Desperately Seeking Relief

To shorten my story, a car wreck in 1981, surgery in 1985.  I have never been the same after that.  I had to resign from a good job because I could no longer sit for long periods.  Over the years I have had medications off and on.  I have two (2) issues:  I have a very high tolerance to pain medications and I can not find a Dr. that will write me a prescription.  I would prefer to take meds but there is the option of a pain pump being put in my back.  Does anyone know of a Dr. that takes Medicaid and is willing to get to know me and see how the meds affect me.  They do not get me high, I'm just able to get a few household chores done.  I just want a better quality of life and have no idea where to turn.

[Mollyrae]

Hi, there are many Doctors that take Medicaid. Check with your local Social Services and they can give you a list. It takes a Doctor a while to get to know his patient and with the rampid street use of narcotics, it is getting harder and harder to get the meds neccesary to clam that pain. I cannot give you any answers. You just have to keep searching til you find one that is willing to help.

My best,
Mollyrae

[crackerjack4u2]

Hello I am new to this forum but not new to PAIN.  I am a 46 year old  RN who has an implanted Morphine Pump.  I have had 31 surgeries-some for the problem causing my pain and some for other reasons, and number 32 is scheduled for 12-6-10.  

I know exactly where you are at because I have been there too.  There are a couple of  reasons they don't want you on that large amount of oral medications. 1) is because they are regulated by the FDA on how many they can legally prescribe to a patient each month,  2) That amount will severely damage your liver and kidneys whereas the medication through a pain pump will not.  

Before I decided to get my pump put in I was taking 150 mg or Morphine, 2400 mg of Skelaxin, and 50 mg Thorazine daily along with Loracet 10mg every 4 hours, Klonopin 1mg and  Ativan 1mg, 4 times daily, Prozac 40 mg daily,  and it was not touching my pain, depression, or anxiety.

I went in the hospital for 4 days to have a trial run done to see what meds by pump would work for me.  I ended up with Morphine and Marcaine (bupivacaine) at a mere 4mg per day and it relieved almost all of my back and rib pain and ALL of my leg pain.  I was left on Loracet 10mg 4x's daily as needed for break through pain, but everything else was GONE and no longer needed.  

The difference in the oral meds is you lose a lot through excretion and they have to be metabolized by the liver and kidneys.  With the pump the medication is delivered directly to the pain center in the brain therefore blocking the pain impulses, requiring a lot less medication with much greater relief of pain.  Which is a lot less detrimental on your liver and kidneys, and a whole lot better on your nerves and depression LOL.


At the time my Work Comp was refusing to pay for anything even my oral medications, so I had gotten Medicaid and it did pay for my PUMP implantation.  There are a lot of Neurosurgeons and Pain Management Specialists who take Medicaid.  I don't think you will find one to prescribe the amount of oral medications you are needing to control your pain unfortunately, but can probably find one to place your pump should you choose to go that route, and Medicaid will probably pay for it (you need pre approval, or at least I did when I got mine).    

Getting my pain pump actually saved my life, in more ways than one. The amount of oral meds would have ruined my liver and kidneys long ago, and the depression and anxiety I had due to the unrelieved pain  and the inability to do the job I spent 4 years in college training for, made me contemplate suicide on more than one occasion.  I would recommend a pain pump to ANYONE with unrelieved pain.  

I Hope This Helps, Good Luck.