Be interesting to look at figures for prescription related deaths and where opiates are on that spectrum. Most drugs are dangerous or problematic some way or another.

The problem is that opiates are addicting. The other drugs that can cause death aren't. Of course the opaites usually have to be abused in order to result in death, but not always.

More and more I am convinced that the concept of for-profit health care with the customer as consumer is incompatible with cost-saving methods being used to attempt to cut government spending ( and more cynically to increase profits to insurance companies )

In other countries with government run universal healthcare the patient does not have access to a choice of doctors and specialists- but the trade-off is that healthcare is all but free at the point of delivery.

Many Americans are now getting the worst of worlds- pay and still have no consumer choice. So many policies now have huge deductibles so on top of the premiums costs are very high- those customers deserve to be paying so much for access to quality providers and choice.

I can understand seeing a nurse practitioner for prescriptions for strep throat or something, but chronic complex conditions should be managed by the pcp themselves. In Willow's case- the np has mis-managed the situation, both medically and in lack of professionalism ( courtesy and compassion ) towards the patient.

Thank you all again for being here and for your comments. MUCH appreciated! I did make an appointment with the new PCP, with the understanding that he absolutely will not prescribe narcotics. I'm not a drug addict! After being on opiate pain killers for 16 years my body has become dependant on them. Ivery never taken more than prescribed. I've tried Everything from acupuncture, meditation, supplements, exercise, massage, a nutritionist, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, to physical therapy, etc... This pain is unbearable and nothing has helped except the opiates. If doctors won't prescribe them because "it's just to much trouble and they're more worried about their license, the DEA and money"...I say SHAME ON THEM! I know there are abusers out there. That's NOT my problem or any innocent pain sufferers problem. Yet we're paying the price. I was a nurse for 26 years before I was no longer able to work...and I feel so let down by our medical system. I'm starting to ween myself off of the pain med I'm on (Hydrocodone 5mg - one every 6 hours). My pain is worse and I have felt a bit of withdrawal. I need groceries and now I'm not even able to get out of the house because I have too much pain. I have no help/no family. My mom passed away 2 years ago. I was her sole caregiver for 5 years. When she passed I became homeless, lost my precious 6 y.o. dog, lost everything including my clothing, and lost contact with my stepfather who raised me since I was 5 years old...all because of a VERY mean and psychotic step-sister. In the midst of winter I lived in my car temporarily, trying to keep my dog. Anyway, just some background... If I could survive through all of that, I'm going to survive the pain if withdrawal, thus a much higher level of physical pain. I'll need to stock up on groceries and other needs b/c I've no idea how I'm going to manage to get out of bed with severe physical pain 24/7. I have great faith and have been Praying SO hard. I don't know what will happen to me. Really scary thought. All because having Chronic Pain seems to be a felony at this point. I would not wish this pain on my worst enemy, including the psychotic step-sister...lol
Thank God for DS and this support group! You've all been keeping me going.

Oh man!, Willow, reading your posts sound exactly like me a few years ago. I am so disgusted with 99% of Drs nowdays. Right now, I am going to a methadone clinic for pain, because I have such a high tolerance from taking pain meds for 30 yearsm that even pain clinics won't come close to prescribing enough that I get any relief at all. And of course, medicaid isn't accepted because no one wants to deal with their mountains of paperwork. It's $300 a month, and my SSI check is $733, so if I didn't have my dad to help me, I would not even be here, because the pain is so severe in my back and legs, and now feet, due to getting neuropathy, that without pain meds, I would have to die to feel better. Since he is 93, I am living on a tight rope right now. I have no husband or kids either, just a brother, so I feel ya about being all alone, although at least I DO have some help right now. The best relief I ever had (I was totally functional, just like normal people) was when I took opana 40mg ER. It was the ONLY med that helped with just ONE pill at a time, although I had to take it every 8, instead of 12 hours. Was about $35 a pill, though, so when medicaid stopped paying, I lost that. However, the company that makes it gives it to you FREE if you don't make much money. But now I can't find a good pain clinic to prescribe it, so hence, the methadone clinic. Not many pain clinics accept ANY insurance, so slow going there. I realize I haven't given you any useful info, but at least I hope all these replies helps in some way. You are in a terrible situation, and it ought to be against the law for sick people to EVER be done this way, because it is CRIMINAL! All pain clinics are different, & you need one right now just to keep you from detoxing cold turkey, THEN you buy yourself time to figure out all the other things. Where do you live? Maybe people can tell you about a good one to help you out in this crunch that DOESN'T do all those procedures, I've been to several. Don't let yourself run out before you get an appt, because being alone---you won't be able to take care of the most basic things, with withdrawal pain on TOP on your regular pain. I send you all my love and care.

I'm surprised your doctors are giving you such a hard time being on such a low dose of Norco. My doctor freaked out and sent me to a pain management for four Norco's a day. The pain management doctor laughed because he said I don't need to be in pain management for such a low dose of medication. He thinks my GP is just scared of the DEA. I haven't even been piss tested or had my pills counted by this doctor in the seven months I've been seeing him. I don't know how well the Methadone would work for your pain, but some people can't tolerate it. I am one. Methadone works wonders on my pain, but after the second day of steady dosing I become very ill. I get upset stomach, vomiting, and feel so sick I have to lay down for 24 hours. I think too much of the Oxy was also doing the same thing to me. I am not completely managed on Norco, but it is a heck of a lot better than nothing at all. I know that no amount of pills is going to ever fix my damaged leg, but they really help me to not be miserable. Any how, I hope you find some relief soon. Hugs.

J

Willow, you need to see a Pain Management dr. Although I do agree with Jeremy that with you only taking hydrocodone 5 mg that isn't enough to really need pain management. You really do need to get a copy of your medical records and read them because any new dr that you see will read what is written.

Who told you that it was hard to find a dr that accepted Medicare because Medicare pays so little ? I have put a link below that has the drs that accept Medicare and Medicare/Medicaid. You will probably find that you were better off with regular Medicare than Medicare Advantage due to the restrictions. Who recommended the new pcp that you have ? Was it someone that you know personally and that goes to him ?

Medicare Physicians Compare-
https://www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare/search.html

I understand that you need a PCP, yes everyone does need a general Dr. but you have 2 different situations going on here. A PCP is not a pain management Dr. and they don't normally treat longterm pain. Many of the new laws require PCPs/MD's to take additional education credits in Pain Management to be able to treat long term Chronic Pain patients....so most PCP can't/won't do it. You do need a PCP for general care and that type of thing.

A Pain Management Dr. is where you'll have to go for treatment of the pain being caused by the multiple diseases that you mention, because that is what they are trained to do. It can take time to find the right PM Dr., but you're going to have a difficult time finding a PCP who will treat you with narcotics.

Are you seeing any specialists for the diseases you mentioned? There are other non-narcotic meds that can be used in treatment of some of them, who RX's those meds for you? or have you never tried any other meds besides narcotics?

I hope you find some answers to these problems.

Willow, I apologize for misreading what you said about the Suboxone. I thought yu had taken it before for chronic pain. Takiing it for withdrawals and drug addiction maintance, there are only certain drs that you can see. If you take it for chronic pain, any dr can prescribe it. The dosages are different for chronic pain than they are for those that are addicted to opiates. If you only take hyrdocodone 5 mg, withdraweals shouldn't be very bad. There ia a website that has a listing for the drs that prescribe it for drug addiction. You would have to cross reference that with the drs that your Medicare Advantage lists to find one.

You need to be prepared for the pcp to not prescribe the meds that you take for depression and anxiety. Some pcp's will and some won't. Based on what you've said about the new one, I doubt that he will, hopefully I'm wrong. You would benefit from seeing a therapist or counselor. You have been through an awful lot and it always helps to have others to talk to and sometimes they can give us a different prespective. Medicare pays for that, but I'm not sure what Medicare Advantage pays for with that.

Faith is vital. We have to do all the things that we know to do and then the Lord will do the rest. You might get a lot out of watching Lakewood Church in Houston on the internet. They had an awesome service tonight on Healing. You can watch their services live or go back a few weeks. I have out a link below to it. They also have an amazing Prayer Line. You can call toll free or email. For that info click on Get Help on the sidebar at the link below, then click on Telephone Prayer Ministry on the page you're taken to.

Lakewood Church-
https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/Pages/Watch-Online.aspx

You are on a low dose narc... Wtf?
Why couldn't she just send you to pain management instead
Of discharging you.
Having uncontrolled anxiety and depression makes a patient on a provider' s eyes high risk for overdose.
This is why I no longer ask my PCP form Controlled stuff . He ia too afraid.

Well, I've started to ween off of the pain med. I find myself taking a lot more regular Tylenol. I'm careful because I know the risks of liver damage. Sometimes I wonder if our Doctors/Health insurance and Pharmaceutical companies WANT people to to suffer more serious diseases, in which where they will reap a much better benefit. Being a health care professional for so long myself, I've witnessed it many times over. The first question the doctor always asks is, "What type of health insurance does the patient have?", not "How is the patient?" SAD!!! But it is what it is. I'm now just trying to survive and 'hope' for pain relief. - I'very been to PM many times before, prior to 2009, when PM doctors nearly destroyed me. I've had spinal nerves burned away (MOST PAINFUL EXPERIENCE EVER!), only to have baby nerves grow back. The fresh nerves caused an immense amount of long term pain. Been thru the Epidurals... (not helpful), etc... I've been through counseling. I grew up in a very dysfunctional/abusive atmosphere. I've worked through my issues and feel good about life now. Counseling now would be extremely expensive, very painful to get to appts b/c of physical pain, and I honestly don't know what I'd talk about. I did go to a Grief Support group for 1.5 years after my mom (also best friend) died. My mom was a "young mom" and was so beautiful inside and out. Of course I miss her terribly. That's normal. My dad used to be my Rock. I was going to live with him for a while in between jobs. I'd never knew my real dad vet well, except in the last 10 years of his life, when he became sober. We were very close. I found him dead on the 2nd day I was at his house. He was only 63... (Cardiac arrest). Once again I was homeless and my Rock was gone. That was 16 years ago. I've worked thru that. I think feelings of grief are normal and don't feel I need therapy for them. Also, the cost of counseling would be catastrophic to my small budget. My copay fir a Specialist is $45. I'd like to see a Psychiatrist for the depression and anxiety, but the new thing is that in order to see a Psychiatrist you must see one of their therapists. (Ex: 1 psych dr appt = $45 + weekly therapy at $45 a pop... One month w/b $225.00...There's just no way. As it is I have very little. SSDI - prescriptions, rent, cellphone (my only communication), car, groceries, monthly health insurance premiums, personal needs, misc... I do believe a Rheumatologist would be helpful, and an Endocrinologist. I been denied treatment by any Specialist office b/c I had 'Medicare only'. So I got a secondary insurance. Also, I would have been subject to a fine b/c of Obamacare if I wouldn't have gotten the insurance. I've read where Humeria (?sp) is helpful for the Ankylosing Spondylitis. I do stretching exercises on my own so why waste money on PT? I'm a Reiki Practitioner as well and do practice Meditation. I pray a LOT, and do watch Joel Osteen, Charles Stanley, Joyce Meyer and Billy Graham reruns on TV, since getting to Church is presently very difficult.
I SO GRATEFUL for everyone here and for all of your comments, suggestions and caring. It helps SO INCREDIBLY MUCH to know I'm not alone in this! I already feel a special bond with y'all I got groceries yesterday... (not easy). I hope to get one thing done today other than staying in bed. One can hope :)

Hi Willow.

I know I'm really late to your post, but I've read all of the replies. I just wanted to tell you that I HATE HATE HATE that you are going through all of this and suffering the way you are . I'm in limbo right now myself. I have an appt. with a new PCP on April 19th. The doc who's been prescribing Xanax for my panic disorder for 9 years has cut me off ( I have about 50 left ) and my ortho surgeon can't prescribe pain meds to me anymore. He referred me to a pain management doc last November that I couldn't stand for different reasons and didn't go back because of various reasons I won't go into ). I'm considering a facet joint injection but not sure.. I've heard positive and negative things both ( unfortunately more negative which is making me hesitate ). I have some older posts here explaining what's been going on. I hope and pray you can find a doctor that will provide you with what gives you relief. This crap is just so unfair. I'm so sorry.

HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGS
~
LMT

If you have Medicare, under ACA that is all that you have to have. You would not have been fined if you had only Medicare. You need to checkout and verify information before you act on it.

There are pain management drs that will not force you into having procedures and will write you pain meds.

Aronia may have found the reason that they won't prescribe you any narcotics, your depression and anxiety especially since you're not seeing a mental health professional to have it treated. If you're taking a benzo, drs rarely prescribe benzos and opiates together any longer.

Willow I am late in responding. I believe you have received some good advice. Most important would be finding a good pain management doctor. A good one will look at your history and
treat it all. That means the history of all the procedures you have had that failed would be taken into consideration and not pushed on you again.

There might be another med that could be added along with your current low dose of Norco. Most pain management doctors willingly take a patient that is compliant, has records and has gone the course of PT, counseling, and procedures like you have.

Welcome to chronic pain and please keep us updated. Good luck with the new PCP. I hate that the office came down all "judgey" on you right off about the not prescribing narcotics. Wishing you the pain management and respectful treatment you deserve.

hippy