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Vicodin prescribing Doc needed Treasure Coast FL
You can read my profile but bottom line is I have Failed Back Syndrome but now have no insurance and may be Blacklisted becuase of a suit against the doctor that operated on wrong disk in my back in 2001 and hence made me worse than I was. By April 10th I should get into Indian River Hospital's 'We-Care' program and start getting Injections and/or meds again. Last PM I saw was July last year and his injections worked better than I thought. I was given 100's of Vicodin HP along with Duragesic 75's #15 and Actiq 800's #60 which BTW will eat your teeth away. Then my insurance sent me to two doctors that were not two hours away I drove for three years but close, and they both would not take my case. No reason given formally but both complained that my VistaHealthPlan insurance sucks. They took my copay of course and one was shorted $25 of that and is still after me. Neither doc would reconsider so I weened myself down to just about 25 mg Vicodin a day. Below that now that the injection's effect is all gone, I am in extreme pain and as always my legs go numb upon stationary standing. I now need to see any doctor in this area that will prescribe be something my Walgreens card covers like the Vicodin HP, #90 costs about $80. The state has closed all the state run subsidized Methadone clinics and up sprouted FOR BIG PROFIT outfits like "New Horisons" that want $90 a week, give me a break, and they wont accept me since I just need short term help. So does anyone know a doctor who would accept me given I havent seen a PM since July but I DO have a 2005 MRI and four 4" binders and documents that say for example I am a candidate for a Morphine pump in my back and that I will need to be on narcotics the rest of my life. ??? I dont care to get high, I just cant function with just Ibuprofen and on my own got myself down to 20 to 30 mg Vicodin, not an easy task. If a surgeon can operate on the wrong disk I am not going to jump on having a Morphine pump installed and have to be a complete non-active, super cautious person the rest of my life. Maybe someday an electrostimulator, maybe. I dont trust surgeons much anymore.
Any help is appreciated.
DH
Any help is appreciated.
DH
This is my story of chronic pain. In oct.1989 I went to one of the best neurosurgeons in NYC for a second opinion for an L5S1 herniated disc. I was 35 at the time, working and generally living a normal life. I had severe sciatic pain in my right leg & whenever I did anything too strenuous it would flare up like crazy. I got the original injury when my ex-husband shoved me and I fell on the floor when I was 22. I was lifting up my garage door in '89, I felt a familiar shooting pain in my butt and down the back of my rt. leg and knew I was in trouble. Usually if I went on bedrest for a couple weeks it would subside, but this time it didn't, and it got so bad I couldn't even feel my foot. I went for an mri, and the ortho told me I needed surgery or it would never go away. Had a second opinion at nyhospital , the neurosurgeon said he would do it after a month of pt which did nothing but make it worse. Got the surgery oct.1.1989. Supposed to be a six to eight week recovery and then promised I'd get my life back again. That never happened becaue within a month after the surg. I began to have excruciating low back pain and my leg still hurt.
The surgeon passed me off to pain management and said i fell into the six percent failure rate, the one he never told me about. I had all the usual treatments pain management had to offer and nothing worked, and I was told that I'd have to learn to live with it and more surgery would make it worse. This was all over the course of the last 19 years, and I now live on high doses of opiate pain killers and have had no life since the day of the operation. My right leg got weaker from the neuro deficits and caused me to fall many times. I ended up with meniscus tears in both my knees in 2002, and had to have surgery to remove one cause I tore it to shreds. Last spring I broke my right leg in three places and it has taken a year to heal, due to the fact I can't rehab fully from the spine problems.
Now I'm facing a surgery for a different problem that has a chance of being cancer. The tests I need to take are complicated by the opiate use, and the recovery will be another summer in bed. I have decided not to get any treatment if it is cancer, because it will be a gift to finally end this life of pain. I have no family anymore, they have all passed away. I couldn't maintain a relationship because of my physical limitations, I am financially in ruins living on a pittance from the disability.
I am begging any of you considering surgery to exhaust all the alternatives before you take a step that could potentially end you life as you know it. Once the damage is done there is no turning back, ever. The pain you feel now is nothing compared to the pain of a failed back surgery, it is a searing stabbing constant pain that grips you in the spine and radiates into your groin, hips and legs. I never had any back pain before the surgery, just sciatic. I would trade places with anyone who is presurgical sciatic compared to this hell I have been living in. Please, Please don't let these lying doctors talk you into it. Ask them if they'd let their wives or children have it done. See what they say, if they'd take that risk.
This is just my story of course, but if I can save one person from what I've lived through, it will be worth telling.
I've been living with this since I was 22, had surgery at 37 that made me worse, and now it's been 20 years of living in constant pain and watching other people live life while I get to do only the most little things for myself. I so understand what you mean about watching another movie on a beautiful day, it is a life that is lived from the inside looking out all the time. If I didn't have a dog to walk and get me out a few times a day, I'd have totally lost my mind. Having a pet really does help with the depression. Even if you just get a parakeet it helps, they can bring a lot of joy to a very isolating existence. I hope you can get some help to get you more mobile as you are still young enough to have a shot at a decent life.
I tried the anti-convulsives, they don't do that much although in some people they do help neurological pain, Didn't help mine. I was offered spinal cord stimulators, morphine implants, the whole nine yards. I'm allergic to morphene and a lot of other opiates, only one works on me. A spinal reconstructive surgeon told me the risks involved with the other things aren't told to enough people at the pm places and there is a high infection rate with the stimulators.
If you never had surgery yet, I wouldn't advise it as I fell in the 6 percent failure rate that they don't like to talk about too. It is basically 6 out of every 100 people that have a bad outcome.
Take it easy and it was nice meeting you Advil ( I almost blew out my liver on those things!)
I tried the anti-convulsives, they don't do that much although in some people they do help neurological pain, Didn't help mine. I was offered spinal cord stimulators, morphine implants, the whole nine yards. I'm allergic to morphene and a lot of other opiates, only one works on me. A spinal reconstructive surgeon told me the risks involved with the other things aren't told to enough people at the pm places and there is a high infection rate with the stimulators.
If you never had surgery yet, I wouldn't advise it as I fell in the 6 percent failure rate that they don't like to talk about too. It is basically 6 out of every 100 people that have a bad outcome.
Take it easy and it was nice meeting you Advil ( I almost blew out my liver on those things!)
No, I'm about an hour or so from the city. But I have a pretty good doc she's really gone out of her way for me when I've needed her. I consider myself so lucky to have her. Although lately my pain has been really bad so i see her Monday for some other options to add to my timed release meds. Maybe an anti-convulsent or anti-depressant or something. I tried cymbalta but hated it, it made me break out with acne and I couldnt have that. Adolecents was enough trauma forget about going through that again in my late 20's!
You really are a minority, but I'm glad for you. Its really tough for people even if they have a pain doc.
One day I saw this guy freaking out as he left the office(I mean really freaking) it sounded like she wouldnt give him anything he wanted and he obviously didnt like that. Who knows if he was an addict or he was really in pain. But I sure wouldnt want to be in her position deciding.
I'm guessing you live in the city..I'd imagine the options are greater there to find a doc willing to help out.
All I know is that if I have to watch another friggen movie from my bed on a beautiful day I'm gonna scream!
Then again I fell horrible even complaining when some people cant even get a little bit of medication!
Guess I'm one of the lucky ones too...med contract and all!
You really are a minority, but I'm glad for you. Its really tough for people even if they have a pain doc.
One day I saw this guy freaking out as he left the office(I mean really freaking) it sounded like she wouldnt give him anything he wanted and he obviously didnt like that. Who knows if he was an addict or he was really in pain. But I sure wouldnt want to be in her position deciding.
I'm guessing you live in the city..I'd imagine the options are greater there to find a doc willing to help out.
All I know is that if I have to watch another friggen movie from my bed on a beautiful day I'm gonna scream!
Then again I fell horrible even complaining when some people cant even get a little bit of medication!
Guess I'm one of the lucky ones too...med contract and all!
I didn't know that I was in such a minority with the way my doctor handled it. I got to know her really well, and she said even though it was a heath clinic requirement, she never pushed it on me. She left to go into private practice, and another doctor took over the case and mentioned it again as she didn't see it in my chart. At that point I said if it was really that important to them then I had no real objection, I just felt it was done as a way to weed out the addicts that were asking for narcotics to get high. Then she got too involved with her duties as clinic admistrator, and I switched to the doctor I still have now. There all in the same place, so they all know each other. She has never even mentioned it to me, and since I was in the hospital last year with a broken leg, she even increase my meds at that time. I went back down when I felt better, so she knows I don't have an addictive personality.
If there comes a time when she needs to for some reason, I'd do it. I just feel it is an insult because as a chronic pain patient a doctor was the one who did this damage to me in the first place, and I don't like being treated like a criminal. It's just the way I feel, and I'm very honest about it with my doctor and she trusts me.
I can only speak for my own experiences, but even at the hospital that had the pain management clinic that gave me several narcotics to try(most I was allergic to) they never even did that to anyone. I guess it depends on where you go.
Are you in NYC or somewhere else? The reason I ask is that in the city there's a lot of options through the big hospitals for pain clinics and pm private docs.
If there comes a time when she needs to for some reason, I'd do it. I just feel it is an insult because as a chronic pain patient a doctor was the one who did this damage to me in the first place, and I don't like being treated like a criminal. It's just the way I feel, and I'm very honest about it with my doctor and she trusts me.
I can only speak for my own experiences, but even at the hospital that had the pain management clinic that gave me several narcotics to try(most I was allergic to) they never even did that to anyone. I guess it depends on where you go.
Are you in NYC or somewhere else? The reason I ask is that in the city there's a lot of options through the big hospitals for pain clinics and pm private docs.
I live in NY too, but trust me your very lucky. Wow, DR asked you to sign but disregarded it because you said it was insulting..I guess another Lucky beak because 99% of doctors who ask you to sign a contract will NOT prescribe a drop of anything for you if you dont sign it(I say 99% because of your case) But thats the only way they can have any small amount of control over what you do when you leave the office. You can only trust a patient so much when your prescribing them narcotics. They know there foolish if they put there trust in you, they could lose there liscence to practice and spend 25 years in jail for just trying to help you.
I wanted help so badly that I wouldnt have cared if my DR followed me home at night, forget signing a little contract following her rules.
With all due respect, I'd hang on as tight as you can because you will never meet another like that. Guarenteed. Maybe one that wont bring one up at all(maybe) but never one that has a contract and gives you an option to sign.
But please dont think I support Dr's descisions to turn suffering people away, I dont. I just come from a family with a bunch of doctors so I can understand why there afraid. I still lay into them for being so tough and strict. None of them have ever helped me out...grrrrr..
Anon, docs do defenitly talk to eachother when it comes to PM. Not to mention if you have a black mark on your chart and they know who your last doc was, they have probably checked your records or talked to that doc. If the new docs had no idea who your doc was and you didnt have your medical records then there is someway there finding out or they just refuse to prescribe to new patients.
Defenitly when your on narcotic meds for a chronic problem your considered a hopeless case because it is always a last resort for us.
Insurance is a rediculous problem in our country. But then if we switch over to a government system we run the risk of recieving a lower standard of care...still it would probably be better than what our insurace companies are doing to us now.
I really really hope that you find someone, If I knew of any in your area I would tell you in a second. What would up your chances a bit may be to find a large medical practice, one where your doc for your problem and a pain doc could be in contacy with eachother. I'm sure thats not easy at all, I dont know what is around you. Only an idea.
I hope you find help soon!!!
I wanted help so badly that I wouldnt have cared if my DR followed me home at night, forget signing a little contract following her rules.
With all due respect, I'd hang on as tight as you can because you will never meet another like that. Guarenteed. Maybe one that wont bring one up at all(maybe) but never one that has a contract and gives you an option to sign.
But please dont think I support Dr's descisions to turn suffering people away, I dont. I just come from a family with a bunch of doctors so I can understand why there afraid. I still lay into them for being so tough and strict. None of them have ever helped me out...grrrrr..
Anon, docs do defenitly talk to eachother when it comes to PM. Not to mention if you have a black mark on your chart and they know who your last doc was, they have probably checked your records or talked to that doc. If the new docs had no idea who your doc was and you didnt have your medical records then there is someway there finding out or they just refuse to prescribe to new patients.
Defenitly when your on narcotic meds for a chronic problem your considered a hopeless case because it is always a last resort for us.
Insurance is a rediculous problem in our country. But then if we switch over to a government system we run the risk of recieving a lower standard of care...still it would probably be better than what our insurace companies are doing to us now.
I really really hope that you find someone, If I knew of any in your area I would tell you in a second. What would up your chances a bit may be to find a large medical practice, one where your doc for your problem and a pain doc could be in contacy with eachother. I'm sure thats not easy at all, I dont know what is around you. Only an idea.
I hope you find help soon!!!
I still think there is at least an under the table communication going on. That is the word out there but I wish I could get my hands on a real Black (or Red) List or the Red Flag list. The 2nd and last PM that turned me down never even examined my body. He commented on how bad my insurance was. He said "hydro therapy would do you some good, oh, but your insurance wont pay for that" ,... "and deep massage would help to, oh, but your insurance (costing just ME $500+/month & going up to $700 that next month) wont cover that either. I believe he knew he was going to turn me away before I walked into his office. So I was out on the street, no referrals left within 100 miles, coming off of Duragesic 75's each Two days, 800ug Actiq pops and Vicodin HP for breakthru pain. He even said "I know it is cold" as he opened the door to send me away. Two $75 copays gone and no where left to go. I am off it all finally but now lie in bed most the day and cant work. I think there are good states but FL is not one. I get most my support here and at the Pain Relief Network. Good luck to all, I will keep an eye on this post.
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I live in N.Y. and the pm clinic that was run by the hospital closed down several years ago due to lack of funding. The doctor told me that basically anyone who has had failed back syndrome and who is on opiates as a last resort is considered by the medical insurance as a "hopeless case". That's the exact words she used too.
That pm was very good and understood the need for these meds in certain patients so we could just have some type of life. I was given a list of places to go after that but none of them took my insurance, and some where just too far to travel to. I did get to one but the doctor was another as....le who didn't want to be bothered with new patients.
I ended up going to a local state run family heath care clinic when after i had a knee surgery and the home health care nurses recommended me to them. I haven't had a problem since then, I just have to show up every month and in the
beginning until the doctor gets to know you, they just make sure your not coming earlier than when your meds would run out. I was even given the option to take methadone from them for the pain, but I didn't want it. I have also found that if you find a private doctor who isn't involved with a pain management center but just does pm in private practice, they will help you a bit more. I did get asked to sign some kind of contract at the clinic when I first went there but I told them it was insulting and my doctor kind of just forgot about it or realized I wasn't a risk.
I have friends in Florida that ended up leaving and coming back to live in N.Y. due to the lack of help they could get down there. I know that I'd like to move out of state but I'm afraid to because I can't risk losing what it took me so long to get here. I have failed back syndrome with ddd and both my knees are shot.
I also broke my right leg last May in three places and just started to walk again in the past few months. I hurt everyday from head to toe and my spine feels like it's getting a root canal 24/7. The only advise I can give you is try to find a private doctor and just pay him if you can swing it, because they don't have to answer to the insurance companies if you give them cash.
That pm was very good and understood the need for these meds in certain patients so we could just have some type of life. I was given a list of places to go after that but none of them took my insurance, and some where just too far to travel to. I did get to one but the doctor was another as....le who didn't want to be bothered with new patients.
I ended up going to a local state run family heath care clinic when after i had a knee surgery and the home health care nurses recommended me to them. I haven't had a problem since then, I just have to show up every month and in the
beginning until the doctor gets to know you, they just make sure your not coming earlier than when your meds would run out. I was even given the option to take methadone from them for the pain, but I didn't want it. I have also found that if you find a private doctor who isn't involved with a pain management center but just does pm in private practice, they will help you a bit more. I did get asked to sign some kind of contract at the clinic when I first went there but I told them it was insulting and my doctor kind of just forgot about it or realized I wasn't a risk.
I have friends in Florida that ended up leaving and coming back to live in N.Y. due to the lack of help they could get down there. I know that I'd like to move out of state but I'm afraid to because I can't risk losing what it took me so long to get here. I have failed back syndrome with ddd and both my knees are shot.
I also broke my right leg last May in three places and just started to walk again in the past few months. I hurt everyday from head to toe and my spine feels like it's getting a root canal 24/7. The only advise I can give you is try to find a private doctor and just pay him if you can swing it, because they don't have to answer to the insurance companies if you give them cash.
I still think there is at least an under the table communication going on. That is the word out there but I wish I could get my hands on a real Black (or Red) List or the Red Flag list. The 2nd and last PM that turned me down never even examined my body. He commented on how bad my insurance was. He said "hydro therapy would do you some good, oh, but your insurance wont pay for that" ,... "and deep massage would help to, oh, but your insurance (costing just ME $500+/month & going up to $700 that next month) wont cover that either. I believe he knew he was going to turn me away before I walked into his office. So I was out on the street, no referrals left within 100 miles, coming off of Duragesic 75's each Two days, 800ug Actiq pops and Vicodin HP for breakthru pain. He even said "I know it is cold" as he opened the door to send me away. Two $75 copays gone and no where left to go. I am off it all finally but now lie in bed most the day and cant work. I think there are good states but FL is not one. I get most my support here and at the Pain Relief Network. Good luck to all, I will keep an eye on this post.
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This is the whole problem facing all of us. Its not just certain states and towns its all of the US. There are certain docs who priscribe easier than others but the catch 22 is that those are the docs being closley watched by the DA.
It is very scary what kinds of things we dont know about when it comes to our PM doctors and Clinics. I have heard many stories of undercover police hanging around there ofices and pharmacies if they are investigating the DR and trying to see if you are one of the patients willing to sell the script meds. You would think that it is then the patient who is breaking the law, but it is the Dr who is 100% responsible for the patients actions, including abusing the medication themselves.
Basically what it comes down to is that the Docs are putting there licence on the line to prescribe narcotics so they get very very nervous when someone shows ANY signs that they MAY be addicted to opioids. Unfortunitly they get nervous and we get blackflagged.
It's far from fair and the only way we are going to change anything is to write to out legislator's and let them know everytime we believe we;ve been treated mis treated or treated unfairly.
I hope everyone can find a doc who is able to give them the help they need.
Dont give up, there are some really great doctors out there willing to help despite the risks.
Everyone have a pain free day!
It is very scary what kinds of things we dont know about when it comes to our PM doctors and Clinics. I have heard many stories of undercover police hanging around there ofices and pharmacies if they are investigating the DR and trying to see if you are one of the patients willing to sell the script meds. You would think that it is then the patient who is breaking the law, but it is the Dr who is 100% responsible for the patients actions, including abusing the medication themselves.
Basically what it comes down to is that the Docs are putting there licence on the line to prescribe narcotics so they get very very nervous when someone shows ANY signs that they MAY be addicted to opioids. Unfortunitly they get nervous and we get blackflagged.
It's far from fair and the only way we are going to change anything is to write to out legislator's and let them know everytime we believe we;ve been treated mis treated or treated unfairly.
I hope everyone can find a doc who is able to give them the help they need.
Dont give up, there are some really great doctors out there willing to help despite the risks.
Everyone have a pain free day!
As I understand it, Immodium IS a narcotic, but the molecule is too large to cross the blood-brain barrier, that's why it doesn't get you high. If you weren't in Fla I would say that yes, someone has blacklisted you, but I have friends who live in Florida and they say that they (doctors) are just extremely cautious down there for some reason when it comes to prescribing narcotics. They are next to impossible to get in that state. Short of moving to another state where the doctors are not as cautious, I don't know what to tell you to do. I'm sorry I can't be of any more help.
Ghilly
Ghilly
After over two weeks I got all my pain back and just to top it off, I got a bad case of diarrhea that lasted ten days. In the tiny town I live in only one clinic would write a script for lomitol or lomitil since it is a controlled schedule 5 substance. Imodium was useless for once and then the dr. didnt want to refill the 10 pills but finally did. He insisted it was a narcotic but there is no High to this. So maybe seven years of opiates suddenly gone was the cause here just FYI. Good luck to all.
I am researching this Blacklist topic and holly cow is there a lot of bad news out there for many of us and what about our Vets? Disgraceful.
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I am researching this Blacklist topic and holly cow is there a lot of bad news out there for many of us and what about our Vets? Disgraceful.
D
I am going to rough it for the rest of the week, the only places that will take me are just in it for big $$ and are far away and treat you like a heroin addict. I start with the charity program at a local hospital soon and I will just lie in bed until then doing what I can only do without shots or meds, just about nothing. I cant believe how constant the requriements are now to get into a new PM clinic, I thought two places I called were franchised since their rules were so close, almost word for word. These idiot PM docs cant seem to understand that I could be working and productive if I just had some minimal medication and therapy but leaving me alone with a bottle of Aleve isnt going to give me back my tennis game (like on these dumb Nightly News break commercials). Wish me luck.
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