My Pm Doctor Suggested I Find A New Pm Doctor (Top voted first)

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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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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God bless you. Your story is so similar to mine it is so unbelievable. I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there like us. Why doctors won't stand up with us or for us is totally so far beyond me. I have thought about just giving up. They keep saying so-called overdoses but most are most likely suicide. They should be looking into why the person committed suicide and not what they did it with. There will be more so-called overdoses slash suicides because as you say and I do understand sometimes it is just entirely too much to merely to exist lying in bed and in pain and can hardly take care of your own needs much less help anyone else with theirs. I just pray that God will show some of these doctors the way. And the DEA will stop interfering with doctor-patient confidentiality. What happened with that? No such thing anymore I guess. I do understand how you feel. I know I am not you. I know different people feel things more deeply and differently but believe me our circumstances are so similar that it is scary and I know there are a lot of people out there just like us. If we don't find the strength somehow to stand up for what's right for ourselves even if the doctors won't stand up for us or with us. I have lived in this bed and truly prayed for the strength to gather enough people or even if I have to stand alone to do what is right to represent people and our situation in Washington this is such a cold inhumane Act. Sometimes I even begin to wonder if maybe they think if we're this disabled we'll never be able to work again. Also the insurance money that goes out to our doctors not to mention the co-pays that eat up our pitiful little social security check that we have paid for out of every check we have ever made. It is our right as an American. It's not a handout. I believe truly that the powers-that-be would rather see people like us go ahead and die and or commit suicide. Either way we're no longer a drain on society as they look at it. I know it sounds a little bit paranoid but just look at the facts, it's downright scary. God bless you. I hope you do find someone to help you. If you do please let me know who the person or doctor is. That would be a blessing to me as well. I live in Florida right now and I'm trying to move back to my home in South Carolina. God bless. Hope you get some comfortable sleep and some comfort throughout the day.

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Lisa,
Yes, simular story here. 10 years on Oxycontin. 1st back surgery at 14 years old L5S1. Now at 7 back surgeries 3 levels. I was Medically Retired from my State job at 21 years old. I was given 60 days notice to find a new doctor for all my meds, Xanax included.

As your last resort, this is what you do... Go to the ER and tell them you can't handle the pain anymore. You get a week vacation at the Funny Farm with 7 other people who are looking for doctors too. They give you your REGULAR Meds. Eat, sleep, sing Karaoke, watch movies, lay in the sun. During that time the Staff will be working to find you a doctor. (Usually one you already called who isn't takin new patients. You want a young doctor!) At the end of the 5th day you go home with Rx's in your hand with enough of a supply to get you thru to see the new doctor.

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Thank you for replying Patrick. People who aren't in the kind of pain we are in just cannot fathom the desperation we feel and the anger at our situations. It pains me to hear other people like myself suffer every day with no end in sight. I pray for us all to find some relief...

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I ended up going to a Suboxone therapy doctor. Suboxone isn't used for pain in the U S., but I was started at a large dose, because of tolerance. I got sick of the pain management game. My PM cut me off cold turkey from hydromorphone ER, for failing to get yet another MRI that her staff failed to schedule and get prior authorization for. I couldn't believe it. My doctor now is to help get me off narcotics in a year or so. Hopefully, the Suboxone will teach my brain to not require as much. I have scoliosis, SLE LUPUS and several spinal injuries. Let alone no colon or thyroid. I'm not allowed to take NSAIDS. That can, and almost has killed me. It's been a Merry-go-round. Ive never used illicit drugs, etc. I've been on Suboxone now going on two weeks, and it's been a blessing too. My docs are educated, respectful and empathetic. Again the program is for addicts. Whether like us, out of necessity, or those who used for recreation. It has helped my pain considerably for the time being. Cross the next bridge when i get to it.

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I'm so sorry to hear about your pain and your situation. May I ask why you only get 4 Roxy 15's I know people with half the pain your in and get 5-6 30mg Roxies. Yes you do need a new doctor and you should call and ask your doctor to recommend you to someone who can help all these doctors know each other for the most part so I'd start with that and I know myself that the 60mg morphine ER'S SUCK I'd ask for liquid or change it up all together with either Fentynl or oxymorphone not Opana cause they have a recall on them or instead of going to a methadone clinic if you decide to go that route ask your new pain doc to just write,you for methadone tablets they make them in 10mg so those are just a couple of things I thought of hope you find the relief your look I g for soon. Keep us posted please

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Hi Lisa! Our stories are alike with the exception that my RSD occurred due to the surgery. My life was miserable and non-existence until recently. Due to all the new regulations and the opiod epidemic PM physicians are now having to look at alternative medicine. I live in Nashville, TN and go to Vanderbilt. They have a center known as "Osher Intergrative". They have other centers so please look them up. They offer classes of living with chronic pain that meet weekly. That class helps because you get to be with others like us and we don't feel so isolated. They also offer accupuncture, massage, Tai Chai, yoga and other classes that could be of benefit. Keep your faith, keep praying, and check out alternative medicine. Medicare pays for some of the classes. Good Luck Lisa and don't give up. P.S. I've not got back to driving yet but I can and do have more mobility than I have had in the last 6 years. My balance is also improved. All improvements are slow but I'll accept ANY improvements. My disposition has greatly improved. GOD Bless.

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Are you talking about suboxone?if so, after being on morphine and oxy's, i was having side effects so i had to switch after years of opiods.i was told it helped with pain.well i certainly have no pain control.i have been with my pm dr. For 7yrs. I feel like he doesnt know what to do and has given up on me bout 3 yrs. Ago.i live in Canada and now the max. Morphine for pm is 120mg..which is nothing when you suffer daily with pain..they need to worry bout the street drugs, and go after them and let the pain sufferers get what they need.its the bad deeds of others that create us sufferers who are doing it legally.

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Get a prescription of the oxymorhs. Put some In water.. You will then see what you will be putting in your body... They turn into a glue like substance and it is extremely thick. Then, if you put it in your body, just saying, no hope for ya!!

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Seriously, Sounds like you have tried everything. Maybe consider going to a Medical Marijuana doctor. From the research I've done, it really helps.

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Lisa,
Get off your page? If this was your page, you wouldn't have you ASK me to leave. This has turned into a Boo Hoo for you thread.

Honey, I know way more than you think about chronic pain. I wasn't lucky enough to wait for my son to turn 18 before taking meds. You may need to read back, as I post under different names, and you have personally thanked me.

I had broke my tailbone, and bottom vertibre in the 4th grade. Herniated L5S1 and couldn't walk, so had surgery #1 at age 14. I was given Tylenol #3. (No pain meds until surgery #2) 5mg Percoset. I am now 46 and have had #7 spinal surgeries. I have have had every injection, facet block, epidurals, PT, OT.

I have been in so much pain, it hurt to breathe! I won't bore you will my other medical problems. So for you to claim you have more pain than any of us is bull. I am here because my husband was on morphine before his hip replacement. This is a public forum. If you don't like it, you may leave.
BTW, I was the one who suggested you write to other people that were giving you information. Look back.....

You talk like a dependent (we all are) person who needs help with their meds. One doesn't tell a doctor, new or old, what meds they should be on. What you need is to get medically off all of the meds and start from the beginning. You're too caught up on the names and dosages. Let a licensed hospital start with A then try B, C, D, etc.

Doing conversions to get yourself to the highest level isn't physically or mentally healthy.

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

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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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Maybe you should go to a Medical marijuana doctor. I have done research as well as people saying that it really does work. The dispensaries I'm told have oils to rub on as well as capsules. They do monitor the person medically and monitor usage. Just saying.. Seems as though you've tried prescription drugs and injections which cause other conditions as well as depleting bones. Something to think about.

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If you have pain like a cancer patient, and I believe you do, you should be on Fentanyl patches. I had them when my nerve root was exposed after my lumbar vertebra crumbled due to blood infection/osteomyelitis. I know the spasms of which you speak. A 75 or 100mcg Fentanyl patch took the pain away and I could function. No foggy brain. I had a 4 yr. old to care for at the time.

Please find a Pain Clinic at a University Teaching Hospital in Philadelphia. There are a few. The specialists will be anesthesiologists and should be able to help. You will undergo drug panels every 6 mos. May you find peace and relief soon.

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Have you tried Methadone? If u try it and it DOES help,you could conceivably go to a Methadone clinic where they have no qualms about putting you on a high dose. I've known people to be on as much as 350 mg a day. It lasts much longer than morphine. There ARE draw backs to going to a clinic but you'd just have to weigh that against what you're dealing with now. And of course you'd have to tell them you're an addict(I know u are not). The situation you are in is absolutely ridiculous. Perhaps another country if that's at all possible? I hope you find some a doctor who can help you.

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Sweetheart, I completely understand your problem & your pain. I too have had a brutal back sx due to a pain pump installed and filled w/ incorrect fluid (pumps use Dilaudid, NOT morphine which he used because the morphine crystalizes and within 11 mos. I had a granuloma wrapped around my spine with the 'port' in my belly. I was without the ability to walk for 10 days and did rehab in hosp. I live in Ca. and can't help w/ a doctor BUT I take 5 mgs of Methadone 3x daily and I seem to get by. I have 8 major problems, like no lining in my bladder, called Interstitial cystitis and it hurts and makes me urinate 20 X a day and I need neck sx from C1 to T1. But have you tried Methadone. I hate that it makes you allergic to many things including Twilight Sleep (Versid) which makes routine things like colonoscopies a mess and I've had a pacemaker/defibrillator for 17 yrs. for Sudden Death Syndrome. If you haven't tried Methadone and are willing to be allergic to bandaids, betadine and all Tylenol etc products then give it a try. It's for people w/ real bad pain. Since I'm 65 now, disabled from age 47 and at that time this Fresno, Ca doctor had me on 120 mg of Methadone for 12 yrs. Now that i'm older and a bit wiser, I picked the amount that would just give me movement. Try it Sweets....if you haven't already. Most docs will give it to you. Sorry for everything that you're going thru and my heart breaks for you. Hope you feel better soon. Signed, Ca. gal

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