Aa
I was just needing some advice on my medication
Hi i have been going to a pain clinic for the past 3 years,last month my dr decides he dosen't take my insurance as a secondary payment.Every time i have went every month i have passed all drug tests and all pill counts,i have at least 2 to 3 injections every month which i was told was too much.I am a 52 year old woman have been disabled for 13 years,i have a degenerative disc disease,post tramatic stress disorder,depression and severve panic attacks.In 2007 my husband shot me with a long colt 45 point blank in my shoulder which busted it up very painful,then he killed himself in front of me with a sawed off shotgun really disturbed me and still does not counting the pain.i have nerves around bullet fragments and a torn rotary cuff,plus my back problems.I went yesterday to see the new dr that my dr that i have been seeing for 3 years sent me to.I have been on fentanyl 50 mg patches,plus percocet tens 4 times a day which last month they wrote them out for just the oxycodone 10 mg.I have been use to taking the other but the pharmacist says it would work better for me,anyway to make a long story short this new dr tells me hes taking me off my pain meds cold turkey,he wrote out my script for my patches and i have to go next week for a nerve injection,I am terrified of being drug sick,can he take me off cold turkey like this,shouldn't he taper me off or something,i have read bad things can really happen when you are withdrawing from pain medications and i don't want to do that i am sick enough without that pain.Anyone out there please i need some advice on what to do.I asked him twice are you sure i won't withdraw from not taking this medicine after taking it for so long,he says no you will be fine.I am scared,i have enough pain medicine for 6 more days i have been breaking them in half anything i can do.Well this is my first time getting on here and asking anyone for help but i sure do need some advice as to what to do.Thanks for reading this and may you have a Blessed day!!!
I'm going to have to be,because I'm already feeling it where I'm breaking them in half,not taking anything unless I can't take it anymore and if I wait until it's that bad it takes so long just to try to get out of pain because you don't.thanks again and May you have a Blessed Day!!!! Appreciate everything from everyone on here.
There you go. It's unanimous - find another PMP, asap.
- And please keep us posted.
Thanks,
~Tuck
- And please keep us posted.
Thanks,
~Tuck
You have a different kind of pain doctor, who does not believe in the treatment of your pain with opioid analgesics.
We have a name for interventional pain docs who don't use opioids -- "shot jocks."
Your best bet is to find another pain doc, quickly.
Is there a local university hospital with a pain clinic? Call them, and ask about their doctor's philosophies in treating pain with opioids. You can tell your story about being treated for years with opioids with success, and being transferred to a doc who doesn't want to prescribe, but use injections, instead.
Another strategy is to search for a local pain doc on the internet. Look at their website. Docs who use opioids usually have a sample controlled substance agreement on their site. Also, I have found that the pain docs most likely to use opioids in their choice of treatment modalities are those with the DABPM speciality. This means an MD with a diplomate from the American Board of Pain Management.
You may feel a mild discomfort as your body adjusts to the new dose, but you will not have severe withdrawal symptoms if you're still being maintained with 50ug of transdermal fentanyl. Losing the 40mg of oxycodone/day is equivalent to losing about 20% of your total opiood dose -- it can be uncomfortable, but not miserable.
Move quickly -- find a new doc.
We have a name for interventional pain docs who don't use opioids -- "shot jocks."
Your best bet is to find another pain doc, quickly.
Is there a local university hospital with a pain clinic? Call them, and ask about their doctor's philosophies in treating pain with opioids. You can tell your story about being treated for years with opioids with success, and being transferred to a doc who doesn't want to prescribe, but use injections, instead.
Another strategy is to search for a local pain doc on the internet. Look at their website. Docs who use opioids usually have a sample controlled substance agreement on their site. Also, I have found that the pain docs most likely to use opioids in their choice of treatment modalities are those with the DABPM speciality. This means an MD with a diplomate from the American Board of Pain Management.
You may feel a mild discomfort as your body adjusts to the new dose, but you will not have severe withdrawal symptoms if you're still being maintained with 50ug of transdermal fentanyl. Losing the 40mg of oxycodone/day is equivalent to losing about 20% of your total opiood dose -- it can be uncomfortable, but not miserable.
Move quickly -- find a new doc.
Thank you for your response and kind words!
Be assertive my friend in pain - and find another PMP.
Blessings to you also!
Be assertive my friend in pain - and find another PMP.
Blessings to you also!
Thanks so much for your time helping me get thru this,yes he doesn't know what he's doing in my opinion he doesn't know what pain is and I trust them enough to give me injections.smh God please help me thru this and show me the way.Hope you have a Blessed Day!!!
Hi Lakota,
Please excuse my tardy response and Welcome. I've had a horrendous pain flare of late.
Oh my dear - you have been through more than anyone should ever have to experience. My heart goes out to you! I am so very sorry. I don't know how you had the strength to survive - not just the physical injuries but the mental anguish you must have endured - and continue to endure. I have PTS too. I know what it can do to us!
First of all - find yourself a different PMP. He sounds like he has very little if any compassion for chronic pain patients.
I had a brand new PMP for a short time when I returned to my home state, (my mom was dying). He said the new thinking is to have the LA opiate (Fentanyl Patch) at a high enough dosage that you do not need the SA (Percocets). I was only "allowed" 2 SA opiates per day but he was going to DC that eventually. He also would not allow 2 different opiates - so the LA had to be the same as the SA. I was so "sick" on his regime I was suicidal. Anyway my point is your PMP appears to be going with the "new thinking". Find yourself a new one.
Don't be concerned about the withdrawals (w/d). When I returned to the state I had been living (following my mom's passing) I found a different PMP than I had before I left the state. He (with my consent) took me off the LA opiate and the SA med (same drug). He returned me to what I was initially taking some years ago, a much less potent opiate. I had one, yes one nite of restlessness and one day of anxiety. I had no other w/d symptoms. I did have a Diazepam that I took about midnight that certainly helped - but that was it.
I posted a question on our Substance Abuse Forum asking why I had no w/d. Some ppl said it was because I had that smaller dose opiate other ppl said I was just lucky. I did it all at once, no tapering of the LA or the SA opiate. I just started the new less potent opiate in the morning.
So I don't think you'll have w/d - but be prepared for a little short time of anxiety. If you do and you have something ordered for anxiety I'd take it. More importantly I truly do think you should find another PMP.
Please keep in touch. I hope you'll be active in our community - and I'll look forward to hearing from you again soon dear heart.
Take Care,
~Tuck
Please excuse my tardy response and Welcome. I've had a horrendous pain flare of late.
Oh my dear - you have been through more than anyone should ever have to experience. My heart goes out to you! I am so very sorry. I don't know how you had the strength to survive - not just the physical injuries but the mental anguish you must have endured - and continue to endure. I have PTS too. I know what it can do to us!
First of all - find yourself a different PMP. He sounds like he has very little if any compassion for chronic pain patients.
I had a brand new PMP for a short time when I returned to my home state, (my mom was dying). He said the new thinking is to have the LA opiate (Fentanyl Patch) at a high enough dosage that you do not need the SA (Percocets). I was only "allowed" 2 SA opiates per day but he was going to DC that eventually. He also would not allow 2 different opiates - so the LA had to be the same as the SA. I was so "sick" on his regime I was suicidal. Anyway my point is your PMP appears to be going with the "new thinking". Find yourself a new one.
Don't be concerned about the withdrawals (w/d). When I returned to the state I had been living (following my mom's passing) I found a different PMP than I had before I left the state. He (with my consent) took me off the LA opiate and the SA med (same drug). He returned me to what I was initially taking some years ago, a much less potent opiate. I had one, yes one nite of restlessness and one day of anxiety. I had no other w/d symptoms. I did have a Diazepam that I took about midnight that certainly helped - but that was it.
I posted a question on our Substance Abuse Forum asking why I had no w/d. Some ppl said it was because I had that smaller dose opiate other ppl said I was just lucky. I did it all at once, no tapering of the LA or the SA opiate. I just started the new less potent opiate in the morning.
So I don't think you'll have w/d - but be prepared for a little short time of anxiety. If you do and you have something ordered for anxiety I'd take it. More importantly I truly do think you should find another PMP.
Please keep in touch. I hope you'll be active in our community - and I'll look forward to hearing from you again soon dear heart.
Take Care,
~Tuck
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Did your Dr even give you a reason for taking you off of your break through meds? It's very common to have these when you're on a long acting med like the Fentanyl patch. It sounds like this Dr needs to learn a great deal more about pain and pain medications.
Would it be possible for you to see a different Dr?