Oxycodone is an opiate for short-term pain relief, it can be effective for moderate pain but most (almost all?) folks getting radiation to their mouth or throat will need to have better pain management. Oxycontin is a time-release, higher-dosage form of oxycodone and may be something to discuss with your doctors. However at my husband's hospital (Hopkins) they prefer to use Duragesic patches, which come in a variety of strengths and last for 72 hours. My husband was having problems with the oxycodone ("acidy" stomach, constipation) and they changed him to a 25 mg Duragesic patch which worked far better to control his pain and had fewer negative side effects. He occasionally had to use Oxycodone (or Tylenol, but latter only after checking his temperature as it can mask a fever and thus hide a developing infection) for break-through pain and especially, before he ate (he ate throughout, never used his PEG).

Adequate pain relief is a patient's right but unfortunately some doctors seem to be more worried about legal issues than with serving their patients. If you have *real* pain, it is highly unlikely that you will become addicted to these opiates. Do not be reluctant to insist that your pain issues be recognized and professionally addressed.

Gail