Taking Action With Doctor...

[benevolentlaughter]

So, most of you know that after 15 months of daily Percocet use, I called my doctor for a refill and he refused it. I've taken a lot of your all's advice with the tapering method, but something hit me the other day. I wanted to share this with all of you, so here it goes:

I wish you all knew me outside of being a screen name on an online Medical Forum. I'm the funny girl who brightens up your day. Always did well in school and sports and I'm an avid volunteer in the community, helping people out when I have the abilities to do so. I'm hapilly engaged to the man of my dreams, someone I've known my entire life  and then about 15 months ago, my knee literally stopped working. Oh, and with this came the Percocet from doctors. I know what everyone is sitting here saying about this post... "She doesn't even realize it, but she is an addict, etc..." But I feel differently than some might be thinking right now. I honestly believe that I've unwillingly become dependant on these medicines rather than just be forced to label myself as an all out addict to the pills. I'm not blaming the doctor here, but like I said in the subject line above; I've taken actions by my own hand against him and his refusal to provide me with anymore pills.. He knows that my knee is THAT bad, as I'm a mere 27 years old and can hardly walk anymore. I've gained so much weight because of this inability to move a lot of the time [unless I have medicine, and even when I take the medicine... sometimes that doesn't even help, it all depends on the day] But right now, my fiance is livid, and not with me. He's livid because the ortho doctor told us one thing when we traveled 3 long hours to and from just to go and see him, and he told my PCP a completely different scenario. I've read everyone's response to me, and I've come to the conclusion that the following is going to take place:

This morning I called my PCP's office and demanded a phone call back. When the woman on the other line asked me what was going on, I told her that this doctor has been VERY well aware of the amount of time I've been on these pills, and with this knowledge, he is well aware that I could very easily go through bad withdrawls now that he has decided to cut me out of pills cold turkey. I demanded that he called me back telling me I had a script to pick up alongside a tapering program. Like I said before, I don't want you all to think that I'm blaming him for what's going on right now... However, he has been the one shoveling 200 pills a month to me and declaring I HAVE to take this amount per day if I want any sort of pain relief; Even when I told him I didn't want to take the amount he was giving to me. I've told him time and time again that I was uncomfortable with this plan of action when it came to my care, but still... He has shoveled [literally] them out ever since up until the other day.

I still have yet to hear back from him.. His office closes in about half an hour at 5pm, and if I don't hear back from him at 4:45pm, I'm calling again and demanding that they keep me on hold until he picks up the phone. What are your all's opinions on this?

[Totie]

But in hind sight, this may be God's way of getting you off them. No doubt it will be mentally and physically hard on you.

You need to get to ANOTHER DR. and tell them you need help in coming off of the medication.


God promised a safe landing, not a calm passage.

[Totie]

Yes, I find it hard to believe that your PCP never sent you to Pain Management.

Exactly what is wrong with your knee? For him to just give you the pain pills for 15 months is mind boggling without a diagnosis. Your ortho needs to be treating you, not your PCP.

You can get mad if you want, but I think you are blaming him for your addiction. Yes he wrote the prescription, but YOU took them. You can say all you want about his instructions, but I am sure you are a bright person and should have known the consequences. You should had questioned the diagnosis, and if there was any other alternative to helping with the pain. You should had questioned the amount and the long term use he was telling you to take.

I know about pain, I have had 3 surgeries within a year, ALL MAJOR, but I would only make sure I took the pain med for 2- 3 days after and THAT WAS IT.

[tylersblueeyedmama]

Hey, sorry to hear that the doctor doesn't seem to be too concerned and not calling you back.  But I am confused as to what the knee problem is?  Did the ortho doc tell you something is wrong and then tell the pcp that nothing is wrong?  And I hope I am not coming off rude in anyway, but is the only reason you are questioning the treatment is because the pcp cut you off and now you may have to go through withdrawals?  I mean, why after 2 years?  I would have questioned it sooner.  Do you think if he doesnt call you back, that you could just go there????  I have had to do that for my mom before...its not pretty, but sometimes you have to make the doctors and the staff realize the situation and that you are a person,not just a patient or a #, ya know?  What does your father and fiancee think about all this?

[house2]

This is the same question I raised last week"Dr respon for addition" your blaming someone else for your weakness or abuse but if you think about it, you have to ask, how did I get here.I'd be willing to bet a good majority of posts are from people that no longer have access to their DOC and are forced to withdraw,either by what happened to you or running out before refill time.You have to make a choice to quit or find a doctor that is willing to put you on a pain manangment plan and stick to it,or of course get your knee fixed.I know your angry but don't waste your time and energy with this DR,get a copy of your records and move on.

[benevolentlaughter]

I know you're probably tired of hearing it, but sorry to hear what you had to go through. I know what you mean, though... It does seem as though some of these doctors are in need of help themselves.. But like I said before, I'm honestly not trying to blame everything that is going on with ME on HIM, if that makes sense. I just don't see why he is avoiding me right now. He has helped in doing this, so he should help in, well... HELPING!!

[Debi17]

I also had this happen to me but with a shrink...she stopped seeing me cold turkey and told my new doc I was addicted to my meds that had kept me stable for 6 yrs...mind you I had a very traumatic sexuall abusive childhood....no within a yr I had to be brought back from the dead twice as suicide was my only way out at the age of 52...you think if I was suicidel I would have tried it many yrs before
some doctors need a doctor

[benevolentlaughter]

Why was this topic moved?

[benevolentlaughter]

I know this might sound "hard to believe" to some, but believe it or not... I never once abused the Percocet that was prescribed to me. I've always taken the medicine as the doctor has told me to, and he never told me as needed, even though in the past that is what I've been told to do like when I had my wisdom teeth extracted, etc. He has always told me that even if I didn't think I needed the medicine, that I should still take it, because if I didn't take it next thing I'd find out was my knee would go out on me in the middle of my workday [I'm a server/waitress for a living - BLAH! teeheehee] and things would get worse because of that. I've always followed his words and instructions, in other words. Even after I told him that I was scared to become addicted and/or dependant.

I opened up to my father, who raised me alone and has since then been my best friend. He sees the same doctor, and is at the point of going up there and "jacking him up" by the blue collar of his brand new Polo shirt, if you catch my drift. My father has known all along that I've been taking the pills, and he has somewhat "overseen" it as well.. If that doesn't tell you that I haven't abused the pills, then I'm not sure what else will but no.. I have never abused them, you know?

Well, just another update for those who are reading and responding.. I called the doctors office back, and the woman said she spoke to my doctor and he said that IF he doesn't call me back by the end of today [which was 5pm] then he will call me at 5pm. Guys... I feel like he is avoiding me and I'm getting to the point where I will not put up with it much longer.

[allaboutmary]

I agree doctors should be prepared to help with the detox process. I don't know your whole story or if you abused your meds, but there are many that become dependent because of serious pain and then have surgery to take care of it. Then they need to get off the pills.  It's all about information......information prior to addiction/dependency and information when it's time to stop.

When I told my doctor I was worried about addiction he put his arm around me and said........it's better you be addicted right now then in pain.  Then when the auto accident paid off, he refused to see me.  
I know not to blame doctors for my addiction. They did not make me abuse them.  I just think anyone getting a refill should be made to sit down and watch a informational video on addiction.  One thing they need to make clear is.......how pain pills actually increase your pain.  Every time I tried to stop my pain was so terrible I thought there was no way I could live in this kind of pain and that I truly needed them. It wasn't until I came on this forum and got clean for a month that I realized my true pain level.

Not many doctors know about detox or want to help with it. There are many wonderful doctors out there but some can be rotten bums. lol

[benevolentlaughter]

Well, what happened for him not to give me anymore was my specialist office visit. The specialist he referred me to "didn't see too much wrong with my knee" [even though in the room, he specifically told me he didn't know how I was still up and walking around] and so my doctor "cut me off" from the pills, so to speak. Once again, not making excuses to get more pills, because I don't want to rely and/or be on them anymore. However, I also don't wish to taper from 12 pills, either. He needs to do this for me, as he is my PCP and has been the one doing this.

[imanaddict]

I don't know about your past, but from what you say in the above post, I agree with you. Drs know that there is WD's when opiates are consumed, especially in a high amount. I can't help but wonder what his reasons are for all the sudden cutting you off. Maybe he is being looked into by a higher source? Whatever the reason, he needs to work with you instead of ignoring you. I'd be mad too!

I hope  it all works out for you!

[benevolentlaughter]

I guess what I'm trying to say in the above mentioned is one thing and one thing alone.. And that is, that even though I know I'm in need of pain relief, I also know that I just can't keep relying on pills.. However, my health exceeds EVERYTHING to me right now, which in turn means that he needs to take action as my PCP and instead of judge me on this, hear me out about my concerns with this and monitor me with a tapering program.