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Basically, I'm looking for a Doctor that understands and prescribes the necessary pain meds.

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 10/5/2007 1:38 AM (GMT 0)
I have had Crohn's for 21 years., I work full time (Don't know how long this is going to last)  I have this Authritis im pelvis, tailbone, and hips -  Will be going to a Rheumy soon and will know more.

I had the same GI Doctor for 15 yrs. and two years ago wsithed to a dr. that is closer to me.  I asked him ONE time to give me LORTAB for pain.  At the time I had kidney stones, not to mention Crohns & joint pain.  What the H--- does it matter. 

Well, I went to pick up my medical records to go back tomorrow to the Dr. I had for 15 years. and now he gets to read this portion of my medical records.  Now, he is going to immediately think that I am som sort of pain pill addict.  This is ashame.  I am working full time and going to Graduate Schooland raising a family.  I think if I have "fake" probems then maybe he needs one day filled with Crohns Disease.  Obviously he has no idea what we go through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who is that Doctor in Atlanta area that everyone raves about?  I believe his first name is Douglas...

Posted 10/5/2007 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
For the pain meds go to your family doc. Gi's are so bad about prescribing them. I always get mine from my PCP. Hopefully the Rheumy will help too. God Bless.
Posted 10/6/2007 4:30 AM (GMT 0)
Me too, My GI will not give pain meds at all. I could be crawling on my knees and he wouldn't give pain meds because as he says,"it masks the symptoms" Well my feeling is, when you are in as much pain as we get in we need something to stop the tears from flowing and to calm down. My family doctor prescribes me vicodin prn for my crohns. I would find a family MD and just explain your crohns sx to him and explain that NSAIDS do not work because they actually make crohns worse. Believe it or not, many doc's still try to give me NSAIDS for pain control even though I have crohns which is a no no! I hope things get better. I had an ER doctor write something similar in my hospital chart too. Good luck.
Posted 10/6/2007 9:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi my GI is the one whom gives me the pain meds. He has no problems prescribing then.
Posted 10/6/2007 11:33 AM (GMT 0)
I get mine from my family doc as well
Have never had a problem with getting proper TX and Meds for Pain

LYN
Posted 10/6/2007 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
AS all the others have stated your best thing for pain is with your family doctor--GI'S are just not going
to give pain meds. even though they are suppose to understand our pains???figure??good luck with
the family doctor---georgialady
Posted 10/6/2007 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
I would suggest you ask for a referral to a pain clinic. I suffered for years not willing to take anything for the pain because my kids were little and I didn't want to compromise the care I could give them. when they got a little older, I finally had to give in. Well after several years of getting pain meds from my PCP who was also my GI we would get into a battle about how often he would give me a script and how often I was in pain. The classic, we can't find enough active disease to justify the amount of pain you have. Well you know what, I HAVE pain. I'd been dealing with it for years and was no longer willing to just live with it. When I asked for a referral to a pain clinic, it just made my life so much better. I no longer have to worry, will he or won't he write me a script. I go every 4 weeks, we discuss how things are going, they give me a script and off I go. Some pain clinics use different meds to help depending on what type of pain you have, the degree of pain, the duration of pain. Its very tailored to your needs. No judgement, just help.
Posted 10/6/2007 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
:-)
Zanne,
I just finally asked my gastroentrologist about something for my terrible abdominal pain about 2 months ago. Until then I had been taking ES Tylenol, which didn't do anything at all. I was afraid to ask for anything stronger because I didn't want my doc to think I was a junkie or something, not a rational thought at all because I had never taken a RX pain med in my life before (except for wisdom teeth removal years ago). But I feared this stigma associated with vicodin or lortabs, meds like that. I was to the point where I thought "what the h**, I'll ask him, the worst he can do is say no". But he didn't, when I mentioned something stronger than Tylenol for my abdominal pain he was actually very sympathetic and said "sure, I'll write you a RX for vicodon". I was very surprised because I expected him to say no. Anyway, now I take one of those "magical pills" whenever the stomach pain is to much for me to handle, and I feel so much better now. I too work full time and I had been missing more and more work because I would feel absolutely wretched by early afternoon. But the vicodin I take for the pain really has helped me make it through the day.
I recommend, as the others do, that you ask your PCP about pain meds or see a pain management specialist. You, like everyone else here, has a serious, life-altering disease that makes each day a battle. You deserve to take whatever meds bring you relief and make it easier to live every day.
Take care and I hope you find a doc to get you the pain meds you need.
Posted 10/7/2007 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
Do any of you that live in Georgia know of a sympathetic Good doctor?
Posted 10/7/2007 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
My GI gladly prescribed me Lortabs, and they worked great. He's always been sympathetic about my pain. I just had a bowel resection 3 weeks ago and the surgeons who opened me up were the ones who didn't want to give me pain meds. I was given 10 percosets 1 week after surgery and that was it. It wasn't enough. I called my GI and he was willing to give me a script for more meds. I guess it just depends on the doctor. I used to be worried about doc's thinking I was a junkie looking for a fix, but now I'm not afraid to tell them that I am looking for a fix, a fix for the pain so I can function during the day and (mainly) sleep at night. So far that attitude has seemed to work!
Posted 10/7/2007 3:58 AM (GMT 0)
eyes  MY first GI scripted all of my pain meds,then I was sent to see another GI because my doctor did not do remicade at the time and any way we (ex-husband and I)barley sat down and the first thing that GI said I don't script pain meds because people with Crohns do not hurt.Yea right.So needles say I did not see that GI again.When I moved back to my home town and another state I had to get a new GI and he did help me out the best he could and hwe told me up front he had no problem with giving me hydrocodone for pain buit would not script any thing stonger.SO I asked my PCP to reffer me to a pain doctor and I have been going there for over two years.So you may want to ask for a referrel to a pain doctor.
Posted 10/7/2007 5:16 AM (GMT 0)
I've received prescriptions from both my GI and GP over the years and by far prefer dealing with my GP. My GI has no problem prescribing me something, but he never gives me one with refills whereas my GP usually writes one with refills. But both keep the number of pills on the low side. I would consider a pain clinic if one were in my area.

My GI's nurse told me that my GI is the only one at their office that prescribes narcotics. I can't understand why they would deny their patients pain relief. But I know doctors are under pressure due to the media (not to mention law enforcement) attention narcotics receive from abuse and illegal use, and that makes it harder for patients with legitimate needs. Between getting my pain meds filled and having to buy Sudafed fairly regularly for my allergy-ridden daughter, I'm starting to get paranoid about going to the pharmacy, and I'm not doing anything illegal!

As for those GIs that think we don't have pain, well walk a day in our footsteps!

We found out recently that Ultram (tramadol) was reclassified in our state as a schedule IV narcotic, though I don't think it's changed under the federal law.
Posted 10/7/2007 6:12 AM (GMT 0)
Boy I can understand. None of my doctors like to hand out pain medication. When my primary doctor does he wants to give me 600mg Motrin! We've talked many times about how I'm not supposed to take NSAIDS. But he just disagrees! I don't even bother asking him for pain meds because of that anymore.
Posted 10/7/2007 7:26 AM (GMT 0)
My PCP prescribed my pain meds until I got ref to pain mgt. M gi offered me Lortabs once, I cannot tolerate them so declined and explained why.
Susie
Posted 10/9/2007 7:02 AM (GMT 0)
I had a common experience, I guess. After explaining my horrid back/buttock/pelvis/abdominal pain to my GI, that it kept me up at night and that it was interfering with my work and that it had been going on for months, she looked at me sympathetically and told me I was "stuck with Tylenol". She said that things like Vicodin wreak havoc on Crohn's b/c of their constipating effect, causing all that stuff to just stick around and irritate the gi tract. I couldn't help but ponder why a slow-down on digestion wouldn't be a benefit for those who had diarrhea.

I went another month and ended up at my GP just to kind of let him know where I was at. I was so low...he asked a question of how I was doing in such a way that I started crying so hard...something about how I was holding up or something. I didn't do it for effect, but he gave me a refillable script for Vicodin, 30 Valiums, and a Zoloft prescription. Thankfully my pain has lessened and since I'm now on LDN I no longer take the Vicodin and i have only taken a few Valium but do think the Zoloft may be helping.

Anyway, my long-winded point is that there are sympathetic doctors out there. I felt so cared for and understood, and oh so grateful for the relief.
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