My Pm Doctor Suggested I Find A New Pm Doctor
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Hello everybody, my name is Lisa. I have been seeing my pain management doctor for nine years. In the beginning he started me off at regular doses of Morphine Sulfate ER, Roxicodone, Diclofenac, Valium (for my horrific spasms) and Duloxetine. I have had 3 surgeries on my back, two laminectomies and the last one was a complete spinal fusion at L4-5 and S1 wherein they went in and took out a piece of my hip bone and fused it to my lower back along with plates and screws. They went in through my stomach and my back. I was opened in 3 places and the fusion took 17 hours as it was much worse than originally anticipated and my Dr. found another new herniation at L3. None of my three surgeries worked and this is due to an accident when I was 17 years old. I am now 47. I have done everything known to man through years upon years of different therapies, had all the inj's. and even had a spinal stimulator implanted in my back which did not work as my diseases are too far gone. My spine is 98% covered with arthritis. I have RSD. I have a disease called arachnoiditis (sp?) I have spinal stenosis, failed back syndrome, degenerative disc disease, disc desiccation, nerve root impingement…the list goes on.

I saw a doctor at the Rothman Institute. It was one of the best neurosurgeons in the country who told me at 32 years old I had the back of an 80 year old steel mill worker and he had never seen a back in worse condition than mine; ESPECIALLY SOMEONE AS YOUNG AS ME. I was 25 when he first saw me and 36 when he put me on full Disability and told me I would end up paralyzed one day and literally cried with me when he told me after my spinal fusion did not work that there was literally nothing that could be done for me for the rest of my life and that I would be in Mortal pain equivalent to a cancer patient for the rest of my life. And that the only thing that could help me would be medication. I held off on taking medication until my two children were over 18 because I did not want them to see me on any pain medication and before that the only time I had taken pain medication was after my surgeries. So for the past 10 years I have been under pain management care. When I got to the doses that finally helped me I was taking three 60 milligram morphine sulfate pills, four 15 milligram Roxicodone for breakthrough pain, three 10 milligram Valiums for my spasms (which were absolutely the only medication that works for my horrific spasms as I had tried every other anti-spasm medication) and the other non-narcotic pain pills to help stop the signal of pain before it got to my brain.

Literally after years I got used to all of this medication and yes I know it seems like a great deal but as I said he compared my pain to that of a cancer patient. I had to give up a lucrative career as a paralegal and became homebound and extremely depressed. My life completely stopped. As we all know, we have all been cut down to the bare minimum because of these new regulations. After several cuts in my medication, I now take three 15 milligram morphine sulfates and three 10 milligram Roxicodones and he has completely taken me off of the Valium as he said you cannot take Valium with Morphine any longer and put me on 4 milligrams of Tizanidine three times a day, which is now interfering with my liver function.

The last visit I had with him, which was a week ago he took my hands into his and looked into my eyes and told me, "Lisa you need to find another pain management doctor who is willing to help you and give you more medication. I just simply cannot do it, I'm not willing to risk my license. I know you need more medication but I'm very conservative and I just can't do it but I know there are doctors out there that will give you more. I will do anything I can to help you I will speak to the doctors. I will let them know you need more medication and if for some reason you find someone that's great. I will give you all the help you need. If for some reason the doctor's office gets closed down you can come back to me with open arms but whatever medication they have you on I will have to put you back down to the regiment I have you on now."

I feel like I've literally become a vegetable I can't even walk up and down my steps without going down my steps on my backside. I have been living on disability since I was 36 years old and received one check a month. I went from living on $4,000 a month to just under $1,200 a month. I am not used to living like this and it is literally killing me from the inside out. The pain is completely unbearable and most nights I cry myself to sleep and most days I cannot function or get out of bed. Never have I gotten high from my medication because my pain level is just simply too high. I do not do street drugs I don't drink at all not one drop. And I need to find someone to help me before I literally literally die from this pain. I live in North Philadelphia and have been traveling down to Ardmore to see my doctor which is in Montgomery County and I'm willing to go to Center City Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia or and Montgomery County in the areas off of Lancaster Avenue.

This is my last hope because I'm completely drained and have run out of all hope. If there is anyone who can help me suggest somewhere to go I would be forever grateful. I have been under pain management care. When I got to the doses that finally helped me I was taking 360 milligram morphine sulfate pills for 15 milligram oxycodone for my horrific spasms and the other non narcotic pain pills to help this signal of pain before it got too my brain. Literally after all of these years my body got used to all of this medication and yes I know it seems like a great deal but as I said he likens my pain to that of a cancer patient. I had to give up a lucrative career as a paralegal and became homebound and extremely depressed my life completely stopped. My pain is NEVER below a 10. I have been living on disability since I was 36 years old and one check on month. I pray No one ever has to go through what I've been through. This is not living. It is merely existing. I want to be able to see my grandchildren again whom I have not seen in a year as my children feel my condition and my depression are not good for them to see. I have the most beautiful 4 year old grandson in the most amazing 3 year old granddaughter. Being a Mom-Mom to them was the light of my life and that has been taken away because of my diseases.

My life has completely all but stopped. I need help and I am finally asking for it. I don't know where else to go or what to do. Believe me my heart goes out to everyone who is on this forum as I know we are all being treated unfairly by the DEA as some of us need this medication to merely survive. I have all of the x-rays, MRIs, medical documents, everything you could possibly need to prove all of the diseases I have as I have been going through this for 30 years. If there is anyone who can give me any advice on where to go or what to do I'm willing to travel to Center City Philadelphia northeast Philadelphia Montgomery County as long as it's not too far and Montgomery County like off of Lancaster Avenue is great around the Lancaster Hospital area. I am just desperate to find someone. Bless you to all of you who are suffering through this horrifying ordeal and hopefully the DEA will let the doctors be back in control and help us with what we need. We are not addicts, we are simply people who have been hurt and are suffering horribly and need this medication as a diabetic would need insulin to survive because if I don't end up controlling my pain it will consume me. Thank you for listening everybody and I wish everybody on here well. Thank you my friends. God bless you all.

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Lisa,
I meant Boo Hoo for you. You finally don't have a come back on what you need to survive? My exact point!

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So done with you. I see why you call yourself BOO HOO now. I will not lower myself to respond 2 u anymore...

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Lisa,
I don't NEED Ambien to survive. My husband has heart meds that he needs to SURVIVE! What do need to survive? Survive death? I personally never called anyone an addict. I said dependant/addicted but it is both the same thing. You will go into DT's without it and do what you need to get it. Some people doctor shop, others may go to ER's.

You say nobody appreciates the things I say, then why are you the only one complaining to me? I am someone who was lucky enough to realize what that crap did to me, what it does to everyone. None of these meds were meant to be used for years!

I shared my story, and I read yours. It's not like me to compare, but you compare it. Make a list. I got you beat, Boo Hoo. :)

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Well hopefully you will.. Enough said.. I wish you the best.

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Not everyone wakes up behind-the-wheel lost in the woods or has reactions to medications the way some people do. Some of us actually need it to survive not all of us react the way some of you do and none of us appreciate being told we are addicts and none of us appreciate being told maybe we will wake up one day and realize what we are doing to ourselves...

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Kat,

Thank you, again. My husband was on Opana. He had 3 hip surgeries when he was 16 years old. He he was told 15 years ago he needed a hip replacement. His PC Doctor started him on Vicodin, then Percocet. He hurt his neck and needed a fusion, which he had done. He was still taking Percocet for his hip. He put off the hip replacement due to my fears, since during all of this he had 3 heart attacks. He was going to a pain management doctor and she put him on Opana for 5 years. My fears were correct. He had the hip replacement and woke up in the recovery room having heart attack #4.

Luckily my husband doesn't have an addictive personality. We quit smoking together 3 1/2 years ago, he weaned himself off of the Opana, as he never took the entire Rx each month.

So to the "others" I know about Morphine, Opana, and Hydromorphone. It's a running joke when anyone has back pain. They call me to read their X-Rays, and listen to their symptoms, because I am a "professional" back patient. :)

Pain management doctors/clinics, it is disgusting what they charge insurance companies. I can see how they didn't want to lose your business. They make $600+ per person. They charge over $100 to dipstick your U/A. They don't want to help, they want cash. Refer someone and they get a kick back.

Before I get people complaining, my cousin Kristal worked for 2 different pain management doctors, because 1 got shut down.

-Kelly

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They had my daughter on Opana as well as all the rest.. None of it is good for anyone.

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I hate pain management clinics and doctors. They just kept giving my daughter more and stronger meds. I wheeled her in a wheelchair into pain management and when she told the doctor that she was having knee replacement surgery he did not want her to have it. He confirmed what I knew. He didn't want her better. He only wanted to keep her addicted. I told her that I would never take her there again and I didn't. She ran out of meds and begged for the oxymorph. I refused and it was a horrible heart wrenching experience to see my daughter in this condition and begging for pills. She went through withdrawals and it was horrible for her. She is alive today because she got off of that poison. It all started with a back problem. Those pain meds were killing her. I put water in that bottle of capsules and they turned into a thick glue like substance but thicker. Can you imagine that sticking to the inside of a person's body?? I just wish people would see the light. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that but I'm glad that the light bulb went off. Doctors tried to get me hooked many years ago because of fibromyalgia. They had me on several meds and pain meds, nerve blocker fentynol patches so strong that I was falling asleep. Nothing was helping and the light bulb went off for me.. It was a voice that said " you are being poisoned" and I thought.. It isn't helping me so why take it. I stopped all meds and was in withdrawals for a week. The strongest thing I've had in many many years is Advil. I thank God for myself, my daughter and anyone who can overcome.. I'm truly happy for you.

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Kat,
Just like anyone dependent/addicted to anything they have to hit their bottom OR be sick and tired, of being sick and tired, I was the latter. They gave me so many drugs they made me stupid. Ambien made me blackout. I awoke behind the wheel, off the road going to get my cousin milk. I woke up at 3:30 am lost in the woods, nowhere near her house! That happen the 2nd night I took it!

I had Fentanel 75mg or 100mg, I forget, it made my skin peel. I had the constipation, 3 blockages, hernias, bleeding ulcers..blood coming out both ways. Doctors said it was due to the Oxycontin I was on. I thought, "Ha, what the hell do they know."

I went thru every medical procedure to fix by back, 7 spinal surgeries. I once sneezed, once rolled over in bed, gave birth to my son, picked up spaghetti sauce, those all caused me to be unable to walk and another surgery.

Your daughter is very lucky to have a Mom like you, who gave it to her straight and got her the help she didn't want, but needed so bad.

Bravo Mom.
-Kelly

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Thank you and you are very welcome.. Maybe they will come to realize what they are doing before it's too late.

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Kat,
Thank you! I am grateful to you that you understand exactly what I was trying to explain to everyone.

I hope all the best to your daughter, you probably saved her life.

-Kelly

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Yes their is a recall on OPANA ( NOT OXymorphone) it is different. Some say that the oxymorphone will soon follow suit but I'm sure that's some time away you know how drug companys drag their feet. And remember all pain docs are different some are more strict and up to date on things mine is more on the lenient side and like I said even the pharmacy said nothing to me about not being able to fill again next month so... good luck

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My daughter has everything that has been mentioned including major neck surgery which now there are spurs that look like eagle beaks. She felt exactly the way most of you feel about the pain meds. She had a comeback for everything said to her about the meds including the oxymorph. I helped her get off of all. The more and stronger meds a person takes, the more and stronger that's needed. It's just a fact. She still has some pain, but nothing compared to what she was going through while taking all of those pain meds and break thru pain meds. She is better physically and mentally. She still has the broken tail bone with the one part floating, she still has the knee replacement and needing the other one done. She still has all of the back problems. Thanks to all of those pain meds, she not only had a blood clot in her lung that was so large it was half of her lung size, she developed heart problems and has had 3 surgeries and now needs a pacemaker. She is a young adult. But, I thank God that she is off of the pain meds because I have no doubt that she would have been dead now.. Maybe those meds have you in denial just as she was about the problems they cause because her body needed them. Enough said. You ask people to leave your page which isn't your page. I will be leaving this conversation because, like my daughter used to do, you have a comeback for everything. I have no doubt that you are in pain but you aren't going to get better if you continue on this journey. I wish you the best. And you too the guy who is on oxymorph.

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RAW DOG. Wait now there's a recall on OPANA THE OXYMORPHS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT? Oh no! I was planning on talking to my PM Dr on the 14th to ask him to switch to the OXYMORPHS ER. OF COURSE JUST MY LUCK... IM SO UPSET RAW DOG....

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Has your dr prescribed movantik (i think thats the correct spelling). Its specifically for people that are constipated from opiods. It does work but start out with a small dose or half a pill. And if you dont already take stook softeners start. It makes a big difference

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So I went to my PM DOC today and he mentioned nothing to me about having to change scripts(due to the Opana recall) so I have my normal script of 60 30mg oxymorphone ER'S I'M SOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!!!!
Now when I go fill my oxycodone on WednesdayI'm gonna make sure my pharmacy has enough of them in stock(I only say this cause I noticed when she filled them the other day they were down to a small bottle) so before I leave on Wednesday I'm gonna ask them if they have to order more, or not. I'm guessing if there is anything they want to say to me about any issues that would be a perfect time to say so I'll keep all you posted on what happens!!!

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Dear Ray, I know exactly what you are going through as when I had my spinal fusion I had an interior and posterior spinal fusion and they went through my stomach first and pushed all my organs out of the way to fuse the screws to my spine through the front and pushed everything out of the way and that really did freak me out too. Then they closed up my stomach and they opened up my hip area and they literally sawed off a piece of my hip bone, closed my hip up, turned me over, opened up my back and soldered on my hip bone to my spine, and then put more screws in my spine along with the hip bone. So yes I do understand what you are getting ready to go through and I don't blame you for being scared. I was given a week's notice when I was going to have this surgery and for that week I cried my eyes out. I wish you nothing and I sincerely mean nothing but the best of luck and a speedy recovery in this surgery and I pray to God that it works and that you were able to walk your beautiful daughter down the aisle.

Please let me know when the surgery is coming up and I can keep in touch with you and we can communicate on how you're doing and you can certainly talk to me and let me know if you're worried and I can hopefully help you with some of your fears and yes I understand about the constipation, OMG it is so bad sometimes that I have had a hernia due to the constipation and I understand that the complications that come along with some of these issues can be worse than the issues themselves. And people who don't go through it certainly do not understand what we go through on a daily basis living in this kind of horrific pain 24/7. People who think they know and are judgmental about us taking medication need to stay off their soapboxes because they actually have no clue what we live like day to day. But my children saw that I had to use a scooter and couldn't walk anymore, it literally devastated them. Even though they are grown it didn't matter for them to see their mother not being able to walk. It was heartbreaking for them. So I understand your children wanting you to have this surgery in hopes that you won't have to resort to using the scooter. I pray for you sweetheart. I pray that you come through this so much better than you went into it. Please contact me again and let me know exactly what kind of surgery you are having sweetheart. My prayers and thoughts are with you Ray!!!

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I'm sorry they edited my reply Lisa. Honestly sucks, but I know they do it for security reasons etc... I can only imagine the pain you are in and I truly feel bad for you. I'm not sure if I told ya but I am having surgery finally on my back. My doctor said it is getting worse and if I keep putting it off. My life will consist of being in a wheelchair/scooter... and my kids said I need to and my daughter said she wants me to walk her down the Isle, not wheel her down, so I shouldn't be stubborn... but people don't understand pain unless they truly and I mean TRULY have experienced severe pain pretty much twenty four hours a day seven days a week. Then when ya finally get the pain to a point where it's medically under control then a new problem called constipation hits ya literally like a ton of bricks... I'm scared beyond scared cause this surgery I'm having is the first day of school for my kids and they wanna be there for me but this surgery bothers me cause my surgeon is actually going thru my stomach moving stuff out of way to get to my disks and spine... then stitches me up and flips me over and cuts into my back and it has me worried about him moving stuff around in my stomach and if there will be a lot of pain in stomach area cause I really don't need more pain or complications.... It's always a million things that run thru my mind but again with all that I've said that still my pain isn't close to what you are experiencing. I hope you get this message and that way you can see there are people that know to a certain degree what you're going thru and we need to stick together and try and help one another out... Please don't hesitate to write me back even if it's just to try and get your mind of the pain you're having.

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Thank you RAWDOG. i will be seeing my PM dr on the 14th and will ask to be switched to the Oxymorphs. You are so right these Morphines do nothing and there is no point in taking them. I will keep u posted! Thanks 4 all your help my friend!!!!

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Lisa,
I am not making negative comments, you just don't like them. You will feel SO MUCH BETTER once you get medically detoxed from your meds. Your body will then fix the parts of your brain that it can. I know because I did it after my doctor had me on Oxycontin for 10 years. I actually had less pain. Coming off the Oxycontin scared the crap out of me. I was so scared, yet to my surprise a lot of pain was reduced to a certain area. Before it was my mid back to my feet. Later it was only in my lower back and right leg.

Am I totally pain free? No. But I have a better quality of life, and I look a hell of a lot better. At 5'9" I weighed 114 pounds! That's a size 2. Now I am a healthy 135 size 6.

I know you are afraid. I thought I knew better than the doctors. I found a fabulous pain management doctor, and to my surprise, he knows more than me.

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