Hey Morphling! Okay, I saw my doctor today, and she agreed that the APAP levels are a problem. I think she said that she was going to give me a prescription for pain without APAP. Anyway, she gave me a prescription for "20 mg oxycodone, 20-30mg every six hours, as needed." So all's well, right? I happily trot off to the pharmacy to have the prescription filled and that's where things get a little weird.
My pharmacist looks at the prescription and his jaw literally dropped. He looks at me and says, "Is this immediate release?" I'm like, 'Uh, I don't know. What does it say?" He didn't even answer me; just started messing with his computer, then looks up and says, "I have to order this. I can't get it until next week." I asked if there were any other pharmacies that might have it in stock and he looks at me like I'm a little slow on the uptake, and says, "you'd have to take this to a hospital pharmacy, is my guess. They're the only ones who might have this in stock. I didn't even know they made this medication in this dosage, I've never seen a prescription for this, and I had to check to make sure that they actually manufacture it." So, after some back and forth, we agree that I'll pick it up next week. My pharmacist, like my doctor, is not concerned that 3-4 days of 5000 mg plus APAP per day is going to damage my liver, even with my existing issues.
So, now my question is: what is so weird about this prescription? Should I be taking some kind of extended release? The pharmacist made me feel really weird about the prescription ... not weird enough to not pick it up and take it, but a little odd, nonetheless.