Pain Medication Shame (Page 3)

First of all, I hate taking pain meds but I was almost completely bedridden for 2 yrs. They gave me my life back and I'll be grateful for the rest of my life. My insurance company dropped me right before I was gonna have surgery to get some relief. So I had no choice but to go with the pain meds. I've been on oxycodone 30/150 per month (5 a day) and MS Contin 200mg 2 times daily since 2009. Had breaks when I could. My point is, nobody knows what my daily life is like. I feel ashamed every month getting refills. Maybe it's in my head but the staff at the pharmacy gives me that "pill seeker" look. I guess all that matters is my doctor trusts me and he knows my complete history. I know I'm not taking them for fun. I'd much rather be normal. Can anyone relate to what I'm saying?

REPLY

REPORT

I’ve experienced the very same thing! The lady who took my prescription would show it to the lady near her & they'd both have the “Isn’t it terrible how people talk their doctors into giving them drugs!” look. I finally found out who the Pharmacy manager was. Finding her on social media, I explained to her how I felt in her Pharmacy & how if I didn’t have those drugs, I wouldn’t be able to walk into her Pharmacy. (She never responded). But, something happened that changed everything. When my doctor upped my dosage, this Pharmacy said they didn’t carry it. They said I’d have to go to a New Pharmacy a couple blocks away. At first, I was disappointed because I didn’t think I could physically get there! But when I did, I told them of my condition & how the other pharmacy people treated me. They responded with care & compassion & have been wonderful ever since! I’m so glad I changed pharmacies! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before! Change your Pharmacy if at all possible! And tell them why!!!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Re: Precious (# 23)

I'm now just thinking is this a way for the government to get rid of a great ratio of people. First they were writing scripts for anyone that bumped their toe and now people are turned away with withdrawals and pain. Is the government looking for a climb in the death rate from poor people that just can't take the pain and suffering and commit suicide? The pain dr's love to give that sheet out to see if they (doctors) have made us suicidal yet. Freaking sad THIS IS A GAME TO THEM. OUR LIVES MEAN NOTHING.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Re: karen (# 35)

Methadone clinic will be the only place to get pain relief. What a joke the doctors and nurses can't prescribe what they feel is needed. The gov. and Insurance companies are in control of your dose and med. Lame. The clinics are not accurate with their drug panels. The results come back with false readings 10% to as much as 30% of the time. During 2017 they falsely found U/A's dirty and for over 100 clients. They were using Precision Toxicology in San Diego, Ca. and had signed into a year long contract. Precision T. were using new philosophy in which they had chosen to advertise themselves as more accurate and that they had the ability to discover the presence of drugs for a longer time period than other companies. We, the clients soon found out the trick they had pulled on the administrator and staff who chose this company without looking over their record or history. Well, I let the rabbit out of the bag, they simply throughout the recommended required amount of a substance to accurately determine a person has consumed that substance. Example: 50 nanograms/ml. of methamphetamine is needed on an oral drug panel to determine use. Precision T. used zero nanograms/ml. for all substances. This therefore caused tons of false readings for anyone who had touched a door handle or used the pen to sign for their meds. after a person with methamphetamine residue on their hands had went ahead of you. This caused havoc for a year as they fulfilled the contract they had signed. The results, clients lost their take home privileges and the respect they earned with counselors and staff. They also would have their dose lowered if they had not earned takehome medications. Your drug panel record determines the amount of days you have to go to clinic to dose in front of nurses. Between 1 and 6 days a week is the amount of days a client must pick up meds or take meds at clinic. I go once a week now, but I went daily for the first few years before I got the system flowing right. Well anyways, I started out stating that this is one of the only routes chronic pain suffers have these days to receive pain relief. It not easy and it not right. We should be able to go to our primary care doctor and get our daily medicine needs met. Pain medicine or not, doctors are the ones with the degree. They went to school half their life to be able to help other. The government should stay the f... out of my medicine cabinet.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 4

Re: Nicknack (# 43)

I completely agree with you on the drug panels and when you want to contest them they act like it is impossible. Being able to have the drug panel redone should be the right of any patient. Thr only problem with that is they will use the same lab as they did before, and what company wants to say they made a mistake. The lab would rather the patient pay the price and get kicked out than admit a mistake. I used to be given drug panels every other month and now I haven't been evaluated in 6 months. I would say that's a good thing, but it doesn't feel that way. The nurse practitioner slipped up and admitted the pain group I see doesn't really want to treat me anymore. The redesigned their company into an interventional clinic so since they can't do anything about my pancreatitis they don't want to treat it. I told her I thought what you treated was pain not the disorder. She said not anymore all they want is patients with herniated or bulging discs or knee and hip patients. In other word people who are eligible for epidurals or ablations. They call that intervention even though it doesn't treat the underlying disorder it is only treats the PAIN. She said the only reason we are still treating you is because I have been a patient for 4 years. I of course asked her what I should do. She said there are clinics that would do only medication management, but she is forbidden from telling me which clinics they are since I would leave and go there. I can't find any evidence of the Hippocratic Oath anywhere in there. I knew there had to be more to continuing to lower my meds than the FDA report. Since I don't have a back injury or cancer I can only have 60 morphine equivalents a day. I was at about 200 then the lowered it to about 160 and after Tuesdays appointment, I'm down to 120. So my pain level doesn't matter at all to them. No matter what I say they are going to keep lowering it even though I am now at a level that doesn't even help my pain. It would be nice if they could live in this completely messed up body for a day. Know the pain of a pancreas that is dissolving itself from the inside out. They wont even give me my botox inj's. for my chronic migraine anymore. I had to find a neurologist to do them. Now I have to go see another specialist I didn't want. I have so many doctors and didn't want another. I am sick of their sorry selfs.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Re: Curious80 (# 44)

I can relate to what both of you are saying... Having to take U/As (guilty till proven innocent) isn't a 100% reliable. I'm talking about the lab evaluations, not the portable kits. First let me say that I'm allergic to Morphine Sulfate and any drug containing Sulfa. About 9 years ago I came back positive for Morphine. My doctor came into the exam room and said, Mark we have a problem. You failed your last U/A and I can't prescribe you anything else until you have a clean U/A? I'm on a boat load of Oxycodone hcl (j/k). He then told me I came up positive for Morphine Sulfate... OK big problem with that one! I'm severely allergic to Morphine Sulfate! It's in my chart and every procedure he's done on me it's on that red allergy bracelet they put on you when having a surgery. I said, why would I take a drug that I'm severely allergic to? My very first surgery they put it in my PCA pump(didn't know I was allergic to Morphine Sulfate) I went into shock and stop breathing!

Needless to say the doctor quickly came around to what I was saying and agreed with me. Why would I take a drug that I was severely allergic to? He went ahead and prescribed my medications and was going to contact the lab because he agreed that I didn't take any Morphine Sulfate. Long story short the lab said that they don't make any mistakes, but they had disposed of my U/A and stand behind the positive for Morphine Sulfate. Well fortunate for me I have money. So I went and got a hair follicle analysis which shows everything I've taken in the last 6 months. The only thing I was positive for in the last 6 months was Oxycodone hcl! Even with this evidence the lab was still admitting no wrong and standing by their result. Eventually this lab was investigated by the state and they caught them not even evaluating samples and putting down false readings every so often. They're now out of business and were sued by a multitude of lawyers by people who lost jobs, weren't hired and patients who were refused medications and it all started with my fake false+! The technicians they caught doing it said that they had so many diagnostics to perform that it was impossible to do them all and the labs supervisor had told them to do this because they had quotas to meet to fulfill contracts with over a thousand clients... In the end they still admitted no wrong doing, but settled all litigation out of court and closed the company under the name it was called at that time. I've heard they reopened several years later under a different name and different principle owner, but it was still the same financial backers (a bunch of medical doctors).

I guess when it comes to big profits no one is immune from looking the other way, not even doctors...If you know you've had a false reading on a U/A for a substance you're not prescribed, a hair follicle analysis will prove exactly what you've taken for the last 6 months. Unfortunately they're not cheap and you'll have to pay for it yourself. To me this is just more proof of the sad times we live in these days. We as legitimately suffering human beings who just happen to live in America are continuously treated like 3rd class citizens because of numerous failed policies, failed laws, unenforced laws, failed government agencies DEA FDA FBI, extreme government overreach and the list just goes on and on... I read on someone's post on this thread they blamed Trump for not being able to get their pain medications. NEWS FLASH! The U/A's started under Bush, but... This reduction/eliminating of opiate prescribing started under Obama! He declared war on pharmaceutical narcotics and like all politicians he made a problem much worse! The government like all bullies go after the weakest/easiest target to say, hey look what we're doing! We paid for our own studies and got the results we paid for(wanted to get) and now we're implementing these things with absolutely not a second thought for the legitimate patients because we will decide whose legitimate, not trained competent board certified in pain management doctors! We're the American government and our citizens are to stupid to know what's best for them, so we'll tell them! (*face palm*) I've been in pain management for over 29 years and the last 5 years has been the worst, but back in the late 1980's it almost took an act of god to get a schedule II opiate outside a hospital if you didn't have cancer. Those days are slowly returning...

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Re: Maria (# 26)

I worked a CVS for many years from being a tech to a lead each to an intern to a pharmacist, and I experienced exactly the same as you Maria. I was mostly ashamed of the people I worked with and for. Their attitudes about pain patients sucked. Always looking down on them and having a moment about them. And they did say here comes so and so with a negative story just because they needed pain medicine. Like you I became a pain patient while i still worked and worried what they were saying about me, but I got too sick to work anymore and had to leave. I miss working I miss helping people because i never judged anyone. I talked to the pain patients that they wanted sent away. I gave my time for them and a lot of my energy. When some patients would call on the phone I was the one who talked to them about their pain troubles with a pharmacist or someone else in the background telling me to hang up. People outside the pharmacy world can only guess how bad it can be but you and I know it is worse. Pharmacists can be down right cruel and mean and forget the oath they took just as many doctors have. I felt so guilty when I left because I was their advocate, the only one who would listen to the pain patients. I hated feeling like I left them alone with the wolves. I let my current pharmacy know when I first started filling there that I used to be a pharmacist so I know what all goes on. I'm lucky because that seems to help with their attitude towards me. I don't care at all if they talk behind my back as long as they fill my meds when they are due and don't say anything bad to my face.

One pharmacist had the nerve to say if I don't like their rules I can just find another pharmacy to go to even though I never said anything about not liking their rules. It was a weird situation where the fill date on my lyrica was incorrect and I was confused about when I needed to get it filled. It was their fault but he talked down to me like he knew more. I quickly went to talk to the pharmacy manager and the corporate office which as you know usually does very little. But since I fill about 25 medications a month with then it seemed to make a little difference. Ever since then he has been as nice as pie to me. The pharmacy world is shady by at least those of us who have worked in it understand what really happens and we can use it to our advantage. I feel bad for those who don't understand what is really going on especially pain patients. And now they are giving pharmacists way too much power. We never used to be allowed to override a doctors orders unless they wrote the wrong dose or something. Now they are deciding what should and should not be filled even legal scripts that aren't too early. It is all bs. A small world where judgemental people feel big. Of course not everyone is like this but I would have to say it is overwhelmingly the standard. I hope you are doing alright and don't worry about what they say or think about you unless they try and make you feel small in front of others. There is nothing wrong with needing pain medication to control severe pain or chronic pain. They are the ones with the problem a problem of soul. You keep doing whatever makes your life better. God bless you!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Re: Sanmarie (# 29)

Absolutely i was put on suboxene and this morning i took first half now i feel like hell and my daughter ask me if id try to get out of the house and go shopping with her and my two grandkids and visit a new great nephew born on yesterday. Well of course I do but feel bad and its depressing to say well no i don't think they would enjoy my sad presence. Im 48 yrs old and so embarassed how 80 year olds can run blocks around me. Is there anything I can do to stop this i suppose side effect. My head is lightly hurting and spinning a little nauseous and my vision a bit off. First day on suboxene and I had been on norco 7 yrs but haven't had one in a week.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

I can absolutely relate to you. I had a dr who said the only relief I would get is to take fentanyl and norco together, so i took it an was on 100 mcg every 3 days, well after 3 yrs i got tired of feeling groggy alll the time and they were coming off my arm and the dr would not recommend any other medicine. Well my mom had cancer and i was taking care of her for her last few months and she made me a promise to STOP TAKING FENTANYL BEFORE SHE PASSED AND SHE PASSED ON MY BIRTHDAY SO I TOOK THAT AS A SIGN AND THREW EM AWAY. Well i came off them and had a stroke, ended up in a hospital and then had a meltdown so now im on methadone looking for a new dr., but yes i know exactly how u feel -as though u are a junkie because you just want a quality of life. There's nothing to be ashamed of about that so i wish u all the best.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Re: Curious80 (# 46)

I won’t ever tell anyone that I take Norco and Percocet cuz I’m so afraid that they will fire me. I work harder than most of the techs in the pharmacy and the meds never ever affect my thinking or my job. I ended pharm tech 1 and 2 with an overall grade of 98% and got 1560 out of 1600 on my PTCB test and if I ever feel like the meds are starting to affect me negatively, I would quit before I ever harm anyone or make mistakes. It’s so hard for me to stand there listening to the pharmacist’s talk about patients on pain meds and the things they say about these meds. I just want to scream at them! One day the pharmacist was filling a script for Nucynta for someone that is opiate naive but have had this med before and he felt like it was too high of a dose so he called the doctor and complained and than the doctor lowered the strength on it! Than one day someone was coming in to get their pain med and he told one of the techs that this guy is super shady and there’s notes all over his profile saying he doctor shops and he still filled the med for him! It just pissed me off that he had the doctor lower the strength on the one person and complained and yet gave someone that is a known doctor shopper get his med! It’s just super frustrating with not only me needed these meds but my husband as well and working in a pharmacy where you have to sit there and listen to all the crap they say! Oh well, what can you do? I probably won’t be at this job for much longer cuz I’ve been in so much more pain since starting work there that I don’t feel like I’m going to be able to keep it up. My neck has been hurting so much that I had to go in the back room last night and cry! Best wishes to you all! I pray that things work out exactly the way we need them to! And that someone out there will start listening to people like us and start to do articles that will show that people with chronic pain really do need these meds and aren’t just abusing them to feel high! We don’t want to use them, we need them! That reminds me of what someone said to my boss, they aren’t addicted to these meds they just need them! Well he thinks that means this person is addicted to them, and to me that means they are dependent on them, meaning they need them to function! He really should look up the definitions of addiction and dependence.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Re: Gia (# 15)

Yes I agree. I will never return to Walgreens. Pharmacy staff treats customers horribly. Not just one Wallgreens. After three over the years, I am done.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Re: Curious80 (# 46)

Thanks so much for your words of positivity and i iwill keep on fighting the fight /im in chronic pain an i wont be treated like a junkee so i just tell em ive had 2 back surgery s soinal steinsis /soondylethosis and neck problems so thanks for all your words of wisdom you are a great person ????

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I know how you feel I’ve broke my back twice I ruptured my lumbar‘s had to have three surgeries on lower back Harrington rods and broke my leg tibia and Fibia they tried to fix it and broke my foot also cut owner nerve remain artery to right-hand crushed owner nerve in left hand and broke it my back my legs my hands hurt all the time not to mention my head where it was split open but the doctors do not understand in the government as a limit it no amount of meds you’re allowed no matter what you’re paying the ass sometimes I have to go to alternate resources and then I worry about the wrong meds or mixture of meds those other resources give me but sometimes I just wish I would not wake up so tired

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Re: Brandi79 (# 13)

Ask your doctor which he/she would chose? 24hrs of pain or 24hrs of anxiety mostly due to the pain.

My doctor gives me meds for both and Ambien to sleep.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Curious80 (# 21)

If you have an old doctor, find a young one. There is no reason to see a doctor you hate. When I was on a lot of Oxy I was also given 3mg of Alprazolam and 10mg of Ambien.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Precious (# 23)

Depending on the paperwork you signed before surgery, you may have a case. Definitely report him to the board.

As for Suboxone 15mg = 6mg of morphine. It works incredible! I have been on it for 2 1/2 years for chronic pain, and wish I found it years ago!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Sanmarie (# 29)

I switched to Suboxone for pain, and It is a miracle drug for me.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Me (# 55)

Thank you for response and yes I did talk to a attorney over the phone just to ask if they thought i had a case once and at that time maybe 5 yrs had passed but the attorney said my time limit was up. At this time my doctor was doing xray on my pelvis every three months due to keeping a check on this growth that was on the bone. And the suboxene do help my pain Im just getting adjusted to side effects.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Precious

Oops...1mg of Suboxone = 15mg morphine

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Precious (# 57)

Thanks Me I will definetly check on that. The trouble is always my insurance company. They don't pay for very many psychiatrists in my area. I have to see the psychiatrist employed by my pain clinic soon because it is required. Who knows maybe I will like him and he will be able to help me and I can ditch the old one. The problem with the psychiatrist I see nowhat beyond serious character flaws is that he was involved in a court case with a young child who was killed by her guardian. The guardian had been taking the young girl to him for behavioral problems and he prescribed her about 6 psychotropic drugs including 2 antipsychotics and she was only 6 years old. He was never charged with a crime for over prescribing the girl or negligence for not seeing the abuses the girl was experiencing but he was questioned over and over in court. I think after that he became afraid of prescribing. I of course didn't know any of this when I picked him. He was my first psychiatrist when I was 18 and back then he was a big supporter of benzos for panic disorder. That was my only motivation for going back to him plus he was nice as well. Thag court case completely changed his personality. I have major depressive disorder and he has made me cry 3 times in office talking down to me. Now how is that supposed to help? I for sure need to see someone who will actually help me deal with being in chronic pain, panic, and depression. Thank you for caring I appreciate it. God bless and be well.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 4

Oh my gosh ! DO NOT b ashamed. Rather get on your knees & thank God our Lord that you are STILL getting them ! I am a 57yo woman that's worked HEAVY consruction - i.e. concrete flat & forms, drywall install, roofing,log home building,logging ect. >40yrs. I have 9 vertabral discs that r bulging, herniated or JUST GONE ! I took 60-100mgs ms contin tid v+180mgs morphine IR/day x 19 yrs w NO problems EVER ! NO "they got lost/stolen, no early requests for more, ODs or +4 drugs not prescribed. But now bc of this "opiate crisis" am not getting any more. I also know 2 great veterans that r hurt bad but cut of for NO reason. I would b 4ever grateful if you would give me the name of your Dr. But I'm pretty sure that wont happen. So I'm hvg to get/do H now.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Is it just me or is all the pain management docs trying to cut everyone down or back!!?? When I went to my last visit th...

195 REPLIES

At the hospital with heart and chest pain. Already on a Fentanyl patch and its not working. Is there anything stronger t...

29 REPLIES

What pain medication will I be able to use after suboxone treatment is complete ## "What pain medication will I be a...

21 REPLIES

What the heck did they take vicodin off the market for? I know acetaminophen.... bad for your liver?.. the main ingreedi...

11 REPLIES

Anyone know if dilaudid works similar to oxycodone? i am going to switch to dilaudid 8's or atleast the doc offered ...

10 REPLIES

Hi. I have a question about fentanyl. I'm on 25+12mg every 72hr but still in a lot off pain. Now I heard from a frie...

9 REPLIES

large yellowish capsule ## Are there any markings on the pill? Numbers or letters? I would need more information about t...

8 REPLIES

Dilaudid is a semi synthetic keytone or Hydromorphone HCL, so it is i feel its twice the potency of morphine, short acti...

8 REPLIES

Here is a link to help find local pain management Doctors.... medtronic.com/patients/chronic-pain/living-with/index.htm ...

7 REPLIES

looking for a cash only doctor or clinic in dallas texas that prescribes loracets or loratabs ## Almost all doctors and ...

5 REPLIES