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July 29, 2010 - 10:21pm
Percocet to Norco
I have chronic back/sciatica pain. I have some level of pain all day every day. I spent 2 years of my life trying to find a doctor to "fix" my problem. No one can. The best plan is to manage it with medication so I can continue to function i.e. family/business etc.
My doctor and I are considering switching me from 2 10/325 percocets 3 times a day to Norco.
I was on Norco before for several years and switched in December to Percocet because the Norco began to lose its effectiveness.
The same thing is happening now with the percocets. I don't want to "up my dose" or switch to oxycontin as some have reccomended.
His theory is that we can simply switch back and for every 6 months or so and that way my tolerance will never grow for either one.
Has anyone had success with this type of program?
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Yes I have had to keep switching my pain medicine or you have to keep taking more and more. The switching does seem to work for me for the most part.
Good Luck
Al from Cinncinnati and is my second hometown,great place to live, and very good doctors.
New Orleans is my Home Town and I will love that city always, Go Saints!
My comments are not a substitute for medical advice and are only related to MY personal experiences.
ACDF C5/6 C6/7 with titanium implant, spinal stenosis, bone spurs, with nueropathy. A second surgery was done on December 14th, 2010, a Laminectomy and will deal with L-4 to S-1 which I have severe problems with affecting my mobility and everday living. It also has been the source of severe chronic pain. All Prayers are Welcomed and Appreciated. God Bless You.
In the past I have changed from 3/day 10/325 Perc to 4/day Norco 7.5/325. I did this every month for a while and it worked pretty good. 6 months seems too long in between. But give it a try.
-Jim
Why don't you want to try oxycontin? For me, the long-acting pain reliever was a major change for the better in terms of pain control.
11/2007- equestrian accident. Fractured L2, 90% loss of height, retropulsion, bone fragments. Moderate-severe chronic pain treated with epidurals, facet ablation, medication.
12/15/2010- L2 corpectomy and L1-L3 fusion via thoracotomy. Posterior plates installed next day. Total surgery time 9 hours!
I have the same problem since last year and have to take medicine for pain relaxation daily. I asked my doctor to relieve me from this problem but they couldn't help me, just give some medicines which I am taking right now.
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I don't mean to contradict anyone, but since Hydrocodone (Norco) and Oxycodone (Percocet) are fundamentally using the same narcotic, I don't see how you can avoid tolerance issues by alternating these. Am I wrong about this? Aren't they both using Codeine as the primary analgesic?
Did you say that you were taking 2 x 10mg of Percocet three times a day (60mg total)? If so, I can't envision Hydrocodone matching that in terms of pain relief. Some references will say that the maximum dosage per day of Norco is 6 pills (60mg) per day. That will not be as effective as 60mg of Percocet. I have heard that 10mg of Oxycodone is equivalent to 15mg of Hydrocodone. My experience with these meds would tend to agree with that.
I'm not a doctor, so please don't let my opinions interfere with your doctor's guidance. I'm just offering this to support your discussion. If you think I'm all wet, please feel free to disregard this.
Thanks,
Dave
9/2008 - L5/S1 Discectomy - Removed a section of disk the size of a man's thumb. Worked beautifully!
5/2009 - L5/S1 Repeat Discectomy - Had reherniated it riding my bike. Pain never resolved
1/2010 - TLIF at L5/S1 - fusion is stable, but pain is still unresolved ever since second discectomy
9/22/10 - Finally found a Physiatrist who has taken over my complete care. Looking forward to this next chapter of improved pain management.
Reformed1 - agreed... While they are basically the same thing as the end result they are chemically different and work little different.
Bottom line I think it may be psychological. But it worked for me.....
Well, since they are chemically different, they are not the same thing
From what I can see, chemically they are quite different. I know they affect my body in quite different ways.
11/2007- equestrian accident. Fractured L2, 90% loss of height, retropulsion, bone fragments. Moderate-severe chronic pain treated with epidurals, facet ablation, medication.
12/15/2010- L2 corpectomy and L1-L3 fusion via thoracotomy. Posterior plates installed next day. Total surgery time 9 hours!
Exactly - hydrocodone and oxycodone, though chemically related to codeine (and thebaine, more specifically), are two entirely different semi-synthetic opioid drugs.
Lumbar: DDD, degenerative spondylosis, severe stenosis, severe facet arthropathy, herniated and bulging discs, collapse at L4-5 and L5-S1 with retrolisthesis. Cervical: degenerative spondylosis, severe stenosis, cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Also, peripheral neuropathy. Decompressive laminectomy (L5-S1) in 1995. Currently in pain management.
I can take hydroprophen without an issue but percocet doesn't touch any of my pain plus they make me nauseous beyond belief. It's weird, and it seems familial, since the same thing happens to my mom and brother.
If I remember correctly it was explained to me that they are somewhat similar but metabolized differently or something like that- but in my case there seems to be a tolerance and/or sensitivity to the drug and that I should not take it again.
My doctor also switches it up every 6 months so the meds will be more effective.
I believe that the difference comes down to the molecular binding and mechanism of action of each of those drugs. Can't explain it, but that's what was told to me by my doctor. Just that slight difference can make a difference, even if the same 2 medications are switched around every 6 months or so.
Best of luck with whatever you decide!
~He won't bring me to it unless He can get me through it~
2004-L5S1 discectomy/laminectomy-
2005-work injury-fall in elevator shaft-reinjured L5S1
2005-09-chronic pain, piriformis syndrome, neuropathy
2009-lg. rehernation L5S1/sequestered disc with migration to S1 nerve root
6/10-L5S1 PLIF/dural tear/CSF leak