Will Oxycontin Be Changed Back To Original Formula (Page 30)

is Oxycontin going back to their old formula? OC instead of OP.

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Inpain4life, I couldn't agree more! It's been 27 years for me after a horrible epidural abscess. Now that I'm in my later 50's it's really getting worse as I get older. I'm lucky too that I have a good doctor but unfortunately he or no other doctor has control over all these inferior narcotic analgesics being made today. We're paying even more for drugs that barley work and the Liberals act as though they've done us all a favor. This is the biggest most overreaching government in the history of this country. Everything they do is based upon one lie after another and if you don't buy into their lies you're either a racist or right wing nut. My wife and I are seriously considering moving to Australia or another country where I can actually receive adequate pain relief because the people running this country are literally out of touch with reality.

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Hi Bobby, i believe this is only in Vic while they see if it makes a difference to overdoses. I dont believe it will, junkies are going to get their fix regardless of what drug it is. I also find it hard to believe more people died from popping pills than injecting illicit drugs! Anyway, i wouldn't stress.....it's the head of department of health doing this in Vic, i think there's something personal going on. I'm being looked after by my doctor & pharmacy, the op makes me so sick.

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Hi Bobby...
I'm not sure what state Michelle is in but I think she is now on the Sandoz brand like me..I remember her saying she was made to swap to the plastic crap that made her sick..
Michelle was the one that told me about the Sandoz brand similar to the old formula, my doctor didn't know about it..
I was living in NSW, I'm now in Queensland, and they changed me over to the plastic crap about 2 and a half years ago...I didnt have a choice. Then Michelle told me that Sandoz had made a similar product to the old version. Thank God...I got sick on the plastic formula and like others on here passed full tablets..
Not only was I constantly in a state of withdrawals I was in severe pain..We are so lucky in Australia..but I constantly worry that they will take the Sandoz away from us again..
So NSW changed to the plastic crap a few years back and that was all you could get then Sandoz stepped in...

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Hi sandie, from Michelle's previous post she said that she was in Victoria and the health dept has taken ppl off the sandoz formula (herself included). I myself had similar problems to everyone here in that the op formula barely worked and made me very sick. I found out (on This site) that sandoz brought out a generic and subsequently changed over. I've been on the sandoz formula now and find it much like the original formula ie it works. in a previous post Michelle mentioned that in Victoria the health dept had rescinded the authority for her dr to continue to prescribe the sandoz brand as the head of Vic health wanted everyone to be on the op formula. She said her dr tried to get a special dispensation and wasn't allowed. This was several months ago her post regarding the matter is still up, however her later posts don't indicate that she is still being made to take the op formula. Therfore I'm wondering if the health dept has allowed her to go back to the sandoz formula. I had such terrible experiences with the op formula that I'm terrified if the health dept (in qld where I am) implements this strategy too. At my last gp appt my dr mentioned that the health dept here is thinking of restricting access to the sandoz formula. And insisting all chronic pain patients be moved back to the op (horrible ineffective goopy stuff) hence my concern and inquiry into whether Michelle has had to move back to and stay on the op type. I'm so anxious about this as like so many other ppl the efficacy of the ops are basically non existent . I assume if they have done this in Victoria and from what my dr inferred are considering doing it in qld it shan't be long till its rolled out Australia wide... Please let me know if u have heard anything about this or if u are aware if Michelle did actually have to go back and stay on the ops. Thanks

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Sandie , the date Michele mentions The aforementioned scenario was on Novemeber the 15 2015 or around then... If u go back and look at her posts it might help clarify what I'm talking about .

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Hi Bobby & Sandie, im in vic.....a few months back my doctor showed me a letter from the health department wanting all patients on high dose oxycontin to be changed back to tamper resistant new formula. My doctor sorted it out for me & im on the original formula still, thankfully.....but the head of health department has a bug up his arse about this & the purpose of putting high dosage patients onto op is a trial to see if it makes a difference in overdose numbers. He believes the number went down when nee formula came in, but when sandoz released generic the numbers went up. I feel there's something personal going on, & the real patients who need this medication are not the important issue.....rather the junkies that abuse it. At this point ive heard nothing more about it, & this was only a vic thing. I can tell you this though if they decide to force all to change to op formula....i wont be sitting back, ill be fighting for us to have a choice......its not right to treat people in genuine pain the way they do in America.

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Michelle, sorry I had no idea that the OxyGarbage had been introduced in Australia. You learn something new every day. I did see a documentary uploaded to YouTube which showed the levels of concern there regarding the abuse of Oxycodone in particular - graphs showed the relative amount of prescriptions for m/r analgesics and Oxycodone Rx has gone up at much the rate morphine has declined. I believe that there is a huge abuse problem in the cities. (I can't really understand that, since any 'euphoric' feelings disappeared about ONE WEEK into my OC treatment which began in about 1998. All I can say is that it is a superior analgesic to morphine sulphate and does not make me feel anywhere close to the drowsy feeling morphine always gave me, and neither does it make me nauseous which was always a problem when I was prescribed MST Continus. (Had to take a couple of Valoid - cyclizine, antiemetic antihistamine - almost every day when prescribed those.)

And if you live in Europe, you most certainly CAN get, say, a UK prescription dispensed in Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, any other EU country in fact. Two or three of those demand that the Rx is copied by a domestic doctor before it can be dispensed but yes, it is perfectly legal to be dispensed medications across borders within the European Union. I have read several posts from Americans who obtain their real OC pills from both UK and Romania; I have no idea how that works but they seem to be able to get them. I have also read of people who have had personal quantities of meds opened by US Customs and permitted to carry on their way to the delivery address without even the 'Love Letter' they normally get if they are found with packages of such things. Strange stuff happens.

I have been getting dextromoramide from both Ireland (withdrawn there recently) & Netherlands now for over 8 years ON UK PRESCRIPTIONS, so I know it can be done. Same goes for Halcion 0.25mg, Rohypnol 1mg/Hypnocalm 2mg and Lexilium 6 & 12mg - which are exceedingly inexpensive - (triazolam and flunitrazepam have been off UK pharmacy shelves now for 8 years or so after a long period of being available with private prescriptions (no NHS) but bromazepam has not been seen here since the early 1990s).

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You are all so lucky that your country cares about your pain at least for now . I live in the so called great USA ,our doctors even the palliative care I go to act like I am crazy and they do not know what I am talking about when I said that when oxycontin was changed was the last day I had any pain relief or that I felt like a real person. The changed oxycontin makes me tired ,gives me stomach aches,all with very little pain relief .At 39 ,I started falling ,dropping things and painful just to get out of bed, I was diagnosed with severe neuropathy,fibromyalgia,myclonic jerks,and a hereditary disease called hemochromatosis and told I wouldn't live more than a year without a transplant .My cousin was in a coma and a donor ,so my aunt wanted me to have her liver,so I did ,but it rejected after 8 months ,got a second one and spent about a year in the hospital but twelve years later I still have it but my kidneys failed four years ago which I knew would happen .I only wish I had known years ago that I was going to be forced into living with this pain when our country forced pharmaceuticals to change oxycontin I would have never had a transplant.At least I got to refuse a kidney transplant,and my doctors still do not get how bad the pain is.The past year I have been on five different pain meds with no pain relief. The only good thing that happened is that I have the choice of stopping dialysis and ending my life .I promised my family that I would give it my best try with palliative pain specialists and I am pretty much there. I wonder which category the FDA would put me in ,not drug abuse,maybe refused dialysis and refused transplant because I no longer want to live in pain every day of my life. I think it's great they care about addicts,but what about the millions of people who have chronic pain.they will probably keep telling people the change in the medication should help in the same way and when it worked great for six years and all in one month that it changed I built up a tolerance . That's ridiculous to anyone!! I hope this letter may find it to other countries and listen to people who are suffering . I wish I lived in one of those countries ,not The USA !!!!! Sorry for being so long but I hope it can be helpful . Thanks,
O. Suffering in the USA Carol




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Hi Zaborav, no worries.....the OP oxycontin was brought in last year, because the patent ran out & that would have opened the market for other companies to make/sell original formula. This is exactly what happened in the US & other countries, nothing to do with saving addicts lives....all about money. However after 6 months, we had a genric original formula available.... Mundipharma (suppliers with patent) tried to have it stopped, using the argument about its new formula being tamper proof, ra ra ra..,. Anyway lucky for us our government has not passed that, so we have the generic (Sandoz) in original formula...leaving it up to doctors to prescribe which ones their patient needs -which is really how it should be. If you look at when the patents expired for original oxycontin it matches the dates of when new formula was introduced to each country, if it was all about stopping them being abused.....why werent they brought into Aus until 2yrs later & 1month before the patent expired.......all bulls***, they dont care....they just want to keep the whole oxycontin market to themselves, its a good earner as its one of the best pain killers available. There were a lot of people getting terrible side effects & reduced pain control when the OP was brought in, to many people to be a coincidence & when the original was back these side effects disappeared & pain control was better. I had stomach cramps, headaches & night sweats along with my pain level in the 8-10, instead of 6-9 on original. I have allergies to other pain tablets, had seizures with tramadol, vomiting with morphine etc. so the oxycontin has been the only one that doesnt cause as many issues. To be prescribed these medications on long term basis in Aus doctors have to get a permit for us, that is renewed every year & each month when getting scripts the doctor has to call the governing body here. Its very strict & you really need to have a pain specialist as well to help with your pain treatment. I think its great, & probably stops a lot of addicts trying to get them....it should be regulated, which is why i dont think the script can be filled outside of Aus. Im sorry im obviously wrong about purchasing prescriptions from other countries..... Although im pretty sure you cant do that from Australia.....i may be wrong, ive never had a need to.

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Hi Carol, im really sad to read your post......you've had a terrible time of it. I was only 30 when diagnosed with the disease i have, so i understand what its like for your life to be great one minute & the next minute its fallen apart & your facing pain & other medical issues you never think will happen to someone your age. Its unfair & most of your friends dont understand. It breaks my heart that your thinking of ending your life because you aren't getting adequate pain control! What the hell are your doctors thinking......do you have someone to act as an advocate for you, someone who can get the message across thst you need help now? If not, try & get a family member or someone who cares about you to do so.....someone who's strong. Ive had instances that ive been to sick & my daughter acts as my advocate, making sure im taken care of but also that they listen to what i want & need. I really hope that things change, & they get your pain sorted so you can have more time to enjoy.....i do know how your feeling though & truly understand....when all you have are days filled with pain, theres no way to push through & see the good stuff. Thinking of you & i really wish you the best.

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Hi Michelle, thank God you are on the Sandoz. I was really worried when I read your original post saying you had been taken off it, I so appreciate your post explaining your managed to remain on it. I get so stressed worrying about it being taken from us, I just wrote to Sandoz directly to see if I can get information to hopefully alleviate my worry. If they reply to me with relevant information, I will post what they tell me. I really want to be able to 'breath' and know I can stay on it indefinitely with no fear of being returned to the awful reformulation. I just cannot go through that again, I had to take antihistamines twice a day just to stop the constant itching, not to mention all the rest of it...Also,why target the people on high doses only? We are the ones in the most pain! That is just sadistic. I do hope Sandoz reply to me with positive news for us all. Those poor people in pain in the US, my heart goes out to them. Hope you are doing well Michelle. Cheers!

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I was on the OC formula for 20 years & it improved my quality of life ten fold. Then came the OP formula & I noticed the difference immediately before I even noticed that the pill itself had changed. I was calling in sick to work because of much increased pain and GI side effects. Then for 2 months I had the OC formula back because the pharmacy still had some in stock. My quality of life improved again instantly! No pain & no GI side effects. And then came the OP formula again...once...for all...and forever. And my quality of life took a serious nose dive...once...for all...and forever. And to top it off...my GP recently decided that 80mg of OP per day was way too much and cut it back to 60mg. He told me that it is going to be a new law coming soon so I might as well start now. I do not know if this is true or not but what I do know is...I am suffering and no one cares!

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We have them here in Canada they are generic but the same as the original perdue oxycontins.when perdue switched to the Oxy neo I took it for 3 years it didn't work half as good as the originals .the oxyneo caused stomach pains constipation and heartburn.my doc switched me over to the generics and all is good now but it took 3 months for my stomach to feel better.also with the oxyneo they were lucky if they lasted 6 hours and it would wear off.and the oxyneo is over twice as expensive the oxy neos cost me $697 and disabilty wouldn't cover it and the generic oxycontin $220 a month for the same amount and strength as the oxy neo.

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Hi Jay, all good.....dont stress to much, i dont think you need to worry. I dont know if Sandoz will have the answers though to be honest, this is the health department off their heads....they havent told pharmacists or anything. Late last year they went to all the pharmacists & doctors checking who was stocking the generic & distributing to which customers. (I dont think it shows on filled script which is despensed) The pharmacys heard nothing more, but as i said my doctor receieved a letter about it & when he rang them they said no exceptions all high dosage patients have to have the OP..... I think they believe people on high doses are maybe selling them or they are being stolen off elderly patients (something like that) & the number of overdoses has gone up...... Mind you they're not saying if thats overdoses from all narcotics or if its only oxycontin. Will see what happens, but if it does come down to them being removed we will fight it Jay. Its inhumane to treat people in genuine pain like that, & should be left to doctors & pain specialists to prescribe what their patient needs. If the number of overdoses has gone up, because junkies are getting hold of the tablets i think its more important to find how thats happening rather than taking it out on sick people. Why are they being prescribed if they arent going to genuine patients.....there cant be that many robberies from chemists! If you need these tablets to reduce pain, you are not selling them.....i know that much!!! I keep mine locked away, & never let people see what im picking up from chemist because of the worry someone might follow.....its scary! Anyway, take care mate....I feel terrible for Carol, its very sad no one is helping her. Is there no other doctor you can go to Carol? It sounds like yours is an a**hole!

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Hi Michelle, Bobby here again. Well, I've just returned from my monthly gp appt. he still made some rumblings about me being on higher doses of sandoz OxyContin and oxynorm for breakthrough ! I did mention to him that I have been on the same dosage regime for four years (not once asking to go up and in fact the only time I've had an upping of my dose was whilst I was in hospital in extreme pain due to a flare up) I'm 34 now, was diagnosed with my illness at 16 and been on various levels of oxycodone that whole time. Like everyone else I had to take the op formula when it was introduced though through your postings and an Internet search found out about the sandoz and haven't looked back since. I'm so anxious, he made mention of the fact that apparently I'm on an excessive dose (even though I'm stabilised and have been approved by my multiple specialists to continue this dosing) however the health dept has decided a one size fits all approach and anyone on equivalent of 200 mg total a day of morphine will probably have to move down. This is insane as morphine has I believe a 30/ bioavailability (ie that's the most u can absorb from swallowing the tablet compared with up to 93 / with oxycodone !) so to compare the two is like apples and oranges. Not to mention I don't do well on morphine as its too sedating. The generic oxycodone is the only pill I've found relief from and I've tried everything: mindfulness therapy, acupuncture dietary changes, hydrotherapy .... I'm sure most ppl here are in the same boat. I feel I am entitled to continue taking a medication I have never abused, receive from the same pharmacy and have been on in some iteration for almost 20 years. The barbarism This small minded approach and one size fits all ideology is astounding. If u could, please let me know how you convinced your dr to take a stand for you with the health dept. I'm dealing with Queensland health. At this stage I've got my months supply however I'm so scared for next month. I mean, I even pick my meds up weekly and have offered to do blood or urine evaluations. I also want to mention that your posts are always so compassionate and you seem like a lovely person. If u do, as mentioned decide to fight this and become an advocate let me know I will sign any petition that aims to stop govt officials effecting legitimate chronic pain victims like ourselves receiving adequate pain relief so that we may live our lives under the guise of supposed altruistic intentions in regards to saving drug addicts lives . What about our lives? I know for a fact my quality of life was greatly diminished when I had to take the op formula, and now to be hit with a double whammy of going back to that or a greatly reduced dose similar to that of morphine when as I mentioned (those figures on bioavailability are from Wikipedia and legitimate equivalence calculators that gps use!) Ahhhhh! I'm so tense and as I'm sure u know stress is a big no no when it comes to regulating your pain... So, basically could u give me any pointers on how u got around the heavy handed vic health dept as it seems that qld is about to apply the same heavy handed tactics indiscriminately to all chronic pain patients. Kind regards.

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Hi Bobby, my doctor & pain specialist explained the problems i have with OP which has worked for now, i really cant go into anymore details on here. See how you go, dont stress about it for now....it may be all smoke trying to scare people. Do you have a good GP who's helpful & understands your pain? Also a pain specialist, they are the best advocates you can have on your side....if you dont, get onto it & find a pain specialist for 1 & another GP who's more compassionate. Your doing all the right things in terms of not abusing & only having a weeks medication on you....i do the same most of the time, makes me feel safer. I hope this helps you... Ive known my GP since i was a kid, which helps a lot as he knows i have a high pain tolerance & he's been with me the whole journey since i was diagnosed, so has my pain spec. Let me know how you go.

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As I said months back, this is an issue affecting only a couple of countries. The vast majority of Oxycontin is now, always has been and always WILL be the same as it ever was. I tried an OP or ten (80mg) once and was appalled at how they felt about half strength and gave me dreadful GI side effects. Imagine being dispensed a box of 120mg purples and only getting the effect of a 60mg red pill? And an effing sore stomach for days to boot! It may be of interest to readers that my doctor told me last month that she had been told that in future I would NOT be given Oxycontin at the pharmacy, but (as she had been instructed) the CHEAPEST GENERIC MR OXYCODONE. I was delighted to find that this 'generic' called LONGTEC, distributed by Qderm, is in fact OXYCONTIN! Precisely the same tablets, made by the same manufacturer on the same line, same 'OC' & '80' imprint, same excipients in same proportion, in fact Oxycontin brand-name tablets simply in a different blister and box! Even the PIL is identical to that inserted in OC brand boxes, deleting the word 'Oxycontin' and inserting 'Longtec' wherever necessary... If I had been given Actavis Reltebon or Lannacher Oxylan, the only other two makes apart from OC as distributed by NAPP (UK) & Mundipharma (Europe Continental), I would have probably thrown them back at the pharmacist as they are so poor as to be almost unusable for my pain levels. So any UK resident given an unexpected new Rx form with 'Longtec' specified, worry not. You're getting the same tablets as ever! Praiiise the Looord! Very strange situation. The only difference is that Longtec do NOT come in 15, 30, 60 or 120mg strengths, so if you are on one of those, then you will habe no choice except original branded OC. Longtec also powder the same way, into something almost as fine as talc. If you need them that way...

BTW! Actavis LYNLOR (Immediate release capsules) are just as strong and high quality (a first for that company methinks) as branded OxyNorm. Only difference I noticed was imprint 'OXY 20' rather than the brand's 'ONR 20'. Don't fear the Actavis capsules. They might be able to make a good capsule but for Christ sakes avoid their MR "RELTEBON" (only in 10/20/40/80mg) which may not be so bad as Lannacher's OXYLAN (OXYDOLOR in some countries) but still awful compared with OC pills of either brand.

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Thats great news Zaborav.....but any mention on how the tablet can be abused is very bad form, esp considering this is why legitimate patients are suffering with only having the new tamper resistant OP. Sorry but i find it really careless....

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Wow I thought I was the only one with these problems, my Dr who is great has been treating me for free for about 14 years now, has swapped me off oxycontin to targin and it gives me the s***s, I never had a problem with oxycontin and constipation but he thinks targin is better for me. "I don't think that", what can I do?

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I had been taking oxycontin er 3 times a day of 40 mg. 2 times and 20 mg. once a day .I have severe neuropathy, fibromyalgia, two transplants and now on dialysis 3 times a week and had shingles and meningitis which has left me with a lot of nerve damage but through all of this I was doing pretty well as far as pain control then they changed it. I did not know they were going to do this yet from one month On the original formula doing well and the month they changed it I went down hill I even brought my medication back to the pharmacy to make sure it was correct and that's when I was told it was changed. When I started reading some comments from people saying we were just druggies, shame on these people I would like to give them my pain for a day and see what they. I am nothing but an empty shell of what I used to be. and the only good thing that happened was renal failure because I can choose to stop dialysis to end my pain,which is what I am in the process of trying to prepare my family in my decision. I have had enough with this country worrying more about addicts than the millions of people with chronic pain. they chose to take medication they didn't need, I have no choice. I have corresponded with people from many different countries having the same problem and some whose country has not forced pharmaceutical companies to change, lucky people in those countries. I know nothing will change before I die but was hoping to help others. Our U.S.A thinks they are stopping addicts. I have read many ways people are cooking up to abuse the new oxy and also others are taking much more than prescribed just trying to alleviate the pain and end up in the hospital and addicts are turning to illicit drugs. So they have done nothing but create different drug abuse with drugs they don't know what is in them. If they really were worried about their kids then they should take alcohol and change it so they can't get drunk many more children die from alcohol than prescription meds and our children are dying from gun related incidents, so ban all gun sales. I am not sure which category I would be in, the can't live in this much pain anymore so I choose not to, I am so angry that addicts are forcing us to live in pain. there are millions of people out there saying that oxy is not the same, I also think Doctors should be ashamed for not sticking up for their patients. My GP had no interest in what I was saying and palliative care didn't seem to care either. In the beginning I wanted to start a petition of some sort but was told it would need to be mostly signed by doctors and pain specialists. I doubt that will ever happen. Sorry this is so long but it may be the last time I will get to say anything. Thanks to anyone reading this.

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