Help!

Recently I was red flagged at the pharmacy. Or, I'm assuming so. I went to fill a pain prescription from one of the 3 doctors that I was getting pain medication from. When I tried to fill it, the pharmacist saw on I guess my insurance that I had filled another script the previous week. It turned into a mess. Basically what happened was she wouldn't fill it, then each of my 3 dr's got notified. I got a letter in the mail from one saying he could no longer provide me health care service. That was all within the last 2 weeks. Now I'm freaking out because I have a surgery scheduled in 7 days, and will get a prescription for the pain that will come from it. Will I be able to fill it? Will my insurance prevent me from filling it? Even if I don't use my insurance to fill the new prescriptions? I don't ever want to take pain medicine again now, but I know I will need it for the surgery. What will happen? Help!

[Abby_916]

Maybe you could talk with your surgeon about the situation. If you came clean and asked for help, I think your doctor would be able to also help with your addiction. Obviously you're having surgery so will be needing the meds. Maybe if you could discuss this openly with your doctor, he would be able to give you enough for the pain relief and maybe give you something to taper down with. And yes, stopping the pills is the best way to deal with this problem. I was in a similar situation where I was using two of my own doctors and two of my moms plus 3 pharmacies. I didn't get red flagged, but I always ran out before It was time to get refills. Now I'm wishing I'd quit earlier. I'm glad you posted here. There are a lot of caring people who will be happy to give you support and advice to get thru this. Best wishes.

[Teresa1717]

Hi ...I wanted to just say that pharmacies are really cutting down on drug seeking and addict behavior now. Also, insurance companies will only pay the meds once the refill is ncessary. If the dosage changed or something like that then it would be considered a different med. So you may want to talk to your surgeon about prescribing you something different or at least at a different dose.

BUT the bigger redflag I have here is the fact the the pharmacy got this imformation from your insurance company shows me that you were having your meds filled at 3 different pharmacies. Am I correct on this?  And obviosuly coupled with the fact that you are getting them from 3 different Dr's. That is typical drug seeking behavior and shows me you need to get real with what this addiction is doing to yourself. When we start wanting to break the law (and Dr shopping to get narcotics in most states is iillegal) that shows how bad this addiction has ahold of you my friend. I dont know what type of surgery you are having but once you are through with this, you need to take a step back and ask yourself is this the life you want to live? Chasing pills, Worrying if your refill will get filled in time, counting your pills to make sure you have enough, getting caught at the pharmacy because you have 3 dr's? There is a better life, and its without pills. I hope you will give what i said some thought and make the decision to take back control of your life again.

I wish you the best of luck with your surgery and if you decide to kick this thing, This forum is a great place to come for support and advice! We are all here for each other and it has helped save so many!

[Gtowngirl]

I have had that happen and teresa is right, when u get cought doc. And pharmacy shopping it should tell u how out of control your life has become. I had this happen to me and the only thing I can tell u is unless u get advice from your doctor you won't be able to fill that perscription till the date it is due. And as for the script u will be getting for your surgery...I hate doing this but ill tell u how to try and get around this..ok, when u have the surgery ask the surgen if they can fill it at the hospital pharmacy were u will be having the surgery. If they write u out a script and don't have a pharmacy in the hospital take that script to another town or another pharmacy that u have not used before and don't use your insurance info. Say that u don't have insurance. Now in my state they have a new data base that holds all info. About you and lists when and where and how often u got other scripts filled. So your going to be nervous until that bottle is in your hands. Hopefully u can find a small pharmacy not like walgreens, cvs, your local grocery store or  walmart. Being an addict I'm sure u can tell what I'm saying and hope u do get what u need for the pain after surgery. The best way to insure u get that script filled is pick one og the doctors that u feel comfertable with and tell them you need that script filled for after surgery and if he could pls help u with tapering down. If u tell him u are abusing the pain pills (this is what happened to me) he might just cut u off like the one u got the letter from. So if u explain that u think it is time to start tapering down he should be cool and help you. Good luck..and what type of surgery are u having? And if u want to quit with taking all these pills there are meds that help u get off the pills and help u get control back over yr life. Look up Suboxin and methadone, but make sure u do a lot of research because I'm on methadone and even though its doing its job I feel I have traded one drug to another. And methadone did help me stop my pill seeking and counting and some people use it  for pain, for its one of the stronger opiates, but its harder to get off of then just pain pills.

[Free2agoodhome]

Welcome......

I know all to well of the anxiety and panic when my supply was threatened.

Whats happening now is you are reaching the end of the party. The behavior suggests serious addiction to the pain meds,,,,

Don't feel alone we all been there.  I grew a tolerance to my regular dosage, so naturally I needed more to get the old effect..

I realize you have surgery comin up but I actually looked forward to my second knee surgery.. (i knew good meds were coming)..

You're addicted to a substance that kills and dictates you take more and more to be normal until you overdose or go nuts........

Fck them pills man....do what you need to do to get off them....

we're here

Free~

[abritt121222]

Like others have said your best bet is to come clean with your doctors and tell them you are addicted to the pain meds. Unfortunately this is nothing new to doctors these days and all to common which is why pharmacies and doctors are looking for it more and more. You really don't have an option here take this as a sign its time to quit because there only really two or three things that will happen if you keep this going  one you keep it up and goto jail two you keep lying and not even your surgeon can help you with the pain from surgery three you keep it up and overdose none are good options and I'm just being completely honest here going to your doctors and your surgeon and telling them the honest truth is the best thing y can do for yourself for not only your surgery but you long term plans because staying addicted and living your life around pills is no way to live at all

Good Luck and Godspeed
ABritt

[Emdogg]

Thank you all for your replies and words of encouragement. I never ever plan on taking pain medication again. I guess my biggest concern is being able to fill this prescription for my surgery. It is a surgical suite so it does not have its own pharmacy. If i do go to a small pharmacy that I've never been to before, and say I dont have insurance, will they still be able to see my history? I'm worried I will walk in and try to fill it and the police will be called and I will be taken to jail. I just need the medicine for surgery now.

[Bkitty]

Are these scripts all for the same pain medication or different ones? Are yu running out early?

[Emdogg]

They were basically the same medicaiton. One doctor gave me a less strong one. I'm not worried about running out, I'm not taking anything now. I'm just worried about not being able to fill what my surgeon will give me on Thursday.

[clean_in_ks]

Are you saying you are drug free and clean right now?  I'm really confused here.  All I'm hearing is panic about not getting more pain pills.  Yes, I read about your upcoming surgery and you saying "I'm not taking anything now".
So are you thru with w/drawals?  2 + 2 isn't equaling 4 for me.  Sorry.

And, someone above suggested considering suboxone or methadone as meds that HELP you get off pain pills.  I'm gonna vote a BIG FAT NO...NO DON"T DO that!!!  Subs and methadone are way stronger........they should NOT be used to COME OFF pain pills.  You would just be trading one drug for a much stronger one. They were designed for much stronger narcotic addictions than pills.  (the subs and methadone)  
Pain pill w/drawals are nasty, yes, and our "drug seeking" brain wants to,
attempts to, and longs for "just another drug" to get us thru the w/d's.
But that is just our "drug seeking behavior" looking for an easier, softer, way because we are so NOT used to getting thru life and its pain and challenges without a drug!
If I had it to do over again, and knew what I have learned from the many health pages, etc. here, I would never have done subs to get off pain pills.  Granted, I was only on them for 28 days total, and jumped off and was miserable, but I was so sick and had NO ONE to explain, teach or advise me.  I learned the hard way.  It'd be nice since you are here posting now if you were able to learn from some of our mistakes.
Depending on what your surgery is......minor or major.....will determine a lot of factors here.  But it is obvious you are experiencing the life of addiction as we all have and are.  Hope you will dig deep, get honest with yourself and not just wait until the next pills are in your hand.  The cycle never quits.......

[Gtowngirl]

I agree with what the last peson posted. If I could change my choice of going on methadone I would. That's why I said pls do a lot of re-search before making that choice, because I do feel like I went from one drug to another. But in MY CASE iam pregnant and was going through w/d and was told I could lose my baby. So I listened to the doctor without proper knowlege about methadone. And I've stayed on a very low dose so after I have my baby I can taper down and get off the methadone. Because I don't want to be a slave to this or any drugs any longer. And I hear even when I taper that it will be hell to go through. A lot more hell than if I wasent preg. And going through just pain pill w/d. We all have different circumstances and we all have to make our own choices for ourselfs. Oh and about going to a new pharmacy it will be very scary knowing or not knowing they will or will not find out about the other scripts. But they won't call the police they just won't refill it and make a note in their computer. I still think u should talk to your doctor and ask for help to taper down and insure u get a script for after your surgery. Hope everything works out for u...  

[IBKleen]

While I understand your concern I don't think it is the right place for you to be right now. This is a substance abuse community and so many members are struggling here to get and stay clean. I don't personally feel it is appropriate to ask how to fill a prescription where you've been flagged. Anything you do is unlawful.

As suggested your best bet is to come clean with your surgeon and let them help you.

I wish you the best and hope you understand my post. I have many friends here and I do not want to see them obsessing or craving over your continued questions.

[Wickedtragedy]

you are soooo right.....couldn't have said it better myself!!!

[Emdogg]

I'm not going through withdrawal. I'm sorry for any confusing if I made it sound like I was. I guess I have one of those bodies that will crave the pills, and I can take them for weeks but I am able to stop taking them right away without WD. I wasn't asking help to try and figure out how I can fill a prescription because I need my fix. I was asking because I'm worried about what will happen in terms of my surgery. I haven't had a pill for 2 weeks, when all of this pharmacy stuff happened. I don't need to taper down, etc. I was hoping for advice if someone knew if I would still be able to get what I need for my upcoming surgery, since I'm sure someone out there has probably gone through what I am.
If I threatened anyone's sobriety by asking my questions I'm really sorry, that wasn't my intent at all. I am just really scared and don't know what I should do and thought that I would be able to find support here for my pharmacy problem. Again, I'm just asking if I will be able to fill my prescription for that one surgery somewhere, not how to taper down, etc because I dont need to do that. And again, I'm really sorry if I made anyone doubt their sobriety. I just need help and support with this.

[worried878]

The pharmacist has to cover himself....The insurance company is not going to arrest u or anyting....they just will not cover the same medication anymore or similar pain meds in 1 month due to cutbacks.  You cld still pay cash for the medicine, the insurance company doesnt care if u fill it, they jst wont pay 4 it.  It is the drug enforcement agencies that care and doctor shopping is against the law.  The narcotics agencies/controlled substance etc/ are cracking down.  If u see a pain mgt doctor, they usually have u sign an agreement that states u will not get narcs from another doctor without letting them know.  Every so often, a pain mgt doctor will pull ur phamacy records..it is all computerized now.  My main concern right now, if i were u, wld be to make everything ok with your pharmacy records so u do not get arrested.  Something you have done has placed u on alert status.  A doctor can write u a scrip b4 surgery if he is willing to take the chance....i am just not sure how many doctors out they r willing to risk their career to write u a scrip right now.....what type of surgery r u having?

[Emdogg]

I am having shoulder surgery. Thank you for your words. How do I make it right with the pharmacy (s)

[Gtowngirl]

If your not going through withrawls and are the type of person who doesn't experience pain from not having your meds, and I don't think u need to taper or get help, then why were u seeing 3 diff. Doctors and getting red flagged? Things u have said don't add up here. U just want to make sure u can get a script for your sergery (surgery) right? Well myself and my friends on here are addicts getting through recovery. And unless u want help with getting off pain meds, I have to agree with the person who said this is not the right place for you. I was helping u because I thought u wanted to get through this surgery and get help. You have put your self in a bind by getting flagged and no one here can help u get a script filled. U have to figure out yourself how to get out of this one. You have done somthing to get flagged and if u need a script so badly THEN GO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR AND STOP ASKING PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGELING WITH THERE OWN RECOVERY HOW TO GET MORE PILLS. We are a site that help support one another in their recovery, not how to get drugs for each other. If u don't stop asking these good people how to get your script filled then I feel someone should report you. U will find out if a pharmacy will fill it or not when the time comes. But asking the same question over and over and expecting different results show's u are someone who needs help. I hope if I see u on here again its to find help in quitting drugs not how to get them. I have never said anything like this to anyone on this site before so pls find what u need somewhere ELSE....

[clean_in_ks]

Agree with IBKleen and Gtowngirl here.  You have already been helped with your original question but continue to justify and repost the same question.  Honesty with yourself will change your life.
Hope you have your "awakening" moment and return to this forum for support and help when you get there.  Until you do, talking to your surgeon is your best and only option at this point.  That will require HONESTY, too.
It all begins with HONESTY~

[MsTea1234]

If you check Wikipedia you will find out what a dr. told me there are state databases in almost every state. I don't think they are federally linked yet, but I wouldn't be surprised. You have to remember the high profile deaths, the last being one of my favorite entertainers, brought a lot of attention to this situation,  so going to a hospital pharmacy won't help.  If you are in any part of the state the pharmacies must utilize that database.

[Bkitty]

Its simple. You don't need 3 different doctors and 3 different pain medications -different stregnths,,whatever.  If you have already got your medication filled and haven't taken any for 2 weeks then you should have plenty! If you take them as prescribed you should have plenty. I agree  with everyone above this isn't the right forum.

[Gtowngirl]

I hear ya, I regret saying all that stuff in that reply... its been a while since I had to deal with perscriptions for pain meds and dealing with pharmacies, so I learned my lesson on opening my mouth about that crap. Thanks for trying to inform me but I won't be talking about or dealing with medications that would be getting me in trouble or putting my recovery in trouble.  I will not ever give advice or try to help someone on how to get a script filled ever again. I'am DONE!  I have LEARNED MY LESSON AND WILL BE MORE CAREFUL WITH MY ATTEMPT TO HELP SOMEONE. I feel what I said is not helping anyone!

[Emdogg]

I wasn't asking how I could get more pills. I am scared and was asking how much I have messed my life up by all of this and how, now that I will actually need them, if my previous stupidity will prevent it.

[Pat1956100]

I can imagine you are scared.  You may have messed your life up quite a bit by all of this.  We unfortunately have no idea if your previous actions will prevent you from getting your next script.  You are the only one who can find that out, when you go the pharmacy.

I wish you all the best and good luck with your surgery.

[dominosarah]

If you were getting meds from 3 different doctors than this is a problem you have created yourself which i am sure you already know.  This is very addict behavior.  The only way to deal with this is to talk with your doctors and tell them the truth.  The surgeon also needs to know the truth.