Most pain clinics in Tn do do pill counts.I thought that was the way it was everywhere.They have to watch some people because of abuse or them selling the meds.

i agree that pill counts are dumb. they need to test what is in your system that way they can see how much you are taking and know that you are not abusing them or selling them. I would definitely not report them because it will put a red flag on you. if they call you for a count ask them to do a urine analysis instead. my step mother in law just got kicked out of our pain clinic...but she deserved to be. she kept taking her husbands vicodin and she was prescribed norco and they could tell the difference. she always had a red flag from always reporting her pills lost, stolen, washed in the washer, thrown out by mistake or her favorite dropped in the toilet. i am not saying i don't believe you i am just saying is that desperate people make the rest of us look bad. eventually they caught her...and i told her it was about time. it gives us a hard time getting the meds we need. sorry for your luck...but i would tough it out. hugs

I know I have an excellent pm doctor, and she has a sign up in every room that she will not give early refills under any circumstance incuding theft, dropping down toilet/sink etc. She does the random drug screen, and you have to bring your narcotics to every follow up appointment (every 3 months) just in case she has to change your meds.

Awe, don't dump your meds down the toilet. It's like, toxic waste that's going to end up in your water supply. Next time, take them to your pharmacy and have them dispose of them.

Have you ever looked at Boswellia for pain? I use it and it really works on that constant pain for no reason.

I'm allergic to opiates. They make my skin crawl until I scratch myself bloody and cause wild hallucinations.

I didn't do it on purpose!I had a muscle spasm in my hand and arm and my hand went limp while I had the bottle of pills in my hand,the bottle tilted and dumped part of them down the toilet before I could get the bottle with my other hand.I have since moved my meds from the bathroom to a lock box in my bedroom.Having them locked up is safer anyway because I am adopting my 2 grandsons ages 2 & 3 and they climb and get into everything.They are handfull and we have to watch them very carefully.I caught the oldest trying to get into my husbands meds.Locking them up asures they won't get into them and gets them out of the bathroom so that this won't happen again.I wish I had done that in the first place.

I do believe you about the dropping them in the toilet! I had a similar incident where I opened the container over my sink and i lost control of container and the whole container dropped and I lost several pills down my drain. I decided not to say anything to my Dr. because of the bad image of narcotic users saying they lost, dropped etc. I do have a good relationship with my dr. BUT I felt like I would not be believed! I hated that feeling.

I would not suggest you call and stir up any questions in their minds, I also deal with a pain clinic, so that is not something you want to do. There are so many people out there getting drugs for the high, they have to have these procedures in place. So, not only can you not get a pain medication from "your" regular practitioner anymore because of drug addicts, they are also making it hard to get help from the pain clinics.

I am with everyone else on this though, if the medication is of no help to you, then there really is no reason to continue the treatments.

I am on pain medication that has been a life saver and a taker all in one... you see, you start out on the "little" stuff you are on now.. as time goes by, that will require a larger and a larger dose to do anything and so on and so on... up to where you are with the rest of us... I am now on so many medications it takes an entire notebook sheet of paper to write them down. I have graduated to methadone which is one of the hardest drugs out there to have to try to come off of. So, if you don't HAVE to put yourself in this position... then by all means please don't...

My medications make me so sick sometimes I think I could die, I run my finger down my throat trying to relieve the sickness and not even that will help at times. Then on the downside of that, the effects of missing a dose is worse than the effects of taking one... which do you choose between... see what I mean??

One of the reasons doctors are so wary about giving undisclosed amounts of pain meds, especially narcs, is that there was a huge lawsuit and full blown investigation 3 years ago on a doctor on my coast/west. So many doctors have made contracts excetra to protect themselves. IN fact, most doctors will not even mail such prescripts to the patient, the patient has to see the doctor prior to getting a new perscript.

Its sad, but it really affected and scared many doctors for lawsuits and federal/state regulations. They have to protect themeselves as well. And there are people who go to drs, often different ones who abuse such drugs.

Get this...I was shocked..my last housekeeper, we just fired. WE are positive, she took half my hydrocodone as well as xanax. Its gone..and I know how much I take, I am super careful..I usually under dose myself. We hid the meds, after the first time we suspected something, but the this last time, I had kept a closer count. You just never know. I had no clue that people sell stuff like that on the street and that I would be a victim of it.

oh I wanted to add, you didnt mention how long you have tried the meds? You do need to give them a fair shot. I know, for me, it took me 6 weeks to get use to my patch, I slept constantly during that time. But Im a pantywaist what can I say.

I'm just coming back after more than a week away and I didn't read all the responses, but I did see a couple I'd like to respond to.

First, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, all those are just trade names for the same drug from different manufacturers. The dosage doesn't make it one med or the other - just the substance. They are all hydrocodone and that's what you'll get as a generic.

Second, no way in hell I would call the pain clinic at this point and say I dumped them down the toilet. I absolutely believe that's what happened, but it sounds too much like "The dog ate my homework" and they hear those excuses all the time. You have to be the judge but I wouldn't.

Last but not least, for the person who said "get tested and they'll see you don't have them in your system" or something to that effect, that's exactly what you DON'T want to do. They test to make sure you DO have them in your system. If you don't, that's when they suspect you're selling them. If you need them, you should be taking them - that's what they go by.

Even those who try not to take any more than they absolutely have to can get into hot water over drug counts and pee tests because when they prescribe them, they expect you to take them.

It sounds ass backwards but that's what they are looking for - for you NOT to have them in your system, which would mean to them that you don't really need them and are doing something else with them.

Did ya miss me? :)