How Much Oxy is a Lot?

[SPC123]

My doc has me on 160mg a day, 20mg IR x 2 4 times daily. I guess what I am wondering is, at what dosage would a pharmacist start raising their eyebrows? I am hoping perhaps some people with pharmacy experience would reply, or people who have had high dosages of Oxy themselves might share their experiences.

This is a perfectly legal scrip for a legitimate medical condition. My problem is that I build up tolerance (and dependence) so quickly it seems, in 9 months I have gone from 40mg a day to 160mg a day.

 

[effie]

It's really hard to say. A pharmacist is unlikely to start questioning your script if it is legitimate, and if they do they can call your doc to verify it! I wouldn't worry about that.

If you need that much to control your pain, then you need it. People can end up on ridiculously high doses, much higher than you, especially in palliative/terminal care. It's not like you are scamming your doc, they have prescribed it to you willingly but that is quite a large increase and I can see that it would not be good to continue to rise in that manner..

I think the main concern is if you one day need to come off it - obviously coming off that much oxy will be harder than coming off 40mg a day. I can understand your worries, definitely. I think you should talk to your doctor about it - see if there are other pain-killing avenues you can explore to try to keep your oxy use down.

The other concern is if the side effects (constipation mainly) are troubling you. Again, talk to your doc.

Painkiller doses are very subjective; what is high for one person is low for the next. What matters is that it is the right dose for you, and that you are comfortable with it, and understand the problems it might have (difficulty coming off it and side effects). Sounds like you are not hugely comfortable so I would def talk to your doctor.

Good luck

 

[TheLostBoys]

My doc has me on 160mg a day, 20mg IR x 2 4 times daily. I guess what I am wondering is, at what dosage would a pharmacist start raising their eyebrows? I am hoping perhaps some people with pharmacy experience would reply, or people who have had high dosages of Oxy themselves might share their experiences.

This is a perfectly legal scrip for a legitimate medical condition. My problem is that I build up tolerance (and dependence) so quickly it seems, in 9 months I have gone from 40mg a day to 160mg a day.

Imo, thats a huge jump for only 9 months. I know you're using them for pain but are you using a bit more for recreational purposes also?

 

[SPC123]

I don't use it recreationally as such. I find painkillers useless for stopping pain. The only thing I have ever taken that has legitimately stopped pain was naproxen, and that's more a cure (anti-inflammatory) than a pain killer. The only benefit I get from oxy is the high, and while I am high I don't mind the pain. If there is no high, then I might as well eat skittles for as much pain relief as I get.

I am not worried about the dose, or the side effects, or coming off them. I have given them up cold turkey for a few days on several occasions just to see how bad the WDs would be, and luckily, they aren't that bad for me outside the depression. That seems to pass within a week though.

My main concern is that red flags be raised. I like my doctor and he has always been very willing to listen to me and prescribe me what I ask for (within reason). I don't want some pharmacy or government drug agency or something sending him a letter asking why I am getting so much oxy. A) I don't want to cause any trouble for my doctor. B) As much as oxy isn't a great solution, it's the ONLY thing that has worked for my pain.

I am awaiting a surgery that should solve my problems, at which point I can stop taking the oxy. Until then I need them. I guess I am a little paranoid about losing the one thing that makes life tolerable at the moment.

 

[jasonmp321]

I would imagine that once your Oxycodone dose reaches a certain amount, like 200mg a day, you and you're doctor may have a talk about switching to more potent opioids like Fentanyl or Opana with maybe 80mg of IR oxycodone for BT pain...

and the pharmacist can raise there eyebrow all they want, if your docs legally prescribing it they cant say shit. Unless it was something ridiculous like 500mg a day, then they might contact the authorities and say the doctor is overprescribing or something.

 

[Dr Rxpert]

yea thats a really high dose, i only take 120mg a day and im an amputee, 12 herniated disc in my back and many head injuries. As all of us our tolerance goes up but 9 months to go from 40mg to 160mg is quite a rise in medication.

Try not to take them if you dont need them. I dont take them unless I hurt. I have an opiate/benzo addiction so it was very hard to taper down. Now I can take one 30mg IR and it rids the pain for 4-6 hours.

I just dont understand did he gradually raise your dosage or just bump you up to 160mg?

 

[jasonmp321]

The only benefit I get from oxy is the high, and while I am high I don't mind the pain. If there is no high, then I might as well eat skittles for as much pain relief as I get.

But, there IS a subjective "high", and that "high" DOES ease the pain, no? So, oxy DOES work to kill your pain....

My understanding of how opiates work to stop pain has always been that they don't cure the pain or stop the pain from occuring, they just put you into a state of well-being and relaxation that makes it much more comfortable when your in pain.

 

[TheLostBoys]

Like I said before, going from 40 to 160mgs in only 9 months is a huge jump & you are very lucky to have a doctor that was willing to make the jump with you in prescribing a high dosage of oxy. Like mentioned above, if you think you will need more oxy, sit down with your doctor & ask him if he can switch you to something stronger like Opana.

Im sure we dont have to tell you how powerful Opana is tho & you will suffer some serious withdrawals from it.

 

[SPC123]

I just dont understand did he gradually raise your dosage or just bump you up to 160mg?

Gradually. Today was the first time for 160. I had been at 120 for a while, and kept running out of pills early (like a day or so) and having to go back to him for more. He basically told me that he wasn't upping my dose and if I didn't start taking only what he prescribed he would cut me off and send me to addiction services.

It was only after trying clonidine to prevent my near constant sweating and high blood pressure from the pain that he upped the dose to 160. Now some of that high blood pressure and sweating comes from very early withdrawal but the fact remains, when I am at work, even with the oxy I am in pain, I am sweating through my clothes and my BP is regularly around 160/110. When I am home resting it is about 120/70.

Doc said today he wanted to try adequately treating my pain before he put me on blood pressure medication.

One other thing: There is light at the end of the tunnel. Once I get in and get my surgery done I can taper off the oxy.

 

[effie]

Really sorry to hear you are in so much pain.. but that's excellent news about your surgery, I hope you don't have too long to wait

Some pain just isn't opiate-responsive. Has your doctor considered any other options, especially if the pain is neuropathic (nerve-related pain)? Do you have specialist pain management services there? We do in the UK, usually run by anaesthetists - they consider a wide range of things, from TENS to local anaesthetic nerve blocks.

Hope you manage to find something that works for you - good luck!

 

[mrflowers00]

i'm on two 30mg irs four times a day

 

[Violenza666]

That's standard for pain management. I am on more. My first pain management dr started me on 160mg of oxy a day.... Is it alot for some people? yea... alot for people who get them from a dr? No.

I also take 90mg opana a day. 3 30's... On top of the oxy I am on.

 

[TheLostBoys]

That's standard for pain management. I am on more. My first pain management dr started me on 160mg of oxy a day.... Is it alot for some people? yea... alot for people who get them from a dr? No.

I also take 90mg opana a day. 3 30's... On top of the oxy I am on.

Wow.....you're a damn pill factory over here, thats some serious pain meds. What exactly is wrong with you? No offense..........

 

[SPC123]

Really sorry to hear you are in so much pain.. but that's excellent news about your surgery, I hope you don't have too long to wait

Some pain just isn't opiate-responsive. Has your doctor considered any other options, especially if the pain is neuropathic (nerve-related pain)? Do you have specialist pain management services there? We do in the UK, usually run by anaesthetists - they consider a wide range of things, from TENS to local anaesthetic nerve blocks.

Hope you manage to find something that works for you - good luck!

Thank you for the kind words. I am actually happy with the oxy. It works for me. Also it's cheap, and I don't have insurance. I know fent patches and the like can get really expensive.

Basically I just wanted to know where I stood on the scale of small to large oxy scrips. I think I have my answer. I am taking a lot, but not as much as some, and not eyebrow raising high.

Thanks for all the replies guys!

 

[Violenza666]

Wow.....you're a damn pill factory over here, thats some serious pain meds. What exactly is wrong with you? No offense..........

Entire neck is nothing but bulging discs, herniated discs in the lumbar spine, discs collapsing on themselves and others... Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Bone spurs forming... Scholiosis in the cervical spine and in the lumbar... Starting of spinal stenosis... I got the works, and get more and more diagnoses piled on everytime I go to the dr or get new imaging. Basially Dr's cringe and feel really sorry for me when they see my MRI... aside from the Fibromyalgia you can see it all..

The worst part is, given all the medication I am on, I am still in pain... Its nuts.. Normally it's mostly under control but jesus fuck when it's not..

 

[TheLostBoys]

Entire neck is nothing but bulging discs, herniated discs in the lumbar spine, discs collapsing on themselves and others... Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Bone spurs forming... Scholiosis in the cervical spine and in the lumbar... Starting of spinal stenosis... I got the works, and get more and more diagnoses piled on everytime I go to the dr or get new imaging. Basially Dr's cringe and feel really sorry for me when they see my MRI... aside from the Fibromyalgia you can see it all..

The worst part is, given all the medication I am on, I am still in pain... Its nuts.. Normally it's mostly under control but jesus fuck when it's not..

Thats alot health problems there & pain......isnt there any surgeries they could do for any of that & I know that going under the knife isnt always a good option because things can always get worse.

 

[effie]

Thank you for the kind words. I am actually happy with the oxy. It works for me. Also it's cheap, and I don't have insurance. I know fent patches and the like can get really expensive.

Basically I just wanted to know where I stood on the scale of small to large oxy scrips. I think I have my answer. I am taking a lot, but not as much as some, and not eyebrow raising high.

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Aw am glad to hear you are happy with Oxy and were just wondering about dosage comparisons. Was just concerned that maybe the dose had risen so quick cos it wasn't really working.. I really wouldn't worry about the size of your script - you need what you need. You clearly have legitimate need for it, and I have seen people on higher, definitely. Good luck with your operation too

 

[J. G. Wentworth]

Lostboys, many times there are not surgeries readily apparent to do.

I had one neck surgery, but other levels are messed up too, but not bad enough for the neurosurgeon to see something "fixable". I still have my PM running every test we can think of. discogram is next. I will not quit fighting to be pain and drug free.

That is a lot of oxy. I try not to party with my pain meds (dilaudid, soma, etc.) for the sheer reason the OP has posted his fears. I do not want to get cut off for the times I really need them.

If I want to feel high, weed does it fine. My pain meds also make a nice base to work some combo magic. 2 drinks gets me high on top of the pain meds.

My point is if you are a pain patient an get potent scripts and need them, fighting the natural tolerance is hard enough. We trade pain for physical dependence in the first place. Know this and manage it. Party with other drugs. But when you use your pain meds to get high, you run the risk of losing the very drug you actually need to function.

I hope that makes sense to some. I couldn't do it in my teens. But being middle aged has me see a few things different.

 

[emj100]

when you start thinking youre sitting on a cloud

 

[Violenza666]

Thats alot health problems there & pain......isnt there any surgeries they could do for any of that & I know that going under the knife isnt always a good option because things can always get worse.

Yea there is shit they could do, but 2 dr's have said I am too young for surgery and would rather I wait til I am older. I am also not "ready" yet... though if one surgery could cure my problems Id sign up right now.

A friend of mine had 2 back surgeries and they left 2 surgical insturments inside him..... somehow his lawsuit got fucked.... Regardless all around the situation sucks...


OP: I suggest you get on Opana and roxi for BT pain, Soms for muscular issues and Ibuprofen 800 for inflammation and pain. I take valium as well, it multi tasks for anxiety and back pain... then when you get your scripts take less than rxed.... so You dont have a monster tolerance and dont wind up shits creek with no way to acheive pain management with what you're given. If you want to talk farther PM me if you wish. Good luck!