Maybe you could even specialize in HELPING chronic pain patients since you know first hand, how difficult it is dealing with this subject...you know exactly what people are going through etc...maybe a calling of some sort... just another way of looking at things??
Good professionals like you are just what people need.

I work every single day and I am on Lortab 10/500 mg and Soma 350...it DOES not affect me like other people. Other people it puts to sleep...me, it makes me able to function and carry on my every day required chores. I HAVE to work, especially in this day and time. I understand a doctors or anyone elses concern about people working while taking this stuff, but, they also need to consider that not EVERYONE is affected like others. The pain meds and muscle relaxers do their job for me....it's not about being in a drug induced stupor, but, being able to function like a human being. When I am NOT on my meds or run out, my body hurts so bad I just want to crawl up in a ball and die. So, it's damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I do hope you go into pain management, you sound like you have an understanding of what it's like out there.

Good luck, and I hope I was of some help.

hurtn

When I did work I worked while on my meds, that is why I was able to work as long as I did. I think you know your limit. If your meds make feel out of sorts when you take it then maybe not but if you are like normal with them I don't see why not. If everyone who was on pain meds didn't work we would have alot of people unemployeed. Good luck.

I would talk to your boss and the health department.
If something did go wrong....

i did work for awhile on the medication but found that being a kitchenhand and being on your feet didnt help me out.
So i got another job with less hours and the same issue arose, the pain.
Thats when i quit work and stayed home.

I have the same problem. The research I have done leads me to believe that as long as you have a legal script (not from an internet provider) from a pain management clinic that is their specialty, that it would be OK. I have a judge in my sunday school class at the church I attend. He told me that in my home state, if someone gets a ticket for being on drugs, it can be thrown out of court if he/she has a legal script.

A lot depends on who you work for. I am surprised at the ignorance in the medical community over narcotics and how they work for long term pain control. It is my opinion, that most docs treat chronic pain people like leapers. They would rather make 10 people suffer than to take the chance on one person who does not need narcotics tricking them into giving them a script. I hate to admit it but 'been there done that when I was young and had a good body'. Having chronic pain can really change one's perspective. Back to my point, if you worked for such a person, they could fire you on some other pretext. It may be best to get it out in the open first thing.

If you try to get hospital privileges, I doubt the issue comes up. If it did, then all the docs who get privileges would have to be tested too to avoid a double standard. It would depend on the hospital privilege committee, but I doubt many docs are willing to pee in a cup, especially the surgeons. They bring to much money into the hospital to have to stoop to this act.

Another issue is the state board of medical examiners where you are licensed. I would like to know the answer to this one myself for my state.

Malpractice being what it is if there is a deal breaker in all of this, I would suspect it would be the fear of a lawsuit that could prevent you from practicing. Not to mention getting malpractice insurance. I do know several nurse anesthesis that are on antidepressants and it was not a factor with their anesthesiologists.

And lastly, there is the legal community. If you were to make a mistake, they would undoubtedly love to find out you were on narcotics. Some of them would do anything to win a case whether it had any bearing or not. They could dredge up all kinds of analogies, like a commercial pilot. Another side note, I am a pilot as well. As an experiment, I took an instructor up with me one day with him legally as pilot in command. We went through several instrument approaches with me under a hood. Also recovery from unusual attitudes. He didnt know I was taking narcotics until I told him. However, I chose not to renew my medical, as the FAA has stringent rules in the FARs (regulations) about many drugs. In reality, it is not a good comparison (medical providers and pilots) as there is a list of what most would consider benign drugs, like cold remedies, that prevent a pilot from flying as pilot in command as per the FARs. To the best of my knowledge, these are not used by the state board of medical examiners. If you get a DEA number, you have to be approved by them to get a license for prescribing for that state.

I wonder if a limited form of dont ask dont tell might be the only way. But where do you draw the line? Who do you tell and who do you not tell?

Id love to know what you have found out. Send me a message if you want.

I am a government employee and on many occasions take Lortab 7.5/500 - sometimes twice a work shift. It slows me down somewhat but the relief allows me to better concentrate on my duties. I openly discussed my prescriptions with my agency director - and no one else - and it was accepted. On my own - I will leave work if my pain persists and I'm needing more medication. This is rare - but I'd rather be safe since I approve payroll submissions and must be alert.

The hospital I worked at had a policy about narcotics.If you had a positive drug screen you were fired period. It didn't matter if you had a prescription or not. Maybe things are stricter for people who work in the medical field.I wouldn't take the narcotics at work if I were you.I wish you the best of luck.

Yah, it worries me greatly. I don't take them when i'm working. But, if they wanted to test me, they would probably still get positive results because i might have taken one the night before. It sucks.

perhaps because being a government employee in a rather clerical position - lotsa paperwork, etc. I can 'work around' my pain and pain meds. Yes, they could demand a drug test at any time - but everything I use is "prescibed." I am more concerned about my work product on these pain meds then being tested. It takes a great deal to terminate a government employee. For instance, one employee was caught smoking pot - for entertainment/recreactional value during his lunch hour inside his car. His supervisor discovered him 'using' and fired him directly. He got his job back - because the supervisor did not call the police to report the criminal activity. Ironically, he is one of our best associates. But, he no longer smokes the MJ's on the job. Good move on his part, eh?

As long as you have a legit prescription and you take the meds per the instructions they legally must allow you to work, make sure you see doctor on a regular basis and I would have the doc write a letter to your HR dept. with an explanation of the condition and why you need these meds. If HR informs any single person in the company about your meds or condition they are legally liable under the HIPAA rules and you cannot! be penazlized in any way, in fact they may be legal responsible to make your work more user friendly for you with whatever accomodations you need

I worked over a year taking 120mgs of oxycontin and morphine, and I drove a forklift and not once got tested nor did i take too much while working either. I had to be alert but I did have my doctor write me a letter to them explaining my condition and my need to take these meds. But finally they made me so mad I cussed them all out and quit. i couldnt take the pain or me wanting to beat the shit out of them. Good Luck..

Vanyel, I feel you pain and concern. As an ARNP myself (lost my job) I know that I could have not done my job in the narcotics that I am right now. I used to work at a rural clinic for our health department and the policy of testing positive was very clear and cut, if you are found with any drugs in your system, you were fired period. Now, before I had my 4 spinal surgeries, I was taking mild pain killers and I did tell my supervisor about them. I did not take them while at work, but I did when I got home and on my days off, so in order to not hurt my job or loose my license I was honest and upfront with my boss. I wish you lots of luck. Take care.

T

I worked through codes, traches popping out, hanging blood, IV team, you name it I did it and may I say never even impairing my judgment. The day I stopped after 30 years (probably 20 on pain meds) was after my second brain surgery and I was on 4800 of neurontin plus other seizure medication as well as pain meds. I resigned and my DN came to me and said Eva, people get sick, and then they get get better. so if I am not here when you are ready to come back, your file will always open the door for you. I new when it was time to go b/c I would never endanger a patient. you are so right to always take the meds that you have a script in your name. you can never get in any trouble unless someone has reported eratic behavior. And as i am sure that you well know, keep your business to yourself! there are no confidences in a hospital that will not come back to haunt you. good luck dear

Thanks everyone for all the replies. It helps.