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Avatar universal

Frustration

On December 1, 2012, I started my journey with chronic pain and therapy.  I stood up on this day, and got a shooting pain down my left leg, that felt like someone was taking a knife and slicing it down the back of my leg.  I went to an orthopedic surgeon, and he recommended a nerve block.  I had that done, and the pain was even worse.  I ended up having surgery in January 2013.  After surgery I went to physical therapy, but nothing made my pain any better.  The doctor ordered another MRI, and said that I was fine.  I decided to get another opinion.  The other doctor showed me on the MRI where I had a lot of scar tissue and bone spurs, which was causing the pain I was having.  He then did a second surgery to clean up the first surgery, but the damage was done.  After surgery I was referred to pain management.  

In August of 2013, I started taking two 20 mgs of OxyContin per day, four 7.5 Percocets per day, and three 350 mgs of Soma per day.  My pain level was a 2 when I first started pain management.  Fast forward to 2015, my pain level was about a 4-5, with the medication, and I told my PM doctor.  He said there was nothing that he could do, that I was on enough pain medicine.  So I began taking more medication on days that I was hurting more, and less on days when I was alright.  

I had weight loss surgery in 2010, and the Tylenol in the Percocet hurts my stomach, so I asked my doctor for Percocet without the Tylenol.  He gave me a prescription for Oxaydo, which is a new medication, and a different formulation of Oxycodone.  My insurance doesn't cover it, and I had to go to five different pharmacies before one would order it for me.  Finally a week later I got the medication.  I began taking it three weeks ago.

First of all this drug hurts my stomach and suppresses my appetite so much that I have lost 10 lbs.  I am already too skinny.  Then I don't like the way it makes me feel, and it doesn't help my pain.  So, I gave it three weeks, and called my doctor to get the next available appointment.  The only appointment he has is for Sept 14.  So I have to wait another 9 days before I can see him.

The question I have is that I have done research on Oxaydo and basically, it is oxycodone formulated in such a way that it can't be abused by crushing it an snorting it.  However, whatever they are using to compound the medication does not agree with me.  The obvious question is why wasn't I just given Oxycodone?  I've never crushed my medication and snorted it, or abused it.  I have never failed a drug test, so why do I get something like this?  
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Avatar universal
So, as it turns out I was having an allergic reaction to Oxayado.  So I called my PM and asked to be put back on what I was on.  I was on 7.5 mgs of Percocet.  I went to pick up my prescription and it was for 5 mgs.  I stated that the script was wrong and that I was on 7.5 mgs.  The doctor wasn't there.  The person at the office told me over and over that it is what the doctor ordered and we had discussed going down, which we never did.  I took the script, and called the doctor to get the next available appt.  I got an appt for the next day.  The doctor's office then called me about 4 hours later and said that the doctor would not see me.  This was my prescription for the month, and if I didn't like it, he would transfer my records to another pain doctor.  I argued, and they transferred me to the office manager that reiterated what the first lady said, and I told her that he must have me mixed up with someone.  I have an appointment for the 14th, for which I am going to bring in the unused pills and explain the situation.  Problem is, i am in extreme pain.  Why am I being treated like a common drug addict.  I am a tax attorney.  I always go to my appts in a suit, and I am always respectful.  Once, the doctor's assistant went out of her way for me, and I sent her flowers the next day thanking her for all of her help.  So I am on the hunt for a new PM doctor.  I can't STAND being treated like a drug addict.  I didn't ask for this
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1 Comments
I am so sorry you're going through this. Unfortunately, this is being the norm in pain management. It seems that Drs are forgetting that we are the ones paying them to take care of us.
You know what dose you were on and you know what worked for you. It wasn't right that your Dr decided all on his own to change your dose. He should have at least taken your phone call so the two of you could talk about this.
I think it would be a good idea to find another pain Dr, like you said. You can't leave your current on bad terms because this could make it very hard to find someone else.
There are some good pain Drs out there who truly do care. I was very lucky to have found mine. I hope you're able to do the same thing.
You'll have to keep your cool when you see your Dr on the 14th. I know you must be so upset but if you show your Dr how mad you are he could release you that day. Hopefully he will listen to you and increase your meds back to the dose you were on.
317787 tn?1473358451
Right now pain management is under a microscope. So..,doctors are nervous.
If you look under Tuckamore's Journal you will see the changes that have occured.
Doctors are running scared and the CDC, DEA is on a witch hunt.  If you are lucky enough to have a pian management doctor please work with him/her as they are getting scarce.
It may not be happening in your town yet but it is happening.
In face the Surgeon General just wrote a letter to every physicaian in the US about prescribing opiates.(also under Tuckamore's journal)
Perhaps you could go back to what you were taking?  Since it has been a little while perhaps your tolerance has gone down.
I hope so, and I hope you can get some help.
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317787 tn?1473358451
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