Doc took off meds - help

[Hurtone24]

Have severe arthritis and major back problems. Need to have back surgery really bad but can't afford to do it right now. Was seeing my doctor for 2 years or so and he was managing the pain with vicoprofan. He had me on 240 of the 7.5 mg pills and on 240 of the 10 mg pills every month for nearly 15 months. Then I guess a pharmacist saw I was being overprescribed and then all hell broke loose. My wife told me that shw thought I was being overprescribed but I thought he knew what he was doing and knew how much pain I am in and so i really didn't think much about it. Then when the pharmacist called the doctor after 15 months (I picked up both prescriptions on the same day from the same pharmacy before) I was bascially blamed for it and was made to sign a contract and was taken down to one script. Well I did it but struggled a bit going from two scripts to one and ran out 5 days early. I called his office and his nurse called in my script and I picked it up OK. They then called in the other script for the 7.5's. I didn't know about this script. My wife got a call that I had a script to be picked up and so she went and got it and it was the 7.5's again. Now I have two scripts again. This was not my fault. I tried to return them and the pharmacy would not take them back and called the doctor and they were gone for the day. Next day I got into a car accident and then just never called and to be honest ended up taking those pills too. Well I called to get my next script filled and now he dropped me as a patient and left  me with nothing to withdraw with. I cant move without this medication. My back and legs hurt so bad I am going to loose my job. It kills me that number one he over precribed to me for 15 months then I had to try and get used to using one one script then I thought I did pretty good but I really am in pain. Severe pain. I do take the blame for some of this cause I should have asked about things when my wife brought it up then I shouldnt have overtaken but he knew what I was trying to get down to 8 pills a day and I just dont feel all of this is my fault. Then he gave me two scripts again. what is going on in that office. I wanted to give background. but my question is - am I ever going to be able to find another doctor? I have seen a couple doctors and am showing them my prescription history from the pharmacy and from insurance and I am being 100% honest. Yes I am probably addicted but yes I cant stand the pain either. should I be honest with the docs or should I not be showing them so much. I never tried to be deceiving with this doctor or any doctors about my pain or the meds.

[Tuckamore]

If you feel the physician was out of line and dropped you based on his mistakes I may consider reporting him to the medical board. There is a huge difference between reporting a physician and a legal action or litigation. I'm assuming you only want to protect others so this does not happen to some one else.  

You are not been a rock and a hard spot. If I understand your posts you are guiltless in this mess but are being punished for the physicians errors. That doesn't seem fair to me. Don't get me wrong, life is often not fair. However when an injustice has been done to you I beleive you have the right to do something to correct that. I do not understand how you could have violated a contract, if there was one. But maybe I do not understand the entire story.

[RunningMom]

I was lucky with the PCP's.  I geared toward the sports medicine doctors, as I was very physically fit and into fitness before my injury.  They were very understanding of disc pain and helped me until I found pain management.  My first pain management doctor was horrible, he way under treated my pain.  I stuck with him for a year because I didn't want to look like the doctor shopping type.  That was a silly thing to do on my part.  Keep looking for a PCP who is going to help you, they are out there.  Tell them your pain isn't being managed even with the medicine you were/are taking.  You also should be looking for a pain management doctor too along with a surgeon.  By the sounds of it, it looks like you will need surgery to repair those discs.  I wouldn't report the last doctor for dropping you.  You didn't have a signed contract and it would go nowhere.  With pain management, you will most likely have a pain contract and strict rules to follow.  Mine, I take UA testing and they go as far as pill counts during my appointment.  Pain management doctors can not normally drop you without tapering the medicine first.  Ratemds.com is a good place to look at pain management doctors.  They will tell you if most the people like them or not.

[Hurtone24]

anyone know a good pain management doc in illinois who would help me? could be missouri that is close for me as well

[Hurtone24]

My wife is understanding of my pain. she is just mad at the doctor for using me as his way to get out of trouble. she has spent hours researching doc's for me to go to. As far as why they filled both scripts I dont have a clue. I looked at my records last night and on 4/18/2009 i walked out of the pharmacy (same pharmacy) with both full brand new prescriptions. What happened last month with both prescriptions I can only guess a differeent pharmacist filled each??? I have no clue. I am going to try a pain management doctor but now I have to find someone to refer me. My doc who dropped me wont help. should I report him??? if he could have killed me shouldn't I report him. I told two doctors yesterday about this and showed them all my drug records and neither one suggested I do this. I am only skeptical because when things like this happen then a whole lot of other people who are depending on medicine from this guy might loose their meds too. Not sure what to do. thanks for all the help. i really appreciate it and appreciate that you all know where I am coming from.

[RunningMom]

Don't go into the doctors and tell them that you think you are addicted.  Your not.  Your just looking for better pain management.  What you were given was not strong enough to manage the pain.

Again, I wish you the best of luck and I hope you find a good doctor really soon.

[RunningMom]

Keep looking for a doctor to help you.  I had a PCP help me for 3 months until I found a pain management clinic.  I have herniated disc's too, but in my neck.  I'm in pain management and they prescribe me oxycontin along with percocet for break through pain.  Even that isn't enough to control the pain well.  I'm sorry your wife isn't more understanding of your pain.  You need to bring your records into each doctor you see.  I've been to several doctors too, and it takes a while to find good care.  Just don't give up, you shouldn't have to live in pain like this without any help.

[Mollyrae]

Sorry, I guess I didn't see the part where you have obtained your medical records...

Good luck again,
Molly

[Mollyrae]

Hello:

Well, in my opinion, you were being over prescribed at that dose. Your Doctor should have increased the pain medication to a higher dose and lowered the amount. I think any Pharmacist would have been alarmed.

I'm also very surprised that your Doctor would let you take that much Ibuprofen for a period of time. I feel that something along the lines of Oxycodone or Contin would have served you better.

You're going to need to find new pain management. Your Doctor under contract has the obligation of giving you a 30 day notice before he lets you go. You may want to look into that.

I'm sorry this has happened......Pain Management Clinics can be very tricky and you really have to pay attention to everything in the contract and how your prescribed. Even refilling early can send you to the streets these days.

In our State, our PCP does the prescribing so I'm not very familiar with Pain Clinics. I feel for you. You will just have to find another....and be careful, your medical record may be red flagged and this will make it hard to find good pain management. It would be a good idea to review your records before hand.

Take care and good luck,
Mollyrae

[Tuckamore]

Hello Hurton,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. I am glad that you found us and took the the time to post....but very sorry to hear about the medication mix up.

In hindsight you should have contacted the physician immediately with the mix up on the prescription. If you use the same pharmacy (as you should), they should have never filled it. The situation makes little sense. If the pharmacy were they whistle blowers why did they fill it? And if the physician was not to refill that particular prescription, why did he do so?

I would write a letter to your physician. Explain all the facts and place them in chronological order. He made the error...as did the pharmacy by filling it. Your error was not contacting them, regardless of the MVA. But make sure your letter goes into your medical file and keep a copy of it.  

Begin looking for another physician immediately. Be honest and upfront. Take a copy of the letter with you and reiterate what happened. We must always be honest with physicians. Any deviation from the truth will only bring unwanted results.

It was a huge amount that you were being prescribed. I am not saying that you were abusing or misusing but the levels of Ibuprofen was extremely high, dangerously high. I have no doubt that you required that much pain management but in my opinion there are other more effective medications that should have been considered by your physician. I beleive the real error is in his judgement. But again that is my personal opinion.  

There is a difference between dependancy and addiction. If you have chronic pain and were using your medications as they were prescribed that is not addiction. I agree with RunningMom, other ppl are very quick to judge and have no idea what chronic pain is nor how it effects our daily life.

Please let us know how this turns out for you. We will watch for your updates with interest. I too wish you the best of luck...and begin your search for pain management asap.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[Hurtone24]

I think I say addicted because nothing else works for me and I have no idea how I am going to work without this medicine. No I dont take to get funny feeling. Dont get funny feeling anymore. havent in a long time. I cant get out of bed in the morning without pain meds. My wife is angry with the doctor for giving me too much meds then blaming me for it and dropping me. I really think he is just scared the pharmacy is going to report him so he dropped me. like it is my fault he overprescribed. I cant write my own prescriptions and I cant tell them what to put me on or how much to give me. went to two doc today and neither will help me. showed them my pharmacy records and ins records of scripts he was giving me and they are stunned by how much he was giving me and I think they are scared because of the amount I was given. Got records today from my back doc and he even has in his notes that I was on both medicines and he didnt say anything about it and the notes even say I have a piece of disc broken off in my  back. l4-l5 colapse. they both said to go to pain management to detox off. that would be fine if my problem was addiction but my problem is pain. I have no idea what I am going to do. Should I not tell anyone what this doc did to me. I thought being honest would be best but after today I am not so sure.

[RunningMom]

Was this a pain management clinic or your PCP?  You need to find another doctor and tell him everything.  There is no way you should be able to have to live with this pain.  480 pills is way too much with the ibuprofen, you could run into liver failure/poisioning.  The doctor should of been aware of that and prescribed you a long acting narcotic like Oxycontin.  No right doctor is allow to drop you without tapering of some sort, that is just wrong.  I would start looking now and find another doctor who will help you.  A pain management doctor would be best.  Also, I would find another pharmacy to get your refills and stick with them.

What makes you think your addicted?  Are you taking the pills so they give you that funny feeling or are you taking the pills so they are taking care of the pain?   Vicoprofan is one of the weaker opiates.  It's personally not strong enough for the pain I have.  Is your wife bringing her concerns to the doctor too?  Goodness, I don't tell my family exactly what medicine I take or how much.  That is between my doctor and I and no one elses business.  Other people are very quick to judge and they have no idea what it is like to live in severe chronic pain and how important opiate medicine is.

Good luck and I hope you find another doctor asap.