why not pain manager clinic...? they are the right ones for those meds....it shouldn't be that hard with all your issues...hugs

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. I can absolutely relate to the experience of doctors treating you as a druggie instead of someone with severe and constant pain. It is unfortunate today that doctors are now completely unwilling to help patients with real needs. It is hard for me to maintain respect for them any more.

I'll be praying for you. *hugs*

Thank you for any/all replies. I've been through Pain Management. They REALLY messed me up! The P.M. Dr. did 14 facet neurotomies on 14 spinal nerves (2008). The nerves all grew back and my pain was much worse. Epidurals have not worked. Also I now need a PCP in order to go to any Specialist. Cost is an issue. I'm totally alone (have no family). It's awful to be made to feel like a criminal just because we deal with pain that "cannot be seen". I worked as a nurse for 26 years before having to go on Disability. I "make to much money" on Disability to be eligible to go to a clinic. Just the thought of the pain with nothing to relieve the pain is terrifying.

Hi there. What a tough situation to be in!
Did you just quit the NP you have now or can you still see her for now?
I think your best bet is to find a pain management doctor who will give you meds. Don't go to the " interventional" pain management doctor. Also, if you are on huge doses of narcs, you may want to try and go to a PM who does Suboxone and have a trial of that drug for a while to get a break from narcotics. Suboxone is more and more used now in pain management.
Hope you get some good care and relief.

Sorry you are having these issues. Surely even if a new dr ( or the old dr for that matter) thinks you are drug-seeking they would work out a program of coming off the meds to reduce effects of withdrawal?

This 'everything must go via pcp' is an absolute non-starter for patients-as-consumers model as far as I am concerned; firstly- if I really am a consumer then choices are mine. Secondly I find my pcp is just out to make profit all the time, she won't tell me costs up front and she doesn't care enough that if she makes mistakes regarding my insurance I will get bills I can't afford.

I am thinking of paying cash to a separate dr for my basic needs ( explaining why. And I don't take any narcotics- so that's not an issue) and just using insurance for emergencies.

Don't know about patients 'gaming the system'. My experience is my pcp dr does. I go there for a simple diabetes test and medication and she wants to run banks of tests I don't want and don't need. Then charges $36 to ' interpret' each one.

The greed is bizarre.

The NP I've been seeing automatically discharged me from her service when she received the request for my records to be sent to another PCP. I didn't ask or tell the NP that I didn't want to be under her service anymore. The (hopefully new and better) doctor would not give me an appt until he saw my records. Now my records are with the "New" PCP, who I don't have an appointment with. It's messed up! I've been on narcotic pain medication for the past 16 years. Doctors prescribed these meds (per my levels of pain, MRI, x-rays and other test results)...I've never abused any meds, but of course I've become dependant on them for pain relief. I'm on a lower dose of narcotic pain med now than I've been on previously. What kind of withdrawal will I go through? How will I handle the physical (and emotional) pain of being in severe pain 24/7? I'm alone and must consider cost in everything, sadly including my health. I can't run to the ER because of pain, etc... I've had to claim bankruptcy last year because of medical bills. The medical profession doesn't care about my financial situation...and obviously don't care about "PAIN" (people who suffer from chronic pain that cannot be seen)... What happened to the Oath these 'doctors' took, #1 being "First Do No Harm."??? I know I'm not alone in this crazy situation of trying to get help for chronic pain.

Is there anyway you can get a letter of introduction from your past PCP? I have been fortunate to finally find a clinic that is in association with the college here. Most of my doctors are in that clinic and all the doctors at that clinic can see the medical notes from every doctor that you see in that facility.

I am so sorry that this is happening. I have SSDI and I chose a Medicare Advantage plan. Are you strictly on Medicare or did you set up an Advantage plan like Humana, Aetna, or BCBS? It seems easier to get an Advantage plan to help you than medicare. I may be mis-informed.

Aronia had good information re: Suboxone. I think you need an Internal Medicine doctor for your primary care. They seem to be more informed/educated in various illnesses.

You need a patient advocate. I would start with my insurance company and see if they have one, if not contact your local hospital and ask if they have a social worker. If they do they may be able to get you an advocate. You need someone fighting for you.

You are in my prayers and I am sending as much positive energy your way as I can. Stay strong and please keep us informed on how you do.

Hugs-RJ

I don't know where you live, but I am not sure it is legal
To just dump the patient from practice. In NY I believe they give you 30 days...
Idk what the hell happened that this NP just dumped you as a patient.
How did she even find out about records request? Obviously someone told her, because medical providers don't have time to keep track of who is requesting what from the office.

I have Medicare and just started with Humana (Medicare Advantage Plan) on January 1st of this year. Having had only Medicare for years, no Specialist would see me. That's also why I had to see a NP...no medical doctor would see me b/c "Medicare doesn't pay well." Ironically, my last nursing job was as a Detox Nurse. I loved my job. We treated all of our clients with Suboxone. Little did I know I'd wish for it for myself one day. I'm guessing that if this new PCP won't prescribe pain meds, he won't prescribe Sunoxone. Pain Mgmt is not an option for me. As I mentioned earlier, they nearly destroyed me in 2008. I did see more than one PM Dr. trying to keep an open mind. I did make an appointment with the 'new' PCP who now has my records. I had no choice. I'll need other prescriptions that I'd hope he will help me with (for depression, anxiety, hypothyroidism and asthma)... I'm hoping he will continue my present treatment for the anxiety. That can be a touchy area also. If not, I'll need to go through withdrawal from the pain med and the anti-anxiety med. Do Health insurance companies really have "patient advocates"? I could really use someone to advocate for me. Right now I feel so alone, afraid and destitute. Talking with everyone here really helps!

About the NP and the 'medical records request'... This new PCP was recommended to me. The new PCP would not take me on as a patient until he saw my medical records. So I had to sign a release for my medical records from the NP, so the new guy could "look at" my records to see if he would accept me. I didn't ask the NP to dump me. But now all of my records were sent to the new Dr., and the NP cancelled me from her service. I don't understand this either, and didn't know it was legal. I know everything in the medical profession is changing fast. Thought maybe this is the way things are done now? I'm at a loss...

Willow, I understand that you had a bad experience with interventional pain management, but at this point your only options is probably pain meds and benzos.
No PCP is going to want to take that on. Suboxone requires special certification, PCPs do not write for it, only
Pain Management does. What I mean is you need to find PM who will not torture you with procedures and write only for meds. You just have to interview pain clincs and find the right one.
If you go on the website and see nothing but procedure listings, you know this is not your place to go to.

Your new pcp was sent a copy of your medical records. Your previous dr still has your medical records. What was writen in your medical records that made the new dr not want to accept you as a patient ? If you don;t know you need to get a copy of your medical records and read them ASAP. Depending on what is written in your medical records you may not be able to find a dr that will treat your pain.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with Aronia. PCP's do prescribe Suboxone. She is correct, it does require special certification when it is being prescribed for drug addiction. Any dr can write if for chronic pain, but because the FDA hasn't authorized it be used for the treatment of pain, it is off label and insurance may not pay for it.

I'm sure you're aware that when someone has been treated with Suboxone or Subutex that they can be labeled as a drug addict because this med is used to treat drug addiction. I know it is also used to treat pain, but many drs don't get pased the name Subutex or Suboxone. Do you think that could have anything to do with the new dr not accepting you ?

Medicare is taken by almost all drs and other providers. I'm not sure who told you differently. Medicare Advantage has a lot of restrictions.

@Aronia

I wonder why a pcp would not want to prescribe pain meds? One of the effects of PPACA and going through pcp for everything is supposed to be less use of specialists so pcp drs need to be willing to treat a broad base of patients.

I had to look up suboxone, apparently it's an 8 hour training course to prescribe it and a dr is limited to 10 out- patients in the US. Is methadone the same regulation?

So many people seem to have issues when they have to deal with nurse practitioners- wonder why.

Okay, I stand corrected. Some PCPs are certified in Suboxone and do pain mends and benzos , but this is not main stream. Most
Of them don't want to deal with that stuff.

More and more doctors are choosing not to write for narcs and benzos because they are afraid of DEA and don't want to be involved in case the patient overdoses. My PCP loves me, but will not give me
More than two scrips per year, he told me why, so I had to find sown one who will Just give me what I need..
It is true, FDA has not Approved it for pain, but it may be a way
To get a break from narcs..
I am personally worried about what will happen in 10 years.
After 4 years I am building up tolerance already

Tikka, for some patients, the NP stands between them and the dr. You don't get to see the dr unless the NP says you can. A lot of pcp's have stopped prescribing pain meds. The regulations are time and money consuming and they aren't paid for it. In a lot of places pcp's just refer patients to specialists if they don't think they can treat something or if they don't want to. A lot depends on what your insurance is and where you live.