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Help with pain med contract and running out of meds

I have run out of my pain medication due to having to take more because I fell pretty bad at work last week.  I am not due to call for a refill for another week and a half.  My PCP prescribes my meds due to chronic back pain and just recently had me sign a contract for long term controlled substance use, which she said was just a formality now and they all had to do it.  I have seen that everyone recommends not to tell  your doctor if you run out of your meds (this was in my contract that they will not prescribe more if lost/stolen, etc.).  My question is that what do I do when I call for my prescription and they want a urine test?  No drugs will show up in my system.  How do I go about this without looking like a liar, but at the same time, feeling trapped that I can't be honest with my doctor who I have had for many years?
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Avatar universal
I'd be honest. I have run out of my medications.and lost them on occassion.  THey have always been understanding and reilled them.  BUt I do have a long-standing relationship with them.  I'd be honest; it's always best to tell the truth.
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Avatar universal
I agree with the others - let your doctor know NOW that you've run out of meds rather than waiting to see if "possibly" you may get tested.  Honesty is always the best policy and if you don't tell them now and then get tested, it would definitely seem to them that you had been trying to hide something from them and just using more of your meds than prescribed just for the heck of it.  If you talk to them and explain how badly you felt last week and that you had to take some extra meds to make it through, hopefully they will understand.  They may even be willing to prescribe you either something a little stronger that works better, or maybe even something to go along with what you're taking now for those extra bad days.  If you explain to them that most of the time your current pain regime works well (I'm presuming it does), however, there are times, like last week, when the pain is more than what can be controlled by that - they hopefully woud be willing to work with you to find something tht works better.

Best of luck and please keep us posted on what you find out.
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Avatar universal
I agree with the others that honesty is the best policy.  I have had some strange situations come up and have always been honest about it.  Even if being honest makes the doctor more suspicious for a little while, in the long run they will know you are committed to the contract and honest if you always tell the truth.  
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the update, let us know when you hear from them. I understand how scary it must be to worry about breaking the contract, even tho nothing is said about this but I always have believed in honesty and the truth as being the best policy in life.

I'm thinking of you dusty.
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Avatar universal
Good luck! You're in a pickle there. I agree that honesty is the best policy though. Let us know how it turns out for you. Hopefully it will all be fine and they will appreciate that you called and let them know the situation. :)
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the response. I left a message with the nurse at the docs but haven't heard back yet. Just to vent for a minute, but I have always been open and honest with my doc. Maybe itls anxiety, but I take any contract seriously. I hate that it makes me second guess what I need to do for care because of worring I'll be in violation of something. The last thing I want to do is somehow hurt the good ones out there that actually care, and still keep myself in the care I need. Anyway, wish me luck.
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Avatar universal
I understand and I'm sorry you are faced with that situation but you don't have many choices do you? it's the truth or elaborate lies that may get you get caught up lying or suffering and you don't want to suffer for a week and a half.

It happens to me having to take more because I'm in more pain, I know that "my doctor" believes me and understands but I call her right away, as soon as I see that I'll need to take more for more than 2-3 days. Makes sense?

I don't know what else to say, I sure do not want you to lose your dr.
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Avatar universal
I'm scared because of looking over other threads here where people seemed to legitimally run out of their meds or lost them, then the doctor tells them they won't see them anymore.  When I've seen other people tell the truth to their doctors here, it looks like they just get punished.  I go back and forth all day about whether or not to call, but I definately don't want to lose my doc -she's amazing.
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Avatar universal
Why don't you tell your doctor the truth if it's the truth?
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