The FDA now requires MD's to prescribe only 12-hour medications for chronic pain management. I had been doing fine taking Percocet (5/325) 3 times per day, but am no longer allowed to do that, so I need to find an effective replacement in 12-hour formula. Please recommend some choices.
Which 12-hour time-release medications are most effective for chronic pain management?
Question posted by catlady413 on 10 April 2015
Last updated on 28 March 2023
3 Answers
pepprmintgal
11 May 2015
Opana E R but when I done my blood work it showed none in my system but I know i took everyone now I am back the Norco for 1n9 years it doesn't work anymore
smchurch
29 March 2023
Not unheard of then, but now for certain, you'd be accused of scamming - having sold your medications, and thus, it then being highlighted in your records which will follow you for the rest of your life, with little options for future pain relief! In today's medical system, they're [Medical Facilities/Doctors], but of course not all, looking for any excuse to eliminate people from their practice needing "Legitimate" pain relief from "Chronic Pain"! P.S., Please excuse me for sounding somewhat disgruntled; however, I've had "Chronic Pain" for twenty-five years, resulting from a catastrophic logging accident, with my seeing these types of changes firsthand. Now you almost feel like a criminal, and carry a sense of guilt daily, for even mentioning the types of medications that made life manageable and provided you with a positive outlook for the future!
DzooBaby
10 April 2015
Actually this is NOT coming from the FDA. Some states have preferred "guidelines" and these are telling docs it is better to use a long acting drug for people who have chronic pain and taking daily medication. If you are only taking Percocet occasionally then you shouldnt have to go to a long acting drug. If you are using Percocet on a daily basis, especially if you are using it every 4-6-8 hours on a daily basis, then you may actually do better on a long acting drug. Unfortunately long acting drugs are more expensive as they have a higher dose content so the FDA has to make them "tamper-resistant" to be approved so that abusers cant crush them and snort them or mix with water and inject them and get a fatal dose so they are mixed with polymers or other "high tech" release mechanisms that keep this from happening and because of this, they are more expensive than a generic short acting med.
Many people do find that their pain is under better control with long acting pain meds. This is because you have less "peaks" of medication. When you take a short acting drug, the entire dose of medication is released all at once and the medication rushes into the receptors and eases pain for an hour or two then tapers off and most people are back in pain before the next dose is due so over a 24 hour period, you are spending several hours in pain still. This rush of drug can increase tolerance in some people and some people end up taking their meds too close together because they dont want to be in pain for that hour or two until the next dose is due. A long acting dose can last 8-10-12 hours for most people and the dose is slowly released over this time so you have less rush of drug to the receptors. The people who wrote these guidelines think that this may help reduce abuse and tolerance (and it does in some people) I, myself, prefer to be on a long acting drug. It covers my pain better and yes, there are less "peaks and valleys" of relief. Instead of riding through pain every few hours, I may have only two times in a day that I feel more pain before my next dose is due instead of 4-5 times a day as with a short acting drug and some docs will give you some short acting meds for this "breakthrough" of pain. If you are doing well with Percocet which is oxycodone, the long acting form of oxycodone is Oxycontin. As far as what long acting works, it is different for everyone. You may just need to try them to see how they work for you. Your Dr should take your daily total of opioid you take per day, so at 5mg three time a day, that is 15mg, divide in half and give you that dose every 12 hours, so in your case, he would probably give you Oxycontin 10mg every 12 hours (they dont make a 7.5mg) But these guidelines are just that-guidelines. They are NOT laws and no one is making him do this! It is just considered "good practice" to follow the states guidelines. You can try a long acting drug. You may actually find it does better.
kaismama
10 April 2015
And here's the rub on that, most part D plans wont pay for extended release meds. (or combo meds)
Mgarthwait
8 June 2015
Yes! That's what the new drug Embeda has in it!!
kaismama
10 April 2015
I don't know where that info came from, but its not true. It is better to take extended release meds for chronic pain but the government has no law like that. If your dr is feeding you that crap to get out of writing for pain meds, he needs a slap on the wrist. Your dr can recommend the med. Its not good to know too much about narcs in this current social atmosphere. He can replace percocet with oxycontin.
DzooBaby
10 April 2015
Yes, it is better not to suggest any certain drug. Just try what he gives you-honestly try it and give feed back on how it is working. Hopefully he is willing to adjust you to the right dose and the right med for you.
pepprmintgal
7 Oct 2015
OpanaEr is great but for reason it didn't show up in my blood work and i promise I took everyone
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chronic pain, fda, prescription, medication, pain management
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