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Chronic Pain
Will any doctor be able to prescribe actiq for chronic pain again
maybe - 0.0% - 0 votes
never again - 0.0% - 0 votes
no - 100.0% - 1 votes
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Posted 10/7/2014 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
I have been reading so much these last few years looking for a cure or anything new to help me. I have nothing left but you folks for information. Let me start by saying why I am here.

I was and am in chronic pain due to bechets desease and on top of that in 2003 while taking my husband for a tour to Iraq happen to stop in the driveway(not even on the highway) to look over my shoulder and a eighteen wheeler truck was driving on top of me car, I was blessed to come out alive and then to find out he was illegal immigant and had no drivers license and drinking. Of course he was only sent back to his country and of course no insurance.

I have ended up with 4 back surgerys, Permanent nerve damage etc etc. I spent nights outside screaming in pain days,weeks, in and out of hospital. you name it I did it test after test. Finally after so many times to different doctors ,nuero,surgeans etc. To finally find a pain doctor to manage my pain, was told I would live with chronic pain forever and these meds are the only thing to help took 4 years to get to that point,

Well last month I was informed that my pain doctor was not able to prescribe my actiq 600mcg and fentlyn and other no more. I did panic because I knew I was either going to die from pain or the withdraws, I never missued my medications these last 6 years and always went to my appointments and never got early etc.

HE said he was only going to practice injections from now on and it had nothing to do with me but the laws now rems etc. He gave me my last script and told me how to tapper and left it like that. I was in complete shock and right now as we type realize my d day is coming in 5 days nothing left.

I called him and asked for refferal because I was in such pain and had not been able to get out of bed these last 2 weeks and only thing he had relayed to me was call your family doctor (which I did and went and seen)the family doctor really was affraid for me said my body could not handle what I went through before my pain regement.

HE called another pain clinic and I just got back sadly they only do shots now too and could not even tell me where to go other than get some sebozone or clinic. I have all my records ,drug records mri nots etc, etc, I think it is sad to suffer because of others > I am dependent on my medication to function. I have a son getting married this weekend and just cry because I know I will not be able to go. My husband(bless his heart) Is going through this with me and knows if we do not find help I will die. We both discussed me getting things in order because of what is to come soon,

HE said get online find a state that is not as strict and we will fly to them . I live in North carolina and am willing to go anywhere to find a doctor who can help continue or even might have some cure or trial to help. I never wanted to be on medications like this But they have helped me live a decent functionly life so far. I know all good things come to an end but I know getting off my medications is not a solution because I will still have the worst chronic pain. But at least with the medications I was taking my pain level was one I could stand to live with.

So if anyone knows a doctor no matter where I need his information one who is certified in rems knows all about these medications and not going to stick a needle in me and think it will fix me because after 478 of them They finally decided to put me on Actiq etc. I am well aware what my medications are for and it is an off label medicine. But nothing else will work I have tried it all.

PLease email me or get back with me . I do not seek drugs I seek to live in a functionally manor.bless you all I hope you never have to live in pain again.

Gmom, I have paragraphs in your post to make it easier to read. Some of our members have tracking problems when reading. Thanks.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 10/8/2014 11:14:45 AM (GMT-6)
Posted 10/7/2014 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
What your doctor have done to you is nothing short of cruel...Try another state for pain management. Georgia and Florida have strict laws, so best to stay out of those states as they do make you go through too many hoops for medications, You could possibly try Texas, laws in Texas just made norco a class 2 medication and I needed a special script for that...Others will come by with advise, but it's probably best that you move and take your mri's, x-rays and reports with you... Maybe a move to Colorado for MM, I'm even considering that and a move if Texas won't allow for MM use medically in the near future...So many States offer up this medicine, so it's about time the US Federal Government looked into it's medical uses....

Sorry for everything you've gone through. Hope you can find a better doctor...very soon.
Posted 10/8/2014 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the CP forum at HW and I too am sorry for your issues. I cannot say for certain what preempted your Dr or clinic to do such a thing but we are seeing far too much of it and from state to state it seems not to matter.

The fent won't be as big a problem as the actiq and just this past month we have seen this happen to several people so it's at the federal levels the pressure is origionating. The clinics are opting out of treating with narcotics, it takes them off the DEAs watch list, lowers their malpractice insurance premiums,cuts out tons of record keeping and that lowers staffing. The government has encouraged them to go that way.

Ky is another place you want to avoid as one of our Mods had to go out of state to get a pain pump due to no Dr's writing p.o. meds.

I will think about this, do some checking and get back to you.

Quincy may be able to help.
Posted 10/8/2014 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
Gmom, I remember you posting about this a few days ago, what a mess. Another source to check for pain mgt drs in your state is Vitals.com.. You can plug in your location & pull up PM drs all over N.C.. At least that is a place to start & you can go down the list & call & ask if in additional to injections does the dr rx medications if he feels they are warranted. I would not go into any detail about what your dr has you on or what has happened with his practice. You can find out what the requirements are to get an appt with a dr.. You will need a referral & some even want to review a person's medical records before they will agree to see them. I doubt very seriously that you will find a dr willing to rx Antiq for BT pain.. The environment of pain mgt has changed drastically in the past two years or so & that is just the way it is these days. I am not sure how much luck you will have finding an out of state dr that will be willing to see you, like I said its a totally different environment with pain mgt.

I hope you can find some help. Take care.
Posted 10/8/2014 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hey gmom,

I am so sorry for your continued suffering.  I have no clue of what you should do other than appeal once again to your PCP.  I would think he SHOULD be familiar with your history and be more qualified to refer you.  Although I question your previous pain management doctor's ethics, I certainly do not judge another's circumstances.  He SHOULD also be able to assist you with info of reputable PM doctors who prescribe.

I was given Actiq pops as BT med with Fentanyl patches as primary back in 2005-06.  I didn't take either for very long because I couldn't function.  Other CP veterans have stated that major changes have occurred with protocol of pain med prescriptions.  I would think that referral from your PCP or PM will be paramount in consideration of a new doctor.  Either way, sweetie...You MUST seek HELP before you run out of meds and go into horrid withdrawals.

I don't want you (or your husband) to suffer...He's done enough of that through his service to our country, for which I must say I am grateful. 

Hugs~~Dixie

Posted 10/8/2014 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
I have no idea what "certified in REMS" is suppose to mean. Because there is no such thing. REMS stands for Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy. It sounds like your dr has decided that he wants to do injections only because they are more profitable. Which makes sense. Pain drs receive very little in pay for writting rxs compared to what they receive for doing injections. Your dr can still prescribe these meds, but he is choosing not to. That is becoming more and more common now days.

I agree with the others that you will probably not be able to find another dr who will rx you the Actiq for breakthrough pain. There is no guarantee that you will be able to find a dr who will rx you the Fentanyl. There is no way of knowing what another dr in your state or another will rx you. Although they usually start with meds that aren't that strong. I don't know your age, but if you're under 50, it sems that more and more drs are hesitant at best to prescribe some of these strong meds for their younger patients. I hate to be negative, but I believe you need to know what you are more than likely facing when it comes to having your pain managed with the same meds it has been.

There are Federal Laws, that affect every stste. Like the one that went into effect Monday reclassifing Hydrocodone combination meds (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin) to a Schedule II. But you also have individual state laws governing prescription meds as well as Pain Clinics & Pain Drs. I don't know of any state that is not strict with the pain meds used to treat chronic pain. The only thing I can think of is what others have recommended about states that have Medical Marijuana. This isn't covered by insurance and can be expensive. You also need to be aware that if Medical Marijuana is not legal in your state, if you get it in another state and take it back to your state and are caught, you can be arrested.

Does your pcp have any suggestions ? Will he write you rxs to help you with the withdrawals ?
Posted 10/9/2014 9:10 AM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry to read about what you're going through. It's so unfortunate how many more posts like this we've been getting from people who are being affected by this and are unable to get their medication.

I wish I had some answers for you, for anyone, because more and more, this is becoming more commonplace. Your doc is right in that it isn't personal. He's making this decision at an executive level. You're right, it's at the expense of a great number of CP patients, most legit ones....

But with new health care laws and premiums going up and such, the liability has become a factor. We have posters from a whole bunch of different states here, and as I recall, off hand, I don't know of any of us that are treated with meds who do *not* jump through moving hoops of fire each and every month to get our meds.

We're always under thread of having them d/c....I wish I had some better answers for you...




M.
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