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Som1 please help me with an idea on what to do...

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Posted 7/19/2012 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
ok long story short -   im 22 fx c-7 vert with radial nerve damage - complete drop wrist left arm- severe pain daily since decembr 2011,  ive been on morphine er 30mg  3x a day  and oxycodone 15mg 1-2 every 4 hrs prn. also on valuim 10mg every 4 hrs prn .

ive been going to my orthopedic spine surgon since decmber and hes been prescribing these meds as a pain management dr untill workers comp went thru and would pay for a real PM dr ,  well my comp finally went thru this month and today i had my apointment with my ortho , and i went thismorning and they tell me first that i dont have an apointment, then they try to say i had one but they changed it to 30th. so i told them thats 2 weeks after my 1 month script is up theres no way. so i asked if they could ask the doctor to write the script and they said they would ask. this was at 1030am

at 1115 i called back to ask if it was ready they ofc said no. i went back at 1230 to go see what was going on and they said the doctor knows about it and will call me when its ready. 

i get a call at 4pm and they tell me the doctor said due to the new istop law hes not allowed to keep rpescribing me the medicinebecause i didint have surg. or anything and hes refferd me to PM.  this is crazy how can they just stop prescribing it knowing i dont have an apointment with PM till august!!!

i dont know what to do i have enough morphine until tomorrow early afternoon i dont want to go thru w/d :(

Posted 7/19/2012 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Luie..

No one should ever get just dropped off their meds; I'm sorry this is happening to you.

I can only tell you what I would do... First, I'd call the doctor's office back... and throw a fit, lol. You can't just come off that amount of narcotic cold turkey. Can he at least see you and prescribe to get you through to see the PM?

Do you have a primary provider? If so - I'd also call and get an appointment and explain your situation. Many times - in a bad situation - they'll help get your through.

Lastly, I'd go the ER, if it were myself. When we moved from one state to another... I had a situation happen where I couldn't get my "out of state" scripts filled... and I had too many health issues to go into w/d while it was being figured out. I was seen by the ER and they helped me out until I could get into my new PM.

Let us know what happens... again, I'm sorry you are going through this :(
--Tina
Posted 7/19/2012 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear about the mix up...

I'm a bit confused on a few things...

Who has been prescribing you the medicine until now? Is that who you have been calling today? Or are you trying to get the new Ortho to prescribe all these meds?

I would contact the Dr. who has been prescribing you and make sure that they know your appt. is for the 30th...

(Did you not have an appt. card for today's date so you could show them when you showed up that you got it right? How about a saved message? My Dr.s always does this...they call a few days before and leave a reminder msg,)

I can see how the new Dr. would not want to immediately take over all those prescriptions...especially if you are taking 240 pills of the 15mg....8 a day of that is a bit unusual....(you had written this in another post)...

There are new laws/regulations in some states that non PM Drs. have to have extra training and certification to prescribe narcotics...as well as yes...they have to show the state/DEA why the patient is on so many narcotics...

So you may run into trouble with the Orthopedic Dr. not wanting to take over these prescriptions...

Again...if you can maybe clear up who you were calling today?

I would contact your Dr. who last prescribed these meds and just tell them your appt. is for the 30th and you only need a few more weeks until then.
Posted 7/19/2012 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
just paged my doctor after hrs ( the orthopedic has been the one prescribing it) he said due to the new istop law in ny hes currently not able to access the website where you have to write the pain med scripts only painmanagement drs can currently access it , he said he would if he could. hes gona try to get me into the PM doctor tomorrow or next week .
Posted 7/19/2012 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
I just looked it up...

If this is what the Dr. actually said to you they aren't telling the truth and are trying to get out of prescribing to you for whatever reason.

The law has not even been signed yet by Cuomo and the database won't even be up and running until 2013.

And all the law is, is where a Physician and/or Pharmacist can look in "real time" at a patient's prescription history to verify their prescriptions...

It does not prohibit them from prescribing to you unless they choose to based on what they see (Dr. shopping..etc)..

But as I said...it only just passed both houses and hasn't been signed into law yet.

Posted 7/19/2012 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
its not that its that the scripts for pain meds have to be sent by computer not written script and he currently can not access the computer is what he says.

and if its not in effect yet then idk maybe hes just scared hes been prescribing the meds so long without having done any surgery and dosnt wana risk getting in trouble. he is gona try to get me into the pm tomorrow or early next week, he rly didint sound like he was lieing on the phone he even told me to call my state senator to complain about it he said hes telling all his patients to call because he cant prescribe pain meds to his patients right now
Posted 7/19/2012 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
As I just read it...the part about it mandating the electronic prescriptions...that part won't be in effect until 2014.

So again...he is not telling you the truth if he is using this new law as his excuse to not access or write your prescriptions...

You can easily google the law and the information about it.

Something is certainly keeping him from helping you...but it's not the new law...

I wonder if he hasn't been investigated because as I wrote previously....being on 8, 15mg Oxycodones a day (short acting) is a pretty high dose that many Drs. will not take over.

Usually once you are put on a long acting medication...your MSContin...then most people don't need more than one or two...max of a breakthrough medication...

I would tell him then that you are going to go to the ER as there is no way you should have to go cold turkey with that much medication...

Just my thoughts...
Posted 7/19/2012 11:48 PM (GMT 0)
yeah i wouldnt need as much oxycodone if i was on a dose of morphine or oxycontin that works, like 60mg or somthing

hes prob scared of being investigated for prescribing these meds for last 7 months , but still its messed to not give me it atleast till i see the other dr.

idk hopfully he can get me in the PM dr tomorrow or monday but thats still 3 days without meds which wont be fun , idk if ill even be able to go to the pm dr ill be in w/d
Posted 7/20/2012 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
first and most important he cannot abruptly discontinue 4 or 6 10mg Diazepam tabs per day. in the doctor's little reference book this is printed in big bold type because it could kill you but most likely make you experience a major seizure(s). that is just that and him talking about a law that prevents him from treating a patient who he has refered to pain specialist at that. i have not heard of such a law in Virginia. i guess if you called a asked for a major operation it does not apply because surgeons want money and large sums at a shot. for him to work you up to MSER30mg tid with Oxycodone IR 15-30mg 4/day if i remember. that is a few rungs up the opioid-dosing ladder and to just stop it is cruel, malpractice. i agree with the previous comment that said have to butt in a chair when that office opens and tell them you have unrelenting pain and you need to see the doctor and i would wait all day, i have done that in the past and it sucks but be dead truthful to him about the pain and how your life would be effected with a 30 day period going dry off the meds. i wish you the best and i am sure you will get a PM doctor that will take care of you.
Posted 7/20/2012 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
I really feel for you, I hate reading stories like this one. I don't know how a doctor, in clear conscious, knowing what they know about these types of meds, would simply expect you to do without, and just to go cold turkey. Not like we are talking about taking aspirin.

You have been given some good advice in the above posts, hope some of helps and applies to you.

We can thank all the drug abusers and druger seekers and doctor-shoppers for wrecking things for all the legitimate CP people like us. Things are only going to get hard in the future, I dont have these problems now, but terrified if things changed here in S.C., or if my great doctor suddenly moved away or something.

Even on my meds, I still suffer a lot of daily pain, can't comprehend what it would be like to feel the full strength of the pain without the meds, and having to go through withdrawals symptons at the same time.

Hoping to read soon, that you get a solution, please let us know

david in sc
Posted 7/20/2012 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
im so darn cold and been shaking all day, i tried waiting in the doctors office refusing to leave but they dont care they keep comming up with the bullcrap excuse that he can write scripts because he cant acess the program (hes prob on vacation which is hwat i heard from ppl in his office) i really dont know what to do im about to go drive out of state to a pain clinic if i have to or go to an er to be admitted for pain management, i just dont like they way they look at you when you go in asking for pain meds, even tho i really need it. oh and im from NY i saw som1 say somthing about virginia.

thank you all for the support and advice :(
Posted 7/20/2012 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
Morning Luie!

I deleted the other post for you, and wanted to let you know that you can delete your thread as well when you post by mistake. All you have to do is hit the X on the top righthand side of your post, where the little symbols are. If you need more help just ask, and any of the members can help you here,….or you can contact one of the moderators by email, and we will be more than happy to help as well.

Take care,

SE wink
Posted 7/20/2012 2:39 PM (GMT 0)
Morning Se

ah good to know, and Thank you!

i just called the pm dr and told them what happend they said they will try to talk with the dr and see if he can squeeze me in today or monday.
Posted 7/20/2012 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
just got call from PM dr office what a surprise my ortho never called them to try to get me in to be seen, they said the pm doctor was only able to squeeze me in on the 25th which is 4 days from now.. so its either 4 days of hell or i go to the ER..
Posted 7/20/2012 9:44 PM (GMT 0)
Luie,

I have read all the posts and I wanted to say that I feel awful for what you are going through.  I will be praying for you for as long as you are in trouble like this.  

This could happen to anyone of us.  It could happen to me, and the thought always is in the back of my mind.  I am so very sorry for your plight.  Please let us know what is happening.

God bless you.

Lindaloo

Posted 7/21/2012 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for ur kind thoughts and prayers.

I went to his office and left because they told me i could sit there all day and i wont be seen, nor will they write a prescription. its really amazing that i have to go thru this being treated like im just asking for pills to get high...

i am in w/ds i have cut my last 2 morphines in half i took 1 half in am half just now which is doing nothing at all , im freezing sitting here with an electric heater on.
Posted 7/21/2012 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
If those are the Morphine ER pills...it is EXTREMELY dangerous to cut them in half. Any type of time released medication has to be taken whole. It is on the packet information called a BLACK BOX WARNING...

This can cause overdose....

Please...I know you are hurting...but I would hate for something bad to happen to you because of this.
Posted 7/21/2012 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
yes i know its stupid, i crush them alot so breaking them wont be that bad, Thanks for the concern tho
Posted 7/21/2012 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
What do you mean you crush them a lot? I'm not sure why you would do this?

Are you saying this is how you regularly take the medicine?

If you are in such bad shape...you should go to the ER....That is a better choice than cutting the medicine up as this can cause you great physical harm.

The black box warning is below:

MORPHINE SULFATE EXTENDED-RELEASE TABLETS ARE TO BE SWALLOWED WHOLE AND ARE NOT TO BE BROKEN, CHEWED, DISSOLVED, OR CRUSHED. TAKING BROKEN, CHEWED, DISSOLVED, OR CRUSHED MORPHINE SULFATE EXTENDED-RELEASE TABLETS LEADS TO RAPID RELEASE AND ABSORPTION OF A POTENTIALLY FATAL DOSE OF MORPHINE

Post Edited (Snowbunny21) : 7/21/2012 7:43:54 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/21/2012 2:22 AM (GMT 0)
Oh Wow...Crushing is just as bad. Glad somebody caught that. You are receiving a dose all at once instead of it being released over time. I have a gj tube and medicine is crushed to put thru it. That's why I cant take extended release meds. Way to dangerous.

You are in such a tough spot-I'm sorry.
Posted 7/21/2012 2:44 AM (GMT 0)
well i dont mean alot but i have done it before when in alot of pain, again i know a very stupid thing to do.

right now im just cutting them to try to make them last so i can tapper off and not just drop to 0 i have 2 halfs left to last till weds :(
Posted 7/21/2012 4:29 AM (GMT 0)
i wish i was able to go to sleep im so tired but it hurts way tomuch to lay down but its killing me to sit up :( feel like im gona pass out
Posted 7/21/2012 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
i wish som1 would take me to the hospital i have no way to get there and im laying in my bed crying and so close to going over the edge and flipping out, im really gona pass out from the pain
Posted 7/21/2012 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry you are having such a hard time...

You can call 911 if you need to go to the hospital.
Posted 7/21/2012 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
yeah but arnt they gona be mad if i call for that

Luie there rules here at the forum that you ee to check out please. One of them is language, we need to keep it clean as we never know the ages of people reading these posts. Thanks, Susie

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 7/21/2012 7:28:15 PM (GMT-6)

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