aint doing shit for him, like I said he rang up and was told "morphine is the same as oxycodone" absolute shit....the b/a of morphine means he's getting more than less than half what he's taking.

and as I've said he's given me oxy and I could feel that, when i've tried the morphine I feel jack shit.

The only time I felt ANYTHING from it is when I crushed the beads up and IV'd them.

His pain consultant is writing to them but I highly doubt they'll put him back on his Oxycodone.

 

[Erikmen]

I´m sorry to hear that. It´s very sad to be sick to the point you rely on medications to have some dignity and life quality to manage you daily routine.
In that case, all efforts in making him feel better should be tried. As I mentioned before, there is a strong medication that comes in patches; Fentanyl. It lasts 3 days and it comes in different doses.
An experienced Doctor should explore all possible scenarios and do what´s right.
I hope his pain consultant fix this awful situation and that the person in question may enjoy life as he is.
All my best,
Erik