Opioids Info on pain patch

[2manypills]

Hello all, been reading a lot but never posted, sorry if I posted this in the wrong place.

I'm new to pain management and was on nocro 10-325
for a month, it did help with the pain and made me feel good, but I was getting bad headaches.
So the doctor said let's try something else a Butrans (Buprenorphine) Patch.

I think I would rather go back on the nocro. As any one tried the patch? The patch is new so not to much info on it, lots on subs. The dr did say somthing about oxy without APAP in it.

Thanks

 

[Rabbit]

From what I know about Buprenorphine it is mainly used in the treatment of addiction/dependence to opiates (keeps the withdraws away) or sometimes for mild cases of pain, although I've never heard of this patch or anyone prescribed to Buprenorphine for pain.

To me it sounds like the doctor is trying to find the right fit for you. He doesn't want you on a "real" pain killer unless you really need it for pain, he might be trying to figure out if you're in real pain or simply in withdraw. In your case (IANAD) it sounds like you might need something stronger, but I must warn you that this road you're embarking on can be a long and painful one. Life without a pain killer is preferable to life on them imo, even with mild discomfort. However, many people do need something to help with pain, and for those people, dependence becomes a life long thing.

Just make sure you're taking these for pain, and not for the buzz, that's a hard line to walk. I've been struggling with it for years, its not something you want to get yourself addicted to. I have far more respect for this class of drugs than I ever did before I got "hooked".

Anyway, I don't know what he'll put you on next if the patch isn't working for you. My guess would be something like Roxicodone (oxycodone without the APAP) which used to be my "favorites". Hopefully those will be effective for you...but again, you body gets used to it (especially if you start taking more than you're supposed to!) and you might find yourself having to "step up" to something stronger after awhile. Eventually most people find a mix of things that work for them if they are one of the unlucky ones that require this class of drugs for the rest of their lives.

I hope that you're in a position where some day you will no longer require these to get a long in life. I've managed to cut them out entirely, but I was more addicted than I was dependent. At least for now I'm in a position where those little aches and pains don't require pain medication, including the cluster headaches and those bad knees.

How many pills were you taking daily before you were switched to the patch? I'm assuming he had you on a percocet or something similar? This will help people get an idea of how much you've been taking daily and for how long... It helps others give you advice on what you need to go over with your doctors.

 

[2manypills]

Ya I feel you, I can see how hard it could get. Thanks for the help

About the butrans, FDA gave the ok in late 2010 for pain.
Not for acute pain
Not post op
Buprenorphine patches should only be used in patients requiring continuous opioid therapy for an extended time; use is contraindicated in the management of acute or short-term pain, postoperative pain, mild pain, and intermittent pain.

 

[2manypills]

I was taking nocro 10-325 x3. They both work for pain but just bad
sides

 

[2manypills]

Sorry I hate typing from my phone,
I am very scared of addicted, I'm on lots of other stuff to. Where is a good place to post questions
about being scared of addiction and if I'm taking to much meds

 

[Rabbit]

What kind of side effects were the pills giving you? Do you experience those (some or all) side effects when you take larger (safe) doses of Tylenol?

That's a lot of APAP to take a day, but nothing unheard of. I don't advise taking any large dose of APAP but I've known several people (including myself) who've done that much for days on end and been fine (at least so far).

As I said before, most people end up finding a mix of things that work for them. I have several friends in pain management or on pain medication long term, all of them have their preferred drugs. Some like oxycodone better than hydrocodone, some the other way around, some require a once a day (or once every three day) patch/pill with something like roxicodone or percocet for "break through" pain.

At any rate, expect a lot of back and forth with your doctor(s) before you find the magic mix for you. That "mix" might be one pill multiple times a day, or once a day, or a patch once every three days, or a mix of drugs over the course of the day.... It depends on the patient, the situation, and what the doctor has available to him.

Good luck! I hope someone else will come a long and give you some more advice and you eventually find something that works for you: That is, something that manages the pain without too many bad side effects. Just remember to have the up most respect for this stuff and you'll do fine! I also need to add that the FDA keeps a close eye on things now, and while you don't strike me as the type, I must warn you not to get any ideas about selling these things to friends or dipping into your own stash too much. Almost everyone I know ends up "running out" early in the month, and that week or so of waiting for the refill is pure hell for them. While I have you, don't try to refill early or anything like that as well. I had a friend get in trouble for that (he'd ran out and was trying to refill two days early), in the end, he was told that if he ever did it again they would cut him off for good.

Good luck to you man.

 

[2manypills]

 

[HaZeX]

Almost everyone I know ends up "running out" early in the month, and that week or so of waiting for the refill is pure hell for them. While I have you, don't try to refill early or anything like that as well. I had a friend get in trouble for that (he'd ran out and was trying to refill two days early), in the end, he was told that if he ever did it again they would cut him off for good.

Good luck to you man.

Thats why I HATE Pain management DR's...rules are so strict. Kind of ridiculous that if they give you a 30 day supply, they want you to refill on the 30th day. Maybe thats all well and good, you go down and get the script on the 30th day. Now what if your Pharmacy don't have the RX, your screwed till they can have it in stock and fill it.

Which is why I love my PCP, I can call him upto a week early for my script, submit to the Pharmacy, so they can order my rx 20mg Oxy IR's, then when its time for my insurance to cover it I go pick it up...

sorry for going off topic...just my little rant..

 

[chrisOXY77]

Geez....Butrans....anything to get people off the good stuff, still trading one for another. Anyway if your doctor was talking about the Percocet without the tylenol (Roxicodone) I would go with that. Its not hard on the liver like most drugs....and i think i just have slight crush on roxi ...anyway i was on subs for 9 months...i was A ZOMBIE I LOOKED DEAD and i was only on 4mg a day and i have seen people take up to four 8mg pills a day. tisk...it did not help with my lumbar/cervical pain either...but if it works for you then why not...but that picture did disturb me....

 

[Rabbit]

Thats why I HATE Pain management DR's...rules are so strict. Kind of ridiculous that if they give you a 30 day supply, they want you to refill on the 30th day. Maybe thats all well and good, you go down and get the script on the 30th day. Now what if your Pharmacy don't have the RX, your screwed till they can have it in stock and fill it.

My friend has run into several problems with his script. One of them was as you mentioned, he showed up on the day he was supposed to and there was nothing in stock. He ended up having to go to another pharmacy and paying out of pocket for the entire prescription (175 pecocet 7.5s).

175 a month strikes me as...odd. You would think they would have him on 10s or roxi by now...but his doctor just keeps him on the 7.5s, why, I am unsure.

My friend isn't using them as directed though, despite my warnings he just abuses them for half the month, runs out, buys enough to hold him over from where ever he can and of course has a big smile on his face when re-fill day rolls around. He's got problems that require pain management, but he was hooked before those showed up so he's just been having a field day since he got his own prescription. He'll either end up in jail or dead before he stops using, and I fear he'll eventually step his "baby habit" up to something that requires a needle.

At any rate we're off topic, I apologize to the OP.

 

[HaZeX]

My friend has run into several problems with his script. One of them was as you mentioned, he showed up on the day he was supposed to and there was nothing in stock. He ended up having to go to another pharmacy and paying out of pocket for the entire prescription (175 pecocet 7.5s).

175 a month strikes me as...odd. You would think they would have him on 10s or roxi by now...but his doctor just keeps him on the 7.5s, why, I am unsure.

My friend isn't using them as directed though, despite my warnings he just abuses them for half the month, runs out, buys enough to hold him over from where ever he can and of course has a big smile on his face when re-fill day rolls around. He's got problems that require pain management, but he was hooked before those showed up so he's just been having a field day since he got his own prescription. He'll either end up in jail or dead before he stops using, and I fear he'll eventually step his "baby habit" up to something that requires a needle.

At any rate we're off topic, I apologize to the OP.

Yep, thats exactly why its screwed up. The drs don't realize, or don't care that if you can't get it filled that your, your going into W/D's...pretty shitty of them.

Its odd tho, your friend on 7.5 pers. especially 175 for a month supply. Thats a lot of APAP to be taking, especially if he's abusing. YOur friend should be on oxy 10's without APAP.

 

[runninwild]

Hey, if your docs givng you bupe, he thinks you doper wiht no pain..why? Because I was looking for options to get off my highopiate dose and asked my pain specialist about bu..pe..and he finished my sentence and said "no you have pain and that would take the pain medication away..so i couldnt use it as a nonnarcotic change over.. Bupe is to make your heebie jeebie nerves OK not the pain senders, its for junkies that dont have actuall pain problems, so if you do get it let him know YOU ARE IN PAIN..otherwise no more meds for you!