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Posted 8/27/2009 2:46 PM (GMT -5)
Hello everyone. It has been a long while since I have posted but I have a decision to make before next Friday and you.. my fellow pain patients will probably be able to give me some insight into a new medication my P.M. Physician wanted to try me on.
It is called NUCENTA. I have tried to find info but without any results. Even after contacting my Pharmacy Insurance carrier to see if it would be covered they had as of yet not added any info to the web site. Good news is they will cover it.
Anyway.. please if any of you have given this new med a try post back with the good or bad opinions.
Thanks and good health
Posted 8/27/2009 2:49 PM (GMT -5)
Hi, Lynn,
I've not heard of that either, but then I haven't heard of a lot of meds. Have you tried going directly to the manufacturer's website? Usually you can google it (try nucenta.com) even for new drugs and you'll get the pharmaceutical brand's website. That's probably the best place to get detailed info. You can also ask your pharmacist, although they may not have much clinical experience with it if it's new.

What is it for?

PaLady
Posted 8/27/2009 2:56 PM (GMT -5)
He my pmd said it is to replace the oxycodone 15 mg. Some thing about it having two active agents etc, I have google'd and yahoo'd and and nothing. nadda..
Posted 8/27/2009 4:42 PM (GMT -5)
Lynn: I have not personally tried Nucynta (tapentadol), but I have heard several things about it - none of it really good. And I can't see any way that it could replace Oxycodone 15mg - it is not even close. I have heard it being compared to Tramadol. In other words, if you are already taking Oxycodone 15mg, I would consider Nucynta a definite "step down" in terms of pain relieving qualities. Try googling it using: "tapentadol". Of course, this is only my opinion, and the ultimate decision is between you and your doctor. But I myself would not switch to Nucynta. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon. :-)
Posted 8/27/2009 6:20 PM (GMT -5)
Lynn, I would say give the medicine a try with hope that it'll help...
so keep us posted and I will hope it works well for you and that you get some pain relief withou
any side effects...best of wishes..
Keep us posted or updated when possible
soft hugz...
Posted 8/27/2009 6:28 PM (GMT -5)
Lynn,
Go to www.nucynta.com - you'll find all the info. you need. Make sure you spell it correctly.

PaLady
Posted 8/28/2009 1:09 AM (GMT -5)
PALady

Isn't that the medication that Frances doctor was pushing on her? Remember ?It made her funny?

Lynn do you know why your Doctor wants you to change to this medication? There was a thread by Frances I believe it was about her PM was making her try that medication and she was being ( for lack of a better word) "forced" to switch over from her other med. Anyway is your oxycodone working for you? If so why change over? Is there a reason your Doc wants to change you over? I hope you don't have the same Doc as she did! I think he was a crook or something!

White Beard
Posted 8/28/2009 1:49 AM (GMT -5)
White Beard,
I can't remember but you may be right! Maybe Frances will see this!

PaLady
p.s. I checked and yes, that's the medication Frances was on, but she deleted most of her posts on that thread. Lynn - we had one member here try that (Frances2008) and she's a moderator on the depression Forum. From what we saw, she didn't have a good experience, but it would be better if you could e-mail her, or hopefully she'll see this post and respond. Either way, I'd read what's on the website about trials, side effects, etc. and see what you think in terms of your own medical history before trying the medication.

Post Edited (PAlady) : 8/28/2009 1:08:32 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/28/2009 2:19 AM (GMT -5)
PAlLady
I thought that was the medication thank you for checking that out!

Your the Best!


White Beard
Posted 8/28/2009 9:48 AM (GMT -5)
Thanks for all the responses, This medication was just approved according to my physician. The drug rep was at the office just ahead of me. He wrote the drug name down for me and it was spelled NUCENTA not nucynta. When I wrote to my medicare prescription drug program even they wrote the drug name NUCENTA back when they said they would cover it. So... I am not sure we are even talking about the same medication. Guess I will wait for my appointment and discuss all my concerns with my doc. I have tried tramadol and ultram in the past with absolutely no relief at all, so if it is what many of you have said I absolutely will not agree to try it. As it is now I am taking 90 mg Avinza (morphine sulfate) once a day with the oxycodone 15mg 3x's daily for break through pain and there are times I still cannot even hold my grand-babies or vacuum the floor. Such is my life......
Thanks all
Posted 8/28/2009 10:25 AM (GMT -5)

Lynn,

I even went to the FDA website and couldn't find it...I have no idea what it is, but I hope it works for you...

Me.

Posted 8/28/2009 2:48 PM (GMT -5)
Lynn,
This is just my hunch, but if the drug rep wrote it by hand I'll be he/she didn't even get the spelling right. And based on what many of us saw happen to one of our members (from her posts) while she was trying it, I and a few others suspected that the pharmaceutical company/rep. had a role in why her doctor was pushing this. And now I read the pharm. rep. just left your doctors office. All suspicious to me. I'd suggest you go to the nucynta website and read and see if it sounds familiar. Was there no insert given to you with it, if you were given samples? If you have a pharmacist you trust, you might try speaking to them and see if there are two different meds with such closely related spelling - both of which seem nearly new.

Sounds like you're going to be cautious about this, and that's good!

Let us know what happens, as this may be a medication that starts getting substituted by many of our doctors if pharm reps are pushing it.

PaLady
Posted 8/28/2009 3:23 PM (GMT -5)
This new med is a scheadule 2 med so they wouldnt have samples. But I have heard it's suppose to be a very strong med in killing pain. I think it's related to ultram somehow, but it's very diffrent from my understanding. I know their's suppose to be a long acting one and a short acting one, I'm not sure which one is out right now, I'm guessing the short acting one. My sister in law is a pharmacist and she said that people are swearing by it, and she's getting alot of people coming in for prescriptions for it and hardly anyone has made any complaints about it. I will ask her again what she knows about it again when I see her this weekend when I go pick up my neice. We talked shortly about it a few weeks ago, she said she had a bunch of people waiting for the shipment to come in on that drug. And I asked her what it was, and she explained to me a bit. She knows I suffer with chronic pain so she's always telling me about the new stuff. But right now I'm very satisfied with Suboxone and I have absoutly no reason to try anything else right now.

I really think frances was just very sensitive to the drug, and some people are just that way. But that doesnt mean you or I would have to the same reaction. All narcotics have that chance of causing some pretty nifty side effects on some of us, like I cant do hydrocodone or I will vomit for 12 hours straight and have severe stomach pain, but yet lots of people take it just fine, like my aunt has been taking it for over 10 years. I cant take Ambien or my couch will try and eat me and the walls look like it's covered in bugs, but yet my dad takes it just fine. In other words, I dont think we should knock a pill off the list just cause one of us had a bad reaction.

BUT then again, I have a rule that I NEVER take a new pill for the first 2 years that it's out, just in case their is something wrong with the med they didnt catch in the trials, like when they made that extended release hydromorphone(I think that was it) and they found that drinking alcohol with it made all the med release all at once so they pulled that off the shelves really fast.

Also I know theirs a websight where people personally grade the drug they're taking, they say why they are taking it, how long, what dose, and side effects and if they stop taking it, why they did. I'm gonna look and see if I can find that sight again and if they have anything on this new drug, I will let you all know.

-Carmen
Posted 8/28/2009 4:04 PM (GMT -5)
Kitty,
Do you know if there are two different medications, or if there's some confusion around the spelling? Just curious what your SIL might have said.

BTW I would always say that each of us is different as far as medications go, so there's really no way to predict. So learning as much as each of us can about what our doctors are prescribing - especially when it comes to a new med - is important as we make the choice whether to try it or not.

It's good we're having this discussion as we can all learn more about this medication - or medications, if there are indeed two different ones.

PaLady
Posted 8/28/2009 11:05 PM (GMT -5)
Well for reason's I'm not sure why it's being spelled Nucenta, as my SIL has no idea what that is, but their is a Nucynta. It's a short acting drug, it comes in 3 diffrent strenths and is suppose to be taken every 4-6 hours normally. And as with some pain meds, it does have a maximum dose that people shouldn't go over. The common side effects with it is the same for most pain meds, drowsiness, and nausea/vomiting. I guess this new drug is suppose to be wonderful as it's suppose to have a less chance of causing dependence, but they said the same thing with Ultram/Tramadol, and of course alot of people get dependent or addicted to that too.

SIL did say that is suppose to be as strong as Oxycodone and morphine, if not more. She isnt sure how it's related to Ultram but it is a far off cousin of it, but most pain meds are related to each other in some way or the other. I asked her about the effect frances got, and she said that more then likely she's just allergic to pain meds, as that sounds like an alleric reaction, but she said that if people toerate pain meds okay, then they should be able to tolerate Nucynta.

Actually the more she talked about it, the more I'm starting to think that Nucynta sounds like an awesome pain med. It IS a scheadule 2 drug like I thought it was, so all fills have to be done with new prescription, so I really think we're gonna start hearing more and more about it very soon. I really feel by this time next year, their's gonna be several posts on it, so maybe by then we'll have more of a picture on what this med is like. I really dont care much about what drug reps, doctors, and pharmacists say about it, I wanna hear it from the words of people actually taking it.

I know we hear ultram and think it cant be that good of a pain med, but this med is suppose to be way diffrent, alot more stronger. And from what I read about this med a ways back, their is a long acting one that is suppose to come out here not too long from now. And that med is gonna be measured next to Oxycontin in pain releif, so I guess only time will tell.....

I didnt get much of a chance to talk to her, we talked by phone for a bit when we made plans for me coming to get my neice tomorrow, and she said it's too new to know too much about it, but she says she has customers who are very satisfied by it. I'm still wondering about this Nucenta, there is nothing on it, and why it was spelled that way is beyond me, just weird, I even tried looking online, their's nothing. Hmmm......I guess I could be wrong, but who knows.....even my SIL doesnt know it but she said she wasnt at work to on the computer....

-carmen
Posted 8/29/2009 12:47 AM (GMT -5)
I have been on nucynta now for a week. 50 mg three times a day, although ive taken up to 5 with excrutiating pain. Its a strong drug.  Much stronger than tramadol.   Doesnt feel at all like tramadol although its dual action like tramadol. I was off percosets for about 3 weeks as my pain was significantly less so my tolerance was reset(although i dont think this drug is cross tolerant). Takes about 20-40 minutes to kick in but it definately hits you pretty good right away...unlike the slower come on of oxy.  I'd describe it as having an equivalency of nucynta 50mg = oxy 5 mg as per analgesia.  The pain melts away very effectively and you will get pretty high off of it. It is sedating for the first hour - 2 hours..and then it wears off and you feel almost perfecty normal but pain free for the next 3 hours. Afterwards your pain will start creeping back in. I believe its exactly as effective today as it was last sunday. even with percoset/oxy, i notice some tolerance even after a week. I also don't find i crave the drug as much as oxy. And the come down off this drug doesn't appear as nasty. I am going to keep with it and hopefuly be able to write an update over the next month or so and note tolerance and addiction potential.

I think the bad rap its gotten is due to the cross tolerance issue. I dont believe there is cross tolerance between this drug and traditional opiates. So I believe when a person who has been on pain meds for a substantial amount of time switches to this drug, they go into withdrawal frm their original drug. I took a few weeks off of percoset so i came in with clear baseline.

Good:

--Very effective at pain reduction.  As soon as you feel it, watch out, hits hard and fast and pain is GONE.

--Sense of well being/euphoria especially after the 1-2 hour initial hit.  The first 1-2 hours are very relaxing and you will be high(at least for the first week).  After, you begin to come too again, think clearly, have energy, yet pain is still completely gone.

--Seems slower at building tolerance than other opiates.  I'll report back by next week as that will give me a clear understanding of tolerance as by the second week i do have a tolerance on most opiates ive been on. 

--No itching

--Not cross tolerant(imo a good thing because you can switch to a different drug now without having to start at high doses)

--Less physical craving for the drug.  With oxy, after about a week, I find my mind wanting the drug and its a battle to keep on schedule.   With this drug, i believe becasue of the less tolerance building, i dont feel the need to want more.  

--don't really have a hangover but can be tricky to tell with my condition

Bad:

--At first can hit too hard.  Make sure you try it on a day off initially. 

--more nausea.  Ive noticed on about 100 mg you get decent nausea for about 30 minutes.

Thats all I can think of right now.   I'll post more as I learn more.   Questions let me know.


I think its a great drug IMO at this point.

Vin

Posted 8/29/2009 10:06 AM (GMT -5)
My doctor had brought this drug up 6 months ago with his veiws of the future outcome. He believes that it is going to be stronger than people realize. (pain relief) the spelling looks correct to me in meaning thats what the drug rep was really wanting to spell. Many people myself included could misspell this word replacing an e for the y.

But as I told my doctor I will wait awhile. He wrote another script for Ryzolt which ended up being just fine. I don't think I need anything stronger then that and my perc 10's.

You have nothing to lose in trying it. You can always go back to what you are on now. I would only be concerned with pain while dealing with the cross over.

Laurie
Posted 8/29/2009 11:47 AM (GMT -5)
As always you are all amazing. Thank you so much for all the info that you brought my way. I will continue to check back just in case there are more of you with info. Pain relief is my main objective here but I also have to take into consideration the cost of this medication.. Those of you on Medicare know so well how difficult it is to go through the "gap". I had three months where I was only able to afford a partial fill on the Avinza. I thank God above for my help with the Humira which covers it entirely.
If possible vin or kitty could you possibly tell me the cost of this drug? Fixed income is one heck of a way to determine the best way to approach medical needs and medications but it is a fact of my life. Eat or meds, meds or electicity, electricty or house payment.
I am sure some of you know exactly the situation I face.
Thanks!!!
Posted 8/29/2009 8:32 PM (GMT -5)
Lynn,
I just lost my medical insurance, so I'm in the process of using a lot of the info. on the www.pparx.org site (the one Montel Williams advertises). It gives you links to lots of other sites - many of them are to the programs each pharmaceutical company may offer either for a discount or even free meds. But there are a lot of different applications (one for each drug company) so it can be painstaking if you're on a lot of meds like most of us are. But for newer meds a lot of times the drug companies have even better deals because they want to get people to try it. I'm just starting all my applications right now and for starters it looks like I'll be able to get my nexium at no cost (which is a pretty big ticket item). I don't know for sure, but will once I get the response from them. Anyway, you might try it and see about your meds, including the nucynta.

Good luck!

PaLady
Posted 8/31/2009 1:10 PM (GMT -5)
Finally received info back from Prescription Drug Plan, It is spelled Nucynta. Not sure I want to go there now. I have COPD and there are some very strong warnings associated with this drug and breathing. I will have to discuss this with my doctor I guess. I know all pain pills have this warning to some extent.
I would still appreciate knowing the price of this medication though!
Thanks all!
Posted 8/31/2009 1:42 PM (GMT -5)
Lynn,
Prices are going to vary with the pharmacy. I'd call around and ask, although if you have insurance that's covering it, that would probably dictate your co-pay. In that case, I'd call your insurance company and see what your co-pay is. Since it's new, my guess is it's non-formulary for most insurances and you'd probably pay the highest co-pay, but that's just a guess. There's really no way we can tell you what the cost would be for you, specifically.

PaLady

p.s. I just glanced at your first post again, and your insurance company should tell you what the cost to you would be, depending on your plan.
Posted 8/31/2009 4:50 PM (GMT -5)

I remember when Ultram first came out...My Dr. didn't want me taking any Pain meds because they didn't know what was wrong with me and they thought I was seeking...so they put me on Ultram...then, out of the blue they said it was addictive after all...people that were using Lortab and Dilaudid were crushing them up and shooting them to get high...

I wonder how long it will take before they realize that this drug is addictive as well?

me.

Posted 9/1/2009 7:51 AM (GMT -5)
I am not sure why they are saying this drug has less potential for dependency because the FDA says and I quote

"NUCYNTA IS FOR SHORT TERM USE ONLY BECAUSE THE RISKS FOR WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, ABUSE AND ADDICTION ARE HIGHER WHEN NUCYNTA IS USED LONGER".
They also say not to take it if you have severe lung problems and I have had COPD for 8 years now.

I am going to have to have a serious talk with my pmd. I am thinking at this point why rock the boat when what I am taking now is working most of the time.
I will let you all know what is decided.
Thanks
Posted 9/1/2009 11:24 AM (GMT -5)
[urhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapentadol] information I finally found. Still have to wonder why if "it ain't broke why fix it" with my pmd.
Posted 9/1/2009 12:40 PM (GMT -5)
Lynn,
I think if I were in your shoes I'd feel the same way. Especially with that warning re: short term use, and your COPD. I just wonder if the drug reps are pushing this hard, or maybe the abuse issue/DEA stuff is motivating some doctors and they think this will help make life easier for THEM.

But I really agree with you. It's your body!

Good luck!

PaLady
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