Use of methadone for cancer pain

Common Questions and Answers about Use of methadone for cancer pain

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Avatar f tn I got my Methadone prescribed for pain and for yrs. It makes me so mad that they will give someone Methadone to come off of a short amount of hydo or other opiates. This makes no sense that your Dr did not just try to taper you down some more off the hydros. Most ppl go to these clinics to get off drugs and I can understand this, but not for such a low dose of hydos.
Avatar n tn s allowing me to use the hydrocodone for breakthrough pain. I used it for several years prior to my cancer diagnosis for pain mangement of my thoracic outlet syndrome and did not have any problems with addiction. I only used it once or twice a day, broke a 5/500 in half whenever the pain got hard to handle. Hopefully that will work since the hydros don't have all of the potential side effects of the Ultram. Unfortunately, I have severe reflux disease so I can't take the NSAIDS.
Avatar f tn Hospice does its best to prevent suffering from the pain of cancer, and methadone is an excellent pain medication. Morphine is preferred for the treatment of COPD because a doctor can better control its effect on breathing, however, both morphine and methadone work in similar ways -- it is just that methadone suppresses the breathing longer. At end of life, it doesn't matter much which medication you use.
Avatar f tn I know some people have used methadone for pain but I personally believe that it is for really severe addiction and/or end-of-life. My mother-in-law passed away from lung cancer in the spring. She had never taken a narcotic in her life. For some reason the oxycontin and morphine didn't help her bone pain and she did get relief from the methadone. But there are certain drugs that I don't think should be used unless you will never be coming off them again. Fentanyl same thing.
Avatar m tn Methadone is one of the best pain relievers..not saying best one to be on for long term use as it is addictive...but throwing in a drug like tramadol makes no sense..it is not a very good pain releiver plus it is addictive as heck due to its narcotic like qualities and its anti-depressant qulaities/offers very little pain relief for the risk if u r an addict no... 2 weeks on trams is ok to flush those puppies down the toilet..
351846 tn?1273615544 I have been on subs for 8 years. I did 1 year of nothing prior to subs but due to chronic pain it was horrible. I recently stopped 24 mg a day cold turkey for surgery and was so sick for 3 weeks. I thought it was from the surgery but I am pretty sure I was in sub withdrawal. I couldn't wait to get back on it and felt fine immediately when I did. I don't want to come off because of my pain issues. A slow taper under a doctors guidance would be the way I would do it.
Avatar f tn Jaqui, methadone is an excellent medication for pain for a variety of reasons, and helped me to manage pain of a long-term spine disorder for 12 years. There is research that links methadone to a particular cardiac problem. The cause is poorly understood, but to minimize risk, my doctor has ordered a 12-lead ekg with my annual physical (when I am using methadone), since i am also in my 60s. So far, I remain without cardiac symptoms.
Avatar f tn For anyone who has ever taken Methadone for chronic pain management...When you first started taking Methadone, how long did it take for it to control your pain? How many days, weeks, etc.? My best friend was started on Methadone to manage completely debilitating chronic pain that is the result of multiple, major, back-to-back abdominal surgeries. Tonight marks the fourth full day of her being on Methadone, and she's really not feeling any better. How long can it take?
Avatar f tn Most recently, I have been on 60 mg of methadone daily for 10 years. The pain management doctor in Oregon told me that it is illegal for any pain management doctor or any primary care physician to prescribe methadone to a patient with the diagnosis of "opiate use disorder" here in Oregon. She is therefore cutting me off cold turkey and refuses to titrate me down. This sounds incredibly wrong and inhumane. is this actually true?? If so, what are myoptions?
631581 tn?1224844661 But they do not have chronic pain. For those of us sipping from the chalice of chronic pain life has a different feel to it all together. A very different feel. I'm now using methadone and I know it to be a real dragon for coming off but then I'm wondering, "Will I ever come off?" my pain is real and severe enough I just don't know.
571167 tn?1223214465 It really began with being put on Methadone 10mg twice daily for chronic pain BY a Pain Management MD. The Methadone worked fairly good for the pain, but I attributed the "brain fog" to my being Menopausal also happening at the same time AND having a teenager in the house pushing my buttons. I lost my health ins coverage last year and could not afford to see the PM MD, so I weaned myself off the Methadone over several months. Now I am 90% clearer mentally!
Avatar n tn Your problem could also be also that the methadone is blocking the breakthrough pain med. I have been on methadone for that reason. (Because I have severe pain but was also addicted to pain meds, opiates.) The methadone blocks all opiates so it's a waste of my time and money to even try any longer. You should do a little research on methadone. I'm surprised your doctor gave you an opiate breakthrough pain med while on methadone.
Avatar f tn As a methadone addict, I do not suggest long term use of methadone, unless the plan is to take it your whole life. Your surgeries where awhile back, I wonder how much of your current pain is legit and how much it is opiate induced hyperalgesia. It took me a long time off opiates to recognize what was real pain and what pain was caused by opiate addiction. My pain is more tolerable off opiates than it was on opiates. Anyway, what else do you do for your pain, besides meds?
Avatar f tn The one bad thing about methadone usage for long periods, the doses for pain always increase over time leading to very high dosages and severe dependence. In my experience with suboxone, it had no noticeable pain relieving benefits. From what I understand the best pain relief that buprenorphine can provide comes from Buprenex which I believe only comes as injections.
Avatar f tn I take methadone in NYC, no hassles and no one even questions why. It does help with chronic pain.
Avatar m tn m taking methadone for the cronic pain. They would want me to use their pain program which does not include long term usage of methadone. I am really happy again as it applies to my cronic pain management. I presently take 150mg BID. The procedure will only take some thirty to forty minutes from what I was told. I will not permit them to do any other procedures at this time. If I do have cancer it can wait a few extra weeks to decide. Can anyone give me something to really do and consider.
Avatar f tn Is it a good idea to replace high doses of oxycontin, that you have tolerated for years, no highs, pain relief, but still quite a bit of pain, for methadone, forever? My dack surgeon says the switch will kill me and would have to be done in the hospital over a long period, and even then, he refuses to even entertain the idea, and he has been my back dr. for15 yrs. (I had 2 back surgeries in 1995 abd 1996 and no relief after last surgery, except I could walk again.
897749 tn?1241760482 I feel that it is a safe and effective drug for pain as well as w/d. There are opiates just as powerful and hard to come off of as the Methadone so I wouldn't single it out. MamaBlaze, I hope your situation improves and you find the right path as well as your Husband. Please take care.
Avatar m tn is taking this much narcotics safe? do you think this dosage of methadone is sufficient at the beginning to replace the oxy for pain control? is it ok for him to start using the ultram as he is tapering off the oxy (to be taking all three drugs for a period)? any other thoughts or suggestions are very much welcome. thank you.
Avatar n tn but now she cant get off the methadone and is stuck there still with no pain relief...its really no better for pain IMO...i was on methadone before i switched to sub...no difference in pain relief for me either...
Avatar f tn I have been on them for 2 years and then for a time before that as well. I have chronic pain and the methadone does help ALOT for pain but I agree with Prospero73. THat is why I am getting off it. It is very hard to get off of though. In all honesty I would rethink going down the methadone road. Take it from some of us that have been there. It is a bone gripping drug. Best of luck to you and if you ever want to chat about it I would be glad to help.
Avatar m tn Now I am on methadone as it is much less of a roller coaster than oxy/perc. I ran out Of methadone yesterday, and have no refills. Apparently my dr at the pain clinic is on vacation until Thursday and nobody at the clinic can help me!! I'm 24 now and needless to say have had my fair share of withdrawal. Also, I am due for another surgery in a month and am still in excruciating pain. I don't think I can tolerate 5 days of withdrawal and cannot get suboxone or anything like that..
Avatar f tn s useful for extremely bad drug addiction and for certain kinds of pain. My mother-in-law was given it for the last couple of months before she passed away from lung cancer. They had her on high doses of oxycontin and oxycodone during most of her treatment but in the end it wasn't helping and she had terrible bone pain. They switched her to methadone and it worked well. But she was never going to have to come off it. YournTHc use will likely be a problem with most doctors.
Avatar f tn t really know me well. I am on 51 mgs of methadone that I started using 7 years ago when I had pain, osteonecrosis in my jawbone, the pain was unbearable and I had no break in pain whatsoever. I was using oxycodone at the time, I think I most I ever took was 10 10mgs a day but my tolerance was just getting up there , way too high so I knew I needed to do something about that , so the doctors put me on methadone, and here I am 7 days later.
Avatar f tn If you use methadone for no more than 1 or 2 weeks it can spare you A LOT of pain and suffering, but if you use it unwisely I think it's a big mistake like gnarly was saying.
Avatar f tn I am all for marijuana... There are so many ways you can use it for pain. I use a topical ointment and it helps A LOT!! I used it for my pain coming off oxycodone. I have a couple areas in my back that hurt soo bad. I also have bad knees and my left hip I hurt and it has never gotten better :( I have a close friend who dose not smoke it but he make the ointment and he makes cookies and that is his medicine!!
Avatar m tn I guess I don't understand how people use Methadone for pain management IF they have to use a BT med. Doesn't Methadone block the effects of other narcotics? So how can BT meds work if they are blocked?
939983 tn?1262528060 5 mg of hydrocodone is equivalent to about 15 mg of methadone. But this is for single dose not for long term pain management treatment. Most physicians beleive in the good practice to start low, go slow. Remember that methadone builds up in your system. It is stored in your body tissues. So it may take days before the full effectiveness of methadone is realized. Methadone levels in the blood will continue to increase for five days from the initial dose.