NEW and Ideas on current Situation?

Don't know where to start I am overwhelmed. I'm a Mom for starters. I was being treated by a neurologist in NY for Chronic Pain which was never fully tested to find out the why.

Earlier this year I moved. My Neurlogist was sending my pain meds via mail which allowed me to function. Now they have not come and she has refused to call them in. My PCP who is also new as my old one left, is not seeing me and refusing to write my old medications. I was on Morphine ES 15 mg. and Oxycotin 15 mg. This was after 10 years of pain and being the medical guinuie pig. (sp)

I have been formally diagnsoed with:

Chronic Migraines
Cevicogenic Headaches
Neck and Upper Back Spasms
2 Herniated Disks
2 Protrusions
Arthritis


I have had Cotisone Injectiosn in the back for Sciatica. I also did PT, the nerve abiliation (sp?) and had a slew of preventative meds for my head. I am at a loss as to what to do here. If opiates are the answer, hwo do i get them? I have tried so many other drugs I am not sure WHAT the answer is.

I am scared. My functioning has decreased now and at times I cannot get out of my darkened bedroom. I forced myself yesterday to get groceriers and now today am suffering from back pain. Any ideas please let me know. I am getting depressed and I feel I am a number and no one cares. I am sure others reading this have experienced similar issues.

Hi there...Welcome to the board...

Sorry to hear about the troubles you are having...

If I may ask a few questions as I'm not sure I understand the situation with the medications...

When you say your Neurologist would "send your meds through the mail"...are you actually saying the Morphine and Oxycontin pills themselves came to your house from your Neurologist? Or the prescriptions that you would take and fill at a Pharmacy...

I've just never heard of meds being mailed unless from an approved mail order Pharmacy.

The other thing is that Schedule II medications like you are on cannot be called into a Pharmacy. (Unless certain approved rare situations like those who are completely disabled in a nursing home.)

And then just to clarify....is the second medication Oxycontin as in the extended release? Or is it Oxycodone (short acting)....It is a bit unusual to be on two long acting meds with both the Morphine and the Oxycontin....Usually the second med is meant for "breakthrough" pain and taken every 4-6 hours.

Unfortunately many Drs. like your PCP will not just jump in and prescribe opiates if you were getting them from another Dr. As well as many Primary Drs. are not prescribing these types of meds at all any more due to more regulations and it not being their specialty.

What I suggest is finding an actual Board Certified Pain Management DR. where you live now and establishing a new relationship. Make sure your Neurologist's office sends over all your medical records to the new Dr.

Do you think your Neurologist would be willing to actually speak with a new Dr. (a new PM) over the phone and discuss your care and previous record of never having any issues with taking these meds as being lost or stolen, not asking for them early, as well as the reason you are taking them?

What may happen though is that a new Dr. will want to decide on their own treatment plan for you after looking at all your medical records. And usually with most of us, opiates are just one modality that we use to help with our pain levels. I'm afraid if you go to a new Dr. telling them that it's the "only" thing that works for you, this will raise a red flag.

The other things that I use are daily exercise, physical therapy, aqua therapy, stretching, yoga, injections, massage, acupuncture, ice, heat, lidocaine patches, TENS unit, cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, eating healthy, etc.

There are also nerve pain medications that many use in conjunction with opiates. As well as a muscle relaxer to take when needed.

Those two type of meds are specifically meant to help with nerve and muscle spasms where opiates do not do as much.

So, the key will be being open to all types of treatment and meds and just getting to a decent level of pain relief. I live with a 5-7 depending on the activity and day as with chronic pain, I stay on the least amount of meds to limit my tolerance levels.

I would also find another Neurologist where you live now so that they can work with the PM Dr. to find out exactly what is going on as you don't want to continue just masking the pain without knowing what the cause is.

Your insurance company as well as just using Google is the best way to start looking for PMs and Neurologists in your area.

Keep us posted!

That is my other problem...Where did these pain meds go? I even went as far as calling the post office. They are no where. THE pharmacist I spoke with said they were probably never mailed. IF this is the case....Why not communicate with my PCP so I can get some mid term help? No one is communicating.....

My Father tried to help me and he was advised by my old Neurolologist that I need to find a new one.

Thanks for explaining more...That makes more sense they were mailing the prescription...

It really is hard when moving to a new place. And unfortunately most ERs will not provide the same amount or type of meds that you are being prescribed as they don't look at chronic pain as a "life threatening" situation unto itself...They will usually provide something like clonidine for any possible withdrawals.

I can only suggest the other things I mentioned to help with the pain with OTC meds, ice packs, heat, stretching, etc....

Hopefully you can get in soon and the new Drs. you find will work with your medical records and come up with a good plan that helps. Just stay on top of making sure the medical records get sent ASAP as soon as you have an appt. date and try to get your old Neuro to even speak with them by phone as that would help with them not having to start from scratch...

Keep posting here as we can certainly empathize what it's like to have to live with chronic pain. There is another member who is in the process of moving right now and she is trying to get appts. and new Drs. set up as well.

You will have to give the new neurologist, and possibly any other new dr a copy of your medical records from your old neurologist. If you old neuro had written anything negative in your file regarding you not telling him you moved. . that may make it much harder if not impossible to get the meds you're use to.

I liked my Neurologist in NY and intended on keeping them. What I didnt' realize is what is happening now. I didnt see this risk. I was treating with her for years. We had a good relationship so no falling out that I know of. And yes the scripts from NY were getting filled here in Pennsylvania. That wasn't an issue.

Snowbunny I wanted to ad the Dr;s at the ER at least gave me Katoralac and Tramdol but it;s not knocking them out. When this woudl happen before I used ot have to be put on steroids. I'm sure the anxiety of the entire thing isn't making it much better.

To note I called my health insurance and they are taking care of some things tommoarw with teh PCP. They didnt even call in my stomachache medication I requested earlier in the week.

As someone who went through almost this exact scenario in July, your very best bet is to move on and function as if those scripts are not floating around and you will never see them. I would immediately fax your medical records request to your neuro (and PCP if it shows longer history of your medical conditions), and have then sent to YOU so that you always have them should something else happen. Then get on the phone and get a 'first available' and a 'wait list' appt and tell them your medical records are pending. That really is all you can do right now. And be lucky that you have the meds that you do because my doctors left me with nothing - and that was with them knowing I was leaving. I honestly feel like the office decided that I was worth treating if I wasn't going to be a recurrent patient anymore so once I was done with that current month, they were 100% over it. Lucky for me, while there are some serious communication issues with my new office, the doctors do seem to be empathetic to a fault (like giving me stronger meds than I want).

Good luck! You CAN live through this, I promise. You just really need to be your own advocate and get a fire under your behind ASAP.

TY TY and YES I am getting a FIRE UNDER ASSES.

Today I got in touch with a Neurosugeons office. The nurse will be calling me. I spoke with another PCP's office.

I had a case worker stop by she reccomnded I get the HELL OUT of my new PCP's office. (they have yet to even call in my GERD medication I requested over a week ago) She made calls on my behalf and got nowhere. THE new PCP said they had NO openINGS for at least a month.

In the middle i got a vicious headache, neck pain, now tonight my tummy is rotten. I cannot eat, however I am A FIGHTER.

SO I have the following upcoming IF i can get the current PCP to do the referal before monday.

NEW NEUROLOGIST ;) We shall see...I do have copues of my pain records and my Neuro records. One ER this week wount even READ them. But dont' worry I am on this. I want it FIXED and not next week, now...


I didnt get a reply from my health inurance company. I will proabbly have ot contact them tommarow.

I am getting bad back spasms tonight as well with some burning......It is NOT STOPPING ME.

I cannot tell you how much i appreciate the support. I am staying here, I am so thankful to have you all and your ears............I felt alone.............I DO NOT ANYMORE.