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(1) the general condition and medical status of the patient;
(2) the daily dose, potency, and kind of the analgesic( s) the patient has been taking;
(3) the reliability of the conversion estimate used to calculate the dose of oxycodone;
(4) the patient's opioid exposure and opioid tolerance (if any);
(5) special safety issues associated with conversion to OxyContin ® doses at or exceeding 160 mg q12h (see Special instructions for OxyContin 80 mg and 160 mg Tablets); and
(6) the balance between pain control and adverse experiences. Care should be taken to use low initial doses of OxyContin in patients who are not already opioid-tolerant, especially those who are receiving concurrent treatment with muscle relaxants, sedatives, or other CNS active medications (see PRECAUTIONS: Drug-Drug Interactions).
For initiation of OxyContin therapy for patients previously taking opioids, the conversion ratios from Foley, KM. [NEJM, 1985; 313: 84-95], found below, are a reasonable starting point, although not verified in well-controlled, multiple-dose trials. Experience indicates a reasonable starting dose of OxyContin for patients who are taking non-opioid analgesics and require continuous around-the-clock therapy for an extended period of time is 10 mg q12h. If a non-opioid analgesic is being provided, it may be continued. OxyContin should be individually titrated to a dose that provides adequate analgesia and minimizes side effects. Text Continues Below
1. Using standard conversion ratio estimates (see Table 4 below), multiply the mg/ day of the previous opioids by the appropriate multiplication factors to obtain the equivalent total daily dose of oral oxycodone. 2. When converting from oxycodone, divide the 24-hour oxycodone dose in half to obtain the twice a day (q12h) dose of OxyContin. 3. Round down to a dose which is appropriate for the tablet strengths available (10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg, and 160 mg tablets). Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next >>
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