Kadian is a prescription narcotic and the brand name of morphine tablets taken to alleviate moderate to severe chronic pain. Available in a variety of strengths, Kadian is a long-acting drug, meaning the effects last at least eight hours after ingestion. Chronic pain must be managed with long-acting narcotics as opposed to short-acting or immediate relief preparations, a study in the March 2003 edition of the "Journal of General Internal Medicine" noted. Sustained relief opioid narcotics are available as alternatives to Kadian; however, choosing the right narcotic and dosage is the responsibility of the physician.
Sustained Release Morphine
Optimally, when searching for an exact alternative to Kadian, another preparation of morphine sulfate would be considered unless an allergy was the reason for changing narcotics. Many pharmaceutical companies offer long acting or sustained release morphine pills including Avinza, MS Contin and Oramorph SR. In most cases, the dosage of morphine should decrease when switching from Kadian to another oral preparation, as Kadian is a slow-release capsule, according to Drugs.com.
Duragesic Patches
Duragesic is a long acting opioid narcotic similar to morphine in pain relief efficacy, according to Provider Synergies LLC. Sold under the brand name Fentanyl, this narcotic is supplied in a sustained relief patch that is applied every 72 hours. Duragesic patches should not be used on people with intermittent pain, respiratory complications or in those with high fevers or excessive sweating known as diaphoresis, according to a report on the comparative analysis of drugs produced by Provider Synergies in 2010.
Oxycodone
The brand name OxyContin CR is the continuous release, or long acting, version of oxycodone. Oxycodone is an opioid narcotic intended for chronic use for moderate pain relief. Due to the famed abuse of oxycodone drugs, the long acting version of OxyContin has been revamped to disallow abuse by turning the medication into an nonusable gum-like substance when soaked in water.
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