Last week (April 26, 2016), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xtampza (oxycodone extended-release), a twice-daily abuse deterrent formulation (ADF).1 Xtampza indications follow the same updated FDA template indications we see for all extended release opioids and is “indicated for management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate”.1
Xtampza is the sixth officially FDA approved abuse-deterrent opioid formulation, which include OxyContin (oxycodone), Embeda (morphine sulfate and naltrexone ER), MorphaBond (morphine sulfate ER), Targiniq (oxycodone and naloxone ER tablets), and Hysingla ER (hydrocodone ER tablets).2 There are others that are arguably abuse deterrent but do not meet the FDA specifications for such labeling.
Here to school us all on the new oxycodone ER formulation is “Dr.” Mena Raouf who will be an official PharmD after one more week of experiential learning at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Oxycodone Where Are We?
Prescriptions for extended-release oxycodone have declined from 7.3 million in 2010 to 4.7 million in 2014 while prescriptions for immediate release oxycodone have increased from 10.4 million in 2010 to 15.8 million. 3
OxyContin (oxycodone extended-release) was first approved in 1995.2 However, its original extended-release formulation was manipulated to allow more rapid release of the drug, leading to increased risk of overdose and deaths. In 2010, the FDA approved a reformulated OxyContin with abuse-deterrent properties and the original OxyContin was withdrawn from the market.4 The reformulated OxyContin was more difficult to inject or snort but as all opioids, it was still vulnerable to misuse by oral route. Drug abuse “chefs” found methods to marinate, microwave, and microwave the tablets to bypass the extended-release profile allowing for more rapid release.5
The introduction of Purdue’s “new and improved” OxyContin 2.0 started a new era of abuse-deterrent formulations (ADF). Of note, soon after in 2011, Endo Pharmaceuticals reformulated Opana (oxymorphone extended-release) to a crush resistant preparation and pulled the original Opana from the market.2
Xtampza; New Kid on the Block
Xtampza is formulated using DETERx® technology where the agent is combined with fatty acids and waxes and incorporated into microspheres designed to resist physical and chemical manipulations to reduce particle size (chewing, crushing, breaking, and dissolving).6
How Does Xtampza Differ From The Reformulated OxyContin?
OxyContin is a tablet while Xtampza is a capsule. OxyContin’s extended-release profile relies on the overall tablet integrity that could be vulnerable to misuse by oral route. On the contrary, Xtampza’s extended-release profile relies on the individual microsphere rather than the capsule6, rendering it likely more difficult to manipulate from a chemical and pharmacological standpoint, but without a doubt will not be affected by crushing, or blending. Click on image to the left to see a clearer view.
Can The Xtampza Capsule Be Opened and Sprinkled? Would This Affect its Extended-release Profile?
The answers are Yes and No respectively. Since each microsphere has its own extended-release profile, Xtampza’s can be opened and sprinkled on food/drink or administered through feeding tubes without affecting its extended-release profile.6 This could be a promising option for chronic pain patients with swallowing difficulties and cancer patients with radiation-induced dysphagia. It is also important to note that in cases where an unsuspecting elderly patient might otherwise crush or break their medications for ease of ingestion, the Xtampza formulation will maintain its extended release properties whereas another one could inadvertently result in opioid toxicity.
Are Abuse-deterrent Formulations The Only Solution?
ADF are more difficult to abuse (hence the word ‘deter’) but are not abuse proof. For more details on ADF, refer to Abuse-Deterrent Opioid Formulations: Purpose, Practicality, and Paradigms. ADF is a step towards combating drug abuse but it is not the only solution. For instance, currently available ADFs do not address overconsumption by oral ingestion of doses higher than prescribed, which is the most common form of prescription opioid abuse.7
As previously mentioned by Drs. Fudin and Ahmed, “As health care professionals, we must seek a comprehensive method that involves not only ADFs, but also collaborative drug therapy management between providers, utilization of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP), and prescriber/patient education tools. While it is incumbent upon all of us (clinicians and patients alike) to prevent opioids from getting into the wrong hands, we shouldn’t deny legitimate patients from receiving the medications they need”.
A more comprehensive follow up article on Xtampza will be forthcoming soon in Pharmacy Times. Stay tuned!!
Mena Raouf is a 2016 PharmD Candidate at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with a concentration in Nephrology. He has been involved developing an automated software platform to assess pre-validated risk for opioid-induced respiratory depression to qualify patients for in-home naloxone. Following graduation, Mena will be pursuing PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. He is under the mentorship of Dr. Jeffrey Fudin subsequent to completion of an advanced practice rotation in pain management.
References:
- FDA Gives Final Approval to Abuse-Deterrent Xtampza ER. Medscape. Apr 29, 2016.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Timeline of Selected FDA Activities and Significant Events Addressing Opioid Misuse and Abuse. Available from: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm338566.htm. Accessed April 29,2016
- MacLaren E. Oxycodone History and Statistics. 2015. Available from: http://drugabuse.com/library/oxycodone-history-and-statistics/#the-oxycodone-market Accessed April 30, 2016.
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA approves abuse-deterrent labeling for reformulated OxyContin. 2013 April. Available from: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm348252.htm. Accessed April 29, 2016.
- Fudin J, Ahmed N. Abuse-Deterrent Opioid Formulations: Purpose, Practicality, and Paradigms. 2015 January. Available from: http://www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/jeffrey-fudin/2015/01/abuse-deterrent-opioid-formulations-purpose-practicality-and-paradigms. Accessed April 29, 2016.
- http://www.collegiumpharma.com/technology-platform/overview
- US Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: Abuse-Deterrent Opioids—Evaluation and Labeling[draft guidance]. Silver Spring, MD: FDA; 2013.
I am a person whose body rejects the best med.’s . Real bad with antibiotics.
I may have missed the info. to help me take the xtampza.
When first prescribed, I took one in the morning with water. 15 minutes later I’m having exploding
diarrhea.
No cautions in writing or verbal was given to me about taking this med. with fatty food.
I found out about taking it with fatty food on the internet. From so many folks who are suffering in extreme, chronic pain.
I still do not have it right. Last night I ate coconut yogurt, raisin toast with heavy butter, bottle Equate 350 cal. and a blue bell ice cream sandwich. I have to eat at least 3 hours before bed and sleep at an incline.
About 4:30 am I woke up with severe stomach ache. Severe diarrhea for about 1 1/2 hours.. Then I was drained and passed out till 9 am.
Can anyone please send me the proper type and amount of foods to take this med.?
The least amount of food the better. I have a body that requires me to be active to burn calories. Those days of activity were shut down by 5 major accidents.
Thanks for any help.
If a legit group has been started to bring us all together to form a powerful group, I would also appreciate info to take part in.
I pray for good health and happiness for all.
I myself seem to have nightmares that may sound crazy but only when I have taken one before bed, and sometimes difficult to swallow.
From 2 20mg Opana ER a day to 2 27mg Xtampza and 1 perco 10/325 a day, I am not drowsy which is a good thing, but I am back to barely being able to walk. 4 herniated disks and both knees with multiple surgeries and both shoulders damaged. Apparently Opana went out of mfg. in 2017 and the “surplus” has now been sold off. The Xtampza honestly might as well be a vitamin and the perco 10/25 an aspirin. The next move is going to be Suboxone!! When I tried them, (buprenorphine) it was the best I felt since before ever being hurt, For some reason I am thinking Suboxone is a “miracle drug”. Has anyone had similar results with the same medications? The pain clinic was terrific at first but there have been times that I leave in worse condition than before I went in. PS: with all the Opana I have taken, with no issue other than constipation and horrid withdrawal when I would run out or stop taking them, never until now with the prescription of Xtampza have they sent me NARCAN, what a joke!!! Two of them do NOTHING AT ALL.!!!!
I get almost complete relief of my neuropathic pain using Haloperidol. Works just as good of not better Oxycodone.
On contin for 6 years 20mg 3xday. Switched to Xtampza 27mg 2xday. Didn’t change the breakthrough med of oxycodone hcl 10mg 4xday and I can honestly say I get far better relief with the Xtampza than I ever did with the OxyContin.
I will say that the Xtampza does take 30min-1hr longer to take effect than OxyContin, basically taking effect around the 1.5-1:45 mark from time of ingestion so I start the morning with an IR oxycodone and then take the Xtampza about an hour later. Still, the pain relief is much better and lasts far longer than OxyContin ever did. If you’re trying to get a high, Xtampza isn’t going to do it but if you’re looking for good around the clock pain control, Xtampza is the best I’ve found. Of course if your doctor isn’t providing adequate breakthrough meds, it probably seems like the Xtampza isn’t working because it takes longer to kick in, thus making it harder to break the pain cycle. It’s much easier to control the pain when you can keep yourself out of the pain cycle which then requires much more meds to get it under control.
Hope this helps someone as I seem to be one of the few who has been really pleased with Xtampza but remember, start with the breakthrough med 1st and follow with the Xtampza an hour after.
I agree with this guy completely. There is relief to be found in Xtampza, you just have to learn how to make it work for you. Honestly, I felt just like everyone else, angry. But when I realized I had no choice I tried some things. I go to McDonald’s every morning and I get a nice fattening sausage and egg McMuffin. Eat it, and open my xtampza and pour it in my mouth. An hour or so later I’m functioning, able to work. What’s tough is the getting going. I used to be able to wake up and grab my OxyContin and swallow without even water. Twenty minutes later I’m able to move, now I just prepare for hell for an hour in the morning and then I’m okay. But some days that hour of hell will unfortunately get everyone’s day started bad. I agree about the break through first but I don’t get as many of those as you do. But I’m on a higher dose of xtampza. Once you get going and stop being pissed at the world ……you will find yourself saying to yourself, ‘shit man, I think my xtampza is working.’ Oh yeah, take three to four Tylenol with it. Helps. I have found it to help as well as OxyContin but it’s far more inconvenient, the whole take w good thing kills me. Like I want to get up and make a full meal. Who feels kkke doing that? And I can only afford so many sausage and cheese McMuffins. If you get them with egg they go way up on price! Anyway, good luck.
Thanks for your detailed reply and for telling the exact milligrams you were taking and how many and how many times a day. Very helpful.
Thank you for this info. I hope it helps. I’m in so much pain in the mornings since switching to xtampza, that I start each day with a crying session. I will follow your advice and see what happens.
How does a Senior Citizen with a $600.00 SS check afford this $300.00 a month Medication ! The prices are too high ! Oxycontin cost $60.00 a lot of difference !
Through emailing the GAS I learned that this medicine is HIGHLY dependent on eating food with it. Fasting when taking it will result in ONLY 50% of the medicine ring released. The FEW was very concerned about this causing people to take another pill too soon and possibly cause an overdose. They required additional testing. Then if you eat a high fat high calorie MEAL it will release 150% of the purported dose. Th
For me it is not a good med! I need it immediately upon getting up but I can often not finish a cup of coffee before needing to lay down. Then it just does not work. The FEW explicitly stated to me it is N IT bioequivalent to Oxytocin ER. The main reason they approved it is because it is a Tamper Resistant Drug, which they are pushing for all extended release opioid
I will be asking my pain doc for a change because it is erratic in relieving my chronic pain. I hate what the CDC has caused to happen. Their “clarification” was worthless because the government has latched onto their guidelines.
Join ATIP we are fighting the CDC.
Why did my doctor change me over to Xtampza? Other medications were working.I don’t feel like I am getting a clear explanation and if I press too hard for explanation I fear he will dismiss me as a patient.
It could be for insurance reasons or safety reasons, or both.
I just started on Extampza 9mg , took it to my individually owned pharmacy it was well over $ 300- $ 350 .. my normal co-pay is $ 10 on most everything. Not these I about fell out with this price quote. My doctor even gave me a coupon for $35 that didn’t touch the expense!! Long story short pharmacy notified my doctor and asked them to get a PA ( prior approval) on this new medication. So by the next few days they got a 1- year approval for one year on the medication. I have Bc/bs insurance through my husband’s work thank goodness…. it was approved, just started on this yesterday, but it didn’t give me the relief I thought it would, Bc I didn’t remember to eat 30 minutes or so before. This morning I ate a descent breakfast took the capsule and I think with fingers crossed it’s already helping somewhat ( Also with 1- norco 10/325
Prayers for us all to get the medication and help we all need .. i agree it’s people out there with meds that’s being sold on the street/. And obviously they aren’t hurting at all – best wishes everyone
Shan what is ATIP? I have been working with the over 65 crowd with chronic pain.. It is not the senior citizens who are responsible for the opiate problem. Many like my self are required to see our physician every 30 days. Our pain reliving drugs cannot be filled without a written scrip. Kansas has a very strict program on Doctors and patients taking opiates. Our prescription are put into a data base to stop the patients from Dr. shopping. Every pharmacy in KS know when you last filled your prescription and where / great program. Seniors are paying dearly for the BS of the young and the addicts. I am taking Xtampza ER I will try the “full breakfast plan. Xtampza is not really doing much of anything. Signed,
I totally agree. I think they are all in denial. I hadn’t laughed for years until i read the last few posts. Sorry, but i’ve been there, too.
Just started this about a week ago. I feel relief or 6-8 hours max. Have severe headaches and bulging discs pinching nerves in neck. My wife had this for knee pain and she felt it worked. I was beginning to wonder if it is a placebo so I googled it and came across this blog. I am having nerve block Friday and am going to ask to go back on Percocet or get something for breakthrough. I am an iron worker and I teach apprenticeship after work on Monday and it took 2 hrs before my headache got any relief. I had to let them out early because I couldn’t do my job effectively. I tried the 2 Tylenol today and seemed to help a bit.
How do we get to comment on here?
You’ll see a place to enter comments at the very bottom of the post, beneath all the other comments.
You just commented?
Same thing popped in my head.. lol at least we interrupted this intense conversation..I was switched from percocet 10 325 4x a day to xzyamptra 18mg 2x a day I’m terrified being I’ve been on percocet for 8years is this going to work? The pharmacy had to special order it because they didn’t carry it..it arrives Monday I’m terrified hearing people talk badly about it..to throw it in the garbage another said it’s a joke the Gov’t is pulling on us it leaves you with pain regardless of mg I’m terrified as ***t !! Am I going to truly be as if I’m taking a little tramadol here or truly anyone be honest does it take your pain away???
Oops spelled Xtampza wrong up top..forgive me guys..
Well I tried to be patient and give this piece of useless medication its due but it has failed me too. I did have a tiny bit of relief when I opened the capsule and put the medicine under my tongue. About 2-3 hours later I cpuld feel some relief but only for approximately 3-5 hours later I was having my usual bad pain. I wont bore you all with my story right now but IF I GET THROUGH THIS I certainly want to share it. I pray you all have found some relief. Thank you.
I so feel everyone’s pain….. Just started me on the 18 mg Er twice a daywith 2 10/325 as a break thur if needed….. the Er are giving me no pain relief…. they make my mouth tingle and I don’t feel myself….. having withdraw and no energy I suffer from iRa, Osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, I’m Ana positive.. Sciatica,Bulging desk in my neck and lower back, I have no Curvature in my spine and upper or lower causes a lot of muscle pain and a few other thing don’t want to bore you with my issues…. I still was able to work full time with treating my pain with my 10/325 I have not been able the last week to stand for more then 3 hours work th out having to take a break and is so much pain throwing up…. I can’t live like this I have ) children 3!in collage 11 10 and 9 graded I can get disability but it won’t pay the bills… please keep me informed of any class action lawsuit or Petition.. mbtrucking2@yahoo.com
Worst med I’ve ever had. I’m not going into all my surgeries, but insurance has my drs furious. I am not Myself at all.!!!! Wish I personally was dead. 23 yrs on meds. Always take as directed. Hit by 5 drunk driver’s. Hope you’ll get things worked out
Chuck, i so understand! Im the same w/ 20 years & multiple surgeries & past medical issues! I was doing a card to test for colon cancer & actually found UNOPENED CAPSULES in my stool! I was so upset & am wondering if anyone has actually tested what the “binding agent” IS in these preventative drugs (including Morphabond ER) to see what is preventing them from opening up inside our bodies? Im disabled & feel completely useless w/ no real quality of life anymore. This BIG BROTHER approach to ending the opioid crisis is working (being sarcastic here) as people who werent abusing are just quietly giving up & dying alone so thus making the # of scripts being written dropping due to their deaths, NOT CONTROL of the epidemic! I pray u are getting some relief but im sure not!
Join Alliance for treatment of intractable pain ATIP. We’re fighting the CDC rules.
Stay away from class action law suits.
Majority of money goes to attorneys.
Hello, This is exactly how it makes me feel. Thought it was only me. Thank you
I went into this idea positively hoping it would control my pain… not like I had a choice anyway. It doesn’t work. I feel as if it may as well be a sugar pill. Someone said on the reviews that we were paying for the sins of drug addicted people on the street. At first read I thought maybe they were just missing a high. I believe they were right. Drug addicted people will still find what they are after and people like us will be in pain!
I asked why does oxycodone have acetaminophen for generic Percocet, cause it boosts the oxycodone so then I took 1000mg of Tylenol with my xtampza and I’m 100% pain free though extremely euphoric, I also take oxycodone 10/325 for breakthrough pain, but taking 2 Tylenol with 1 xtampza 18mg works for me a full 12 hours wonderful stuff, am I the only one that thought of this, this is basically oxycodone er but throw In Tylenol and it acts the same as generic Percocet IR
Tyneol does wonders,I too take 18 mg Xtampza along with 10 mg roxicodone.asked doctor to put me back on percocet.she said next month
Thank you Brian, I am going to start using Tylenol with my xtampza – hopefully, it will help me.
You need to ck on long term use of Tylenol 1000mg twice a day
Plus 325mg each with Breakthru is just to much on your kidneys and liver
My extra addition to my pain meds WAS 800mg
Of Ibuprofen
This worked great until it burned my stomach, intestines and who knows about my kidneys
Just try holding a ibuprofen in your mouth for a few minutes No one can it burns your month
Yet it’s easy to get
I wish u luck I have found a good pain management clinic and they are knowledgeable about these dangers
I take regular pain meds without any additional meds
I do not abuse them They work and I don’t self Diagnose
Blow Joe
Can you tell me where your located in country?
I’ve been through 3 of these pain management joints.this one I’m in I love dr an he knows pain I’m in.but he wont give me anything stronger than 20mg plus this xtampza. I was on 80 er n 20 for breakthrough but that changed when idiots couldnt be accountable . Back then I had 85% of quality of life.now I’m back on couch in pain with no life. I cant find someone to help me.might b time to check out. This isnt worth going through everyday. Please let me know your wearabouts.if your dr. Would be someone to try
Thanks
I’m sure glad your getting the relief you need. I just started on xtampza 2 weeks ago, after being on contin er for 12 yrs. I also added tylenol but still zero relief. I also take 10/325 so I have to watch my tylenol intake. Been on meds for 23 yrs. Hit by 5 drunk drivers. 23 surgeries a heart attack and 1 last surgery in 15. I broke my back in 2 places n my neck n both shoulders n collarbones. Both knees shattered etc… Xtampza makes me I’ll feeling. I’ve been in bed for the 1st time in 20 yrs from pain. I’m throwing up n diaherra n feels like razor blades at my navel. All this after 3rd day on it. I e been on several er meds n oxycontin er is the only 1 that works. It’s my ins, my dr is very upset n frustrated tryn to get me bk on my meds that work. Meanwhile I lay here in pain, sleep deprivation has taken over my brain n I’m feeling TOTALLY NOT MYSELF, my friends see this in me. They don’t know I take pain meds, cause I don’t act like sum1 who’s on sumthn. I’m glad your doing well. May God continue to bless you n yer drs n ins.
Xtampza ER – I’m not going to bother getting into all the politics but just give true testimony. Xtampza ER simply fails to deliver quality pain control. I don’t know why or why not but this is not equivalent to the Oxycontin. takes two hours for minimal relief on highest dose. very little change in pain level in legs. simply fails to deliver in every way. waste of money really. i give it 2/10 rating.
Try xtampza er with 1000mg of Tylenol, same as taking oxycodone with acetaminophen, warning it does make you very euphoric so be careful and don’t drive, been 100% pain free trying this combination
im having withdrawal symtoms after 6 to 8 hours and im taking tylenol with mine too. ialso take breakthrough medsoxyxone 10 ir but with the xtampza not working well is a fught to stop taking more than 4 daily any advice?
Can you snort the powder in side these extended release tablets
No. You can not crush them to a small enough size, and it definitely will not work with XTampza. With some products, if you are able to crush them to a small enough size (which is difficult), some are formulated in such a ways that snorting them gives similar peaks to taking the drug orally – it isn’t worth the effort.
What about the petition??? Has it been created does anyone have info?
Join ATIP. Alliance for treatment of intractable pain. We’re fighting the CDC regulations. The opioid epidemic is caused by the open border not patients and doctors. Add your voice to ours.
Where can I sign ? Are there any petitions outthere I’ll sign them all.. our voices need to be heard life is withering away when I was doing fine taking my medication properly now because of law changes because of street users we the ones who are sick need to pay consequences delinquent did!! This isn’t right, now I’ve even had to go to the hospital for pain when I never did now I have to deal with pain and financial dues from hospital bills so please if you can or anyone guide me anywhere to help us all signing petitions and writing any emails . Good luck everyone out there you’re all in my thoughts and prayers I will fight this to the end. God bless
Sign me up, someone has to help us, I dont sell or give away my meds, dont call for more cause I ran out, heck I got sent to the ER because I had a reaction to it. How does this help me.
Thats the best part. It does NOT help you. It doesn’t help me, you, or any other of the legitimate patients who have any kind of pain that were being treated.
My fiancé just had surgery where she had to literally have her throat cut open to remove a nodule thing; and she repeatedly asked the doctors for something for the pain. She had a tube hanging out of her neck for over two weeks (for drainage) and when we went back for the post-op visit; she asked the extremely judge mental (in my opinion) NURSE lady who was assigned to pull this tube out of her neck, (while she STILL had stitches, by the way), she literally; and I sh*t you not; damn near ripped it out of her neck, as to “delay any extra pain that may be caused.”
Now, while this “Nurse” lady had even acknowledged my lady was in pain; my lady asks Ms. Jackboot; “Is there anything you can give me for pain…? My family doctor, when I asked him, had told me you’d be the one to ask.”
She then said, “just take Tylenol. (Keep in mind, my Fiancé; who for moving forward in this story we will call “Cynthia”, she told “Cynthia” to just take Tylenol; and she “should” be fine. She advised us that in a week or so we would be following up with the surgeon; and at which point if she is still feeling pain; to ask her the same request. But; and this is crucial to the story—-she SPECIFICALLY ASKED this excuse for a practitioner, “CAN YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT MY PAIN MEDS THAT HAVE RAN OUT SINCE THE HOSPITAL?” To which she was replied, “you will have to talk to the surgeon about that.”
That week or so goes by; and we go BACK to see the surgeon; at the mother hospital instead of the satellite hospital we had seen Dr. Jekyl at who ripped the tube out.
Not only during the appointment, did the surgeon walk in to speak with us——but also, guess who.
You guessed it. Dr. (Nurse) Jekyl-Jack-Boot. And guess what happened next.
When “Cynthia” asked the doctor for any pain meds—-the Russian surgeon (sweet sweet lady), starts to say something; but Dr/Nurse Jack Boot opens her tiny little mouth and speaks FOR the surgeon; stating the following:
“Well, the best time to have asked us for that; um, yeah that would have been at the visit when we took your tube out.”
(Which, mind you—-we DID ask this excuse for a practitioner at the time of the tube removal, if my lady could have ANYTHING for some relief. We had been alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol day and night; and it was helping absolutely ZERO.)
What I’m getting at, is Dr. Shortcake LIED in front of the surgeon; and proceeds to tell “Cynthia” and I:
“Well, I’m sorry you didn’t now this. But, we only give those kind of medications to individuals who ask for them.”
……………
“Only to those who ask for them……” DO YOU NOT SEE THAT YOU HAVE CUT A 6+ INCH WIDE GAPING HOLE IN MY FIANCE’S THROAT; JUST MILLIMETERS AWAY FROM HER BREATHING TUBES?! YOU TRULY THINK SHE’S JUST *NOT* IN PAIN?!
Wow. I was really, REALLY worked up about this one. Not only did she call my fiancé a liar in front of the surgeon; but she also took away ANY my fiancé had about getting her pain treated.
This is seeming more like Nazi Germany when it comes to these doctors, nowadays.
I thought they took an oath; “To help, never to harm.”
Well, Guess what, ladies. You have effectively HARMED not only my fiancé; but me as well. Because guess what else—-the next time I have to have ANYTHING removed from my body; I dont care if its a gunshot wound leeching lead into my blood—-I would rather just go naturally as opposed to be promised by these “doctors” who are now effectively agents of the state; which *Conspiracy theory warning* these “agents of the state”, are driving UP suicide rates; and are of course forcing individuals who cannot get their pain managed nor get anything to help with their pain, turning to heroin which then they can lock up and obtain more funding for these privatized prisons.
This is all very, very sad. I am only 31 years young; but I still remember what it was like to go into a doctor; you have an injury— you show them whats going on; and they will scribble you out a quick prescription for just a few days at least and you can finally be out of the relentless pain.
It hurt me to watch somebody I love so so much go through this kind of treatment; and all of it with NO anesthesia other than local, topical stuff.. is almost an insult.
Each time they treat one of us like ive read that they have on this forum; it disgusts me. They take an oath, they swear their LIVES to help and never to harm,,,,, But now all they are doing is harming,,,,,,,,,,, Sickening.
I went through similar- and have thought the same – this is more like NAZI Germany.
Look up Agenda 21. and follow Attorney John Whitehead. We are living under tyranny. This is not America anymore.
Please place me on the list of people who want change also.. thank yoi for helping so many people.
i think you all will find the YouTube video called THE OTHER SIDE OF OPIOIDS by Matthew Adams of great interest! It chronicles the actual TRUTH AND DARK LIES that the CDC AND DEA have implemented about the number of overdose drug deaths in our country. They blame illegal drug deaths on prescription deaths and ignore toxicology reports IF narcotics are involved. Next it’s explained by highly reliable experts how the DEA and CDC set out to intimidate our Board Certified Pain Doctors in America to STOP writing life changing pain medications for chronic pain medications for patients that have documented health conditions and 7 page MRI reports that truly NEED and DESERVE these medications and the DEA and the CDC is absolutely 100% guilty of causing these people to suffer needlessly in their own selfish objective to stop a drug problem in America by full-well knowing they are going after the WRONG problem! Also a study published late May at the American Society of Pain cites an 86% DROP in pain patients medications, without ANY tapering, has taken place. Many patients including myself have ending up with very expensive emergency room visits due to such drastic drops in pain medications in one visit causing huge increase in new blood pressure problems from increased pain. It makes me wonder just what the cost drag is on the Medicare system is to “add in” 5 visits to a primary, a emergency visit to urgent care, get shipped over to ER, spend 8 hours there getting brain CT scans, EKGs, full blood work-up’s, you-name-it for a retired person that NEVER had high BP in their lifetime – EVER?!! UNTIL pain medication got whacked in 1/2 by US GOVERNMENT SUGGESTED GUIDELINES AND PAIN DOCTOR INTIMIDATION AT IT’S FINEST? I feel it is reprehensible and should STOP and this video and these lies NEED TO WORK THEIR WAY TO PRESIDENT DONALD J TRUMP – I am “highly” thankful I am NOT stroked-out, still alive to write and “whine” about it! This NEEDS to get fixed. Our drug addicts WILL still get what they WANT – over at the GOVERNMENT RUN METHADONE CLINICS .. the BEST pain medication EVER invented that pain patients are NOT allowed to obtain by the way or not more than 15mg day I was told this week. Yet at Methadone Clinic they take as much as 300mg day I’ve heard. I
am wondering if this IS about government CASH AND THEY JUST “MAYBE” WANT MORE PEOPLE IN THEIR GOVERNMENT RUN DRUG CLINICS – YA THINK. You will NEVER fine ME there, but perhaps that is THEIR goal???
I am in also, my email address is sherr17299@aim.com. I have been denied at the pharmacy due to shortages.
How do I get in on this, it’s time to help us folks that need it and dont abuse it or sell it, I have never called for more pills cause I ran out. Something has to be done, they drive us to pain clinics, and most of them now are getting into rehab places because it’s more money.
Go to mom and pop pharmacies, there is no short supply, big box stores are basically lying, I’ve had 0% problems about filling any narcotic meds from where I go and if they don’t have it they tell me they have to order it and it will be there the next day after 11am
What state are you in? I’m in Texas & it’s a NIGHTMARE!!! Not only did they switch me from OxyContin to Xtampza (which sucks) they are making me cut my daily dose in half! The dose I was on wasn’t completely helping w/my pain & now they want to change my meds & cut in half. Also I have had anxiety & I need to get off my anxiety meds as well, or they won’t give me my pain meds.
They wonder why heroin is such a problem in this country? Well stop taking ppl off their medication & see how it changes. Ppl who would NEVER even think about heroin are now forced to consider it. I’m not 1 of them but know ppl who have & I can’t judge them. They are in constant severe pain & they have to do what they gotta do?!!
Seriously, this is a major problem. We need to speak out. I can’t work w/o pain meds!!! So what do I do? I have 3 kids a wife, home etc. I’m screwed
I totally understand your fear. Hope I didn’t use a wrong word. Those of us who must work for a living are facing a crisis more real to us than the so called opioid crisis. Our lives are at stake. Because we sought help for debiliting pain from a medical professional we are now in a “system” and labeled. I am so sorry for your situation.
In what city in TX do you live?
There are a ___few___ MDs in TX who will write the higher level of scripts.
For deserving patients who rely on an adequate dose of pain meds just to function, these doctors are a blessing.
Is there anyway you can respond to me privately?
exactly ,they are pushing all of us non productive vultures of the system into there open eyes to be treated as their lab rats and i think you lose your rights as well because of your being in this system . this allows them to treat you as they damn well please with out any possibility of your being able to follow thru with any legal action against them for what they are giving and doing to you
Abby
That was great reading I too am living now on a couch in pain bc this game being played by politicians. I have been doing everything I can to get rx so I can live before I die.im 66 yrs old I was on 80mg 3x a day n 20 mg for breakthrough. I didnt od. I didnt ask for stronger doses.i did what I was told with rx and had 85%of my life back.
Now I’m on 20mg 4x a day. I have to take 3 or 4 of them in the morning just to get up. They put me on 9mg extampza which I have no idea if it’s doing anything or not. I joined forums for people in cronic pain. Long story short all the admin. Said to get in contact with congressman and explain problem. I live on long island.
Lee Zelden is my Congressman .whenever he called me for my vote I was there for him.for whatever reason I’ve asked 5 times to meet with him. At first I got runaround now I dont even get a call. Anyway I cant believe DRS lost thrre spine and are kissing politicians asses. They are petrified of being arrested. WTF?? When did these emptysuit moron politicians get their medical degree?
I’m at my end. They are forcing me to go on dark web n buy my medicine there. I dont have money to waste on rx. But I cant live like this. Anyway thanks for your post
Dennis
i bet the xtampza 9 mg bid every 12 hours doesnt do shit honey it doesnt for me either and im going through withdrawal symptoms 5 hours or less after taking it. i have 10 mg oxycodone extended release 4 times a day in addition to xtampza for a roral of 60 mg altogether, i have ddd kupus type 2 diabetes osteoarthritis ms fibro osteoporosis and a 26 yr old nonverbal autistic son who is also mmr to care for and a stroke 7 weeks ago i need some relief tooo
Abby forgot to add that in with these store front “rehab clinucs”
That’s exactly what it us!!! A new way to con people out of money. Im sure their are ones who abused it. But today if you mention your on pain rx they look at you like your the scum of the earth and belong in ready??
REHAB!!! YOUR NOT IN PAIN!! PLEASE…..
I totally agree and was asked to try the xtampza over the 3 30mg of oxicotin that was working for me and now my pain mgt. Won’t work with me for something different because my pain is constant and no doubt it does not work for 12 hrs.They charge you for PT, injections and urine tests and continue to make their money and really don’t listen to your needs all because others abused the system so we have to suffer, that’s not good medicine.
I was absolutely appalled when I heard from my niece in Virginia that her and her husband go to the Methadone clinic and MEDICAID pays for it, they sure don’t pay for it in NC and I thought MEDICAID was the same in all States, it burns me up that I have to live on SS that I worked my whole life for and pay over 200 a month for Medicare and was denied disability yet she gets disability for having varicose veins WTH she’s in her early 30s and my poor mom had terrible varicose veins and worked waiting tables till she was 70…sorry off topic but I was on Xtampza 18mg and it didn’t help me a bit and it’s a shame that people have to live in pain cuz of the “so called ” opioid crisis smdh good luck to anyone who has to jump through hoops to get ANY TYPE of pain meds it’s just ridiculous
I am in, it’s time we all stood up and brought a class action law suit against them… I am with you all the way..
Can u explain your thoughts on the class action law suit? I have been contemplating this myself
It is being considered. Join ATIP
Hi my name is Kim. I like many of you are stuck on the pain pill treadmill with the rest of you. For multiple health reasons I to require daily pain medication. And I have liver enzyme issues. This makes medication difficult for me. I’ve been switched many times to many drugs. I have now had to have my gallbladder removed and was hospitalized for extremely high liver enzymes. All due to the new drug guidelines. My pain doctor told me, and tells all of his patients to write letters to your senate, the surgeon general, congress, and the White House. Physicians and surgeons are not happy with the government and insurance companies telling them how to treat us any more than we like it. So write letters often! And hope and pray for changes.
I’m writing an article on how this is a war on the suffering, not addiction. If you would like to be a source, please email me atvelocitygrl@msn.com , Jamie Utitus
Jamie,
I am a RA patient. I was feeling sorry for myself, freaking out over pain med issue as doctor cutting my dose even though I am getting worse. Then I read your blog and I am humbled by your grace in the face of your disease. The deterioration of your body and your life, the constant pain, the expenses and the shameful way Disability operates (I have been turned down twice and therefore forced to work) I have been through it all, too. I just want to say “thank you” for being so open and sharing your experiences. It’s brave and powerful. I don’t know … I just felt I had to connect.
The Administration, DEA and whoever else is caught up in so called War on Opiates should be ashamed of what it is doing to pain patients. You shouldn’t have to be dying to be pain free. New drug Xtampza ER still costs almost $100 with discount and doesn’t help. I care for my 92 yr-old Mom with dementia, but some days can barely walk or get out of bed. For me, pain medication means I can perform all the required tasks of my daily life …Mom care, food prep, housework, pet care. It was a lifeline and now it has been cut
Hi Melissa,
I am trying to find a way to get my Xtampsa affordable but have to pay $249.00 with the coupon. Would you mind telling me where you are located that you only have to pay $100.00. I will get it there…!
Thank you in advance.
Lynn D.
I am not the person you asked the question to but after getting my doctor to get a pre- authorization, the coupon was automatically applied to my med and the cost was $100. If you have Medicare the coupon will not help.
Lynn D. Xtampza is 549.99 dollars per month without insurance. i live in the southern US. but with insurance the co-pay is only 3 bucks. as far as meds go, medicaid is the best at little co-pay. but, in my opinion Xtampza isnt even worth the 3 bucks. it works for about 1 hour on me. then back to the pain.
they took me off o ycodone, due to expense. told my Dr. too expensive. (insurance company). they charge $974. for 2 36mg one month supply. oxycodone 30mg 2xday 30 days. $194.
Hi Jamie!
Watch the YouTube video THE OTHER SIDE OF OPIOIDS. You won’t even believe it. It’s absolutely awesome! Also the study late May at the American Society of Pain and the “unintended consequence of the opioid crisis” that 86% of pain patients had medications reduced. Contact: Jane at insurancelady@live.com … it’s high-time we ALL join forces and take action. The video IS now our evidence! We NEED to try to get the men in that fabulous video to see if they might be able to HELP US, they have done all of the research. At the very end of the video, it references “more resources are available from their website”.
I tried to email you but it came back, If you are still working on your article on suffering I would love to give my opinion. Contact me I would love to help
Yes I would gullettjag@aol.com insane I’m 66 years old causing my marriage of 49 years to break up with all this try this try this we can not afford this crap it does not work
Thank you for sensible advice. PRAY EVERYONE
I have been on and off Oxycontin since 1993 due to broken neck osteoporosis, anglo spondylitis, arthritis and a few other pain issues due to my line of work and was 38yrs old at the time. i would limit myself to one every time i had severe pain and need some relief mostly while driving.
i was always worried about addiction so i was always careful about how much i would take.
the side effects were not bad for me and had plenty of food around or something liquid to keep it from affecting my organs.
one side affect is not being able to urinated and constipation.
back then the doctors would give you whatever you wanted and never would abuse it.
then in 2006 i had a tumor removed from my below my lower spine within and the doc had to cut a nerve that he said that one of the tumors had been attached to and end result was all my lower extremities had numinous in certain muscles in legs certain organs one being my bladder and was back on having to use catheters to be able to urinate and due to being on the oxycotin had caused my bladder not to work again even at this time i still use them and constipation issues and more of the other pain issues were even worst than before so they prescribed the 5mg/325 3 times a day until i found out about the oxycodone 30mg was a time release and those seemed to work better also because i got to where i would only take 2 a day because i had trouble sleeping at night so i would wake up early take one and wait as long as possible to take the second one and that worked good along with a natural sleeping aid.
now when i went to fill another script they tell me insurance will not cover it and have to take the Xtampza and after reading all of this i am very concerned that it will not work i only have been on it one day but hopefully it will help me get off of the stuff so that one day i can have the pleasure of urinating on my own.
i dont understand how the insurance companies can do this to the real people in need we suffer from there stupidities and there need top make more money off of us and we cant do a thing about it.
the drug companies are so afraid that there sales will go down if someone finds a better non addictive drug that they all drag there feet instead of releasing these other drugs that are out all over the world and we cant get them approved because it takes 10yrs to find all of the bad stuff that every drug has a big list of for these new ones.
if people will consent to it why not let the ones that are needing the most relief and want there last days and years to be good be there patents and i am one that would be first in line.
let some of these money hungry idiots have the pain we have and see what the reality of this constant pain is really like.
i am trying the medical marijuana just so i can have something else to make my life a pleasure to wake up to each morning and will keep looking for any other solutions that dont involve these idiots who are worried about money over comfortable living conditions
they are not doctors that have hands on with each patient so how do they know what is best.
they need to spend the money finding the ones who are issuing the large amounts just to keep getting money instead of wasting it on ways of how to keep screwing people out of there needed relief.
you will always have abusers but work on those people and figure out away that doesnt affect the honest people.
i have learned to live with some of my pain but there is many times when i would love to take that one extra pill to get the better relief and most of it is having the will power to just take it as prescribed so why not train people or have classes or anything to help us not take away because someone else is abusing it.
i even have had a stimulator installed and it helps some but not like the medicine does.
sorry for the long version but it just gets frustrating when we get put aside for others best interest.
Yes very well said your story sounds like my life story. I have been on oxycontin for 28 years now and all the sudden my insurance will not pay anymore and my little social society check will not even cover the cost even if I wanted to pay out of pocket and I don’t but I couldn’t. So now they have me on Xtampza and to be completely honest I cant even tell I have taken it. It doesn’t even begin to touch my pain. What to do ??????? I’m begging for answers that no one has, I don’t wish pain on anyone but the people doing this to us will never know the life we live with all this pain it is a living hell. Signed desperate GaGa my great grandchildren call me GaGa by the way.
i have been on dilaudid for two years now and got switched to xtampza,talk about an overrated garbage capsule, my doctor gave me 2 18 mg capsules a day and 2 percs a day the xtampza i take in the morning before work and ive seen my paycheck and work performance dwindle to shit so i take 2 percs in the morning just so i can get up then in the afternoon i take the xtampza.the oxycodone is barricaded in so much shit it doesnt have a chance of treating your pain and it costs ten times more than regular oxycodone which is bullshit i dont feel any pain relief from this trash they call pain medicine please give me a break doc put me on something that works
Agree, had to take or try medicare said last month. Have a splitting headache every day, take six aspirin. I’m calling insurance co., today, not taking that crap again. I wish everyone would stay out of my pain management! I know what works let me have what I have taken for several years and never had any problems.
To the person with SEVERE HEADACHES**… please contact me, I’ve found some different things that have given me pain relief from chronic migraines. Would love to share with you.
I too am having severe headaches with this. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Rrdukes@gmail.com
Thanks in advance
Robert Eagle and others. I agree wholeheartedly! I have been suffering from severe peripheral neuropathy in both legs/feet from knees to toes since 2002 from a lower back infection requiring a 3 1/2 hour surgery to remove the infection and save my life but in the process, nerves were disrupted and nicked. Xtampza does absolutely nothing for my pain. I actually went thru withdrawal within 2 hours of taking (1) 36 mg tablet. I wonder how many people who were prescribed other pain medication that worked and were then switched to Xtampza have died from withdrawal symptoms. I bet quite a few! But who hears about it? The gov’t, DEA, CDC, insurance company’s, pharmaceutical company’s, etc. lend a blind eye and deaf ear to bad reviews from us who are really suffering from crap like Xtampza. My doctor prescribed it for 1 month while I was appealing the decision of my ins co to not cover my Oxymorphone for 2018. I only survived that month by taking my (120) 10mg IR tabs of Oxycodone and another (60) 30mg IR tabs of Oxycodone prescribed by my pain doctor to get me through. It was a rough month and I spent most of the time in bed but I won my appeal and can now have somewhat of a life again…only knowing that I will have to go thru this same fight every year with the ins. co. These people making the worthless drugs and those restricting the meds that work should have to endure the horrific pain for one day to know what it feels like and then change the idiotic rules and regulations for people who are not abusing drugs and need them for survival. Let the doctors who trained for years do what they were trained to do. The others need to back off! Xtampza is by far the worst, most useless, overrated pain med out there. Get rid of it!
Hi….I’m a little confused regarding your review of Xtrampza which is, as you know, is sustained release Oxycodone. Obviously, what works best for you is hydromorphone. Oxycodone works well for many people, to include my husband (who, trust me, has MANY reasons to hurt). He is considering changing from the fast acting oxycodone to sustained release for better coverage. People who read your post may believe that Xtampza ER may take your review at face value and avoid it just because oxycodone is not the med that works for you. I’m a healthcare professional and can tell from your post that “this is is “not your first rodeo”……I totally agree with you (and am angry as well) that our gov’t is putting us all in the same “box” as those that actually abuse opioids (and street drugs, too) and it makes it a horrible situation for those that just want some quality of life and do NOT abuse meds given to them There are millions of people who are suffering needlessly for the ac tions of others. I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know we need to collectively use our voice however we can to separate us from the true abusers.
I was switched from 60mg morphine sulphate ER one pill 3 times daily and four 10mg percecette ir a day to one 9mg xtampza er twice a day and went through withdraws for 2 days on top of having a major Chrons attack because I was prescribed it on a Friday and pain mngmnt was closed weekends , I have Chrons disease and have had 10 surgeries for anal horshoe fistulas and became spetic multiple times which I barely pulled through but until they can solve my issues I need the pain meds but w my Chrons disease my body processes meds very fast almost abnormally fast as my GI Dr explained the meds are absorbing before hitting my small intestine where the bioavailability would be much higher if reaching small intestine so I spent 1 year jumping through pain mngmnt hoops trying diff pian meds that werent working and me telling them over and over Oxycontin is the only drug I’ve ever found that works on my body and never getting switched over to so I jumped through their hoops for almost a yr until o got fed up with it and went down to their office and told them I felt like I wasnt getting the proper care I need and felt neglected that I’m 6’5 280lbs and am being given meds that don’t work and the doses a person half my size should be given not someone my size so they agreed to switch me to oxy as I was already on percecette , or so I thought I got to pharmacy and found xtampza found out it was time release oxycodone so I fig it would be ok and I was told it was stronger than the morphine I was on do I took it home which was a huge mistake because I take the meds as prescribed and a family member hands them out to me daily when time is right to be precatious because I don’t want to spiral out of control I want to find a solution to why I’m having repetitive surgeries and get off the pain meds taking daily and only use when I have surgery or really need so that weekend was brutal taking 9mg xtampza after months of 180mg morphine a day and it sent me into a major Chrons attack on top of WD symptoms because found out later 9mg xrampza is equivalent to a 10 mg percecette the 13 mg xtampza is equivalent to 15 mg oxycodone so I went from all that morphine to time release of 1 ten mg percecette being released every cpl hours ..that Monday I raised hell was ready to report them to medical board , I left on 20 mg oxycontin er which has made a huge difference in my life in short time on it I’m active again not laying or sitting watching TV all day , oxycodone is a good drug oxycontin too but like the other person said xtampza is garbage when someone has been on any medication that is time released prior to starting xtampza , its not a good drug to switch someone too unless they have never been on a time release before
That is malpractice!
Crap like this is the reason we are in this boat. Because you have a shit doctor prescribing two IR of the same exact drug..this is the whole reason this has happened. Why would you take two IRs of oxycodone. The dirty doctors prescribing two oxycodone IR tabs is what got us here and you’re talking about it like it is nothing and saying you were in withdrawal..and it sounds like ontop of your two oxycodone IR you’re on DILAUDID TOO??? How can you be in withdrawal while taking such extremely high doses of oxycodone? Sounds like you abuse your meds if you had to lay in bed for a month sick with 120 OXY 10ir and 60 30mg OXY IR..you and your doctor are the problem, people like you…there is no way you should be in withdrawal while having such high doses unless you abuse them and take more…
Besides the withdrawal part; my mother is a chronic pain patient and has had her old dose (back in 2011) 250 Oxycodne 10mg IR; as well as 80 30mg ER Morphine.
I’m so proud of her; she has had her dose slightly and slightly decreased over this “crisis” (which isn’t at all about the drugs themselves; its about why do Americans want to get high and escape reality in the first place. If its not opiates; it’ll be amphetamines. If not amphetamines; it’ll be heroin. If not heroin, it’ll be tide pods. Etc.
Anyway, she gets a script every month from her primary care arthritis doctor for 120 5mg Oxycodone IR tabs.
Her morph one WAS originally cut down to 62 pills a month; dont know why; but eventually, that was cut.
She has had the 5mg 120 tabs of IR for the last couple years.
She takes them as minimally as possible. Here is my conundrum…
She fell about a week ago. She fractured her lower back/hip. The doctor she was under the care of; sent he home with a script of the same thing she usually takes; (5mg Oxycodone IR), with a count of 32 tablets.
Taking 1-2 Tablets every six hours; that is a 4 day supply.
Before going to fill her regular monthly script; as I normally do; I had taken both the written script for the monthly 120; as well as the script for the fractured hip; for the additional 32 pills/ aka the 4 day supply for the hip pain.
I asked our trusted pharmacist (whom it makes her ENTIRE day when I pay in $2 bills; because she buys them out of the register for her family for birthdays and whatnot; and I’m one of those weirdos who likes to pay for things with $2 bills.)
Anyway; beside the point, I know. Just wanted to illustrate how close to our family this pharmacist is. I showed her both scripts; and at first to me It kind of looked like my mom had been “doctor shopping”; when in all actuality; and since I am her caretaker; I KNEW that she was not; hell, both scripts are from the exact same hospital and the exact same department…. she has no interest in Dr shopping; she doesn’t even like the way they make her feel; but I force her to take them.
When I presented this issue to our pharmacist friend; she made a “recommendation” that “
“ unfortunately; doctors will write overlapping scripts like this. EVen though they can see in their inter-hospital system that the exact drug has been written by another doctor; the best advice I could give is to maybe hold onto it…? In case you need it…? It’s good for 6 months; and I guess if you needed it for any reason you can’t get ahold of the regular script of 120; maybe it will come in handy.”
I said, with all due respect; she has the broken hip NOW; and there is no better time in my eyes than right now; whilst she is in a tremendous amount of pain.
She said, I know, I understand. But unfortunately thats the way it is.
So, then I said, in the loudest but respectable voice I could-but still so that the head pharmacist could hear me;
“So its not a war on drugs; it’s not a war on addiction; and its definitely not a war on ‘opiates’…. its a war on sick people. I hear all these conspiracy theories regardling dep0pulation… Just look at how the suicide rates have spiked since this opiate thing has been regarded as a “crisis’’.
Not to mention Fentanyl, Heroin, and other pain-killing drugs (wether stolen from family members; to the robbing of pharmacies in the Furgeson, Missouri riots)… We call that a clue.
I still am sitting on this extra prescription for my mother; both her regular script AND the fractured hip script because neither can be filled without causing problems for the other; and I dont want her to get red flagged.
It’s almost like they are putting her in the position of “do you want to treat your rheumatoid arthritis; or do you want to treat your broken hip…?”
And the screwed up part is; before picking up her written monthly stripped for the 120 5mg; my mom called the doctors office and explained all this; and explained “hey, is there a way that she (the doctor) could possibly, JUST FOR THIS MONTH; add those 32 pills-of the exact same milligram and dose and everything), if she could please add those to this script just for THIs month; and her doctor was completely uncooperative about this issue. Responding by saying;
“That the doctor would ABSOLUTELY NOT do such a thing.”
Wow! Any Suggestions or recommendations…? Any one else been in this situation.
I was on opana for over 10 yrs an my dr merged with another pain clinic an they pulled opana an gave me ztampza an 2 -10mg oxycodones a day. I now feel like I’m dying I hurt so bad. They gave me lyrica too, an when I called n an told them how bad I feel they wanted to increase the lyrica. I said no because it makes me so fuzzy I can’t see or think. I am not functioning. I was hurt n 06,surgery n 08. After returning as a letter carrier I thought I was fine.My condition rapidly declined an I ended up on opana 40mg 2x a day an 2-10mg 4x a day . I was able to cut myself back on those to 1tab 4x a day after a few years.Then after several trips to the ER thinking I was havin a heart attack, I started takin only 1ER a day. I managed for a few months ,then I told my dr ,showed him my bottle of pills. He acted like he got mad cause he didn’t think of it . I hadenough to go 2 months w/o script for my ER.Then he lowered it to 15mg 2x an 2 10s a day and moved me to a clinic that doesn’t give opana after telling me I’d b on it for life. I’m glad I switched without crazy withdrawals. But I’m hurting everywhere now. The opana covered up so many things, I’m n misery can’t move my head,my neck hurts so bad. Both shoulders hurt terribly. I can’t think, it’s Xmas- I’m 62 with a 6mo old grandchild I can’t hold due to pain. My kid doesn’t understand, neither do I. Ive been independent all my life always doing for others. Now alone an struggle trying to do for myself.. At least with the opana I functioned, never abused it- ever!I truly didn’t realize how much it actually did for me til they switched it. Don’t know how I’m gonna survive like this.
Ok, where to begin, I want to keep this short. I have been on both sides of this debate, not the drug addict side, even though I have a mother, an ex-wife, and many friends whom are recovering addicts, so I get it. I have been a care giver for my now deceased wife, whom died from breast cancer. I have been a frustrated patient yelling at multiple doctors saying I can barely move, and them saying “you are to young for this ‘type’ of pain, just go home and relax.” Also, doctors saying that “I am just trying to get pain meds” without doing any tests or anything at al, before the crack down, I live in a retired military town, the military only gives Motrin 800mg, so have to travel for ALL of my care, cancer care, neurology, pain, etc. I finally have a primary care in my town that comes from the bigger city that 70% of people are forced to go to because of the bad doctors, with so many lawsuits, in my town. The reason my wife was so bad, was because the doctors did the same thing to her and it took years for them to do anything. So instead of being stage 1 it was in between stage 3-4.
Now, after years of complaining about pain, that is very severe sometimes and not so much others, I was working for a doctor, he did tests, and found out I had a blood infection, a blood clotting disorder, multiple scars from pulmonary embolisms, aortic embolisms, gall bladder exploded but repaired itself(glad I didn’t die then), kidney stones, bone marrow ‘lesions’, PFO(hole in my heart small then big from blood clots passing throigh, 80% of every person in the world has this hole, most never causing issues, or just panic attacks), ‘mini’ strokes, and, fianlly, if I needed more, soft tissue cancer (Carcinoma Neoplasm in soft tissue) and osteosarcoma.
So, I know the frustration from every side. I even wrote the doctor’s policy on pain management meds, with the new rules, yes he was a pain doctor that worked for but also a neurologist, and psychologist. So when I say I know every side, I know every side. The problem is he had to not only document the need for meds, every 30 days, get authorizations every 30 days, have a ‘pain med’ policy(which I wrote, it was good since I had pain and know how it felt to be ignored), check DEA database every visit( not prescription management database), try to lower everyone without cancer to at first 120 now 90 MEQ(which is taking two 5mg Percocet every 4 hours) not much, and has to document, fax, mail in, and/or call the DEA if above the 90 limit, and have to answer all pahrmacy calls, which would call all the time for every reason possible.
The pharmacy would call to say “Did you write this script? They is a better long acting med available are you sure you want them to fill this? They got 60 pills 30 days ago are you sure? So basically they would question every prescription for an opioid and call for everything, even with a hard copy, or even staying prn cancer pain. I have personally seen and it happened to me, where the pharmacy says “I am not filling this” when I ask why, they say “I don’t know you, you just got meds, go to your normal pharmacy.” I tell them “my normal pharmacy is in a small town, and they never have meds, always have to order, and I am out.” The pharmacist will say “Not my problem.” I look sick because of my health issues and cancer but even with the script saying for cancer they still do that, and treat me like a drug addict. I finally found a pharmacy that treats me right, doesn’t call the doctor for every little thing, actually never calls, and always has meds, and don’t have to drive to my small town and hope they don’t have to order.
I understand that with my Cancer diagnosis, people are just going to say “you can have whatever you want, etc” but that is not what I want. I watched with my wife dying from cancer and the doctors just giving any pain med requested, no matter amounts etc. But while taking care of her, her cancer was way worse than mine, I needed to be able to function, so I did not go to a pain management doctor until she passed. I still try and stay below the 120 MEQ amount, at the same time, I do have meds to take if it is that bad. I was switched to this, not because of OxyContin, but because my insurance kept asking for a prior authorization, for a drug not on formulary, every 30 days. They always approved it, but was frustrating. So this is a trial run. I can tell you, besides people being upset, so far, it works pretty good. I still have to take break through Dilaudid, but is at a minimal. The side effects, I have none so far. It sounds like most side effects are because of the med being too strong. Also, seems like people having withdrawal, if you were switched from 40 mg of OxyContin, which is 120 MEQ above the DEA limit, if you have withdrawal go to the hospital and they will give you a narcotic pain shot to not be, then tell your doctor it needs to be raised, but he may not be happy about it and tell you to suck it up. If you go in withdrawal, because you went from 40 OC to 36 xtampza then you were abusing your meds, because they are equivalent. They are switching people, not because of the deterrent thing, but it is a new med, which everyone in hospice, besides a handful of cancer patients are being converted because you can pour it over food, rather than crushing it and putting in food, or in a feeding tube. It sounds like some of your doctors are tired of writing meds and trying to get you to complain, to kick you out.
It takes a little bit but does kick in, so maybe you are taking break through meds because you are thinking it will take a while, it is only long the first few days, once your plasma levels are up it stays there, as long as you take it every 12 hours. Also, if you are still in pain, which with ER meds, you should be about a 6-7 out of 10 on the scale, then you need a higher amount or break through meds. A long acting med, like this, is only supposed to take off the edge and then you should be given break through meds for anything greater.
You and I, will never ever be pain free, but I can function in my pain level is at a 7. Anything above that, and I will go crazy. I suck up a ton, sucked up pain for years, even crippling pain, and really don’t want to suck it up any more.
And before I get all the mean comments, let me say, I have to take pain meds, and wait for them to kick in, before I can physically get out of bed. I never sleep all night, and my pain wakes me up or even prevents me from going to sleep. So to the people that are about to say, you are not in that much pain, or I was pain free on …, or stop defending the doctors, etc etc. This med may not be perfect, but the ER meds that you are talking about OC is so much worse long term. I know you won’t believe me, but Oxy any kind long term, 2+ years, causes more health issues such as, liver failure, kidney stones, heart disease, bone decrease, etc etc. Which this med is supposed to not cause this, but who knows. OxyContin, and Oxycodone IR, both cause this.
I hope you understand it is not the doctors, their hands are tied, at all ends, the documents, DEA, insurance, pharmacy, and most importantly, patients whom should have never gotten narcotic pain meds to begin with but the system and doctor shopping kept them hooked, now people in legitimate pain, not fibromyalgia or nerve pain, which is bad, but is not solved by pain meds. And I know the trolls so, I have nerve pain, carpal tunnel, ulnar neuropathy, and neuropathy in my legs, and arms, but the nerve pain I sucked up even before I knew I had it. I had tons of pain in those areas but knew it was not solved by pain meds, unless the pain meds are anti-inflammatory, or, from what I heard from doctors, not wearing too tight of clothes for years even just once, and people whom are obese need to lose weight. I don’t have any of that, but the blood clots caused nerve damage from years of not even knowing I had it.
I really hope, you understand. I know some are going to say, but you get Dilaudid, or you have cancer, you can get fentanyl, I understand that but that is not what I want. And if you do, then maybe you have more of an addiction, we all have a physical dependence if you have withdrawal symptoms, but a mental or physcological addiction, which is in definition an addict, and should seek treatment for such.
First off OxyContin OC was pulled off the market in 2009 or 2010 due to the abuse potential because the coating could be rubbed off and it would be just a regular instant release and people were getting addicted at astounding rates. They came out with OxyContin OP that had a better abuse deterrent that would gel up if you tried to abuse it as an instant release. Now they are trying to put people on Xtampza, not because they want to get rid of them. The bioavailability is completely different and I’ve been on the 40mg OP’s for years and find the Xtampza is actually way stronger because of the bioavailability, you actually get more of the drug, it’s not wasted like the other OxyContin OP. It helps me tremendously and studies have showed the same. Maybe your body just isn’t able to metabolize it correctly. Talk to your Dr about it without yelling, it will get you much further.
Also I’m 35 and have had catastrophic things happen to my body. I’ve never been told I’m not old enough to be on strong pain meds.
I have just finished reading every response in this blog. Like so many others that wrote in I too was switched from oxycontin to xtampza. I can tell you after four months that xtampza is a terrible medication.
I am a retired police officer (28 years) and a military veteran. I have had numerous injuries many requiring surgery. I always gave my best and never backed down even if it meant injury was iminent. Now I realize what a fool I was. I always thought I would be taken care of. Instead of having the same government that I served and protected turn it’s back on me.
However, there maybe a light at the end of the tunnel for all the pain suffers. There is an article in the may 2017 issue of wired magazine about pain. It is giving me hope that there may be help in the near future.
There are people that suffer from congenital insensitivity to pain. Individuals diagnosed with this do not feel pain. Although it sounds great they have to be very careful in life because they can actually break bones or seriously injure themselves and not know it. They have developed a compound that duplicates what these people’s body produces and are conducting test with pain patients.
Hopefully this will become a reality Because at this point we don’t have a lot to look forward to. Other than being treated like a junkie and having our medication greatly reduced or taken away.
Wow! That is really interesting! I am so glad you posted that about the research in the works. I as I imagine most people would MUCH prefer to live pain free from a compound like that verses pumping liver damaging opiates into their bodies!!!! I am going to look that article up now! I don’t normally chime in on these comments but yours was awesome! Thanks again!
this is great news
t
For someone who knows everything, you sure don’t know much. You begin with, I’m going to make this short, as you type out a novel. The CDC did not allow pain management Drs to help with the guidelines. They actually went out of there way to keep them from participating, despite having many specialists wanting to be part so chronic pain patients weren’t put in the situation they are in now (just made to suffer.) You also have the nerve to say what people need having no knowledge of anyone’s situation or medical issues. You say 5 mg Percocet puts you 120 over the guidelines, which is also a load of crap. You are on here insinuating if a person needs a certain med dose they are misusing their medication, again making a very ignorant assumption there. I highly doubt you are connected with any medical field and you certainly don’t know everyone in the world to make such idiotic, umbrella statements, or the gravity of this situation, clearly. You need to grow up and educate yourself.
Love your reply to miss know it all
. Kinda lost my attention in the beginning but when she kept referring to “ OxyContin OC “ she definitely lost me . She might want to educate herself just how long OC’s have been gone
Differ on the longer you take it 2+ yrs it damages the liver, well I hav cirrhosis of the liver (drinking) along with pancreatitis,I also have carpet tunnel along with osteoarthritis & osteoporosis in left hand,I also have chronic neuropathy in leg and both feet along with the back pain. You think that I don’t need a pain killer for my nerve issue,you’re truly mistaking,I wish that pain on no one,obviously you must be pain free with all that mind over pain,but don’t tell me I’m an addict cause you can deal with your nerve pain! More power to ya,which I don’t believe you have! How do you suck it up wen you don’t know you had it?Keep playing counsler & a bad ass,I take4,5 mg rokc was taking2,20mg oc 12hr,had pain under control , 2wks ago my insurance made me switch to 2,18mg 12hrxtampz,tell me it’z equal to my oc’s! Now my pain out lives the xtampz,“really” they suck for 24hr chronic pain.back to the pills, I’m on oxycodone & cotton because other painmeds harm my liver& pancreatits, do you’re homework, doc. Maybe ifn I was eating acetaminophen or tylenol, norco or nsaids, but I’m not & if i was I would be dead, 5yrs 7mth’s &26dys (sober)with no sign of damage to insides, besides wat I hav already done to them! I’m not letting my chronic pain keep me from doing activities. I’m also a single father raising a 16yr old young lady who is disabled. Can’t let pain come before her! I don’t know how many more years, months days or nights I hav left, but I know I wish to die pain free! And if it takes a pill, least I want that pill to work for me! not being dicktated into taking one that stops working! That’s wen addiction starts! Can’t find relief pain relief with the ones my insurance dicktates which one I take, that’z wen people go to the street to find that relief, & most people know’ how that end’z!
Oxycodone does not damage the liver. The acetaminophen component of combination products like Percocet can cause liver toxicity.
Well I just got a notice from my Terrible Health Insurance Company telling me that they are No Longer going to cover the cost of the 2 measly 40mg. OxyContin that I get prescribed per day Because in Their Words ” They Want to Keep Costs Down For Everyone” LoL! I Pay $320 a month plus the Out of pocket Money every month when I get my prescription filled and over $1000 at the beginning of each year…like right now. Just Paid Over $750 in January and now I’ll be paying another $500-$700 this month. Only to have to switch to something else which I might not be able to do. I’ve been taking this medication for 7 years and I’ve never abused it, I take it as prescribed and I never Sell it!! Now they expect me to Pay the Full Price Every Month which is Over a $1000. I’m already Paying this TERRIBLE Health Insurance Company $4000 a year as it is, not including my monthly co-pays. They want to say that the Altenative to what I take now is this Xtampza, which based on what I’ve been reading from everyone else sounds Horrifying! I work in new home construction and I’m working 10 hours a day 6 days a week with herniated discs in my back and a reconstructed knee with screws in it. Ohhh the Poor Health Insurance Company Wants to Help Keep Costs Down after they have Constantly Raised My monthly Rate Every Year!!
Just read your post and although you dont sell your medication, plz dont lie to yourself and claim not to be addicted to opiate pain meds. You stated you take only 2 measly 40mg Oxy a day for the past 7 yrs. 7 yrs? Taking a total of 80mg a day EXACTLY as prescribed will without doubt have you severely addicted. Yes, I am an expert on the subject. Been a trial atty for 22 yrs, broke 49 bones, 9 surgeries including a reconstructed forearm and shoulder took what you take and became addicted without abusing it. Still in redicioulas pain I turned to Suboxone which doesn’t take all my pain away, breaking my neck and back previously will never go away, but with mouth cancer as well and the Subs make it so I can function, can’t get up until they kick in. Those of you who claim suboxone doesn’t relieve pain want straight up opiates. Sure. I may now be addicted to suboxone BUT you dont have to keep increasing the dose for relief. They have opiates in them, but also naloxone so you dont feel the high. No skin off my nose if you’ve convinced yourself they dont help it out only I know that to be false. They offered to install a morphine pump in my back but at some point you have to be honest with yourself. I turned the pump down and am back at the gym and court taking subs. I was pronounced dead twice from my injuries have re built arm n shoulder so unless you are actually terminal with something like stomach cancer I dont believe your body could be more messed up than mine. Taken as directed for 7 years, you are most definitely an opiate addict.
It’s called physically dependent not addiction, so take your know it all lawyer attitude somewhere else ok
Thank you for your reply to “Mr. doesn’t not know it all Paul”
Taking an opiate for many years does not make you an addict. Of course you become addicted to the mediation. But if you can’t get out of bed from pain then who cares if you become addicted to you.
Everyone is different. Their bodies all act differently.
I love the Butrans patch. No high and amazing pain relief but it blisters my skin till it ozes.
I hate anything that gives me a high.
I have had one does of xtampza er and after 4 hours, no relief. I hope it does work. Morphine er was great but made me sick made me high.
Everyone is different so I don’t believe you do have a clue! Broken bones and all.
Marie,
Thank you for you note here and your participation. For clarification purposes, taking an opioid for many years does not mean a person is “addicted”. You are correct in that they could be. What taking an opioid regularly will make them “physically dependent”, which is very different. Physical dependence means that you cannot abruptly stop the opioid or it will cause withdrawal symptoms. This happens with certain blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, and many other drug classes. A person that is addicted will continue to take the substance regardless of need and potential harm, and they will go to extremes to get the drug regardless of poor outcome to self, friends, or family – this happens with food adictions, nicotine, and yes, opioids.
WHEN did this so called opioid epidemic begin? Was the DEA asleep at the wheel and now need to cover their own asses because of it. IF they were doing their job there should not BE an epidemic. Perhaps those in charged should be fired for their NON performance of their duties and be replaced by those who have compassion and understand for LEGITIMATE pain suffers. THEY are RESPONSIBLE for the current state of things. I am sick to death to be made to feel like a junkie just to receive MINIMAL care for 8 herniated disk, severe spinal stenosis, and arthritis of the spine. I JUST was taken off my Fentanyl 75mcg every 72 hours and given a prescription for xtampza er 36mg. I have had this script for the past 8 days and spent 4 hours going from pharmacy to pharmacy UNABLE to even get it filled. TG I had a few extra patches or I would be suffering greatly. I finally cleared it with my drag ass insurance and am supposed to pick it up sometime this afternoon. When I questioned the pharmacist about the equality of 2 of these vs my Fentanyl and what to expect all he could tell me was I would experience some “bumps” in the road. I DID NOT cause the opioid problem and I am tired of PAYING for the sins of the junkie, who is constantly coddled and USES the rehabs for their own comfort. They go in because they can’t find or pay for their Heroin or it’s cold and they’re homeless, but when they come out they are GIVEN a place to stay and their food stamps have accrued so they SELL their food stamps and BUY MORE HEROIN… WTF is up with that? I call that REWARDING shitty behavior while VALID pain sufferers are being FORCED onto this medication that I already feel will NOT work for me just reading the reviews of others. I understand the doctors fear the loss of their license to practice that they’ve worked very hard to achieve, but it’s time for them to GROW a backbone and CHALLENGE the CDC and DEA as THEY ARE ‘NOT” DOCTORS!!! I also feel it’s time for VALID PAIN SUFFERERS TO FILE A CLASS ACTION AGAINST BOTH THE CDC AND DEA as THEY CREATED this problem and AMERICANS THAT SUFFER DAILY ARE BEING DENIED “FREEDOM OF CHOICE” and the expertice of their TRAINED PAIN MANAGEMENT DOCTORS … IF we expect to KEEP our rights it is TIME TO FIGHT FOR THEM!!!! I do not know how to create an online petition but would be more than happy to work with someone who does. We NEED to TAKE BACK our rights (civil) to our PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS because of all this crap I HAVE NONE as I am sure many of you. Sorry for being so long winded. Maybe I should become a politician.
I’m going through the same problems with always feeling like your being judged like a junkie I’m 56 and in no way wanting or trying to be in pain but that’s what happens when the cdc and dea stop or lower your medications. I would love to sign your petition and law suite against them. I have so much wrong with me the list is a long one. I have fibromyalgia and ra also I have torn meniscus in both my knees bercitis in my hip and shoulder ,tennis elbow in both my arms a torn rotator cuff in my shoulder, I’ve had 3hernia repair surgeries and carpal tunnel in both wrist, diabetic narapathy in both my feet, I have arthritis inflammation in my hole body I have bulging disc in my neck and severe pain and chronic pain in my back that hurts to even vacuum a little room. I quiet smoking 10 yrs ago and all this was found in me. I really need to help you try to get these people straight plz inform me how I can help.
I happen to agree with everything your saying. I am in the same situation. Get this. The Changes do not apply to Medicare advantage carriers. WTF over!!! So the people that are getting free insurance can still get the medication that actually works for the people that really need it? Go figure. So we are going to continue to give the medication to the people that are most likely to sell it because they do not have a job and they need the money worse than they need the meds?! Yeah another win for the smart people right?! What in the hell is wrong with these people. I just don’t get how so many smart people can be so stupid. Period.
Medicare is by no way free! I am disabled and I’ve worked over 35 years and paid in to the government and also pay a monthly payment for this insurance. Also there’s no way I would ever sell my pain medication, they couldn’t pay me enough to do that. I think you must be confusing it with Medicaid! I agree totally about this whole opioid crisis taking a toll on patients who have legitimate chronic pain issues. I have never taken an illegal drug in my life and now that I need pain relief to have any quality of life I am being denied that. Needless to say it makes me mad! But what can we do?
Medicaid recipients don’t get their medication for free either. It is based on income and even those who have no income typically have a co pay, so not sure what you are talking about. You are doing the very same thing the OP is doing, making assumptions when you don’t know the facts.
My daughter who has 2 children makes 18.00 hr working 60 hr a week was able to get Medicaid. I don’t think their copay should be cheaper than that of Medicare unless it is used with Medicare. I guess you figure those on SS make a lot of money. I get 1200 a month on SSDI and that disqualifies me for help. I only get that much because my husband died 7 years ago and I am disabled. I can’t afford a lot of my meds or to see a Dr regularly. My daughter on the other hand for the same meds paid 3.00 I had to pay 30.00. I pay full rent, buy my own food and still have to pay higher than those on state help. It’s ridiculous
I’m on Medicare and don’t appreciate your assumption that all of us sell our medication because we need the money. Don’t you think maybe we are going to the doctors and pain clinics because we may have as many issues as you? No person has the right to sit on the sidelines and judge another. I’m very sorry for your problems and hope they get resolved. Bless each of you
First of all you are wrong. They took oxycontin off the formulation list for medicaid and medicare. Secondly, medicare recipients are older people who are probably needing it as much as, if not more than you, and have paid into the system their entire life. Before you start being a hypocrite by accusing others in need of pain relief of being drug dealers (while crying about you needing the very same thing) consider who these people are and the fact they are only prescribed it should a Dr really feel they need it. Same as yourself. What makes you more worthy of pain relief than these people? You also need to get your facts straight before going on a site for pain patients and spreading all sorts of nonsense. Educate yourself. Chronic pain patients find it hard to even find a pain management dr who will treat them because of the government getting involved in what quality of life people are deserving of. They must go through strict rules and monitoring that make it nearly impossible to trick their dr. They also need to have had or be going through every possible treatment, including surgeries if recommended, and have tried every other medication in order to receive Oxycontin- if it is for long term use. Last thing they’d be doing is selling the medication they need in order to not be in agony. Don’t take your frustration out on the wrong people, showing how ignorant and insensitive you are while trying to tell people you are being mistreated yourself. If you want to get upset, get upset with the right people- your government (including your representatives, CDC for fumbling all facts and guidelines drs are told to follow) insurance companies and majority of drs who refuse to fight for patient’s rights and provide good care to their patients on an individual basis. Do not get pissed at others in the same situation you are, or worse, when your problem isnt caused by them at all.
I’m with you on that! I was FINALLY without pain on a medication that didn’t mess me up or required me to increase doses. FINALLY pain free but now my Doctor is being forced to titrate me down. NY is requiring all Doctors to lower patients to below 100 MME/D for ANYONE who isn’t a cancer patient or dying. My Doctor even said that he wished there was something else he could do but that’s what he’s being forced to do! I’m struggling with my “new” dose which I’m told is going to continue to go down. I tried seeing a Pain Management Specialist but they said “we expect people with pain will have to learn to live with it. That we can’t expect to be pain free.” But I was pain free!? Now because of people who want to live off the government are abusing meds, we all have to suffer. I’m sorry but they don’t handle responsibility with anything in their lives. I do! Get that class action or petition going and send me a notification (bca8556@gmail.com)
Pain management drs, who specialize in treatment of pain, are even being restricted on how they can treat their patients because of the government. CDC banned pain drs and those in the field who advocate for patients from being part of forming these new guidelines- so most pain drs don’t agree, but they are being threatened by the government of losing their license should they not obey, so many drs with a specialty in pain management are leaving the field because they are unable to treat chronic pain patients as they see fit. It is the most inhumane thing I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. The government now dictates what quality of life a person can have and removes the ability to best treat the individual when the oils exist. Unless people begin speaking up and lay people become knowledgeable of the situation, it will only get much worse. If you speak to doctors- at ER’s, family drs, pain management drs, orthopedic drs- they will tell you that the situation now gives pain patients two choices- going to the streets for pain relief (which they have never had experience with before and experiment with unfamiliar street drugs) or committing suicide. It is no coincidence. Pain patients are one of the most vulnerable groups in our society and considered a drain on society. Never mind the fact that providing pain medication allows most to continue working and not be a burden on society (while having as much of a quality life as possible.) Unfortunately, these drs who believe this are NOT coming to the defense of pain patients. They just say this behind the scenes to their patients as they refuse them medication that can very much give them a half way decent life (all because of pressure/threats from our own government.) It should have everyone’s attention since it will eventually affect them personally, or a loved one. Seeing one in debilitating pain day after day is the most helpless, horrible feeling. To be in the situation yourself, it’s hopeless at this point. All rights are stripped from you and you must choose to take matters into your own hands or live life miserable and in agony for as long as you can tolerate it.
I absolutely 100% agree with you. It’s total bullshit. Oh and o just got switched to Xtampza last week instead of the MS Contin I was on, and let me tell ya, this shit is awful. Horrible. Not helping at all. I think they are god damn placebo pills that the pharmacy has made and this is their “answer” to the epidemic. It freaking sucks. The junkies and addicts have ROYALLY screwed it up for us legit pain management patients. Put a bullet in me cause I am done with this.
My Medicare refused to pay for oxycontin which was prescribed. I have a Dr appointment tomorrow and found out they cover a portion of this. I was really hoping for relief since it’s been a month that all I had was oxycodone 10/325 one every 8 hours. With a 40.00 copay on this and with what little I get on SSDI, I wonder if I should bother.
I think they are placebo pills also. 2x cancer survivor,open heart surgery.chemo,radiation.What I was being prescribed prior to this so called epidemic was working fine. I’m on my second month of these good for nothing pills.The pain is awful.and to add insult to injury along with the Xtampza they are giving me seizure meds(don’t have seizure’s)along with depression meds (not depressed) I’m also getting sores on my stomach. With no explanation from the Dr.why my guess is they know I’m going to need the depression meds ha ha ha!! Count me in on the Class action lawsuit
Absolutelyclean1961@yahoo.com
I wonder why if xtampza is no good why do addicts take it,and says I like that new medication,,it don’t help my pain but for about 4 hrs and doesn’t even touch my sisters pain and she has cancer COPD emphasyma,she struggles to get relief,my heart goes out to all the people that’s on it and still suffers
Toni I am with you! I told my pain doctor that the DEA is about a decade behind because it is no longer an OC epidemic it’s a heroin epidemic! Things don’t get to an epidemic level overnight so just like you said the DEA was not doing their job! In one year I personally knew 17 people that died of heroin OD’s in one little town near where I live. I only knew these people because I unfortunately dated a guy that wound up being a drug addict.
I always say the same thing what the hell do I have to do with the drug epidemic!? So lucky for me I’m dealing with two epidemics I also have Lyme disease which is an epidemic that people don’t understand. The last time I went to my pain doctor it had nothing to do with me and how I was feeling it was all about numbers. She said this is where you’re at and we need to get everyone down to this level. Everyone!? Really? I am pretty sure my pain is different than other people’s pain in the waiting room and likewise. I have no idea why they make me fill out Pain logs, ask me my pain level because absolutely nothing is done about it. I have written on Pain logs before I am in excruciating pain throughout the day they look at it and file it in a folder.
The last time I was at my appointment with my pain doctor she cut my Xtampza 35 which is equal to 40 mg of oxycodone, a fact that I didn’t even know. She dropped it cold turkey to save the doctors ass. I have never been through withdraw before but I am at a week and a half without that pill and I feel like I am in hell! The next time I go there she said she is going to cut another pill and the next time another. I am so agitated and so sick. I have videos of myself shaking uncontrollably and they probably won’t mean anything to her. I swear if she tries to cut another pill which is 15 mg when you were only ever supposed to taper 5 mg at a time I might leave there in handcuffs.
I’m already going to go after the CDC for my Lyme disease. I’m all in if you want to start a class action suit. Apologize ahead of time for any mistakes in my typing. I am doing voice to text and it will not let me scroll back up. But either way I think I got my point across to you.
I want in on petition and class action suit. I will try to find others also
I will join
Plz add me and my husband in any!! Class action suit you deem necessary. I’m so tired of being made to feel like I’m crouched down in a dark alley with drool and piss on me while shooting up my pain pills. We don’t ” get high” on anything let alone pills.
Amen well said. I to suffer sue to abusers. 54 yrs old transfered paralyzed patient 6 days a week, 3x aday for 7 yrs. No im on the other end , i went from dedicated care giver to. Being treated like suck it up. Addicts ruin it for the honest pain sufferers. America guilty of misusing before, being understood, believed, helped, monitored. Quality of life for pain is a joke. This is WHY people, good honest people turn to street drug help. Unsafely. May be me in a year. But i want to be cared for and monitored. And Believed when the meds are not helping on the starting dose you have to try first. This is trial period makes me want to give up. Live for this every day. Depression sets in. Now you are labled unstabley chronic depression. I am so tired.
They weren’t asleep, they were making $$ with Purdue Pharma the only producer of OC back 15yrs ago when I had the misfortune of snapping my neck and taking 2 80’s a day for just 6 months n that was enough for my body/mind to become dependent. They let it go 15yrs and countless deaths before acting. Reason, the people dying or robbing places had switched to heroin. You can look up a huge increase in heroin use about 2yrs after Oxy came out. Thank God I never did or I’d be dead as well. It was only what 6yrs ago they actually made the connection that OC users were turning to heroin. Bunch of bull.
If you and your Dr decide on a treatment plan that works for you the insurance co should not be allowed to try to change It. They are not Drs and do not know everyone’s different situations. It is almost impossible not to build a tolerance to pain meds. But if they help your quality of life what difference does it make. It is alot safer to get pain relief from your Dr. The insurance companies taking away pain meds will cause more people to turn to heroin. They should stay out of your Drs descions.
I strongly agree with you Toni. this is not the people’s fault that need their medicine for their pain. All of us non-abusers need to stand together for our rights to be able to continue to get our medicine. All these overdose deaths are due to the fact that when the drug addicted heroin addict doesn’t have their fix, they turn to the pain medicine, an in order to get the necessary high it takes for their type of addiction, they take a large amount of pain pills at one time, not realizing or caring that high doses at one time is lethal and playing with your life. I know this because I was once married to an heroin addict, that lied to me and told me he was once on heroin real bad and had been off of it for a few years or so he said, until I noticed of his change in behavior suddenly when he supposedly hurt his back at work one day and went to the hospital and was prescribed pain meds. Needless to say a 30 days supply was gone in 2 days, and he went to another hospital a few days later and the same thing happened again with the pain meds they gave him. This went on for a couple of weeks and when he went to his parents house a couple of hours away and didn’t come back home for a couple of days, he confessed to what he had been doing and was back on the heroin and by getting those pain meds from the hospital made him backslide back to the addiction. He said by taking that many pills at one time was the same feeling as a dose of heroin. I packed his clothes and made him leave, a few weeks later he broke in to my parents home and was caught by me as he was trying to flee their house. He was arrested in our county but the last I had heard from the law he never showed up for his first court appearance. That has been a very long time ago and I assume he probably is dead by now. I was involved in a bad car wreck that messed up my back and are now on Oxy’s but I take them as prescribed and only when I need them mostly at work due to the job I do for 8 hrs. Due to the deaths that are occurring, because of ignorance of the DEA Officials, I never know when my doctor’s gonna have to tell me he can’t prescribe me mine anymore. If you or anyone ever find a way to do the Petition, please let me know.
I so agree! We all need to stand together–pain sufferers and doctors! This is America! It is WRONG what the government s doing to us, and many doctors are going along with it! They should stand up for us. After all, they are supposed to be helping us and trying to give us a better quality of life. That is their job, for heaven sake! And the pain sufferers who take their meds responsibly should not be punished for the actions of those who are not responsible with their meds. This reminds me of the “war on firearms.” It is not the gun that pulls the trigger itself and kills people, it is the people who kill people. People can kill with ropes, knives, rocks and even their bare hands. Are they going to cut off our hands next? And pain meds are not responsible for killing people either, yet they are cutting them off. It is the irresponsible person who is killing themselves! What about the people who are killing themselves to get out of pain. I guess they don’t matter. It’s just the irresponsible people who matter, apparently. Like many of you, I was switched to Xytamza ER as well. It is supposed to be taken every 12 hours. My doctor only prescribed 30 for me, and he can’t see me for 5 weeks, so he told me I’d have to make them last until then. So that’s 30 pills to last for 5 weeks, when it should be 60 pills for 4 weeks. How cold is that? It is so ridiculous that we have to suffer for other people’s mistakes!
If anyone knows how on earth we can fight back, please please let me in on it! I am ready to march (hobble, crawl, and/or wheelchair my way) to the White House or do anything I can to get justice for the innocent who are suffering daily. There has got to be someone we can contact who could help us. I wonder if the American Civil Liberties Union could/would help us. They fight for the rights of the people. We are being denied the right to the pursuit of happiness! We have to all get together and fight this! But what can we do? We need a good lawyer/lawyers like the ACLU has. They take the government on all the time! I’m going to find out about this. Meanwhile, if anyone comes up with something, please let me know! You can most definitely count me in! dknight03@mail.roosevelt.edu
Read the book “Dopesick” you’ll find out how the government messed up
this whole “attempt to fix the opioid epidemic” is just taking the medication necessary for people like these with serious health/pain issues away from them and obviously from the several negative responses. I became addicted to pain killers years ago after Cutting my foot surfing. it was to several years of mental, physical, and financial suffering. Because I was prescribed way more hydrocodone than necessary and it only took a couple days to realize I loved the feeling and a couple, few weeks to become dependent. I then realized the difference between being an addict and being chemically dependent vs. all those who truly need the medicine to even move, let alone work, go to school, eat, etc.of course I spent a good five years from 20 -25 doing what I had to do to eventually just feel normal. luckily I never used needles I always was too scared I’d overdose. But like almost any given addict did what I had to do to get money, lived in an endless cycle of taking out cash advances, writing personal checks to cover those advances, taking the max amount of student loan money I could, every semester as I was a highly functional addict, tthe worst kind alledgely. I had a decent job with benefits since junior year of private high school, a 75% scholarship to college, amazing parents to help fill the college money gap, I lived and ate free at home and car insurance and other living costs like doctor and dentist copays as I had insurance at work. I got up to cashing like 6 checks every day or every and $500 payday advances with $55 fees very two weeks. luckily I would get inventory and holiday bonuses, and just gave 5-10 $ a week to my 401k matched 50% up to $750/yr along with an esop where I received a share of the company stock for every $300 or so I made. which was the smartest thing I did financially starting as soon as I turned !8, the company is a strong compamy which split 5:1 so the shares just kept rolling in and i received dividend checks quarterly which helped catch up with the checks and advances but I was always at least two pay checks behind luckily I got paid every week. but even with all the great job perks and ability to work the system. eventually things came crashing down about half way through grad school. I was always unbelievable stressed out and worn out and knew i couldnt keep it up forever, or at least dint want to, many of the people i ran with were prescribed methadone with hydros or roxy for break through pain, as well as Xanax. obviously restrictions were much more lax, especially if they went to the right docs. But I didn’t have any serious injuries, just some minor backhoe neck pain. so I couldn’t go myself, soI would take them and pay and get great deals, so i could also make some extra money on the which eased things somewhat for me except taking up most of my free time and causing many relationship issues. My next idea was to get off the streets by going to the methadone clinic. I learned about it iron some of the people in my circle of friends and even though my intentions weren’t to help me stop, it was something that helped me decide to do it. I couldn’t believe how easy it was, except having to go everyday bc i wanted to smoke weed and therfore couldn’t pass the drug tests required to get take home doses and not have to go everyday. At least my spending decreased dramatically and no worries of not finding opiates or withdrawling. At first I was stoked as an addict, I could increase my dose while paying $16 a day, far less than I would on the street, plus due to the low cost and long half life although not the same kick as oc’s, it was my d.o.c. already I was always feeling great and could still take other pills in addition and even though they were allegedly opiate blockers, I could still feel the others. the only problem was having to take my entire dose for the day at once, and before 10:30 am,so I eventually upped my dose from mybe 30-50mgs spread out throughout the day on the street, to 140mgs at once every day so i would be comfortable through the whole day and night so midday i was pretty tired, eventually I was called out at work and my dad eventually caught on that I wasn’t “working out” every single day and found pills and the neighbors told him people kept walking up to my window I was tested at work, but they never found anything. My family then had an intervention sand I told them I was already in a program, but the guy they had follow me I’m guessing and Lead the intervention kept telling them that clinics never worked so they ripped me out and sent me down south to a 30day treatment program and at the end told me I had to stay for 6 more months at a pretty nice halfway house, even though I could have gotten my same position back at work but I had to find a store that would take me down there and step down to part time and a lower position. I gained 50 lbs in a month. after all that, when was clean, I moved back to finish my MBA and became a financial advisor licensed in every state and in a job a good friend. It was over the phone and i hated it and quit. So i went back to a store with my old company where I worked when I first came back. shortly after returning a “buddy” I worked with begged me to get him some Roxys and I finally gave in and he gave me one 30 free, after two weeks I was getting like 3-4 at a time and immediately went back to the clinic my dad found out and I told him I’m not going through that program again that’d I’m staying at the clinic until I was ready to wean off so he said ok and a couple years and climbing juy ggg%ggb later after being on 160mg steady for a year I started weanin 10mg a month and only go twice a week. I’m currently at 90mg/day. About to drop to 80. my friend had severe chronic back problems and a false positive got her kicked out of pain management, i told her to try the clinic she explained everything and they helped her get back to her appropriate dose and were trying to get her a new doc. they even told her that she did not behave like an addict and helped her so much, she doesn’t even want to leave. once you have enough clean drug tests, you can wind up only having to go once a month. but even if you have to supplement until your dose gets high enough it’s ok to fail the tests. and if you have other prescriptions, you just need your counsellor to fax your doctor to confirm and you won’t fail for those showing up on the tests. so while the clinics are generally for addicts, and they tend to get a bad rap, they could be the answer for you who are losing your meds. they also offer suboxon and subutex. I also agree with the needle exchange,and some countries offer heroin clinics to avoid overdoses and getting tainted drugs. And keeping people from medicine they need is only going to increase illegal drug seeking and possibly increase the number of heroin addicts. Good luck to you all.
-K
After a six yr fight 14yrs ago I went out a perc in my mouth. Didn’t like methadone and ran with subs when they came out, also never a needle, just seemed dirty to me and an awesome family helped. Good luck to you on the dose down
I was put on this 2 months now after deciding that having my neck operated on was not an option since my lower back surgery did not work and only caused more pain and massive nerve damage and partial paralysis. I have an awesome pain doctor that would give me epidurals every 3 months and that would be fine with low grade pain meds for breakthrough when needed. Was able to lose 150 pounds of the weight I gained while in bed on Oxycontin. At first I hated this drug didn’t like it at all I already suffer from migraines everyday so that extra headache increase in the beginning almost made me give up. I’m glad I didn’t it takes maybe 3 months sometimes for your body to get used to these new substances and us people in pain sometimes don’t like to wait that long for relief, I get that too. But after regaining part of my life my insurance company decided to deny my epidurals and I had to pay out of pocket for them this I thought would be temporary but now since lovely Obamacare doesn’t pay for them our insurance companies can now deny too!!! So I have a daughter that works in a dispensary and she’s been trying for years for me to switch to pot, I don’t like it but recently we had to drive for a vacation and my doctor was also on vacation so I couldn’t get my pills for the breakthrough pain. My daughter gave me a vap pen with just CBD oil only no THC and I thought it would never work. I’m happy to report I was able to travel 12 hours without any PAIN at all and now I just have to make sure my doctor says that’s okay to continue. The FDA is making all of our lives difficult and we all need to readjust to change. Yes it ducks yes it’s unpleasant and yes it is unfair but the other option is to buy from the street and hope what you’re taking isn’t going to kill you. Look these old medicines are bad very bad I lost half of my colon from prolonged acetaminophen use so the only alternative is to suck it up and get used to these new drugs or cry and whine and see where that gets you? By the way my sister was diagnosed stage 4 cancer given 6months to year to live took only CBD oils and smoked weed so she wouldn’t miss out on one second of life. She died at 9 months because she had the cancer through her entire body by then last place was still clear her brain her doctor released her to home hospice she had her husband OD her in 18 hours of massive morphine. That’s the last choice
My sister living in Colorado sent me some of those vapor pens minus the THC and they work great on chronic pain
I have been going through severe pain for at least 10 years. I have had 5 epidural treatments, radio frequency treatments and surgery. I still have severe pain. I have gone from taking 2 Vicodene to taking 6 oxycodone a day. I have been to 5 pain doctors. My current doctor prescribed Extampxa ER and I finally got some relief. Not completely but better than anything else. Yes sometimes it takes longer to work than I would like. I take oxycodone for breakthrough and it is better than anything I have used so far. My problem is getting the drug. It has to be ordered but when the order does not get to the pharmacy I am out of luck.
Do you think xtampza works better than the embeda? I feel like the embeda blocks my oxycodone.
Take Extampxa ER with Food! A half of sandwich atleast
Try a few different things to eat, within a week you will see a big difference at one point, that week. After that day continue eating the same amount everytime you take the capsul going forward.
60% more relief when consuming food
I am a paraplegia that has severe nerve pain in over half of my body. It stings so bad all the time.
I was just put on this Xtampza last night and it is aweful! It takes an hour to kick in and only last 4 hours.
And when it is working I get very little relief. Not, only that I can’t focus on anything or hold a conversation on it. As soon as I am able to the pain is back full blast. I take it two times a day and the doctor also gave me 2 oxycodone to take for breakthru but those only last 3 hours. So, that is only 14 hours of pain relief with 8 of those 14 hours still being in severe pain. How do we get them to stop prescribing this medication so they will come out with something better? I used to take Oxycontin and it didn’t mess up my head like this and it lasted an hour longer than the Xtampza.
wow, i totally agree…i thought it was me…i can t think straight on this medication.. the oxycontin did not do this to me…so glad you posted this..thank you!!!
Yes you right its terrible the doctor just took away my Oxycontin and prescribe me this one and it sucks big time
It makes me itch and sick to my stomach. I was taking oxycotin as well which allowed me to at least function. My Dr took me off the Oxycotin without notice and refuse to put me back on it. I could see if I abused the meds , test positive , say I lost my medication , always changing my appointment or come to the appt drunk. Im 56 years havent drunk since age 19 or smoked marijuana. Why do the good ones have to suffer with the bad. I wish you well Patti sometimes I wish these Drs could have a week of my pain then they would be more understanding.
Amen
Patti my husband is having same problem, he was on 2 20mg OxyContin and 4 10 mg hydrocodon , sevieir neurophy feet and legs , they changed him to this xtampza 18 mg. his hands look terrible from arthritis, knuckles swollen up can’t use his hands hardly for the pain, this new med just doesn’t work. What can we do
Look for a drug called Remoxy coming this summer, suppose to solve the problems Xtampsa causes
Has anyone had relief? I was on injectable morphine and I weened myself off of it after gaining 50 pounds!!
My Dr of 16 years decided to move and I was on pure oxycodone and the new Dr. decided to take me off and put me on this garbage Xtampza. I have been on it for a month and go back to the Dr tomorrow. It says to eat with food which has been impossible. I’m lucky if I get one meal a week due to the intese vomiting. The only good thing if you can call it that is I lost 20 pounds. The vomiting is so intense I haven’t been able to get out of bed without getting sick. The Dr did give me something for breakthrough pain. This med might last an hour but not even close to 12 hour pain relief. What did we do as law abiding citizens who go to the Dr every month and follow the rules do to deserve this? Good luck to all who are dealing with this and God bless that we can get help!
I’ve been on Xtampza for a month now and have the same complaints as all of you above. Takes too long to kick in and lasts only 4-5 hours. I am in pain constantly and have gained 20 lbs. I see my Dr. Today. I am praying for some solution. I have 2 young children and a wonderful husband who have had to take care of me all month. I don’t want to burden them anymore. I was ok on OC but they want $ 400 for that now. NO WAY? I wish all of you the best and pray we someday are treated with respect and dignity and given the pain relief we need. God bless all of you
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, Because of all the bad publicity with celebrities overdosing,we are all paying the price for it,isn’t right or fair!
This sucks my spouse has been on oxycontin since they were introduced the only thing that has helped with his crhonic pain. Doctors always trying to get him off or reduce mgs, sent to pt, pt, pt, which makes things worse. 5 back surgeries, constantly thinking about ending it cause of the constant stress revolving around opioid abuse and being cut off. I am fed up and in contant fear for him. Does anyone know where to get legal help??? This shit is just hurting the people who need help and don’t abuse, but it seems like the abusers are getting all the help!
There is a guy trying to get a online petition going to stop the doctors from doing this his email address is Treyleech38@gmail.com we have to try to fight back
These are a joke,I guess I need to keep breaking the law and buy them off the street,I have been given no choice,or just suffer.
Dont do it… Work yourself down no matter how long it takes but do it slow and get your self down… You are in control! You dont have to tell the Dr. that you are trimming down and – I know that its hard- but it can be done… slow and easy. Justb keep moving down ward… remember you can open the x pill and take some out…
It’s all about money. The pharm companies and doctors don’t care about our pain. As long as they are making money. I go to see my pain dr tomorrow. Today is my last day on OxyContin. I believe I will be put on Xtampza with no break thru meds. I will be ending it. I cannot live with this pain. I will tell my Dr this be placed in hospital for suicidal threat, and hopefully get the meds I need
Robert, truer words were never spoken, dr. And especially pharmacy don’t give a damn how we hurt. This will not stop the junkies, it effects those of us that need pain relief
Robert. I hope you are still with us. Can you please update ?
I have been using Xtampza ER 36mg for almost a year now. This is the first ER pain med I have every taken for my chronic pain. I am fortunate to say, I dont suffer from any side effects from the drug, but I don’t think it really works. If it did, I wouldnt have that take so many regular oxycodone for breakthrough pain. It can’t be called breakthrough pain, it’s constant pain. The Xtampza takes a small edge of the pain off, bit that is it. It says to eat a big fatty meals when taking the med cause it works better that way. I am on a restricted diet, so this I can’t do. Once it does start to work, which seems to be hours later, it wears off in 2 hours. I do get about 2 hours of help from the drug, but thats it. 12 hours , NO WAY. It’s true, the junkies of the world have ruined it for us but there is nothing we can do about it. The world is changing and we must change with it, but to whoever may be reading, I don’t give a crap if you make it abuse deterent (I take them the right way no matter what) but make them work. Speaking for all chronic pain sufferers, we need an ER med that will start to work as soon as it is taken, none of this 2 hours of waiting. Our pain doesn’t wait for us to be ready to deal with it. We need it to actually work and work for its 12 hours as indicated. And we shouldnt have to eat a meal that will cause heart attacks in order for the med to work either. You are doctors, scientists. Do your job.
Thank you! I feel the sane way.. I have timors in every organ but heart, stomache and liver… alone with random soft tissue ones. I’m in pain from the moment I open my eyes until they close again. It’s all I can do to hold a full time job, but I’m also starting my own business anyway. Please stop making our lives more difficult then they already are.
Maybe the answer isn’t regormulating the drug, perhaps we need to reformylate drug addicts & people w mental health issues. … just saying
okay, so far so good… stomach sickness yes, headache yes, delayed response yes. and so i am just getting used to it… I have had to over use to get some relief but the dr. is adding break-thru oxy to help… I have a great dr. and the transition is smooth… Only 1 week into this new x pill, so time will tell… I am starting today with the documentation. so that i can take a clear look at the affects… good luck everyone, I have moderate pain and not as sever as others… like I said I have a great dr…
This med is a joke. I now have no mobility from my waistline after being switched to this xtampza. I am going through withdraws while taking this garbage. I am now considering just smoking pot. What the hell have I done to get this treatment. I am tired of being drug tested and am going to give a reason because they are not helping anyway. Dam!,
2137 mohawk ave
I was taken off my Opana er 20 mg had to bring my bottle that I paid for to my doctors office it had 20 pills still in it and instead of letting me keep them, he took them wrote new script for this crap called xtampza. I got to drug store and was told it would be several days before I could get it as they had to order it! I had them call my doc and he said that he destroyed my opana’s but he faxed them another script for 8 more opana til new crap med came in. Needless to say my insurance would Not pay for those opanas as it was considered lost, stolen or DAMAGED even if by doctor. Cost me $68.00!! When I did finally on xtampza 18 mg I went into withdrawals. Chills/sweats, kicking legs not sleeping, crying inconsolably, really considered hurting myself. I am still going thru this and I told the provider the meds is NOT coIntrolling pain in the LEAST I told him this med is a JOKE and he really got mad and told me I could just find someone else as he wasnt giving me anything more!!! I hope these drug addicts and those people who shoot up just to get high are happy –hell I dont care if they share needles and catch aids or die!! Thats their stupidity!! I need help for my chronic pain and its not fair for us!!!!!
AMEN!!!
You should put all thatin a yelp and/ or healthgrades review so people know before they go.
Amen.. yes the drug addicts have ruined it for us! not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess everyone is being put on extampza… uggh….Thank You for the heads up.. I never heard of Health grades review!! We learn something new every day!!!!
Hey why did a doctor take your meds you already paid for them and why did they take you off the Opana ??
I agree, taking a junkies drug away isnt going to stop him from being a junkie, hes just going to find a new drug. Dont blame a drug for a healthcare epidemic like hiv/hep c create more needle exchange facilities so junkies dont share needles. Educate the junkie on safer abuse methods. Stop punishing the legitimate pain patient, the patient is not the issue. The person buying the drug illegally on the street is the one causing trouble…change those laws so they target the right demographic. Im so tired of being in the stigma…pain patient = fellon, junkie, drug addict…immoral and less of a person most likely by over working their bodies until they broke down and need repaired and relied of the things that cannot yet be repaired. These lynchings are ridiculous. I think the question that should be asked is why are so many people in society so discontented with their lives that they seek out self medicating. Maybe the societal norm should be looked at and reevaluated.
I need help, I’m an Army Combat Wounded vet with sever pain. Ranging from spine being crushed, to back of head bashed in along with multiple gun shot wounds. Now being Medically retired 30 surgeries deep and no end in sight, my doctor put me on this Xtampza, after Xartemis ER is supposedly stopping production which in my personal experience is the next best thing to Percocet. What can I do? Is there anyone here that has knowledge of Xartemis ER? Has anyone found solutions
Thanks so much.
Also is there a group chat that is really good for this kind of thing that I can join? I believe this is going to a be a long haul to finding something new. This stuff is not It helping
I had surgery and this medication gave me the worst horrible pain and was thowing up for days, dam doctor gave it to me knowing I had crohn’s and stupid pill constipated me also made me feel worse than I felt! This medication is horrible!
Its money that is driving everything all of these post are absolutely correct. Now we have to deal with scared doctors i had to switch dr and know im dealing with a new dr he is very smart but for the life of me why i was on a dose that worked very well but. Now iv got to go through all the other meds again that dont work. All because my job changed now im forced to shop for a dr that understands and gives me something that works. Now i got to try these pills so i guess i will see what these do cause my body does not work with alot of the pain meds oxycodone seems to be the only one that works half way good for me.
It does not work more tha 6 hours! Why is it allowed to be advertise to work 12 hours? Why do legitimate pain patients have to suffer the consequences and side effects because of a few abusers? Would you put something in beer or wine that reduces the alcohol but makes you ill if you drink more than one, (it’s self-regulating you drink too much you get sick, too drunk), same with the regular undeterred Oxycontin, you take too much you overdose! But for those who use it properly and how it was intended it should be available for them.
Why are doctors, Pharmaceuticals and legislators more concerned about the addicts well-being and pushing abuse- deterrent medications on people truly suffering, where are our rights?
Where is the legislation protecting pain patients that have been well established in on a level of medication that works for them, but it could all be stripped away if that doctor retires. Where is the patients protection when a new doctor puts the patient at risk by taking away all of their medications and forces them to do everything else like, trying experimental surgeries that don’t work, putting them through expensive MRIS,( just because they want their own MRIS), just to come to the same conclusion that the patient is in lagitamate pain!
Where is the legislation protecting pain patients from insurance companies continually discontinuing coverage for medications that work, they can just simply decide it’s no longer in their “formulary”. But we still have to pay our monthly payments on the insurance and the co-pays to the doctors??
Where is legislation protecting the pain patient from the legislators that push the DEA further and create more hoops for the pain patient?
Where is the legislation protecting the pain patient from doctors who abused their power and demand expensive extensive urine test to test for every drug on the street at the cost of thousands of dollars in deductibles to the patient?
You wouldn’t do this to a diabetic, make him/her jump through hoops to get their needles, (but they might be shooting something else up, or selling their needles), of course they’re not!
you wouldn’t do this to any other chronic affliction, so why is this abuse, cost and deterioration of our basic right to our pursuit of happiness allowed to happen to pain patients?
We just wants to function and be able to work, and carry on somewhat of a normal life without a constant barrage of bills, Dr. Appointments, and suffering.
The constant anxiety of not knowing if you’re going to have to suffer pain, and withdrawal each month because your doctor didn’t get a pre-authorization in time for your insurance, or the pharmacy you have to go to didn’t order it in time for you or the doctor decides there more concerned about pleasing of the DEA rather than a concern for your suffering and pain.
Where is our protection?
There is enough evidence on all of these blogs from patients stating that not only are the abuse-deterrent medications making us sick, it does not work for the 12 hours it claims.
We are being abused by the system and someone needs to be the voice for the pain patient,… enough about the addict, what About Us!!
Please write your legislators, plead with your Dr to stop with the urine tests, allow our regular PA’s, and doctors to prescribe the medications without having to see an expensive pain manager every single month and take expensive urine tests ( that are only there to see what other drugs you’re taking), not to monitor your health, or your kidneys.
Legislators and politicians have made an expensive mess for the chronically ill, the good doctors, and have allowed insurance companies to ask for more money and cover less, while they have the best plans money ( taxpayers) can buy!
Now it’s time for them to clean it up!
Great post. I’m so sick of drug heads abusing meds people like me need just to wash dishes, get clothes out the dryer, grocery shop and take care of my 94 year old mom. It’s time for doctors to be more responsible and take care of legitimate patients with chronic pain issues and start turning away people who come in wanting pain meds for a sore toe. I am sick of people using these drugs for recreational purposes, which makes it hard for people with legitimate issues to get the medicine they need just to live a half way normal life.
You took all the words out of my mouth! My mom and sister’s pain doctor retired and gave them 3 days notice to find someone else to see. My mom and sister were on meds for 10 years and he just up and quit because of how strict the state is becoming with controlled meds. They have legit pain issues (mom needs both knees replaced, and has many herniated discs and issues with her back. My sister has many herniated discs in her back as well). I just recently started seeing a pain doctor for back issues. I am 25 years old and have a back of a old man that did construction his whole life. I was put on this med after being on percocet for 3 months. This med is garbage. I am having the worst breakthrough pain. My pain doctor doesnt believe in prescribing anything short acting for breakthrough pain. I am contemplating going somewhere else because they wont put me on anything different besides this. I am embaressed to go anywhere else because I am young, everyone sees a woman in their 20s and assumes she is a junky. Its sickening that a few bad people hurts the rest of us that need that stuff to live a normal life.
Well said! I totally agree. I keep saying all i hear about is the opiod epedemic. Its quite sad that legislation is clearly misunderstanding what the actual issue is. The only person affected by these laws, restrictions, persistent proof of an issue (expensive imaging) is the legitimate pain patient. Clearly because illicit users and abusers are still obtaining these drugs illegally. Opiod overdose…so many deaths. I want the statistics. How many of those overdoses were legitimately prescribed vs the ones who obtained them illeagly? I read one study stating 90% of the population of that area were prescribed a controlled substance…and of that 90% 33% had overdosed but why was that the focus vs the 67% who were compliant? Another study suggests that elderly patients would rather commit suicide for their pain rather than being stigmatized for being a pain patient. That is quite disturbing. Where is the voice, the advocator for the legitimate pain patient?
Roy got it right…This med is garbage, complete and total! I’d love to shove it down the throat of the bastard who designed it till he puked…which would’t take long! This med barely touches my pain, takes forever to kick in and works poorly for only 3 or 4 hours even then, but amidst a whirlwind of horrid side effects including extreme nausea, somnolence, headaches, vomiting, flu like symptoms, loss of appetite and more. Enough to keep you from being able to do anything. The worst is you must take it with a large amount of fatty food to work, yet it produces insidious nausea that makes you have zero desire to eat anything, let alone fatty food. What kind of evil person would invent then market such a medication for people who are already in chronic pain? I think I would rather die than continue taking this garbage !!! My entire life, I have never gotten nausea from any pain med, yet this one gave it to me in spades from the first small dose and it hasn’t dissipated over time. I just feel utterly sick all the time. I told my pain mgmt doctor about it, and he doubled the dose!!! Like WTF? Give me something else! We now live in an evil world where all pain patients are drug addicts and must die or suffer more. Thats the message being sent!
Does xtampza ER
pills make you gain weight ?
I have gained almost 25 pounds in less than 3 weeks – it’s a RARE side effect – but yes, rapid weight gain for no reason.
Thank you for saying that. So many others said NO you can’t on xtampza. WELL, I sure DID! I lost my appetite, food hated me, but the weight kept coming. I felt like a bag of squishy miserable jello! U AM one of those people who has the rare reactions to meds. Xtampza was a disaster for me. It also stole my energy and kept me from doing all the things I was able to do on regular Oxy. So now, here I am, weakened and needing to lose weight (have cardiac issues). # months on Xtampza and now I am looking at MONTHS of trying to get over it AND live with sever chronic pain from amputations & nerve damage. UGH!
Nausea, CONSTIPATION, light headedness. What other side effects are there? This medication is the pits. The only deterrent I’ve discovered is not being able to wait hours for this stuff work so I take my second dose an hour later or just double up – then I threw them up. So Im just taking them so I don’t have withdrawals and not making any sudden movements. I have insurance, I pay my deductibles along with my taxes and now I pay with not being able to enjoy one day because of illegal abuse and sales.
I just got put on this new drug. I had to order it from a pharmacy first off and secondly it cost me $319.89! Because I don’t have insurance. So far I haven’t noticed much of a difference from my percocet 10mg that i have been on for past several months. I was switched because they were not lasting long enough and then I would be back in pain before my next dose was available. I don’t know what to do about next month or if these don’t help me any better. Any suggestions??
Hi Jessica, GoodRx was a godsend when I didn’t have insurance. It is free, essentially a discount program you can use with any pharmacy. Give it a try; my pharmacist recommended it and it saved me 25% to 50% off the cash price: https://www.goodrx.com
Xtampza is garbage. Complete and total.
Zero pain relief at any point after taking. 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours… it simply does not work. I think they try to get too clever with these meds and do not realize chronic pain patients intestinal systems are generally far more compromised (they do not absorb meds – or anything else) the same way an opioid naiive person would.
But that being beside the point – I would strongly doubt ANY study showing this armor-coated oxycodone as more effective than a placebo.
I thought it was a placebo!
@Charlene Duarte,
You hit the nail on the head. This shit HAS GOT TO BE A PLACEBO! Too many people are having the same issues, same complaints with this med and it’s just not right. I feel like this medicine is throwing me into the depths of hell aka my withdrawal. And I seriously cannot take one more day of this. I wish SOMEONE a would listen to what legit pain patients are saying! This is total BS! I’m 40 yo, mom of 4, and my pain issues are so severe and so severely under treated that I can honestly and sadly say that I don’t wanna live anymore!! Does anyone care about us? We are out here suffering in droves. 🙁
Why is this good? From my experience with pain medication the higher the dosage in immediate release pills the sooner you need to take it again so u don’t go through Withdrawl. The timed release pills just don’t work very will anymore. The new Oxycotin and Xtampza ER work really good if you are prescribed enough for how long they last but it seems like you need to a lot more medicine to get anywhere near the relief of immediate release medicine. I was able to lower my tolerance down by having the doctor prescribe more immediate release pills. The lower the strength the pills and the more pills I get seem to work the best. I can choose how much medicine I take based on the pain. If you take the same amount all day everyday eventually it doesn’t matter what your dosage is if you just take it once every 6-12hrs. Doctors should give patients the lowest strength timed release and a lot more immediate release. If patients can’t make it last a month give them weekly scripts like they do with methadone or Suboxone. People who are in pain need to have it treated. Doctors retire and then the new doctor well switch someone from 8 oxycodone 30mg pills to 3 80mg Oxycotin pills. I can tell you 16 15mg, 24 10mg pill, or 48 5mg will be a lot better than even 6 80mg pill. The patient can choose to take 10-60mg based on their pain or if they just need a little bit of medicine so they don’t go through Withdrawl. By not taking the same amount everyday or time keeps your tolerance down. I think most people need to take it at least every -3-6hrs. If you give someone an 80mg pill and they need more they we’ll have to take and probably will take another 80mg pill. Patients are in an environment were they can’t be honest with the doctor. If they say they had to take two pills then they didn’t follow the instructions and if they follow the instructions then their pain won’t be managed, if they take two pills now they jacked up their tolerance much hire bc the pills are 80mg. By giving the patient more pills they can just take a little bit more or a little bit less. Just being able to take 5-50mg less each day gives them extra medicine for unexpected pain. If they increased their tolerance from bad days they can gradually bring it down. These timed release pills are just a way to increase patients tolerances, make it look better for the doctor bc they only gave someone 2-6pills/day instead of looking at the medicine. If a patient asks for an extra 1-2 Oxycotin 80mg it’s no big deal but if they ask for 32 extra 5mg pills they would be sent to rehab. Doctors can switch patients from these high strength timed release pills to lots of low strength pills by giving the patient a little bit less or the same amount and tell the DEA see I’m giving less or not increasing it. Patients can manage to make it last a week or even 6days if they fill it one day early much easier than a month. Doctors won’t lose as much money having to kick a patient who is in pain out when they owe you lots of money they won’t pay bc they need it for a new doctor.
You are absolutely right Jeff. I have to double my dose on bad days too, and risk running out early.
Why is there a ceiling dose limit on Xtampza?
Because the exciepents have not been studied above 288 mg per day.
“The maximum daily dose of XTAMPZA ER is 288 mg per day (eight 36 mg capsules, equivalent to 320 mg
oxycodone HCl per day) as the safety of the excipients in XTAMPZA ER for doses over 288 mg/day has not been established.”
Thank you Dr. Webster. That makes perfect sense. So the oxycodone is oxycodone and that never changes.
Yes, oxycodone is oxycodone…but when you build a fortress around it as they have down with these new meds like Xtampza, it isn’t accessible! What sick, cruel individual designed these new meds?? I hope to God he/she is forced to use them at some point in their life for pain so they can see the misery they have imposed upon the weakest, misused population in this country…the chronic pain patients. They simply don’t work well at all, have a very slow onset, and don’t last nearly as long as advertised. Not to mention the horrible cascade of debilitating side effects. Haven’t we imposed enough pain on the people already in constant pain? No wonder people commit suicide, rather than suffer in agony with their pain and trying to manage it with these absolutely horrible new drugs Big Pharma is spitting out to appease the regulatory authorities regarding ‘abuse deterence’. Somebody, please stop the insanity already!!
Yes and I paid $550 copay for it yesterday even WITH insurance – stuck with it another 30 days now, somebody PLEASE! STOP THIS MADNESS