Electrify's Who is calling shots. Part II

Hello and welcome all! If your reading this thread please use the search option for the original post by Electrify also titled "just who is calling the shots " it's a great and informative thread and you won't want to miss reading it. It's been locked and archived due to it's length.

Thank you and I hope everyone gains as much insight from this thread as I have.

Who prescribes your pain meds, a PCP or a PM dr ?

That is just terrible, Electrify. I would ask for another meeting and discuss this stuff. But come armed with the reports or xeroxes of relevant pages.

Why are we doing the research and paying these people for what they do not know?

Lots of health conditions get worse over time.

Take care all.

I'll try to clear up some confusion that might be out there. First, about three weeks ago or so I broke my contract with my PCP. After meeting with my PCP she agreed to continue my oxycodone with the addition of one extra dose per day. A new contract was signed and she also requested I see a pain specialist to take over my pain treatment. My PCP will still treat my other medical concerns.
I was refereed to a pain clinic and met with a pain specialist. She increased my oxycodone and had me sign what she refereed to as a tri-lateral contract. All that means is she will treat my pain. She would like to have access to my ongoing medical treatment as well. My PCP also signs the contract agreeing to those conditions.
My disease is complicated, my pain, although excruciating and non stop, is only one symptom of my illness. There are other medical problems, one of which which has required surgery twice.
I think the confusion is that my PCP is treating me as well as my pain doctor. The pain doctor prescribes exclusively my pain meds, my PCP handles all my other medical needs and I also have a Psychiatrist who is treating my PTSD.
There, I hope I cleared up the confusion, I have more calenders and date books than a stationary store. I swear I could paper all four walls of my living room with those little appointment cards you get after making a new appointment.
I'm waiting now to hear the results of the first meeting between my Pain doc. and my PCP. I feel like a little kid whose parents are at parent teacher night at my school.
I think it's extremely important to have all your doctors on the same page. Having them actually correspond just to know what the other is doing is important. I guess it's my way of playing it safe...........................

I think it would be worth my while to bring up the fact that I feel my need for occasional pain med increase is due to actual pain increase. It wasn't until I read an article regarding the degenerative part of the condition I have that I realized that my pain has drastically changed over quite a period of time, so slow that I really never noticed. Comparing my level and amount of pain I experience now with two years ago, leads me to question if all the so called "tolerance" I supposedly experienced was in fact caused by the actual increasing pain level. When ever I asked for extra pain meds over the past two years,(twice), I was lectured on the tolerance my body was building with the medicine therefore she was hesitant to increase my meds. This happened both times leading up to my breaking the contract. Now I feel that degeneration caused the increased pain. I think that should be made part of my record. I hope that in the future doctors will consider actual pain increase as apposed to tolerance to the drug. Has anyone had a similar experience?????????????

I've been lucky in that I was able to maintain the same level of relief for quite a while, I did switch around from hydrocodone to oxycodone then to Gabapentin, these switches had nothing to do with my pain it was side affects. Come to find out after all the changing around the side affects were in fact conditions caused by my damaged Central Nervous system. I ended up back on the hydrocodone and it was great for six years in all, with one increase.
I think it's important to put the word out there that not all requests for increased pain meds is due to "tolerance". Evidently that's the first reaction to a pain med that's not working as well. Twice I was given that reason, once I was refused an increase due to fear of increased tolerance. Actually it was degeneration resulting in increased pain Of course I'm kicking myself in the backside for not realizing it myself. It's just so gradual you don't notice it. I just hope if we start bringing this possibility up with the doctor, in cases where it would be a distinct possibility, that maybe it will become a more common reaction to a increase request, and just maybe prevent future confusion....................

For some reason, my stomach is really picky with different medications. They have tried other so called nerve medications, Lyrica, Amatryptaline and some others I can't remember the names of. I have found the opiates work best, I am still taking 2700mg's of Gabapentin daily but I'm not sure of just how much it helps. My pain is getting worse as apposed to me becoming tolerant. I'm putting all my money on a higher dose of oxycodone. I'm hoping it will last me four or five years like the hydrocodone did. I just hope my new pain doc can understand my particular pain needs so I don't have these three ring circuses every time I need to up the dose. I guess time will tell...........

I am now in week 4 of trying to increase my pain medication. You would think I was asking my PCP to cancel her membership at the Country Club. All I was looking for is a jump from 40mg's per day to 60mg's per day of my oxicodone. This is after four years of no requests for more pain relief. I have now been referred to a pain clinic and assigned a brand new pain specialist. This new pain clinic is evidently trying something new because the contract they had me sign, also requires my PCP to sign as well. I found out yesterday what may be causing the delay. Evidently the pain clinic only wants to treat my pain until such time as they feel my pain is stabilized. At which time my pain treatment would be transferred back to my PCP.
Now I've heard of passing the buck before, but this is the first time I am the buck in question. As it turns out, my Doctor is fine with treating everyday items like blood pressure, performing physicals and administering flu shots. When it comes to more scarey things like avoiding a knock on the door from our local DEA official, well, that's why they invented referrals. But here's the kicker, my PCP referred my pain treatment down the road, but my pain doc wants to give me back once they have done doing what ever it is they do. My PCP evidently doesn't want anything to do with that scenario. As a result of all this progressive idealism, I am still sitting home in considerable pain.
A few weeks ago I reached a long sought after solution to the age old problem of properly asking my doctor for an increase in my pain meds. Over the past couple of years it has gradually gotten harder to accomplish this with out somehow appearing to be breaking some law or appearing to have something sinister on my mind. I am 54 years old and a few weeks ago I decided to start acting my age. I decided that I'm not going to fear requesting something I am medically entitled to. It is the Medical industry who has the problems with pain medicine, not me. Basically I decided that when it comes to dealing with my doctors, I don't give a rat's edit about what they are afraid of and I am going to start making it clear that I am more than just a possible liability in the life of my doctor.
At least in my little corner of the world, I have everything at my disposal to accomplish something I think needs doing. First of all the plight of the "pain patient" needs to be bought to the forefront. We can't accomplish much if no one is aware of what is really going on. So I'm going to try a few new avenues of attack. I'm going to try using the assets I have in front of me, the press, and local politicians. This is an election year, these guys will pretty much do anything imaginable for a few extra votes. News papers are pack full of people looking for a story with wide spread appeal. Everyone has issues with their doctors I can use that to my advantage. From reading these forums I now realize the shear number of patients who need hassle free treatment for pain. I think if the problem can be publicized, and we can get public opinion on our side, the rest is a piece of cake.
The first step is to ask you people out there if you know of any litigation either successful or not that you have heard about. Also, how you would feel about taking this battle to the streets. I just think if we don't do anything now, whats it going to look like in five or ten years. I wouldn't even want to think about itl it won't hurt to give it a try.....................

I have edited a word out of your post based on the forum rules over language. Healing Well is a family oriented site and we never know the ages of people that read these posts. Also, I suggest that you read the rules & keep in mind we do not get political here as that is against the forum rules. Thanks.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 4/29/2014 7:15:11 PM (GMT-6)

well it is no only with pain that there is a problem with doctors. don't know why but i sometimes feel that i have a black mark written over my head or a sign that says "abuse me". lately they have been talking about confusion on their part. well i am going to get my gel shots for my one and only real knee. the other knee is a replacement knee. am trying to swim and lose weight and decided to go with half a pill one day and a whole one the next day on the melaxicam (this is not a opiate but a heavy duty aspirin compound). they think it is causing a lot of problems with my esopogahus (spelling).; I have a slight amount of barrett's which is a cancer type thing. but the medicine for barrett's is bad for my asthma. WHAT TO DO????

Pray I guess and I sincerely hope you do better Electrify...don't forget to be armed with all your research. Unfortunately, we have to do this. Most ailments do get worse through the years...that just makes sense. Of course the medicine becomes less effective too.