MY PAIN CLINIC NO LONGER BELIEVES IN NARCOTICS!

Yes, that's right folks, I've been cut off for three months now; the result, chronic, I mean chronic discomfort (and I'm not talking withdrawl, that's over with). I go to work and come straight home to bed to get enough rest so I can work again the next day. I have had to go to the ER about every week and a half b/c when I feel like I'd rather be dead and in a fetal position it's time to do something. I just went to the "new and improved" PM Clinic and it's all about thinking positively, meditating and retraining your nerves not to "go to that high of a pain level," i"m going to have to learn to "tolerate" and "Live with the pain" b/c studies now suggested narcotics are BAD for chronic pain. The worse is that the message is clearly, "your suffering is up to you and what you're willing to do about it--be positive!!!!!" I truly believe this is a reaction to the war on drugs and how much grief the DEA gives MD's. In the meantime I get to feel like i'm at death's door on a daily basis here in the 21st century.

15 yrs of: IBS, GERD, Ulcerative Colitis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain Syndrome, and, yes, just diagnosed last month with Crohns!!!!!
And to think, if I was just a more positive person, none of this would have happened to me

Post Edited (BigLucy) : 9/29/2011 10:59:25 AM (GMT-6)

All that holistic stuff is great and I am sure it can really help some people. However, I really think that needs to be only a PART of the management plan. Your doctor should be able to make those decisions, not his supervisor or whoever manages the clinic--that's really counter productive, in my opinion.

If narcotics were working for you, and you and your doctor were fine with it--then this is a really stupid thing for your clinic to do. I'm sorry but it just seems silly to ignore an entire category of medication which can and does help some people, just because some people abuse it. They're doctors and they should be monitoring their patients and just choosing what is right for them on a person by person basis.

Sorry you had to deal with this weirdness on your road to feeling better. Hopefully you can scope out some new pain mgmt doctors, or even a general doctor who can help with long term treatment of your pain in lieu of a nearby clinic.

The thing is I belong to an HMO, this is it, this medical facility and all the affiliates are taking this stand.  And this is a BIG HMO, watch out people, this way of "pain management" may be coming to you any time soon.  I was thinking and willing to pay out of pocket for a private pain doctor not affiliated to my health insurance, but I don't want to look like a drug seeker--has anyone done this when they've had trouble getting what they want with their insurance provider; do you think this is a realistic option?

BigLucy said...
The thing is I belong to an HMO, this is it, this medical facility and all the affiliates are taking this stand. And this is a BIG HMO, watch out people, this way of "pain management" may be coming to you any time soon. I was thinking and willing to pay out of pocket for a private pain doctor not affiliated to my health insurance, but I don't want to look like a drug seeker--has anyone done this when they've had trouble getting what they want with their insurance provider; do you think this is a realistic option?

Do you have any alternative ways to get insurance at all? I don't know the extent of your situation, but many places in the US offer some sort of either low income or disabled insurance. I have State insurance, for instance, even though I also have Blue Cross/Blue Shield. So that way sometimes I use one or the other. If you had any other way to get insurance like that, maybe look into it?

And if you have the resources to pay for the doctor, I say do it. If you have no other options left, and if you can afford it--maybe you should try it. I would be 100% honest with them. Explain that you were doing well on your narcotics, and now your quality of life has plummeted and that you're just dissatisfied and out of options with your current PM doc. Sure they may have reservations, but if you're willing to pay and honest with them...I think you would be able to get in. You may need to spend the money to get a referral first though, through a general physician, perhaps. (Then again you may not have to, since you're already seeing one PM doc. So in this case its sort of more like a second opinion.)

Hope you get some results soon!

I broke down today at 3:45pm and took a lyrica finally after having free samples for months. I can honestly say I am speechless. Completely pain free for the first time in four years of agonizing back pain with no explanation and I find it hard to believe after just taking one tiny 75mg pill that this has happened. No side affects and almost don't believe it. I don't even know how to act without my constant pain I feel like a totally different person. Hopefully this will continue. Did have to break down and take a Xanax because my cat got ran over by a motorcycle at 7:45 and it actually helped my Xanax work for the first time in a while. Hopefully he will make it through the night and go to the vet first thing in the morning. I have spent over $20,000 over four years on MRIs, facet injections and so on. I am so glad I didn't go through the radiofrequency ablation of my facet joints. If this continues I am glad to say I won't have to be scrutinized about taking lortabs at age 26 and I am going to tell these jerk pm docs to take a flying leap and get on with my life. NORMALLY FOR ONCE . Lyrica definitely a miracle drug for me after just one dose. Going to definitely keep taking it and I pray it's not a fluke and I will finally be free of begging for my pain meds that barely got me by. I give everybody didos for going through severe CHRONIC PAIN for years and I hope so much that you can find relief like I have. Feels too good to be true and the feeling of not having pain is euphoric without the nausea and claminess my lortabs have giving me over the years not to mention the high tolerance. I think if I did get some pain I would probably be able to take half of a lortab and lyrica would actually help the pain medicine work. I have tried tramadol, mobic, gabapentin and many others over the years and all with awful side affects. Hug for all those who have dealt with inhumane doctors that don't show compassion with chronic pain. They say o we are worried about addiction well what about what non stop pain does to your mindset. There have been time that I would've been okay with passing on in my sleep to get away from the pain and I think thoughts like that are far more dangerous than addiction. People with pain aren't addicted to anything but trying to find relief from the monster that controls every aspect of their life and a life with severe pain has no quality. Days go by so slow it seems like one day of pain is a week. The clock literally stops when you are in pain

Cats banged up but I think he will be fine. I wanted to start off with one lyrica a day but this morning I could feel my pain creeping up on me and I looked at my norco and my lyrica and what's funny I chose the lyrica over the norco (lortab10 w/ less acitomenophen). Hooray!!!  I feel like a new person. I am worried about people said they got a real high tolerance to it fast and I don't want this to quit working. I will be devastated. I love the fact though that this is the first thing with no side affects. I feel all of your pain and I hope for the best for all of you. With the way people are treated start to think of human rights.

The DEA has red flag lists of doctors, pharmacies, clinics and patients. The DEA takes hundreds of docs to court every year-many lose license to prescribe.

The American Medical Association is still one of the most powerful lobby groups in the US...hey Doc whatever happened to "FIRST DO NO HARM"...somehow I got tagged and they triple check any narcotics although I got my disability for chronic pain w/ DDD

My PCP is doing less and less, no vaccines, no mris(?), very limited low level pain meds. They are petrified of the govt. Now they have a shortage of adderall for the folks who need it because the FDA controls how much is manufactured(pharmacy told my husband they don't have it and can't say when they will geet it

What is happening here? We need to raise some hell up there in DC, complain to docs, whatever...this is OUR government, we don't belong to them.

Maggie

Unfortunately Pain (ESPECIALLY chronic pain with progressive conditions, as it seems most have multiple sources and types) is a complex thing. Therefore it requires a complex approach.

While I do agree narcotics aren't the answer....the ARE part of the answer to the full answer (if that makes any sense). They work on a different pain pathway than NSAIDS just as anti depressants do. Anti depressants, Narcotics, Muscle relaxants, and OTC help (APAP, heat wraps) are ALL part of the big picture answer because using multiple pathways, the pain is eliminated partially through each pathway reducing the totality of the pain.

With NSAIDs alone, I can get my pain down to a 6. Add a mild muscle relaxants as an adjuvant and that becomes a 5. Add a mild narcotic and it becomes a 4. Add a massage or stretching to it and it becomes and 3. Not total elimination but a noticable decrease in total discomfort.

BigLucy,

I'm new to this site being diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia for which they DO medicate and if that does not work they have procedures they can do.

It is inhumane to cut off pain control. The positive thing can only work if your pain is controlled; not to get you out of pain. OMG! I feel for you.

If not narcotics is there any other classification of drug they can give you. There are options.

Rosemary

OK, even though I have insurance I am looking for a private pain clinic that will prescribe me the pain medication I need to live a pain-free life.  I look on the internet in my area, found some pretty impressive web sites, called a few (had to leave call back numbers) but the first live person I got I was told--after I gave a history and assured I can back up with medical records--yeah, our clinic doesn't believe in narcotics, we believe in a holistic approach and then I was asked if I have made peace with God. Like until God and I are in a good place, I will continue to have my illnessess and suffer? 

Is there anybody out there going to a private pay pain MD--no insurance involved? Does it exist?  The few I've contacted so far are into "holistic" medicine, which, ironically, I'm on 15 different medications (man made chemicals) that are keeping me functioning.  Hey, I did several years of acupuncture, but it didn't keep my fecal incontinence from happening.  I did years of CBT, meditation, mindfullness, etc. but doesn't work when I'm laying in a fetal position feeling like hot coals are passing through my intestines.

As Pink Floyd would say, "Can anybody hear me? Is there anybody out there?"

My first pain MD visit with the "new and improved" pain clinic I went to several years ago AND about the fifth pain MD I've seen in total. An hour and a half with this guy and he had no recommendations, didn't mention pain meds but does want me to try this advanced biofeedback technique that my insurance doesn't happen to pay for anymore but he highly suggests it at 100. For four sessions. I'm currently getting a second opinion from a new GI MD and wants to see what his plan is for me--even though I've been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis for way over 10yrs and now have a diagnosis of crohns. I impressed upon him my daily misery since discontinuing my pain meds and the poor quality of life I'm living--but nothing, I got a we'll see what happens in the near future. It's so ridiculous that if I had the money or energy I would make a documentary of my life in the health care system.
THERE WAS NO POINT TO TODAY'S APPOINTMENT!

Hi Lucy, new to this topic but not to forum. It's funny as in UK each surgery decides how much pain med level they are happy to dish out to patients. My GP has been great, having major problems fro side effects from Humira (that I was only on for 6 months) causing nerve pain, joint pain, fatigue, hair loss and she was more than happy to try different pain meds and nreve block to give me some relief until we get a dx. Have seen a rheumy last week but won't get results for 3 months, not holding out much hope as my body has amazing ability to not co-operate by producing positive tests when I have something. For example, had abscess wrapped around stoma, it was huge, that gave me sceptcemia and peritonitis and not one of my blood tests showed inflammation and nor did I have any temperature. They only found out extent of infection when they opened me up and what they thought would be a 30 mins look around turned into 6 hours of dyno rodding and re plumbing my intestines. So not holding out much hope that my body does what it is supposed to according to their medical books. Hate dealing with new doctors and trying to explain that to them as they think I'm just being difficult.

Like I said my GP has been brilliant and had no problem giving me fentanyl patches and butrans patches, unfortunately didn't work as they clashed with the co-codamol that I take for neck pain but also need the codeine to slow bowel down as have had much of small bowel removed. So after my rheumy appt dashed back home and saw her same day to get some pain meds sorted as was only on tramadol and that wasn't doing anything and also was killing my appetite, not great as need to consume 4000 calories a day to maintain weight as short bowel syndrome. So she changed me onto oxycodone and gabapentin and still keeping the amitriptyline at night, the oxycodone to keep codeine in my system for bowel.

Then again speaking to a family member their GP has told them they are not allowed to prescribe any controlled pain meds at the surgery they are at. It may be that I live in small town and not great number of drug problems whereas my family member lives in a city. It is unfair and I have only had this pain problem since May, if I didn't have helpful GP not sure what I would do, she is doing everything she can to enable me to continue working, well signed off for 2 weeks at moment to get levels of new meds right and let body get used to them, and for that I am grateful.

I really hope you get something sorted soon, not sure how things work in US as they seem more complicated with insurance etc than over here but know a friend of my has fibro and maximum meds she is allowed is tramadol and so she has now had to give up work and go on disability benefit. I know from my many years of crohn's that the pain is unbearable and have been in the situation of wishing I would not wake up, not because I wanted to die but because I wanted the pain to stop and this was when I was 20 years old. The pain from CD did stop when I had colon removed and had ileostomy done just before my 21st birthday, it was my best birthday present ever, even when had flares I have never had anywhere near the pain I had before and now ironically my bowel is the only area of me that doesn't hurt, ha blooming ha. Irony - thy name is stripey's body.

Oh, what else I find bizarre and I am Christian, non church going but still a believer, is the number of doctors/consultants etc over there who have the option that your pain is something to do with you not having made peace with God. What the **** is all that about, over here they would face being struck off for making comments like that and people have been. Whether you are a religious person or not makes no difference to whether you are in pain or not and to suggest otherwise is offensive verging on quack 'dard ages' medicine. Yes, positive attitudes can help with dealing with pain but not all pain is linked to levels of 'feel good' chemicals.