Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 7/16/2011

Question
My doctor recently left his practice and I ended up going to a pain clinic.  I have several illnesses but the worst being chronic pancreatitis.  My old doctor prescribed:

8 15 mg ms contin ER a day
10 5mg oxycodone (no tylenol) a day
6 0.5mg clonazepam a day

12 days ago I began the pain clinic and that doctor says he is going to cut my medicines and change them and he started the first day as follows:

3 30 mg ms contin ER a day
6 10/325mg hydrocodone a day
5 0.5mg clonazepam a day

I was okay the first 5 days, but then started feeling sick starting with dizziness and now have sweats, diarrhea, shaky, tired, PAIN, just sick.  I did not feel this way until my medications were changed.  A pharmacists said yes he thought I was going through withdrawal because I was on oxycodone for 2-1/2 years and it will take more time for my body to get rid of and get use to the change in oxycodone to hydrocodone.  Even though the medicines are similar they work differently in the brain for pain and he just stopped the oxycodone and made the change instantly to hydrocodone.  Also he cut my ms contin from 120 mg a day to 90 mg so that on top of it all doesn't help.

Am I withdrawing?

Answer
Hi Sharon,

The best way withdrawing from pain-killing drugs is by gradual means and under doctor's supervision.

Also read:

Management of Chronic Pain at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/pain_management.html

Drug Addiction is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/drug_addictions_nutritional_disorder.htm...

and discuss this with a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or a Nutritional Psychotherapist, if self-help therapy fails. The first step in treatment is going on a hypoglycemic diet (look up at our web site).
For more information use our "Search our Web Site"  or the INDEX and look for articles containing  topics entered in search engine.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist.
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman