If I have been taking 4mg of dilaudid 4x a day and was switched to oxycodone 15mg 4x a day. Is this a comparable dose? I have needed to take 30mg 4x a day in order to arrest my pain adequately.Can anyone tell me how many mgs of oxycodone = 4mg of dilaudid(hydromorphone)? I was switched because I've been on dilaudid for 8yrs and have developed a tolerance(duh).
Oxycodone vs Dilaudid?
Question posted by Niblet2 on 7 June 2010
Last updated on 9 June 2023 by Cmeversole
Added 9 June 2010:
Thanks to Dave(mpvt) and Christine for the answers (timely, I might add).I guess I should have mentioned that I've been on methadone,120mgs per diem, off and on for 25 yrs....but daily for the past 14yrs.The doc has me on the oxys for breakthrough pain.I know that I'm on a 'blocking dose'(methadone),but the meds DO help.I just don't want my doc to think that I'm just a drug seeker looking to play her for a stronger dose of oxy.I called the pharmacist and he pretty much concurred with y'all(both very knowledgeable).I feel more confident in calling and asking for an increase....BEAUCOUP THANKS, Diane
10 Answers
Cmeversole
10 June 2023
I think your question was answered. I live in chronic pain as well on OxyContin 10/325 4x daily. I just wanted to add that you want to be sure to leave room so you have somewhere to go. I always think about cancer and illnesses that would make this pain look like a vacation and I am already dying of chf and CKD. So instead of withering in pain and dying all distorted like I was poisoned with cyanide, I am staying here and dealing with some pain until it ever is a dire need to increase my medication. You may already be doing this but I thought it was worth mentioning. Maybe it will help someone. We’re all in the same boat. Stay healthy and God bless
Novusordo
1 Nov 2017
About 20mg orally, but your body may respond different as most does, but that being the case you've been shorted about 20mg a day, it's like this my friend, just take enough to arrest ur pain, and go to ur dr and tell him what's going on, professional help is best.
Gilsonite
3 July 2017
I have been on 30 mg of oxycodone every 4 hours and was still not happy with the pain management. My pain PA switched me to 4 mg of dilaudid (hydromorphone) every 4-6 hrs. I am in more pain now than before. I was told by 2 pharmacist that 8 mg of dilaudid would be equal or better than 30 mg of oxycodone! Always remember when your pain dr switches you to a different type pain med, they will always give lower dose than conversion says because sometimes a lower dose may be adequate; so wait 1-3 weeks so you have time to get a true and accurate assessment of your pain! Hope this is helpful!
bobobenso
2 Nov 2017
I am so tired of being on opioids I have been on Fentanyl patches 175mcg every 48 hrs plus 30mgs Oxycondon every 4 hrs as needed I had a failed back surgery in 2011 and have been thru hell and back I was on that amount until they talked me into a pain pump first we tried Fentanyl in the pump then they thought the pump wasn't working so I had to have another surgery to see and the doctor that put the pump in said he didn't see anything wrong with the pump so my pain Dr. started me again on the Fentanyl I was still in horrific pain now they switched me to Dilaudid I have been back twice and have to go back tomorrow for another adjustment I know they are afraid to crank it up too much but mean while I am suffering I am no longer on the patches and they gave me 4mg dilaudid because I used up my 30mg of Oxy too soon for a refill the dilaudid does nothing for me I even took 4 at once still nothing.
They do this thing to the pump they call it an Abolis it's like a jump start for the pump and for the first time in 10 years I was almost pain free I am 76 years old I was hoping to get a good couple of years in less pain but who knows now I saw on the news that your brain still lives after you die, I keep telling people that my pain is going to follow me to my grave and beyond with the luck I've had I'm not expecting any. I just wanted to put this out there in case anyone is considering a pain pump I think it will be good once they release enough meds. into it all of the posts on here are pertty old but I'm putting it out there anyway, good luck with your pain it's hell to live like this.
Linesofthelight
27 April 2017
Dilaudid and other versions of hydromorphone are stronger drugs than oxycodone. These drugs are often used for serious pain caused by surgery, broken bones, or cancer. From what I have lightly researched a 2 mg of dilauded is equivalent to approximately 5-10 mg of Oxycodone.
kitty k
20 March 2013
I actually just went in reverse. Was taking 15mg oxycodone 3-4x/day then switched to 4mg dilaudid 3x/day with msContin on top also with nurontin and muscle relaxers.
You should have no problem with whatever dose of oxy you get as compared to dilaudid because they are much better for breakthrough pain.
I got so sick... I feel I basically went into with drawls. I've felt sick for days now, sneaking in a couple stray mgs of oxy I had stashed away to keep sane. I've been sleeping non stop and have no appetite.
Basically... I think dilaudid is CRAP! I can't wait until Thursday when I can hopefully get my beloved oxys back.
This whole ordeal has made me dread the day I actually have to stop taking all this bull.
Good luck
cupcake7667
18 Dec 2012
There is an extended release dilaudid called Exalgo, very expensive but if your insurance will cover it then not too bad. I take 3 16 mg Exalgo in the morning and 3 8 mg dilaudid 4-5 x a day. Plus a 200 mcg fentanyl patch. Yes, high high dosing. But none of the "oxy" anything worked for me. A year ago, after third redo of my C 5-6 fusion I was taking 70 mg morphine every 2-3 hrs. The surgery created a fibro flare and we couldn't get the pain down. Spent 3 days in the ICU on a ketamine drip and Dilaudid PCA. Morphine is weak. So I'd say my current meds are a lot less than 70 mg morphine every 2-3 hrs and more effective. Anyway, if you're not on an extended release and want to stick with the dilaudid, ask your doc about the exalgo. Maybe adding that in and going up to the 8 mg dilaudid would help if oxycodone isn't doing it. Took a long time for me to be on this much and still not pain free, but I vote for dilaudid. And am not looking forward to getting a tolerance to that, but I know it will happen.
Best of luck
Jessica
cupcake7667
18 Dec 2012
And I used the term "oxy" because its late and didn't want to spell them all out. I never viewed that as drug seeking.
Dumpster Diver
20 March 2013
exactly how I feel about using the term oxcy..Sometimes just don't feel like writing it all out, and by the way, i am not. "A drug seeker" judge and ye shall be judged... DD
Sickofbeingsick34
7 Nov 2016
On the topic of calling it " OXY ". I'm from Canada and the pain meds I'm prescribed is called Oxy IR ( imeditate release ) so I don't think it's a drug seekers way of using this word. I have never even heard of such a thing. Thought this was worth adding.
Jayboa31
30 May 2012
That's too much pain medicine !! Methadone and oxycodone!!the way you refer to oxycodone as "Oxy" probably are drug seeking
Bothhips2
12 June 2012
I agree too much but I'm chronic pain both hips replaced from degenerative discs!! And just like dr or any business when u deal w something long u use shorter words !!! So if u have no idea what it's like to try live normal life in mind numbing pain just keep ur opinion to
Yourself !!!
majorheadache
12 June 2012
Sorry, but I have to agree... aftr my neck surgery (C5-6 replaced w a Medtronics titanium joint((refused a fusion)) I had an accident and blew out my lumbar and sacroilliac region (think slinky-esque damage). This led to a non-stop climb of opiates for 7+yrs before I put myself thru a 30day rehab and tried EVERYTHING else we could afford on her salary n my tiny diability check. In short, aftr "man-ing up" the best I could for 18mos, I came back to opiates so my family could stand being in the same house as me in pain. NOW, because of the kids and pill-mills, I CANNOT get my 30x3day Oxycodone anymore in Central Florida. Wife cannot stand me on Dilaudid or morphine, and the amount of Hydrocodone I would need would put my liver into jaundice like fits in 2wks time because politicians are blocking the large dose hydrocodone(non-APAP) pills from hitting th US. I constantly deal w ppl like yourself who judge before even cracking the binding to read the preface or the summary...
medical professional or not! We never chose to be here, most of us have been in survival mode for years and probably are on strong anti-depressants to boot... This wave of pill-mill action that tookover the southeast and thn some has caused a SEVERE problem for those of us in legit situations, AND worse yet, the 2nd most prejudiced thing next to gay bashing since the 60's. All do respect, I feel your frustration on anyone SOUNDING like a seeker, but get off your high horse and live in COMPASSION... If IT gets addictive, LOOKOUT, this country will fall for good!!
- Sorry for the novel, but first post and alot to share...
savaryis
2 Dec 2012
I agree that this was a harsh, short-sighted response. I do not take any of these RX, but my 84 year old mother does for bone-on-bone oesteoarthritis. She is currently in ICU & in an effort to keep her bp up, the medicos took her off her pain protocol. I hear her moaning in horrid pain, in the background, when medicos phone me with updates - in my own haste & stress, I too call Oxycodone, 'Oxy' and it in no way refers to either my mom or myself as a street-drug-seeking shadow-person. Suggesting it so, is only very hurtful to those readers who are sincerely in mind-numbing pain. The last thing they need is a pile of judgement to go along with their torture. And to those who are suffering, may you find some relief - you might look into magnetic braces/belts as well as light therapy and even 'earthing' to augment your RX efforts. Even just standing on the barren earth, bare-footed, has been shown to offer some relief.
Also, of course, cannabis oil (thick, high THC oil made from the Indica strain) - you must go through a legal route by first getting a card and then obtaining it from someone authorized to make the oil. The oil, as I understand, works miracles not only with pain, but with cancer. Best of luck, dear folks.
Aitch
6 Jan 2013
Wow, I suppose you know more than his/her doctor about the reason the drugs are taken. I call Oxycodone Oxy all the time, because after 13 years you just get acclimated to the acronyms.
noskidmarks
4 March 2013
Anybody who knows anything about chronic pain would know that one is generally prescribed a long-acting (for breakthrough pain) and long-acting (extended release) for overall pain. So in many cases patients will be given, in my case 4x15 mg oxycodone daily and 2x40mg oxycontin daily along with valium 10mg 3 times a day. So in your opinion would this be alot of medication?
noskidmarks
4 March 2013
I meant to say a SHORT ACTING LIKE OXYCODONE, AND A LONG ACTING EXTENDED RELEASE LIKE OXYCONTIN. sorry for the typo...
Blackcaesar
14 Aug 2013
Some people couldn't function with out the pain meds. Just because one uses abreviations when speaking about a particular drug doesn't make them " a person seeking drugs".
badgeyboy
24 Sep 2016
ya i agree with the lady after your answer. its all well and good commenting behind the safety of your computer. There are people out there in agony and its the mentality of people like you who are making it harder for doctors to believe you that you are in pain or one medication isnt working and so on. so keep your negativity to your self.
Pills82
10 May 2017
Yes I agree I have been on and off pain meds for years I have been fused from L1 to L5 along with both si joints I have narrowing at T9-T12 and I have referred to my meds as oxy and yes I have worked my way up in doses like 10 mg 8x per day but that doesn't make me a pill seeker you need to live with the pain before you drive that train just saying.
rachel costa
1 Aug 2011
I am prescribed 30 mg oxy 3 times a day plus 8 mg diluadid 3 times a day 50 mg ultram 3 times a day & 350 mg soma 3 times a day plus nuerotin 2 times a day for my degeneritive disk disease. I found that the oxy don't last as long as the diluadid,i think the oxy s are just a quick fix for a hour or two. What really works is MS Contin 60 mg . you only need two a day you don't feel high you just feel normal with the pain gone. They are the best ones i've been given for my back,but i changed doctors & he put me on all that other stuff i mentioned. The 8 mg diluadid are very good too, they do their job.
noskidmarks
4 March 2013
The main reason i'm calling bullsh is because; Why would your Dr. prescribe you TWO short-acting narcotics, unless the oxy you refer to is "Oxycontin".
much2muchpn
15 July 2013
Hi. I have a question that maybe you can help me with since you were on almost same meds as I was on. I had a 5 disc fusion 12 years ago, now have another herniation, and 3 degenerative discs, with arthritis throughout my whole spine. I was on 80mg oxycontin 3xs a day, oxycodone hcl 30 mg 3xs, soma 350 4xs, bacloen10 4xs and voltaren 2xs a day. Im now seeing a new pain management Dr. and he doesn't prescribe oxycodone or soma anymore because of the abuse potential. He put me on Oxycontin 80 4xs a day and Nucynta 100 4xs a day, switched my soma to zanaflex, which from what I read, has bad side effects. Haven't taken it yet, using the rest of my soma. My question to you is... would dilaudid be any better? The nucynta? It doesn't seem to be helping. I've been practically bed ridden for years now. I started to up my Oxycodone to 45mg 3xs a day... it would help a little more, just didn't last. I'm NOT looking to get high, just live a normal life.
Before I ask for Dilaudid, want to know if it really works and if you would know how many timesa day I'd need to take it. I'm gussing I'd need the 8mg, Please help me if you can
barleybean
26 Aug 2016
There is a time release dilaudid it is called exalgo. That's in USA. They've probably been out about 8 to 10 yrs.
RR1326rr
11 June 2017
Jesus Christ how did you get prescribed all that and how are you still alive after all that
PhillyGirl88
6 July 2017
I used to take 8mg of diluadid 6 times a day. It was wonderful, I thought. But of course, over time, my tolerance just got too high out of control. My doctor D/C the dilaudid I was on for a hundred years, and gave me oxycodone to replace it. I'm also on a Fentanyl patch which is quite intense, but with all I have tried, this combo works the best.
bobobenso
19 Oct 2017
I have been on 175mcg/h Fentanyl patches every 48 hrs. for 7 years now with all of this opioid stuff going on they cut me back to every 72 hrs. plus I was on 4 oxy 30mg 4 x a day. I had a pain pump put in my back and it's really taking a lot to get the meds. adjusted I'm about to lose my mind they were using Fentanyl in my pump but I have to keep going back to ER because my pain gets so out of control today they put Dilaudid in the pump so were waiting to see if I have better luck I had a horrible back surgery in 2011 that has pretty much taken my life from me so please be careful with your decisions right now I'm trying to reach out to see if anyone else has had a pain pump and what was their luck hopefully I'll hear from someone.
Swhoney
29 March 2018
i think I'm on both sides.. that is alot of pain meds to be taking.. i was stunned.. but i have CRPS and don't have all those pain meds.. i should be since CRPS is the highest form of pain known today but i would be like a zombie.. i don't know where the answer is but i s both sides, too much meds but for pain sometimes necessary.. it s not fun living with pain esp mine being full body.. everyday is
a struggle.. even hospitals r turning me away since the new laws have their hands tied and say only pain mgmt can prescribe me stuff, even during an emergency situation.. check the Mc Gill Pain index, CRPS is the highest.. even for me I'm not on so many straight pain meds just oxycodone gabapentin Tylenol baclofen xanax tricyclic antidepressant for pain not depression.. fioricet for migraines allergy stuff so not nearly close to that on pain meds.. everyone is different..
but w each need to take responsibility for ourselves and be cautious with our meds and not overdo it.. in time we each develope a tolerance that when we have pain flares, nothing helps.. for this reason i believe in only taking what is necessary to take the edge off not be pain free by overtaking stuff.. carefulness is key, i feel..
christineATU
7 June 2010
Personally, I found 10mg oxycodone works better than 2mg dilaudid. So if you go by math alone, 20mg oxycodone would be the same as 4mg dilaudid. But that's not how you convert meds. Everyone reacts differently to different meds. And the 2 are not the same, only in that they have a short half life. By switching meds, you may find that the OxyContin works good for you. Honestly, your best bet is to be on a good extended release pain med. Short acting meds do more damage to the brain as the process adds stress to the system. Long acting opiates allow the brains systems time to regenerate. For people who have chronic pain and are opiate tolerant, methadone is a good choice. It is very difficult to build a tolerance to and you only need to administer once per day. Good luck to you and hope you find good relief with the OxyContin's.
Chris
Flybynite1974
20 July 2017
Something to keep in mind is bioavailability. Dilaudid is nearly 100% bioavailable through IV. Orally Dilaudid is only 35-50 bioavailable. Oxy instant release is around 90% bioavailable when taken orally. Most patients would agree Dilaudid isnt nearly as potent as oxy when taken orally. Im a pharmacist and trained as an EMT.
Hope this helps.
mpvt
7 June 2010
My dosage converter is saying you should be on a minimum dose of 64mgs/day of oxycodone. Dilaudid is much stronger then oxycodone but it doesn't last very long and when used chronically is should be prescribed in the sustained release form(Palladone) and not the quick release (dilaudid). Shit, I just remembered that you can't get palladone in the USA anymore. So you really should be on Oxycontin which is a sustained release oxycodone. The quick release oxycodone is garbage for chronic pain and you would need handfuls to get any relief.
After 8 years of dilaudid you will definitely have a tolerance to all fast acting opiates, so I would try and get on a decent long acting pain killer like methadone. Good luck...
christineATU
7 June 2010
Had my answer hanging in space before I submitted. You are right as usual, mtvp.
Niblet2
9 June 2010
BEAUCOUP THANKS... I had to add a little more info to my question,but nothing that I feel would change your answer, but I could be wrong... it wouldn't be the first time.
Niblet2
9 June 2010
BEAUCOUP THANKS!!! You seem to be very knowligable on the subject(especially according to Christine).I omitted some info, which I later added,but nothing that I think would change your answer.You may want to augment your response(which I would welcome) or not... either way,thank y'all both for the time it took to respond.
justme1694
5 Dec 2011
Actually the OP's are long lasting so maybe you should talk to your doctor about getting those
Derrick Dubois
27 Sep 2017
Okay so the reason I started this account it's because I'm in the hospital with a bad infection in my foot some of it is topical and the rest is severe cellulitis now they wanted to change me from 20 mg of oxycodone every 4 hours to 4 million mg of Dilaudid every 4 hours I chose the oxycodone it seems to be working better but I figured I would ask a professional or somebody who has been through it any feedback would be welcomed
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dilaudid, pain, back pain, oxycodone
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