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Posted 10/8/2015 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Everyone & HAPPY FALL!!
I have had a bit of a issue with Pain Management again. I was referred back to Pain Mngt by my Primary (who is WONDERFUL) because she wanted me to be reevaluated by them to see if they can help me with my multiple issues. I went on 9/11 and she tried to tell me that all my pain is coming from JUST MUSCLE SPASMS and set up a plan for me which is as follows:
1-Follow up with mental health dr-CHECK
2-Get membership to a aquatic center and swim 3x week-CHECK
3-Start aquatic physical therapy- cannot do due to schedule issues
4-Continue to go to counseling-CHECK
5-In 8 weeks start to wean off of narcotics---she wanted to do it straight away.
I can self wean when i an NOT IN PAIN which she was just not getting through her THICK skull.
((I had asked for a eextended release medication so i could be more comfortable, she told me they only gave those kinds of meds to chronic cancer pain patients))

So i wrote her a heartfelt email stating that i was unable to do the aquatic therapy but i have held up my end of the bargain with everything else. I asked if there was another kind of therapy she could recommend and if they could PLEASE change my meds to a more comfortable quality of life for me. She didnt answer and then i sent another email 2ND REQUEST and they called me last Thursday.

I have been having a neck flare and it was getting bad down my left arm and they listened to all the same stuff i told her in the email to her nurse. of which was ignored!! they told me to go to urgent care which i did and they were VERY VERY NICE and gave me a shot of steroids and a steroid pack.

I followed up with my primary Monday of this week because i was MISERABLE!! the pain was burning in my neck and shoulder and down my left arm just like earlier in this year. She talked me through the whole thing and we decided to start regular physical therapy and she wanted to address multiple pain areas. She changed my medication and we decided that when i am ready and when the pain is less to change it back to a lower med or to wean off. She told me that extended release medications are not just for cancer pain and gave me a script for MS CONTIN EXTENDED RELEASE!! It works for me i am feeling better for longer periods of time.

I was not only lied to, i was ignored and the kicker---my 3rd email to her she replied "please follow plan i set up for you" she DIDN'T read anything i wrote, i poured my heart out to her to tell her all that i am doing to be healthy and i wasnt emotional i was factual in my account of what is going on but she was SO COLD.

I filed a complaint about her and requested that my primary continue to care for me and my pain. She has for the past year been here through all the flares and all the issues i have had as a result. I am disgusted by the way the pain doctor treated me as if i was nothing.

They also said i have Myofascial pain syndrome.
Posted 10/8/2015 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hey BunnyGirl.

You're a much more patient person than I.
At some time you might consider seeing a different Pain Management Doctor.

Unless you wanted to do those things you listed.

I hope you find and get the Treatment you deserve.

Edit: I just read your Post again.Glad someone helped you.I take MSContin 2 x a day and Morhine IR,with good results.

Take care and God Bless.

Rick
Posted 10/8/2015 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
BG, I wouldn't expect much from the complaint against PM. They are not required by any law to rx pain meds to a patient. It will be looked at in difference in opinion as to what the dr felt was best for the patient. Sounds like this PM dr is one that does injections & procedures & no medications. We see this a lot & its getting worse every day.

If your primary care is willing to work with you thats a huge plus because most will not take on a patient long term with chronic pain.

Take care.
Posted 10/8/2015 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
Straydog: I get all pain medications from my primary care doctor and have for the past year. I was looking for help from them and i am not into injections or procedures unless they can show me it will work.

She was soo snooty and my primary says "we have to take a multifaceted approach- meds, exercise, diet, mental health, and physical therapy" she is my savior and she is amazing.

thanx for the camaraderie <3
Posted 10/8/2015 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you got ahold of one of those antinarcotics drs and not even a nice one. It's my experience that women Pm drs are less compassionate than their male counterparts. That's what I have seen an experienced and yes I am sure there's exceptions to the rule.
Posted 10/8/2015 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Yes she was VERY rude and COLD. I have never had this experience before so i was SHOCKED.

Thanks for your support!!!!!!!!
Posted 10/8/2015 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Vickie, I also have seen many heartless Women doctor's, so far there has only been two women doctor's I have trusted one was my daughter's pediatrician, was excellent and another was in a different State from where I reside now. Not all PM doctor's are like this and you should start seeking another pm doctor because primary doctor's do not like to prescribe these meds for long periods of time, so even though your primary is helping you now you can still look into another pm doctor's office. Sometimes it helps to start the search early and try to visit the waiting room to see what it's like. I always go and pickup the paperwork before making an appointment as it gives me an idea of the waiting times I'll face, it also helps to know if the staff is friendly, ect...
Many well wishes, and Hello!
Posted 10/8/2015 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Chartreux.Hope your knee if mending.

Hey Bunny Girl.I had to get the ball rolling to get me in with the PMD I'm at now.

It took 3 phone calls to their office by my PCP's Nurse,after they had been sent my Referral,before the PMD called me to set up an appointment.

She's hard to get in to see because of the number of patients that she has.

I couldn't ask for better treatment and that includes treatment with Medication.

I wish everyone could find a Doctor that would treat them the way they should be treated.

Take care.

Rick
Posted 10/9/2015 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Another thing makes me mad is to have me or my insurance company to pay someone to be rude and obnoxious. If you don't want to treat me the way I likely know will work or you don't use the treatments I am looking for NO need to be rude just say so and we will part ways no problems. I wouldn't continue to go to a chicken place to ask for spaghetti. I will move on.

Like others said they're not all like that and sometimes you have to shop for a better fit. I pay so I decide if I am getting my money's worth not them.
Posted 10/9/2015 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
VICKIE: PREACH IT GIRL~!
I agree, I made a complaint and asked if i can not see her again and stated how rude and arrogant she was as to her methods. I agree with you as to if i am paying her salary i get to decide who i see. but the sticky thing is if i don't agree with her non-narcotic approach will i look like a drug seeker anyways since NO MATTER WHAT we do we look like drug seekers>? My primary had taken over my meds at pain mngts request as everything is connected in Kaiser they could monitor my care too. I get so sick of this crap from pain doctors. i had switched pain facilitates last year from Forsythe Pain Management to Kaiser Pain mngt thinking it will be great to have it all under one roof. The experiences i have ENDURED there have been awful and i am going to go see my primary asap to discuss what we can do since i have seen 2 crappy doctors at Pain Mgt that i do not wish to see again. I hate that we look like drug seekers no matter what we do, if we need a stronger longer acting medication we are looking to "score" or "get high" NO IM IN PAIN and i want to be able to function and work bc i cannot afford to miss work. I am trying so hard doing acupuncture, herbs and vitamins, yoga, swimming, Christian counseling and really trying to open up about my pain mental and physical to friends and family.

I dont understand why we have to be ostracized in the medical field and looked down upon in the real world like we are lazy good for nothing druggies. I for one am SICK OF IT!@!!


Okay rant over!


LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 10/9/2015 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
I can pretty much assure you what they think they already think and nothing you do from here on outs going to matter. When the office holds multiple Drs it's not likely that one is going to step on the other one's toes by telling you their partners are off the mark by doing something different than the other one or two has recommended. It that office has a official office policy or protocol of not extending narcotics use longer than say 6 months or that all patients must do 1,2,3 before or during treatments then you could see every single Dr there and get the same song and dance. Your refusal or even your reluctance to try this or thats well documented and you would be surprised at how exactly it was documented.

Here's a example that's stuck in mind for many years and probably because I saw it repeated multiple times. Patient is offered something for pain and patient reports multiple adverse reactions to nsaids,states codeine allergies,and Ms04 makes her vomit. Patient asked what could she tolerate states Oxycidone works best. Patient presents with a aim in sight to obtain oxy? Possible dependence issues are present.

Really? Well I am not sure about that statement implying any such thing and is it possible this is a long-term CPer who actually has been through the med list,has a codeine allergy and knows morphine causes her to be sick? Is it not possible after twenty years to know what works and what doesn't and oxy does? So play dumb? Be given something that will break you out in hives or make you throw up and hope at some point after making the issues greater they give you what you already knew would work? And risk your statements being worded in a way that you now look like a addict to oxy?
Posted 10/9/2015 9:25 PM (GMT 0)
One of my Duke Drs removed chronic pain from my list of diagnosis. He said that to some Drs that would look like I was just after pain meds. He said that he obviously knows what's going on, but someone else could come to a different conclusion. I'm in/out of the hospital so frequently, he was mainly referring to ER docs.

I just found that interesting.
Posted 10/10/2015 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Vickie, im at a loss here because every interaction with PM at Kaiser has been crap. No matter the doctor i have gotten cold doctors stingy with pain meds that allow me to function and WONT Listen.

I dont know what to do here, i am screwed because Kaiser pain treatment center is the only place i can go and BY NOW all the doctors will know about me and my " unwillingness to comply" which all did was ask her if she could refer me to another type of therapy because i cannot miss work and the schedule of the aquatic therapy was not going to work for me.

what should i do>? as you said Vickie they have probably already pegged me as a oxy seeker or whatever and a difficult patient, but do they just expect us to do whatever we are told without question> that is a preposterous thought. Kaiser PM is like that, ":do what we say or we will peg you as uncompliant" I just want to get the care i deserve, i am struggling and have been for at least 18 months. I just want to be a part of my care not dominated by a arrogant doctor.

Thank you for listening to my rants and all my issues here, it seems to have been a loaded layered post lol
Posted 10/11/2015 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
BG, with you having Kaiser you are limited to seeing them only right? I know that is how it use to be if anyone had them for insurance, very limited.

Only thing I can see is hopefully your PCP will continue to treat you. I agree the PM drs will look at whats been written in your records & it will be a waste of time & effort going back to them.

Take care.
Posted 10/11/2015 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
BG, I've heard that about Kaiser also. Is there anyway that you can pay out of pocket for a pain Dr if you have no alternative?

I've had women friends that were drs but Ive only had one woman Dr that actually cared about her patients. When I was pregnant with our 5th child in my 8th month and I changed OB drs because I couldn't keep anything down because I had the flu and I was coughing so bad, I was throwing up. I was losing weight and she wanted to put me in the hospital. I had taken cough meds before that stopped the coughing and the throwing up but she refused to prescribed it. I asked her what would she do if it was her and she said she would get the cough medicine. That was it for me and hubby. Everyone in the office told me she was the best Dr there, but I didn't trust her. The last women Dr I had was in 2011 and after several visits her lack of knowledge was all I could take and I got up and walked out in the middle of a drs appointment. I was in my late 50's and I had never even thought of doing that with any other Dr. The ones that have been the worst were also foreign so maybe the different cultures have something to do with it.
Posted 10/13/2015 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
With it being October, is there anyway for you to change your insurance coverage for 2016? Maybe go over your coverage with Kaiser and see what can be done. Might be time for you to write a letter to the President of Kasier with your experiences and ask what they would do if he/she had a doctor like this. And ask if you were a cancer patient if your treatment would be improved and ask why, ask why your getting shobby treatment as compared to someone with cancer, explain that your medical dx's are just as legitimate as that of anyone else regardless of illiness...Everyone deserves compassion and quality of care and condisending doctors should be fired. And ask how he/she would feel if they received this type of treatment. The powers that be of Kasier should know this and you should also give this doctor a bad review on www.healthgrades.com.
Many well wishes to you and I hope your pcp can continue your good care...
Posted 10/13/2015 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
That's terrible BG. I was recently at the point of parting ways from my pain dr, but at my last appointment he finally agreed I have tried everything and he sent me for nerve blocks and switched me from Norco to Percocet. I honestly find the Norco was better for *my* pain and at my next appointment or refill I'm going to request Norco again. I agree about the stigma about opioids and pain management. People truly don't understand it, which is why this place is so important for all of us. Stay strong and keep fighting!
Posted 10/14/2015 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
Mercy&Grace: Here's some southern love BLESS YOUR HEART!!!!!! that is such unprofessional awful; treatment that you suffered and i am so sorry you had to endure such treatment and in such a vulnerable time in your life.

TO UPDATE PEOPLE:I received a call from THE PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA PAIN MGT FOR KAISER and she stated that the doctor i saw was the "best for restorative pain mgt" and getting people back to a healthier place. Their reluctance to put me on a extended release medication was as she said "your 29 yr old where do we go from here, what are we to do when u are 39, even 33 years old. we are afraid of upping your dose and you taking more and more medication, looking at your chart you are on far more meds than last year" The med thing is true KINDA i am on robaxin, that was added last fall and i had my narcotic changed to ms contin which is actually in the same level as the oxycodone i think.

She told me that she believes the same about the medication as the doctor i saw, i told her what kinda year i have had-which i have been quite vocal on here about. I said i will come off the meds when "your treatment plan" works, when i am truly feeling less pain, when i am truly stronger. until then me and my primary will handle the medication and you and i will handle "life skills for pain and mindfulness classes"

I am still livid but i felt like she was trying to convince me NOT TO GET A 2ND OPINION with my primary but i have rights and i used them. I start physical therapy Monday today was my consult and it will be good i hope.

But i am left feeling ICKY like they are trying REALLY REALLY hard to convince me that i dont need medication and that its their way or the highway.

WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK::>???? they want me to keep my next appt with pain mgt in November b\ut i feel weird about it.

29 yrs old- deg. disk disease/osteoarthritis/fibromyalgia/myofascial pain syndrome/hashimoto's disease/cervical radiculopathy with pain and numbness in left shoulder and arm.
l-4-l-5 fusion & disk removal/hardware removal in 2010/ Medtronic Neurostem implant in 2011/ TOOO many injections and blocks and epidurals to count <3
Posted 10/14/2015 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hey BunnyGirl.When it comes down to it we have to stand up for our rights
and make sure we're getting the Treatment we deserve from Doctors.

A lot of Doctors want to lump us all together and put us in categories instead of treating us as individuals.

We just have to keep vigilant to get the treatment we deserve.

Pain doesn't discriminate.It knows no age or sex.

Just keep standing up for yourself.

Edit:It's easy for me to say I'd do this or that if I were in your situation.But that wouldn't be fair.

We're all in different situations.Each of us have different relationships with our Doctors because of our age,relative to theirs,how long we've been a patient,or our physical problems.

Go with your instinct,your gut feeling.

Take care and God Bless.

Rick
Posted 10/14/2015 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
Why not run it by your PCP on whether to keep that November appt or not. In all honesty I do not see any point in returning back to them. They are not advising your PCP in any way as to what meds you do or don't need so what would be the point of keeping the appt. I would not be a No Show either, I would call & cancel.
Posted 10/14/2015 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
BG, Thanks. After 6 children, taking care of a disabled husband for years plus the drs I've had to see in my lifetime I have seen some uncaring and uneducated drs but the woman dr was the worst. I should note that my family and I have also been Blessed with some of the best drs. So they aren't all bad.

The type of insurance you have usually defines the quality of dr you get. Unfortunately we don't have the freedom the continue searching until we find a new dr, if we want insurance to pay for it. There were some restrictions on drs you could use years ago, but nothing like it is today.
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