Going to see a new doctor, questions regarding meds

[elle_belle_trvs]

Hello, let me first introduce myself...I am a 26yo female suffering chronic low back pain since a 2005 auto accident. I was treated for years in Florida ,where I was in college, and once I moved home I haven't reached out for help until now. I just cannot cope with the pain alone any longer. I have been told by multiple doctors that my condition is not an ideal candidate for surgery and/or procedures....I have tried everything recommended to me, ice, heat, rest, physical therapy, aqua therapy, chiropractic, accupuncture, holistic, massage, tens....everything they recommended I tried with no success. I finally went to a pain management clinic while I still lived in FL and through trial and error we finally found something the worked. I was prescribed Duragesic patches for longterm and oxycodone for breakthru pain. This worked very well allowing me full functionality of my life. But recently I was laid off and moved back home to KY, I lost my insurance so I have been off all my meds. Also I am now in a different town and must go see a new doctor....
I guess my questions/concerns are that I still have no insurance but my family has agreed to help me pay for my visits and meds out of pocket...but I am very worried that when I see the new doctor he will have me start the entire process of trial and error over again, although I already know what has worked for me. I do not have the resources to be able to pay for trial and error of multiple meds and office visits. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas which might be helpful to my situation? I go to the dr next week (4/18).
Please help- I feel so lost and confused. I am so young and have so many years of my life to live and I just want to be able to enjoy every moment of it to the fullest!

Thank you in advance for listening and thoughts!!
~Elle

[elle_belle_trvs]

You post has been most helpful. My pain stems from a motor vehicle accident in FL in 2005 and that is when I was seeking PM. I believe the amount of time has lapsed, unfortunately, making it legal for them to destroy my records. I also contacted my pharmacy in FL to see if they have any record of what was prescribed but they only keep records for 18 months so again another dead end. I haven't been on ANY meds since late 2007 & I do not have any bottles from what was prescribed. As for PM 2007-present there is nothing. I have been an absolute mess for years and just not had the guts to go back after all the treatments and trial&error medications I felt like such a guinea pig....I have tried for years to accept my pain and live with it but it have come to the point that I have NO quality of life....hence my move back home to KY to be with my family, then losing my job last year for my inability to function. Thus leading to my current situation. Last year I finally got up the nerve to go have a new MRI and it was at that time I saw multiple back specialists and was told I wasn't a candidate for surgical options and my only route was to go back to PM...after processing this almost a year I have decided if I want to live a fulfilling life this may be my only option. This is where I am at currently.

I find all your statements to be very true, including that KY has a lot of narcotic abuse and I have heard PM in the state is very hard, as the doctors are weary every patient is an addict. I am going to take your advice going into my appointment with an open mind and let my doctor tell me what he things is best, & if asked what works I will tell.

I truly appreciate all your very helpful and knowledgable advise and will keep everyone posted after Mondays appt!

Thanks again!
Elle

[geminigirl1963]

I'm sorry you've been having such trouble with your pain, loss of job, insurance and having to move.

How long has it been since you've seen your PM doc in FL?  I believe (not 100% sure) that there is a MINIMUN amount of time that all medical records have to be kept (I believe it's like 5-10 years) and in reading your original post, it sounds to me like you're probably well within that timeframe.  I woudl definitely pursue that further.  If you're not able to get anywhere with the office, it may help to have your new doc do a request for the records (you'll have to sign a release for him to get them) - sometimes doctor's office are more readily willing to release records directly to another physician rather than the patient - which doesn't make any sense to me because they are YOUR records and you have every right to have a copy of them, even if you are not takin them to a new doctor.

How long have you been without your meds?  My concern is that if you've just recently run out of the meds, you may end up going into withdrawal.  If you've been without them for a while, what have you been doing for pain control instead of the meds?

At any rate, I would say be prepared when you go to the new doc that he/she may very well want to "start from scratch" to see what the most effective pain control would be.  This is especially true if you're not able to get your past medical records.  Unfortunately KY is one of the states that has the highest addiction/abuse rates around, so doctors are even more leary about prescribing any narcotics, and especially the "heavier" ones such as fentanyl (duragesic).

I would most definitely suggest - if you still have them - to take your old oxycodone bottle and duragesic box with you to the apointment.  This will not only let the doctor see for himself what you've been prescribed, but will also give him the information as to when your last prescription was.

Be open to other options that he may suggest - by not doing so, even though you've already "been there/done that", would definitely send up red flags to the doc and may make him even more leary about presribing your meds without previous records.  Definitely do not walk into the appointment specifically requesting duragesic and oxycodone.  By all means, if the doctor asks you what has worked in the past, be honest with him and tell him, but do not go in asking for specific meds.

I wish you the best of luck and please keep us posted on how you make out.

[geminigirl1963]

I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience with Medicaid in your state.

Unlike Medicare, Medicaid coverage amounts and qualifications vary from state to state.  Also unlike Medicare, the Medicaid program uses your financial information, as well as medical necessity, to determine qualification.

A couple of suggestions I have for you are:

a) check with your local hospital to see if they have a patient assistance/charity program.  If your husband requires surgery and does not have insurance, he may qualify for this.  Of course, that would ONLY cover the hospital costs, and not the doctor fees, medication, etc., but it would be something

b) If your husband is not able to work any longer due to his medical condition, check into applying for Social Security Disability.  While this is definitely not a "quick" fix - it can take a year or more sometimes to get approved and even after approval, Medicare doesn't become effective for another two years.  However, this might be an option for more long-term assistance.

I wish you both teh best of luck!

[cocochennel]

Midacaid is a joke my hub 53 had a heart attack, then lost his job bc he has a stimt in 1 artery, and still has 2 clogged artries needs open heart surgery they refuse to accept him on medicaid in tn.

[elle_belle_trvs]

Thank you both so much for your responses, that is great advice! I have applied for Medicaid but am having a very hard time getting approved, which I why I went ahead and scheduled an appointment. Also, I have contacted my pain management clinic in FL to obtain my records but have run into problems. I called the office of the doctor I was seeing and they told me my Dr is no longer in practice. I asked if they can get my records and they said those records were put into storage and when they checked they found that they had been disposed of after a certain amount of time passed. Therefore, they are no longer in existence! Now, I am even more concerned I will has to start from the beginning without documentation of my records! Any more advice welcomed!
Thanks again for your posts! Glad I can be a part of the MedHelp family, it has been very helpful and reassuring!

[Tuckamore]

Hi Elle,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am glad that you found us and took the time to post but sorry to hear about your chronic pain. We can relate.

I agree that you need to obtain your medical records. They will be key in your treatment. I am surprised you were able to function for years without pain management. Be prepared to answer that question when you see a new physician.

I also agree that you should apply for state insurance. Some physicians will not see a patient without insurance. I have seen them turned away as I have sat in clinics waiting for my appointment. I found this very sad.

The meds you were on are some of thee most expensive on the market. Unfortunately your new physician may want to change them for that reason .... sadly some state insurances will not cover the more expensive pain management meds.

The also discovered that insurance companies obtain lower charges for medications then private pay patients....I think this is a sad situation...maddening but unfortunately it is not illegal and it happens across the nation.

I wish you the very best and hope you will find good pain management. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[ashleyanne84]

You probably could get on Medicaid since you're unemployed to save money. Im on it and doctor visits are $2 and prescriptions are $1. I live in Ky as well. You should get your records from your doctor in Fl so you wont have to go through all the trial and error again because you know what works for you. With Medicaid most likely you'll need to see a primary care doctor and be referred to a pain doctor. Good luck.