Hi there.
There's much reading that could be done to clear some of this up...I
know the charts can be difficult to really make sense. Did u check
out this site for converting tho? http://www.globalrph.com/narcoticonv.htm
I want to deal w/the other part of your ??s first tho.
I truly suggest u read Dr. Alex Delucca's info on "addiction". U can
read it on PRN's site & Dr. Delucca's site @:
http://www.doctordeluca.com/
From http://www.painreliefnetwork.org/prn/doctor-or-pusher.php on
PRN's site @
http://www.painreliefnetwork.org/prn/category/mainpage when I did a
search of "addiction", I found this...the 1st paragraph being The Most
Important info all cppers Need to Know (& write down & Share!!!!)
<snip>"Contrary to the old saw, pain kills. A body in pain produces
high levels of hormones that cause stress to the heart and lungs. Pain
can cause blood pressure to spike, leading to heart attacks and
strokes. Pain can also consume so much of the body’s energy that the
immune system degrades. Severe chronic pain sometimes leads to
suicide. There are, of course, many ways to treat pain: some pain
sufferers respond well to surgery, physical therapy, ultrasound,
acupuncture, trigger-point injections, meditation or over-the-counter
painkillers like Advil (ibuprofen) or Tylenol (acetaminophen). But for
many people in severe chronic pain, an opioid (an opiumlike compound)
like OxyContin, Dilaudid, Vicodin, Percocet, oxycodone, methadone or
morphine is the only thing that allows them to get out of bed. Yet
most doctors prescribe opioids conservatively, and many patients and
their families are just as cautious as their doctors. Men, especially,
will simply tough it out, reasoning that pain is better than
addiction.
It’s a false choice. Virtually everyone who takes opioids will become
physically dependent on them, which means that withdrawal symptoms
like nausea and sweats can occur if usage ends abruptly. But tapering
off gradually allows most people to avoid those symptoms, and physical
dependence is not the same thing as addiction. Addiction — which is
defined by cravings, loss of control and a psychological compulsion to
take a drug even when it is harmful — occurs in patients with a
predisposition (biological or otherwise) to become addicted. At the
very least, these include just below 10 percent of Americans, the
number estimated by the United States Department of Health and Human
Services to have active substance-abuse problems. Even a
predisposition to addiction, however, doesn’t mean a patient will
become addicted to opioids. Vast numbers do not. Pain patients without
prior abuse problems most likely run little risk. “Someone who has
never abused alcohol or other drugs would be extremely unlikely to
become addicted to opioid pain medicines, particularly if he or she is
older,” says Russell K. Portenoy, chairman of pain medicine and
palliative care at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and a
leading authority on the treatment of pain.
The other popular misconception is that a high dose of opioids is
always a dangerous dose. Even many doctors assume it; but they are
nonetheless incorrect. It is true that high doses can cause
respiratory failure in people who are not already taking the drugs.
But that same high dose will not cause respiratory failure in someone
whose drug levels have been increased gradually over time, a process
called titration. For individuals who are properly titrated and
monitored, there is no ceiling on opioid dosage. In this sense, high-
dose prescription opioids can be safer than taking high doses of
aspirin, Tylenol or Advil, which cause organ damage in high doses,
regardless of how those doses are administered. (Every year, an
estimated 5,000 to 6,000 Americans die from gastrointestinal bleeding
associated with drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin, according to a paper
published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.)" <snip>
To me the difference between addiction & tolerance is that addiction
is a Choice ppl make, whereas Tolerance just naturally occurs & of
course we will go thru physical withdrawal if cut back too much or if
it's w/drawn w/o tapering.
(ogod, btdt, it's hell!)
Hope this helps clarify a bit.
Kindly,
LoriBoB
ps- I believe Hydrocodone may be a little different than Vicoden in
terms of what is used as "fillers" may differ but don't quote me on
that, I could be wrong! Also, if it's namebrand or not can make a
huge diff. in terms of what is used as "fillers" (other things thrown
in to make it work certain ways). I'm just not "all here" today so
not trusting myself & what I know & used to know, lol!!!
Post by Always LearningI've read that chart and cannot figure this out. I need to know how
much Hydrocodone is the same as 10/325 Percocet?
Also, isn't Hydrocodone the same as Vicoden?
Also, is it true that Hydrocodone is less addictive than
Oxycodone(Percocet)?
p.s. I'm speaking of 10/325 Percocet NOT Oxycontin sustained release