AboutNigel Simmons Expertise I am happy to answer general questions on medicines and hospital care. If possible, please use approved / chemical names rather than brands which are not internationally recognised.
Like all health professionals I am bound by a duty of care which prevents me giving detailed information about medication or treatment of people other than the questioner.
I will endeavour to help wherever possible or point towards more appropriate advice. If however your question crosses too far into patient confidentiality, I hope you will understand why I cannot answer your question.
Consider.. would you want me to discuss your care with a friend or relative without your knowledge?
Experience Registered as a UK pharmacist in 1982 and have worked in a number of hospital and health management posts around the UK. Formerly Chief Pharmacist for a 440 bed general hospital in Cambridgeshire.
Past/Present clients Previously Sysop on CompuServe UK Professionals forum.
Question I have been on 135 mg. of oxycodone due to a degenatrive spinal condition...before that , my x-Dr had me on 200mg of Oxycontin and when I asked to get off that and switch to Roxicodone, he fired me as a patient! I went to a pain managemeny DR, who cares nothing about my pain and is treating me like a n "addict". Now, he wants to put me on Methadone...which I feel is very dangerous and I don't know what to do. Please help
Answer Cynthia
Are you sure the pain specialist is treating you like an addict? It is true that through careless prescribing and inappropriate use many people do become addicted to opiates. Heavy marketing of oxycodone products has not helped.
Whilst most people are aware of methadone being used for management of drug addiction, it is also commonly used by pain specialists to control chronic pain. Methadone accumulates in the body and can produce a long lasting effect.
A good doctor will not want you to be in pain, but if the use of opiate was ineffective or inappropriate, you may have taken more to relieve pain and so spiralled upwards believing that relief would be achieved. In reality it is possible that while you were indeed becoming psychologically (and possibly physically) dependent on oxycodone, it was not helping your pain because it had always been inappropriate for the condition. A pain specialist will be more experienced and able to use often some unusal products for pain management.
My recommendation would be to discuss your concerns with your new doctor and get re-assurance whether he is prescribing the methadone therapeutically or if he does believe you have begun to depend on opiates and is attempting to manage that through use of a long acting product.
