Re: Palliative Medicine in Australia and New Zealand

From: Jo Eslick (wallamara@hotmail.com)
Sat Dec 1 22:49:03 2001




Hi Lin

What I have found through trial and error is that we are often being prescribed similar or the same drugs as our American & Canadian friends, but under a different name brand.  For example the US girls refer to Oxycodone, here in Australia the brand name is Endone, Oxycontin which is the ame drug, but a slow release version of it.  Endone comes in packs of twenty tablets each dose being 5mg.  Oxycontin is called the same thing here in Australia, also comes in packs of twenty tablets but each dose is 20mg.

At the moment I am on a twice daily dose of oxycontin with endone (or oxycodone) for break through pain.  Break through pain refers to a peak in your pain level throughout the day.  If you find that your pain level has increased and stopped you from continuing an activity or that you find that you cannot get the thought of pain out of your head, then you are having a "breakthrough pain episode".  At this point you would take an endone for example to help level out your pain level again.  Sometimes you may not need something as strong as endone, panadol or nurofen might be enough.

When you are looking up information on the internet about drugs, simply go to your favourite search engine and type in the generic name of the drug you want information on, or the brand name.  Either enquiry should lead you to a medication information website. You will find that drug companies who produce these medications will have sites as do other health organisations.  I hope this helps.

Love & gentle hugs

Jo 


Enter keywords:
Returns per screen: Require all keywords: