Help Chronic pain!

[livy0909]

I could really use some advice. I'm 23 years old and have chronic pain in my pelvic area. My primary doctor has sent me to pain management clinic. I was sent to the first doctor this year in February. I have been on every non narcotic medicine they can seem to think of and nothing helps. The doctor I saw in February put me on 10/325 lortab 6 times a day. I only saw him for one follow up appointment and he sent me to another office. On my first appointment the doctor took my lortab down to 4 times a day and left the dosage the same but added opana er 10mg 2 times a day this really gave me good results. She had me give urine and sent me on my way. I had my medicine stolen and called and told her this she told me she couldn't do anything just to wait for my next appointment. So I suffered through it and waited when I got to my next appointment they had me see another doctor in the office and he tried telling me there was morphine in my system that could not be explained. I had been to the emergency room the night before my urine test and I got a shot of morphine. So I told him that he treated me like I was lying to him and made me call the hospital and get the records right then which the hospital told me I would have to sign a release for him to have that. I told him this and he told me I was addicted to the medicine and he was going to put me on some kind of medicine to get me off my medicine. I said I didn't do anything and I didn't understand. Then the doctor told my fiancé that I needed to be off the medicine i was abusing it which I wasn't. So I left the office and called my primary and I was so upset with what happened I just told her I wanted a new doctor that I was not being treated right. She gave me a new referral and I just saw my new doctor last week. He was very nice but I got a call from his nurse saying he didn't know I was dropped from the previous doctor and he was not going to continue my care. I don't know what to do I am truly in pain and need help but I'm being labeled. Please can anyone give me advice on what I should do? Thanks so much

[siegs353]

Your original post said that you had your meds stolen and they wouldn't replace them so you had to suffer through until your next appt, but the day before your next appt. you had to go to the E.R. for a shot of morphine, but didn't bring the paperwork.  Then you posted that you hadn't been to P.M. yet and that's why you didn't know you had to bring the paperwork.
If you're looking for honest answers to your problems, it starts with you being honest in your posts.  I don't think anyone here will judge you if you're honest and sincerely looking for help to relieve your pain, unless you're looking for a way around the rules.

[livy0909]

I've been on the medicine for about 2 years but just got moved to PM in February. I'm not sure but I feel like they are acting like I was already in a contract and I wasn't. That's why I'm confused

[horselip]

You bring up good points.

The way your wrote your story above makes it seem like you were already in PM at one place but that they had you see a different doc. If you were not in contract yet, then the ER thing should not have been an issue. What the PM center did seems overboard as you would not have known to do anything about it.

Can you ask your primary for another referral, but have her make notations that there was a misunderstanding? If you've only been on the meds since February how could you be addicted yet? That seems overboard too.

Maybe someone else will have another idea?
Horselip

[livy0909]

Thanks for the advice. I do have a copy of the contract. I also did file a police report and took it in and the doctor said she didn't want it. She didn't even look at it. And when I was seen in the ER I had not been to PM yet and was not under any contract yet that's why I didn't know to get the paperwork for my visit.  

[horselip]

Sorry that you are having problems. I'm sorry.

Do you have a copy of the pain contract from your first appointment at the PM center where your Primary doc sent you in Feb? My advice would be to find your copy and read it. And my reason is not to "be mean" but to help you to get care. If you don't have your copy, go to the clinic where you were being treated and ask for a copy.

Doctors that prescribe opiate/narcotic meds (including your primary) must follow strict laws regarding prescribing these medications. Also because their is a very serious problem of abuse with opiate medications certain behaviors on the part of the patient raise red flags. Because of this, pain contracts spell out what happens if this or that. The contract spells out their role and yours. The contract also says when you could be fired.

My contract says that if my medication is stolen, that #1 have to file a police report and #2 that I have to bring a copy of the report to my doctor to review before he/she "considers" authorizing a refill.

In another section it says that if I am seen in the ER and given narcotic that I will will in form my clinic of what i received.

If your contract is the same, then you would have known that you could have filed a police report to "possibly" get your meds replaced and that you would have known to get the paperwork from your ER visit before you left. Then when you went to your appt the day after you had been to the ER, you would have known to give that to the doc and things could have been so different.

Knowing the contract could have prevented you from getting fired from the PM clinic, the hurt feelings, frustration, your pain and so much more..

Moving on:
Did your primary prescribe meds before she referred you to PM? If so, she can prescribe for you now, while you work this out.

Also you could tell your primary about how you didn't understand the contract (BUT DO NOW) and how if you could do things over again you would etc.
she can refer you again to PM but with add a note that explains your situation.

You might also be able to pacify the first PM clinic by apologizing and giving them the ER copy.

Good luck
Horselip