Drug info - What is MS Contin prescribed for?

[bknowles27]

SWIM knows it is prescribed obviously to treat pain, but SWIM has had several surgeries that had a somewhat painful recovery. The most SWIM got was some 7.5/500 hydrocodone.

[RaverHippie]

it wouldn't be prescribed in swiy's case. ms contin would likely only be reserved when other opioid painkillers have already been tried and been proven ineffective, not just prescribed outright from what i understand.

[bknowles27]

thanks man, appreciate your input

[cybergenesis]

Yeah its generally prescribed for severe pain. It depends on the doctor though and the patient. If you look like swim, you will be treated like a junkie. Yet a pretty girl Swim knows got morphine for mouth ulcers.

[bknowles27]

Well obviously SWIM isn't going to go into a doctors office looking like a junkie, to get morphine. SWIM has had 3 legit surgeries on his back for a cyst, and would just like more than 7.5/500mg hydrocodone. SWIM might have to have another operation, because the cyst is recurring. So any suggestions post operation, to get something much stronger would be much appreciated.

[liquidpr3y]

Swim is prescribed MS Contin for the pain e gets in his back, hips, shoulders, and legs due to his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. it isn't as strong as hydro or oxy but does the job for Swim

[bknowles27]

Originally Posted by liquidpr3y

Swim is prescribed MS Contin for the pain e gets in his back, hips, shoulders, and legs due to his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. it isn't as strong as hydro or oxy but does the job for Swim

what? you mean to tell me morphine sulfate isn't stronger than hydrocodone...

[liquidpr3y]

Oxy is about 4x stronger than morphine and hydro is about 2x stronger than morphine. the trouble is that morphine is nowhere near as potent when taken orally. but hydro and Oxy are incrdibly potent when taken orally. if morphine is taken IV then it can't be beaten. but MS Contin is relatively weak.

[bknowles27]

Thank you for educating me

[pinksox]

Long-term opiates--MS Contin, Kadian, Avinza--are preferred by pain specialists for the management of persistent "long-term" pain caused by a variety of conditions....SWIM has been on one of the three for over 5 years now due to chronic pain secondary to myalgia and right shoulder nerve pain stemming from MS.

Knowledgeable pain specialists prefer to give patients long-acting opiates to manage pain because they're typically thought to be less addictive than short acting opi's. Dosing is one or twice a day compared to every 4-6 hours with shorter acting meds...so bloodlevels stay more consistent with long acting meds and not the peaks and valleys seen with the shorties. Although many providers will additionally write concurrent scripts for short acting meds for breakthrough pain.

If SWIY valid reasons for doing so, my suggestion would be to be honest with their doc. And tell him they don't feel that their short acting meds are controlling their pain very efficiently and that they'd like to try a long acting opiate. SWIM, who takes long-acting opi's, recommends Avinza over Kadian or MS Contin. Also, SWIM has access to studies which say a baby, 5mg tid dose of Methadone makes concurrent use of LA opi's even more effective in pain control...SWIM can point you in the right direct for finding such if needed.

SWIY needs to go find a pain specialist to manage their pain and not rely on a PCP or god forbid surgeon for meds if SWIY has legit pain from surgeries If they even mention epidurals, run, run away though and find another. Find a practioner that works more with nerve blocks.

[pinkgw]

If she may,Swim would like to share her current experience with differences between hydrocodone&morphine sulphate ER.Swim is given 180 10mg Norco per month by her DR. She recently asked to try extended release morphine which was prescribed to her in 30mg purple morphine sulphate SA tabs, a sub for MS Contin 30mg SA tabs(Swim is so detailed w/ description of tab b/c she's frustrated by threads where it's unclear the EXACT pill a Swiy is referring to,for not respecting subtle differences may be confusing,wasteful&dangerous.)Swim could use MSC during night if needed.
SWIM had tough month,overdid her Norco but didn't want to see Dr.early! She had all of MScontin left so wasn't worried..UH-OH...YIKES! The MS Contin is not similar to Norco for Swim&she has been searchimg for ways to make it feel like the Norco.It lacks the euphoric&energizing feeling she gets from Norco.SO...if Swiy does well w/hydrocodone,ask to increase dosage instead of moving to MS Contin.If any Swiy could help Swim maximize her remaining purple #$%^(*&^@#$ PLEASE do,she would be grateful&is a bit miserable.Thank Swiy

[pinksox]

It's true that taking ER-morphine preps as prescribed does NOT typically produce feelings of euphoria.

But, for people looking for true pain control, and not a "high" it works quite well to alleviate pain and help the patient return to productivity. MS Contin, Kadian, and Avinza work on K and Mu pain receptors. Methadone work primarily on NMDA receptors...that additive effect is why its concurrent use(in small doses) with LA-opies works better to control pain than opies alone.

People using opies for long-term pain management aren't looking for a "high." Any high they may experience when first put on these medications is rapidly eliminated as tolerance develops. In fact, these patients often feel nothing other than "normal" but with lessened pain and increased function. That's the goal of pain management.

We're talking effective pain management here. If SWIY is looking for ways to subvert the LA-effect of MS Contin, there's plenty of information of how to do just that. SWIM suggests reading up on those threads.

SWIM also thinks SWIpinkgw should be very careful with the Norco's. The long-acting opies should be the primary line for pain management with the short-acting meds being used for breakthrough pain. Not taking pain meds as written will lead to a big problem and lots more misery from uncontrolled pain and intermittent withdrawals in the long run.

[pinkgw]

Sorry to burst Swiy's bubble but there are some chronic & severe pain sufferers that also enjoy being high from time to time. Please, because Swim developed a disease is she now unable to desire a "high" once in a while,have a cocktail buzz or with caution manipulate her meds? Swim did not suddenly become "anti-high" once diagnosed with a nasty illness&able to legally acquire meds. A prescription does not suddenly put one up for the "UNABUSIVE&legitamately pain-free" award.
Also Swim took Norcos as prescribed,able to adjust her dosage within limits in order to accomodate pain level. She is avoiding refill due to travel and frankly enjoys investigating ways to creatively deal with her body&utilize other meds.Would her Dr.frown,maybe so but he's a part of a team who has watched Swim manage a demon for years without losing her free&spirited soul,being cautious though risky at times.
Maybe Swiy has never enjoyed a good buzz, but Swim has&still does time to time.NO body wrecking pain has to get in the way of that&one does not HAVE to lose all her faculties while "high."If Swim misunderstood Swiys message,sorry but Swiy sounded condescending&arrogant like a whiney,finger pointing chronic painer...that offended Swim.
Adios

[pinksox]

No, no. The message SWIM was trying to impart is that if SWIY were to use a LA-opie along with say 10mg methadone tid, SWIY's pain would be much better controlled...and then SWIY would be free to "play" with SWIY's Norco's for "high's" as SWIY pleases.

Since LA-opies and methadone work on different receptors, using them concurrently affords considerably better pain control for many people.

SWIM also has a long ongoing issue with chronic pain. SWIM went thru many, many "pain specialists" before finding the god-sent angel of a triple-board certified MD they have now. SWIM was nearly bed-ridden and wheelchair bound before this doc. Six year later, SWIM goes to school full-time, pulls clinicals, and also works about 20-hours a week. SWIM still has pain--worse some days than others--but its been years since they've "visited the dark side" so-to-speak.

SWIM's point was that if SWIY can find proper ways to manage the pain, SWIY can both be more productive and enjoy more of life...they can also "play" a bit with their breakthrough meds

SWIM definitely likes an occasional high. But SWIM would never do anything to jeopardize their pain contract. SWIM always makes sure they're "clean" well-before appointments and ensure were they ever called in for a "pill-count" that they could do a little math and meet that requirement as well.

SWIY's post sounded like SWIY was more concerned about getting a high than ways to manage SWIY's pain and the OP was looking for ways to effectively manage their pain. So, SWIY was a bit OT in their posting...which is why SWIM referred them to the many other threads available here to find the info they're looking for

SWIM is currently taking Avinza 90mg once a day and Methadone 10mg tid with Tylenol #4 for breakthrough pain PRN. SWIM also gets several bupivicaine nerve blocks along with trigger points done every 4-6 weeks. SWIM also sees a rehab person once every two weeks to help get those knots out as well. SWIM finds this works great for them.

If SWIY is looking for ideas to help their pain, SWIM would be glad to make suggestions they think might help--since that's what this thread was about. But SWIY hasn't been specific with the nature of their pain..so that's difficult. If SWIY is looking for ways to make their long-acting opies, short-acting there's plenty of threads relating to that around. SWIY just needs to poke about a bit.

With what SWIM has been through, seen, and done in their lives...SWIM is the last person to be condescending towards anyone. SWIM thinks SWIY might be misinterpreting SWIM's tone.

[pinkgw]

Why thank Swiy,
What a lovely&clarifying response.Yes,Swim clearly misunderstood Swiy.Swim will navigate the threads today as she is frustrated&a bit miserable for the first time in months&would abhor feeling this way until her appt. Tues.
A better understanding of the MS Contin will hopefully relieve her.
Again thanks Pinksox,Swim