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an article in local newspaper about - what else! - addiction!

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Posted 1/19/2012 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
We live in mid-sized city & there is always info in local newspaper about meds, etc. But its almost always negative. Today there was a huge article @pain pill addiction!
I am so frustrated & embarrassed, bc even if your in legitimate pain you are made to feel guilty for taking anything! What about an article on pain mgmt?! Nope!
Its just pathetic & I'm not allowed to do/say a thing bc it'll put my husbands job in jeopardy! So..u just turn your head the other direction & hope ppl won't judge you! At least my Dr knows its real & has always been compassionate. Thank you all - just had to vent!
Posted 1/19/2012 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Ugh! I understand your vent, psstt give me their phone number and I will issue a complaint. *giggles*
Posted 1/19/2012 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
Angelina, I refuse to let anyone make me feel embarrassed because of a medical condition. Try chalking this article up to one more uneducated moron and believe me you will run in to a lot of those out there. Its not worth the aggravation or time.

Take care and keep your chin up, you have done nothing wrong.
Posted 1/20/2012 12:23 AM (GMT 0)
Angelina.....Straydog says it all.....Try not to care what some idiots opinion is.

Take care, Amy
Posted 1/20/2012 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
…LOL…Im with Straydog on this one!

SE wink
Posted 1/20/2012 6:24 AM (GMT 0)
Thank u all for your support! Sometimes you just need to hear it. One of my friends here makes comments like "maybe you should take a drug holiday!". I've tried to explain that would kill me but she has no clue what this dx is or what it means! I don't know if I will be alive in 10 yrs if the autoimmune starts attacking my kidneys! Ive already had it go after my heart! Lets face it - if ppl.cant see it or know what it is then its just not real!
I can explain til I'm blue in the face & I still get " blank" looks! Ugh!
Posted 1/20/2012 7:03 AM (GMT 0)
I am on a drug holiday, and for some reason my chronic pain did not get the same memo. And because I looked for mental health help because of the intense depression, my primary and PM are miffed. Long long story, well not that long, but yeh..... just tell your friend when they find a way to tell the chronic pain to take a holiday, you will gladly take a drug holiday to.

But I will admit to my shame, that I thought very little of my mom's chronic issues when they first started, I was young and she had other things going on. I have apologized many times. It is so hard to understand what you just can not visually see to some people who have not had a similar life altering experience. Even short term experience. Just keep on remembering, some of us would not give you those looks. :)
Posted 1/20/2012 12:55 PM (GMT 0)
Unfortunately, these uneducated morons are banding together and somehave very high ranking jobs with power in gov't. I think we are going to be facing a tough battle ahead to get meds, as if we don't fight enuf now

I don't even tell people I am on pain meds, my family knows but not all of them. None of their business. I tell them I have chronic health problems..I use my fibro for alot but of course, they don't understand that either. My pharmacies has been cool..in past did have some that gave you the evil eye...

I am off meds for 30 days too, so frustrating with weather fronts every day and all that laundry and dishes and pile of mail staring at you-lol. Hubby gets annoyed but pitches in, daughter too...so I guess I am one of the lucky ones.
When it gets real bad and I'm laying in bed, I think "What iuf I was an woman living in asia or africa, forced to live on the streets cause I can't work, no meds or docs" I have to make myself count my blesssings, and we have planty.

Anyway, ignore the idiots, they don't know you and alotof them hopefully you will never see again. I've just stopped hanging with "toxic" people or people that don't at least trry to understand.

Love
Maggie
Posted 1/20/2012 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Maggie,
I too think of the women in 3rd world countries & how horrendous that must be & I thank God everyday that I even have these meds now! But I have to admit I'm afraid ...very nervous about the future! What would I do without meds if with them I am barely functional? (not doing well now ...subzero temps here in ND & I believe its triggering a flare as ive been asleep for 3 days but I'm not about to go out there until its above zero!)
Thank u everyone for responding btw :) my husb is usually understanding but w it getting this bad I can tell he's annoyed ..but who can blame him?!
I think the reason I get the evil eye everytime at the pharmacy is bc I'm a Rph but these ppl do not know me or my disease(s)! And we've only lived here for 3 yrs & I haven't practiced here (I haven't been able to work for several yrs & we were forced to move here so my husb could get a higher-paying job!) Here is the clenched - everytime I go to pick up my meds my husbands students are there (he is a professor & administrator) & they - every single time - recognize my last name & say "Are you related to Dr __?" Then they automatically look at my meds & I see their eyes get big. Its so frustrating! Bc its bad enough that the technicians & Rph's look at me like I'm a Leper but it just adds to it! (I had a bad situation when we 1st moved here w 1 of the techs -long story- but she didn't do her job & I didn't have the meds & almost ended up in the hospital! Yeah..not fun.
I tried to.go to different pharm but small enough city that its no diff & the 1 pharm we use is convenient bc in same building as Dr. So..that's it. It's something I've never talked about in detail for fear of being recognized..but noone knows me here! :) thx all!
Oh & re: the friend that makes comments - her husb is a Dr & I have a feeling he has heard "thru the loop" @my meds & said something to his wife (yeah..so much for confidentiality & so-called Hippa laws!)
Posted 1/20/2012 7:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Ang

yes, the future for cp patients does not look good. Our country, home of the free, seems insisitent on invading every nook and carnny of its' citizens lives...my daughters dress code is 67 pages long...oh for pete's sake!!!!

This country is so over-regulated we are becoming paralyzed by our own gov't. And the corps are ruining this country. I had one of those sales calls the other day from somewhere in Asia and I could not understand anything she said, so I interrupted her and told her "You have my job, I can't understand you and don't ever call here again!"Sorry, but it felt good!! I have been trying for months to get at home work as we live onssdi and I cannot stand for more than 10 minutes, or sit much longer.

What is going on here? I am so disappointed in us, we are so much better than this.

Thanks for the vent
maggie
Posted 1/20/2012 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
Your welcome :)
We also have to remember to be positive for what we do have now. Anyone know what happens to CP patients in Communist countries? Just wondering if they take them somewhere & shoot them! (I'm only half kidding!) I read an article in National Geographic last night about a tribe in New Guinea that leaves their sick ppl in a cave to die slowly! Ha! One poor woman had pneumonia & had her newborn die 3 mos earlier & she was left to suffer! The researchers gave her antibiotics & tylenol and carried her down the mountain w her husband to get more help & she lived! My point is..at least we aren't stuck in a cave!
So sorry to hear @ your probs but.at least u have ss! I tried for 4 yrs to get it & gave up (bc my Dr said I could work a few hrs a day! Ha!) Tg my husbands job came thru! Idk where we would be if he hadn't gotten this job..so I wont complain @it!
Posted 1/20/2012 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
There was a time doctors would give you narcotic pain medications without any problem.

Now it's getting to the point where unless you have a compound fracture or third degree burn, they will tell you to use tylenol.

My doctor missed our last appointment and the next day when I called he refused to call in my prescriptions until I see him on the 24th. He finally called in the wellbutrin, but not the xanax or tramadol. I was on both for a year and going without them for over two weeks nearly got the best of me. And I've got a feeling he won't be giving me new prescriptions for them. If that happens, I'm finding a new doctor, and if he or she doesn't want to give me a medication that effectively alleviates my back pain, I'll ditch that physician as well. I'm not going to suffer because some people are drug seekers and doctors are overreacting.

Posted 1/20/2012 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
Afraid to prescribe Ultram?! You've got to be kidding,! I would definately call the Dr (talk to him/her) @ why & how the system broke down bc that's just wrong! Sorry u had 2 wks of that!
Posted 1/20/2012 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
Yup... it's horrible for sure... I made my husband go in to drop off and pick up my scripts... I couldn't handle the every month problems and the looks....
Posted 1/20/2012 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
My husband won't go pick mine up bc all his students are there! Talk @uncomfortable not to mention hipaa privacy violations! So.. I have to go get them no matter what & it never fails! Always 1 of the student interns says "Hey - Are u related to...?" Its great - not!
Posted 1/20/2012 10:43 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I am grateful to have the ssdi, course I worked 40 years too, but in a 3rd world country, I'd be sleeping in a ditch.

I lived in Mexico so I have seen poverty the likes of which this country has not seen, but we are the greatest country in the world and MILLIONS of kids go to bed hungry every night here while bank CEOS get 100 million bonuses, while the working man gets his home taken away. I'm sorry, but this country has gotten way off course. This diatribe started about us getting our meds, I almost forgot-LOL

Climbing off my soapbox now
Maggie
Posted 1/21/2012 10:09 AM (GMT 0)
Omg I so agree tho! I'm concerned @ what state this country will be in when my kids grow up (they're 10 & 7)! I don't think we can take another 4 yrs of Obama.
I'm pretty annoyed bc the middle class (us!)pay all the taxes in this country (the rich find ways @ it & the poor simply don't have to pay 4obvious reasons) but the middle class is getting slammed! We pay something like 35% of our income to taxes & that's another reason I don't work...every penny (nearly) would go to Uncle Sam so what's the point?! I'd kill myself w stress & for what?! And the saddest thing thing to me is this: the current administration is turning a blind eye! I swear they're becoming Socialists!
I just picked up my meds today - copays WITH Ins…= $500 !! I'm.not joking! Without Ins it would be 3 or 4k/month! How can ppl live like this?! Sorry Maggie - I'm done venting too!
Posted 1/21/2012 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
I say get rid of our 2 party system-both of them are looking out for their own selves and the rest of us be darned.

We were middle class too til we had to stop working...we gross 23000 and qualify for not a single program, except my dtr's insurance thru state (thank you Lord). When she leaves in 2 yrs it goes down to 18000...we try to make money here and there, have sold everything but cars and furnishings and I am trying fot "at home" work, so many scams!!!!! My inbox is inundated with them....I would give anthing to cashier at Kmart but cannot stand. Our house built in 2008 is appraised at 50% of what it cost

W e are not loking for a free ride (we have 75 years of paying taxes between us, never got an unemployment or welfare check in my life) this has been a real eye-opener for us...

i count my blessings tho cause I know seniors here in town who have to live on 600/month-how do they survive? God Bless them

Maggie

Post Edited By Moderator (Screaming Eagle) : 1/22/2012 8:57:55 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/21/2012 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
Oh Maggie! That makes my heart hurt & brings tears to my eyes!
I'm sorry for your misfortune as well as illnesses. I guess noone told us life would be easy but does it have to be this hard?!
At least in the next life (heavan) there is no pain & we will find peace! (At least this is what I'm told!) I HAVE TO believe it bc this life seems so cruel!
Posted 1/22/2012 3:45 PM (GMT 0)
When it comes to articles about addiction, perhaps newpapers should begin writing about doctors who put their patients on medications that WILL cause physical dependence if they are on them long enough, but then suddenly quit prescribing them, leaving the person to go through withrdrawls. And let's face it, you don't have to abuse a painkiller to get physically addicted to it. I bet that's happening quite often nowadays because doctors are becoming so paranoid about prescribing medications for pain that even patients who have been taking such meds for years are suddenly finding their physician wanting to switch their medication or else or just have them use something over the counter.

Post Edited (newname) : 1/22/2012 9:03:19 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/22/2012 4:02 PM (GMT 0)
Oh Angelina

We have alot of blessings, but I did not think I would be where I am when I was younger....golden years-huh!! But we are strong in our faith and our family and there are still lots of laugh and good times in this house...

newname what yr doc did to you should be criminal...I would be so po'ed...can you find someone else? My last PM would "forget" to call in meds before weekend and I would go thru some withdrawal. They were part of a hospital so I wrote a letter to the board and within 3 months, they found a technicality that i breached my contract and refused to treat. So you are darned if you do, darned if you don't!! Good luck

Maggie
Posted 1/22/2012 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
Bayoub2, I'm going to see him on Tuesday, and if he doesn't have a very good excuse for his actions, I'll be reporting him to medicare. I've already called them about this situation and they agreed what he did was not right. It could be that my problem wasn't being communicated to him properly by his nurses (it wouldn't be the first time, but nothing this drastic), but if it turns out that he just decided to stop prescribing those medications, I'm going to file a complaint. Wellbutrin, xanax, and tramadol are not the kinds of medications you just quit using cold turkey. I've read the literature that comes with those prescriptions and it clearly states you should NOT stop using them suddenly without consulting a physician due to the possible side effects of doing so.
Posted 1/22/2012 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
Yes newname, staff was the problem at my last PM, they were downright rude at times and they were the ones to call in refills too. The docs sre so busy, I guess alot more is delegeted to staff.

I hope your doc is concerned and sympathetic. Stopping any of those meds is really poor medicine at the very least...iwent off welbutrin cold turkey too and what a sobfest that was-lol!! I am on prozac now a week and already doing better

Good luck dear and keep us posted-I hope you get the right answers

Maggie
Posted 1/23/2012 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I'll see him tomorrow in the morning. I'm nervous because I don't know what they're going to come at me with. If my doctor recognizes he screwed up, will he practice a little CYA and try somehow to make it look as if it was my fault? I'm also not looking forward to dealing with his nurses. If whoever I have to interact with is as rude to me in person as they have been over the phone, I'm afraid my civility will reach its breaking point. Some people take niceness as a sign of weakness, but I'm perfectly capable of telling someone what I really think of them if they push me too far. I've been a good patient, never missing an appoinment or failing to pay my deductible, so I'm not taking anymore nonsense from him or his staff. He left me in a bad situation. First do no harm, right? Well, my doc apparently forgot that part of his oath. He'll either apologize and rectify this or I'll be filing a complaint and finding a new doctor.
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