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gina5234	Jun-18-03, 07:30 PM (CMT)
"Questions regarding Methodone"
My new pain doctor is talking about putting me on Methodone. He was also talking about Oxycontin. I am currently on MS Contin. Why he doesn't just want to raise the dose (I am on a minimal amount), I don't know why. I've seen some posts on here about Methodone, but am a little confused. I was hoping anyone who has been on it can give me some info. Does it stay in your body for a long, long time after you quit using it? I might have misunderstood something I read, but that was what I gathered from another post. Also, does it interfere with a lot of other medications? Quite frankly, this drug scares me by some of the things I have read. Any info would be much appreciated. Also, has anyone every tried Methodone and at another time, Oxycontin? If so, which one has been more effective for controlling migraines. I also have extremely bad back pain on top of chronic migraines.
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RE: Questions regarding Methodone, gincal, Jun-19-03, (1) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, gina5234, Jun-20-03, (2) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, Timber2, Jun-20-03, (3) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, roxy3boys, Jun-20-03, (4) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, gina5234, Jun-20-03, (5) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, Timber2, Jun-20-03, (6) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, donjonrn61, Jun-21-03, (7) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, mishkyn, Jun-21-03, (8) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, roxy3boys, Jun-21-03, (9) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, GinaSioux, Jun-22-03, (10) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, Ouch, Jun-22-03, (11) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, roxy3boys, Jun-22-03, (12) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, KAREN, Jun-23-03, (13) RE: Questions regarding Methodone, gina5234, Jun-24-03, (14)

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Messages in this topic

gincal	Jun-19-03, 10:04 AM (CMT)
1. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
I am sorry I can't help you. Surprisingly I have never been on any of those meds. Been on about everything else. I guess my doctors don't believe in long acting narcotics. Good luck.
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gina5234	Jun-20-03, 06:43 AM (CMT)
2. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
This was getting moved down toward the bottom and I wanted to bring it back up because if anyone has any info or advice, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.
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	Timber2	Jun-20-03, 06:14 PM (CMT)
	3. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Gina, Have some questions that are very similar as well. About 10 days ago my neuro put me on daily Oxcontin to see if it could help with M pain. I've read about how powerful Oxycontin is. Know you become physically addicted to it (but not emotionally dependent on it). The big surprise for me is that I still am getting some nasy Ms and have to take breakthrough pain meds for them. My question is: If oxycontin is so strong why do I feel just about every M I get and have to end up taking my usual painkiller (Esgic Plus). Do you know if Oxycontin works on all people? Do you think I have to get the dosage adjusted (am taking 20 mg pills twice a day)? Do you think another form of long-term pain meds -- like the duragesic patch -- would be better? And, for those of you on Oxycontin: How often do you have to take pain meds for break through stuff? Thanks, Debbie P.
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	roxy3boys	Jun-20-03, 08:45 PM (CMT)
	4. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Hi All, Well you have kindof hit my specialty on the head so to speak. NO I am not a specialist I was just kidding because after 20yrs of migraineing and trying every med under the sun my pain doc put me on oxy and then methadone and I have been on it for 4 yrs, not to mention I was very apprehensive in the beginning and I did as much research as I could. I can only tell you what I have learned and how it has worked for me, I do think though it is good sense to do your homework first when starting a drug like this so by all means check up on what info I give as I am sure there is even more recent news than I am aware of. TO me methadone was a life saver, however it did take some time to titrate the dose to what I needed it also takes some commitment on the part of the patient as for the first two weeks I took my medication daily at the pain clinic so they could test my bodies reaction 15min later,30mins later 2hours later etc. After the two weeks they watched me closely and I had to document my progress on my migraine chart. I also had to sign a patient/doctor aggreement about the use of my meds etc. In the beginning of treatment I could tell they were testing and watching me to make sure I did not have a drug problem nor did I get addicted to the med. Also I took several workshops offered by the pain center about pain control, I wasn't thrilled however it was great info. I did not get to use breakthrough meds while we were titrating, I didn't like this but saw the reasoning behind it. They explained to me the idea is to give the least amount of medication to get the most effect we can they showed me on a chart that they want to address the majority of my pain level then they will give me breakthrough meds for the pain levels that go above the amount of methadone i take. Its hard to explain I hope I am not losing you.....anyway once we were to the dose that helped the most they allowed me breakthrough meds 3 times a week if I required more than that we would go back to titrating. They also gave me a standing order at the er for 4 visits a month for morphene if needed. The real surprise for me was that all the meds that I had been given prior to this that I thought were safe meds were way more harmful than methadone. The reason is that methadone is a pure narcotic, you can take if for years with no harm to you vital organs, and for coming off of it the doctor will titrate you down just as they did increasing the med. They also find with this med that most patients can stay at one dose for several years without needing an increase. Where with tylenol or stadol the patient will be increasing until the med no longer works.I found out that the stadol a doctor had been giving me was very harmful compared to the pure narcotics. Not to mention most of those meds if you use them more than three times a week you will get rebound headaches where with the methadone you get none. My dose is a fairly high dose compared to some as my migraines are chronic and I was having a lot of severe daily pain. My dosage is in liquid form and it is 80mg of morphene 3 times a day, 80mg of morphene 3 times a week and 80mg of injected morphene and 50mg gravol at the er when needed (max of 4 times a month). I do know others at the pain clinic that take 20mg a day and for them that has kept their migraines away the majority of the time. The dosages is very individual, it seems we are all different. The other reason they are starting to use methadone more often now is because it is inexpensive compared to the other mediations. OH, and yes methadone if long acting, so it does stay in your system for awhile. I hope I was able to give you some insight into this medication and if there is anything I can help with feel free to ask, I also know of some sites you can get info on methadone. Please feel free to pick my brain for any info, I was trying to think of all the things I asked but I came up with a blank, so if I can answer any of your questions I sure will or I might be able to find them on the internets site. Oh well, gotta go migraine starting to close in on me, talk to you later, good luck and keep me posted, bye roxy.
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	gina5234	Jun-20-03, 09:04 PM (CMT)
	5. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Roxy: Thank you so much for all the information. It really answered a lot of questions for me. Thanks for telling me I can ask you more, if I need to. I have an appointment next week to find out what is going to be done and I might have a few more questions. Debbie: I haven't been on Oxycontin and I'm not sure yet what my doctor is going to go with. The one thing the pain doctor did tell me is that some people have to take it three times a day instead of two. It just depends on the person.
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	Timber2	Jun-20-03, 09:26 PM (CMT)
	6. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Thanks Roxy and Gina, Maybe my oxycontin dosage isn't at the proper level yet. I'll probably send an e-mail to my neuro asking what to do next, Have an appointment to see him again in July. I'll be seeing him once a month as long as I'm on the oxycontin, Like you all, I realize that taking a long-acting narcotic is a big step. Two years ago my neuro at the time wanted to do something like this. But I turned it down because I was going through a nasty divorce and custody battle and I didn't want to give my ex any more ammo. Now my reasons have changed. I'm hoping that I'll have a relatively pain-free summer so I could spend lots of time with my sons. And, yes, I had to sign an agreement with the neuro about using oxycontin. Thanks -- Debbie P.
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	donjonrn61	Jun-21-03, 09:10 AM (CMT)
	7. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Back in 1998-99 when I was going to Diamond Headache Clinic they used methadone injections for pain upon admittance to their inpatient facility. I was very leary at first but it was explained to me that the methadone is a long-acting narcotic and as such is more effective than other meds at controlling migraine pain. When I was discharged I was given methadone pills as my rescue med, for the same reason as stated above. They worked very well for me and I was glad to finally have something other than a shot of Demerol at the ER that would actually stop my pain for awhile. I never took this as a daily medication but only for migraine attacks as an abortive. I no longer take any narcotics for my migraines, but at the time I was very happy to have something that was effective. - Donna
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	mishkyn	Jun-21-03, 11:12 AM (CMT)
	8. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Dear Gina~~ You have all ready received some excellent information about methadone from those who have tried it. I sometimes visit a chronic pain board out of Mass General Hospital. This Forum is called "Chronic Pain 2". There is also a "Chronic Pain" forum that was the original one that is archived. You should check both forums. You do not have to register and join to read everything. These are people who are in constant pain and many have taken several of the long-acting meds. There is a fabulous wealth of information there on narcotics and just about every other med you can imagine. A search will bring up what you need. I highly recommend this site for info on methadone. These people have long personal experience and have traded information back and forth for years. Chronic Pain 2's address is: http://neuro-mancer.mgh.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number=258&SUBMIT=Go You should be able to figure out how to get to the original chronic pain forum from there, but if not, please let me know. Good luck. Hope the forums help you and hope things work out for you. Mishkyn
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	roxy3boys	Jun-21-03, 08:44 PM (CMT)
	9. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Hi, just wanted to add the site that mishnyk (sp) mentioned is an excellent information site as it has lots of info on pain medication. I had a hard time getting on the site, so I was just a reader for a couple of years but now I also post there from time to time especially if I need some info on my methadone etc. I am kindof like the other post here, I found methadone to be a life saver however I avoided it for years thinking I was doing my body a favor only to find out I was doing the opposite. I feel way better on the methadone than I ever did on stadol ns, tylenol#4, statex etc. As a matter a fact when I first started using it after alot of research I wanted to scream it from the roof tops, as I had suffered so long without much hope. Oh, and no I don't think it is the answer for everyone but it some cases it can be a life saver. Good luck, and keep me posted. I am very interested bye Roxy.
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	GinaSioux	Jun-22-03, 08:22 AM (CMT)
	10. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Hi, I am new to this site and I was looking around and saw your question and at the risk of sounding like a know it all-I ususally NEVER ever respond, I prefer just to read and learn- I thought I'd put my opinion up for you as I have seen no other dissenters among those who have replied. I tried methadone 2 years ago and it was a very bad experience for me. As it does stay in the system a long time, it tended to "block" any rescue meds I could try and I got so very confused on it.Even while on "small" dosages. I have alot of experience with various narcotic meds, so it's not like I was a novice and blown out of the water with a dose of a powerful med. I found myself falling asleep at inopportune times-while I was talking, or cooking or the worst--driving! My husband refuses to EVER have me try that particular med again. Fortunately, I have since found a very good pain doc who has me using Actiq since oral meds do NOT stay down and the fentanyl patch has caused a rash. My life is really better than it has been in 20 years (with the exception of a new type of pain emerging)I am contemplating getting back to college, I landscaped our new home this spring, I catered a German graduation buffet for a friend's exchange student, and so much more.I couldn't get out of bed much before! My pain doc told me he thinks of methadone as a "dirty" med as it takes so long to leave the system and some of it's side effects are not entirely understood. It made me completely suicidal--seriously! I hope you are one of the successful ones for methadone, just wanted to mention there is at least 1 person who had a bad reaction to it. Thank you all for letting me join your site
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Ouch	Jun-22-03, 04:29 PM (CMT)
11. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
Hi Gina! I've been absent from this page for a few months. It is wonderful that the day I pop in for a vist, you have a question about meth. I've been on it since Nov. It was a life saver or me. Within 2 wks, 15mg every 8 hrs, controlled my Migraines. I have been almost free of migs since then. I do get a few little ones, but they are easily controlled with Midrin,and Vicodin. The meth also helped the chronic pelvic pain I have. Being on meth has been a very positive experience for me. The dr that started me on it told me it is my job to educate the "doubting doctors" about the positive side of taking pain meds. Love, Ouch, Sandra in OR
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	roxy3boys	Jun-22-03, 11:20 PM (CMT)
	12. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
	Hi, I just wanted to add that as I posted above methadone was a life saver for me, and I have tried meds that almost killed me literally. So having said that I think we all need to be cautious when trying new meds and listen to any and all info on it and then sort through it and decide for yourself. Gina when i read your post it was just a wake up call for myself to remember when I am telling people how well methadone has worked for me that there is a few people who have had horrible experiences with it. So we need to keep both in mind, I am sorry you had such a bad experience. Again though your info is valuable to the next person. Did want to add though when you stated that you fell asleep at the wierdest places etc, i to had that happen however it was only during our titrating phase once I was on a stable dose an my body adjusted I was way better, now it happens only once in a blue moon so to speak, an for me the positives far out way the negatives. THanks again, roxy.
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KAREN	Jun-23-03, 09:06 PM (CMT)
13. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
Have tried both. In Australia, Methodone is also what they put Heroin users on for withdrawal programmes. I was allergic to it and it also turned me into something like a junkie (falling asleep into my dinner etc)., so I don't have alot of time for it. Oxycontin didn't work for me, but maybe you will have more luck!!
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gina5234	Jun-24-03, 00:56 AM (CMT)
14. "RE: Questions regarding Methodone"
Wow! Everyone thank you for all the wonderful and useful information. I really got all my questions answered. This was just perfect timing to get all this information too because I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to discuss what med my internist wants to go with according to my pain doctor's suggestions.
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