Hi Nicki,
I started out with a 25 mg. fentanyl patch which was supposed to handle my pain. Should pain break through at that dosage, I was told to take 1-2 teaspoons of Roxicet (a mixture of oxycodeine and acetominophen) up to 4-6 times/day. If breakthrough pain persisted, I then upped the dosage of the Duralgesic (fentanyl) patch by 25 mgs. I ended up at 150 mgs. and still was taking Roxicet a couple of times a day when things got too painful.
The major side effect of these painkillers was constipation. My nutritionist recommended Isosource 1.5 as my liquid nutrition and it has fiber in it. I've seen cans of Boost that also include fiber. This made a big difference in handling the constipation issue. Additionally, you can buy something like Benefiber which is a water-soluble fiber that can be taken orally or via a feeding tube.
At no time was I worried about addiction. I always thought that I would taper off the painkillers as the pain subsided without difficulty. I ended up taking narcotic painkillers for almost 4 months and had a rough week when I quit completely, but it was not real bad.
Hope this is of some help. Tom will be in my thoughts and prayers. Best, Sheldon