Xtampza Er Users Effectiveness (Page 2)

I need ppl who have tried the new Xtampza er med to tell me if it works the same as oxycontin? I need to switch so I wanted to know the strength of the new med in comparison.

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It's not the doctors or the insurance companies it's the DEA who dictates what we can take and can't take they have these ridiculous regulations that unfortunately affect all of us not just the Addicts I am starting to get involved and we'll call the DEA as a consumer to find out what I can do to protest this is a legal issue it would be helpful if the doctors explain why they don't prescribe the things they do but they have lost their compassion hi

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Lisa, unfortunately there are several factors that are at fault and bear the irresponsible choices of which way the pendulum swings. The insurance industry has created an environment shedding a bad light on them as profit orientation and forcing western medical practice with their lobbyists and writing legislation, the doctor associations follow suite while writing scripts for the newest meds while receiving kickbacks, creating this realitivly new industry of "Pain Management" forcing the GP doctors out whom have the best interests of the patients and their reputations usually and not lobbying hard enough, the pharmaceutical industry is as bad as the insurance industry and then there is the D.E.A., F.D.A., C.D.C. only focused on bureaucracy of their interests and the unemotional laws passed while creating an place where the right hand hasn't a clue what the left hand or foot is doing and so on. This costly concept of the war on drugs has crept into all of the above and influenced the congress on down into society while purposely not identifying specific points of the problems, but lumping together as a category. My point being that this high profile epidemic is not sold as it is. The pharmaceutical industry is causing unintentional deaths (which is the only avenue for litigation), or the opiate O.D.s or any contributing factor, but lump them as one problem only and purposely designed to attack opiates as a whole. My argument is when you take someone legitimate that has a measured and known dose on a consistent basis then forcing them out making them just live with it since it is all in their mind anyways and they choose opiates over suicide for relief, they have no idea what is in it, how much of a dose to be safe and so on and all the while they have created a criminal which throws a whole different light on that individual who only wanted help and relief. So if suicide isn't an option we hand them over to the prison system which is increasing as a high profitability industry. Not a health problem. So back to who's at fault, we all are, pain is relative to each individual experience and it's so difficult to relay that to anyone else's perspective.

I have many spinal problems over nearly 25 years now with a cancerous tumor slipped in along with some other issues too. I've never had any O. D. problems over these years taking opiates off and on with both muscle relaxants and some anxiety meds too along with many, many others over the years. I have watched the changes in dismay and unbelief with some anger slipped in, these new pain relief meds and the poor quality of some of the old standbys (which I prefer mostly of the known effectiveness and side effects) are becoming a bigger problem than the issue they are attempting to solve. My best wishes to all and please keep smiling. Maybe some common sense will seep in before the end of our lifetime.

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Hi Ciao Bella,

I just read your post and had to reply. I too have been taking almost 300mg of oxycontin for the past few years after a couple of failed spinal fusions. I run a business, raise a family, show up for my life and get a little exercise in. I had some degree of quality of life. Now they have me on Xtampa and I am high, tired, b****y, stomach ache, in pain, can't go to the gym, my employees are complaining about me. Intercourse doesn't work with my wife!!!! I feel like I have to find a professional advocate who can fight my insurance company. Since i own my own business, i pay $5-6K a month in insurance for my employees. How can I pay that much, have the support of my doctors and STILL get shut down on the pre approval. Is there a group or an organization where people who are not abusing the medication, are successfully lobbying the insurance company? Sure would love to pool my efforts!!!

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Well to post my status on the Xtampza as of this date I am bedridden in constant pain. Taking an equivalent dose does not even come close to the Oxycontin that I was on for over a decade. It feels as though there is a very small effect at best, but NEVER takes away pain like the Oxycontin did. Really the only thing it's good for is keeping withdrawal away. I wish I could afford oxy however its purchase price is ridiculous (even if you are wealthy), and my patient assistance was taken away. There is another coming up for FDA approval very soon called Rexista, supposed to be the same as Oxycontin plus it will be in the same mg amounts so it will be easy to convert. Idk if my body will hold out on this pain level I am being subjected to constantly. Each day tears my body apart from the stress of constant agony. They can throw the Xtampza down the commode as far as I am concerned.... May we all be given relief before it's too late to survive. This War on Drugs is wrong on soooo many levels, there are no words.

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One thing we all must do for ourselves and those yet to come. We all must write, a letter is personal and there is a much better chance to both be read and replied too, to each of our Congressman and Senator's. And don't be shy to make it personal just as one would with their doctor. It is the only way to know you've been heard and if there isn't any reply, write one that much louder until you do recieve a reply. These people don't and wouldn't know the truth on an individual level and we know that unless they are in the same boat, nobody gets it, doctors are not much better at truly understanding. Writing one a week or month or whenever the pain strikes a nerve, write a letter telling them there is a real and moral issue. Placebos song cut it under any name.

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Agreed writing our reps & senators should help, which actually I have done with no effect or answer to my troubles. Seems this war is beyond the concerns of our reps-it is in more powerful hands that have control over everything & body.
I know the CDC guidelines had asked for responses to their proposed guidelines then after thousands responded unfavorably it was said that too few responses objected to the guidelines and more favored them-which we all know is not true. Propaganda to the public is what I call it, keeping the public in the dark about truth in this war. By spewing lies and scewing numbers they make it seem all pain relief medication is evil and resposible for crime and death.
There must be a way to stop this take over. Idk, hate feeling helpless from pain robbing me of life.

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I just had my 5th major back surgery. My insurance won't cover oxycontin so the doctor wrote a script out for 36 mg of the XTAMPZA ER 2x a day, but I'm not getting relief. I woke up in terrible pain this morning. I see a surgeon tomorrow to get staples out. I need to tell the surgeon that the medication isn't working. I'm so upset. I just want some relief. The only thing I find that helps me is oxycodone, either putting me on 30 mg's for a month then going down to 20 mg's and see what happens. I'm tired of pain. I'm physically and mentally exhausted from all this.

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Surprised that you can have this delivered. Thought all opioids had to be picked up at pharmacy. One thing about this drug is that there is no Tylenol in it. Not like regular Oxycodone. I'm really confused about instructions for taking with food. They're not clear at all. Does anyone know about taking Xtampza with food? Instructions say with same amount of food each time. Exactly how much food do they mean? I don't have any trouble with swallowing pills so those instructions do me no good. Thanks.

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I have seen many deaths related to OD being a cop for 17 years. I'd say 95% of those were people who did not take the medication as prescribed or purchased it in a illegal manner! Theses are the people that make it hard on those of us that need the pain relief for legitimate reasons. In very rare cases people do OD when taking meds as prescribed, usually the elderly who have many other medical issues.

If you take it as prescribed most likely you're not going to OD from it! After a head on traffic collision that required fusion in my c spine and 3 levels in my lumbar spine, I have been on IR and ER meds, some good some bad. My pain doc first put me on Nuycinta, what a horrible medication - it sent me into a 3 day psychosis which I have no recollection of. I was then switched to 30mg of MS Contin 2x a day but it did nothing for my pain. I was then switched to Exalgo 18mg once a day with no relief at all. I have never been on OxyContin or Oxycodone at any time. I just started Etampza ER 27mg 2x a day and I'm hoping that this med will give me the relief I'm looking for after 3 years of chronic pain and poor quality of life. I also have been on Dilaudid 8mg 4 x a day and to be honest I find better relief from that than all of the ER meds. If I could just take it 6-8 times a day I'd have better results than all the ER meds combined. I had to retire from LE due to my injuries so the depression of that and depression with pain has had me close at times to eating my gun. Luckily I look at my children and would never do that to them. The fact that the DEA and government are making policy that force us to take what they think is best for us is a concern we all should have. A stupid few who want to feel high and have no legitimate reason for taking these types of meds is who the DEA should be going after, not those of us who need them just to have somewhat of a normal life with as little pain as possible.

Ok sorry if this was a rant but I feel for all of us that have to live our lives that vary in a level of some quality. I will give this Xtampza a chance to work. I know that not all my pain will be gone, but just enough to be able to enjoy life outside instead of in bed cause it hurts too much to do anything else. I will update and inform people that are interested on how this new med works for me.

I wish you all luck with your pain issues!

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Ranting is allowed, we all know of the reduction of the quality of life and for many people, venting to those that really know and can sympathize with all that true my matters now, everyday, hour and second. At some point along this journey there will be some relief, more if those that think they know better leave it to the few that have been educated and preferably have experienced suffering of the magnitude where all passions in life are superseded because of the loss of the quality of life.

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It's not just the government. Insurance companies love this new law because it gives them reason to deny covering only small quantity or not at all

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I also have United Healthcare. My provider changed me from Opana to Extamza and they will not cover but 62 per month. Insurance companies are using this new law as a way to not pay claims or cover certain drugs.

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I was a mail carrier for 17 years, never had did any drugs at all. I injured my back and developed osteoarthritis. I have had both knees replaced, a thumb joint replacement and shoulder surgeries. I had to leave my job on disability. Suffered 24/7 and depression was so horrible. I finally found a Dr. that prescribed the right combination of meds that I was able to function somewhat out of bed. I was on an ER oxycontin with a combination of other meds for break thru pain. Then because of all these addicts out here overdosing, they start changing everyone's medication. I have legitimate chronic pain and have never in 6 years failed not one drug panel, took my meds just like prescribed and now my life has been turned upside down. My Dr changed me to this Xtampza ER 36 mg and reduced my breakthrough meds to practicality nothing. This med is a joke, I almost feel as if it is a placebo. I suffer daily with headaches that I never had before. I tried talking to the Dr but he says the laws are changing and he has to reduce everyone.

How can these agencies that clearly know nothing about me judge what is right for me because of all these people who are abusing drugs? Where are the rights of the people with genuine chronic pain? I am back in bed flat on my back in terrible depression, I have no quality of life what so ever. Yet I have no rights to say walk in my shoes just one day and then tell me I am not entitled to be prescribed an effective pain reliever. I am sorry also that this has turned into a rant, but the frustration is so overwhelming. I know my family is so tired of listening to me complain continuously about my pain and the medication is not working and causing side effects on top of your already unbearable pain. I just wish all of these complaints could fall into the hands of a person who sincerely cared enough for those of us in this dark place and would find a means to separate those who deserve true treatment and those just looking for a high. I hope in the midst of all this, the answer you seek about this drug Xtampza ER will come thru. It's a joke, no pain relief and the side effects. Yet we practicality have no other choice, do we?

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Taking two pills at a time would be doubling your dose for twelve hours. If the dose you have been prescribed is not working, you should talk to your doctor about a possible increase. Xtampza er does not have Tylenol in it. I just recently started taking Xtampza er and take Tylenol every 4 hours. I think it's working but only time will tell.

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Are you on the 27 myself I recently started these the first month it was awful I started at lowest dose it put me on the couch for a month

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I am on the 27mg and they have worked great, it took about 3 days to get into my system. After that no problems felt great and and could function without feeling high or tired. I've even noticed when I run out of my Dilaudid for break through pain I'm not feeling the WD symptoms like the other meds I was on! So it's allowed me to cut back on them unless I really need them.

Best of luck.

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Deborah I almost feel the same way but I went from Opana to this. Two 27 mg twice a day. So far not getting much relief and I have had headaches. I don't think due to getting of Opana because I have been off that two weeks. I agree it is,a shame that we are the ones to suffer. Also my insurance company is using as excuse not to pay but for half the amount.

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I am on them as well. Definitely not as effective as other extended releases I've been on. I've tried both 27 and 36 mg capsules and noticed it took longer to feel any relief not to mention it didn't even last that long.

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I agree. I was on 90mg of ms contin 2x day and bc of the new dea regulations my doc had to lower it to 60mg 2x day. After being on the ms for over 7yrs it wasn't holding me over so my pm doc put me on the Xtempza. I'm lucky i had some of my ms left bc it took about a week for them to mail it to me and once i started taking it i got maybe 5 hours out of it and i got really bad headaches from it, not to mention the pharmacy didn't even know about them yet. Thankfully my doc put me back on my ms. I wouldn't take them again, they suck.

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I'm glad to know that it's working for you. I'm in my third month on this Rx and I'm thinking that it's working. Some of the instructions say to take with food, some say to take with high fat and high calorie meal. I can't find details on what they mean by their instructions. Do you know exactly how much fat and/or calories they mean? I'm thinking that these amounts dictate how much of the drug is released at a time. Would appreciate any help. Again, glad for your success.

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