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Posted 5/31/2011 3:37 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone ever heard of a doctor deliberately giving a patient sugar pills rather than the "real thing"????????

My regime for the past 5 months has been to take 8 Tramadol/day plus 500mg of neurontin and 2 or 3 xanax.  Well, I got my rx renewed last week and I swear it's like I'm taking sugar pills!!

After a couple days of feeling absolutely NO relief I upped my dosage a pill every time and got up to 8 all at once (which I NEVER EVER could do before, that would've been WAY too much) but absolutely NOTHING, no relief, no difference....I was like I was taking sugar pills.

Can/do doctors ever do this???

unfortunately curious & not getting anymore relief cry

-blondie

Posted 5/31/2011 4:09 PM (GMT 0)

          Blondie, sorry you're not getting any relief, but I would call your PCD ASAP!

     It's probably not a wise thing to take 8 of them all at once, unless your Dr has instructed you to do so.

          I would think there would be laws, of some sort, to protect a patient from having a Dr script this sort of treatment (Placebo), but it seems debatable as to the legalities from a quick web search I did on the subject.

    Maybe someone can enlighten us here on this. The search I have done, says you may see the word "OBECALP" on the script if this is the case, and it is "Placebo spelled backwards.

        Again, I would be calling the DR pronto!... if you suspect this, or at least report that the script has no effect on you at all.

       I, myself would be furious, if I found this to be the case with me....in fact furious, would be putting it calmly! mad     

    Take care,

    SE


Posted 5/31/2011 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
Blondie....

Is it the tramadol that you are speaking of?  Just curious if it's that or the xanax or what med you were saying wasn't working.

Anyway, this suject has been talked about on here at some point - but it's been awhile....  about how sometimes medication that usually work great - don't seem to be doing anything.  I've had that happen, though not for a long time. 


It could be several things - the pharmacy giving you a different "brand" of medication that just affects you differently; how your body chemistry is "accepting" the medication at that moment; the build-up of tolerance to a medication; many things. 

Re: your doctor question - no, I cannot imagine a doctor every prescribing "sugar pills".  I get what you are saying (because the meds aren't working)..... but that would be deceptive and harmful (a patient thinking they were on something, but not).

Did you get your meds filled at the doctor or pharmacy?  Was it a new pharmacy? (Which might be why you got a different brand of meds). 

Finally - and this is just the "mom" in me, sorry! - but I'd be really, really careful (meaning, I'd recommend NOT doing this) in increasing any meds because you think they aren't working.... you are still getting meds in your body.  Again, I'm not sure what medication you are increasing - but please just make sure you are really careful.

Take good care -- Tina

Posted 5/31/2011 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Blondie...I implore you to not continue doing this as it's not only dangerous for possible overdose...but not following the strict instructions of the Dr. and how the prescription is written could cause you to get into trouble with the Dr..

If a medicine is not taking away the same amount of pain...you need to immediately contact the Dr. to speak to him on the phone...or make an appt.. to come in and ask if you can change the dosage or take the pills in a certain manner...

Please...this is something that could cause dismissal from a practice from the Dr. by doing this...and I would hate to see this happen...

To your actual question....unless you are enrolled in a trial of a new medication....and have signed paperwork saying that a certain amount of people will be given a placebo....and the other will be given the actual medicine....

then no..a pharmacy or Dr. will not ever give a 'sugar pill'...

Sometimes we build a tolerance to our medication...especially if over the last months or weeks you have been upping the amount that you take each time...as in 2 at a time...then 3....then 4...etc....

The regular (non extended releases) Tramadol is only meant to last in your system for 4-6 hours....so that is why it is VERY dangerous to take all 8 at once!!...

Please don't do this anymore...and take your regular doses spread out the way the Dr. has the prescription written...and contact him to talk about how your pain is not being covered anymore...

It has taken me years to get to the level of medication that I take now...and I take the absolute lowest amount to keep my tolerance low...I haven't had to up the dosage in over 2 years....Because I do not rely on just the medication to help with my pain...and also it doesn't take away all of it...I live with a 5-7 level every day...

It sounds like you would be best to move up to the next step of either Vicoden or Percocet...or an extended release Tramadol....

But if this is the 50mg...you are getting 400mg all at once into your system and again...you can overdose even if you think you aren't 'feeling' any relief!!!


We care about you!!!! Contact your Dr. today to see what he says about changing it...or making an appt. to come in soon...

Hugs...

Post Edited (Snowbunny21) : 5/31/2011 10:18:30 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/31/2011 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
SE and I posted at the same time.... and I just wanted to say that I, too, agree that if the meds continue to seem like they aren't working.... I'd call the doctor.

Let us know how you are doing!  --Tina

Posted 5/31/2011 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you guys, I do appreciate it. I will call him....but, see, I'm in the process of probably switching doctors, again! Cuz, although I like my doctor, well, there's 2 reasons, he gave up his license to prescrible narcotics and 2, he does not support my "qualitly of life"

Meaning, when I tell him I wanna work more hours and have a baby with my husband, etc. He tells me no and not to try....so....we'll see.

But yes, to clarify, I was speaking of the Tramadol. I can't really take things with codeine in them cuz they make me way too crabby. So, it would be a lot of hit & missing.....

But it just stinks cuz my regime was working so good for so long......but, I haven't taken any tramadol for 2 whole days now and feel NO withdrawls either...so that is obvious that something is wrong with them.

blondie
Posted 5/31/2011 4:38 PM (GMT 0)
Just FYI...none of the medicines I mentioned have codeine in them...that is only in Tylenol 3...

Vicoden is hydrocodone and acetaminophen....

Percocet is oxycodone and acetaminophen...

'codone' either oxy or hydro is NOT codeine....totally different chemcial...

So there are actually lots of choices out there to move to and try with a different Dr..


All I can say is that if you are between Drs...it's even MORE imperative that you don't use up all your medicine...

As we said...you can actually harm yourself by taking all 400mg at once and wind up in the hospital....then you will have an 'overdose' on your record and most PM's will not want to see you or prescribe any pain medicine as you would have abused it by taking more than prescribed...


Please....go back to taking it exactly...not one or two extra...but exactly the way the prescription is written....this way...it's meant to have a lasting amount of medicine in your body through the day...

What you are doing is dumping all 400mg at once and then it lasts maybe 4 hours..maybe 6.......that's all the 'half life' of this medicine...

It's not the more you take...the longer it lasts....

Sometimes a medicine just stops working very well as we said...by taking it the wrong way...and so many at a time...even when you were working up to the 8 by adding extras each time....your body was getting used to a new tolerance...so then you have to keep taking more and more to get the same effect...

It will be hard to tell a new PM that you want pain medication to help you work more hours and have a baby....only for the reason that when people have chronic pain....unfortunately we have to also do our part and cut back on things to help as well....we can't expect them to medicate us to do 'more'....

Now..having a baby is one thing...and a PM will want to help you acheive this with being safe with the meds during this time...Momto8 on here and others can give you great advice on this!!!

But working more hours...they will have trouble with you wanting to do it 'all' ....this is the part that stinks about being in chronic pain...what do we have to give up...we can't do everything we used to do...

Is there another Dr. that is giving you the Tramadol? Or was it this one that did for the last time?
Posted 5/31/2011 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
Snowbunny..... Very good posts!  Funny thing, too - we were posting at the same time this morning - and essentially the same thing LOL :)  Oh, did you figure out how to put in the "emoticons" (smileys, etc)?  Just a note that they don't show up on "Quick Reply" - you have to go into "Post a Reply" or whatever that says.

Blondie -- SB gave good info on the meds.... I can't take codeine either - and none of those have codeine in them.

Side note - My encouragement...having much, much experience w/ this....is to find a doctor who will support you through your pregnancy BEFORE you get pregnant.  As I shared w/ you - the girls were a shock, and I wasn't even supposed to be able to conceive more children.  I was on high medications and most were not pregnancy-safe (ideally - no meds during pregnancy, but each has a "class" they belong to, for safety).  It was extremely stressful. 

So, I would really encourage you to find a doctor that will support you through a pregnancy.  Oh, and if you have any specific questions, feel free to e-mail.

Good luck! --Tina

 

Posted 5/31/2011 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
Ahhh...now I see how to do it!!! Thanks for the tip Tina turn
Posted 5/31/2011 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you everybody! I will definitely ask first before doing what I think, cuz I see the value in everyone's wisdom and experience! wow, I'm overwhelmed. It's so cool to have a forum like this, huh???
Yay, forum!
Posted 6/1/2011 3:32 AM (GMT 0)
If you are truly concerned that you were given the wrong medication then you should first carefully examine the tablets for any and all markings and then look up the pills on the net and compare what you have with what you should have.

If you are still in doubt you can always contact your doctor and show him the pills you received from the pharmacy or take one into any pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to identify it for you.

If you do confirm that you were given the wrong medication you should contact your doctor as well as the pharmacy, preferably a manager or even a district manager if it is a chain, and notify them that you were given the wrong medication.
Posted 6/1/2011 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
yeah, I don't trust all pharmacists, to tell you the truth. Be wary, is my advice.

Lindaloo
Posted 6/2/2011 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
Sometimes the brand of med, if it's a generic, makes a difference. Ask your pharmacist if he has switched the company he orders from or the brand he has been ordering. I've talked with my pharmacist about this more than once, and I'm not the only patient she's heard from either!
Posted 6/2/2011 12:53 PM (GMT 0)
Are the pills the exact same as your last RX? if not the pharmacy could have accidently given you the wrong med. I would go to Drugs.com and do a pill identifier check to make sure what you are taking is the tramadol.

To many pills look the same and cause mix-ups.

Sarrah
Posted 6/2/2011 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
yeah, I did do a pill identifier, and they are the same as I've always been getting. I'm fairly certain I just got a bad batch. :-(

Thanks everyone!
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