Can doctors just stop prescribing pain medication to patients after yrs prescribed them?

[Sparkytc]

I have been diagnosed with lower lumbar degenerative disease back in 1997. Back then it was only classified as arthritis, I am now only 36 an back then 25 and I was given Motrin 800mg 3 times a day. This worked for a few years but working at jobs being on my feet 8-10 hours a day the medication was just not doing the job. I went to my primary Dr. who unfortunatly where I live is a small clinic with mostly residents who leave after a year or 2 having me to start all over with another who most always has a different opinion of what treatment is best. After 2+ years of trying multiple medications and being without insurance at the time I went through medications like Celebrex, Vioxx, Peroxicam, and every NSAID there was with little to no relief. Well I was eventually fired from my job due to the fact my productivity was showing decline do to back pain. I had 1 MRI done in 1998 an then another 4 yrs later at that point I was put on 7/325 mg Hydrocodone 3 times a day. This was amazing how much relief I had gotten after all these years. I still have been on the Motrin 800 for the past 12 yrs which they do nothing but following doctors orders. Last year I had been given a new Doctor/Resident and I asked if I could have a recent MRI done, she responded no because you have degenerative disease that its only going to show more degeneration why should the money be spent on it and continued to prescribe the medications. On July 5th I was in another vehicle motor accident adding upper back pain to my current condition so my doctor, at this time was a new resident, who had increased my hydrocodone to 6 at 10/650mg per day. After 2 months of this I felt this just was too much medication and spoke with her about some type of long acting 12 hour pain medication, She mentioned Methodone, I agreed with the methadone due to the fact it can also get me off or minimize the narcotics I was on and the Hydrocodone was dropped to 3 a day an given 2 methodone per day. 4 days later I started having memory loss, I was bloated and had huge red blotches all over my body. I was taken off the methodone immediatly. But instead of offering something to try an help me get off the narcotics she put me on MS Contin which in my opinion was yes may help with pain but not help me get off the narcotics. As of last week my 12 yr old daughter who is bipolar and now in a treatment facility for medication review had decided to run to the doctor an throw out a long tale of how I am not myself anymore an the medications have changed me. Even though my daughter stated to her that she is a pathalogical liar and lies constantly. The only reason I can think why she did this was because me an her mom had a large argument the night before because she wanted to go out with friends on a school nite an she threw a tantrum and eventually tried to jump out her 3rd floor window, I stopped her but was injured by getting kicked in the groin and abdomen but made calls to her therapist and was making appointments to get her into a Pediatric EMH program to get her help. The Doctor had child services take her and again she is getting the help she needs but after hearing a 12 yr olds story she called me in and proceeded to decare that I am officially to recieve no more narcotic medications ever again. She has even claimed that she is going to mark my charts in bold letters "NO NARCOTICS". This doctor wanted nothing to hear what I had to say about the incident believing my daughter 100%. have been on the Hydrocodone for over 5 yrs and the MS Contin for 3 months there are days I will admit I may take an extra 1 for a long day working outside an then other days I may take less but I guess my original question is...Is a doctor allowed to just stop you dead on all your medications just like that and not to offer you any help either finding a detox facility or any help...it has now been 7 days off my medication an I can barely get out of bed or I get woken up multiple times per night because of my back pain. I have tried every place that does inpatient or outpatient detox by use of Suboxome but all are full or not booking until January. This doctor has taken my home and my family an torn us apart an had made our lives just each day more an more stressful, I cant go running from ER to ER because that is wrong and I know I shouldnt but when my Doctor said if I dont get to a detox facility I could end up looking for heroin on the street. What kind of Doctor says that to a patient?
Are doctors allowed to stop narcotic medications immediatly even if I have a documented medical back problems? and who can I contact because of this.
Mike

[chris1212]

anyone can build a tolerance to pain meds, just like they can with alcohol. one major point I have yet to see, we as people are different, what works for you may do nothing for me, that is why it is called practicing medicine and we all need to remember that.

[frogg5197]

i also have a issue with my back and my neck and both of my hips. i had went into a dr office in 2000 and something and i told him straight up I need a dr who will manage my pain. He grabbed me and walked me down the hall and he told me. I know what you are doing here and by the way you are not going to get it from here.. He never gave me the chance to explain to him. i have spyndho. in s1 L-5 also i have 9 vertebraes that are deteriating and i have had a hip replacement and i need another one. I said i cannot take no more. I kept going to the er. One day a dr came and told me i know what you have. Surgery was done. Now i have 4 screws in my back and also when i lay in bed at night i have to lay my legs a certain way and when i do. I wake up and I cannot move at all. the pain is so sever it takes me an hour to move i have to close my leg and lay it against the other one just to move it. He told me to go find someone else. at the end of me seeing my surgeon i had gotten a primary care dr. they did not want me on the stronger stuff but i had found a script and while in the change i ran out. so I took it to get it filled they called my surgeon and they told the pharmacist that their hospital was not going to write me any. I told them ok. Luckly i went to a primary care dr who was compassionate cause i seen him 4 year earlier. He wants me to go to a pain clinic. I told him that if i did they would change the meds i was on and i did not want that cause they helped. My point is ask friends who go and see who will not mind in writing them. I had to i have no choice. As i am typing now i hurt so bad. But i have to wait until it is time for my other one. The only way they can ban you from getting them period is if they red flag you. i know this idiot who runs from one to another and the dr caught him he was red flagged. ask your pharmacist i did. they will tell you. if it is not working tell your dr. but call them and ask them if you have been flagged cause if you have you will not get any from anywhere.

[selfinduced]

Just wanted to mention you have posted on an old thread. If you start your own post with this same question, you will get more replies...good luck!

[selfinduced]

That is not right of your Dr. I have never heard of such a thing. So sorry, Meanwhile get the supplies for the Thomas Recipe on the bottom of this page, Read some post on here on all the natural detox tricks. How many pills a day were you taking and what mg. What is a long time as far as pill use? Keep posting for support.

[blface]

I just had neck surgery after taking pain medications for a long time now and the day the doctor released me out the hospital he cut me cold turkey. I'm still fighting with that because the surgery pain is far worse then what the pain was initially. I don't understand how he can just cut me off and tell me to bite the bullet. Why would you even let someone go through surgery pain and DT at the same time. I am not a suicidal person but I could see that happening to someone. I still can't move around and I am basically laying in 3000 positions trying to get comfortable without hurting my neck. This is not a good situation.

[Roxy955]

Thank you for replying so quickly/ I have such awful nerve pain it is the only meds that work. I am going today to the Dr that prescribed this origionaly. The Dr that pulled me off was a man that never gave me any warning! This med works for me I tryed everything. Then I went on this medication. I am not happy to take it, but I don't wanna go back to being dysfunctional with out it.
Again thanks so much.