Pain Management Disaster

[NeverAgain127]

So I'm 26 days clean.  Had an appointment with the doctor yesterday; he listened VERY carefully to my lungs, and said they are perfectly crisp and clear.  

So.  The hacking dry cough that persists is a w/d symptom.

Then, I ventured to my NEXT appointment:  A "Pain Management Clinic."  It ended up being a total failure.

First off, the office suite smelled like urine.  The ladies room wansn't clean.  The receptionist was HUGE and hacking up a very productive cough...I inquired and she told me "oh yeah I 'm really, really sick."  Great.  

I had to wait an HOUR to be seen, and it was a poorly dressed, snippy PA who basically took my BP (which was HIGH) and checked my reflexes..  No medical history, no asking me about my pain..where it was, how long I've had it, how bad it gets.

She then asks me if I want to schedule a series of cortisone shots for my spine.  Without xrays?   I told her I had tried them before, to no avail.  She THEN says "Well what do you want then?" in a really irritated tone of voice.

I replied "Well, I was hoping you could help me manage my pain."  And--get this---she says "If you're looking for pills, you can just leave."  

I was flabbergasted.   I had just told her I was 3 weeks plus, clean off opiates.  

I said "no I don't want pills."  THEN she says to me "you're wrapped pretty tight, huh?  Why can't you just RELAX?"

At that point, I had tears in my eyes.  I asked if she had a tissue.....and this was the straw the broke the camels back:  "Sorry, lady...we aren' t Kleenex factor."  

I just stared at her, said "Good day" picked up my coat, and walked out.

Then I sobbed in my car for 30 minutes.  Sigh.

Back to square one.   These "pain management specialists" are nothing more than cortisone-factores.   And my co-pay to see one (a "specialist") is $50 each time.  I cannot afford to keep "trying them out" to find one that will NOT be a scam...and I think this place was.  

They have no physical therapist on staff nor do they offer any.  No exercise, relaxation techniques, nutritional recommendations, nothing.   Just "so, do you want a shot of cortisone or not?"

I'm so disgusted right now.  Plus I had a bad night...ate chicken nachos (the first REAL food in 26 days) for dinner.  MISTAKE.   Up all night with searing stomach pains...diarrhea back in full force (ew!) And my head hurts from crying to much yesterday.   I feel like death on a cracker.   My B/P is high (I just took .1 mg Clonidine) and my heart rate is over 100.

Sorry I'm such a Gloomy-Gus, but it is how I feel.   We're supposed to get torrential rain tonight...I have to be at a facility (it is Open Enrollment for Health benefits) from 4 pm to midnight.  

Not looking forward to any of this...

[motye51]

Man....that *****! But think about this, you didnt use. Would any of these situations previously have caused you to use???
My opinion, pain mngt is mainly for pill users...those drs see people crying all the time and they've learned over time to just lump them all together....legitimate or not, unfortunatly. Out here we have some local gyms that 2nd as physical therapy centers....maybe talking to a trainer or pt eliminating the pain mngt dr. There a joke! Point being, dont let one ******* dr ruin what your doing to better yourself. You know your doing the right thing....
Pick your butt up, dust off, ans keep pushing forward...like a knight! What we are all doing is hard and i think it makes us bad ***!

[NeverAgain127]

I know, you're right...I'll keep on trying to figure our how to manage my pain.

I really don't like being called a "user." I took pain meds prescribed by a doctor for actually, legitimate pain.   I have back and chest issues that would make a grown man cry.  

It may be that I'll never be totally "Pain-free" but I'd at least like it to get to levels where i can function a full 8 hour workday.

I hope i"m not offending you in any way.  I'm just sick of feeling terrible.

[motye51]

No indeed...we are what we are!  I am an addict, plain and simple.  I did start taking opiates for legitimate pain, but it was temporary pain (like from surgery) so I can't honestly say that I had legitimate pain to warrant my hydro useage!  But I have heard many people in that situation state that their pain did lessen with the more time they put between them and their doc.  Would you say that your pain level is the same since you quit using, worse or less?  
Pain Mgt. clinics have been under such scrutiny lately that their automatically on the defense when it comes to any patients.  If they weren't known as pill "mills" already, then they'd have nothing to worry about.  They kind of brought it on themselves, b/c they were making $$ hand over fist!  
Is your pain enough that like Motrin 800mg wouldn't help?  My daughter has a mild form of Spina Bifida and she does ALOT of lower back and stomach excercises to help her with pain.  Not trying to downplay your pain, but where is it and how much?????  If not too private?

[fntn]

You have to work "with" a pain management doctor to make the process work. If you simply bounce around and fiddle in your seat, the doctor will think you view them as nothing more than a common drug dealer on the street. And the response you get will be consistently like what you just experienced.

I'm a legitimate chronic pain suffer and I work with my doctor along with other specialized doctors to work the problem looking for any and all solutions. And I take pills but I'm not a pill user as the previous comments may have described. It's just part of my managed program that deals with my severe pain issues. Just doing without that part of my program causes a very big hit on my quality of life so that's not an option at this point.

Just be honest with yourself and you'll know if you really need help at a pain management clinic. Then work with your doctor with all the available options.

[NeverAgain127]

My pain is pretty much at the same levels as before I started taking opiates for them.  I have severe costochondritis, and my back issues are a combination of stress, overwork (I am hunched over a computer all day long) plus I have severe degenerative disc disease in C3-C7.

The OTC NSAIDS (Motrin, Aleve, etc. ) don't even make a dent.

Thank you for your interest...

[NeverAgain127]

Excuse me?  Who said I was "bouncing around" in my seat? Fiddling?  You make me sound like a bratty toddler.  I'm a mature, educated woman with REAL pain issues.  

Your post smacked of arrogance.   I'm beginning to think my time here is about done.

[remar]

I'm so sorry you were treated the way you were at the pain clinic. No one deserves to be treated badly.
If I were you I would talk to my primary Dr about finding a good pain specialist. Many of them do really care and offer physical therapy and other treatments to help with pain.
I've had undiagnosed pain for 10 months with a lot of testing. My primary Dr has been there to help with my medication but with the new laws she says it time to get in to pain management. I have an appointment to see her so we can hopefully together find a really good pain specialist. That's why I recommend working with your primary Dr. Yours can most likely lead you in the right direction.
We're always here to help and listen. Please continue to come to this forum. We do care and we do understand.