Please Help! Switching from Methadone to Oxycodone IR to Oxycontin starting tomorrow.

[r.mccarthy]

I'll try to make this as short as possible. I've suffered from Crohns Disease for over 4 years, went through a surgery with major complications (bowel resection leading to 2 absess'. bowel obstruction and more) Been on pain meds for about 4 years.(Mainly Percocet, Percodan, Tylenol w/Codeine, Buprenorphine & Methadone) Doctors that really care about pain are hard to come by in Toronto, Canada.

Started taking Methadone for pain 4 months ago, since day one it has made me very VERY ill. Major fatigue, sweats, shaking, triggered severe anxiety with constant worries of death. Was then put on Cipralex to counter act the side effects because the doctor refused to prescribe an alternative pain med.

The Cipralex has helped a bit but I've finally found a new family doctor that understands my problems and cares enough to help. My new family doctor and the Methadone doctor have spoke and devised this plan to switch my meds and I'm hoping someone has gone through this before or something very close to it. I'm a very concerned and paranoid person when it comes to these medications that lets face it have dangers.

I've been taking 25mg of Methadone for 4 months, starting Monday I'll be titrating down 5mg daily while taking Oxycodone IR 5mg(immediate release). Eventually once stabilized on the Oxycodone I'll be switched again to the long lasting Oxycontin.

Sunday I'll take 25mg, Monday 20mg, Tuesday 15mg, Wednesday 10mg, Thursday 5mg, Friday 0mg.
While I'm going down in Methadone dose over the week I'm supposed to be taking the Oxycodone to "make up" for the lack of Methadone in my system and pain. So apparently Monday I can take the Oxycodone IR tablets, 1-2 5mg tablets, Tuesday 3-4, Wednesday, 5-7... so on. I'm allowed to take up to 1-2 tablets every 6 hrs to a maximum of 8 tablets which equals 40mg of Oxycodone.

So my concerns are...
-Has anyone gone from Methadone to Oxycodone or Oxycontin?

-What is the proper equivalent of Oxycodone/contin to 25mg Methadone?

-Does what the doctors have planned for me sound like a safe way to do this?

-Has anyone taken Methadone and Oxycodone at the same time?

-Are there any drug interactions between the Cipralex and Oxycodone/contin?

Any Answers/Help in this situation would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully some of you respond today, tomorrow is Monday and this all goes down then.

Thanks a ton.

r.m.

 

[imisspopcorn]

:welcome: RM....I just wanted to wish you the best of luck. Pain medications can be so tricky...especially pain management of chronic conditions.....

Have you consulted a pain management specialist?? I think that would be a great avenue to pursue. I'm in the states so I am not sure how that works in Canada.

Take care.....and keep us posted. So many people have pain issues with this disease, and often suffer.

 

[patcrawford1]

Hi,

I was just switched from suboxone (buprenorphine) to methadone for pain. I have been doing very well on it so far (been on it for 2 weeks), it gives me energy, kills the pain, I have my life back. I was feeling very sleepy and nervous on the suboxone. I don't know why you have had problems on the methadone, but I think the oxycodone should work for you and not have those negative side effects. How as the oxycodone been working lately? Hope you are feeling better