for once a question about too MANY scripts.

[Ashelen]

so I haven't been updating really but long story short turns out the excruciating abdominal pain I was having is 2 more kidney stones lodged halfway through my right ureter....I have to have surgery to remove them (one is 5.5mm and one is 7.1mm) on wednesday...I'm quite scared about that. i've had the surgery before, but now that I have my babies counting on me I'm very scared to be put out.


anyway...I'm just a mess because of the surgery. luckily I won't miss my daughter's birthday party tomorrow...so I'm very excited :). Now I just have to deal witht he pain of two giant kidney stones blocking my kidneys until wednesday...no fun!

I think I also just took my pain medicine twice in like 5 minutes (which would equal 20mg hydrocodone...called the pharmacist and he said I wouldn't die but I'm a little freaked out that I could possibly do this...I still don't know for sure but the pain was seriously screwing with me. I'm SO careful when I take my meds....I've never done this before! waiting for it to kick in to see how strong it feels to see if I took 2 doses and I'm freaked out...anyway)

Oh I have a question. this is a long one so someone please follow me and help me out.

Ok...so my neuro prescribes me 10mg Norcos 2x a day...but he accidentally wrote the script for 5mg 2x a day. he said to just take 2 per dose until I was out and he would fix the script next time. So I had that filled...and then a few days later had these kidney stones...and the ER wrote me for 15 lortabs (5mg..1-2 every 6 hours). obviously I didn't fill that because I still had the other one and I TOLD the ER doc I had it, and he said good here's some extra. well I had to go back to the ER and I told them that I still had plenty of pain medicine, and they wrote me for 15 vicodin ES (7.5mg) and told me that now I would have extra again just in case (and yes they were aware of the script from my neuro AND the script I received from the ER the night before because I specifically explained it to the ER doctor)...

so...I now have the script I filled from my neuro (which is the wrong dose)...I have the other 2 scripts that I haven't filled yet....what am I supposed to do? I'm going to need most of the meds to deal with the kidney stone pain, but I feel like it's going to look seriously funny if I tear through the Norco and then fill a lortab and vicodin script one after another....but I don't know what to do. Should I just sit the pharmacist down, show him the 2 new scripts, and explain what happened and why I need to fill them all in a short amount of time? anyone have something like this happen? I'm taking everyting as prescribed but because I already had the one script when they gave me the new one I just went ahead and converted the dose I was taking so that I didn't try to fill another one and look suspicious...

make sense?

[marley2003]

Hi, I'm new to the forum... I agree with the other posters that it is a good idea to talk to your neuro. Although if you have no contract, technically, I don't think you should really have a problem as you are not bound by the '...I agree not to take narcotic Rx's from another doctor within 30 days of seeing your doc...'

On another note, I would be EXTREMELY careful taking so much medication with acetaminophen at once! That can really endanger your liver! Perhaps the Dilaudid would have been a better choice- as it is a pure opiate with no other active ingredients. Another option for you might be Vicoprofen, If hydrocodone works so well for you. Yet another reason to consult your neurologist tomorrow am. Take it from someone who had kidney and liver failure almost seven years ago, it's not pretty. (It was not from tylenol, but now if i take it for more than a day or two my liver enzymes go through the roof!)
Good luck with the surgery! As a sufferer of CKD (chronic kidney disease) I empathize-kidney pain is horrible in all forms.
Take Care,
~marley2003

[Tuckamore]

Just wondering how you are doing. I produce kidney stones often and know how very painful they can be. My has one was a 7.0 and I PASSED it after five days.

I hope tomorrow you are able to get your Rx's straightened out.  I'll look forward to your update.

Blessings,
~Tuck

[flower12345]

I'm so sorry that you're having a flare up this morning! I hope that you feel better and I hope that your daughter has a great party.

Personally though, I would rather (just for me--my preference) have only one doctor writing my scripts because you never know. If you have to go to another doctor (even in a couple of years or something) and they look up your prescriptions in the database they may have questions. It's easier I think just to have one doctor writing all prescriptions because sometimes people get into trouble for not doing anything wrong. It's terrible.

Also, can you write down everything that you want to tell the doctor when you call on Monday? Maybe you can write a bullet point list (type it out) so you don't get fumbled when you speak. I do that, because I hate calling doctor's offices. It helps me to verbalize things better.

Again, I hope that you feel better.

Hugs,

Flower

[Ashelen]

Yeah he didn't fix it on the script he just told me so I knew there would be a problem when I tried to fill anything....but he said his office has a note to approve the next fill very early so that if the pharmacy called it would be approved right away.

Thank you all so much I'm definitely gonna call the neuro monday morning. I hope I don't babble and I can explain it the way it happened..it's a little confusing, but I know that if he hears how it really happened he should be fine with everything..I didn't try to trick anyone and if you look at my ER records I actually didn't even ask for the pain medicine, lol.

thanks again guys...I'm having a bit of a flare-up this morning but it's my daughter's birthday party and by the Powers that Be....I will get through this day LOL.

:)

[geminigirl1963]

I agree that you need to call your neuro BEFORE you even attempt to fill any of the scripts from the ER.  All three scripts (your current one with the neuro and the two from the ER docs).  Even if he says it's ok to increase your current dosage that he has you on, he may request that you turn the scripts from the ER into him and then he write you a script for the increased dosage.  As stated from someone else, since your neuro is your prescribing doctor, he very well may want to be the only one who is writing you pain scripts.

Even if he doesn't request that you turn the ER scripts in to him, and he agrees with the higher dosing instructions that you got from the ER, it's still very important for your neuro to know what's going on with your pain control, as well as with the kidney stones and upcoming surgery.

One question I do have on the script from your neuro - when he wrote the script wrong and told you to take two of the 5mg twice a day, did he actually write it on the script that way or just TELL you to do it that way?  The only reason I'm asking is that if he did not write it on the script that way and only told you to do it, then based on the way he would have the script written, you would be running out of that script in about half of the time than it should be (only based on how it's written, not that you're taking it differently than he told you) - so ANY script for the same hydrocodone medication may be kicked back out at the pharmacy when you go to get it filled.  You may end up having to have your neuro actually talk to the pharmacist when you go to get your next script from the neuro filled, telling the pharmacist that he (the neuro) had made an error on the last script and that he had told you to take two of the pills twice a day instead of the one pill twice a day as the script had been written.

I hope you feel better real soon.  Fortunately, I've never had kidney stones (knock on wood), but my father has had several and I've seen how miserably painful they are for him.

[flower12345]

I agree that it's best to call your neuro and let him know that you have two extra prescriptions for the same medication and that they're from the ER doctors. Tell him what's going on with your health.

I would then ask him if he wants you to fill the other prescriptions when you run out. Even though you don't have a pain contract, I think that many doctors (when they prescribe for you) want to be the only doctor prescribing, so maybe he will want to be the one to write the script.

Also, I would write everything down and email it to myself. I myself love documenting things, lol! No, I'm kidding. I don't love it, but I do think that it's important to document in general when it comes to your health. If you email yourself, you have proof of when you wrote it too. I'm not saying I think there will be problems, because I really think that it will be just fine. But, if the doctor tells you to fill both of the ER scripts, maybe you can write that down in case there are any questions about it in the future.

I hope that you feel better.

Hugs,

Flower

[GracethruFaith]

Hi ashelen I am new here but just wanted to say I am praying for you and wish you the best regarding your surgery.

[happyhbmom]

I agree with your plan, but to definitely call the neuro first.  Since he is your primary provider of narcotic meds, he's the one who needs to keep tabs on you and he will get a copy of your pharmacy activity, so better to ask now than have him be suspicious for no reason!  Happy birthday to your daughter!  

[Ashelen]

Thanks guys! I definitely did NOT intend to take the 2 doses at once, but I'm fairly certain now that I didn't...when the dose kicked in my pain eased but I didn't feel any extra side effects which I would have had my dose been higher than usual...i"m VERY sensitive to my meds.

But yeah I agree I was planning ot call my neurologist and say "look I went to the ER for a completely unrelated pain problem and I'm having surgery wednesday, but in the meantime I need to let you know that they gave me more scripts of essentially what you prescribed..they knew about the script that you gave me, but they wanted me to be able to manage the kidney stone pain." and see what he says...I HOPE he understands, I DEFINITELY was not going to the ER for pain meds I was so delerious from agony that I had to go in an ambulance the first time 2 days ago and then the ER doctors told me to come back after 24 hours even if I felt better for a re-eval. They actually offered to send me home with dilaudid but as I stated in another post, I don't think it works for me. They said I was crazy to turn down the stronger med lol.

No my neurologist doesn't do pain contracts, he says that they're bad for the patient and the prescribing physician...which I don't know if I believe or not, it's nice to have consistancy, but it's also nice not to be locked into a contract...I've been there done that before and the doctor I was with left NO wiggle room.

as far as taking "extra" I'm actually not...I'm taking less than the ER doc told me to for THEIR scripts, but more than my neuro says to...if that makes sense? I'm trying ot meet in the middle so I don't just tear through the scripts even though the pain is horrific right now especially.


I feel so bad for your mom Jaybay! It's really an awful thing...worse than labor in my experience and that's after 2 very very low pain-intervention deliveries. well I should say one with a worn-off epidural and one with an epidural that didn't work after 2 tries. I don't have a choice about the surgery unfortunately. I would rather pass the stones on my own, but my kidney is officially blocked and runs the risk of sepsis and/or organ failure eventually because the stones are too large to pass on my own so they are requiring me to do the surgery. Not a happy camper but I understand why and I'll do whatever it takes to be healthy and HERE for my babies even if it means confronting my own fears about surgery and general anesthesia.

sorry I'm rambling again..can you tell I'm nervous? lol

Thanks again guys I'll definitely talk to the pharmacist and my neuro and make sure we're all on the same page...hoping they don't mislabel me. that's always my biggest fear as a chronic pain patient...but if I explain it right and I'm honest I don't see how they can object but you never know. I've got many more days before I'm out of the first script and have to even THINK about the other two but I'm still nervous worried about how it might be perceived.

Anyway...done rambling. thanks again :) I will definitely give her hugs Sara ...I just got done painting the end of our bar with chalkboard paint, baking her cookie cake, and wrapping her presents...yea I'm about doubled over in pain but it's SO worth it!

[Jaybay]

Just call your neuro and explain what is going on.  If you feel like you need the extra meds, ask him if it's OK to fill one of the ER scrips and also ask for instructions on exactly how much extra you can take.  Honesty is always the best policy where these things are concerned.  The ER docs treated you very well, but you may never see them again.  You WILL be seeing your regular prescribing doctor again and you don't want to jeopardize that relationship.

I can't imagine how painful those huge kidney stones must be!  My mom scared me to death when she started having trouble with them back in 1980.  My dad got transferred from Kansas to Houston and we were scheduled to meet him in a couple more weeks with the household goods.  I was 17 at the time with my younger brother in the house.  My mom NEVER gave in to illness of any kind, and she spent the day moaning in bed and running to the bathroom.  By the time she actually started crying and was stifling screams, I was ready to call an ambulance against her strenuous objections.  Finally, she came out of the bathroom displaying a huge, jagged kidney stone that she had passed.  Holy cow!  Of course, Mom being Mom, she never would talk to a doctor about it.  She also wouldn't increase her water consumption or do anything else about it, so she regularly suffered with stones.  

I'm glad to hear you are doing something about it and not allowing yourself to suffer.  The surgery will go fine!  Try to think about how much better you'll feel once it's behind you.  :-)

[Sarajmt]

Gosh, I've never had that problem!  If I were you I'd keep myself out of pain this week.  Are you under a pain contract?  If so you need to contact them on Monday.  At any rate you need to talk to at least one of your doctors on Monday.

In the meantime, call the pharmacist and inquire about what you can safely take.  You can alert your pharmacist about what's going on.  But please be careful and don't take an overdose!

Good luck and I hope the surgery goes well for.  And give your daughter a big birthday hug from me!

Sara