My VA doctor is cutting off my PAIN MEDS!!!! WTF!!!!

I understand the chronic pain involved with disease or accident. Recently I exerienced the same treatment when my rheumatologist closed his practice and returned to his home country.

When I finally found another to take his place, he is many miles away and just the travel to get there is difficult. Then I was met with surprise when he informed me that he refuses to write scripts for pain relief as he considers this improper protocol.

Seems medicine is now so compartmentalized that even the opiates that offer relief put 'ordinary' physicians in fear for their license.

Fortunately for me, I was able to see a pain specialist Anestheologist, who, without hesitation realized not only did I need this relief, but my former med was undermedicating me.

I strongly suggest you search for a "pain management clinic" that does use opiates for their patients. The old adage that we are drug addicts goes out the window when using for pain relief. My new doctor is also my old doctor. He treated me when I had no insurance or money to even get a diagnosis for my horrid pain. His policy is to not take back patients after they cease being his patients. But a referral from my primary care physician opened the door for me to return.

Those of you who are not suffering from chronic many times find it hard to understand and jump to the wrong conclusion.

I must tell you that I've never felt "high" when taking these meds. What I feel is "normal", as though this disease is not degenerating further. The disease may kill me, but it doesn't need to be painful.

I had one person tell me that it's because opiates are so abused.......my reply is that anything can be abused and to include the suffering one in this catagory is rediculous.

Opiates have been used for thousands of years, also studied and proven. They are safer than many of the newer and more expensive drugs. Perhaps this is another reason for the cutback........more money with the newer stuff.

Good luck to you. Please see if you have near you a respected pain management clinic. Find out up front if they prescribe opiates, if so, make an appointment, or get a referral.

because that was an awesome post

thank you just for knowing and understanding, and the suggestions. I thought that pain management clinics were/are ineffective

and thank you for bringing up that money issue- like I said I use magnesium and epsom salts baths to help

I'm killing myself from the inside out with too much poison tylenol and ibuprofen, but the doctors don't seem to care, as long as they don't have to prescribe anything POTENTIALLY addictive.

I want to thank all of you for your service and sacrifices. My husband, father, granfather & ancestors back to the Revolutionary war served our country.

It sickens me to see our vets not receive top notch care but such care is afforded imprisioned felons & the welfare crowd. I cannot speak to painkillers, but we have fewer vets than entitlement types, so why can we not give the vets (those who actually did something for this country) priority in treatment?

There are alternatives to pain management. Being on those drugs do make you a junkie. Go to drug rehab and then seek alternative pain management. There are countries (like the one I live in) where opiates are not given unless you are actually lying in a hospital bed. People here still manage their pain without.
Good luck.

there are natural pain relievers .... Oreganol p73 super strength

or apple cider vinegar ....

*** when Jesus was on the cross ..the Romans gave him vinegar and gall ... well, they gave him vinegar because it was a pain reliever ...the gall was poison so he wouldn't take it

If your not in one, get to a medical marijuana state. Or just say fuck it and do your thing illegally. What you want is bog sour bubble. Harvest at 20-40% amber trichs. Better than pain meds....

My guess is YOUVE never suffered through chronic pain OR HAD to come off of MORPHINE WITHDRAWS !!!.....its 19 days of shitting pure water every 5 minutes freezing to death with 6 blankets on, pain in every tissue fiber of our body ...they should be having this poor guy on methadone since it is long acting for pain and will keep him from going thru the withdrawals if morphine .....YOU SUCK IT UP YOU FUCKING DOUCHEBAG

I agree that is too much pain meds.

It seems you are going through the mental withdraws of knowing that you wont have a MAGIC pill to make you work or help you wake up anymore.


Life is better without it. It just takes a week to realize that.

In my town, kids abuse the pills more than they take exams.

I dunno.

:/

They test your system to see if you have been using your medication properly.

I have been on a cycle of narcotics for several years (since my accident where disks were blown and my knee was shattered). Every 3-4 moths I switch, Vicodin, Darvocet, Percocet - This is to prevent me from building up tolerance to one type of pain relief.

This was through Kaiser and an out of the system doctor. The out of system doctor told me to start using my drugs more often specially around test dates to have some sort of detectable level to 'prove' that I still needed the pain medication. Using the meds means I need the meds.

Coming back 'clean' or not using up your script means to the doctor you are not in as much pain as you claim.

I have always taken less than prescribed, taking one a day or going two days with out taking any - my concern is becoming addicted.

The doctor sees it as no need for the medication - after all I am willing to forgo the pain pills, therefore my pain can't be all that bad. This is logical to a person who doesn't know you fully.

Their tests are telling them that your being clean means you don't need the meds. So where are the meds going? Are you selling them? - This is going to be their logic. Sorry the system is not designed to help you, its designed to keep their noses clean.

Suggest to the doctor shifting you from percocet to Darvon or Vicodin. Also ask him about low dose amitriptyline at night before bedtime. [link to www.webmd.com]

Morphine is pretty bad to be on now days, there are plenty of alternatives out there to try.

Pan management is a balancing act between keeping the patient out of pain and keeping the patient from becoming and addict/drug dealer.

Every so often your doctor(s) will try to reduce the amount of pain pills they prescribe/give you to see how you will act/react on lower dosages - pain wise.

If you went through with your threat, you would only justify their assumption you are a junkie.

Yes its a no win situation.

Sounds like you have a doctor with a conscience. Most of them are prescribing pain meds like it's nothing as they are a form of control as well as inducing passivity.

Luckily for me, I am not tested. I told my doc straight up, (he was a new doc for me). I brought him all my x-rays, mri's, ct myelograms, etc. Besides the skeletal issues, I also have a swollen spinal cord....I told the doc - I'm not having the surgery, (I've got small kids at home and I have to care for them alone and without any help so I can't afford the down time - maybe one day things will be different). I also don't want to risk further damage to my spinal cord. Shots are out, too. I've already had my spinal cord punctured once by a myelogram and the resulting csf leak had to get plugged with a blood patch....I told the doc - not happening again, capiche? He - much to my relief - capich-ed.

I bring my vicodin bottle to each appointment and show him how much I'm using. Also - I insist on keeping the lines of communication open about the meds I've been prescribed. If he were to suddenly do an about face regarding my vicodin prescription it would really upset me. I've been very successful in finding alternative therapies that help. But I'm not out of the woods yet. And he has told me that as long as I stay within the prescribed limits, he will not change anything. That it is up to me to not get addicted to it....I agree with that.

I think that for a doc to suddenly pull the rug out from under someone who has become dependant on the meds is disgusting and inhuman. They need to offer real counselling and alternatives BEFORE the patient gets addicted. Let the patient know what the limits are UPFRONT before they begin to use the pain meds...so that the patient understands the need to start working on a Plan B from the get-go.

As much as I am thankful for the help that vicodin gives me - I diligently seek new ways to deal with the pain and not take it at all. When I walk past the fridge upon which the vicodin lives, I flip it the bird every chance I get.

Look into prolotherapy.....

I'm looking at it now....any experience with this?

decades working with patients and other doctors


most cannot prescribe what they want or they will have unwelcome visitors and could have helluva trouble for NO REASON


I have seen many have pain and incredible amounts myself...but avoid the painpills...it will become a control mechanism and easy to lay another out based onthat


seems a few have told me they are pushing methadone clinics for many with painissues and not addiction issues



it is much harder on a body


I have a friend who was encouraged to do so, I discouraged it


seems it is getting far worst, andfew resell their meds but it does happen....


just as sinus meds are now restricted due to a handful of folks...it is subterfuge....


all about control and disenfranchising many as crumbs become more scarce


prepare and find natural options



life is pain in this timeline

Thank you for understanding. Sometimes I feel like the only thing I have left that I am in %100 control over is my pain. It's kind of perverted, but pain has become like my baby. I don't even know who I would be without it anymore.

I must be my own healer; I will control my pain because it is MINE. Fuck them.... I won't pay, I will shout it to the world, you may be controlled by the pharmaceutical industry, but I won't be, not anymore.

Devil's Claw is an anti-inflammatory without the poisons tylenol or ibuprofin. This is what I am trying now. I don't know if it works yet, but I need an anti-inflammatory to try to heal the protruding and bulging discs in my neck. I'm looking for the correct exercises to do daily, I'm making myself stronger, and I'm trying to correct my posture. If I have any say in it.... I'm done with drs and the DEA trying to control me. This is a freedom issue. This is my pain. I will live free or die. I must live free or die.

BECAUSE I CAN'T GET THESE ASSHOLES OUT OF MY HEAD

From now on, unless the circumstances are extreme and out of my control, I will be shunning MD's. That's all I have- I will turn my back and refuse to speak to any practicing MD. If there are good doctors out there, it's your responsibility to gain a person's trust.

And by the way- You are not their patients. They are YOUR doctors. You can fire them.

What about what the wife or caregiver has to go thru.VA centers did this to them and I have to deal with it 24/7?

I read the post some ass hole replayed to you. his words (im a six time combat vet with 100% disability and calling you a junky) got what a looser. well I guess ill do the same it only took me one time to have my head to be smashed thru my ass. and I because i hate them. but its the only thing i can take to get me out of bed and moving around. so it really disappoints me when assholes do self diagnoses of others. I will not let one of there DR's touch me. my right. at least I have that for a little while until they strip that one away. I know what chronic is so do what you have to do for you! not for the opinion of LT CRASH.

Only if you are a different lifeform. Which, on GLP, is not beyond the realm of possibility

[link to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

In humans, effects of smoked marijuana, synthetic Delta(9)-THC analogs (e.g., Marinol, Cesamet) and medicinal cannabis preparations containing both Delta(9)-THC and cannabidiol (e.g., Sativex, Cannador) in neuropathic pain states are reviewed. Clinical studies largely affirm that neuropathic pain patients derive benefits from cannabinoid treatment. Subjective (i.e., rating scales) and objective (i.e., stimulus-evoked) measures of pain and quality of life are considered. Finally, limitations of cannabinoid pharmacotherapies are discussed together with directions for future research.

I knew a guy who always went to the VA for his treatments of anything. He began to have some serious problems with his heart and they gave him such a runaround. He went to the military base here and got the help that he needed.

It always boils down to the same problem: a few assholes have to fuck it up for everyone.

Just start showing up at the ER when the pain get bad. Sooner or later, they will make the necessary adjustments... or do what I did for a very similar circumstance. I see a private pain clinic monthly, and pay out of pocket.

Last Edited by Mike Ehrmantraut on 04/08/2014 08:27 PM

Try living with the pain of a knee replacement that flops around inside of you with every step. See how well you do without pain meds then.

Perhaps they are cutting your medication because you have become addicted? You sound like a addict.

I heard many insurance companies are also changing duration of the script from 120 supply to 15 day supply with only one refill.

Lots of people that are legitimately taking pain meds are going to be in pain.

demand fentenyl transdermal patches. non-addictive, you can function normally, etc.

an RN friend of mine told me about these when i needed something for pain and can't take regular pain meds bc i am allergic to them....and the only pain med i can tolerate is something they are afraid to rx - dialudid.

the fententyl patches helped. i wasn't drowsy, i could drive, and i had less pain. was no problem starting or stopping them, but they do suggest you not drive or make decisions until you know how they affect you. for me they just took the edge of the pain off, but i had an extreme amount of pain at the time, but it was enough to not have me in tears and that was better than nothing.

also, you have to watch your body temperature bc more medicine is released when the body is hot from a fever or too long hot shower (you can leave them on to bathe though, just don't keep hot water flowing on the patch) and no sauna / hot tub time either.

Eat super healthy while you get off the pain meds OP, it will help.
There are lots of alternatives once you get off them.
Best wishes, hang in.