Is this a PM doctor or a Primary physician?
The CDC recommends that patients be given no more than 90-120 MME - (morphine equivalent dosing) per day.
Part of the problem is the volume of overdose deaths from heroin and fentanyl in the last few years, which are being attributed to opiates, which is partly true in regard to fentanyl.
Part was the huge increase in pill mills, and a huge part of the problem was primary care physicians , dentists, and others prescribing huge amounts of opiates to patients, or refilling prescriptions without actually seeing the patient in person.
Unfortunately for all of us, there were hundreds of thousands of patients that doctor shopped, obtaining opiate prescriptions from multiple physicians, and giving legitimate CPP a bad name.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, we are being scrutinized and treated as if we all misuse/a use the meds for now.
Part of living in CP is coming to terms with having a certain baseline level of pain that we must learn to live with as part of our reality, and make lifestyle adjustments, change the way we do things, and use as many other pain management options as we find helpful.
Neuropathic pain does not respond well to opiates, but there are other meds that ease that particular type of pain, muscle relaxers to ease muscle pain, topical creams, rubs and TENS help with muscle related pain.
Combining those other treatment options along with lower doses and dependence on opiates seems to work better than just opiates and increasing doses.
It is pretty unlikely in today's environment that most PM doctors are going to exceed the CDC recommendations, and many of us have had to endure reductions of opiates recently.
The good news is that your body will adjust to the reduction, and perhaps discussing what other types of meds might be helpful, what other treatment options can be added to your regimen might get some helpful suggestions , rather than trying to convince him/her to go back to your previous doses.
You dont want to create the impression that you are drug seeking, rather than pain management seeking.