Why do Doctors do this?

I like my primary doctor. I really do. But Friday, he really frustrated me. I'm used to pain. Aren't we all? Friday's visit yielded a diagnosis of costochodritis. But here was what frosted my cookies: A year ago, I developed some serious pain around my left scapula. He thought it might be coming from my neck, but the MRI showed that my discs are bulging slightly to the right, not the left, so they just shrugged it off and said "Oh, well, since all your pain is on the opposite side, there really isn't much we can do." So I live with extreme pain, and often numbness on my left side and arm, and really do very little with my left arm because it aggravates the pain when I do use it. In January, my doctor gave me some vicodin to have on hand for the pain. I am extremely conservative with my use of pain medication because I do not want it to lose it's effectiveness, and I don't really like the way it makes me feel anyways. I use it only when the pain becomes unbearable. Several times over the past 6 months, he asked me at my check ups if I needed a refill, and I always told him no, I still had plenty left.

So when I went on Friday, I asked him for a refill, since I had finally taken the last one. He says to me, " We don't like to give out vicodin for fibromyalgia pain because first you take one, then you take two, and then you don't know whether it is fibromyalgia pain or withdrawl from the medication." Hello? Was he really saying this to me? I told him, " I don't need it for the fibro pain. The fibro pain is nothing compared to the pain I have every day from whatever is wrong with my back and shoulder. Might I remind you that it has taken me 6 months to go through the 30 you gave me last time? I think it is safe to say that I am not going through any kind of medication withdrawls." To which he says " When did we last order that for you? Oh, it was January. Ok, I guess we can re-fill that for you."

I take norco for the pain, which is a ten mg vicodin. I have to see a new doc this month. Just hoping that he will continue to give them to me. They do help. I still have pain, but not like before. I see this doc on the 21st and will see how this will go. I am so afraid that he wont prescribe them. Then I have to go doctor shopping. I will let you all know what happens. There is a fibro doc I can see, but she is an hour away. Though it would be worth it if I can only see her once every three months or so. I travel over there for my pshciatriatist and psychologist. But it is so far of a drive.

Hugs, Karen

My doctor is very conservative when it comes to narcotics, too.  There has been too much abuse of them so now they have to be so careful.  BUT your doctor just needed to check out your chart before making those statements.  You obviously don't abuse them.  He was treating you like a child and that is offensive.

 

As far as your back pain goes, I know when my back bothers me it affects many parts of my body.  You carry yourself differently, sit differently, etc. so even though the disk problem is more on the right side, I sure don't know why he thinks it's not affecting the left side.  This is one of the reasons I use a massage therapist.  Muscle pain in my back end up causing numbness, hip and knee pain, etc.  The muscles pull your back out of alignment and cause more pain. 

 

I'm glad, though, that your doctor realized his mistake and gave the prescription to you.  Frosted cookies?  Now THAT sounds good to me! 

 

Sherrine

I, also, have used "controlled substance" pain meds. I rationed out 30 Vicodin over a 90 day period. Then the doctor switched me to Tramadol as it is not as strong, and it still helped keep the pain manageable. I was discontinued with the pain clinic as things are pretty much under control (as much as this pain can be). I just had a physical with my regular doc, and was told that if I still wanted my 10 mg. of Tramadol in the morning, and one at night, I would have to sign a contract with them, I would have to have 30 day follow ups, and I would have to commit to a support group for pain management. I felt like that is a slap in the face. I am only looking to be treated like an adult with pain issues. I have moderate to severe stenosis on top of the fibro and crohn's, and am in constant pain. I NEED relief, and when I ask for help, I am made to feel like an addict asking, no begging, for drugs. I refused the Tramadol and all the strings that went with it. I was then offered Elavil for night time so I could sleep better, and hopefully, help me manage pain threshold. I am an adult 54 year old human being, and I am sick of being patronized.

There. I feel better. Maybe I'll just go get some ibuprophen. Thanks for letting me get it out.

I am lucky to have a doctor who is very much a believer of fibro. I was going to a large university hospital for bladder pain with a ueroligist(sp?)
and then I got in with a doctor who was supposed to be long term pain managment. The 1st visit went wonderfully,I was finally going to be on a long lasting med but when I went back for him to bump me up on the 15mg of morphine ,I was supposed to start low and then we were to titrate it. All the sudden he went off on me with you need to stop dwelling on my pain..get a job or take a walk. I was floored to say the least. So all the sudden he wouldnt treat me, the specialist didnt want to treat me anymore since she couldnt do anything but give me pain meds and she wanted to pass me off to him. I was left with a weeks worth of meds and I had called everyone I could and noone would take me since everyone was taking private ins. I had seen this old doctor when I was married before and he was the only doctor in the rurel country I had lived in. I called and the gal told me they werent taking medicaid at that time and I told her to please give him the message and let him decide. Well I spent all day wondering if he would call and then he did call me personally and said he would happy to take me back. He said all he could do was perscribe what I had been given as he wasnt a pain doc and couldnt change the meds I was given. I went back to him and had to sign a pain contract and I found out quickly how serious he was about that when I had been seeing him for 2 months and I had called 2 reschedule because I had a horrible case of the flu and he called and reamed me about missing an appointment saying I was out of complience and he should drop me. I talked him into keeping me and I found a ride there and made sure not to miss an appointment,basically if I was dying I still had to get there. He made me understand how much the DEA was watching everyone now a days and he had to keep his records immaculate. I now take 8 -10 mg of the norcos and 90 mg of the morphine. I know that sounds like alot but I am taking it for multiple of condisions like I fell down the stairs and broke my back,I have pain left over from 3 strokes and I was dx'd with fibro about 5 yrs ago and then a have very severe neuropathy from diabetes in my legs. It turned out he was able to change up my morphine after he had tried for several years to find me a pain doctor that would take mediciad. He had talked to a pain doctor and it was his recommending to up my meds. I feel very grateful to have him as my doctor and when he will retire in about 5 years he has set up another doctor in the practice to take over my care. It took alot of bull crud before I found him again. If they ever close his practice down it will be a sad thing for all the ppl he helps. I had remembered,he was always a person who was so compassionate specialy with the many retired persons in his practice. Believe it or not he even still does house calls!! I know how nice of him to have him treat the elderly so they could continue to live at home. I forgot to mention he does require urine tests to check to see if I am taking the proper amount and he screens for  other illegal drugs and I dont mind him doing it.
Hugs,
Karen