Doctors Willing To Prescribe Heavy Pain Medication In Colorado (Page 130)

I have a serious problem. My dr. had two patients start dr. shopping and has decided it is too big of a pain in his butt to continue prescribing, even though I have gotten MRIs and Xrays to prove my problems. I have over a half a dozen herniated discs in my low back, along with degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, scoliosis and arthritis in my facet joints. I am currently on5 30mg oxycodone a day for breakthrough and 60mg of methadone for my long lasting meds. I REALLY need a doctor in the Denver, CO area who will not judge me because of my age, thinking I'm just some drug seeker as I TRULY need my meds to function. I am even being placed on disability until I can get my back healed because if something doesn't change I will be in big time pain for the rest of my life. If ANYONE knows of a good doctor that prescribes strong meds willingly in the Denver area please let me know. I am in desperate need of help as I am going to be SCREWED if I cannot find a good doctor. SOMEONE please help me with a doctor!!!!!

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Jetmech2 I truly understand havin 2 find a dr with medicaid and I found a good 1 as well and makes me feel welcomed when I go see them and the are very understanding...thank you 4 your info on the meds and I cldnt afford the $150 with meds thats alot

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I recently started going to the CPR clinic in wheat ridge about 3 months ago. I had a question for you, I see this post is quite old but if you still refer to this site could you please get back to me personally. {edited for privacy}

Thanks,
Nicole

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Hi, Y'all!! I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving!!! I'm so happy to have found you ladies and gents.
Has anyone heard from Wendy or Tom??

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Wendy
I have no idea where you got that a PCP won't be writing prescriptions for pain meds starting next year. That is not a law, nor is it scheduled to become law. And just for info....it is the cash places that are the pill mills. Take a look at the pill mills that have been busted nationwide. They were all cash only businesses. A doc that accepts insurance of any type is a much safer bet as insurance will only pay for the amount the doc prescribes and will only refill as the doc directs....and federal law now says no refills ....but rather a new prescription every month. Insurance has built in safeguards from the seekers and dealers.
CPR may be the place for you, but I can promise that many of their "patients" are simply addicts.
On the topic of PCP's not prescribing......if you have a surgery....you get the pain meds from your doc....not a PM doc. If you have a sudden injury....you don't go to a PM center, it is a walk in clinic and then follow up with your own doc.
I asked my doc if I should be looking for a pain management doc and he said no, as long as my situation is documented and being managed with no signs of abuse, he will continue working with me as long as needed.
A long standing member of my BMW club is a cancer doc here in denver and deals with the pain aspect of cancer in house.
There are many good docs here that will prescribe pain meds and will continue to....as long as they don't think they are being lied to!

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Jetmech2 get your info right before you say things, first off not ALL CASH ONLY CLINICS are pill mills and most are only cash only why? Because the docs make more that way as long as they are not doing anything wrong they are fine pretty soon u will start seeing other docs not taking insurance (pcp,internal medicine, ect) because of the fact they get paid crap for their job so i am sorry but if you want pain management you will probably have to find the few that are left that take insurance or have to shell out 180 a month to have pain management once crap changes which i give it about a year or less. Gotta love America supposedly the land of the free but can't get pain control unless we are dead. Weed out the trash then maybe the real patients wouldn't have to suffer. But they would probably find some other stupid reason to withhold meds that help us. Hey government while your at it just shut down heart meds,blood pressure meds, ect while ur at it since your a doctor oh wait your not.

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I have been quiet because I haven't fekt well, it's 3:03am and I haven't slept

It's not illegal for a PCP to not prescribe, it's against practice poluicies to

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JetMech2, Hopefully to clarify a few things for you, because I think there's some misunderstandings! All cash places are not pill mills! I can name many "pain management" physicians and practices that just have stopped taking anything but cash or credit cards! Historically, many insurance companies don't cover pain management treatment making billing a nightmare, they won't take checks because they have gotten too many bounced checks and lastly, most don't want to have an additional staff person to do just billing! Many of these clinics r one guy operations and don't want to pay for a billing person! So although cash only operations may give u a clue to check them out, it doesn't mean that it isn't a good doc and not a pill mill situation! U used to b able to check any doc or clinical office through the licensing office and check their status, if there were issues with DEA, or there was a legal suit against them and such! Just like any agencies, the DEA can come through, find deficiencies and u have x amt of time to fix the issue! A friend of mine checked CPR and they have absolutely no issues with the DEA and r compliant! Now I won't say there haven't been issues with client's and that some may have issues but we r talking clients, not the office! I went to a very respected MD in the Cherry Creek area and had to pay $300 each visit! As far as your own physician writing scripts! It depends on the doc, what type of medicine he practices and if he feels comfortable writing scripts! What I think folks r getting confused about is that as folks that participate in a pain management program, if for some reason u cannot make your appointment, your md cannot simply write u a script to "fill in" until u get to your program that typically writes for u! Obtaining scripts from other doc's is a huge No No! The only "exception" to this is if u go to a hospital for a different issue or something has happened to change your pain level's "norm"! Scripts can b written but they also give u a ton of documentation of why additional medications r needed and the scripts have to b written in a manner that a pharmacy can even fill them! There also was legislature being considered that if prescriptions over a certain amt have to b written and if it was expected to b needed over an extended time, then the primary doc needed to send u to a pain management doc but this never was passed! Many doc's r using the Medicare guidelines as their "Bible" to what they can and can not prescribe!

This is the "not over more than 120 mg" of any narcotic rule! But both of these "rules" have not truly been put into effect at this point as far as I know! Most practicing doc's and pharmacies are truly sick of all this hoopla because it's done nothing to decrease the addicts and users that have issues! Yes, the DEA will spew out that the number of narcotic overdose deaths have decreased but what they won't tell u is what's happened to the number of overdoses caused by H or other street drug deaths! Many of us here used to obtain our meds through our primary doc's and they chose when all this came about to switch us to a program, flipped out! We had x amt of time to find a pain doc, were given a list of doc's who either quite pain management or only did interventional therapies and were stuck without a doc! Not only were we stuck but now two years looking back, I was grossly over medicated and no one would prescribe the dosages I was used to! As my doc said, they never teach u pain management in ME's school and most of us functioned from going to clinics, reading and talking with other doc's! We were all flipped out! Having previously run a pain management program, I was a little better than some with having a back ground in pain management but it was harder than heck to find someone to treat me and to adjust not just my dosages but meds in a manner that I didn't have withdrawal! CPR worked with me, slowly changing my meds and did it in a manner that was appropriate but also in a manner I could tolerate! I won't deny there weren't some sketchy months there! Some practitioners scared me and I gave them the feedback because the staff doesn't know what these guys say to u or if they act appropriately!

All I know is that they were pro-active in taking care of problems and still are! I don't know what other's treatments consist of but I do know I'm on a third of the Amt of narcotics I was and way more functional! I hope this clarifies some questions about the cash only who can write scripts stuff! I still keep my hand in pain management and am active with the Physician's Against Pain! The group posted the sign up sheet for us to bond together to fight some of the issues that have been occurring! It's our best bet for being heard! I have encouraged all for at least a year to do this as this is a recourse that will b heard! I've also encouraged all to write their reps and congressmen! They do have the power to get things done and they despirately need education that a pain management patient isn't someone with a needle in their arm! It's u and me with families, jobs and lives to live! My story is long, initial issue started over 20 years ago! Most don't want to hear it because it reads like a bad drama and there r folks here that make my issues look like a broken fingernail! Yes, there r also folks here that can't pass the checkpoint for being real even here and it breaks my heart because of them, these real patients have to jump through all these hoops just to get treatment! It's wrong and even the folks who r making up these rules admit they have gone overboard yet they don't know what to do and it isn't on the top of their list because we aren't making it so! Use your voice and b heard, something will b done! WENDY, I hope u r doing better! We all have been worried about u! And to all have a Happy Thanksgiving Day! We do have much to b thankful for, may take a bit for us to c it and it's there! Hugs to all!

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Janeygirl
I realize not all cash only pain docs are running pill mills....but all pill mills are cash only businesses. The cash only thing raises a red flag....yes with the DEA. Another red flag is when docs tell people to not pass their name around. This is a HUGE red flag! When a person has a PCP that will not deal with their pain....either that patient raised red flags with their doctor, or that is not a very good doctor.
I have been dealing with pain management in one form or another since my days playing college football and the many injuries that caused. That was when I was 18 to 22. I am now 46 with many shoulder repairs and 2 fake knees and a few ruptured discs in my back just for good measure. I am very familiar with how pain management industry works!
I do honestly believe that many of you in this group probably get substandard medical care because of being on Medicaid or Medicare. It is a shame....but it is a fact that these insurances are crap. The better docs don't take government insurance and we are left to suffer. When I had insurance through my old employer....I went to the best docs and had zero problems getting the care or treatments I needed. Now I am on Medicaid and it is a struggle to find a good doctor....they all act as if I am a junkie looking for a steady fix!

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING GROUP.Ive been on a long nap .You all are so wonderful thank u big hugs .

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Jetmech2

please, please tell me where to look in Denver for a pain doc. We've wanted to find one for five years. My spinal cord is bleeding and the pain is just horrible. I've never even heard of this before. I just found out this past week and am in a state of shock. I also have 3 old surgeries and metal, fibromyalgia etc etc on and on. I can't even cook a meal, or stand or sit for 10 minutes. We just want out of Las Vegas. WAY too big and overbuilt. I also miss the snow !!!!

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Munchkin you can try kaiser, rocky moutain internal medicine, andy fine but andy fine gives 120 a month and is rude and very upfront with his options of ppl or you can call medicaid and have them send u a list of drs that take medicaid in colorado or for what city in colorado you want to move 2. I hope this helps

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Nicole
Anyone get back to you with some info?

Everyone
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. :)

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Co susie I did but it said my Post needed reviewing. My thanksgiving was great got 2 see my grandson after 4months of nt seein him cuz my daughter took him 2 indiana 2 spend time wit family on her dads side due 2 a unexpected death but they are home now im stil workin myself 2 death with both jobs hope your thanksgiving was great as well

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Rainbow,
Don't work yourself to death, we would miss you :)
Grandchildren are such a gift, it is the only part of Thanksgiving that I enjoy :)

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Thanks Co Susie I wld miss u and others on here as well :) and as far as work goes I wil try nt 2 and yes grand kids arevi just have tha 1 rite now and we do eveything 2gether he even calls me when he is nr hear sayin Ma I love u and miss u can I come over....my hear just melts we he tells me that and he calls me ma nt grandma Im in my 30's lol but thanks again

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JetMech, I've been blessed and have gone to "the best" also! I too have been in this system for 20+ years! You r exactly right that it is a red flag but u can check out the doc's u r going to c prior to even making an appointment! All reports, investigations and such r public records! U can check out the status of anyone's license quite easily on any smart phone! The paying in cash isn't even just because "druggies" don't pay, it's thanks to our insurance industry! Which historically goes back to the Reagan years when medicine was changed from non-for profit to for profit! Doc's and clinics r like any other industry now! There r good ones and there r bad ones! Heck, my injury was caused by a chiropractor, does that make me think all chiropractor's r bad? No! All I'm saying is that "we" tend to throw groups, doc's and such into categories and what works for one may not work for another! Personalities, group practice policies and such all feed into what makes a place great for one person and bad for another! Although I was married to a very wealthy man, my part of my wealth went to attorney's and such, breaking me and although I've got Medicaid for the time being, I'm feeling blessed because at least my meds r covered! Paying $180 is nothing compared to trying to pay close to a grand for doc's and meds! Don't even get me started on the pharmacy companies! There is a group called "Needy Meds"! They r a wonderful group that helps pay for medications for folks that can't afford them! Many folks could benefit from this program!

Knowing folks problems does help direct them to practices where they can get the best care for their issues! Having seen three practitioners for my issue, I have to say that CPR has been wonderful to me! Like u, being in this system a long time, I have no desire to have inj's., more operations or "interventional therapies"! They listened to me and although this was about two years ago, I was seen by two doc's! Or rather a doc and well educated pa! Absolutely unheard of! Yes, they did offer interventional modalities but they didn't push and listened to what worked previously for me! Yes! I was truly over medicated from my previous doc but they didn't immediately take me off my meds but slowly changed my program that works and works well for me! Not everyone is going to have the same results as I did but they shouldn't give up until they do! It isn't as easy to find anyone u will b happy with anymore and we all know it's because of folks overusing, selling and pill mills but what's amazing to me is that Colorado is supposed to b number two as far as Oxycodone over prescribing and Florida number one, yet u can still find pill mills on every street corner in Florida! I can't for the life of me understand why we have been hit so hard!

In speaking with tons of doc's and pharmacists, they all agree, we need to b organizing, writing to our reps, signing petitions and having our needs b heard! I have a friend who sees a very reputable doc, he is really stuck on doing everything by the book or yet the "potential" books! He's got him so cut back on his meds to stay within potential boundaries that the only way he stays comfortable, is by laying on the couch, watching tv and missing all the things he loves to do! Not sure about u but I'll beg, borrow or whatever to keep the $180 coming so I can live my life! I don't take a ton of meds and do have rough days but they aren't everyday and I feel blessed! It breaks my heart reading some of these folks stories! Don't get me wrong, mines not been a walk in the park by any means but at least in being properly treated! It's horrible that doc's aren't even taught how to manage pain!

We r all truly on the same page if u really listen to what folks r saying! Which is part of why I don't write often but the other reason I don't write often is that now we aren't even helping new folks because of the "fear" that it'll give the DEA reason to check out someone's practice! If they r following regs, it shouldn't b an issue, in the meantime, there r folks not getting the help they need because of fear! Yes! It's enticing to have Medicaid cover my visit but after interviewing many programs, I'm happy where I'm at and Id rather pay the money than have folks who aren't qualified treat me to just get what I want! I have no desire to ruin my pancreas or liver, I'd rather be able to b a healthy as I possibly can! I get frustrated when good information gets ignored by gossip! Yet, I find myself still caring if this person or that is doing ok! i just hope folks read and sign Colo Susie's petition! Doesn't matter if u do it here or at your doc's, most pain management doc's have it in their office now! Stand behind your practioner's, right now their treating anyone is them taking a chance!

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I need to talk to Mac or Tammy privately. Can anyone pass on that message?

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(from previous note:) ... BUT I AM NO ANGEL EITHER. I HAVE BEEN TAKING 3 NORCOS...

Slow down there, Hoss.

Norco? 5 mg/325? 7.5/325? 10/325? With any of these, taking 3 each day is taking 3 x 325mg = 975 mg -- essentially a full gram! -- which *will* damage your liver. Max daily dose of tylenol is 1,000 mg. You're running over the RPM max. Go get some blood work done and see how your liver is functioning. Perhaps you could change from three 5/325's to 2 7.5/325 or one 10/325. This is important.

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Max dose of acetaminophen is 4000mgs daily... But drs like it if you can stay around 3000. If there is some problem with liver function from another disease or alcohol is added, any amount of acetaminophen is not indicated.

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You're correct that the daily limit is 4,000 mg (4 grams). This surprises me, since I've been told 1,000mg was the highest allowed many times, but you are correct.

I'm sorry about that!

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