Methadone For Chronic Pain 14 Years
UpdatedI began seeing pain mgmt on Staten Island, NY in 1997. Began on 30 mg/day. It agreed with me just fine. Been on Permanent SSD and LTD since 2003 for life now. Was found fully favorable.
Have DDD L5/S1 with right side herniation, (724.4) bilateral sensori motor polyneuropathy, osteoarthritis in hips, knees, ankles, thoracic muscle ache from T5-T7 Kyphosis...By 2002 I was on 100mg.
By 2007 150mg (which was the highest), this went to 2011. Was compliant and routine from 1997 to present. We moved to NE Pennsylvannia in Feb 2010, but I kept going to my Staten Island doc every 3 months.
However, in April 2011 I had one unusual for me bad incident with alcohol, my wife gave me a choice, 5-day detox or bye-bye. I went into detox, with my prescription bottle. They called my pain doc to "verify". Next visit to doc, they (the SI doc hasn't seen me personally since 2004, does everything thru her PA's, cause I'm stable and compliant. Seen her 1 day in Aug 2007 for injections that hurt me more, now haven't seen her since, only her girls (the PA's)..They reduced me 30mg, ea month till July, was now on 90mg. Also they had me take a neuropsychologist MMPI test 355 questions), counted my pills, gave me urine tests.
I understood all this. What I didnt know was that the detox called them and gave them wrong information, saying I said I was drinking heavy every day, they said I told them I was physically addicted (Hematology report says different, I researched it. MCV, AST, ALT all in range)..I sent an exit letter to staten Island doc not knowing all this yet. Thats when I got my records on a CD and was floored what they wrote on me for 4 months in a row. It was one incident. I have been keeping journals for 20 years, I have all the facts.Problem is, she won't take me back.
I'm in the process of amending my records , will be sending them shortly. The docs here in PA are all undermedicating me for my tolerance. I'm on 60mg, and in pain every day since June 2011. The doctors lie to me, tell me theres new studies that show 60mg is the new max on Methadone, they won't look at my records from the past, won't call my Staten Island doctor (whom I had a lawyer send aletter to stating if any doc calls her, shes to only verify my past dosage and diagnosis.) I have a feeling they spoke to her, and aren't telling me, and they think I'm a liar, or a drunk. I havent drank since that April day in 2011. My current PA pain doc even just sent me for a 12-lead ECG checking for QT prolongation (never had a heart problem in the past), and a Methadone serum test. I know he's using them as an excuse to keep me on low dose. He even recently told me to get an inversion table. I'm 54 yrs old, and 260 lbs, and he wants me to hang upside down on a table...I don't want to confront him, cause I know he'll tell me to go somewhere else. My PCP up here told me already that no doctors he knows in this Poconos area "believe" in just pharmacology treatments. They all want to do injections. I was fine for 13 years on the correct dose. What should I do?
Frank. {edited for privacy}
1 Reply
I'm in a bad situation myself I'm trying to find a doctor in Pa. or Md. I guess NY. If that's what it comes down to. I been on Methadone since 1997 and all of a sudden my Doctor closed his doors quit his practice. Left me and 300 other people holding the bag so to speak not because he wanted to. So now I take 10m tabs 4x a day = 16 which he gave me enough until the end of July then I'm screwed. until I find a Doctor hopefully.
More Discussions:
I am in immediate need of a pain doctor who will write methadone,my spciatic nerve is crushed and I have 2 slipped disk ...
27 REPLIESI have been prescribed methadone since 2009 for nerve and chronic pain. I have had 7 surgeries need 2 more major surgeri...
2 REPLIESneed to find doc who can prescribe methadone for chronic pain. Primary care put me on methadone and oxy for breakthrough...
1 REPLYWhat is the recommended dose for chronic pain? I'm on 60 mg/day, but I'm still experiencing sharp pain. ## Iv...
5 REPLIESLooking for an Anesthesiologist/board certified in pain management in East TN who will write Methadone for pain. Knoxvil...
7 REPLIESI have a script for methadone for chronic pain and have been on vacation, well someone was nice enough to steal my last ...
26 REPLIESFrom 2009 thru 2012 I was prescribed methadone and roxicodone for chronic back pain. Which was very effective. The clini...
3 REPLIESCould someone please advise me , as I have a BIG PROBLEM. I'm suffering from Central Pain SYNDROME following a sever...
2 REPLIESI need HELP ASAP finding a Doc who will write methadone for chronic back pain. I have sufferred a ruptured L3/L4 disc, t...
14 REPLIESMethadone is the only medication that works for my chronic pain.I had back surgery,knee surgery,fibromyalgia,arthritis,d...
2 REPLIES