What Is Stronger Dilaudid Or Oxycontin 40 Mg? (Page 20)

I have been on Dilaudid for over 2 years now and I can't seem to get off of it. I'm under a doctor's care, but anyone who is on it knows it's very addicting! I think like everybody else, it's no good if you take it orally. It's only effective other ways. I always run out of Dilaudid before my prescription is ready to refill and recently I filled a script for oxycontin 40 mg to see if they could replace my 4 mg Dilaudid. However, I took 1/2 of a 40 mg. and felt nothing. An hour later I took my 4 mg Dilaudid and it seems to have worked. But they are very short lived, that's why for chronic pain they like to give these stupid time release pain pills. How many mg.'s does equal the same amount of Dilaudid? I also would like to know if anyone has ever tapered off of Dilaudid? You get really sick when you try to get off of it, really intense vomiting and stomach pain that lasts forever. I have never stuck it out, I always end up in the emergency room. All they do is give me a pain shot of Dilaudid and a prescription for it as well and send me home. They think there is something wrong with something else. I have even tried to tell them but they either don't want to get involved because I'm under a Dr.'s care or they are just stupid. I hope someone has the best kicking advice, I'd rather be straight or just be one of those once in a while users (RIGHT)!!!

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Hello to stro286 - You indicate that you are on 20 mg of Oxycontin and 8 mg of Dilaudid which aren't really helping you. You didn't say how much of these you take per day. I suspect your continuing pain, despite taking strong opioids, may be due to still being undermedicated--your dose could easily be too low to combat your pain level. I take these same meds; however, I take 60 mg strength Oxycontin (4 per day) and 8 mg Dilaudid (8 per day). I have had severe, unrelenting body-wide pain for 22 years, the first 8 with no pain relief whatsoever. Then I started taking these medications (and was furious that relief had always been available, just denied to me.) Though I then had SOME pain relief, I was still often in a debilitating amount of pain which often prevented me from sleeping for months at a time, other than catnaps. Seven years ago, I moved to a different state and had to start with a new doctor who happened to be someone I'd known for years, who trusted me, who was compassionate and wise rather than neurotic about opioid pain relievers! After a few months of working together to find an actual therapeutic dose, I have now been on the same level of these pain meds for nearly seven years, with no need (or "urge"!) for an increase. In fact, there are many days when I'm able to take quite a bit less Dilaudid, though some days, during flare-ups especially, I need them all. I take the Oxycontin on a regular schedule. My point is, again, that it may not be a case of these medications not working for you. Though they can work differently for everyone, it may simply be that your doctor doesn't have you on a high enough dose for your level of pain. When people ask me, "Aren't you afraid of being "addicted," I first point out that there's a big difference between being "addicted" and being "physically dependent." Secondly, I remind them that there is no cure and no effective treatment for my condition. Until a cure or actual working treatment is found (as opposed to a highly advertised but mostly ineffective pill that research has shown works for only 20% of people SOME of the time),I don't anticipate discontinuing the medications which have given me a life again! And no, I have NEVER been at all "la-la" at ANY time since beginning these pain meds. As Misty pointed out in her post of 5/15/15, insurance companies don't want to pay for Oxycontin. This is because the pharmaceutical company that makes it has continually made tiny, insignificant changes to it which has kept it from being open to being made as a generic and has kept the price artificially and horrendously high--like $1,770 for 120 pills per month. I know this because that information is printed on the paperwork for my prescription each month! Always remember that profit is what motivates insurance companies; they don't care about suffering people in the least or what's best for the patients. Refusing to pay for it when your doctor wants you on it is simply because their only concern is their bottom line. In the end (like the great majority of American big business), it's all about greed. I hope you can find the strength to fight your insurance company's decision. With your doctor's help, you can file an appeal and even possibly win it. Whatever happens, I hope you're also able to find the strength to hang on until you and your doctor find something that works for you. A life of continuous pain is a difficult life and I pray you get relief. I mean that sincerely--people in chronic pain are courageous people but fighting that pain is exhausting. God bless you.

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I agree totally for someone to say what is needed an what isn't when they have not dealt with chronic pain they just need to be quiet because they're really sound ignorant of the facts

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Pain and tolerance! Doctors have it in their mind that somehow all people are equal when it comes to pain or pain threshold. I love dilaudid I love the warm tingling sensation as it is shot through my central line or PICC line. However it is short lived I'm watching the clock an hour after inj. and still have 2 hours to wait, therefore it is just a tease and I stress wanting that warm flushing feeling even though it doesn't stop the pain it gets me off and that's my want for it... what helps my pain is not stopping it but to being able to lower it some. The way I found to do that is a 10 mg methadone and a 5 mg oxycodone.. it doesn't seem like a great deal of medication and its not.. I had a very smart pharmisist that recommended that if I were to take the methadone with the oxycocone then I would not need to keep increasing the oxy dosage.

Whether I just wanted to believe that or if its true it has worked for about 7 years now. The laws changed about 6 months ago on opiates I use to get a couple of tripilicuts in the mail every month all I had to do was call the doctors office speak to a nurse in a week or so I had refills for oxy and methadone. I found my self without a doctor, he had crashed and perished in a plane crash. I lived in a new area and didn't have a personal physician. My scripts were getting empty and less by the day. I started to snap the methadone tabs in half to 5mg and taking the oxy as sparingly as possible trying not to wait to where pain was thumping where I couldn't think but waiting sometimes as long as I could like a personal dare, I might tell myself your a wuss if you can't wait 30 min. It took me 3 months to find a doctor then they wouldn't prescribe the medication. The doctor was relentless in finding me a pain management doctor who would prescribe the methadone and oxy. I now have to take a drug panel and see this pain doctor monthly to get a script, I suppose because of law changes and all the negative press of people abusing these prescribed drugs some of need while they do them to feel high... I will say the one thing that helped me through the doctor search, law changes, and my own pain was a motion sickness drug called phenagren... ( prob misspelled that ) it would allow me to sleep pain free for a long period of time... once I found that breaking the methadone in half and slowing the intake of oxycodone I had cut my self to 1/3 of my previous prescribed amounts so when seen by the new pain management doctor I have just kept them at the panicked running out level... I've noticed the dullness lack of care is slowly returning to a point of where I can have a laugh or smile about something even care about things somewhat... its amazing what a human can tolerate, overcome, and achieve when choices are limited or changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Its okay to feel pain that you can cope with. Its okay to snap a pill in half and find if it will still give you relief. Its okay to sleep so you don't worry or stress about the medicine you are running out of... its these things that you as a person find you have strength you never knew you had.

I wish you all the best and I am certain that if you have made it this far you will make it even further... never doubt yourself or what you can overcome on your own and reach out to people just as you have you never know where that nugget of wisdom will come from..

Bpe

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Dependent in what state you live in you could qualify for vocation rehabilitation or even other low income programs that will help you offset the cost. Quality of life, especially with small children, is the most important thing and living with that kind of pain is unnecessary and inhuman. I'm sorry for your pain. I'm living with chronic pain for 6-7 years now. No one believed me until my 4th surgery. It's awful but I found assistance to help me. I use to be a very successful business woman making more than I can imagine and most days im down in bed with pain.

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Oxycontin was reformulated within the last 2 years. If anyone attempts to dissolve or cut it, or alter it in any way it becomes inactive. They did that to discourage tampering by people wanting to feel high. Dilaudid is stronger but if you're working with a pain specialist they should be able to figure out how to taper you off Dilaudid while switching you to something else. I prefer time release stuff with a short acting drug for break through pain.

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Hi to Lucky Me! Just to clarify--cutting OxyContin in half doesn't actually "deactivate " it in terms of pain relief. What it does do is decrease/eliminate the time release aspect, potentially putting too much of it in your bloodstream too quickly. This could make it dangerous, effectively overdosing the patient. It is, unfortunately, something abusers often do to get a rush and is obviously risky. Just thought it might be important to make sure this is understood for the sake of safety!:-).

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I did not read all that you wrote, so I am responding to your pain level and having to dbl to get total relief. This is the best thing I did, after 7 ruptured discs in my mid back, between my shoulder blades, you probably can imagine my pain level. I was so tired of pain 24-7 that one day I did I dbl'd up, probably more, I took enough that for the first time I was pain free, after 1 week I was able to reduce, two or three months later I realized I tricked my brain. I was no longer ONLY thinking PAIN...PAIN...PAIN. I have now a tremendous understanding of the power of thought, the power of your BRAIN, it was not waking, going through the day, and going to bed thinking PAIN....PAIN....PAIN that finally allowed me to feel better and stay on a reasonable dose. 8 oxy 80s/day, 6 oxy 40s/day, and 12 Oxycodone 30s/day. At one point I was on 37200 mg/month, NOW I am on 7200 mg/month, the power of the brain!!!!! Since birth your brain has been producing different chemicals (if you well) to keep your body well, YOU can command your brain to heal yourself, if you want to learn how {edited for privacy} I will be glad to share the secret, first you will begin to feel less and less pain. The meds are an important part of your life. If I did not have the pain medication I definitely would not be able to say that I have some what of a normal life, without I could not do the daily activities I do to support myself and loved ones, I have never had disability pay all though I am rated at 90 percent. Thank God for pain medication when taken for a reason and NOT just to feel high on.

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My aunt was forced to go to a pain clinic with new rules.it's hard for her to get out. Now she has to go once a month, I think. All they have her on is Oxycodone 10 mg every 4 hours. She is 78 years old & has to mark on a card to take around the clock. I asked her why they didn't put her on Oxycontin so she wouldn't have to take so often. She didn't know but I do. Money! Generic Oxycodone is cheaper. I don't have prescription insurance,so I can take what works but my poor husband is working at 73 just to payfor my scripts. When he can't work or my doctor won't write scripts, I guess I'll call it quits. I've beeninchronic pain for ten years. Meds take edge off but not painfree.

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Hi, I'm sorry you are having chronic pain. I live with this also. I have heard that it is mind over matter but I would like to know more on how you went about this. How do you convince your brain there is no pain when your pain is throbbing and you are curled up in bed? What is your secret?

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KKilgore,

I am so very interested in how you were to overcome and decrease your reliance of opiates. I would be so honored to know this. I have been struggling for so long now, I was put on Darvon when I was 7 and I am sure you can imagine that my tolerance is very, very high. My medication isn't working for me anymore and I don't want to ask the doctor to increase the dosage or strength of the medication. I am very grateful that I am getting what I get now. It would be much better if I wasn't so reliant on the opiates. I can't go on Suboxone or Naltrexone either. Please, if you could share with me your secret, I would be so ever grateful.

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Does anyone know of anyone who has access to Dilaudid, 4mg or 8mg? Please let me know. I may have useful information for you in exchange for information.

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Talk to your doctor about getting weaned off Suboxone completely. Even though you're on a low dose, it can be even lowered. I weaned myself off subs. Break the strip in half and see how you feel! Good luck

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This dosage is hard to come by. Usually it's only 2 mg. I don't believe you will ever be pain free but you can teach yourself to tolerate a certain pain level. You will always be on some sort of narcotic. There is just no way around that when you live with chronic pain

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Thank you for your post. I live with bad chronic pain. And your right. You literally just lay in bed day after day month after month. It is no life. But with my medimedication and injections I feel like the quality of life is better. People, please don't judge. If we could make our pain go away we would.

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Angel - I live with this chronic pain as well, we should exchange emails!

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Workers comp is a joke i hope none of you have to rely on it because they drop you like a dirty sock

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Kratom will take most of the withdrawal from opiates away. Its still tough but lopermide will help it connects to receptors kind of like an opiate. But kratom and kava will help also

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I am a chronic pain patient as well ands the doctors have tried everything to help ease my abdominal pain and the only thing that seems to work is my dilaudid 8 mg along with my dilaudid 12 mg hcl extended release tablets.sho in my own opinion nothing else works better.

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Hey Stro, that level of meds is pretty good. Is that the total of mgs per day? Or is the 8mg every 4-6 hrs? I take a total of 12mgs extended per day and then 2-4mgs every 6 hrs for break thru. I used to be on so many narcotics that I should be dead but thank god I came off everything and now I'm just in dilaudid. I wish that I didn't have to take anything but as you know when you are in chronic pain you need to just to be able to function. Good luck and maybe we will chat again.

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Hi Sandy, my 8mg dilaudid is every 3 to 4 hours four break through passion and the 12mg extended release is for every 12 hours so you know what topple of pain we are talking about. Most people with their passion thinks there isn't a level as high as theirs but they are extremely wrong! I was supposed to be dead now but thank God I'm not. I really used to take pain like it wasn't there but after all of the surgeries I've been through I can no longer avoid it. The average person could not tolerate the meds that I take but I have to so don't be ashamed of the meds that you take because you really need them. Unlike the ignorant individuals that takes these prescription narcotics for a high. I would love to converse with you also.Take care until we speak again.

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