new to the forum need some input

[BaileenJoshuasMama]

Ok so heres my story I had an accident Aug 23rd of 2003 i exploded my t 12 vertbrea and broke several others I have a ***. carriage in my back. I broke my jaw and it resulted in 5 surgeries on it because my body was rejecting the hardware and it kept abcessing but the last abcess turned into osteomyelitis which also turned into temporomandibular joint disorder I also severed the muscle and artery in my arm. So I was on pain med for 7 years. My rx was 15 mg immediate release oxycodone 7 times a day. I will say I was addicted, during the summer my addiction got out of hand but I got my self back down to my doseage and some days less. I also suffer from rls so I had tried smoking marijuana to ease those sympotoms and had a drs apt a few days later he uaed me and I lost my pain pills for life. So I quit cold turkey. He refused to help with with the withdrawls he told me your going to be sick but you will live I asked him for help and he told me your a typical pill addict. He didn't wean me down or anything it was 2 days before my refill was due. I'm not the typical pill addict I had less in my system when he uaed me that I'm prescribed which has been the case in the last month or so.  so now I'm not sure what to do about the pain. He is still my dr but won't rx me narcotics which is fine since I had an issue with them but I do need something for the pain does anyone know anything I can ask him about. I heard cortizon shots work alot but I was told with my type of injury it might not be possible are there other methods out there that he might be out with? i have been in bed the last 4 days with the withdrawls but also my back is killing me. I am a single young mom to 2 young very active children I need to keep my pain under control.

Thank you for your time
Tara

thank you for your time

[BaileenJoshuasMama]

So I went in and saw my dr today in concerns to my ua. So the lowest level of thc that a ua picks up is 25 my thc levels were 26. He was ready to put me back on oxycodone I told him no i had made too much progress coming off of it then he tried tramadol and I said no way its addicting and he told me its not but he told me to call him when I need something to help with the pain. so a sigh of releif if the pain gets unbearable

[Tuckamore]

I too think that your PMP is a bit out of line. If I were to take a Urine Drug Screen you would find it higher one time than the next because that is the nature of my pain. My prescribing physician is aware of that fact. Some days I need more than others and some days I need less but it all evens out.

I really think that it was the trace of THC that got you booted. The DEA keeps watch over the PM Clinics and they are unable to prescribe for anyone that has illegal substances in the system. Unfortunately the PMP risks losing his or her licenses if they do not abide by the DEA's regulations.

You may want to consider trying to obtain the services of another PMP. You made a mistake, we all make mistakes. Sometimes another PMP will over look a one time dirty UA. It's your call but trying to live with untreated chronic pain can be extremely difficult to say the least. Being a mom is physically challenging and I hope you can find some assistance with your pain management not only for your comfort but for your children's sake.  

I wish you the very best.

~Tuck  

[BaileenJoshuasMama]

tee ball season starts in a week I'm my daughters teams coach and I had to call the boys n girls club and tell them what had happened and that I wasn't going to be able to coach this year my pain I'm not sure if its the withdrawls but I don't think so cuz I'm able to sleep now and my legs aren't aching but my back has hurt so bad I can't even drive my kids to school anymore it hurts to sit in the car. I tried to do a few dishes and I simply couldn't it killed me. I'm going to have to do something this pain isn't an option my kids are 7 and 5 my daughter is in tee ball and girl scouts I'm a scout mom and always coached her team the last2 years. My son is special needs and is very hands on I can't be down with pain like this. addict in the past or not.

[mellie4]

It just seems unethical to me to leave a chronic pain patient all alone.  I don't think anyone should have to go through withdrawals, whether it's a pain patient or an addict.  Even if he said you and he need to talk about things or review your plan or whatever would be okay but to cut you off with no support.  I am shocked at some of the things I'm learning.

[BaileenJoshuasMama]

this was my first offense and he told me my thc  levels were so low they barely showed up but and that my level of oxycodone was less then what my rx says. then he had the nerve to call me a typical pill addict because I asked him to wean me down to avoid withdrawls or to give me something to help with withdrawls. I'm not your typical pill addict in the last month I had been on them my rx was take 1 pill 7 times a day I took them maybe 3 times a day. And I told him to his face in the apt before he uaed me that and I also told him there are sometimes when i have to take two pills at once to take care of the pain and he said ok thats fine it might be time to up the mg we will do that next refill.

[mellie4]

Sorry for what happened.  I have had cortisone shots (in my hands).  They have helped with the pain but you have to be careful.  If you have too many, the bone and joint can disintegrate (which happened to me and made a bad situation worse, much worse.)  As far as surgery goes, it doesn't always play out the way you hope.  I was told one surgery, 12-week recovery and I'd be as good as new.  Three years later I'm on tons of medication, not able to work, and will be having my 9th surgery probably before the end of the summer.  My pain is worse, not better, as I developed RSD, which is hard to treat.

I'm not sure about non-narcotic meds.  I've been on several but they had bad side effects and I didn't get relief.

I'm starting to look into non-traditional methods such as acupuncture, meditation, etc.

Also, I can't help feeling that these doctors who cut patients off completely when they've done one thing wrong, like filling a script early one time or like in your case, I just feel like it's unethical.  To leave a pain management patient dealing with withdrawals all alone with no suggestions how to handle it, seems wrong to me.

I mean, obviously, if someone is repeatedly having behavior that looks drug-seeking, then something needs to be done, but on a first time offense to just leave you all alone??  It seems wrong.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Tara,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. I am so sorry that you have had to go through such a painful MVA and complications. I admire the fact that you admit you cannot handle narcotics. You are a strong young lady. Now where do you go? Great questions with not a lot of answers.

Some ppl find that a TENS Unit works well for them. It is designed to scramble the pain signals and kind of confuse your brains interpretations of the pain.

Acupuncture has also been helpful for some ppl. I found it very relaxing which did ease a bit of the pain.

The usual hot showers, heating pads, NSAID, massage, meditation and similar things may help you. There are some good new prescription NSAID's available that work for some ppl. Be sure to protect your stomach lining from the very beginning.

Pain Management Therapists can also be beneficial. You may want to request a referral form your current physician.

I am not here to judge your choice to use THC. I just hope the day never comes when you require more than physicians are willing to prescribe you. You made choice that will follow you for years. I wish you the very best and hope that you can find pain relief with alternative methods.

Please feel free to let us know what works for you. We all learn from one another.

Peace,
~Tuck

[BaileenJoshuasMama]

this dr will still see me and prescribe me medications just not narcotics which is ok with me I don't want narcotics I don't want anything I can get addicted to. But I need something I can't do dishes or even drive cuz my back hurts so bad but I refuse to be on something that is addictive. I will not get addicted to another medication to treat my pain. I have wanted to die the last 4 days. and I've made it this far I go see him on the 25th and I'm going to discuss non narcotic pain management but I want to know some options when I got in there and I'm not aware of any

Than you for your response
Tara

[anti512]

I would not recommend that you go back to taking such powerful narcotics because if you do, you could possible be worse off. I have had four car accidents in the past year in a half, but I refuse to take pills because I was also an addict, and I know how the withdrawls can feel, your brain is not adjusting, and youri body feels every bit of pain it didn't before. I'm sorry you have to feel this way, but you have to be strong. I suggest you go to another Doc, tell him that you don't want anything addictive, but you do want something for the pain, and something that can help you get through the pain.