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Posted 3/11/2015 6:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

My appointment with the GP went well. I started off by asking a few questions and saying i was having a bit more pain since i reduced the dose but dont want to increase back to old dose as im glad i was able to reduce. Then she just asked me about side effects etc. she asked again if i wanted to see a pain specialist so i said i wouldnt mind but was a little hesitant after the last one was very anti meds and trying to push me on to lyrica. I said id be happy to go as long as they dont force me into anything but id like to see what they say. She said they cant force me to do anything and can only advise the GP so not to worry about that. She recommended another time going on to patches instead of oxycontin so i said i would be ok with that so she said to ask the pain specialist and they might also be able to add in something else.

I showed her the records id made of the pain each day and she said that was very helpful. Anyway this is a weight off my mind now. Thanks so much everyone for your advice and support, it really helped. Being very honest and also mentioning things like reducing doses over time and focusing on the pain helped.

Hope you all have a good day! Di :)
Posted 3/11/2015 6:52 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds great and productive but why the reluctance to neuropathy meds? After getting past the side effects and adjusting to the nature of the beast lyrica has been mine and many others blessing. Those who don't do well with lyrica tolerate cymbalta or neurontin and if your pain is in anyway neuropathic in nature your doing yourself a great disservice by not trying to find the one that works for you.

Glad you came away feeling satisfied but the days of PM evaluating and suggesting that your Gp follow his instruction are long past. Most GPs will not prescribe narcotics long-term at the doses required to maintain a qol and the agency's who monitor strongly suggest that they don't. IF you do not intend to use the PM be very sure that he understands that your only seeking a consult and do not sign a contract thats usually included in the intake and new patients paperwork. By choosing to remain under the care of the GP and not a PM Dr your doing yourself a great disservice and limiting your options for relief and treatment a great deal since GPs are limited in the knowledge and treatment modalities available to you.
Posted 3/11/2015 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
Di43, there are two types of pain mgt drs out there. One does nothing but injections & procedures, no narcotics, the other type will do the same but will also rx meds if deemed necessary. Sounds like the PM dr you saw that time may have been an injection only dr. Once you get your appt scheduled you may want to call that drs office & just ask the receptionist if the dr does procedures & will rx medication if he/she feels its necessary. That call can save you a wasted appt.

Good luck.
Posted 3/11/2015 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
Vickie,

When I lived in WA, it was normal for pain docs to work with the PT to get them stable on a treatment plan and then hand them back to the doctor, and it wasn't that long ago (1.5 yrs). It might be that other states still run like it was 5 years ago.
Posted 3/11/2015 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
I think a lot depends on where you live and what the cause of the pain is. A lot also depends on the GP and the Pain Dr.
Posted 3/12/2015 2:07 AM (GMT 0)
Di43-- Congratukations on having, what you felt, was a good appointment. Sounds like you felt listened to--that's a great thing.

I do hope your GP is someone you trust to advise you, sounds like that's the case. Cuz there's a lot of solutions out there for pain and I'd hope they got availed to you. Pain specialists do get a wellspring of information to choose from. It's all about finding a doctor you feel is truly worth your confidence.
Posted 3/12/2015 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Di..............................First of all, I glad that you feel good about your appointment - probably the best asset you can have is total understanding between you and your doctor.

For me, I would have jumped to the fact of going to see a PM doc in addition to your GP for all the reasons that the members spoke of. Their specialty is just that - PM, they are trained and certain of the different modalities available to control your pain which is different from your GP's expertise.

I did find it rather strange that you were very reluctant to be lead into starting a med for nerve pain, i.e. Lyrica, but yet there were no real hesitation to talk about starting the patch. Too me that is a bigger deal than trying a nerve med. This is a drug that has helped me ten-fold, but not to say that everyone will have the same success.

I'm glad that your diary of pain was helpful, it is a necessity for me when things go belly up because my memory is not all that these days.

Wishing you continued relief and pain free days ahead!

Hugs from Texas,

Pam
Posted 3/12/2015 9:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all

Thanks for your replies! I did feel relieved after it. Basically i have trialled so many meds and the only thing that has worked for me are opiates. My current meds work really well and i still have days of pain but not enough to want to change the meds. I think i wont be out of pain completely but what im on now is working and giving me a good quality of life. I just dont want to go on another med when the one im on is working really well. I cant go through all that agony again and taking time off work and dealing with side effects. Im not so against a patch as ive tried them before and they did help.

Im not against lyrica per se and im so glad its helped so many of you. It was just the last specialist i saw was so anti meds and wouldnt listen to me, just kept saying you cant be on morphine all your life, you are young. I said but im only able to get on with my life because this is working and she said well lyrica will work too. I said ive tried so many meds and they didnt do anything and she said yes but you havent tried lyrica. You will put on some weight but at least you wont be on morphine. My GP at the time was a sweetheart and said i agree with you, that wont work. Then he said i dont have to go to that specialist again. Im less worried about going on a patch as ive tried them before and they did help. I am glad to be getting some help from a pain specialist but was just reluctant after the last one i saw was so dismissive.

Thanks for the advice about the pain specialist contract Vickie. I have a feeling things are not so bad in uk as in US but i could be wrong. And thanks for the advice about calling the pain clinic Susie.

Di
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