From Oxycodone To "i Don't Like Percocet"

Greetings to all! I could really use some help, advice, and direction. I was first prescribed oxycodone for cancer pain during chemo-therapy (to which I added major dietary changes to fight my battle). I have a hx of lower back and neck pain, sometimes extreme from degenerative disc disease -- all based upon injuries 30+ years earlier. Post back surgery, post aggressive chemo the oxycodone was continued through a pain clinic along with spinal IV's every 3 months because the lower back and neck pain was really hurting my life with interfering pain. I will add I would take acupuncture, massage therapy, reiki, physical therapy and nutritional changes over medications any day yet no insurance will cover them but "hey, let's give you drugs!" is covered without hesitation. I don't have the funds for alternatives. I don't like drugs. I like living though and living with constant pain with periodic high peaks reduces the quality of life significantly. I started out with the oxycodone 5mg tab every 6 hours. After 2.5 years I was prescribe 10 mg. tab every 8 hours. I usually cut it in half and took 1/2 every 4. If I could skip a dose I did, gladly. If I was able to function without moaning for an entire day I would cut back further. I was a crisis intervention counselor for alcohol/drug rehab years ago and addiction was enough on the forefront woes of my mind that I would strive to "buck up" so to speak, handle the pain as best as I could through breathing, meditation etc and yet there were days that it had and has brought me to my knees. As well I learned it was stupid to be so focused on the pain by not treating it with what I had available that "dealing with it" was all I thought about -- that too depletes quality of life. When my pain clinic became a Pain "Institute" I was dropped -- getting rid of anyone who didn't have the "good" insurance was a goal. I was going to fight them and then thought "Why would I want to go there when kindness left the building so that greed could take over? A new clinic, a new doctor (he wants to try some nerve cauterizing ?!? which may last 9 months) and I liked them but Percocet is the name of the game here. I asked for oxycodone as it had always worked. They "feel" Percocet is better. It has tylenol in it. This is really upsetting me -- it took me two years to really begin to detox my body from chemo-therapy. Two of those in the chemical cocktail were "once in a lifetime" drugs. Harsh, harsh drugs on the kidneys and liver. I told the PA I don't want to take tylenol. He said my pain was managed with it so that's what they are using and I said it was managed just fine before without it. What I have noticed is I get more nauseated from percocet than I ever did on straight oxycodone. One half banana or crackers with the oxy and I was fine. This is way more intense of a nausea and a bit of food doesn't help. Has anyone else noticed a difference? I know it's more likely ibuprofen will cause nausea yet I've not had that problem -- I just know I have significant nausea with percocet. Also I've been all over the web and cannot find "if you've had chemo don't continue to strain your liver and kidneys with tylenol." I would so appreciate any resources or advice. It was bad enough the PA treated me (like the doc, not too crazy about the PA) like a near-criminal for even daring to discuss what I thought would be best for me, for knowing my own body, and all he said was a basic pish posh to my liver concerns and said "Well just don't take any other products with tylenol in them." Blessings to all. Thank you greatly in advance!!!!

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Hello, Melanie! I am very sorry that you're in pain, no one should ever have to suffer.

Yes, they feel the Percocet is better, because the Acetaminophen in it augments the action of the Oxycodone and they really have to be careful what they prescribe, due to the new regulations that were put in place last year.

They are actually still giving you Oxycodone, just with the added Acetaminophen, which is probably why they don't understand your complaints. As to your liver, they should be monitoring your regularly and doing blood work to keep an eye on your enzyme levels, while you're taking this.

This is a narcotic analgesic, so it has the potential to be habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation.

I understand you aren't happy, but the only thing I can really suggest as a remedy is to switch to a different pain management clinic, again.

Does anyone else have any suggestions to add?

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