Ms Contin Conversion To Opana
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Does anyone know the conversion dose when switching from MS Contin 15mg to Opana. The MS no longer works to take the edge off the pain. I have had chronic pain after herniated cervical, lumbar disks, 4 surgeries, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and daytime sleepiness, and osteo-arthritis. I also took 10mg. of morphine IR for breakthrough pain.Now I will take Opana IR.

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18

I'm on oxycodone 30mg, 3 times a day. I'm an amputee, so I'm in severe phantom pain, neuropathy, fibro and the damage to my whole body from no leg n all kinds of broken bones n arthritis. So, my Dr mentioned switching me to opana; didn't say how much, I'm afraid. I hear u get withdrawals missing just one dose and doesn't help. Any good results for anyone?

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17

Hello,

Recently and at My request, my pain Managment doctor changed both my Longterm pain medication and my breakthrough pain medication. My breakthrough pain medication, once again at My request, was changed from Oxycodone 30mg 4 times a day to Oxymorphone 10mg 4 tines a day. I'd been on the oxys now for quite a few years and thought I'd try something different.

I'd heard very good things and read high reviews about oxymorphone 10mg as compared to oxycodone 30mg. The switch was a Big Mistake for me because not only did I get absolutely No pain relief from the oxymorphone...It also caused me to stay severely agitated and kept me sleepy and grumpy...And according to my wife, downright Lazy, which isn't like me at all.

It was like all I wanted to do was Sleep. And I stayed in constant pain which led me to take more of these per day than prescribed. I'd never had any serious med shortage until now. I mean, sometimes I ran short but no more than maybe 4 to 6 pills, and not every month.

And also, per my doctor, as soon as I realized the meds were causing me issues and doing very little for my pain, I placed a call to my Dr. Via their Triage Nurse and let them know what was occurring, that I was getting very little lasting pain relief from the new meds, and requested to be switched back.

Patients have to leave messages and wait for a callback. Normally they are very good about calling back. However this time, they did not return my call for 4 days. And I even had to call again.

The nurse finally called me back and we discussed it. She said the doctor wanted me to schedule another appointment to discuss it.

I saw her today. She is the Nurse Practitioner. Anyway, I told her what was going on and my wife went with me to support what I told her. I was absolutely truthful with her and told her that I was very short because the meds didn't last long and I kept having to take them. She said she is happy to switch me back but I needed to bring in what I had Left so they could just get a count for documentation and then destroy the meds.

We came back home and I got the rest of my oxymorphone. I took them back to the Dr's office and they counted them. And as I had stated, and being upfront truthful, I was very short.

I thought for sure they would drop me even though I was completely honest and even though I had to wait 4 days before being called back.

However, after the nurse counted and then destroyed the oxymorphone, after a while she brought to me a new prescription for my oxycodone 30mg. But the nurse practitioner pro-rated it and equaled the amount per day compared to what I had left of the oxymorphone per day. I ended up being about 1 oxymorphone short per day for 25 days.

Anyway, I was very accepting of the amount difference per day as compared to my usual 4 pills per day. Anyway, my normal appointment is scheduled for August 8, which is 15 days from now.

My nurse practitioner wanted me to go ahead and keep that appointment too, as well...Because she said she wants to just make sure switching back to the meds was working out for me.

When I asked her if she was going to drop me, she said, "No...as long as you are honest and let us know what is going on, we will work with you." She told me not to worry.

But of course, I'm still worried and just needed to come here, share my story, and ask for some input. I have the Best Pain Dr. In the world, and I also really like My Nurse Practitioner.

And I don't think that they would lie to me regarding dropping me. They know that I am trying to work even tho right now, I'm on Work Comp due to work injury and surgery and now physical rehab.

But anyway, I guess what I am looking for here, is some honest opinions. I'd love some reassurance from members, that due to my calling them and being honest with them about the meds, that some of you don't think they will drop me, and if they were going to, then they would've dropped me Today!

I Would love to hear that...But Pls don't say it if it's not your honest opinion. My wife said she don't see why they would drop me for Sims being honest and telling them the meds did Not work. But she said that they're prob going to want to count my meds at random times now...So I had better make sure I'm taking them right now...esp if they work.

And I don't mind that at all. Like I said, I've not ever had a severe shortage issue before, in all 3 years of seeing them. The most I have ever been was maybe 3 days short. But I always usually stretched my meds most times.

The nurse practitioner told me today not to worry...They know it's been hard on me and will always try to work with ppl, esp if ppl are honest like me.

But I have bad trust issues with ppl...what they say and all.

So if any thoughts on this, esp those true thoughts that might put my mind at ease about being dropped by my dr...Pls let me know. And thanks.

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16

Just a quick correction. The BA of morphine, when taken orally as directed is a mere 10%, not close to the 40% as you have stated. Even abusing morphine does not increase its' BA. The only way to do that is if it is administered intravenously, which increases the BA to a whopping 90%!! Now, I am speaking of the CR version of morphine. Maybe I misunderstood which formulation you were referring to. If so, I apologize.

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15

Hello Frank, After reading of your request to the poster proceeding yours for the name of the manufacturer of the aforementioned, off white "football shaped" 60 mg. MS Contin caplet, I did a google image search and came across a white oval 60 mg Morphine sulfate extended-release tablet [imprinted with N 60], made by Zydus Pharmaceuticals. Good luck and best wishes to you and your wife.

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14

My wife has MS and has been on Opana 40Mg ER twice daily for several years with Oxycodone10-325 for breakthrough pain.....she once again needs an upgrade in dosage...... can you please provide the name of the MS contin Manufacturer and Pharmacy so we can ask for them specifically? She is once a gain at her wits end......

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13

I was also switched from MS Contin 60mg 3 times a day to Opana ER 20mg twice a day. While it was relatively easy to find pharmacy that had them, for the 7 or so months I was taking them, it was a Nightmare.

1. Opana did Nothing for my pain. I was taking Oxycodone 15mg 6 times a day and it felt like the Only thing helping my pain Was the Oxycodone. And it wore off after a couple of hours. Before the Opana, and with the MS Contin, I was doing just fine.

Now however, and after months of trying to convince the Nursing Assistant but to no avail, I requested to see my Doctor. He put me back on the MS Contin, same dose, and switched me to Oxycodone 30mg 4 times a day. Now everything is fine. All is right with the world.

2. Opana causes extreme flu-like symptoms, called Super Flu, if you miss even one dose. Of course your next dose takes this away. But still, it doesn't help with pain and causes super flu when a dose is missed.

In my opinion Opana is a dangerous medication and damn sure not ready for sale!!

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12

Hello,

Just wanted to say that I agree with you about the MS Contin being much better than Opana. I was taking 60mg MS Contin 3 times a day and Oxycodone 15mg 6 times a day. 5 months later, my doctor's Nurse Practitioner switched me from the MS Contin to the Opana 20mg twice a day, instead of the requested 30mg Oxycodone 4 times a day.

And I tell you, it was like taking Nothing!! For the next 8 months or so, it was like I was relying on the oxycodone 15mg alone, for my pain. And I tell you, I Hurt Every Single Day!! I Finally could not take it anymore. After my recent mild stroke, I put in a request to see my actual Doctor. I tell you, he and the nurse practitioners and whole staff are Terrific!! I place no blame on his nurse practitioners. I was a new patient, and coming from a previous pain managment doctor and her whole staff from HELL!! No Lie! But that is a different story for a different time.

Anyway, his NPS was just being cautious and doing their job!! You see folks, my new PM doctor and staff actually Care about their patients, unlike my previous one. Anyway though, when I saw my Doctor again, and after talking with him, he took me off the worthless Opana and put me back on the 60mg MS Contin 3 times a day. He also Upped my oxycodone to the 30mg ones, 4 times a day.

Now, what is Great is my pharmacy uses a new manufacturer for the 60mg MS Contin. Folks I tell you, when I took that first MS Contin, and also now, about 10 days later, Every time I take one my MS Contin 60mg pills, it is soo darn Strong!! Unlike the other ones...small, round, and Peach color, these new ones that are bigger, oval-shaped, and Off-White color, taking one of these is like taking 3 of the older ones!! No Joke!! And I am now having total pain-free days!! And believe me, it sure feels Good too!!

When I could not find these new MS Contins on any of the meds websites, I called my pharmacy. The pharmacist was very nice. And she told me they had switched manufacturers of the MS Contin pills. Too many people complaining that their previous mfg of the smaller MS Contins, was shipping Placebo pills aka fake pills. She said this new mfg was very good. And she said All patients who have gotten the new MS Contin pills, we're Praising it. She said she has had soo many Thank You calls...and cards...from customers who, like me, now claim to be Pain Free or close to it!!

And...well...I have to say that I fully Agree With Them!! Yes Sirs!! Ima Sticking With Tha MS Contin!!!! Thanks For Reading!!!

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11

Thank-you for pointing out the key to medication changes, YOUR PRESCRIBING PHYSICIAN!

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10

I am taking 15mg MSContin twice a day with Norco for breakthrough pain. I have only been on the MSContin for 3 days. It seems to last 8 hours maximum. My doctor said it would take awhile for this new med to build up in my body, but on day 3 the breakthrough pain is worse than day 1. Does MSContin become more effective over a week or two? What is your experience?

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9

You are mistaken, lowest dose of opana er is 5mg. A good starting dose for beginners on an extended release med.

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8

The lowest dose available of Opana ER is 20 mgs! I take it and I like it..I have been on Percocet 10/325 for over 3 years now, it just doesn't work as well. Your body will build a tolerance to pain killers, that is why you have to keep increasing! I take 2 percocet at a time..The Opana gives me relief for about 8 hours, the percocet gives me relief for only 4 hours max! I do have percocet on hand for breakthrough pain! I have had Fibromyalgia for over 8 years..I have tried Lyrica, Neurontin, Savella, and I have yet to try Cymbalta! MOST Opioids will not work very well on Fibro pain, that is why the doctors don't like to prescribe it!! I also suffer from post breast cancer/radiation pain, chronic pain, the list goes on...My pain meds do help take the edge off the fibro, but in my opinion, NOTHING helps my fibro! I have flares that last 6 weeks at a time, I cannot move very well, I even have a walker when they get bad! Mine attack my whole body, with the most severe pain from my waist down to the bottom of my feet! Now, I have severe osteoarthritis in my spine, hands, elbows, hips, knees, feet and I believe other aliments make the fibro worse!! I wish everyone out there suffering from Fibro, or anything that causes such severe deep pain luck with the current meds you are taking...remember one thing...ALL OPIOIDS are a derivative of Morphine!!!

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7

I began taking OC back in 1999 after a second cervical surgery. I eventaully was sent to pain maanagement; and wound up on 40 mg OC every 8 hours with 5 mg of oxy IR every 6 hours as needed. This worked fine. I moved from NJ to NC back in the fall of 2005. It was a long drive each month to see the doctor for my renewals. I found a pain management doctor down here; but they refused to prescribe OC. Instead they put me on 60 mg Kadian every 12 hours and 5 mg of oxy ir every 6 hours as needed. That did not work and I went through some withdrawl discomfort for about 1 week after being switched. Finally the doctor upped my Kadian to 80 mg every 12 hours and upped the oxy ir to 10 mg every 6 hours as needed. Now it seems fine.
Kadian is just another forumaltion of morphine sulfate. It differs from mscontin in that the release is slower so it can be taken once daily and will last up to 24 hrs.
Roxicodone is the same as oxy ir, or oxycodone immediate release. These formulations are made to be taken every 4-6 hours as needed and is the same active ingredient as percocet without the tylenol.
Opana on the other hand is a different drug that morphine or oxycodone. The active ingredient of Opana is oxymorphone which is chemically similar to hydromorphone (dilauded) except the hydrogen atom is replaced by an oxygen atom in the carbon chain. It is 10x more potent than morphine; however, it has a lower bioavailability than morphine or oxycodone when taken orally. Oxycodone has the highest bioavailability 80% than all of them and this is apparently why OC seems to work the best, with oxymorphone being 20% and morphine being 40%. Bioavailability means the amount of drug that reaches the central compartment (nervous system). All opiod drugs have a lower bioavailability when taken orally because there are opiod receptors in the stomach and intestine walls where they bind; effectively reducing the amount of drug available for receptors in the central nervous sytem! Hope this helps and good luck with your pain. All of you!

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6

Jeff, I've been taking pain meds for years starting back in the early '80s. I'm no Dr. but what I've learned over the years about MS Contin is that it is a twice a day pain medication. So whenever the dose I was taking quit doing what it was intended to do I told/asked my Dr. to "DOUBLE" the dose. Since you're not supposed to break or chew these pills for fear of a "leathal dose", doubling the dose is the way to go. When Oxycontin changed to whatever it is now I've been asked by several people if the ms contin was a good substitute for the oxy and naturally I told them no. No being that nothing can replace Oxycontin but for the price it's a good switch. MS contin plus Roxicodone for breakthrough pain is what I'm taking now and it seems to help my back pain. I would have to say that switching from an 80mg OC to MS contin I had to increase the MS to 120 mg twice a day then my roxi's went up also from 15mg to 30mg. I don't think I'll ever get pain free but the oxycontin was a start. 60 80mg OC was costing close to $800 and 60 60mg MS was just over $60. So do the math and you'll find that the MS Contin is a lot easier to swallow (if you get my meaning). If they ever change the roxicodone a lot of folks will be hurting. Opana in my opinion is another Kadian. A super high priced Morphine Sulfate. I've had the difference explained to me several times in the past but I couldn't tell you what difference is. I did price Kadian one time and 60 100mg Kadian cost more than 60 80mg OC. If I'm wrong about Opana and Kadian would someone please set me straight. Good luck all in your attempt to have any kind of quality in your life. And please remember that that pill bottle is almost as dangerous as a loaded pistol. Both of them can put you 6 feet under if you're not careful................dse.

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5

ive been taking 2 10 mg norco every six hours dly and my doc put me on opana an iam in more pain than ever what do i do

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4

you said 15mg of mscontin is that twice a day or 3 times a day? if its twice a day you would need 5mg opana every 12 hours. if you take your mscontin 3 times a day you would need closer to 10mg opana every 12 hours. The source for this info is http:/­/­www.opana.com/­hcp/­dosage-calculator.aspx

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3

I was on Opana before MS Contin and is was not as effective, very hard to get (not in stock), and not in hospitals. Oh, and more $ than MS contin.

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2

You said you have fybromialgia may I ask how long you have had that, I take MS Contin, nerontin, and a few others, but I have never heard of opana. does it work, I have FM and have had it for 3 years.

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1

Your doctor or pharmacist should handle the conversion of the dosing for you. Has your doctor prescribed it already or made any recommendations?

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