From Oxycontin 40mg 3x Day To Nucynta Er 200mg 2x Day

I've been on the OxyContin 40mg 1 tab 3x day for about 15 yrs. 3 years ago my insurance took it off their Formulary list. 1st Year my doctor got the insurance to approve it. Last year I was put on the Opana which made me sick, throwing up every time I took it. The insurance approved me again to the OxyContin. This year it was denied so I am on the Nucynta ER 200mg 2x's a day. I have had 2 Cervical Fusions leaving me with a plate & 15 screws in my neck. I've had a Reverse Right Shoulder Replacement. I have also had 14 Lumbar Surgeries. I know they put a cage in & fusions. The last surgery the doctor cut my whole back open. I have been back to his office 1 time after falling 2 days after coming home. I saw his PA not the doctor who did this surgery. I've not been back. Before going in i was told I had to pay $200.00 my part that the insurance didn't cover on a back brace. Mind you I had been home 2 days from the hospital and had not even received the bill. I was so upset I never wanted to see this Doctor or his PA again. To begin with I had no idea he was going to cut my back open as he did & to be treated as I was after the surgery and falling 2 days into going home. Thanks but No Thanks. I am always in pain, the OxyContin was along with my breakthrough helping me with the pain. This Nucynta ER is doing absolutely nothing in easing the pain. 60 of them which is all the insurance will cover are more in cost than 90 of the OxyContin. Timed Release they may be but they do not last or cover the pain past 8 hours if that. Before I had these surgeries I would not take even an aspirin. I had had a hysterectomy, and 2 hernia repairs and took nothing after going home. I've got a sister that had to have a liver transplant unrelated to drugs or alcohol. This happened to her 19 years ago and although the doctors don't know what damaged her liver, the transplant was successful & she is alive. With what happened to my sister unrelated to the drugs or alcohol I have always been terrified of Pain Meds. As it is now with all the surgeries I have had & the pain I remain in I could not stand it without them. I've never once abused them by taking more than I'm suppose to or before I'm suppose to. I get my blood checked every 3 months to hopefully make sure that I'm safe in my liver, etc: If this Nucynta does not work the other choice I have is Morphine which I do not really want to take. The insurance stated that I have to try 3 on their list. I'm 67 years young and to be forced to jump from one Pain Med to another in my opinion is wrong. Especially when you've been on a particular one for 14 to 15 years that was working. Please am I the only one feeling that this is wrong? Is there anyone having positive results from the Nucynta? I just feel so hopeless. Thanks for letting me vent!

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I'm so sorry to hear your story and wish I could do more than show support. The stories of abuse and the scrutiny of doctors willing to prescribe opiates has forced so many people to take medication not based on what works but based on a list created by someone who has likely never had significant Chronic pain or significant pain caused life adjustments.

If you have the option to switch to Oxycodone you might find it as effective as the Oxycontin but less depressive. Best of all is you avoid the uneven release where you get too much initially and not enough for the last 2 hours.

I don't know if you've tried Lyrica or more likely the insurance mandated Gabapentin but while I've found Oxycodone is 100% effective for some pain related to your condition there are other types of pain you likely have that aren't effectively managed with opiates but are stunningly well managed with Lyrica.

Beware a possible link to false+ U/A's for Benzodiazepine if you take Gabapentin and Cyclobenzaprine.

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You may just have to "bite the bullet" so to speak and pay cash for the pills that were helping. I have pulled cash off of my credit card (which NO ONE wants to do)..... but when the pain is severe enough, you're driven out of your mind!!! I have found that when you are paying with money from your own pocket... the smaller "mom and pop" pharmacies are much more willing to help you. Also, look up any medicine money saving sites that you can and give them a call.... Just because there is (unfortunately) a "stigma" with the Oxy, DON'T let that or anyone stop you from being an advocate for your health care.... I'm sorry, it's an absolute pain in the butt to deal with all of this when you're simply in pain!!! There are a bunch of pharmacies out there.... if you don't like the way your treated at one, move on to the next. Provided your paying cash..... you have the freedom to do that. Also.... I was always under the assumption that I HAD to use CVS, because that's what my prescription card said.... but when I went to a smaller pharmacy and said "I guess I'm going to pay with my own money since you probably don't take my insurance" the pharmacist asked to see my card. Come to find out I had an option to use a variety of places, it was just a great marketing scam by CVS on my card to make me think that was the only choice I had!! (Surprise) You may have checked this out already but if not... it's worth looking in to. There are also many many doctors out there as well, if you have enough endurance I pray for you that you will find one that is willing to work with you on your treatment. I finally have found a wonderful pain management doctor... and he was in my orthopedic building all along! I get drug panels, and I follow his rules... therefore- no problems. Also, are you seeing a primary care doctor or are you going to pain management? The difference between the two are amazing! If you need a referral don't be afraid to say to your primary, "I love you, BUT.... my pain is just not managed to where I can be a human that lives life day to day." And that is so important because you already feel so beat up as it is. Sorry to be long winded but.... you have to really take a stand now days, be as transparent and honest as you are and I hope and pray for you that you find some relief. I have never taken this Nucynta before... but if you've given it a fair shot with enough time, and it's still making you sick....... it's time to get yourself back onto what worked for you!!! I know all these other people would like to make that decision for you, but only you know your body. I know so many people are fearful or ashamed of their med list, (I went through this) but after years I finally said enough!!! This is my condition, I have to live just like the rest of these people get a chance to do, so now I just lay it on the line and say it like it is. If the pharmacy or doctors don't agree or like it.... then I have to go through an excruciating process to find yet another loophole to go through, because of all the people that are abusing helpful medications by doing all sorts of strange crap with them. It's so frustrating I know, but they abuse and I was crushed by a horse--- big difference. Hoping you find some relief and peace, xo.

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I've been on some form of oxycodone for pain since 1985. After my first knee surgery, I was prescribed Percodan...then it was Percocet, then OxyContin, then OxyNeo...all the while the doctors telling me to ease up on the marijuana smoking, "it's bad for you" they said. Now, I couldn't get a Percocet to save my life, and they gave me a prescription for marijuana to replace the narcotic analgesics. WTF? I suppose the doctors are just following their precious Hippocratic Oath eh? More like their precious Hippocritic Oath. I really like how these educated doctors of medicine take ZERO responsibility for the outrageous issues that arose from the oxycodone/fentanyl scenario... It's ALL our fault apparently. Doctors make me sick...many of them at least.

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I understand your pain as I had similar issue when my employer switched insurance carriers, they wouldn't cover my script that my PCP wrote as they have quantity restrictions on a lot of meds. I ended up missing work and started to go through withdrawl while I was waiting on my PCP to get pre authorization to prescribe something I have been taking at the doses he has been prescribing for two years. It's sad to say but as the government makes it harder on Dr's to prescribe narcotics insurance companies will force people to pay cash at pharmacies or seek alternative drugs that may not be so legal. Heroin has become an epidemic in America due to all restrictive BS Dr's and patients are required to follow because of Opiate abuse.

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Thank you, I have been taking the Gabapentin for a # of years as well. I came off of it for a short while because I didn't think it was helping and to try to cut back on at least one medicine. I found out that it was actually helping some and started taking it again.

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I've been on Vicodin 5mg and Norco 10 mg same 25 yrs. Actually there was a break in between, then my Scolosis got so bad I was bent over. Had total spine reconstruction in 2009 at age 62. Have Neuropathy, Ostoarthritis, 4 fractures discovered in surgery. Also have Degenerative Disk, and Fibromyalgia ? Forgot have broken rod in pelvic, another surgery. Now getting numb and tingling I guess headaches, all on left side of head. There's more but ur probably bored by now lol.! I'm on permanent disability SSA. Kaiser stopped my meds last year as I had taken a Valium I was so much pain and withdrawal I wanted to die. They gave me Tramadol, which did nothing. Changed to Humana now with Pain Management but cut back on Norco, giving me a time released patch, not covered, then Opana 10 mg and cut Norco from 6 to4 day. I'm a mess. Allergic to Aspirin, so when back gets so bad and inflamed I grab heating pad. Up until I fractured back at 45 I was so active. Ran in competition races, bowling, water skiing, gym, waking, all of which I would still be able to do. Life continues I'm still coping want to live, when I feel good I drive, and over do then in bed for a few. So I shared with nice people as I'm sure family hurts and wants me out of pain. I don't feel sorry for myself and I'm not a hypochondriac,( sounds like I am lol) just keep going . No lifting over 10 lbs, cleaning at which daughters are care givers. Any suggestions I should take to doctors?Thanks for letting me vent.

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I myself have been in extreme pain for well over 10 yrs now due to being hit head on in a car accident. I was able to slow to about 10 miles an hr but the drunk that hit me maintained a speed of over 70 miles an hr. I have also been thrown from a horse and stomped neither of these helped the Arthritis I already had. But try this one in for size, I had a GP that was prescribing my pain meds at one time she had me on Fentenyl patches, and Roxie's as well as a muscle relaxer and pain shots as needed in her office. Little did I know about becoming addicted to these types of medications and felt the Dr knew what she was doing. I was in so much stuff I didn't know where I was most of the time. I moved and had to get another Dr which only wrote Percs or narcos I was in hell from withdrawal...when my new Dr asked why I was in all that medication I simply responded that's what she told me to take, my new GP phoned my old one asking why she had me in so much and he reply was "well I didn't put her on all that, she did it herself" I was floored at that response as I did not write the scripts for the past 8 yrs she did so how is it I have to carry the blame and be told I put myself on those medications. Finally with my new GP help regulated it down to just one. But yeah... I put myself on them

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Call ur insurance co. Tell that this is THE only medication that gives u pain relief that all the others make u sick. Ask for the form u need to fill out to have it approved. They will then fax a form to your doctors office. The dr will fill it out. And fax it back Stating that u have to have this medication.
Then they review it. 90 percent of the time it is approved.
U will have to they this next year too. At the beginning of every year ur dr will most likely have to fill out this form.
The first time this happened to me I thot I was going to have a heart attack.
I was SO AFRAID! I'm allergic to almost ALL medications. Of any kind.
I didn't used to be like that. It's a long story what causes it.
Anyway I went from methadone which id been on for years with no problem for peripheral neuropathy. They changed something in the formula and could no longer take it. Or any tablet of ANY TYPE MEDICATION.
Never have figured out what's IN it. But it even taste different.
Anyway.....
January I got a letter stating that they would not cover my patches. Tgey r super spendy$$$ about 4,000 a month! They wanted me to go back on MS Contin or methadone. I was freaked out. I knew I could no longer take those. I was so afraid my insurance would deny the patches.
They didn't. All this means is it's not part of your plan. Or tier. That your dr needs to fill out a form and fax it back to them.
This is relatively new procedure since about 4 yrs ago.
Also u will get reimbursed for what u paid out of pocket when u paid yourself. But u need to request paper work for that and it needs to be done within s certain time frame.
Good luck.
This should be all u have to do.

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If I was you I'd feel very lucky somebody gave you something I've been suffering for years and I can't get anybody to give me anything but an aspirin and a vitamin and I'm so sick of being sick and so tired of trying to get up when I can't even dress myself and everybody says take an aspirin that I want to kill people right now

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In order to be prescribed a higher amount of medication u need to be seeing a certified pain specialist. Not just a regular MD.
MDs can only prescribe up to 120 mg of medication. More than that u must see a cert pain doctor.
That is still no gaurentee. But that's what that reduction in your medicTion was about. I'm surprised ur dr didn't tell u that.
U sound like u have really been thru a lot. U don't sound like a hypochondriac. If ur going to go see a pain specialist I would just go talk to one first without telling ur doctor. Then once u find a dr that will take u, then u can tell him. It shouldn't be, but it can be a touchy situation.
U def don't want to be getting meds from both at the same time.
It's hard changing drs. Especially if uve been with one for many years.
Good luck.

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I know how you feel hun as I had lost my insurance due to a mistake in 2009 and I fought until 2014 to get it back and I did but I had to pay out of pocket for 5 yrs, which was very expensive up until the last yr when I started searching hard as I was having to pick n choose which medicine to get. Anyway I found out through my lupus group that some drug companies would give a 90 day supply free of charge which was very helpful but I still couldn't get all as some meds weren't covered.

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Call pharmaceutical companies to see if they have patient assistance programs.... You may be able to get free meds depending on the company... whoever makes oxycontin...

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