You know what I've done?? I've printed out articles about how chronic pain patients DO NOT GET ADDICTED TO PAIN MEDS ~ very seldom that is. Because chronic pain patients NEED the meds for pain and that's what they take it for. I'd find a good article about it and take it in to him and say "Here, read this!" He just isn't up to date on chronic pain patients!!! He doesn't know the history on chronic pain patients and addiction! It just seldom ever happens, and if he'd been keeping track of it, he'd know. He's just plain IGNORANT.

He's just thinking about the street addicts, and that's not who we are. I get so darned MAD at this. We have to suffer because of the addicts on the street. You might make that argument to him too, that why should WE have to suffer?

He doesn't know crap. Try to educate him. Sheeesh. Peace, Lee

i've tried to educate him. i remined him that i'm the one who turned in the full script of vicodin. i reminded him of all i have been on - and gone off- without any problem. i really regret giving him that bottle of vics now!! i should have kept it for emergency. i guess i thought it would show him that i was trustworthy. jokes on me huh?

Wow, this Dr has your medical records and did this? Interesting. Getting a new Dr may be difficult but Wow. Getting an article is a good idea, but he knows your history already and how dare he treat you this way. And when Dr's avoid their patients, this is simply unacceptable! Especially when they have their nurse or receptionist blow you off. But education is key. Ask for a referral to another pain clinic - preferrably one who know how to treat their patients both physically and mentally...mentally meaning 'a bed side manner' aka empathy. I do hope you feel better and stay tough. You may want to document how you feel day to day and minute by minute.
Hugs,
Lyndy

You know.... If you have tried to educate him, and his got all of your medical records and knows what works and what doesn't work for you, then is time to fire him and get a new pain management Doctor. BTW, is this a pain management Doctor? If he is not, then you need to find one. If he is a PM Doc, then you need a new one because trying to reason with him is like talking to a rock.

Why put yourself thru this agravation? Get out of his practice! He definetely is never going to change, and nothing that you can do or say is going to change his way of thinking.

I just wanted to tell you that you need to keep looking for a pain doctor that you trust and listens to you! It took me lots of quacks and years... but I have had same pain doc now for 12 years .... like a brother, father, freind, and doc in one.. Also vicadon is really, really hard on liver. It has tylenol in it. See if he can switch you to vicaprophen, which is same strength, but instead of useless tylenol, (killing your liver!) it has ibuprophen which helps with inflammation.. and narcotic pain killer for the rest. If you want any more advice on pain docs, email me kimmyeast@yahoo.com Cheer up and remember this is not the end!!!!!!!! Trust me..

So sorry you are having problems with your doctor. I know that doesn't seem to be normal protocol. I've worked with a few doctors that have patients with chronic pain. They were more understanding then that doctor is. There even was times in an emergency (as long as it didn't happen often) that they usually gave their patient extra pills. Sorry that you're having problems I hope things get better.

This is one of the reason's I dont like pain management doctors, i find from reading here that so many people have problems with these doctors believing them and denying them pills, i just dont understand even if a patient had a bad month and took to many they just deny them, and then the patient is in alot of pain and going through withdrawal, wouldn't it be better if the doctor gave them the refill and talked about why the person had to take more.
I know you spilled yours, but i was just trying to make a point because not alot of people dont spill them,.
This way the doctor could talk to the patient find out if there is a problem maybe under medicated, or not strong enough, but just to not take phone calls is just plain unprofessional

There are a few people on here who have great pain management doctors but that is not the norm.
I would switch doctors any doctor who would not take a phone call from me i dont want as a doctor ever.

thank you all for your wonderful support.
this dr. is not a pain management dr. just a general practioner. i am trying to find a pm but the nearest one is 3 hrs away and the last 2 i went to ( that my worthless dr. sent me to) turned out to NOT be pm's but 1 was a neuro that said there was nothing more that could be done, and the 2nd was a pain relief services (? sounds like a pm to me) turned out to be a second opinion/ research place that treated me worse than anywhere i had ever been. ( i did a post on it awhile back). so now i am trying to find a pm in the seattle area. any suggestions??? at least the E.R. helped me . they are usually worse than drs but this hospital has seen me and knows my history better than my own dr!!! and believes me more!!!

well i leave tomorrow for North Carolina for a week. im going to a wedding. i know its going to be hell physically but im really looking forward to it. then i get to come back and deal with my dr and (hopefully) get my regular meds back on track and look for a new dr.

thank you all again so much, hare is wishing you all pain free days or at least pain free moments and much joy.

loralp,
Check out www.doctorsforpain.com, also look in; www.RaceAgainstPain.com, they have a great list of pain management Doctor's, and they will help you find one if one is not listed in their site. Take care and enjoy your trip!

Hugs,

Did you actually GIVE your doctor full container of vicoden? And he kept it?

He can't legally take that medication from you. It's illegal, big time. It's unlawful receipt of schedule III narcotics and illegal as hell for him to accept them for any reason. It's the same reason the pharmacy can't take back your old narcotics; there is no legal way to dispose of old, unused narcotics at this point in time other than the patient mixing it with old kitty litter or some such noxious substance and throwing it out in the garbage (or flushing the fentanyl patches). He cannot take, accept or otherwise TOUCH your pain medication. It DEA 101 and a basic part of the DEA prescribing instructions. By taking/accepting your medication he runs the risk of losing his DEA authorization for prescribing narcotics.

What did he do with all that vicoden? Toss it? Sell it? Give it to another patient? His possession of that medication is/was illegal as hell. And chances are very good that he knew that when he took your medication from you.

With that knowledge, go back and discuss appropriate pain management for YOU, based on your specific needs. It sounds like you need to lay out exactly what you are there for and what the plan needs to be. Be specific in the terms you use as well. Sustained/extended release medication (MS Contin) and Breakthrough pain medication (was Vicoden 10/325, then Oxycodone 5 mg).

I came here because I wanted to change my breakthrough pain medication. I was about the amount of acetaminophen I was taking each day due to the amount of BREAKTHROUGH pain medication I needed; 10-12 tablets of acetaminophen every day is simply too much over an extended period of time for my liver to handle. In addition, I need better overall pain control with my sustained release pain medication so I don't need to rely on 10-12 doses of breakthrough pain medication every day just to keep my pain at a manageable level. I have severe pain (specify what, where) and as my records show, after 6.5 years, the same regimine simply isn't working anymore). What works best for me based on what I've tried to date is the morphine sulfate ES, but 15 mg twice daily is not sufficient as I need to take way too much breakthrough pain medication; I need a higher dose. I also need an efffective breakthrough pain medication and the oxycodone 5 mg, 1 tablet every 4 hours as needed for pain worked for me. I understand the concept of BREAKTHROUGH pain medication and don't want to have to take it every day. But I can only do that IF my pain is adequately controlled with the sustained release pain medications. And even then, once I'm properly medicated I will still need to have an adequate supply of breakthrough pain for those times if and when breakthroug pain occurs, because it will happen. In the ideal world, I would need any pain medications or any medication at all. Unfortunately, this is not the ideal world. SO unless you have a magic wand and can fix my body now, what are we going to do and where are we going from here?

If he gives you grief or problems, implies you're a junkie, etc., ask for your vicoden back. Calmly tell him you just found out it was illegal for him to take them or accept them from you and you want them back so you can properly dispose of them. That should get his attention and he should either play nice, freak out because he didn't know, or get him on the phone to his lawyer about how the DEA just caught him, come now.

Good luck!

PS On the pills down the sink...When dealing with medications, do so over the BED not the in the bathroom. Medications doesn't belong in the bathroom anyhow; they should be stored in a cool, dry location. If you're going to fill containers or open them in the bathroom, at least close the drains and put a dry towel or washcloth in the sink; it makes the pills easier to find and they won't stick to the side of a wet sink (voice of experience). And if you have a pet or small child, close the door; they're all too quick to pick up anything that's spilled and put it in their mouths!

I think she was saying she gave him the script not filled the paper one. In hopes to show him that she needed better relief, he took it and gave her a script for something stronger only to change it up on her later with less.

It is very frustrating when your doctor wont work with you, in your case your doctor is working with you and you just want to change the ways the meds are released into your body but her doctor doesnt want to give her hardly anything so going in there saying what she wants isnt going to fly with him.

I think loralp should find a doctor who cares and will help with daily quality of life

You can't change an opiophobe. If the pain management doc is hrs away, I guess you'll have to plan a full day of travel once per month. I live in Chicago and took a 3 hr RT to my pain doc today.

Chronic what is an opiophobe? my guess would be someone who doesnt want to prescribe meds.
loralp is there any other pain docs in your area?
or I guess you could go to a regular doctor, I go to one. I dont like pain management doctors to much. and plus i like the attention she gives me, her practice isnt huge and all she see's every day isnt just chronic pain patients so i am just a few she has.

Im sorry but how does 27 pills go down the sink? dont you have a stopper. I can understand why your DR is on guard. I m sorry but it sounds crazy. My Dr would tell me tuff luck and we will see you when your scheduled for your next refill.The only way your Dr could get you another presc. for a narcotic is by changing your medicine. By law he could get in trouble. Now Im not saying your a lier or anything but the story is really a freak accident.Good luck

I dont think its illegal for docs to take old meds, I had to bring all meds that didnt work for me, when I started at my pain clinic, they do have a way to dispose of them, its a black sharps container for unused medications.
Im sorry that they arent nice to you, find someone else even if you have to drive, if you are far away, they sometimes will mail you scripts(pain clinics).