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About Eric Brandt
Expertise
I am a practicing pharmacist.On my drug information website, I have answered hundreds of questions to date. The articles posted on my site include Parkinson`s disease. depression, menopause, diabetes, sleep and aging, congestive heart failure, calcium channel blockers, thyroid hormone replacement therapy, ADHD, multiple sclerosis an more.
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I have experience in retail as well as hospital pharmacy pracice. Currently working in a hospital pharmacy. I am experienced in drug information. Over the last 6 years I have developed a successful web site for drug information.
The addressfor my drug information website is http://www.druginformation.bc.caThere you can read articles on varios areas of health interest. You can also leave me questions which I will personally answer. I also have a free health information newsletter called The Caplet. To subscribe send e-mail to
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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Pharmacology > Pharmacy > drug equivalentcies
Expert: Eric Brandt
Date: 2/26/2008
Subject: drug equivalentcies
Question
I am currently on pain medicine from an "OJI" (On the job injury)to my low back in 2006. I am trying to go off Duragesic 50 to Methadone as the cost of the Patch is $75/each and I will soon be buying my own drugs. What amount of Methadone is equal to Duragesic 25, and 50. I am cutting down also on Norco 7-5/325(from 6 to 4, ativan 1mg 2x a day from 4X daily, flexeril 10mg 2x day from 4x daily. I also have Fioricette for headaches. I have successfully gotten off of Soma, and that was after 5 years of it. I just want to understand how quickly I should adjust these meds to get off of them, or a logical amount of methadone. It is said the injury I have is not fixable with surgery. I just have to get used to the pain???I do not believe in this at all. I have been a nurse (LPN-on a trauma and cancer surgery floor) for 35 years, so I believe in "pain management" which obviously most of the medical professionals I have met do not believe. I have a good Internist, but he is not a walking pharmacy either/ I would appreciate an answer asap. I am having withdrawal in the form of night timesweats and jerking legs and arms that interrupt my ability to sleep (never mind the sleep I don't have because of pain...) Please help me make good decisions on this to make my life better and enjoy rather than hate to get out of bed,,,thanks...Georgia
Answer
Hi Georgia,
Why do you pick methadone to switch to? It is not the forst drug of choice to go to because of its pharmacokinetics. It take a physician specially sklled and licended to prescribe it. Consider switching to hydromorphone which is avaiable in controlled release preparartion once you have established sdequate pain control.
There is no clear ct changeover to methadone from Duragesic. Switching to hydromorphone or morphine is easier.
Thank you for using Allexperts
Sincerely,
Eric Brandt, B.sc. Pharm
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