I have been taking Percocet 10/325 for a little over 7yrs due to a back injury. I have had previous surgeries on my back. I have nerve damage in both legs and extreme pain in my back, which limits my mobility. My doctor has prescribed 6 pills a day, to control the pain. I am also on Neurotin 800mg taking 3pills at bedtime. And recently I have been given sleeping meds as well. It seems as if the medication is not working as well anymore. Is my body building up a tolerance or should I be taking a stronger medication?
Why isn't my pain medication working as well anymore?
Question posted by aminor75 on 7 Nov 2012
Last updated on 25 January 2018
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7 Answers
redflower
19 Dec 2013
U need a higher dosage
redflower
19 Dec 2013
Maybe you need a high dosage or a different medication
DzooBaby
7 Nov 2012
As everyone agrees, you are likely getting tolerant. Short acting pain meds are not the best way to approach chronic pain. Long acting meds are much more efficient and you will build tolerance much more slowly. If you are being treated by a PCP or family doc, I recommend that you ask about a referral to a comprehensive pain management doctor. They are better trained at treating chronic pain. With the Percocet, you are just chasing the pain all day but you likely never get ahead of it. A long acting drug will keep you much more comfortable and then you can use a short acting med for breakthrough pain when it occurs. PCPs usually dont like to prescribe long acting meds but some will. I think if you have been this long without being put on a long acting drug, it is likely that your doc either doesnt feel comfortable prescribing one or he doesnt really know how to treat chronic pain. It is not necessarily a matter of a stronger med.
To find your long acting dose, they usually calculate your 24 hour dose of your current drug so for you, you use 60mg of oxycodone a day (6 pills with 10mg of oxycodone) so he could start you at 30mg Oxycontin twice a day and go up from there as needed, if he chooses to stay with oxycodone. This is just an example-he may choose to go with any of the long acting drugs out there but they are all pretty much calculated in the same fashion. Dont expect to feel a long acting drug give you the same "rush" when it kicks in that the Percocet do (or did) Many people get conditioned to feel this blast of opioid to the receptors and equate that with the drug "working" Long acting drugs can take a few days for the blood levels to build and then you should get pretty consistant pain control. I think you will feel much much better on a long acting form of medication!! It keeps you ahead of the pain rather than chasing it all day!
Inactive
8 Nov 2012
Great response DzooBaby - you explained things very well. Regards - EJ
lurchey
25 Nov 2017
Very awesome comment you answered my question as well.. I'm going through the same thing as well but I take 5 Percocet 10/325 a day & I don't get no relief. I'm not living my life.. I'm miserable everyday & missing out on so much!!! I suffer from chronic pain.. Dealing with Spinal Stenosis, DDD, RA, Fibromyalgia, TMJ, I've had couple back surgeries done one was a L4/L5 Fusion.. Now I'm dealing with knee problems.. I've talked to several people with the same problems as me & they all said next is your knees.. I didn't say anything about my knees starting to give me problems.. Best Comment I've read & thank you for your input!!! Hopefully I can get something changed with my medications!!!
Inactive
7 Nov 2012
I agree with the prvious responses, & think you need a different type of pain control The long acting type like MS Contin or Oxycontin work much better for chronic pain with using the percocet for breakthru pain. I take oxycodone which has not tylentol in it at all. You must watch the amount of tylenol your are putting in your body as it can distroy your liver. Talk to your pain management doctor as you have here, & tell him it just isn't doing the job anymore. Believe me they understand about tolerance or build up of these medications & undestand the dose needs to be changed or a differnt type of pain control drug can be used...
jo wood
25 Jan 2018
I too have been taking the Norco 10/325, 4 X day. It no longer gives the relief it used to and I don't know what to say to my doc. He is a pain management doctor so I would think he would be prepared to prescribe something else that would be effective. Why is it, if there is a pain medication without Tylenol available, doesn't the doc just give it to you? If the Tylenol is the bad ingredient in Norco, why not eliminate it? I am 82 years old with multiple spinal damages. I doubt I will ever be free of pain thus whatever medication that is prescribed ought to be given with that in mind. I am not sure this doc has a great deal of compassion for my pain.
angel1662
7 Nov 2012
hello aminor75,
Yes I definitely agree with the community, you have built a tolerance from taking this med., this happens when u take pain meds on going for a long time your body builds a tolerance and the dose given just doesn't work affectively anymore, I would talk to your doctor and see if he can put you on a long acting pain med. instead of one u have to take every couple hrs, it might work better for u, or just tell him what is going on and let him decide what the best course of action would be, but I would let him no asap, no need to suffer like this... hope u r feeling well soon... keep us posted to let us now how ur feeling... best of luck...
MacIntosh12
7 Nov 2012
pledge is right, you've built a tolerance so your pain med isn't as efficacious as it was. Your doctor may up your dosage, or change things up a bit so you are more comfortable.
Best wishes, and hope you are feeling better very soon.
P.S. Non-Cancer Chronic Pain is VERY misunderstood by lay people, and the medical community alike.
Inactive
7 Nov 2012
Hello aminor75. I believe that your body has built up a tolerance. You might ask your doctor about possibly starting another drug. Regards, and I hope that your pain levels do ease up, pledge
Related topics
percocet, pain, neuralgia, medication, pain medication, nerve
Further information
- Percocet uses and safety info
- Percocet prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Percocet (detailed)
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