Oxycodone warning

[Doc Dan]

If you ever have to take a high dose of oxycodone for a blink of time be careful when you try to get off of it. If you don’t step down gradually they can have severe side effects. Heart palpitations weakness feeling like you’re going to faint all kinds of things. Some of them can be quite serious. If you have to take this drug just be careful when you start coming off just come down gradually.

I recently had to come down because the medicine was too strong as I begin to recover. And I didn’t realize I needed to step down gradually. I started having all sorts of side effects and ended up in the hospital because I thought something was terribly wrong with me. It turned out that it is simply the side effects from stepping down off of the medicine. So they ended up giving Me codeine which is not as strong as oxycodone. I got down to a half of a tablet twice a day to control what little pain I have left and I’m doing better. All of this could’ve been avoided if I had been warned about stepping down properly. So I’m just passing on my lessons to all of you.

[Doc Dan]

I was on a very high dose of oxycodone for a little over a month. And this is a very strong drug. In fact it’s deceptively strong.

One of the problems with it is that even when it’s not working any longer it builds up in your system I can take as much is two weeks to completely clear out. So if you take 10 mg of Oxsee and it stopped working it still got a good bit of it in your system and you take the next pill and it just increases the amount that’s in your system. It doesn’t just go away like some other drugs do.

[ChrisinHove]

I hadn’t heard of it so I googled - it’s that strong it’s only available by injection here. 1 1/2 times as strong as morphine....

Thanks for passing this on, Doc. Still time for a few “the drugs made me do it” purchases, though?

[The Deacon]

Be very careful Doc, oxycodone earned the nickname Hillbilly Heroin for a reason. Major addiction problems with that stuff in some parts of the country. Lot of it among senior citizens.

[Evil D]

I have a friend who had some pretty major back surgery, he had a few vertebrae fused together in his lower spine and he was telling me about what the doctor prescribed for pain...he showed me the biggest medicine bottle I've ever seen, it was the size of an average travel coffee mug/thermos and was full of Vicodin. He said the doc told him to take two at a time every 4 hours, and he said he gave him a new bottle every time he saw the doc. He said one pill knocked him out (750mg) and two would put him in a coma and he didn't know what to do with all of them. He said he absolutely would have been addicted to them if he took as many as the doc told him to take. He said one pill a couple times a day was more than enough to cover the pain. I really think there needs to be more accountability on the medical side of this sort of thing.

[Doc Dan]

Yeah this drug is pretty tough. The thing is is that the dosage was barely covering the pain. But I got to where I couldn’t stay awake because it built up in my system. So I’ve stopped taking it. Taking plain old codeine with panadol or Tylenol in it. And now I’m down to a half of one of those twice a day. I have really gotten better. And I got a good report from the doctor today but I am probably not going to have to have surgery to replace my shoulder. All I’ve got to say to that is praise the Lord.

This medicine, the stuff is very powerful and people need to respect it for being that powerful regardless of how they feel. It’s not about how they feel it’s about what it’s doing in your body. If anybody gets on the stuff for a long period of time they need to step down very slowly.

[JD Spydo]

I have a friend who had some pretty major back surgery, he had a few vertebrae fused together in his lower spine and he was telling me about what the doctor prescribed for pain...he showed me the biggest medicine bottle I've ever seen, it was the size of an average travel coffee mug/thermos and was full of Vicodin. He said the doc told him to take two at a time every 4 hours, and he said he gave him a new bottle every time he saw the doc. He said one pill knocked him out (750mg) and two would put him in a coma and he didn't know what to do with all of them. He said he absolutely would have been addicted to them if he took as many as the doc told him to take. He said one pill a couple times a day was more than enough to cover the pain. I really think there needs to be more accountability on the medical side of this sort of thing.

No David that would be "7.5mg">> the reason I know that is because this past foot procedure I had they gave me a hydrocodone 7.5 mg (generic name for Vicodin) with Ibuprofen added to it in that same strength. They also have a regular Vicodin ES that is 7.5mg that has acetomeniphen instead of the Ibuprofen. Hey dude!!! 750 mgs of Hydrocodone might just kill a Clydesdale horse under the right circumstances :eek: :rolleyes: .

As far as oxycodone it's a step up the ladder from hydrocodone. They got the name "Hillbilly Heroin" from a bunch of younger guys in the Appalachian region that were shooting it up and smoking it >> But that was done more specifically with the time released version of oxycodone that is known as "Oxycontin". I hope that clears the air a little bit.

And as far as your friend being prescribed too much>> well that just depends on the patient's tolerance>> obviously he had a very low tolerance to it>> that's really not normal. When I had my last knee surgery about a year ago they had me on a similar regimen with 7.5mg of Hydrocodone for a couple of weeks and it didn't bother me at all. It did make me a little tired and sleepy but that was about it>> but nothing that a great cup of fresh brewed coffee couldn't take care of :cool: So it just depends on many factors. Some people can't take pain killers at all.

[The Mastiff]

I've never had that med but I've read about it. I have a warning for those that take tylenol with codeine/hydrocodone or by itself. Don't drink alcohol with it especially if you take it at high doses. Tylenol and alcohol together can kill your liver.

I really think there needs to be more accountability on the medical side of this sort of thing.

Evil, They have cut back considerably on giving out pain meds. The government gave out new rules and guidelines for doctors causing a spate of suicides across the country from pain patients who could no longer get the meds they needed. In addition it caused many to go buy from drug dealers and that killed a bunch from overdoses and drugs laced with fentanyl. It actually caused overdoses to go up.

The new rules actually made things worse in many ways.

[Evil D]

I have a friend who had some pretty major back surgery, he had a few vertebrae fused together in his lower spine and he was telling me about what the doctor prescribed for pain...he showed me the biggest medicine bottle I've ever seen, it was the size of an average travel coffee mug/thermos and was full of Vicodin. He said the doc told him to take two at a time every 4 hours, and he said he gave him a new bottle every time he saw the doc. He said one pill knocked him out (750mg) and two would put him in a coma and he didn't know what to do with all of them. He said he absolutely would have been addicted to them if he took as many as the doc told him to take. He said one pill a couple times a day was more than enough to cover the pain. I really think there needs to be more accountability on the medical side of this sort of thing.

No David that would be "7.5mg">> the reason I know that is because this past foot procedure I had they gave me a hydrocodone 7.5 mg (generic name for Vicodin) with Ibuprofen added to it in that same strength. They also have a regular Vicodin ES that is 7.5mg that has acetomeniphen instead of the Ibuprofen. Hey dude!!! 750 mgs of Hydrocodone might just kill a Clydesdale horse under the right circumstances :eek: :rolleyes: .

As far as oxycodone it's a step up the ladder from hydrocodone. They got the name "Hillbilly Heroin" from a bunch of younger guys in the Appalachian region that were shooting it up and smoking it >> But that was done more specifically with the time released version of oxycodone that is known as "Oxycontin". I hope that clears the air a little bit.

And as far as your friend being prescribed too much>> well that just depends on the patient's tolerance>> obviously he had a very low tolerance to it>> that's really not normal. When I had my last knee surgery about a year ago they had me on a similar regimen with 7.5mg of Hydrocodone for a couple of weeks and it didn't bother me at all. It did make me a little tired and sleepy but that was about it>> but nothing that a great cup of fresh brewed coffee couldn't take care of :cool: So it just depends on many factors. Some people can't take pain killers at all.

Yeah you're right, shows what I know about drugs lol. I have a pretty hard stance against most any drug use. The most I usually take are NSAIDS to help control migraines and I don't even like taking those. Addiction to anything scares the crap out of me so drugs and such have never been my thing.

[murphjd25]

It’s some knarley stuff for sure. When I injured my back and was going through rehab and PT for it I was taking two 10s at a time every four hours. It’s not fun getting off of. I won’t ever take that stuff again I don’t care how much pain I’m in.

[Pelagic]

Percocets (oxycodone + Tylenol) and Vicodins (hydrocodone + Tylenol) come in doses like:

5/325 (typical percocet), which means 5mg oxycodone, 325mg Tylenol.
5/500 (typical Vicodins) = 5mg hydrocodone, 500mg Tylenol.

Percocets may also be 7.5 (rarely prescribed) or 10mg oxycodone.
Vicodins that are above 5mg hydrocodone (7.5 or 10) are actually referred to as LorTabs.

There's actually a drug called Vicoprofen as well, hydrocodone + ibuprofen, but it is rarely prescribed.

The "cet" at the end of Percocet, Darvocet, etc. stands for aCETaminophen (Tylenol).

Opiates aside, Tylenol is very bad for your liver and shouldn't be taken in excess. The absolute MAX in times of severe pain is 4000mg a day.

No opiates should be quit cold turkey. It is a physical depedence on top of the mental addiction. Withdrawal symptoms include depression, very bad aches and pains, nausea, diarrhea, feeling extremely cold, and more. It's pure h***. And oxycodone doesn't even have a very short half life. Heroin has a half life of about 30 minutes, which means in 30 minutes half of it has left your body. You can imagine how quickly the onset of withdrawals are. You have to ween yourself off after completing a prescription that last more than a few days, depending on the dose. Oxycodone has taken and ruined the lives of many people. Most overdoses come from people taking them while drunk. You must remember a pill is a big dose all at once, while a 12 pack of beer isn't. In all reality if someone were to take the pill first (NOT RECOMMENDING THIS) and THEN start drinking, they would've stopped before they drank too much. Once you've ingested the pill, it's in you and that's that. You must always be careful with pain medication. There are better alternatives for pain than pharmaceutical grade opiates anyway.

Just some random info, I was a nationally certified pharmacy technician for a few years during and after college.

[Doc Dan]

Yeah 2 10’s is a lot of oxycodone. But it’s OK if you do it for a day or two or a week or something like that. I’ll have to take Oxycodone to control my migraines but this just one pill. Taking multiple pills every day over the course of a month or more is really really really terrible unless you need it. As you improve, you have to start stepping down.

[Doc Dan]

Percocets (oxycodone + Tylenol) and Vicodins (hydrocodone + Tylenol) come in doses like:

5/325 (typical percocet), which means 5mg oxycodone, 325mg Tylenol.
5/500 (typical Vicodins) = 5mg hydrocodone, 500mg Tylenol.

Percocets may also be 7.5 (rarely prescribed) or 10mg oxycodone.
Vicodins that are above 5mg hydrocodone (7.5 or 10) are actually referred to as LorTabs.

There's actually a drug called Vicoprofen as well, hydrocodone + ibuprofen, but it is rarely prescribed.

The "cet" at the end of Percocet, Darvocet, etc. stands for aCETaminophen (Tylenol).

Opiates aside, Tylenol is very bad for your liver and shouldn't be taken in excess. The absolute MAX in times of severe pain is 4000mg a day.

No opiates should be quit cold turkey. It is a physical depedence on top of the mental addiction. Withdrawal symptoms include depression, very bad aches and pains, nausea, diarrhea, feeling extremely cold, and more. It's pure h***. And oxycodone doesn't even have a very short half life. Heroin has a half life of about 30 minutes, which means in 30 minutes half of it has left your body. You can imagine how quickly the onset of withdrawals are. You have to ween yourself off after completing a prescription that last more than a few days, depending on the dose. Oxycodone has taken and ruined the lives of many people. Most overdoses come from people taking them while drunk. You must remember a pill is a big dose all at once, while a 12 pack of beer isn't. In all reality if someone were to take the pill first (NOT RECOMMENDING THIS) and THEN start drinking, they would've stopped before they drank too much. Once you've ingested the pill, it's in you and that's that. You must always be careful with pain medication. There are better alternatives for pain than pharmaceutical grade opiates anyway.

Just some random info, I was a nationally certified pharmacy technician for a few years during and after college.

I agree. Other symptoms include heart palpitations, weakness, fainting. And yes, as I also said, it has a long half life and builds up in your body. Therefore Even when you don’t feel the effects of the drugs anymore still there and can be dangerous and make it very easy to overdose by accident.

[bearrowland]

It's a very powerful drug. It used to go on the street in my area for $30 a pill. In fact, for some poor people, it lead them to heroin when they couldn't get the real thing anymore.

[Pelagic]

It's a very powerful drug. It used to go on the street in my area for $30 a pill. In fact, for some poor people, it lead them to heroin when they couldn't get the real thing anymore.

Oxycodone by itself typically goes for $1 per milligram. An "oxy 30" for example is typically $30. But they also make 80's and even 160mg pills, the latter being mainly for terminal cancer patients and other people in severe pain. One's tolerance builds quickly so it becomes an extremely expensive habit (especially since quitting is so difficult).

[bearrowland]

Yes, it was the 30s that I encountered. It's been quite awhile since I have come across any.

[TkoK83Spy]

Dan,

I'm glad to hear you seem to be mentally stronger than this drug.

I've witnessed this drug destroy a friend of mines life...someone I was close with from 10-25 years of age. He went away to college and got caught up in the wrong crowd... typical story.

He had a degree, a job as a math teacher at a pretty prestigious Catholic school in the area, an 8 year old son...somehow this drug, the people he began to associate with, took over his life...because it lead to heroin abuse.

Last I heard from another friend of mine, he no longer has contact with his son, lost his job as a teacher and neither of his parents (divorced) want anything to do with him anymore.

I know I've posted some more heart felt, very truthful threads on this forum. I don't want to sound like I'm some hard guy with a tough upbringing. I was raised by 2 very well accomplished parents and am grateful for the example they led me. But I, at 36 years old have witnessed some terrible things in my small hometown. Oxy is a very easy gateway drug to disaster, to anybody and everybody and I'm happy to hear that you have a grasp on that Dan.

[Doc Dan]

Dan,

I'm glad to hear you seem to be mentally stronger than this drug.

I've witnessed this drug destroy a friend of mines life...someone I was close with from 10-25 years of age. He went away to college and got caught up in the wrong crowd... typical story.

He had a degree, a job as a math teacher at a pretty prestigious Catholic school in the area, an 8 year old son...somehow this drug, the people he began to associate with, took over his life...because it lead to heroin abuse.

Last I heard from another friend of mine, he no longer has contact with his son, lost his job as a teacher and neither of his parents (divorced) want anything to do with him anymore.

I know I've posted some more heart felt, very truthful threads on this forum. I don't want to sound like I'm some hard guy with a tough upbringing. I was raised by 2 very well accomplished parents and am grateful for the example they led me. But I, at 36 years old have witnessed some terrible things in my small hometown. Oxy is a very easy gateway drug to disaster, to anybody and everybody and I'm happy to hear that you have a grasp on that Dan.

I grew up in the drug culture of the 60’s and 70’s And I’ve seen the terrible things that drugs actually do the people in the lives that they destroy. I have a long train of friends and people that I know that are dead or in prison because of drugs. My generation in that respect has a lot to answer for because people from the 60s made drugs acceptable to everybody.

What I don’t understand what the oxycodone is it doesn’t even make you high. I just makes me feel bad. And of course I’m not a very good patient because I don’t like to take drugs anyway.

[GiftedMisfit]

I'm an addict. I've been in recovery for 1.3 years now.

Oxycodone, oxycontin, fentanyl. Whatever I could get that would suffice. I would use. I lost my job, almost lost my wife and kids. You'll do just about anything to get them once they've 'got' you. I was addicted for 8 years.

My wife stuck with me and is the rock in my life. She is so much stronger than I'am. Been sober since may of last year, because of her.

I happened to find spyderco when I needed something to focus on. So from the bottom of this broke heart - Thank you Spyderco.

[Doc Dan]

I'm an addict. I've been in recovery for 1.3 years now.

Oxycodone, oxycontin, fentanyl. Whatever I could get that would suffice. I would use. I lost my job, almost lost my wife and kids. You'll do just about anything to get them once they've 'got' you. I was addicted for 8 years.

My wife stuck with me and is the rock in my life. She is so much stronger than I'am. Been sober since may of last year, because of her.

I happened to find spyderco when I needed something to focus on. So from the bottom of this broke heart - Thank you Spyderco.

Good for you. These drugs can be really bad and I think many times the doctors are so busy that they don’t take time to notice what’s going on with their patients. And they don’t take time to see that somebody might be struggling with the medicine and that person ends up becoming dependent and then addicted. I’m glad that your wife was there with you through the journey. She must be very special because I can tell you from watching other peoples lives that many would have abandoned the effort and left you. I hope you treasure her always.