Cutting back just 1 dose last few days= WD already

[troubleinohio]

wow im amazed that just cutting one dose out a day would set me back so far with pain and WD symptoms!! Especially since Im only one month into an increased dose! so for the next few days its only going to be like Im taking the same dsoe Ive been on for a long time! (In case some of you dont know waht Im talking about- I posted on a few threads recently that my NP must've not realized there are 31 days in July and my script will run out one day early if I took my meds exactly as prescribed the entire month.  So Im cutting one dose out of my schedule these last few days out of the month so I dont suffer an entire day without any). WOW just missing that one dose and my pain is much worse, my stomach is hurting and gurgling, I've been getting the chills and goosebumps (and its been 90's and humid here!!) and I couldnt sleep last night. Crazy!   I didnt want to call the PM clinic and complain about this. they just upped my dose and I dont want to be a crybaby and nitpick about this and cause myself any problems. Id much rather just suffer it out these few days than risk making waves in the calm water.

[mellie4]

I've never counted my pills at pickup, but maybe I should.  My BF always is saying he thinks he's shorted by a few at every pickup and I tell him he's crazy, that they have a pill counter.  Of course, I'm naive.  He wasn't saying it was an error; he was saying it was intentional.  And now that I think of it, what an easy way to skim off the top, right?  A few pills from every precription that comes in.

For me, I've never run short but I usually have quite a few left over because I have quite a bit of leeway in taking them.  When I was having a good stretch, I'd alway have a good few left.  Then all of a sudden I was using them right down to the wire.

Out of curiosity I counted mine when I got out to the car and sure enough, I was around 3 short.  I guess I should have called the police but didn't.  But I think I'm going to start counting regularly now.

[namnam46]

I would have LOVED to have been there for that entertainment!!!! I can just imagine what that Pharmacist looked like.......I'm sitting here in "stitches" picturing that in my mind!!

Jaybay, I wish you had been feeling well enough to call the Police on them.  You KNOW that the Pharmacist was pocketing those pills!!!

I used to LOVE Walgreen's until I moved here to AZ and they started filling them "Off Site", as they call it , and then send it to your local store for you to pick-up!! When you have to go through that there's WAY to much chance of a mistake occuring and THEN there's no one to complain to as the person that filled it is "Off Site"!!! So  switched to CVS and the ONLY error I ever have received there was for "100 EXTRA" Percocet 10/325's and I, of course, returned them and the Pharmacist is forever indebted to my and I have her "in my corner" if I ever need her, i.e. for a fast fill on a prescription, calling for any meds that they may not have in stock, or just general information that I might need to have I would never impose on her but it's certainly nice to know that your Pharmacist is there for YOU!!!

Glad to know that you haven't ever had to worry about the Dr's. Office making an error on your Scripts!!

Thanks again for my visual "Laugh of the Day"......Sherry

[Jaybay]

Sherry - I've never experienced doctor errors on a prescription.  Not once.  Now Walgreens was another story.  Pills were nearly always undercounted and one entire bottle was outright stolen by someone in the pharmacy itself.  They denied that the scrip was ever called in and we knew it had been because the doctor did it right in front of us.  (I was being discharged after a hysterectomy.)  DH went in the store to pick it up and blew his stack.  He finally made the pharmacist go through the trash can and lo and behold!  There was the empty bag and bottle, all correctly labled, stuffed in the bottom.  The pharmacist kept insisting it couldn't have happened because the scrip was completely missing from their computer system.    Had I not been such a wreck from surgery and waiting in the car, we would have called the police.  We SHOULD have called the police.  

That's when I fired them and switched to a local grocery store pharmacy.  In all these years I've only had one med error, and that was a few months ago when a couple of new pharm techs were hired.  A 60 count scrip was short 28 pills.  In addition, the bottle was not stamped with the usual "double counted" message.  I didn't catch it until I got home and nearly flipped out thinking there was no way I could prove it happened at the store.  All the old-timer staff at the pharmacy know me and DH very well, and they made up the difference with no trouble.  Lesson learned: open the bottles in front of the pharmacist before leaving the store and at least give it a quick eye-check.  

Our local Walgreens is notorious for med count "errors" and "lost" prescriptions where narcotics are concerned.  When my mother went into pain management, there was always an issue filling her darvocet or vicodin.  Same old story - missing pills or denial that it ever existed.  Her doctor reamed them a new on over the phone on a Saturday after they denied receiving the scrip hours earlier.  I got him on my cell phone and he had me pass it to the pharmacist who turned white, then red, then purple, then back to white.  Everyone waiting could hear the doctor shouting at her.  It was the best entertainment I've ever experienced!  I've also never had a scrip filled in 5 minutes at that store.  LOL!

On the rare occasions that I've had to travel when refills are due, my doctor has been great about refilling 3 or 4 days early.  But then, I've done that maybe 3 times in 5 years.  My insurance company allows 2 vacation refills per year with no trouble.  If I notify them before dropping off or calling in the prescription, they update their computer records and it sails right through the pharmacy.  

[namnam46]

I'm seconding (or is it thirding it, along with Tuck :)  ) Jaybay's recommendation to figure the exact amount that you will be needing BEFORE you go in from now on.

Jaybay, you are very fortunate that your office has you stop and verify that your prescriptions are correct before you leave there office. Of course it "keeps you on your toes" as then it is on YOUR head if you figure wrong. :)  Has that ever happened to you? If it did were they gracious about it and help you by fixing the problem fro you? I certainly hope so, my Friend.

I'm surprised that one dose would cause you that type of problem with w/d's, but like Tuck I've been fortunate that I have never experienced any type of w/d's from any type of meds. So now I'm bgoing to be double careful with my meds since I know that you CAN experience w/d's from just cutting back one dose a day!!!

I'm so VERY sorry that you are having to go through all of this added stress to what you are already having to deal with.  :(

I admire you for "sucking it up" as you said!  I, also, agree with you about being hesitant to call them now, especially since it's so close to the time that you will be getting your new script anyway, Also, since you are having misgivings since you PM Clinic be, as you put it, "moody".  You would KNOW whether or not it is a good idea!! I'll take your word for it since I've learned on here that not EVERYONE is fortunate enough to have a REALLY "compassionate" PM Clinic as I have found.

Trouble, I wish you the best and PLEASE keep us updated as to how you are doing!!......Sherry

[Tuckamore]

It' a shame that you are forced to cut back on your meds. I am so sorry that you are experiencing increased pain and withdrawal symptoms. You must be miserable and my heart goes out to you.

Jaybay offered a good suggestion. I too would determine the number of tablet you will need for the upcoming month prior to your every appointment. That way you'll have that number in your head when they write the RX and hopefully this won't happen again.

I am blessed. I have never had withdrawal symptoms. I didn't think a small decrease would produce such extreme symptoms, so I am just no help. I'm learning with you.

Be good to yourself during the upcoming days. Rest when you can and try those hot baths that were suggested.

I'll be thinking of you.
~Tuck

[Jaybay]

You've just given me sympathetic goosebumps.    Have you tried the hot baths routine to help with the WD?  When I was stuck with gel fentanyl patches I always ended up in WD by the 3rd day.  Read about the hot bath trick on the substance abuse forum here at MH and was pleasantly surprised at how much it helped.  Of course, it's only temporary, but where WD is concerned even temporary relief is most welcome.

I guess the lesson learned is to calculate dates and have them in your head before picking up a new scrip.  Then read the scrip and make sure they have it right before leaving the clinic.  My pain doc always has patients verify the written scrip before handing it over.  I thought it was kind of odd at first, but after reading about so many scrip errors here, I understand it now and am grateful for the practice.  I know Saturday can't come soon enough for you!  

[troubleinohio]

I cant just get it refilled early because it is a separate new script paper. At my last appt they gave me TWO paper scripts instead of just one that said refill one time. And this paper script says do not fill until 8-7-10 on it, so theres no way they will fill that early, see what I mean. They sometimes just give me one paper script each appt. and it will sometimes say refll one or two times in which case I could have gotten it filled sooner. But this way it cant be.  By cutting back this one dose, Im just basically going back to the same dose I was on for months and was used to. I just dont want to cause any trouble- this clinic can be very "moody" and you never know which person you will be dealing with at any given day. Some are nice and understanding, others are nasty, uncompassionate and rude. So like I said, Im just gonna grin and bare it. If i would have had to cut more than one dose out per day, then I might have no choice but to call them, but for now I'll just suck it up, and hope I dont have an unbearable amount of pain.

[mellie4]

I think I'd let them know, too. Having withdrawals is going to make everything else even worse.  I can't imagine your doctor would want you to be experiencing withdrawals on top of increased pain.

[RunningMom]

Ugh, I'm so sorry you have to go through with this.  That is just awful.  I've had a lot of mistakes with my meds too.  I think it's because they are so busy and and try to cram everyone in.  Just a short while ago my BT med was written 2-4 percocets every 4 hours and it's suppose to say 2 every 4 hours.  I can't imagine taking 4 BT meds at one time.  I've also had the pharmacy short me 30 pills once too.  For some odd reason I looked at the prescriptions when I got into my car.  I went back and let them know.  It's a good thing I looked when I did.  She apologized up and down and fixed it for me.  30 pills is quite a few to be short.  Mistakes happen all the time.

There is no way I could cut a dose.  My pain is not controlled as it is right now.  I probably would of let them know.  I'm allowed to pick up my prescription 6 days early with my insurance, so one day would not make a difference.

Good luck and I hope the withdrawals are short lived.