A friend who is in trouble and made it worse by doctor shopping

[marycarmel]

I have a close friend who has a legitimate has a serious neck injury and has been on 10 mg. of oxycodone 4 times a day.  Unfortunately, he cannot manage his script and each month winds up short and in withdrawal.  I've suggested different things, like having someone give him his pills or to get off them and try other methods of managing his pain.  His primary care doctor is managing him and she is VERY strict on the meds.  Today he went to a hospital looking for pain meds and they found out he had a primary care.  They accused him of doctor shopping and drug seeking behavior.  Now he's panicked that his primary care will find out.  My feeling is he should come clean with his primary first thing tomorrow morning before she hears it from the hospital.

Suggestions on how best to deal with this?  Do you think they'll notify his primary care? (It came up in the records somehow.)  This is a touchy situation as he does have a real neck injury and has real pain.  He just can't manage his meds.

[selfinduced]

This thread got moved to a pain mgt forum. You may want to repost your inquire to The Addiction Substance abuse Forum. Feeldown28 will most likely see it there. Good Luck

[Jdj1976]

Hello, I am wanting to stop taking norco as well. If you don't mind me asking how many a day were you on? And how many Motrin a day ease your pain? How did you handle the initial withdrawal period? Thank you so much!

[marycarmel]

I sent a text to his sister and said someone should be checking on him.  I had tried calling his dad but he didn't answer.  I've done all I can do.

[littlebit667]

Protect yourself, hon!  He is going down a dark place and do not let him try to take you with him.  I feel for him and you.  He is afraid and running and trying to find a place to hide from his fear and shame.  You offered him a safe place and he probably could not handle the shame of what he asked your son.  You are a good friend, but your safety is most important!

[marycarmel]

He's sending crazy text messages, which I am going to stop reading now.  Shutting off my phone.  I probably do need Al-Anon.

I don't have any secrets for my pain.  I use lidoderm patches, Voltaren gel (both are prescriptions.)  I also use a good dose of ibuprofen.  For the arthritis, I do best if I swim, do light weights, and use the elliptical.  And I just accept that I will always have  some pain.  But I'd rather have some pain than be on daily narcotics.  Additionally, I'm very sensitive to medicine so I don't like how I feel on it.

[Enthalpy1]

I would love to know your first hand secrets. I have suffered back pain for 25 years. The field I'm in breaks my body down more and more every year. I have been on norco for years. about 15 months ago is became very depressed, so much so that it was affecting my work. my doctor finally found through trial and error that wellbutrin worked for me. It managed the depression the best but never eliminated it. I have major disc issues, stenosis and arthritis, I also have high liver enzymes due to high cholesterol. I chose to get off the norco to see if the depression changes. Guess what? Its day 6 and my depression is going away. The only problem is the pain is coming back big time. I have a hot tub, an inversion table and a tempur pedic mattress to help my issues.i would love a non narcotic pain killer. Whats your secret?

[selfinduced]

Alanon is screaming out to me.....You are owning his problem. Your son is being creeped out  by his request. Your not his keeper, hit a meeting and file this away for now. Much luck

[Pat1956100]

Yeah that sounds like a drunk.  Even worse someone who is drunk and on pills.  Lock your doors.  I bet you hear from him again tonight.  You have to protect yourself and your family.
He isn't going to make any sense tonight and will only lash out at you. He will be a different person in the morning and very apologetic.
Stay strong.  

[marycarmel]

He left.  Drunk and on who knows how many Neurontin.  When I found out he called my 16-year old asking about oxys and pot, I yelled at him.  He tried to talk his way around it.  I told him I was too angry to speak to him and I gave him a pillow and a blanket and told him to sleep on the couch but he took off.  I'm thinking of calling his dad but he's ineffective at best.  He doesn't have any friends.  Maybe in the morning I can call his doctor and try to explain it to her and she can figure it out.  He's now sending me text after text saying F**K YOU over and over again. This is so not like him.

[Pat1956100]

Would you be able to phone NA and maybe someone would come over and help you?  Just a thought.

[selfinduced]

Oh Dear, You do not need this on your plate. Get him as safe as you can via friend, ER, his estranged family and tell him your there to support him when he is more level. I realize he has legit pain, but he is not acting responsible at this point. Strength your way....

[marycarmel]

He is estranged from much of his family.  His dad has dementia and has spent all his money at the casino and recently put his house in a reverse mortgage.  There is a girl who seems to care about him but i don't know her last name or how to reach her.  From what I can tell, it's very hard to overdose on Neurontin but with the alcohol, i don't know.  What a mess.  But I need to protect my kids.

[feeldown28]

Oh my I am sorry to hear you are going through this. Is it safe to take that many neurontin? And mixing vodka? I have been taking 800 mg motrin since my choice to stop norco and it has taken away almost all of my cervical spine pain.

[littlebit667]

I would be scared for him too!  Is there anyone who can get him to a mental health facility?  He is heading to death by pills and fast.  Does he have family??

[marycarmel]

This is worse than I originally thought.  He came here and I tried to talk to him reasonably and told him I would go with him to his primary care.  He was acting really odd and I asked him if he was drinking and he originally said he wasn't.  Then he said he took 10 300 mg. Neurontin. He also has a bottle of vodka and I overheard him calling my 16-year old son asking if he knows anyone who can get him some weed or oxys.  He's way out of control.  I think he needs to be admitted somewhere.  I am concerned he'll harm himself.

He does have real pain but he refuses to do anything but pills.  When I was in pain management, they had me on massive doses of pills but I also did all sorts of procedures.  I was desperate to get pain relief.  He won't take an Advil.  Only things that give him a high.  This makes me so sad.  

[feeldown28]

Selfinduced is also right the insurance company reports also come later. The er summary report will be usually faxed to the primary care within 48 hours. It probably just really depends on your state and etc.

[selfinduced]

Hi Mary, It is more likely that his insurance company will send a report to his primary as well as any other dr.'s that he has received narcotics from in a 24 month period. This info will also be passed to all the pharmacies he has used. It will not be immediate, but will come out in a few weeks. Hopes this helps.

[feeldown28]

Well I am in the state of ohio and work at the hospital and we send ALL reports to primary care even if they do not seem to be seeking any narcotics. But if the dr or nurse told him that they thought he was doctor shopping they will be sure to place that in bold letters in the report that will be at the primary care first thing in the morning. So his primary care doctor will probably cut him off if he has signed a pain contract in her office. What has been done is done and maybe it would be best if he takes abreak for a while from all the narcotics for pain treatment because it sounds like his tolerance is way up. I know he will feel ill as I am at day 5 of no norco and still not back to my normal self.

[marycarmel]

I have serious pain issues and have given up the narcotics even though I'm not addicted.  I just wanted off. I've seen so many get addicted and who am I to think it won't happen to me.

He's worried this ER doc is going to send this report to his primary.  I wonder what the likelihood of that is?

[feeldown28]

Hello I myself have a cervical spine injury and took a rx as prescribed and ran shorter and shorter and shorter each month because I am a addict. The thing most people do not know is many states have a oarrs reporting system and any doctor in the state can get in and look up any patient to see what controlled substances they have filled in the state and which doctor prescribed these. Your friend needs to talk with the doctor tomorrow and discuss his addiction issues and pain issues. I do know real pain exists but I also know first hand pain can be managed without narcotic use. I do wish your friend the best in his journey.