for real pain especially the neck,just get methadone its ckeap and lasts

Question: Are you saying a pain management doctor is prescribing you 400mg/day of methadone?
Or have you found a clinic that will dose you at this level daily?
If either of these is true, you might be breaking some kind of world record.

What was your process to get to this point?? I ask, because my doc has increased my dose of oxycontin with not much pain relief and I asked him to change to Opana and he has increased the dose to where he says he is "uncomfortable" and thought that I might just ask him for methadone to see if that would help or at least lower my tolerence so I can be on a affordable level..(I have no insurance)..I think you might have some info for me to help with this...can you share your experience?

I'm afraid that lowering your tolerance usually involves increasing pain. Non-narcotic analgesia may have to be used in the process in the highest doses.

Hi,

if you don't have insurance and have a chronic pain situation then Methadone is a good choice.

long lasting pain relief... to me it's more... relaxing pain relief.

and it's DIRT cheap.

a heavy dose for a month is like 10$

Same for me and it works great. I take hydro for breakthru.

I also take methadone for my chronic back pain. 10mgs x3 daily. Nothing for breakthrough pain. 30mgs daily doesnt do diddly squat but better than nothing. I asked for something for breakthrough pain. A very firm NO. Gonna talk to my caridologist or get a referral cuz it suck being in pain every minute of the day. Im sure I can get Tramadol at the IOPs but they dont work for me. Not sure about any IOPs that are cheap for codes, or perds. Afraid of LL's too. In otherwords its a lose lose situation LOL .

They should have given you something for breakthrough. Doesn't make any sense. No wonder your in pain most of the time. The hydro's help in between. Maybe you should talk to him. Tell him it isn't lasting long enough or something or something is missing in between.

Thanks Taz.....Ive tried and she wont budge. (PCA) not an MD gonna ask my cardio to talk to her on thurs when i get my tests results back.

About 2 years ago, I was on methadone 10mg x 3/day + Percocet 10/325 x 2/day for breakthrough. To be honest, I would take the methadone in the morning, then take one at lunch, then when I got home I'd treat myself to a couple Percocets and it did create an eurphoria. So much that I didn't need the 3rd methadone.

Bruin7

When I was on the mscontin and percs I had no issues till the new dr took me off everything. With the methadone thats all I get. Sure would be nice to have those percs but there are some new developments with my health so Im hoping she will have mercy on me!! LOL yah right

I believe a serious pain dose would be at least 100 mg methadone. But one would probably need to take a NMDA antagonist to archieve the full pain relief without high tolerance buildup. It's the only thing that in practice can dampen tolerance.

I don't get it that doctors underprescribe the doses so often. I mean either you are on opiates or you are not. There is no practical middle way so they may just as well prescribe a serious dosage. Does it come as a surprise to them that patients experience rapid tolerance buildup? Then they shouldn't have prescribed in the first place.

400 mg of methadone is not exceptional. Besides opiate tolerance is very flexible you know. It will continue rising until it the reaches a ceiling where it's balanced between the time you take them and time you sleep. If you take extended release 24/7 then there is no ceiling unfortunately.

PS: What will you high dosers do if you run out of meds for one reason or the other, for instance say civil unrest. The WDs from a +100 mg methadone dose is capable of inducing seizures/heart attacks and killing you. The reaction will be the equivalent of getting a massive shot of adrenaline. Deaths from high dose methadone WDs is not unusual. Maybe it would be good to have some clonidine at hand...

I don't know for sure where you live but the advice you are suggesting is off the charts.
You seem to be confusing methadone treatment for pain with methadone treatment for substance abuse. Using early treatment doses of anywhere near 100mg of methadone for pain treatment is insane and could be deadly. And likely would not work anywhere close to the effectiveness of 10mg at intervals during the day.
And 400mg is not exceptional? Is this some fact found in drug treatment in Denmark?
The opportunity for fatalities when discussing methadone should be focused on the potential for overdoses rather than from withdrawals. Advocating the use of much larger doses of this medication being used in chronic pain treatment is just irresponsible and could be dangerous for someone to believe who is not familiar with how incredibly easy it is to overdose with methadone.
People read this discussion board for advice. Can you understand how the advice you are giving could have very negative consequences if anyone actually acted on it?

Im on Methadone for pain managment I get 10mgs x3 daily. I also have other issues (kidney failure) etc. I am not allowed to take any ibuprofin and very little tylenol. Im not trying to advise anyone on how much to take. I was just talking about my experience and yes I wouldnt ever want to receive more than 100mg per day. Many years ago I was on high a higher dose of methadone I made my dr ween me down cuz of all the deaths that were happened from dr's overprecribing. However now this new pcp is underperscribing by not giving anything for my breakthrough pain. Many of the issues I have are dengerative but I dont dare ask her for more.

Rose

99, Where do you come from. I take 10mg of methadone 2x daily, but that is why they give you breakthrough meds between.

In fact, severe pain can be treated with 5-10mg every 6-8 hours. Only when tolerance rises is the dose cautiously increased. If you are talking about the terminally ill, then that is different, but a "serious pain dose", as you put it, would NOT normally be "at least 100mg methadone".

When I was on the higher dose of Methadone I was taking the 40mgs (the large Wafers) I was taking 2 3x daily which equaled to 240mgs per day! I was so drugged up I couldnt function! I wanted my pain releived but not like that. My disabled daughter required 100% care back then and I couldnt give it to her. After a few weeks that was it for me. And yes nephro when you are in severe pain the dosage you said will work, my problem though is nothing for breakthrough pain. Ive been on pain managment for many yrs and have had to switch out meds due to my tolerence level. And even worse is when the dr says "drug holiday" Oh that was brutal!! 1 month of nothing! (switched dr's after that) No reputable dr will put anyone on meds that will make them comatose unless cancer (at least in my state)

There are times and places for 'drug holidays', and doctors often get those times and places wrong. May I ask if you started on a lower dose of methadone, or were you switched to it from something else?

I was on the Phentynl patch and I was having allegic reaction of rashes etc and my urologist told my pcp to put me on the methadone. Im ok with the dose of methadone I have the only problem is nothing for breakthrough pain. Im gonna talk to her tomorrow and see what she can do. I doubt it tho.

Good luck talking with her tomorrow...always a dicey proposition. Sad, but true, no?

I don't understand why your doctor doesn't give you a breakthrough med. What do you do between times? I get hydro, but I think they should have given me Oxy or perks.

Hey Taz...well I had my appt today but too many other things going on so I didnt bring it up. I needed to discuss other issues regarding my admition to the hospital for almost 2 days so tests to be done was the subject.

As for breakthrough meds, she is a hard-nosed pcp. Quote from her "i give you more than I do other pts" sheesh 10mgs of methadone x3 a day is a lot? LOL not compared to what I used to get. The DEA is cracking down on ALL dr's now. They get us addicted in the 1st place and then take it away. Oh well just have to deal with it till the time is right with her......depends on her mood LOL

Nice to know that she treats all her "individual" patients as individual cases needing specific care. This just makes me angry...

But the methadone does not work well by itself. That means you are hurting the in between times. You may have been better off with taking hydro. That way you get more in the day at least.
Do you crash down in between? Must be unbearable. At least my hydro takes the sting out of it until I take the methadone. I only get it twice a day 10mg. I get 4 10/500 hydro for the break through. I hate doctor.

My dr isnt even a MD she is a PAC!! And up until Feb I always had perc's for breakthrough pain See where Im from there is soooo much drug activity going on that they dont trust ANYBODY and thats whats increasing the crime rate here. I get so frustrated for those that really really need the pain relief (not even referring to myself) but everyone has to suffer and pay the price. There are so many pharacies that dont carry Oxycontin anymore cuz of the increased robberies at the 24hr ones....ex walgreens.

They need to go by the individual instead of catagorizing everybody as a drug addict! Thats probably why so many people order from online. Dr's arent treating pain managment pts needs. Makes me peeved too!!

Rose

I'm surprised your getting that from a PAC. I get mine from my PM Doctor. No other doctors would even touch giving me that. I have so many doctors. They all are in their own fields. Actually I have 2 PM docs. One for surgery and the other for meds. I still have to see them all. Going up a ladder and paying for all of them really sucks. Good thing I have Ins. Even with that it gets expensive. Tomorrow I get another MRI done.
Does it ever end???????????

Nope it doesnt end. Im afraid its gonna get worse. I have a few different dr's as well for different meds etc...I feel sorry for the eldery that have to pay $500 plus for the necessary meds!!!! As far as pain management goes I dont understand why 1x a month they have a pt do a UA and if they fail they get no meds instead of making us suffer. How hard can it be to do a UA 1x per month!!!!!!

Rose

I have yet to asked to do a UA test yet. But I'm also not counting it put especially now a days.

LOL yikes my dr hasnt done one either. In fact I havent had one from my previous dr either. I hope I didnt Jinx it! I was just making a genereralized comment for those that really need them and dr's wont give them anything this would be a good solution for the DR's rather than thinking EVERYONE is a drug addict. But you would think a dr could tell just by looking at the pt. Eyes, personal hygeine, how they dress etc. Its not fair that we are at a dr's mercy. Plus the DEA.

I know someone who's daughter was had cerebal Palsy and the dr's re-connected her legs and had extensive surgery's over the years. This person was ON pain meds PRN And the DEA board said she couldnt get pain meds anymore (after 20yrs) no taperin of meds.....just cut her off. She had 10 dr's vouching for her in a court they still denied! She told me about it yesterday. I was flagergasted. Those Dr's QUIT cuz they couldnt do it. Also, she had friends who also had CP and their dr's and to cut them off too. The pain was sooo bad they commited suicide!! 7 of them. I was horrified. Its like human neglet. I cant imaigine how much pain people have with CP. I about cried when she told me this. And we think we have it bad?? no comparison to leading 7 people to take their own life cuz they couldnt deal with the pain. So her daughter started drinking beer and smoking pot. Basically the DEA more than likely are turning her into a alki. I personally do not drink or use street drugs but given this poor woman's condition I dont blame her.

Rose

You know, there was a British solicitor/lawyer - Clive Stafford-Smith - who was appalled at the death penalty system in the US, and how the criminal justice system seemed weighted unfairly towards the poor. Now I haven't a clue about the innocence or guilt of the condemned, but I do know that he went over to the US and represented a number of those facing execution, and to my knowledge is still fighting their cause.

Perhaps it would take a doctor from outside the US, who won't face losing his licence, to go and do a similar thing for chronic pain patients?

The cases mentioned above are just terrible.