Posted by Elizabeth on November 12, 2001, at 21:54:06
In reply to Morphine for depression: Elizabeth, Judy, et al., posted by shelliR on November 12, 2001, at 18:38:47
Hi Shelli. OxyContin is definitely a very expensive drug, and most people would find it very expensive if they had to pay for it out of pocket.
Did your doctor write a prescription for MS Contin (there are generics of this as well), or MSIR (immediate-release)? Morphine is a pretty basic medicine -- one of the first medicines ever used by human beings (it's the main active constituent in opium) -- and I think you should be able to get it in an average pharmacy. Figuring out the right dose of oral morphine could be tricky -- it will be a lot higher than your dose of oral OxyContin. The effect should feel similar.
Your doctor couldn't justify using Vicodin for depression because Vicodin has acetaminophen (Tylenol) -- a non-psychoactive drug -- in it, not just hydrocodone. Plain hydrocodone isn't available in the U.S.
> He rejected buprenorphine straight out, and I never did get an answer about why.
Might be that he doesn't want to prescribe an injectible drug.
> scared that if I ever run out somewhere no one else will prescribe in and also that there will be nothing to treat me with if I experience horrible physical pain in some situation.
You'd need much higher doses than an opiate-naive person would. Methadone maintenance patients have the same problem. It might be helpful to carry a wallet card saying what you take, how much, and your doctor's contact info.
> Also, I am not very happy to have this guy as my pdoc; he really wants to be successful, I think, but he doesn't answer questions. There is no chance of switching pdocs and continuing on an opiate.
Think of it as an interpersonal challenge.
best wishes always,
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:84007
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011104/msgs/84026.html