I have a good PM doc...and my pain STILL is not well-mamaged after....about threeyrs seeing her, I think.
I'm starting my campaign for the pump AR next appntmnt. My Immuno doc already brought it up himself, so...hopefully...

Anyway....I'm actually one of the lucky ones, because at least I have docs working with me on it.

I'm honestly starting to wonder how people just don't got totally postal on these docs leaving them in agony.

It's goddamn inhumane.

I agree with both of you. Dixie you make a great point that there is much more to pain management that one chapter in a book. While there is no total solution yet to complete pain relief, some advances are being made.

Like Jan, I am one of the lucky ones. I wish everyone could have a Pain doc like mine. He is kind, caring, compassionate and dare I say empathetic. He is very conservative to start. He had me try med combinations for several months, the Fentanyl patch for several months, then he finally mentioned the pain pump because he saw that I was getting no relief from any of the other solutions provided.

And I am grateful that he was so conservative and not trying to just push pills on me that didn't work. Since having the intrathecal pain pump implanted, I have experienced levels of 2s and 3s. Never have I had that in so long. Don't get me wrong, I still have pain and am able to feel when I push too hard, but he came up with a solution to a problem. My feet will swell and hurt from walking, and my back is hurting right now and in spasms. And the pump does not work on muscles, so my spasms can still put me at a high pain level But the pain is more tolerable at these levels.

The key is finding a good doc, one that will work with you just as much as you have to work with them. I understand their fears of a patient becoming addicted to pain meds, or overdosing on them. I understood my pain doc wanting to take the conservative route first to start instead of jumping off the diving board into a sea of pill poppers. They have to crack down on the usage of meds because of a lot of federal laws that have changed about pain medication.

I also understand the plight of the sufferers, like us, who get treated like common criminals just because they need to have good pain management. I don't know how I, or others, didn't go crazy while going through the trial and error phase. Too many CPers are being shoved into a little ignorant box with all of the addicts lumped in together. I agree, it's just not fair. And always remember that you have to advocate for yourself and if you don't like that doc because he doesn't listen or isn't making the necessary changes to improve your quality of life, fire his ass and find another doctor to go to. Don't let them lump you into into that box. You don't deserve it!

Ok off my soapbox now!

I am just one of the lucky one's who found the perfect match for my pain.

Gentle hugs,
Jenna

I think the reason we don't go 'postal' is because we're in so much pain that we can't physically do any damage! My condition is getting progressively worse (don't even use the word Fibro around me) and my doc has no answers and absolutely no ideas.

She forcing me to revisit a pain clinic tomorrow. No med changes until I do...grrrr. I don't know what to expect. I haven't had a good experience with one of these places, yet. If I hear injections and Lyrica one more time...I just might gather enough strength to consider violence!

Sorry...I'm really having a bad time and it IS getting worse and different. Obviously, I have no answer to this question.

After my 1st back surgery, I had a REALLY bad recovery. I was initially sent to a Pain Mgmt Clinic, and I remember them giving me some type of pain medicine (don't remember what it was). When my prescription ran out, I called to let them know and they treated me like I was a "drug seeker". I was so appalled that I never went back. I couldn't believe how I was treated. I NEEDED help and that's how they were helping?

Fast forward 7 yrs later to my 2nd surgery. I was again referred to a Pain Mgmt Clinic (a different one) and they were wonderful. They really seemed to care about helping me and getting me on something that was going to help me. They told me early on that I would need to find a doctor who was willing to take on the ongoing management of my pain medication. So, with that, I went to a doctor I had never seen before here in town and feel that I really lucked out. She trusted me from day 1 which was important to me (I do not abuse my pain meds) and I have now been seeing her for the past 8-9 yrs. She has been awesome in changing my meds when needed and helping to reduce the costs since I only have Medicare to pay for my medicine.

As far as actually "managing " my pain, I will have to admit that my meds only seem to take the edge off. I can't blame my doctor because I get sick on EVERYTHING (it is such a curse). I am suppose to be taking my MS-Contin & Gabapentin in the middle of the day, however, I kept throwing up so I skip it. The vicodin was also making me extremely nauseated so I recently tried an anti-nausea medicine that seems to be working great so far. (yay!) I haven't worked up the nerve to try the anti-nausea medicine with that middle-of-the day dose of MS-Contin & Gab for fear that I will be hugging the toilet. I'll prob. try it some day this week though because I am really curious to see if that extra dose will help me, and if so, how much?

Anyway, sorry to ramble. Pain Management is a tough one though. So many doctors don't want to treat patients for fear of having their license taken away. It is a damn shame because literally millions of people suffer from pain and shouldn't be. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my current doctor for the reason I just stated above. I think it would be extremely difficult these days to find someone else.

Hugs,

Carrie

Pain management what's that? Cherry you crack me up! Are you sure we don't have the same dr? I had to go through the hoops before I finally after 6 yrs with her got 5/325 Percocets twice a day! That's with her telling me that she usually only gives them to ppl with severe pain like cancer. I said don't you think my pain is severe and she said yes that's why i'm giving it to you. I asked her why it took her so long and she said she was afraid she'd get into trouble! ERRRRRRRRRRRR!

This has got to change! She knows i'm not a drug addict. She's had to fight to get me on alot of meds.

At the same time i'm cautious about taking meds because I will be on them the rest of my life and I have to protect my body the best that I can. So I expect some pain and there isn't any pain pill out there that is going to take away all of my pain! I know that so I mentally have to be strong.

Hugs,
Toni

I have a really good pain doc, im on a short and long acting pain med along with my yoga, epsome salt baths, getting the corect dx and starting treatment, getting my canes and braces and learning to pace myself , i think my pain is managed the best it can be even tho i have ALOT of pain.

I really don't think there's anything more they can do for me.

I definatly have had the same doc as cherry and irocket in the past LOL I went 5 years and 6 pain docs before i found one that was willing to help me.

i agree that something's gotta give when it comes to treating pain! way too many people suffer for no good reason!

i had a really good PM in puerto rico - trained and practiced in the states. he explained everything so well, was so concerned and caring. he put me on the fentanyl patch and changed it to 48 hours b/c i couldn't make it 72, called pharmacies to stock meds for me (b/c the law there is you have to get scrips filled in 24 hours and you lose what they can't fill). he helped me so much. we were preparing for a round of epidurals, but so many insurance problems. he jumped through all their hoops. also, his wife was his assistant. he was affiliated with two hospitals, so he wasn't operating out of his garage!!