Opioids Hydrocodone prescription... something is wrong

[HokieFiend]

Hello all,

I?ve had to use opiate prescriptions for a chronic pain condition for the last 15 years. Only once in that time have I ever got a prescription filled and felt that were was something wrong with the meds. It?s as if I am not taking anything at all. It?s the “M” manufacturer 10/325. Only one issue before with this medicine and it was “W” manufacter after the reformulation. I?ts not tolerance or anything like that. I?ve been on a stable dose for years.

Its somewhat frightening and shocking. I HEAVILY upped my dosage today to see if that would make a difference. It didn?t and it 100% would have if there wasn?t something wrong.

I?m curious if any other chronic pain forum members out there are currently experiencing anything like this. With the current situation with opiates in the US I would not be shocked if there are some crazy things going on with reformulations or the like. I know this forum probably gets a lot of these types of posts but I?m a longtime user of opiates. This isn?t something in my head.

 

[Painful One]

Did they give you a different generic brand than you usually take?

I had my pharmacy give me some kind of yellow colored MS Contin one time and they told me that they were the exact same thing that I had been taking for years, just a different brand as they were out of the usual. But, They were not the same at all. I was sneezing non stop, diarrhea, etc. I was in opiate withdrawal. I tried to take them back but they wouldn't accept them and said that yeah, sometimes our bodies get used to a specific "formula" so I had to go the entire month with those.

I made sure after that to have my specific brand that works for me ordered in special. They have had them every time for years now and they know they are supposed to have those for me. These last few months, they have been giving me bottles of all kinds of mixed brands and when I look at them like WTF is this? You know I cannot have these assorted brands. They give me a look like don't even ask. Consider yourself very lucky that we could scrounge up enough to fill your prescription.

I have a very good relationship with my pharmacy and have been going to them for years. They have seen my suffering and they probably saved those just for me. Something is going on.

I'm not worried about my doctor cutting me off but I am worried that my pharmacy will not be able to even fill a prescription.
This is a hospital pharmacy too that has always been super cool to me. I drive an hour to go to them. I have had all the pharmacies close to my house just look at my prescription and shake their head no and give it back to me. So WTF?

 

[Prescottdave]

The first thing I would ask yourself. Am I in opioid WD. If your not in WD then you likely are experiencing tolerance. If you think it is fake send it to Ecstasy Data or Energy Control. You could also get a pain clinic to test your levels in your urine by sending the sample to the lab. Many states will cover a lab test through medicaid if you are enrolled in a pain clinic or suboxone program.

If you ask BL you will never truly know. I definitely experienced days in which doubling my hydrocodone dose produced zero effects even though the meds were completely good. I however was not in WD's during this time. Tolerance to opioids or benzo's can be frightening and shocking. Posts in which people claim to have to have gone months with fake meds but fail to advocate for themselves truly saden me.

If the pills are bad Painful One you can at least work with your doctor to prove it and then deal with the issue. If you have a good relationship with your doctor he or she may even call the pharmacy for you and chew them out. You could get kicked out of a pain clinic if you showed up without having your medication in your urine or get a steep dosage reduction. Literally prove it to them and to yourself so you at least know. Paradoxical hyperalgesia is also a really scary thing.

 

[Painful One]

Thanks. I don't think any of my pills were actually "bad" but I just noticed that the different generic did not work anywhere near as good as another one that I had always been given. I was not in horrific withdrawal so they did work some and they did manage to keep my pain from being too extreme but they sure did not last 12 hours and they were weak or somehow different for me.

Oh, I advocated for myself. I went back down there while in opiate withdrawal and talked to them about it. The pharmacy guy told me that I had not been the only one whom had called and was having the exact same problem. He apologized and said he had went with some cheaper ones this time as they are getting so expensive. He thought he might save all of us a little money.
He really felt bad. He has always made sure to have my brand in stock. Every time for years. But these last few months, the employees are stressed. I can tell. It seems they are going through a lot of bullshit to take care of us chronic pain patients.
God bless them! Plus having them give me those different mix's of brands these last few times is not right.

Hope you don't suffer too bad with those H.F.
Advocate for yourself!

 

[HokieFiend]

PrescottDave,

Thanks for the reply. I am experiencing WD symptoms. I’m at a loss with what’s happening here. I think I’m going to have these pills tested. Have you ever used a specific testing place? Would I get a complete report on the full contents of these pills? Something is 100% wrong. I can only suspect that either it’s a bad batch of pills the pharmacy received or they are fakes... maybe even introduced by someone working at the pharmacy as part of a scheme to divert real medication. All speculation of course but it has to be something along those lines

I looked at the Ecstasydata site. Apparently the DEA prohibits them from reporting quantity of a substance in a sample. Anyone know of a way to have quantity tested as well as content? The conspiracy theorist in me starts working overtime when I see things like this.

 

[Prescottdave]

PrescottDave,

Thanks for the reply. I am experiencing WD symptoms. I’m at a loss with what’s happening here. I think I’m going to have these pills tested. Have you ever used a specific testing place? Would I get a complete report on the full contents of these pills? Something is 100% wrong. I can only suspect that either it’s a bad batch of pills the pharmacy received or they are fakes... maybe even introduced by someone working at the pharmacy as part of a scheme to divert real medication. All speculation of course but it has to be something along those lines

I looked at the Ecstasydata site. Apparently the DEA prohibits them from reporting quantity of a substance in a sample. Anyone know of a way to have quantity tested as well as content? The conspiracy theorist in me starts working overtime when I see things like this.

Energy Control based in Spain will give you purity results. I would see if you could get a lab test on a UA done at your doctors office. This could be free or much less then the $150 required for an EC test. You could even go and purchase a test at Walgreens which should test for the metabolites of hydrocodone. After being on the possibly fake pills for just a week you should be pissing clean for opioids.

I have used some UA tests to test levels of benzo metabolites and was able to trace a drop in my levels with a 12 panel one ordered online. My doctor will test my norbuprenorphine levels every once in awhile to see if I am taking my meds as prescribed. The same thing can be done for hydrocodone. Work with your medical providers to attend to the issue.