So I've been trying the method that gotyawallet suggested. I have a bunch of xtampza pills, but have run low on better pain killers. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 208 (I was 31 years old at the time). I immediately started really hard chemo and had to take a neulasta shot to boost my white blood cells so I didn't get sicker than i was. The shot makes your bone marrow mass produce white blood vells and because the bone marrow is working overtime, the bone marrow swells inside your bones and causes crazy pain in your large muscles. I've had multiple surgical procedures including a double mastectomy, reconstruction where they took a muscle from my back (the latismuss dorsi muscle) and moved it around the skin to make it like a pocket for an implant, and recently had implants put in with some skin and fat grafting. I had 'expanders' which they put in to stretch out my muscles and tissues before implants for several months. They pumped them up once a week and it HURT!
I guess I'm saying all of this because I live in FL and we have super strict opiate laws. I like the green (always have- chemo just made it legal) and dabbled in drugs, but was always a good student, smart, and independent. I still am. When I was in the hospital when they did the reconstruction and moved my muscle around, I had to spend 2 nights in the hospital. The surgeon that performed the surgery only prescribed me TYLENOL! I was in so much pain, I couldn't breathe and almost had a stoke. At 32 years old, mind you. I still have quite a bit of residual pain in my back/shoulder area where the muscle was taken out.
My oncologist and surgeons referred me to a pain specialist so all my meds could be monitored by one doctor only. She has been crazy helpful! She gave me some break-out meds, but hooked me up with Xtampza so I could still do my job and get some pain relief. It's not knocking the pain out totally, but it helps. This latest thing is kind of what I've downgraded too..
Sorry this was a long rant, and if you're reading this for the point i am trying to get across, gotyawallet is the best thing I've tried. I basically empty the pills into a metal table spoon. I cover it with a bit of olive oil- not to much, just cover most of it. I stand over a sink (spills) and heat the bottom of the spoon using a bic lighter (usually). You can see, hear, and smell the wax burning. Blow on it for a minute or two, and take it down. Try not to touch the spoon. The spoon and liquid are HOT. I didn't blow it off once of my first items and I burnt my upper lip so bad that it bled! So- be careful!! Also- the bottom of the spoon is black after you do this. If you take a sponge with the scrubby surface on one side and scrub it with the scrubby side and some soap and water, it comes right off. Please make sure to thoroughly wash the front of the spoon with dish soap and a scrubby sponge to, because it gets gunky because of the wax. If it spills on anything while it's hot, it will immediately urn to max. After I burnt my tongue, I tried to dissolve the wax and immediately pour it in a little glass with a touch of water to cool it down. Bad idea. Immediately turned to wax.
Just make sure to heat it thoroughly until clear, blow on it a few times, and then grit your teeth and bare it!