Percocet AND Dilaudid seem to have no effect on me. Why?

Dilaudid Resistant over a year ago

One month ago, I was diagnosed as having Rheumatoid Arthitis, and being in Canada, have to wait about 2 months b/f I get into a specialist.

The pain with the original "flare-up" was so extreme, I went to emergency not yet knowing what was going on -they originally thought it was tendonitist - and of course waited hours to see someone there.

I've known for years that Percocet have no effect on serious pain for me, but that's all I was given at the hospital this time. I took three later in desperation even though I thought it wouldn't work, and nope, didn't touch the pain.

The next day I was back in there, my right hand had swelled up by then (the first one was the left), and again, the pain was undescribable.

They did give me a 10-pack of Hydro-Morphone, 10 mg, the extended release, I think.

They didn't seem to help much with the pain, but by that time, the prescription anti-flammatories I'd been prescribed were starting the work, and the severe pain was eased.

Now, one month later, I've had ANOTHER flare-up, the pain started at 3 am, by 4:30 am I had taken 3 of the Dilaudids, they didn't work, I took 2 more by the fourth hour (didn't want to OD) and then went back to the ER. Of course it was the holiday, so my family doctor was closed.

I finally had a shot of morphine, after sitting in the waiting room for 4 hours in perfect agony. Nearly had to beg for it.

I was told that Dilaudid is pretty much all they had to give me to take home. I wanted something on hand in case the original, awful pain came back. I got a bit of lecture on narcotic pain relievers and that Dilaudids are the strongest thing they have to offer, but no explanation from the dr. as to why I could take 6 (by then I'd taken another) and still be "normal". Walking, talking, pain still there.

That original terrible pain is gone, but Friday I go back in to my doctor (oh, and my regular family doctor is on maternity leave, and this new guy doesn't know me from a hole in the ground) and I have to have a conversation with him about what to do the next time there's a "flare-up" so I don't end up sitting in the emergency room for hours on end.

So...are some people really just resistant to narcotic painkillers? I'd had a doctor tell me years ago, when Percocet didn't work after a sinus surgery, that my body does not metabolize the medicine properly. Is that possible?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

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Guest over a year ago

Hello,

I want you to know that I feel your pain.

I had shoulder surgery almost two weeks ago, and the first few days were agonizing as the Dilaudid and Percocet did nothing for me (even in multiple doses). This is the second time that something like this has happened to me. After knee surgery about 6 years ago, I had the same issue. My pain in the later situation was only relieved when I went to the hospital and received multiple different IV medications (I believe Morphine was the last). I do not have any insight on why we are seemingly immune, however, I wanted you to know that there are others like you.

I look forward to a responses from a doctor who may have insight.

Take Care,

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Guest over a year ago

this happened to me also, zero relief from perocet. Norco and vicoden work well. When i had my gall bladder removed i woke up sceaming in pain the.nurse kepting giving me morphine has to call to get permission to give me more she did but eventually she had to stop bc my heartbeat was so low. I think it happens to other people but it is uncommon, i would love to know the reason why!!

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Guest over a year ago

I have the same problem: neither Percocet nor Dilaudid has any effect on me. This cannot be a tolerance problem because I have received only 1 prescription of each and they were many years apart. (oral surgery and double hernia repair). One doctor told me that I lacked the enzyme that converts the medication into Morphine. If that is true, there are more of us out there.

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Guest over a year ago

Generic Percocet was made by Activis and it worked great. Then Teva purchased Activis and replaced the effective Percocet and other medications with its Teva generics which use different fillers. This is why. Use brand name.

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Guest over a year ago

Thank you for this post. It is good to know there are others out there! But it really annoys me that I was in the hospital after a major surgery, and I repeatedly telling them the Dilaudid was doing nothing and all they did was keep upping the dose. I wish this information was more well known, as they seemed to have no concept that the drug wasn't working for me at all. At one point the nurse looked at me in mild shock and said, "You seem like you're so awake, it's like it has no effect on you!" Ummm right, that's what I've been saying to you!! On the positive side, I guess we can't develop any dependence on a drug that is totally useless!

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Guest over a year ago

I have something called "Red Head Syndrome". I do not metabolize pain killers and anesthesia drugs like most people. Those drugs do nothing for me either, Dilaudid was like a placebo. I would be interested in finding out how many red heads replied here. The syndrome is caused by a mutant gene and on average, red heads need 20% more pain meds than those without the syndrome. Oddly PCP docs hardly hear of this condition, but ask an anesthesiologist and they will tell you a red head is often a hard knock out. Sadly, the medical profession doesn't listen, they think everyone is a drug seeker. I just want pain relief after surgeries. I do not expect complete pain relief, but I do expect to be able to get enough to tolerate the pains I suffer in recovery.

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Guest over a year ago

I had put my arm through a plate glass garage door window which cut my tendons and left me with 2 huge arm lacs (lacerations) that hurt badly. The attending Dr. that had me stitched up until i could have surgery gave me a prescription for Percocet 5s (which DO work on me) and 5 Dilaudid 4 mg immediate-release tablets, because the pharmacies were closed for the night and he knew I was in considerable pain. I took all 5 tablets through the course of the night, feeling NOTHING, even though I was completely opiate- naive (no opiate tolerance whatsoever), and all 5 tablets did ZILCH (sweet f**k-all) for the pain! NOTHING! I had heard that dilaudid was this "very potent" opiate, yet i had felt more from Tylenol #3s in the past. WTF??? So a Duke Doctor told me years later that Dilaudid just doesn't work on some people. Not at all, he said. I guess about 1/3 of patients who are given hydromorphone cannot feel it. They just can't. As to the Oxycodone issue, I imagine it is similar to the Dilaudid situation.

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Guest over a year ago

I think some of us, not just Red Heads (although I'm something called "Black Irish", (a dark-haired Irish), cannot metabolize the hydromorphone into morphine as you said. I feel nothing from Dilaudid as well, it's like a placebo as well. Then, the docs are all too glad to prescribe it to you!!! They KNOW that some of us cannot feel it! But yeah, the good news is that if we can't feel it or develop tolerance to it, we cannot get addicted to it or become dependent upon it. Morphine works very well for me, as does oxycodone. LOL on the "Dilaudid placebo" syndrome.

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