Xtampza ER for Pain User Reviews

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2020

"I am another patient to say Xtampza ER just sucks. It doesn't work. To get it to maybe work, I gotta be as fat with fatty, high-calorie foods? 7 spinal surgeries and 16 years on OxyContin, and I was all good. It controlled the tingling, nasty damaged nerve at the top of my butt crack that, when it is firing, is unbearable. I'm a 64-year-old pain patient suffering unbearably when the pain used to be under control."

• Jil...
• June 2, 2019

"I trialed Xtampza ER for 5 days due to a forced step therapy trial. I went into the trial with a positive attitude because I wanted it to work and I can tolerate Oxycodone. (If it worked, my insurance company would stop hassling me because this med is cheaper than my current med.) However, by day two I could not walk or move because I experienced a rare side effect which I think was due to a filler. My muscle groups locked up consecutively one by one starting with my lower back and spreading across my body. My pain was also completely uncontrolled, so the dosage was not comparable to my previous morphine milligram equivalency. (My trusted pharmacist researched Xtampza and thought it would be equivalent, so I share this as a possible criticism of the drug itself and not a commentary on my tolerance.) I have complex regional pain syndrome, meaning I am an intractable pain patient, and have been prescribed pain medication for about eight years to manage my pain."

• TKa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 6, 2019

"After nearly a year of using 18mg Xtampza (started at 9mg and worked up to 18mg), I’ve found waking an hour early and taking it with high-fat yogurt and sleeping another hour leaves me feeling refreshed and on my way. It only seems to work for 6-8 hours so I use 20mg baclofen and 10mg oxy for breakthrough between doses. It also helps to use Tylenol in addition as it synergizes both forms. Also, if you can get your BP up for at least 20 minutes by taking a fast-paced walk it also helps get the meds into your system much quicker. It’s not always easy but exercise helps in every way if you’re able. It’s not the perfect medicine but without it I would be miserable and likely unable to work and tolerate the cancers and radiation proctitis nearly as well as I am."

• Rel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2018

"Xtampza gave me my dignity back. I was bedridden for over four years straight, and after literally trying every pain medication in existence (including Fentanyl, a spinal nerve stimulator, and a pain pump), I am now able to function at a much higher level. This medication is ideal for those who metabolize medications rapidly, which can be discovered by taking a P-450 blood test. Because of the abuse deterrent capsule, the beads of medication break down slowly. In my experience, this keeps side effects like nausea down. It lasts longer than any ER medication I have tried and is more stable in its release. I am losing weight gained previously. The capsule can be sprinkled on applesauce, but it needs to have a fat source to break down properly. A cracker or cookie easily solves this, which is a good practice to have in place with any medication to protect the stomach lining. I am prescribed a breakthrough medication besides Xtampza. I am thankful beyond words that this has worked for me."

• TCa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 14, 2023

"I took Xtampza ER for almost a year. It provided reasonable pain control for about 6-8 hours when taken with a high-fat meal or snack. The fat is needed to break down the abuse deterrent coating. Sadly, most pharmacists fail to tell patients that. I put on weight due to the extra fat requirement. I ended up changing meds due to the cost and weight gain. Xtampza is okay, but I think there are easier/more effective meds out there."

• Can...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2018

"I have 2 types of cancer, one that is stage 4. My doctor put me on these to try something new, but when I take it, I get severe pain in my kidneys, and my body aches where my lymph nodes are. I have also gotten shooting pains in my heart. Has anyone else had side effects like this? My doctor told me to keep taking them, but I literally feel like they are killing my organs and me slowly."

• Can...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 5, 2021

"Xtampza ER 18 mg, 2 times a day. Worst medication I've ever been on. Not only did it not work for pain, it made me feel like I was in constant opioid withdrawal. I felt tired, couldn't sleep at night, and there's no point, this medicine should even exist. Extremely expensive and extremely worthless!"

• Ken...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2021

"I was on OxyContin 40, my insurance forced me to Xtampza 36. Compared with name-brand OxyContin, Xtampza is better for me. It works within 40 minutes, and it lasts 12 hours. OxyContin took 90 minutes to start working, and it stopped working after 8 hours. I wish I had Xtampza years ago. You must take it with food, taking it with no food or a very small amount of food is assuring you that you will experience pain and withdrawal that day. Since it's so expensive, make sure you are eating an orange, a bagel, or a cup of yogurt is enough, no need for a full meal. If you can't swallow the giant Xtampza capsule, you can open it and mix the contents with whatever you're eating."

• Xta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 13, 2022

"I wish I had thought to Google these reviews before I threw away six hundred plus dollars on this pathetic excuse for pain meds. Didn't get I had to jump through a hoop when taking it, and when I found out it made no difference. Vivid, disturbing dreams as well. Zero pain relief. This manufacturer should be sued. False advertising."

• Fli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 26, 2021

"Knee damage, waiting on replacement surgery. Due to the pandemic, knee surgery has been postponed for almost a year... I need to keep working at my job to support my family. I was on a regimen of Percocet 7.5 mg three times a day... I timed them out perfectly for pain relief while at my job and while at home getting work done...... The pain center replaced that regimen with Xtampza 13.5 twice a day. Explained nothing to me about taking with a special diet. They do not offer comparable pain relief as the Percocet did.. I rate them a 4 out of 10 at best. I would like to go back on my old regimen, but due to the fact of people abusing pain medicines, they have ruined it for us, the people that truly need them."

• Cha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 23, 2023

"I was given this drug for pain from chronic regional pain syndrome. Shortly after I started taking this medication, I suddenly felt afraid to drive my car one day. Then things happened quickly. I felt disoriented all the time. I literally could not remember anything. I got to the point where I was passing out anytime I sat down, and while passed out, I would urinate. My son once found me laying down on the dishwasher door, and I had peed my pants. My son and my dad said I would do weird things like pretend I was eating out and having full conversations with myself that made no sense. I remember them telling me something was wrong with me, and I kept telling them there was not. Meanwhile, I was to the point of remembering nothing. Finally, on September 11, 2020, I was taken to the ER with an accidental overdose. I had also been walking on a broken leg for a while, they said. Ended up with 8 days of detox in the hospital. I took this drug exactly as prescribed and still overdosed! Worse drug ever!"

• Lef...
• April 20, 2021

"I’ve been on it a week. First off, I got nauseated, then realized I probably needed to eat with it. I’m not a breakfast eater, so this is going to be an issue. But I did start eating a few saltines with it. I’m on 18 mg. They do nothing for the pain by themselves. If I take them with my breakthrough med, they do seem to help a little bit more. But they do take an hour and a half to two hours to notice any pain relief, then they only work for like four hours after that. So no way they can be considered long-acting. Also, they make me sleepy constantly, so now I have absolutely no energy to get up and clean the house. So to sum up, they are pretty worthless."

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2021

"I started Xtampza a week ago. I have chronic pain in general but usually stays in my upper back to lower. After just 4 days, my knees are swollen. I can’t bend my right knee. I have zero additional pain relief as I am on oxycodone IR. This medication is extremely expensive-$1200/60 36 mg caps. But luckily, my insurance covered 100 percent. Because after reading reviews... I will not take these anymore. I’m calling my pain management physician tomorrow and requesting oxycodone 40 mg bid. My insurance won’t cover, but with a coupon, it’s $250 a month for generic. Definitely worth the money because it works! This Xtampza needs to be off the market! And the big hoorah is that it’s tamper-proof? So is Oxy ER? ... so really? ... c'mon."

• Gri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2022

"Do not expect Xtampza to relieve pain similar to a Percocet. I had severe knee arthritis, bone-on-bone grinding, but needed to continue working as a lab technician. So I was on my feet, walking 50% of my day. After 3 weeks of Xtampza and the pain just continuing, I went back on to Percocet. I was taking 13.5 mg Xtampza twice a day with little to no pain relief. Went back on to 7.5 mg Percocet three times a day as needed, and I was able to continue working for 6 months while waiting for knee replacement surgery."

• Mik...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 23, 2024

"I have lived with chronic pain for over 20 years, failed fusions and other spinal surgeries. Xtampza isn’t as effective as the OxyContin equivalent, but it takes my pain down to a level that keeps me reasonably functional. I take the morning dose with toast and peanut butter, it’s enough fat to make it work. It takes 60-90 minutes, and the 13.5 mg can provide 6-7 hours of relief. It’s possible to get authorization to take it every 8 hours if you metabolize quickly. 800 mg of Ibuprofen with the PM dose is excellent, but many can’t tolerate this med. I try to limit it to every other day and always before a full meal, usually at 6 pm supper. My doctor doesn’t believe in IRs or “breakthrough pain,” so it’s as good as it’s going to get. I feel lucky to not be totally incapacitated and manage more “good” days than “bad.”"

• Kno...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 17, 2024

"Xtampza ER 13.5 mg has worked great for me! Although it doesn't last the whole 12 hours every time, it still does the job. I also have to double the dose sometimes and take it with peanut butter. I was on oxycodone, 15 mg 5 times a day and felt I needed more. Plus, it was hurting my liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Now Xtampza changed all that. I'm asking my doctor for a higher dose at my upcoming follow-up."

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2021

"Worthless for pain relief. Doesn't matter how many you take. Ran out of immediate release oxycodone before the weekend because my pain management doctor quit and the new doctor couldn't get all of the patients taken care of."

• Tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2020

"It doesn't work at all. I'm having so much pain, it's unbearable."

• Pat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2020

"This medicine does absolutely nothing for pain. I tried taking it with fatty foods, it didn’t work. Depression set in, so I stopped taking this $600 month drug."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 1, 2020

"I was given Xtampza ER instead of oxycodone. Now, I have had 2 years of unbearable pain."

• Bil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2018

"Takes too long to work... no matter what you eat... Don't waste your time."

• PRN...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2023

"Tried using this formula in transition for MS Contin, and my pain is so much worse. Very bad pain control after switching."

• Anonymous
• April 19, 2021

"Xtampza 18 mg did absolutely nothing for my pain. Fortunately, I read some reviews and found out I was not alone. I need to go back to OxyContin ASAP."

• Opi...
• July 27, 2021

"Take two 13.5 mg sprinkled on a high-fat meal (15 grams of fat or more). Half an hour later, you'll feel something. Otherwise, it's worthless."