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what do I do when PC refuses to refill my pain meds that I have been on for years?

I have been on pain meds for about 3 years now do to back issues and nerve damage in my right leg. Dr decided that she would like to start tapering me off which failed miserable due to the amount of pain I am in. I tried telling her for months that the pain was getting worse not better. I had back surgery at her request because they were sure this would take away my leg pain at least. It didn't and actually made it worse which I kept trying to tell her. So, because I called her and told her I ran out of pain meds because of the tapering she said she couldn't help me anymore that her hands are now tied. What the hell does that even mean? How do you leave your patient in severe pain and sleep at night? Anyone know what I can do?
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902263 tn?1245214553
I'd either say make a lawsuit and fight it, or try low dose naltrexone or marijuana. That's all anyone's got for the most part :( I'm sorry you have to go through that :( I'd also get a copy of ALL of the documentation from them, so you can look through it and see the crap they wrote, so when you go elsewhere you know. Have you been to a multidisciplinary pain team with specific pain doctors? That's what I'd try to do, but its hard fighting legislation without getting a lawyer unfortunately :(
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am in a similar situation, except that I've opted not the have the back procedure (ESI). I am sorry that you are suffering so! I, too, am running out and being "tapered" at a ridiculous rate. Been on for 40 years. Don't know what I will do. Best wishes to both of us.
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Avatar universal
I have been on pain meds for about 40 years. My Doc just caved in to the gov't powers that be (CDC, FDA or DEA?),   and will no longer be prescribing, within a few months. I have multiple pain issues: (hemiplegic migraine, arthritis manifesting in various forms, degenerative disk, sciatica, fibromylagia, CPPD, asthma, various digestive disorders, and broken, infected teeth)... and a low dose such painkillers allows me to function. The other meds-- the antidepressants, and such garbage as Lyrica-- just short-circuit my brain, so that I cannot function at all. I've been to the so-called Pain Management clinics: they are a waste of time. I have done all these treatments with an open mind and heart, but more and more, I see this as a conspiracy to sell drugs, sell a certain psych mindset, and to allow the current political climate to carry on as if everything were normal, whilst obliterting those pesky, poor or disabled ppl who just cause trouble with wanting programs and disability rights. So they put us on drugs, in which we can't think. Meanwhile, as I will have no pain pills after a few months, I have no idea what I will do. I am trying to detox, myself. All this has occurred within the past day or so, and I'm coming off of a larger end dose, since I just had abscessed tooth and infected face (had I not had pain pills, I probably would have jumped off a bridge!) But now, I'm hearing that even the dentists don't want to prescribe pain pills? Such fear of the gov't! I don't know what will happen to those of us who can still think, within our pain. I would rather die than to go thru the kind of mind-control I see awaiting me. I'm do not consider myself an addict (nor did my doctor); nor do consider myself in need of dangerous psych drugs that turn ppl into zombies. The current socio-economic and political climate has de-legitimized pain. It is time for pain patients to mobilize and advocate for their rights-- to be treated as a pain patient--not as a psych pt., and not as an addict! I feel sorry for any prescribing doctor with a conscience, currently practicing medicine. Any suggestions for how to procede next? Thx.
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3 Comments
My pharmacy told me they are now being controlled by government regulations which limits the amount of pain meds they can get to fill prescriptions. This is Wal-Mart pharmacy. I had to go to three pharmacies to get a prescription of oxycodone filled. I have a ruptured disk. I have also had to deal with ortho docs refusing to prescribe pain meds. I’m trying to avoid surgery.  I’ve done 2 months of PT, 6 epidurals, chiropractor and pain Mgt clinic.  I’m getting another opinion on surgery this week. It’s not fair that government controls pain prescriptions and now looks like they are going to control the supply chain too. I hate taking meds but I’m barely functioning even when I take pain meds (have limited function). I was in so much pain I couldn’t put my shoes on or take off my pants without help and was refused pain meds.
Write letters to your congressmen and governor. Refuse to vote for them if they cut off legal prescription for ligitimate patients who are in pain. My MRI clearly shows the ruptured disk sitting on the nerve. I was shocked when they refused to treat my pain. I guess I’ll have surgery because getting meds for pain while trying to see if other methods will work is becoming difficult.
Hi, was wondering...... do you really need the surgery? My pain doctor told me that the point where I"m at now, any type of surgery would only make my pain worse, because of scar tissue. I"m just worried about you, so many people won't have surgery, because so many people have twice as much pain after. Please let me know how your doing
J
This Site confuses me. I can't tell who is replying to whom? If the question was addressed to me, I have opted not to have the surgery (ESI). If someone else (and I think now that was an old post), then my comments were at first directed at her (Sherry?) But if directed at me, then thanks! There is weird scrolling on my PC-- can't always tell what's going on. Or maybe it's just me? I don't use phone. Anyway, this is now 2018, and things are just growing worse. I think I have to cut my font down, but then, I can't see. Oh well. Good luck to all on here, within this Draconian situation.
Avatar universal
I'm a chronic pain patient myself and have been for more than 4 years. My PCP used to prescribe my medication. Of course this was after many tests, MRI's and so on that showed why I was having the pain. I went to her office around 2 years ago for a regular visit and she told me that she would no longer prescribe my pain medication. That there were 4 Drs in the office and 3 of them had decided that they would longer be treating pain patients because they were afraid of the FDA and CDC. She did recommend several pain clinics and I was lucky enough to find one I liked with a very understanding and caring Dr. There are almost no PCP's that will treat chronic pain patients any more because they're just too scared. I don't think it's right to do away with opiods completely. There are many of us who would have no quality of life without these medications. Studies show that most chronic pain patients take their meds as prescribed and don't abuse them. And when you're forced to go to a pain clinic you have to sign a contract, take random urine tests, have pill counts, and you can be called at any time to come in for a random urine test and pill count. The problem with celebrities, in my opinion, is Drs being afraid to tell them no, you do not need that much medication.Or, it could boil down to money. I read a report in the New England Journal of Medicine not long ago that said deaths from opiods has steadily been going down for years. We have a huge problem with street drugs though. I don't understand why the government has basically given up on that. Maybe because they were loosing the fight? They can take away all of the opiods but I guarantee you people will still be dying from street drugs, tabacco and alcohol. In the mean time, honest chronic pain patients will be left to suffer. We all have to be responsible.If you get an opiod prescription because of surgery, an injury or because you're a new chronic pain patient make sure no one can get to that medication except for you. I keep mine in a safe even though I have no youngsters living in my home.Do this especially if you have young people living in your home. Of course not all drug addicts start off taking opiods.My own child was a drug addict for years and she started off by sneaking beer out of the refrigerator.I'm very proud to say she's been clean from everything for over 8 years.I know this post is a little old and please forgive me for it being so long. I just feel like if I said, we should get rid of all alcohol because of the deaths that are caused from it, it would not be my right. We all have choices. I've had several operations and have been hurt many times in my life and have been prescribed pain medication. I may only take 1, 2, or none.I've done my best to do without the meds because I know the pain will go away at some point. What I don't use I know I can take back to my pharmacy. Now that I am a chronic pain patient I take my meds as prescribed and at the lowest dose possible, that my Dr and myself decided on, to give me some relief. To the original poster, I recommend you do your research to find a good pain clinic.It's basically your only choice at this point. Your Dr should have recommended this instead of just deciding on her own that it was time you went off of your meds. A good clinic would have went over your records, maybe done more tests, maybe recommended you have more surgery so you could have more pain relief and would have decided, along with you, if you should continue your meds or taper off of them.Pain clinics do not just offer meds. There are many other things they can do to help your pain. Heart disease is the leading cause of death. Overdoses are not even in the top 10 causes of death. Still, it's sad and it's such a waste of a life to loose anyone to an overdose. I think this country needs free clinics so people that have an addiction can get the help they need. It seems that if you don't have great insurance, and many of us don't, you can't get the treatment you need that could save your life.I would love to see this happen and I would love to see more education on all drugs, alcohol and tobacco. People can not understand chronic pain unless they're going through it. I know I didn't completely understand it until it happened to me and how much it changed my life. It makes me so mad at the people who con Drs, hospitals, and the people who are chronic pain patients but will sell their meds. They have made it so very hard on us that truly do need these meds.Again, I'm sorry for the very long post and for getting off topic. I'm just trying to educate anyone who is willing to read this that opiods do have their place in medicine and they do help many thousands of us be productive members of society.          
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
I completely get what you are saying remar and for what is happening to all of you pain patients is bs.  I should maybe explain one of my comments better.  I was including street drugs along with opiods and maybe shouldnt have.  Sorry~
3 out of 4 opioid deaths are from non-prescription drugs ... the CDC is blatantly obfuscating the data to push their agenda.  
I agree, but how would you define the "agenda"?
495284 tn?1333894042
The opiod epidemic started way before Prince died.  It is the leading killer right now.  I asked the original poster if there was another reason why she was being taken off the meds.
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1 Comments
Prince new he was going to die, It had nothing to do with which drugs were in his system. He was telling his fans good bye.
317787 tn?1473358451
I'm sorry to hear this, Raysteven is right.
Helpful - 0
495284 tn?1333894042
There is something called rebound pain once we start coming off pain meds.  The pain will get worse before it gets better.  When did you start the tapering?
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2 Comments
I have been on the same pain killers for two years. When I told my pain doc. that they weren't working that well anymore, he said it was rebound pain. So he put me on a different pain medication for a month, then gave me the other medication after a month. Now it's working better, My back pain is also getting worse as well. But at least I can function most of the time. But now i'm really confused, because you said rebound pain, that had to do with something else, and my doctor said that my pain was rebound pain from taking the same med"s for two years. This is all so freasking confusing. Someone out there, please tell me why that term rebound, is used so many different ways. My doc. also cut me back to 60 percs. twice a day, instead of 90. Which is fine, some of the time. But some days, the pain is so bad that I need them three times a day. He told me he can't do the 90 anymore, but that's a lie. I have fiends that are getting 120 pills a month, and many different and stronger pills that I take. Please..... wtf is really going on???????????????Thanks all, for letting me vent
J
The current guidelines state 90 mg of MME (MORPHINE EQUIVALENT MG) per day total. Oxycodone products are more potent than morphine.
We, as patients need to follow the exact prescribing directions on the bottle. Taking more, without your doctors permission ahead of time is self medicating. It is grounds for dismissal.
The best option is to discuss what other treatment options you can use on days your pain starts flaring to deal with that.
Taking more on any given day means instead of 2 per day, you will be down to one. You can not run out.
495284 tn?1333894042
Were you running out early?  How fast was the tapering schedule you were on?
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
It's not the doctor's fault the government's cut everybody down from narcotics now because they got a wrong report that people are dying from drugs when it's a fentanyl that truly killing them the drug enforcement agency is Crackdown of people on pain management and Trump is going along with it they started back into 2015 when Prince died because they found a couple of percocet and hydrocodone bottles in his house and before they got the autopsy report back they made the law that the cracking down on pain management patients and doctors the doctors now have to cut everybody down it's by the way Prince died from Fentanyl happening in every state because the drug enforcement agency got the wrong information and the Counting people's deaths multiple X like one person died they're saying 5 people died when it really was only one and they overdose doctors medication and other illegal pills that were taken like fentanyl mixed with their pills!Because now pills that look like the real thing are coming in from China looks just like Oxycontin Percocet morphine sulfate hydrocodine Percodan and it's got fentanyl in it it's coming from China and that's what's really killing them not the real drugs we have to do something about this and stop this from going on we got to stop these lies that these government officials are believing is even a rumor going around that they're paying people to lie to sell papers in the news the fake news people are believing it so somehow it's got to be stopped we might have to get together and protest
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317787 tn?1473358451
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