Are you afraid of telling your doctor if you want a med increase?

Hi, Davy,
Your Mom is understandably being influenced by all the misinformation about medications - and the overemphasis in the media (IMHO) on addiction, drug diversion, etc. Sadly, this results in someone like your Mom having pain that's undertreated. That could also be dangerous because a condition could be worsening. Would she let you go to the doctor with her? You don't have to be in the room for any examinations, of course, but be present to tell the doctor how she hurts, and to make sure she tells the doctor her symptoms. Then the doctor can take it from there. If you have a sister, maybe she could go along, but it sounds like your Mom needs someone at her side.

She could also post here - or read some of these posts. I'm 59. Wish I didn't have to be on all these meds either, but I'd have absolutely no functioning without them.

Hope this helps a bit.

PaLady

i have a saying, always tell your doctor the truth they are the only one that can kill you with a lie.
i have fibro and spend most of my time on that forum, i have been on pain meds for three years and have had to change for precocets to oxycodones. the prec. just was not working any more you get use to them after awhile. good luck with your mom and tell her dont be worried about a good dr. will know the difference between a person in pain and a person just wanting to get pills

Hi Davy~

You're a wonderful son! and your mom is very lucky for your concern. I agree with the suggestions above, especially about going to the doc with mom. If she's been on pain meds for a long time then the doc knows he can trust her. They expect to have to increase dosages over time, it's just the nature of narcotic medications. Your body becomes resistant to them and it takes more to handle the pain.

Also, your reaction to the medications you take is the only way for the doc to know how they are working. In a way they are diagnostic. If you don't say anything then he assumes they are working perfectly! So mom needs to just be honest and tell him how the medications are working...or NOT.

I've posted a link below my signature for you to check out. It's for a pain journal template you can copy and use for free. It's courtesy of the American Pain Foundation. Ask mom if she'll fill it out for a couple of weeks. It will show the doc her level of pain throughout the day among other things. That way he gets a clearer picture of how she's doing on her medications. It will also show the doctor you are serious about your treatment and respect the situation.

I hope this helps and please keep in touch. Also we'd love to have mom join us. We have a very active and warm fibromyalgia forum...it's more like a caring family of friends and we're always looking for new 'family members' to join us. I'm sure we could learn a few tricks from here too.

Chutzie

http://www.painfoundation.org/Publications/TargetNotebook.pdf

Thank you for all of your of kind replies.

My mom has been on Perocet for 15 years. Before that Tylenol 4 for I don't know how long. She was originally given Percocet by her current (btw her doctor is a she ;)) doctor to take 4 x a day. When my mother was first diagnost with Fibromyalgia, her doctor refused to up the dose to 6 until she went to a conference in Boston, this was like 6 years ago. When she upped the dose she told her she wouldn't give her anything else and practually through the script at my mom. This is probably why she's afraid to ask her. Add on to the fact on what happened to me when doctors can just take a patient off their medication with a snap of their hands.

My mother is at the point where evertime someone touches her she says "Oww."

I will go with her to her next appointment. Though she's a bit apprehensive about me going for some reason. If her doctor refused to up her dose of Perocet, I wonder if there are drugs to take along with her current dose to make her comfortable.

PAlady said...
Davy,
I don't blame her for being apprehensive if she was treated that way! Is this a PM doc? And does your Mom want to look for another doc? Just a thought.

But you're right, there may well be other medications that can be combined with the percocet, because they don't help all kinds of pain (I know that firsthand!). So I'm glad you're going with her. You might do what Chutz suggested about a pain journal (ask your Mom to keep one), and also help your Mom write down all her questions in advance. You want to try not to forget anything.

You sure are a good son!

PaLady

Hi PALady,

She's a DO doctor in a Family Practice. My mom has known her for years, since we first moved to Maine. She was also my doctor for a while.

Seems like she wants the doctor to raise the Percocet to 10mg, 6 pills daily instead of 5mg.  I just asked my mom if wanted to take a drug like Lycria and my mom said she doesn't want to take it because of the side-effects. I was wondering if they can substitute Lycria in between the Perocet. I'm trying to give her more info about these types of drugs.

Davy its a shame your Mom won't try Lyrica for the fibro. Many people on the Fibro board is on it with good results. Has she been on it in the past? It may not be a good idea at all for your Mom to be specific in the doseage of Percocet she is wanting. That usually sends a red flag up with a dr and since this dr takes such a hard stance on pain meds this may not be the thing to do. Instead your Mom needs to say the pain meds have stopped working after this long time of being on this and is there something different the dr can try. If she is still taking her old stance then ask for a referral to a pain mgt dr. She may do much better with a pain mgt who has a broader area of expertise over a family practice dr. Susie

I told my doctor to switch me from 100mg of Morphine to Oxycontin because the morphine was not working but i had to tell him he had to put me on a higher dose of oxycontin not the 20mg or 40mg and he did. I have a good doctor though he is very understanding

Osteoarthritis of spine and hip, nerve damage on right side which includes leg, arm, and neck/with chronic nerve pain, bi-polar, anxiety disorder. Taking Oxycontin 60mg OxyIR 30mg as needed for breakthru pain, Xanax 2mg, Valium 10mg, Abilify 10mg