My doctor took me off tramadol...

After being on it for over a year, my pharmacist today informed me that my recent request for a tramadol refill had been declined by my doctor.

I haven't yet been able to speak to him or his nurse about why, but now I'm scared to death about what I'm going to go through.

I've read about how terrible the withdrawls from it can be and can't understand why a doctor would do such a thing to a patient.

Maybe he doesn't know much about tramadol, but you aren't just supposed to suddenly stop taking it. Even if you've only been using a few a day (I was taking four), it can still lead to physical dependence and severe withdrawls if you quit all at once.

What should I say to my doctor or his nurse when I call them tomorrow?

I'm not going to be very happy, that's for certain.  

He is my regular doctor, though. I haven't been referred to a pain specialist. It seems like at very least his nurse could have called me to explain why the refill request was denied. And this happened after I showed up for my appointment with him Monday only to find out he'd called in sick. If he knows anything about tramadol, he should know better than to just yank somebody off of it like this. I've been out of it for a day an am already noticing an edginess. I can't imagine what tomorrow is going to be like. This just isn't right and I have no intention of letting him off the hook without at very least a proper explanation. I've done nothing wrong and the idea of having to get sick because of this is causing me both anxiety and anger.

I've been on tramadol and stopped it without reducing gradually and never experienced any withdrawal symptoms so don't assume you are going to get them. Some people do, some don't but getting yourself worried about developing withdrawal symptoms may make things worse. I don't condone what your GP has done and he should have at the very least contacted you to say he was not willing to prescribe anymore and the reason why. I would contact your GP and make an urgent appointment and find out exactly what is going on and hopefully you can get something sorted.

Perhaps you should contact the office for a personal conversation with the nurse (at least). I know this is the one that was difficult to deal with, but perhaps they insist on you picking up a script for the Tramadol or at least being seen to get it. I would ask if I could drop in for sample tablets of the extended release or something if they have them (mine PCP did at one time, but I don't like them that much and don't get any meds like that from them anymore).

It's possible that the denial was because of the "missed" appointment. I know that was NOT your fault and that you were essentially the victim, but I have found my nurse(s) to be HORRIBLE about giving messages to the Dr and that the messages NEVER got to him as they should. I have had a lot of problems with that, as a matter of fact and recently posted for help deciding to decide if I should call or not. I decided NOT to call simply because of the false info the nurse(s) often give and how they negatively affect my treatment.

Going from four per day to none could be serious and I'm afraid they made a serious mistake in this one. I know I would be LOST without my Ultracet (Tramadol/Tylenol) because it is the only thing that works for the fibro. The other meds I take are for different reasons and give relief for other things. I feel like I have the flu if I don't take my Ultracet as directed.

Please consider making further inquiries on this one and ask that your file be documented so that you can address the issue directly with the Dr at your appointment. This might help them get the message straight. Also, get the exact name of the nurse you speak to and what time you called. I'd also make notes of the last several incidents with the office and discuss it directly with the Dr when I had the opportunity at my appointment. Perhaps he/she does not know what is really going on in the office.

Any nurses......please excuse any negative comments. I honestly believe nurses are the backbone of the medical community, however, bad ones last a long time in the memory! The good ones are a joy to deal with :)

So sorry NN that you are going thru this. It's hard to believe that a doctor would do that to a patient. I hope you get it all straightened out tomorrow when you call.
Let us know how that goes.

Take care,
Suzane

Well, here's the update. I called my doctors office this morning and his nurse told me that he didn't want to refill the prescriptions until my next appointment.

Get that?

I went for my scheduled appoinment on Tuesday only to be told he'd called in sick. And now he won't refill the prescriptions he's had me on for a year until I see him on the day I had to reschedule for, which is January 24th. I'd thought it was the 20th, but apparently not.

Can anyone please tell me on what planet that makes sense?

I showed up for my appoinment only to be turned away because he was sick.

Okay, fine. Things do happen. But how in the blue blazes does he get off refusing to refill three powerful medications that he has had me taking for over a year? Xanax, wellbutrin, and tramadol are not the kind of things you should suddenly stop using.

I tried to point that out to his nurse and she cut me off abruptly with, "He said no".

That was my breaking point. I let her know in very clear terms how rude she was being and that perhaps she needed counseling for that. Yeah, that was possibly a bit out of line, but I'm only human. Seriously though, I think she does have insecurity issues like most people who feel the need to intimidate others do.

So now I'm left to deal with the repercussions of going cold turkey off those medications at least for the next twelve days.

I feel like making a complaint to someone, but I'm not sure if I should or to who.

Post Edited (newname) : 1/12/2012 3:05:15 PM (GMT-7)

Ssinss said...
Most offices have an administration or a patient advocate for just such these things. It might help to call them. I can not make sense of many things. I have to wait until Jan 25th. i have found some simple and natural things that do help. Chuckle all you want, but a hot cup of catnip tea. some honey. talk, talk, hot baths, find a Councillor perhaps in your office. Let your loved ones know whats going on, sometimes they can help but if they are not helpful maybe they can keep their visits shorter, I have some of both.
You can make it, that is what they say to me and I am saying it to you. (the words sound good, not sure how helpful)

Thanks for the support. I can battle this out (especially since I have no choice), but I shouldn't have to. I'm currently looking for a new doctor. But I would like to see my current doctos nurse in person one last time just to see if she's as brave in that situation as she is on a phone. No, I wouldn't do anything physically to her, but some people need to be put in their places. As for my current doc, I'd also like one last meeting with him to see if he can justify his actions.

 

I could go to urgent care, but the doctors there won't generally prescribe medications for pain. I'm getting a record of my prescription history faxed to me by my insurance provider so that when I go to a new doctor he or she will be able to see the whole picture. Some doctor shoppers might use insurance at one pharmacy but not at another so they can avoid detection, too. That's why I'm not sure that getting a print out of my prescription record from my pharmacy would be enough proof for an urgent care doctor that I'm not a drug seeker.
All of your suggestions are reasonable, and a reasonable doctor would do exactly what you say they should, but it seems that in my little town, reasonable doctors aren't easy to come by. My wife is going to call my current doctors office on Monday and tell them exactly what's going on and what she thinks about it. She's a lot more assertive than I am. And yes, I signed a paper allowing my doctor to talk to her about me. If I get very sick, I'm going to the ER and we'll see what happens from there. I should have said that to my doctors nurse from the start. Somehow I doubt my doctor would want one of his patients showing up in the emergency room because they were having withdrawls from a pain medication that he for no legitimate reason just suddenly decided to stop giving them. I can prove I've done nothing wrong in terms of my use of the tramadol. He, on the other hand, would have some explaining to do...

Post Edited (newname) : 1/14/2012 8:27:52 AM (GMT-7)

There was a doctor on call that day (and this wasn't the first time my physician has called in sick. I've called before to get refills only to be told he wasn't there), but whoever is the standby will not call in pain meds or any controlled substance. That's a goofy policy since he or she could easily look at someones chart to see what they've been getting and then call in enough to last until their doctor returns. And while tramadol doesn't have a strong narcotic effect, it also inscreases serotonin levels. That's the main danger in quitting it cold turkey. Doing so can send you into a severe depression. I'm on a medication for depression, so obviously I've already got issues when it comes to clinical depression. I've done many internet searches for tramadol and each site I visited makes it clear that you aren't just supposed to stop taking it suddenly. Apparently my doctor isn't aware of that or just doesn't care

The doctor I'm referring to is my regular physician. It seems like there is no quick solution to my problem and I'm going to have to rough it out for a few weeks until I can talk a little sense into my current doctor or find a new one. I'm feeling terrible right now and wish I'd never taken the tramadol in the first place. Yes, it helped my pain, but what I'm going through right now isn't something I'd wish on anyone.

How a doctor could do this to someone is beyond me. It wasn't my fault that I showed up for my appointment last Tuesday and he didn't. Nor am I to blame for the fact I can't get in to see him until the 24th. And his nurse, don't get me started. I'm starting to wonder if she was hired specifically because of her rotten attitude so that my doctor would have someone ready to deal with irate patients who have been treated badly. This also makes me wonder just how much doctors really know about the prescriptions they put their patients on.

I am sorry to hear of what you are going through. Personally, I would go to the emergency room with my pharmacy report in hand. Secondly, I would fire the doctor. Contact your insurance provider and ask to be assigned to another primary care provider. Too many people settle for sub-standard care. Lastly, if you have been on pain medication for a year now, perhaps you need to be seeing a doctor trained specifically in pain management.

The xanax can help through some of the worst of the withdrawl symptoms. I am also a firm believer in hot baths for my back pain. It seems that is the only time the pain flees my body. I do understand what you are going through. I am on day 8 of trying to find a pharmacy that has my Oxycodone in stock. The emergency room gave me some Ultram to help stave off the withdrawl symptoms, along with a blood pressure medication and some steroids. I am not doing great, but am hanging in there. Talking about the situation and being pro-active seems to help me as well.

Best of Luck!

This is an old thread. Tramadol became a Schedule IV August 18, 2014 in every state. Tramadol can be refilled and it can be called in.