Hydrocodone - Impossible To Get In The Uk...? (Page 2)

I am currently on an oxycodone m/r script, and find that it certainly does not last for the claimed twelve hours per tablet. No matter what, my doctor refuses to prescribe anything for this 'breakthrough' pain, not even a 20mg OxyNorm to carry me over. I have heard, however that a DIFFERENT analgesic is best in this situation. Since most drug information sites and forums are American, the drug which keeps cropping up and is most highly recommended to me is hydrocodone. This is NOT available in the UK, and despite many attempts, I can find no place to access it. The only other country which uses hydrocodone, in a much better pure form, is Germany, where it is available under the brand DICODID by Knoll, 10mg per tablet. Unfortunately I have had just as little success in tracing a source for this as for the US version, which is ALWAYS adulterated with paracetamol, usually 325mg/tab.

Does anyone have any idea where I could obtain a supply for these dreadful times when the OxyContin doesn't work? Dicodod would obviously be the preference but I HAVE tried the US hydro a few times and found that by far the best I have tried is Mallinckrodt's 'M367' 10mg/325mg tablet, in a dosage of 30-40mg.

This is a matter of access though, so if anybody can suggest any way that I can manage to get a stock of this most useful drug, then please post. There is a gap between dihydrocodeine and morphine in the UK which has nothing of in-between strength to fill it. In he US you have hydro and meperidine and hydromorphone in 4mg and 8mg strengths, instant release. All I want is relief from those bad times. Under-prescribing and refusal to prescribe for such occasions is becoming almost an obsession with me, and I really need something of this order to help.

Thanks for any replies.

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i was diagnosed with ME 5 yrs ago, had spinal surgery 2 yrs ago due to a car crash, last yr was tod i also suffered wih fybromyalgia and this yr got a positive diagnosis for peripheral neuropathy and rhumatoid arthritis in my hip and knee on the left side!!! all my doc offers me is codeine and gabapentin and the pain is horrendous even when on these meds. i have tried askin 4 help to get stronger or maybe slow release tabs but she accused me of being a junkie!!! im 30 with 3 small children and just want to try and lea a normalish life as possible, i even had to refer myself 4 physio as my doc refused. im in the uk and im finding it real hard to get info or help. but after reading some of the replies on here im not goin to give up my fight

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Weed?

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First to all of you guys in teh UK I am sympathetic sincerely. Chronic pain needs managment via time released pain medication as well as something for breakthrough pain. The reason you are feeling releif from hydrocodone is because it's an actual OPIAT. It'snot synthetic such as morphine, or demoral or even delautted. The reason you aren't feeling constant releif from Oxy is b/c it's not meant for that as it is time released and is meant to be taken along with an immediate, shorter lasting, breakthrough pain medication. I'm saying this because I am a believer in medicine and doctors --- Do not continue to fight with your doctor. Change doctors... I realize it's expensive to get to the US but if you can just get one appt with a doctor - a real, decent and caring pain mangement doctor in the US I think you'd be surprised at wshat suggestions they may have for you in regarding to getting pain medications, etc...
Otherwise, go from doctor to doctor in teh UK until you find a doctor that does not call you a junkie. If a doctor doesn't understand your pain then he orshe will not effectively be abvle to treat your pain. It's like going to internalist for a gastro problem - it doesn't make any sense... Don't be afraid to find a new doctor. YOu deserve a pain free life. it's possible!!
One more thing!!!! In the united states when they start people on pain managment many times they use Oxy or Methadone and breakfthrouh they use Roxi, Perkiset or Hydrocodone - depending on severity, how long you've had this pain, your toleraance etc etc.... I'm saying this b/c you can see how much your pain is not being treated.

LASTLY.... Neurontin, Lyrica etc do work if you have nerve damage -- they must be taken along with narcotics but trust them unless it's doing more damaage , as well as an Anti Inflammotory such as IBProfin but MUST be taken daily - everyday....
And finally, don't give up....

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Michael was there really any need to me that rude? Whether someone is right are wrong you don't need to go about it in such a was as to belittle them. I to have chronic pain and am prescribe Oxycontin 30mg twice a day. I too sometimes need breakthrough pain medication or sometimes something to take on or around the 10 hour mark as the drug levels reduce in my blood. I've never had an issue on obtaining this from my G.P who prescribes me 56 Oxynorm 10mg capsules for this purpose a time. Maybe your Doctors refusal to give you them maybe something to do with your stinking attitude, i've only read a few paragraphs and don't know you from Adam but can already tell that you think you're in some way better than everyone else and know more about the pain management area of medicine than your doctor. Maybe if you change your attitude to people instead of walking round with a huge chip on your shoulder you wouldn't have such a problem obtaining additional medication!

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If Suboxone doesn't detox u from Heroin Withdrawal what would be the next solution? I was on Methadone for 14 yrs, I don't want to go thru that nightmare again! What exactly was my doctor doing? Replacing? That's insane! Can somebody tell me the real deal, from this nightmare on a roller coaster. Thank u

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Unfortunately there is NO generic oxycodone vailable in the UK till the 1995 patent (Purdue/NAPP/Mundipharma) runs out in 2016. You must have very lax medical copyright law in the USA if you can access oxycodone made by other than these companies, cheaper.
PLEASE if there is any chance whatsoever, could you let me know how I can access either oxycodone or hydromorphone very cheply if I live in the UK?
I have had people recommend hydrocodone, but surely that's a joke?Hydrocodone (DICODID) is an ANTITUSSIVE sold in 10mg tabs brand DICODID for acute painful cough. Let me know how I can access the correct medications (OxyNorm, instant release, or Dilaudid/Palladone also instant release, without paying the ridiculous website prices I see on USA sites; that is, if they will even send them to the UK!! It may take making a friendship and coming to agreements that breaks the back of my problem. By the way, my lumbar muscular drug, carisoprodol, was withdrawn in Europe as a whole a year or two ago and there is no alternative, so could someone please tell me how to getr CARISOMA, SOMA or LISTAFLEX 350mg to help with that?

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Callie, can you help me in any way? I really need the correct painkillers for my three pain issues. Please write to give me an answer. Thank you so much, I have never been so bad in my life!
Love etc Michael

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I have cronic pain and have been on menthodone for 9 yr.'s. Post Polio syndrome , had surgery on foot at age 11. Degeneritive arthritis in foot and knee, Degenerative disc in back due to severe scoliosis. bone spur on tail bone. I hurt all over. New Law Passes and my Dr. stopped doing pain management. Now you have to go to pain management clinic. It is very expensive and you have to go every month. Also 2 hours away. I am disable and have been since I eas 34. I'm on medicaid and the pain management clinics don't take medicaid.
So I am living with a lot of pain for 2 months. Are their any small office Doctors that do pain management and takes medicaid ? The disable and poor will have to live in pain. I know their are some small office Doctors that do pain management and take medicaid, but I can't seem to find one. Here in South Arkansas

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Has anyone yet discovered any clinics or pharmacies which would be willing to dispense the Mallinckrodt M367 10mg +apap hydrocodone combo mentioned earlier in this thread?
I too find that this is by far the most effective of the three brands I have tried, and is of a perfect strength for three tablets to cope with breakthrough from my modified release oxycodone, which the writer is quite right in saying does NOT last the 12 hours it's prescribed for. I'm lucky if I get 8, more usually 6 hours pain-free.
I also was on carisoprodol when it was withdrawn from the European market and it's true, there is no alternative for that kind of pain in the large muscles. Mine has plagued me for over ten years. I disagree that the analgesic 'takes care' of it; the muscular pain is not helped by my oxycodone, and carisoprodol is now one of the most difficult meds to find online. I think it can now only be had in the US and India.
However, the question in hand is, how on earth can I access the hydrocodone combo? Yes, it is mainly an antitussive but the addition of paracetamol does make it a weak opioid analgesic comparable to dihydrocodeine, which it resembles chemically, being I think a ketone derived from dihydrocodeine tartrate. In strength 10mg combined with 325mg apap would be equivalent to around 50mg dihydro. The point is that these Mallinckrodt tablets were more effective than two 30mg Teva dihydros and helped inflammation, which the other fails to do.
ANY suggestion will be gratefully received. Thanks, folks.

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YOU NEED A PRESCRIPTION IN THE US. THEY MONITOR ALL NARCOTICS.

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I have chronic pain syndrome and i take oxycontin 40 mgs and hydrocodone 10/325 2 tablets every six hours and it works great for me

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Do what i do and go to see your GP and just pay the prescription price, i get 50mcg Durogesic DTrans Fentanyl patches now along with 10mg OxyNorm Capsules. As long as you've been to a hospital which as you know is free under the NHS in the UK and they've confirmed you have a medical need for this medication any GP will quite happily prescribe them for you. I have them on repeat prescription and need to see my GP every month to get more repeats put on. If you've no recognised medical need for them there's no reason why you should be taking them.

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This serves as a reply to three or four posts made since my last. I thought it was clear that I am IN the UK and the docs here just won't do it, some will not even write private prescriptions.
For i/r hydromorph over 2.6mg, any hydrocodone product except the german Dicodid, pur antitussive, no analgesic effects really without addition of apap, and several other pain meds, and carisoprodol, the US is my best choice, certainly the safest customs-wise, but unfortunately, there are almost NO IOPs shipping to the UK from there. Unless anyone knows better? I have to rely on remailings from friends.
The UK NHS has turned into one of the poorer health systems in Europe, apart from the fact that what they WILL prescribe is free to the disabled. The pity is the horrendous lack of choice. I have to visit other EU countries for many meds which SHOULD be available. In 2002 they slaughtered the list of prescribable meds and took all bromazepam and the 1 & 2mg Xanax off the market too. And much more. They're slowly creeping up their withdrawals too. Meprobamate is gone along with carisoprodol and I'm always needing 2mg alprazolam.
Ideas?

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YOU COULD EMAIL POSSIBLY MYSELF AND I GOT THE 2MG XANS YOU NEED ONLY 200 LEFT COULD MAYBE FIND SOMEONE TO HELP, I GET THEM PRESCRIBED AND DONT EAT THEM SO JUST STOCKPILE

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Sorry if that's how you read me but I assure you I know about pain AS IT AFFECTS ME and meds WHICH I CAN BE SCRIPTED, HAVE USED, OR HAVE READ ABOUT MAINLY HERE. As for being rude I have gone through every single post I've made and can not find a single instance of being rude to or belittling anyone, and would not dream of so doing. This is for discussion, not for having snipes at others, a thing I consider morally reprehensible; so I dispute that I have EVER written in that way and I'm sure all other participants will agree. I have discussed many things with Verwon in many parts of the forum and he will no doubt confirm that I never state as fact anything I'm not sure of and most certainly would never put anyone else down. All I can think of is you've maybe misunderstood something I was trying to say, in a clumsy way perhaps? I like to write so there is no doubt about what I'm saying but we can all be clumsy from time to time.
It actually hurts to be accused of 'belittling' somebody; I repeat - that is a thing I would never, ever do intentionally. You can be sure that I THINK carefully before typing a word. I'm saddened.

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Thaboss -
Please drop me an email at
To discuss ongoing medical issues.
And don't laugh at my email address. Yes, I write about JKR's most excellent Harry Potter series.
For those of you who like the sort of fiction which can be read on both children's and adult levels, which you'll notice if you read 'Philosopher's Stone' like 15 years ago and are now adult, re-read and see the adult themes and Classical/Legendary allusions you as a kid would have missed: let me recommend to you
Philip Pullman trilogy 'His Dark Materials'; and
Wm. Nicholson, also a trilogy, 'The Wind On Fire'.
Brilliant as tales for kids but full of social & political themes which will appeal to adults now fully educated.
Look forward to hearing from you, my friend.
BTW I am now transferred onto the instant release Oxynorm full time, it is much easier to control the pain, but you're all correct about UK GPs not treating pain as well as in the USA. My dose is still not sufficient to keep me pain free and I still have the benzodiazepine supply problem, can not afford to go to Belgium every 90 days and website prices for decent anxiolytics and hypnotics are just silly. Also still require regular source of Carisoma from either US or India. But there are only two or three Indian brands I trust - the best are by Wallace & Cipla. I got a batch of 200 recently which were VERY poor quality. The only remaining skeleto-muscular relaxant on the NHS just does not stop the pain like Carisoma did, and I do not know why I keep taking Lyrica when it does so little for me.
M

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Michael, i have read all of your posts and i too have chronic pain, have been diagnosed with ME/CFS and have reached a plateau with the pathetic 30mg of codeine they will give in uk. Did you have any joy from 'theboss' i think he was called in his post, as he seemed to answer basically what you were asking. I would love for you to reply as i too am at a loss as to what to do next! Thanks Vanessa

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Vanessa,
Never yet got a reply from 'thaboss'.
Now having always lived in the UK and my father being a doctor, I can not believe that al, you will get is codeine. That's ridiculous. The next opioid up is tramadol which isn't all that much stronger, but I suggest you put your foot down and demand that the analgesic suit the pain. Keep on at this ignorant doc of yours and never let him/her forget that you need something of the strength of morphine or Oxycontin or hydromorphone or at least something that WORKS. The most codeine ever did for me was cure diarrhoea!
Nope, they are able to prescribe these things if they want. YOU must convince them that even a low dose of oxy such as 20mg Oxycontin twice daily would help. This is equivalent to 50mg morphine Continus twice daily;if you feel you can get by on less, 10mg Oxycontin or 5mg Oxynorm are available, and the much weaker morphine may be had in small doses of 10mg released over 12 hours (NAPP MST Continus tablets).
Even DF118 Forte 40mg would be an improvement on 30mg codeine, but if you were to go down that route then I'd use DHC Continus 120mg and keep DF118 40mg for those times when the pain increases or the DHC stops working before the 12 hours are up. NONE of the 12-hour opioids I have tried work for any longer than eight!
And I thought I had analgesic problems... sounds like you have yourself a pretty dreadful doctor if they don't prescribe according to need.
Michael

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Hi there just decided I'd pop in and hand some facts out as I'm currently training as a doctor in the uk but have always had a keen interest in opioids as I suffer from m/e, first of all hydrocodone is illegal in the uk it is a class A non prescribable drug, also it is only around the same strength as dihydrocodine, which isn't nearly as addictive, your best bet is to tell your doctor you understand the risks of opioids and ask for a prescription of diamorphine or morphine, diamorphine however is extremely addictive, it's basically a medicalised version of heroin, and secondly tell you doctor gabapentin isn't working, anti seizure medicines rarely work for neuropathic pain, I would advise you buy a "British national formulary" their available online and gives you a list of every prescribable medication in the uk, you can buy a brand new edition for around 14 pounds on amazon, secondly to the person saying they have fibromyalgia and m/e both of these are practicaly the same thing, they are completely impossible to tell apart as they are both believed to stem from the same thing and there is very little knowledge on what causes the pain, I'm working a lot from next week onwards so wrote back as soon as possible if you need any advice.

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Hi there if your still struggling with heroin or methadone withdrawal there has been some success with tramadol as a temporary replacement, it's far weaker has less side effects and is only slightly physically addictive, withdrawal from tramadol is rare so you can easily step down to it and them stop all together, hope this helps.

Scott Jones

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