Nucynta and Tiredness: What Users Say

• hal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2013

For Pain "I'm taking 75 mg qid for severe spinal degeneration as well as other issues. In the past, I used Dilaudid, Percocet, and MS Contin. Nucynta works great for pain, but I am more tired than with other drugs. My insurance company denied approval, so I faxed them a letter explaining why I needed it, and they approved it 10 minutes after the fax was sent. Thank God!"

• Spr...
• October 17, 2013

For Pain "I have been taking Nucynta for about 2 years now. This medicine seems to be helping with my back pain. I started at the low dose of 50 mg, then went to 75 mg and am now taking 100 mg every 4-5 hours, as well as taking the 100 mg Extended Release tablets every 12 hours. They work great, although my only complaint would be that they make me sweat profusely when doing any activity that includes work. I even start to pour sweat when just sitting after 1 hour of taking it. As well, it makes me very tired. I find myself trying hard to keep my eyes open when I'm sedentary."

• Lum...
• February 16, 2014

For Pain "I was only on Nucynta for 2 days. 50 mg tabs x 3 times a day. I have been taking tramadol with no problems, but thought this might work better, as tramadol does not always control my pain. I must be very sensitive, as this medicine on day 1 made me feel as if my body were speeding, but tired and loopy at the same time. Day 2 was more of the same, but I needed a higher dose in order to control a pain level of 7 that comes upon me as the day wears on. I decided I did not want to go to 100 mg because of my sensitivity to this medicine."

• Mta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2018

For Pain "I was taking 15 mg oxycodone and 15 mg OxyContin ER. My doctor just switched my meds to Belbuca film and 75 mcg Nucynta ER, which is outrageous! My insurance company doesn’t pay for it! $100 for 14 days of it! Neither of the meds work, they make me very tired, dizzy, and have headaches. The doctor said I wouldn’t have withdrawals, but that’s a lie. I have zero pain relief! Complete waste of money! It has more bad side effects than good things about it! Especially when you read on it, and that’s what it first says. Please be careful."

• Ado...
• October 12, 2010

For Pain "I have been happy with Nucynta. I have been using it for almost a year. I used hydrocodone/Lortab for almost 8 years and oxycodone/Percocet for about 4 months. The oxycodone made me feel awful. I was always tired and had stomach issues. I was fine on hydrocodone, but I unfortunately built a tolerance after 8 years. I always avoided taking the maximum dose, but it got to a point where even the max dose wasn't helping, and I was very concerned about the Tylenol mix affecting my liver. I do take milk thistle to try to repair and avoid liver damage. I have had drug addictions in my life, but never to opiates. I have always been very careful with my prescriptions not to take more than prescribed, no matter how much the pain. I like that Nucynta feels very mild on the body."

• ram...
• November 7, 2009

For Pain "My experience with Nucynta was very disappointing. Did not relieve pain any more than a few ibuprofen. And it made me feel tired, sleepy. I have been on many pain medicines in the quest to find something that allows me to function. This one will be at the bottom of my list, mainly due to its poor performance for me in easing the pain, combined with sleepy, tired, and a little dizzy."

• DWA...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 25, 2021

For Pain "I have been on Nucynta ER 250 mg 2x/day for several years. This medication is a lifesaver for me because it works for my pain and none of the side effects associated with other narcotics. I still have Oxycodone 10 mg for breakthrough pain management but only use as necessary. Nucynta provides relief in several different ways, and due to my genetics, it works great for me, where some will receive absolutely no relief. I do not suffer from tiredness, sleepiness, or any intestinal issues. My only issue is sometimes there are supply chain issues - the drug is manufactured in PR, and after major hurricanes, there have been disruptions. Also, pharmacists are very reluctant to fill even a day early, so it is difficult to plan your life around picking up a prescription. With all of this, I wouldn't want to change to any other pain management medication."

• Feb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 15, 2017

For Pain "This medication was seriously a godsend for me. I have tried so many other medications, and none of them worked, and then when I would go off of them because they didn't work, I would feel like I was dying. My pain was getting so severe that my body was going into shock, and I would stop breathing and had to be rushed to the hospital. Enter this medication. I was very skeptical that it would do a darn thing. I honestly thought my doctor was crazy for even wanting to try it, but after about 3 days on it, I noticed a huge, huge, huge difference. I take three to four 50 mg pills a day spaced out roughly 6 hours, and I feel like a completely different person. It has reduced my pain by about 90%. No side effects other than mild tiredness."

• pai...
• October 26, 2011

For Pain "I have suffered from back problems for almost 20 years and, more recently, neck problems, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia. In that time, I have taken about every pain medication known to man, just to have them either work slightly or not work at all. Nucynta is my godsend. I am on 50 mg three times per day, although I try to keep it to one per day when my pain is at its worst so as not to form an addiction. The side effects aren't bad to me, comparatively speaking. I do get tired shortly after taking it, but then my pain disappears, and I have energy to do things that need to be done. I have some itching as well, but I can handle some itching and drowsiness if it means I have some pain-free time every day! So grateful."

• ger...
• August 4, 2011

For Pain "I am suffering very severe back pain due to a ruptured disk L4-5. I have been on Nucynta for two weeks now. I started with the blue pill 250 mg twice a day (every 12 hours). The pain subsided with the first dose within 45 minutes. All I felt was a warm, fuzzy sensation throughout my body. I was somewhat tired, but not too bad. I felt detached for some time, like I was not in the room. I had some difficulty remembering what I was going to do. I decided to do something, and a few seconds later I could not remember. This happens quite often after I take my dose. All in all, I am very happy with this medication for pain. It really does help."

• Anonymous
• August 21, 2011

For Pain "Prescribed 100 mg every six to eight hours for lower back muscular pain. Relieves symptoms, and along with PT, has provided relief. I only take it when the pain flares up. There was an initial instance or two of psychedelic-like effects the first two or three times I took Nucynta and went to bed. Seem to sleep okay after taking Nucynta now. Provides much better relief than Oxycodone did. Have experienced some tiredness while taking."

• Anonymous
• June 29, 2011

For Pain "I have cystic fibrosis and severe back/neck pain. I needed a stronger medication due to the cystic fibrosis and found that Percocets just made me extremely nauseated. Nucynta can be taken on an empty stomach, and while I experience slight tiredness, that was about all. However, as time progressed, I discovered that it became somewhat less effective, and I had to bump up to 10s. When this happened, I started having pronounced muscle spasms and issues with regulating my body temp. Also, there is no generic, so I averaged about $117 per dose. Overall, I was pleased with the medicine."

• Anonymous
• December 29, 2011

For Pain "250 mg once every 12 hrs didn't do much for pain in ER formulation for me, but the 50 mg worked quite well as a breakthrough pain medication when combined with 2/3 my typical dosage of OxyContin. I found that pain relief duration at 50 mg was about 4 hrs. I believe that the ER formulation starts at 100 mg and higher. I am lethargic on Nucynta ER at the 250 mg 2x a day dose compared to OxyContin 30 mg 3x daily."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 16, 2025

For Pain "I came across Nucynta when researching other pain meds that would work better than others on the market. I have cervical, lumbar, and nerve pain. Failed surgeries, injections, etc. I started off with a regular dose every so many hours. We then tried the ER dose. 50 mg ER was my sweet dose. I was so happy to find this medication. The other medications made me feel tired, etc. Nucynta didn’t take 100% of my pain away, but I could finally function. It works beautifully for me. Unfortunately, even with good insurance, my copay was around $500 for the month. I couldn’t financially afford it after so many months. I went back to other medications and felt horrible again. I really hope that a generic is released so others can afford it to get their life back to somewhat normal."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2020

For Pain "Medicine made me feel very loopy and unable to concentrate. Could not wait until it was out of my system. Made me tired for days."