Dr shopping laws- TX

[nldfw]

Hi,  I was seeing several Doctors (ok- a lot) in the last year or so regarding my broken tail bone/chronic back pain.  I went to a lot of Dr.'s who would prescrib meds, ask fro an MRI, not really find much and cut me off.  I dealt with it and dealt with it and just continued to go to Dr.'s to find answers and getting meds.  So, my insurance company notified us that they have notifed the DEA who has now sent letters to any Dr.'s that prescribed narcotic pain-killers to me.  I'm really really scared- does this mean I am in trouble for what I'm hearing about called "Dr. Shopping"?  My insurance company said that w/ a tailbone injury/back injury, I could see whomever I wanted, whenever and it wasn't a big deal- but now I'm worried.  I ended up getting hooked on painkillers but have been clean and free of them and don't plan on jever using them again unless I have to have another C-section or something like that.  I'm really scared that I'm legal trouble- what should I do?  Is this is a serious (felony type situation) issue in TX or is this more geared toward the DEA researching the Dr.'s prescribing the meds to me?  
Please get back to me if you can- I'm so incredibly scared that something horrible will come of this.  
Thank you- nldfw

[scaredmom330]

I don't know about TX but do know that they prosecute people here in Tennessee and also in Missouri. There is apparently alot of people around here that do doctor shop for narcotics. There is even a letter posted in my doctors office in every room advising it is a crime and a felony. I'm sorry I don't have any good news. It is also very hard to find a doctor here that will prescribe narcotics. It took me about a month after I moved here to find the one I see now. I moved from Indiana and never had this problem. I guess I didnt realize it happened so much. good luck and I hope everything works out ok for you.

[Tuckamore]

Hello,

I do not know if you will be prosecuted for Doctor Shopping. I beleive it is a felony. There was a famous radio personality was prosecuted for much less Dr. Shopping than you describe. I believe he actually spent time in jail

I don't think it matters in which state you reside. The DEA is a federal branch and they enforce federal drug laws.  You may want to contact an attorney or at the least do some research on the Dr. Shopping Laws.

Horrid chronic pain can drive ppl to make unwise decisions but never should we break the law. You'll always end up in more trouble that your bargained for and in your instance you may be hard pressed to locate a physician that will treat your condition or take your pain seriously.

I am sorry that you are in this situation. Good luck to you. I'm afraid you may need it.

Peace,
Tuck

[optimus22mac]

I don't know if I can answer any of your questions...but how many doctors were you seeing at once? and what types of doctors? and were you seeing them at the same time? Do you actually have a broken tailbone? Were any X-rays done to show fractures, or was there ever an MRI in the past with positive results?

I'm asking because I am a chronic pain patient with a similar ailment...I have/had a broken coccyx bone, with evidence shown in X-rays, CT scans, MRI, and Bone Scans. I see my family doctor, and had seen an orthopaedic surgeon up until, and post-op for my surgery this past May.  I had a coccygectomy, to remove the broken bones, and hopefully relieve my pain, but we are not really optimistic that the surgery was a total success, as I am still in extreme pain.  Other people have had great success with this procedure though--and that was the main reason I decided to do it; If it could be fixed? and no more painkillers? why not at least try it as a last resort?

One of my points here is that I can attest to the horrible pain that results from tailbone injuries.  
Even though the MRI showed nothing for you, does not mean there isn't an injury...they could have looked for a fracture, when it could be severely bruised.  There are also different types of x-rays (stand/sit) which show mobility of the coccyx bone, which would cause a lot of pain.  
An amazing website:  www.coccyx.org    many people tell their stories, as well as recommendations for specific doctors who specialize on the coccyx.

Now...back to your problem--yes, you probably were very wrong to go see multiple docs at once, especially if you did not disclose them to each other.  And were they prescribing medicines at the same time? The DEA could suspect you of selling the drugs if you were getting large quantities..???

I'm sorry I couldn't really ease your mind.  It does sound like you may be in trouble.  I just wanted to use my case as an example, to let you know that there are avenues to relief with problems of the coccyx.

Feel free to ask any further questions!