DILAUDID

MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN ON DILAUDID FOR 16 MONTHS. THE DR. KEPT CHANGING THE DOSAGE FROM THE BEGINGING. BE PUT HIM ON IT FOR PAIN, HE SHATTERED BOTH HIS FEET. HE STILL NEEDS SURGERY. BUT NOW THE DR. LAST MONTH ONLY GAVE HIM 180 PILLS  AT 2MG A PILL. HE TOLD US IT WAS FOR 2 WEEKS. HE USUALLY HAS 360 PILLS A MONTH. I WENT BACK 2 WEEKS LATER AND TOLD ME THAT HE IS NOT GIVING HIM AN OTHER SCRIPT. BECAUSE HE SHOULD HAVE MADE THEM LAST A MONTH BUT IT WAS ONLY FOR 2 WEEKS. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS TO TAKE TYLENOL FOR HIS PAIN. TOLD HIM THAT WONT WORK BUT STATED HE HAS TO DO WHAT HE HAS TO DO.  NOW HE HAS NOTHING TO TAKE AND THE DR. DOES NOT CARE.   WHAT CAN WE DO. PLEASE HELP

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

I am sorry about how you doctor treated you and your husband.  This is not the standard of care.  Is he the orthopedic surgeon who will be doing the eventual surgery?  Why was the surgery so delayed? What is the plan of treatment for your husband's fractures?  On one hand this doctor has a point and your husband can not be on pain killers forever.  He also probably looked at the chart and realized how much and for how long he has been prescribing an addictive substance to a patient without a real plan of action and his clinic charts may be up for review by DEA or some other governmental entity.
On the other hand, what he should have done is referred you to a pain clinic so your husband can actually be treated in a humane manner and not just be cut off to deal with the pain and the withdrawal symptoms.  
But we don't always have to be helpless and do only what the Doctor says.  We can find our own pain clinic and an orthopedic surgeon and take an active role in our medical care.  That is exactly what you should be doing now.  There is more than one doctor and yours is not being kind or professional in my humble opinion.  Good luck to and I hope your husband heals well and quickly.

[stormie706]

It's sad what the doctor is doing to your husband.  If I were you guys I would report the doctor to the medical board and try to find another doctor ASAP.  Until you find another one maybe you can take him to the urgent care or to the emergency room?  I really don't believe it's legal or ethical for that doctor to leave your husband with nothing at all after having him on such a strong medication for so long. The doc should know he will go into severe withdrawals. I wish there was something else I could say to help, but I think finding another doc is the best answer. Good luck!