OxyContin Awareness


Name:Scott Email:No Thanks Type:Chronic Pain Story Date:6/25/2002	I stumbled upon your website a few hours ago and have been reading all the postings with great intress. For years now I have taken Oxycontin due to several back surgies over the years from my very physical job as a bricklayer. This last surgery did it for me, I can no longer work anymore. At present, I use 6-40 mg. tablets of Oxycontin per day, plus the Fentanyl 100CG/HR, also known as Duragesic patches. the combination of the two work perfectly for me at keeping my pain under control. So lets just say i know a thing or two about opiates. Don't be fooled, the process of getting a triplicate RX for these drugs is quiet a process indeed. I was screened VERY throughly by a pain management DR. before I was considered for being a patient. In my 3 hour plus interview, my doctor was most concerned with fraud, and i can see no way to fool this man, if that was my goal. Every day, I praise this mans courage to treat a chronic pain suffer like myself with all the hysteria going on by groups of people like the ones here. Then I realize that most of you here have indeed lost a loved one to a drug over dose, and you need a forum like this to express your sadness and anger. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. But that is exactly what your loved ones died of...DRUG OVERDOSEAGE....they themselves had a desire to abuse a very useful drug that works miracles for people like myself. Everyone has a choice. they all chose to abuse a very powerful, painkiller to be used ONLY by the person to whom it was prescribed to. I choose to smoke cigarettes, I know that they will some day kill me. What should I do? Blame the makers of the cigs? That's ridicilous! From all the stories that I read (and many of them are just nothing more than fiction) no one put a gun to anyones head and forced them to take this miracle drug. I am sorry, but that is just the way it is. Scott

Name:Anonymous Email: Type:General Comment Date:6/23/2002	I have a few questions that I'm hoping that someone with experience with drug abuse can answer. I have friends that are Doctors, Drug Counselors, Police Officers (to name a few) but they seem to be as uneducated on the subject of Oxycontin. I'm hoping someone here may have a straight forward answer to our question(s) I think it's important to note that this note doesn't deal with "an adolescent". I personally know very little about Oxycontin with the exception of we have a friend who is addicted. We're dealing with a 40 year old man, who before prescribed Oxycontin for pain, was definitely NOT a drug abuser. Because of the nature of his (our) employment, we submit to drug testing every 3 months. After being put on indefinite leave after a tragic accident, he went from drug (Oxycontin) user - to drug abuser - to drug addict. Myself ,and a very few select friends who know about his problem, want him off this narcotic & want our friend back. I mean we're worried. He's obtaining the drug legally and is not "Doctor Shopping" My question is: How do you detoxify someone off Oxycontin when #- If his employer finds out, he WILL lose his job and disability benefits #- we can't afford professional help for our friend - #- We don't think he WANTS to be helped. Will "sitting on him" (e.g.- Making the drug unavailable to him while we monitor him), or abruptly stopping the use of Oxycontin kill him? From what I've read so far, I'm sure this method would be extremely uncomfortable for him, and probably painful for us to watch. But, after much discussion, we'd rather do this than to lose our friend.......even if he hates us for it....he'll still be alive. Can anyone offer an answer or an alternate plan? Ed Bisch - No easy answer. Please see my helplines page and maybe consider rapid detox BUT he has to want help also. Post this question on the BRAINTALK msg board for answers or repost here with an email address.

Name:betsy Email:[email protected] Type:Chronic Pain Story Date:6/23/2002	Several years ago i was diagnosed with fibrmyalgia and two herniated disks. I was in so much pain i had trouble lifting a coffe pot. i had been prescribed many different meds. including ultram, perodan, vicodin, soma, flexiril, talwin, vioxx, diazapam, and some i don't remember. However, i remember the first time i was prescribed oxycontin. I took my first 10mg. dose and i began to feel disoriented, disconnected, strange, and scared, but i was able to walk around. Hm, so I continued taking the prescribed amount of 10mg. every 12 hrs. along with soma every 6+hrs., and percodan for breakthrough pain. as is typically the case my breakthrough pain worsened. I was precribed 60 10mg. tablets and sixty 20mgs. to "play with to achieve the right dosage" percodan was discontinued. I worked 3rd shift so I took 20mg. in the morning, 10mgs. late afternoon, and 20mgs. at night. Once again a tolerance was achieved and i was prescribed 40mgs. 3 times daily. I was unaware of what a zombie i had become i thought i was functioning normally. I had my job and was still competent (?). Aproximately 18 months later i was at work and started to feel very strange i ran into things, my words slurred, i had difficulty breathing. by the time i got to the paramedics i was totally confused. i don't remember anything after that. I had had a stroke. When i got out of the hospital i had left-sided weakness, double vision, lost memory etc. I tried to returned to work but i made so many mistakes i was told it was too soon. that was 21/2yrs. ago i have not been back. I am on disability. Since then i have had two other admissions to the hospital for stroke-like symptoms. On the last admission my oxycontin was decrease by 40 mgs. Without realizing that i was going through some withdrawals i started having terrible diarhea, but i thought it was a bug. Something strange was happening my brain fog had begun to lift. I went to a pain managment clinic and the doc suggested that if i was experiencing pain anyway why not get off the oxycontin. Sounded like a sound idea to me. He suggested one of two ways;1) to gradually decrease or 2) to enter a rehab. program and get it over with. That sounded good to me since it was a terrible expense and medicare did not cover it. So on may 28th 2002 i entered rehab. i was full of confidence after all this way my choice and i was ready. afterall the doc said 5 to ten days. day 1 no problem, day two no big deal some anxiousness no appetite but i could take that, day 3 alittle more restless but i was dealing with it, day 4 i went home feeling anxious but still not a big deal. day 5 could not sleep at all pacing, mind racing, heart pounding. day 6 increased anxiety, feeling so cold, hands and feet burning, can,t stand it.day 7 i know i was going to die, i had lost my soul, there was no feeling except cold inside, my heart was pounding now my hands and feet went from burning to freezing and back again still no sleep. smells were bad, taste was bad felt nausious. realized what a wreck my house was dust everywhere dirty dishes, dirty laundery did what i could but was so tired, still could not sleep. still no relief, can't sleep still cold, shaking, just wish could get better or die. and so it has continued day after day getting a little bit better but now it is june 23 and i still sweat still feel some cold and still can't sleep very well last night 2 hrs. i guess my point to this long story is that now i welcome any pain because that means i'm alive. i thank god for each day and for clearing my mind. my body has a long way to go i've lost 45 lbs. can't eat very well but i am here i'm blessed and i am grateful. i am so sorry for your loss but i am also grateful for this web site. lol betsy

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