Xtampza Er Users Effectiveness (Top voted first)

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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My insurance company (United) just forced me to switch from oxycontin to xtampza er. The comparable dose doesn't work AT ALL.

Xtampza is clearly propaganda to force legitimate chronic pain sufferers to use inferior medication. Total BS. Oxycontin has worked very well for me for years at the same dose. Stop f'ing with my health and pain levels!

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Yes I am just concerned about the difference in the abuse deterrent added to the Xtampza compared to that is added to oxycontin.
When Purdue added their abuse deterrent it actually lowered the effectiveness of the med. So wondering if the new Xtampza will be effected significantly by their type of abuse deterrent. From researching it says the two meds have a different abuse deterrent, therefore I was hoping maybe xtampza has a better one that will not have a lowering of effectiveness.
Oxycontin in its original formula without the deterrent was soooo much better, it is a shame they ruined it by adding that stuff. For those of us in chronic severe pain & no hope of getting better a reliable, effective med is an absolute miracle. Can make the difference in actually being able to hold onto our lives.

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I went from methodone to xtampza er 27 mg twice daily and this sucks, it doesn't work well at all, I'm in constant pain and nothing relieves it, my doctor is making me try this for at least a couple of weeks. I'm counting down the days......oh yeah this headache that has come with it is just down right crazy.........

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Verwon- your info that the xtampza er is supposed to be stronger than Oxycontin is not true in my experience. Idk if it's due to my genetic make up or what but for me it is the opposite. I have tried taking with or without food but it is same either way. For me it simply is a"watered down" version of oxycontin, it simply does not take pain away. It is a shame that Purdue changed their qualifying income levels for oxycontin because I definitely would still be taking that. Due to these new gov laws and restrictions apparently it has effected drug companies too, I had been in their assistance program for over ten years then they changed the income qualification level so that I no longer am in that level. They wouldn't make any exception when I talked to the supervisors there. Bummer that I am one suffering, thanks to our greedy government.

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Oh my, I am in the exact same predicament! I have been taking OXY 80s 3x a day for over 10 years and all of a sudden United Health Care decided they wont cover it anymore!! I have tried Opana, MS Contin, and now Xtampsa. I cannot believe that they are allowed to destroy lives this way. I went from being able to get out of bed and actually function back to where I was when I originally broke my back!! I will post my experience with Xtampza as I start taking it today. I am terrified and completely stressed. My anxiety is through the roof. Thanks UCH. Another life destroyed for your greed. God bless y'all who are in this same boat. I'll update my experience with Xtampza in 2 weeks.

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Tommy if you had Xtampza er cked pls let us know....I have found it does not work anywhere near like oxycontin. I actually cannot feel relief at all most times, whereas oxycontin absolutely hit the pain like a miracle for me when correct dosage. I have not tried taking a larger dose to see if that helps because am afraid of the deterrant in it.
Nurse A I have tried taking with or without food but makes no difference, so why do they say it must be taken with food?
I honestly would like to see if it truly is oxycodone time released or if it is a scam.
Please any one with verified info share.....

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United Healthcare force me to switch to Xtampza I was prescribed 60 pills of 27 mg er,,, it seems to me that it doesn't start working till 3 hours later after taking it,,, but i wasn't receiving any pain relief unless I took two at a time,,, and I would compare that to taking 3 Percocets

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I'm on month #2, & it's been miserable. I gave it a fair chance, with a open mind, & the Dr dosent believe in withdrawals. He switched meds & dosing (cutting out 60mg) & doesn't seem to care. Which I'm beginning to believe is the part these Dr's don't care. I'm sure if they understood it's not the medication, it's the limited time frame that relieves a majority of the pain, to function as a regular person, is whats addicting. Sure theres people that abuse it, but its a small % of those who need it, they wouldn't be so quick to judge.

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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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Re: Lou (# 82)

Hey Lou. Ut has been a while since our last conversation. Just wanted to touch base see how your doing and hope your hanging in there. Ya know I was thinking the other day that how hard it is to truely explain the pain and lifestyle that comes with a life long sentence to someone who has no idea what our pain even remotely feels like let alone the pressure that comes with it to function in society. Sometimes I feel that trying to explain to someone who has not experienced this is very tough and sometimes I feel judged and lookes down on by people. I have come to heaitate telling people ehat I take for pain, now a days it has become an automatic putdown or it is assumed that it is not warranted. Because of the abuse of pain medication by society over the last 15 yrs it has made life very hard for the people who truely rely on pain medication for daily life. I still remember when I opened my eyes after my back fusion. There are no words in the english language to describe the overwelming intense pain I was in. The crying and screaming I went thru. I truely was helpless and at the mercy of some snotty teenage STNA nurse that had no idea what was going on. That was one of the scariest moments of my life. I thank god that I found a pain management doctor who understood what I lived with everyday. Dont get me wrong I have days that I do nothing but lay in bed but for the most part I can function within reason. I appologize for the rant but I feel that I can finaly say what's on my mind to people on this forum who understand and can relate. Thank you all for listening and I look forward to the feedback and input of everyone because we are the ones who live with this and we need to help each other get thru because so called Normal people will never really GET IT. So I thank you all.
Thanks.

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Lynx~your description "hold on to our lives" is perfect. That is what I do day to day...Try to hold on one more day, and now THIS. Be blessed.

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KenieSKobie,
Thank you for the reply. After my double fusion I was prescribed Fetnyl patches but it has been some time since I have had them. What is available transdermally? I am truly open to whatever my PM doc recommends although he hasn't mentioned longer acting transdermals. I have been on the Xtampza for a full day now and have had to increase my oxy IR (per my doctors approval!) because the Xtampza er is NOT working. In addition, it is written for twice a day MAX where I was taking oxycontin 3 times a day A Fan~how long have you been taking Xtampza ER? I am really sorry to hear it isn't helping you!. I am hoping to hear about my 3rd appeal tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
Be blessed y'all and thank you again KenieS

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I've had to switch from oxycontin to xtampza er, & I'm struggling with it. If you take it as directed it feels like 3-3.5hours after it starts to work, but if you get 8-9 hours of relief from it, I'd be suprised. I don't! I have been very disappointed with changing.

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JJ thanks for info, personally my ins not cover so I got better with patient assistance that is FREE scripts delivered to your door by UPS cost free. Have taken it for month now but find it not as effective as the oxycontin was. It works but not as well. Funny the warning says take with food so not too high amounts in your plasma but it makes no difference to me. I was thinking if I took without food it might work better? But not so. Am so disappointed about effectiveness, yet so happy with assistance financially.
Wish I knew a way to make it more effective on my pain. The dr won't increase because of laws now won't allow him without retribution which is so wrong on so many levels so guess will need deal with extra pain. WRONG but a fact our gov has made definite...

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That's just what I was looking for to know if it was safe to take two of these xtampza's at a time. One is not helping in the least. Thank you!

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I am in the same boat I totally understand and want to get involved somehow in calling the DEA the ones who make these ridiculous regulations that affects everyone especially those who have legitimate pain are not addicts and desperately need relief. I am just getting ready to start on this new form of Oxycontin and it doesn't sound encouraging I have been approved by my insurance company for the past couple of years for three 60 milligram Oxycontin a day now this doctor who is so afraid to lose her license which is ridiculous will only prescribe this new stuff. I'm just getting started

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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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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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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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Seems overall consensus is that this new drug is not effective, plus causes side effects - I.E., mostly headaches. For me it s also too weak to do much for my pain, the headache however I've yet to experience (thank god). Pain has been ruling my life for 17 years now, so without good relief I stay bed bound and my body is being destroyed even faster due to stress on my organs and bodily functions. My most recent problem being heart problems which are too serious to have an ineffective pain med. My dr also says to take it with fatty food, which is not good for a bad heart, however after trying that there doesn't seem to be any difference so I'm not gonna do that for better relief since I actually don't feel it helps enough to risk a bad diet. I just want relief so I can stay outta bed part of the day and have a break from this constant torture. When will the evil gov take pity upon us and stop playing dr with our real lives. I am so tired of the struggle to stay alive. I need relief, I need the powers to change these murderous regulations and give me relief again like I once had. They are literally killing, murdering us.

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