Please advise

[Shanna707]

I ran out of my narcotic pain relievers yesterday. Today I called my Dr office I found that he is on miliatary leave til jan. 12th.  I talked to the med assistand and she said his partner said I had to wait til my reg dr. gets back.  I told her to atleast ask him to fill til my doc gets back as I will be in severe pain and also withdrawals since I've been on these meds for almost a year for severe RA and Fibromyalgia.  What can I do?  The  dr. had already left the office by the time I talked to the med assist the second time. I think it is inappropriate for him to make me wait so long if he is standing in for my doc. What do you think??

[TrayCee]

I hope you werent offended by my comment asking if "it was your normal time for a refill" I thought it was a vaild question.

Anyway...
SOOO glad youre feeling better!

[Shanna707]

Thank you all for your comments.  I put an update in here yesterday that I finally got a script from my doc, but not before I became really ill so now it takes about 2-3 days to feel better.  It is true that by law the Dr is not suppose to let you suffer.  I know this, but I always feel like if I make a  big deal about my rites with pain management they'll document that I am an "addict" which I am not.  I am dependent on my meds, but anyone who takes narcotic pain relievers for an extended period of time will become dependent and have some withdrawal with abruptly stopping them.  

I'm sorry my original comment didn't make it clear when my due date for meds was, but I was in so much pain and agony I could barely type.  I was desperate, grasping for straws.  I came to this site and finally got much needed advice and support.  For that I am very thankful.  For those who immed. assumed I was too early for my refill and not being honest, shame on you.  If you are on the pain management forum, you should not judge another person esp. without first getting all details.

I'm grateful to all who supported me thru this experience.  I am wiser now and finally finding some relief.

Shanna

[TrayCee]

umm...I dont even know where to start to respond to your post...
so I guess...just thanks for your reply

[Tuckamore]

I understand your comments better now that I know what state you are from....mine.

You are correct most of the patient bill of rights do say that in our state. I am not sure how they read in other states. I don't think it is a Federal, Bill of Rights.

I am sorry to hear about what has happened to you. You are a perfect example of what happens to ppl with an undiagnosed pain producing condition. No one could tell you why you hurt so they sent you to psychiatrists. Instead of saying, " I just don't know." ...and medical science sometimes just doesn't know....it is not an exact science.....instead they treated you like a psych case. Makes my blood boil.

It happened to me initially also. Only I had a great therapist that said there was nothing wrong with me mentally. He actually said he beleived that the physicians were missing something. And they continued to miss it for years! I guess that's one of the reasons I have such a soft spot for undiagnosed chronic pain patients.

My Best to You,
Tuck

[marykw]

yep i can elaborate,if u ever take the time to read patient bill of rights when they hand you all that paper work when your getten registered at any e.r.,it said right in there,your right for proper treatment for your conditionand to minimize any undo suffering or pain,thats why people can sue in a court of law for undo pain and suffering,read those rights as a patient sometime,and believe me nooooo doc  wants to be sued for pain and suffering,as long as u have it document your complaint of pain,they have to treat you for it by law,with what they have avaible now like i said most e.rs dont have the class 2 narcotics,they have vicadin,toradol,hydrocodein,not the fentynal or the methodone,now i live way out in the country,sooo,for alsmost 5 years the '''''''professionals at st'lukes'''  mayo  clinic  rochester,couldnt find anything causeing sever headaches and ekg they were callen artifact  even though i couldnt move due to exsrteme chest pain,i would be stuck on the floor flat on my back for hours,finally,freaken finally after the stupid shrinks,who i will never trust again who would document lies to prove there theroy on me,finally a pain management doc named dr.lennertz tried to put a catheriter in my spine in the thoracic t5 it wouldnt go in,he immediatelly ordered a mri and there it was a tumor the size of 2 index fingers inside the spinal fluid pushing the cord the backbone itself all to the left,damageing my spinal cord for life in the thoracic,imagen that chest pain the rest of your life.not to mention the pain in the thoracic spine itself.dont cough,sneeze,turn the wrong way,and all these sooooo call proffesionals sayen maybe it was in my head,i will never,never forgive them for this,thats why i know alot about this stuff i had to find the true cause of my pain myself on top of being in sever pain already,but by law no doc can allow you to suffer by law,maryw

[TrayCee]

could you please elaborate on this comment?
  "thats why its against the law,you have every legal right to be free of pain and suffering by law,so someone better do something for u that works"

[Tuckamore]

Hi Shanna,

You have gotten some good responses. If I understand your post and this is an early refill you will be hard pressed to get your physicians partner to refill early. It is worth a try. I agree that making an appointment to see him in person is your best bet.

My physician would have never done this either. When ever she is going on vacation or has commitments that will take her away from the office for more than a day she notifies me. She makes sure that I am covered.

If you are out and your body is in "trouble," visit your local ER. They do not have to treat you or even prescribe but it is my bet they will cover you with something for at least a few days. In my state most ER's will help for a short period of time. Much depends on the ER Physicians education and knowledge of pain management.

Best of luck to you. I hope this will work out for you, sooner than later.

Happy 2010,
Tuck

[marykw]

i have been in p.m. for 17  years,spinal cord tumor,thoracic t5 thru t9,curved sternum,and for good measure hernai discs lower back,so been around this block,asap get a  new doc ,in the mean time  they can do valium over the phone,it will relax the muscles around the injury and it will relax your body a little whilst  endureing the withdrawals,take some pepcid like 2 or 3 to stop the pukes,unfortunetlly there r many class 2 narcotics that have to go thru the mail,they cant be called in,the e.r. thing might work but usually the employees at the  e.r have noooo clue about pain mngt,and look at u as a drug addict soo u cant trust there documentation on you,understand??call around hey its your pain,your withdrawels no-one else has to endure that terrible stuff,find a fellow pain  mngt   friend,when looken for  a pain center first question is  your pain center run by anethiaselogist or shrinks??if they say shrinks dont go there,dont waste of your time,and   next holiday season or any holiday count your  meds if you are going to run out on the holiday when mail will not be delivered tell your doc ahead of  time or the truth that mail slows down for delivary   times during christmas so mail it earlier please,good luck hun your gonna need it those withdrawel,plus your physical  pain is going to suck,thats why its against the law,you have every    legal right to be free of pain and suffering   by law,so someone better do something for u that works not 60 mgs of toradol,that by the way will in the long run hurt your liver,hope this helped,maryw

[troubleinohio]

i agree with traycee...ive been there done that. The times ive had to go to ER for pain..i left with a huge bill and a RX for Motrin 800.  I have gotten narcotics before but primarily when i was there for broken bones. When i went before for "chronic pain" they didnt give me squat.

[TrayCee]

in my experience...going to the ER for pain meds is a H U G E waste of time.

The most help I've ever gotten at the ER is 8-10 of something REALLY weak (which doesnt help anyway)  Its not worth the humiliation of being treated like a drug addict just looking for pills.

[scaredmom330]

go to the er. in most states they can pull up your pharmacy records and see it is time for your refills, explain the situation. if they can't give you your reqular medication they can give you something for the pain to help until your doctor returns.

[wendyabartley]

I usually then go to my Primary Care doctor who asks me to take a urine drug test then he will write scripts to last till I can see doctor. He usually calls my pain doctor to see when they will see me. If I can do that then I must sit in Emergency room till I get the medication there, but when it wears off I'm back to starting point. My doctor has tendency to only let me fill my scripts the day they are to run out, he often forgets to account for the 31 day months and I am often left a day short, and if I happen to be ill and cannot fill it that day I have more days without. It's a mess. There has to be a place where we can look at what exactly they are obligated by law. From what I understand going through withdrawal on a regular basis could cause problems with addictions, at least mess with dosages needed.

[troubleinohio]

btw, fill in docs are not required to fill the same meds. Ive found this out the hard way a few times.  Once my reg doctor was overseas without notice and the fill in he had was not even a real doctor! It was just a nurse and she could not refill my xanax Rx! She gave me quionine as a substitute!!! can you believe that?

[TrayCee]

is it your normal time for a refill?

[Ghilly]

If you are not early for your refill (ie, blew through your meds and finished a month's supply in two or three weeks) then it was very irresponsible of your doctor to not inform you that he wasn't going to be available when you were due for your refill.  OR, if he knew he wasn't going to be available, he should have instructed his fill-in doctor to refill the prescriptions that were going to come due while he was away.  

You might try going to the ER and explaining the situation to them.  If this is when your regular refill was going to be due, they may help you.  

Ghilly

[RunningMom]

Wow!  The PCP I had before I went into pain management would never of done this.  He told me he was taking two days off and gave me my script a few days early so I wouldn't run out.

Could you maybe go to urgent care or another doctor and get a script for the next two weeks until your doc gets back?  I hope you are able to find relief.  Good luck.

[troubleinohio]

I would make an appt w his partner and talk with him. good luck

[Shanna707]

I hear you, but this has never happened before and my regular guy is great. I just wish I would of know he was gonna be on leave. Also, I pay cash cause I have no insurance. It would cost me alot to be reevaluated by another doc.  
I'm not giving up.  My DR's partner should have a responsibility to get me through atleast til my guy gets back. this is rediculous.  I already feel like throwing up and my joints are killin me. I don't want to act like an addict to him, but obviously he should know that everyone develops physical dependency to chronic use. And I have no intention of just stopping meds, did that b4, was very miserable. my meds help me have an increase in quality of liffe. I guess I could make an appt. face to face but I don't know if that will be worse.

[Red931]

Find another doctor.