Posted by flipsactown on April 8, 2005, at 1:31:29
In reply to Re: Oxycontin for mental health....WOW!!!!!!!!! » Larry Hoover, posted by jerrympls on April 4, 2005, at 20:31:25
I took the max dosage of Oxycontin 2 tabs 4 times daily for nearly 2 years prescribed by a Pain Management Doc. I suffer from chronic back pain after two failed back surgeries, numerous pain shots, nerve block, facet joint,cortisone,etc.
I had been taking Tylenol-Codeine 3, 60mg x 5 times daily for years and finally decided to try the Oxycontin since I heard it was long lasting. I had to keep increasing the dosage to the max and even then it was only giving me the same pain relief I was getting from the Tylenol-Codeine. So, I decided to go back to Tylenol-Codeine when I experienced, accidentally, the terrible withdrawal effects of Oxycontin when I used more Oxy then prescribed because I was trying to do more home chores. It was only a day without Oxy and already I started feeling flu like symptoms, dizziness, and on the 2nd day I felt like bugs or ants crawling all over my body and I just wanted to jump right out of my body. That was a horrible feeling, so that same day, I went to Urgent Care where, fortunatley, my Adult Med Doc gave me an emergency refill enough to last a week, until my Pain Mgmt Doc would be able to write me a refill. I read about the warnings about the horrible withdrawals of Oxycontin, but I thought it was exaggeration. Believe me when I say it was not an exaggeration.
Bottomline: Oxycontin did not act as an A/D for me, as I was taking several different A/D's including Prozac, Remeron, Lithium and Lamictal. Lamictal was used to enhance Prozac's A/D effects. Currently, I am on Lexapro and just recently add Wellbutrin to enhance Lexapro's A/D effect after I felt the Lexapro losing it's effectiveness after 9 months of use. Fortunately, although it has only been 6 days since adding Wellbutrin SR, I am starting to feel less depressed.
As far as Oxycontin is concerned, I would never use it again because of the horrible withdrawals and the many hoops one has to jump to continue getting refills or an increase in dosage. I did not experience any withdrawals from my years of taking Codeine. I went for weeks or months without taking any Codeine, just to prove to myself that I was not addicted. I can't say the same for Oxycontin. I am still taking Codeine.
This is just my own personal experience.
FST
> > > Last weekend at a friends place, and he gets giant pills of Oxycontin every month for a work-related disability. So, I have a *wee* headache (ha, nice excuse!) and decided to pop 2 back. (I think that was 20 mg's..not sure..doh!) Well, I never, ever felt better than ever, all of my tension released, relaxed, got home and had the best sleep ever. I am so confused about this...in their use for mental illness, would we develop a tolerance? What do you guys think?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Jay
> >
> > Here's the problem for psych use. Tolerance.
> >
> > You will only get the effect you describe if you use the drug occasionally. Occasionally can mean different things to different people, but once weekly may be too often for most.
> >
> > The active ingredient, oxycodone, is very addictive. Next to heroin, (and maybe even ahead of it now), oxycodone is the most abused opiate or opiate-related drug. It is a very slippery slope, and you have one foot firmly planted on it. Taking two is already drug-abusive behaviour. Beware.
> >
> > Lar
> >
> >
>
> I disagree that taking 20mg of Oxycontin is drug abuse behavior - and while tolerance is an issue - it doesn't happen all the time. I'm going on 5 months continuous treatment with an opiate PRESCRIBED by my pdoc for my depression. Still works like day #1.
>
> Jerry
poster:flipsactown
thread:479222
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050404/msgs/481514.html