Aa
How soon?
Hello. My doctor has me on Vicodene 10/500 4 tabs daily for 2 torn rotator cuffs and 2 bad knees. When I went to get a refill I was told that I was 12 days early, (I knew that) and insurance would not pay for it but I could pay out of my own pocket and get the RX filled. I did. They're really not that expensive. Now I need another refill and my question is since the insurance did not pay any of the last refill I should be able to get the refill with no problem even though it's still earlier than my last refill. Right? Or can I go to another pharmacy? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you very much.
Haha!!! That is hillarious! Yes I have heard that Tramadol is a medication that is used on animals as well.
Until this year, I had always had to fight for better treatment of my chronic pain. After several appointments over a period of a month with my previous physician, I was put on Vicodin which replaced 2 of my Tramadol doses (Vicodin is slightly stronger than Tramadol). I was on Tramadol for almost 3 years and it stopped working after 1 year but I truly believed there was nothing stronger that could be prescribed for me.
When the vicodin/tramadol combo stopped working, I had to go through the dog and pony show all over again and was put on morphine and I was on that for about year w/ percocet for breakthrough pain. I am now on Opana which is one level down in strength from Fentanyl.
My new and current physician makes me feel as if I don't have to do that but I think it is still too soon to tell. Here recently, the Opana that I have been taking for 4 months has started to fizzle out after 7 hours (supposed to last 12 hours) such that I am going to ask for med switch on Friday. The Opana costs me over $250 per month and trust me, in the beginning, it was worth every penny. Not any more! I am so frustrated as I am trying to find the optimal solution so that I can move on with my life for several years on the same dose and not have to worry about dose or med changes as they all have "great" <-(sarcastic emphasis) side effects and other garbage that one has to get used to. Went off on a tangent didn't I? LOL!
You should be able to find a good pain management physician in Michigan. It is becoming very hard for pain patients to get good care in Washington and Oregon state due to the new laws that have recently been passed there that are making doctors cut their patients dosages down significantly such that the medicine doesn't work anymore or cut them off completely. You don't have to worry about that stuff. As I understand, there are tons of patients in those states petitioning for better care. I sure hope it works in their favor.
Anyways, do keep us updated on how things are going with finding a PMP.
femmy :)
Until this year, I had always had to fight for better treatment of my chronic pain. After several appointments over a period of a month with my previous physician, I was put on Vicodin which replaced 2 of my Tramadol doses (Vicodin is slightly stronger than Tramadol). I was on Tramadol for almost 3 years and it stopped working after 1 year but I truly believed there was nothing stronger that could be prescribed for me.
When the vicodin/tramadol combo stopped working, I had to go through the dog and pony show all over again and was put on morphine and I was on that for about year w/ percocet for breakthrough pain. I am now on Opana which is one level down in strength from Fentanyl.
My new and current physician makes me feel as if I don't have to do that but I think it is still too soon to tell. Here recently, the Opana that I have been taking for 4 months has started to fizzle out after 7 hours (supposed to last 12 hours) such that I am going to ask for med switch on Friday. The Opana costs me over $250 per month and trust me, in the beginning, it was worth every penny. Not any more! I am so frustrated as I am trying to find the optimal solution so that I can move on with my life for several years on the same dose and not have to worry about dose or med changes as they all have "great" <-(sarcastic emphasis) side effects and other garbage that one has to get used to. Went off on a tangent didn't I? LOL!
You should be able to find a good pain management physician in Michigan. It is becoming very hard for pain patients to get good care in Washington and Oregon state due to the new laws that have recently been passed there that are making doctors cut their patients dosages down significantly such that the medicine doesn't work anymore or cut them off completely. You don't have to worry about that stuff. As I understand, there are tons of patients in those states petitioning for better care. I sure hope it works in their favor.
Anyways, do keep us updated on how things are going with finding a PMP.
femmy :)
Thank you Marycarmel and Femmy 29. Yes, they did have me on Morphine when I was rushed to the emergency room. According to my doctor, Vicodene 10-500 is the strongest pain reliever out there, no not Tramodaol! He had me on those a few years back, did nothing but make me laught because our dog, a German Sheppard was getting 6 a day because of his hip dysplasia so I gave the dog my pills. Maybe I'll check out one of thoses PMP. I live in Michigan. Thank you very much for all your advice.
I agree about the Vicodin. Some people do find it useful but it never worked for my pain. My daughter cracked a rib in February/March from an upper respiratory infection and I took her to the ER. They gave her a pretty high dose of IV morphine right away. Even with that if she coughed or breathed deeply it didn't take her pain away. There are a lot of medications that work for more serious pain. What works best for you will likely be a trial and error. And pain management does have a lot more leverage with prescribing medications. Many PCP docs are very leery about prescribing narcotics due to all the divergence. And psuedoaddiction, I believe, is more common that actual addiction with people who have real pain and are under medicated.
I am sorry...but I think the original reply to this post was way too harsh. I am so so very sorry for what has happened to you!!! I can't imagine the pain you must be experiencing! You are in a serious amount of pain. The doctors classify your behavior of noncompliance to pain medication, pseudoaddiction. This is when a patient will take more than prescribed because the pain is poorly controlled. Once the pain is controlled, the patient then complies and take the medication as prescribed.
It is true that some doctors will not tolerate early refills and instead you have to work with them on a different dose or different medication overall such that you take the medication as prescribed at all times. It sounds like this doctor is working with you on his end but the pharmacists and the new prescription drug monitoring program (PDP) may not be as forgiving. It is true that this can cause you problems with being able to get pain medication in the future as noncompliance will be listed in the PDP database.
What your doctor told you is A LIE!!! I was fooled to believe that Tramadol was the strongest medication prescribable. A doctor can write a prescription for stronger medications that will prove to be very helpful for you. If your doctor is a primary care physician (PCP), considering asking him for a referral to a pain management physician (PMP) or search for one yourself. PMPs have more leverage in terms of what pain medications they are able to prescribe than PCPs in some states. What state do you live in?
Vicodin is like taking a sugar pill for 2 broken ribs and multiple fractures on other ribs. My medications add up to the equivalent of probably 60 vicodin in terms of strength if not more and I deal with chronic back pain on a day to day basis.
You are suffering needlessly. Please consider seeing a PMP. Let us know how things go. Take care.
femmy
It is true that some doctors will not tolerate early refills and instead you have to work with them on a different dose or different medication overall such that you take the medication as prescribed at all times. It sounds like this doctor is working with you on his end but the pharmacists and the new prescription drug monitoring program (PDP) may not be as forgiving. It is true that this can cause you problems with being able to get pain medication in the future as noncompliance will be listed in the PDP database.
What your doctor told you is A LIE!!! I was fooled to believe that Tramadol was the strongest medication prescribable. A doctor can write a prescription for stronger medications that will prove to be very helpful for you. If your doctor is a primary care physician (PCP), considering asking him for a referral to a pain management physician (PMP) or search for one yourself. PMPs have more leverage in terms of what pain medications they are able to prescribe than PCPs in some states. What state do you live in?
Vicodin is like taking a sugar pill for 2 broken ribs and multiple fractures on other ribs. My medications add up to the equivalent of probably 60 vicodin in terms of strength if not more and I deal with chronic back pain on a day to day basis.
You are suffering needlessly. Please consider seeing a PMP. Let us know how things go. Take care.
femmy
Maybe your doctor could change your med to something stronger until you're healed. Going to different pharmacies will only red flag you and get you dropped. Pain management is serious business. Doctors, patients and pharmacists are under tremendous scrutiny. And as mentioned, pain management is usually more than just medication.
I failed to mention that a few months ago I fell and broke 2 ribs and fractured 7 more, busted my cheek bone also. So the pain mes don't last too long for me. My doctor knows I refill early and most of the time it's only a week or 10 days early. What he has perscribed is the max he can give me. I wish there was somthing stronger out there but there isn't. SO I'm supposed to take 4 tabs a day but I havr taken up to 5, especially in the moening just so I can walk.
Why are you needing refills so early? Are you taking the medicine exactly as prescribed?
Even if your insurance pays for this next refill....it's very likely that the Pharmacy will contact your Dr. and let them know you keep filling your prescriptions early...This could get you dismissed from their practice and not be able to get any more pain medication...
Most states have the Prescription Monitoring Program that monitors when/where/what prescriptions you are filling...So trying to skirt the system by going to another Pharmacy is not an option...
Most Drs. expect a prescription to last 30 days....And even if the prescription says "1 to 2 every 4 hours.." that doesn't mean taking them 24/7.....There is a max per day....
You need to contact your Dr. and ask them how long your prescriptions should be lasting....
Also...one should never be relying just on the narcotic to help lessen your pain..It's only meant to be one small piece of the puzzle...
There is exercise, PT, aqua therapy, injections, massage, acupuncture, TENS unit, yoga/stretching, muscle relaxer if needed...nerve pain if needed....depression meds if needed.....counseling....eating healthy, not smoking...resting....ice...heat....etc....
Just to name a few things...Treating chronic pain is about using building blocks where each thing on top of each other will help you get to about a 5 on the pain scale....It's not meant to make you pain free....
It sounds like you are getting yourself into some hot water here that you need to look at very carefully and start correcting so that you do not get red flagged for good....
Even if your insurance pays for this next refill....it's very likely that the Pharmacy will contact your Dr. and let them know you keep filling your prescriptions early...This could get you dismissed from their practice and not be able to get any more pain medication...
Most states have the Prescription Monitoring Program that monitors when/where/what prescriptions you are filling...So trying to skirt the system by going to another Pharmacy is not an option...
Most Drs. expect a prescription to last 30 days....And even if the prescription says "1 to 2 every 4 hours.." that doesn't mean taking them 24/7.....There is a max per day....
You need to contact your Dr. and ask them how long your prescriptions should be lasting....
Also...one should never be relying just on the narcotic to help lessen your pain..It's only meant to be one small piece of the puzzle...
There is exercise, PT, aqua therapy, injections, massage, acupuncture, TENS unit, yoga/stretching, muscle relaxer if needed...nerve pain if needed....depression meds if needed.....counseling....eating healthy, not smoking...resting....ice...heat....etc....
Just to name a few things...Treating chronic pain is about using building blocks where each thing on top of each other will help you get to about a 5 on the pain scale....It's not meant to make you pain free....
It sounds like you are getting yourself into some hot water here that you need to look at very carefully and start correcting so that you do not get red flagged for good....
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