Can I just say

Can I just say how much I despise drug seeker's! They are making things so difficult for people who are really sick! Before being retired by my own body, I worked for a hospital in registration and switchboard, and believe me, they think they are really smart and can fool people. I could really go into this, but I won't.

Does anyone here feel like they are made to feel like an offender? I hate the way the pharmacy, pharmacy staff, and not to mention all the pain management staff. Looking you over, try to decide if you are truly s.ick, or just want drugs!

Now I pushed for many years, NOT to be put on ANY kind of pain killers due to the fact I was still working and I even after because I didn't want people to look at me different. But since progression and unability to just function...I caved. Gave in. Now when the pain doctor put me on this rx, they told me to sign a paper and took it. Little did I know it said if you cancel 3 appts, your no longer seen. Welp, I RESCHEDULED some due to ...being too sick to go (imagine that one)...bad weather...they rescheduled me 3x's themselves, and once when I woke up a month ago to the furnace broke and no heat. Can I say I despise drug seeker's... So I now have to start all over with someone else. That is my rant for this week. lol! Thank you for listening.

Actually a lot of what is in the drug contracts are federal regulations It is not just the drug seekers but prescription drugs are a big deal in the illegal drug market and the doctors are being held accountable

Hello, hey slow down for a moment here ? Look at the pro's and con's for a moment :1. people are breaking into the drugstores 2. your pain is up to you to get the service to help you manage the pain 3. there are so many people out here that are faking just to get the appointments and to fake out the doctor to get this meds 4 and that makes it hard for us who really needs them . So: 1. keeping your appointment (s) on the rescheduled would be the best thing , because the government is going to get to were if the doctor write the script they will have to give full detail of the pains that you are having and believe me they will be saving their self . 2. they really don't want to be caught up in fraud or what ever they call over writing pain script and there really is no pain, and 3. if We have the type of pain why shouldn't we make way to keep the appointment-RIGHT? We have to do our part -we found them !!! So try to keep your appointments , cause if you are anything like me, i just hate having to start over with new people !!!! Well hope that this made sense to you some way? I haven't been to sleep, i have hip pain for a couple of days and been up, can't sleep that's how bad my pain is - everytime i think, okay i can go to sleep and go to the bed my body send sharp pains from my hip to my toes , now that's what has been going on with me and my pain pills are not doing NOTHING ...Beverly L.

Pain pills do nothing for my pain. I just want relief or a miracle drug so I can function like I use to my pcp is trying some new things. I am hoping this works she said it just takes time to try this and that tilwe figure it all out

Be careful going to a new doctor… That in itself looks suspect! I would try writing the first doctor’s office a letter describing that concern and the fact that it’s simply very difficult for you to make appointments anywhere while you’re so ill! They should be able to get that… And if they won’t let you come back, you could also ask for a letter from them (or maybe you already have it) showing you were discharged from their practice due to ADMIN reasons, not misconduct, so the next doctor believes you! Maybe your primary and especially rheum can write you a referral to pain clinic along with a letter stating you have no history of abuse and that your missed appointments led to less not more pain meds being dispensed (duh!) and their concern at how at risk you are at falling behind on your pain control. Any pain specialist knows you must “stay ahead of the pain” instead of chasing it down, precisely because you can control it with LESS meds that way! (I hope they are managing you this way and explained that…) I thankfully do not have significant pain problems (more with fatigue and neuropsych, so narcs would be terrible for me! I do have benzodiazepines (also controlled subst.), for anxiety, but since I rarely need them it’s no problem (same as-needed prescription actually pushed on me by an old psychiatrist has lasted me a year and a half and counting…) However, I did watch my mom go through hell with these prescriptions for her chronic back/disk pain (the classic false claim, but she had alarming MRIs to back her up, and later a botched fusion surgery…) She had ambien, benzos, oral and patch opiates… The worst was when our house was on the market and an agent or someone stole her whole bottle of pills! Thankfully she saw the pain specialist at the same hospital where all her care was coordinated among the doctors. GOOD LUCK and I really suggest getting the facts documented so you don’t have to do any “explaining” that makes them doubt you!

I did keep all of my rescheduled appts, both theirs and mine. I also use to work first hand with the problem of people looking for prescription drugs. I was just saying how life would be a lot easier if they didn't seek out prescription drugs. I just think that we are going to see a pain specialist because we are sick a.l.o.t. and each day is unpredictable with Lupus. So why punish the ones who are true to their illness. If I can't get out of bed because I am so much pain in my hips I can't walk, i'm not going to call an ambulance to take me to an appt. I do keep my appts unless it is impossible. Also this is my first time ever seeing a pain specialist, as they didn't have them in PA. So was not aware of their guidelines.

Beverly L. said:

Hello, hey slow down for a moment here ? Look at the pro's and con's for a moment :1. people are breaking into the drugstores 2. your pain is up to you to get the service to help you manage the pain 3. there are so many people out here that are faking just to get the appointments and to fake out the doctor to get this meds 4 and that makes it hard for us who really needs them . So: 1. keeping your appointment (s) on the rescheduled would be the best thing , because the government is going to get to were if the doctor write the script they will have to give full detail of the pains that you are having and believe me they will be saving their self . 2. they really don't want to be caught up in fraud or what ever they call over writing pain script and there really is no pain, and 3. if We have the type of pain why shouldn't we make way to keep the appointment-RIGHT? We have to do our part -we found them !!! So try to keep your appointments , cause if you are anything like me, i just hate having to start over with new people !!!! Well hope that this made sense to you some way? I haven't been to sleep, i have hip pain for a couple of days and been up, can't sleep that's how bad my pain is - everytime i think, okay i can go to sleep and go to the bed my body send sharp pains from my hip to my toes , now that's what has been going on with me and my pain pills are not doing NOTHING ...Beverly L.

Yes I know the feeling! My son is a Pharmacist and I hear all kinds of stories about drug seekers! I’m also allergic to most pain meds and I don’t have many options when it comes to having to take them. I believe that drug seekers make it hard on those of us that truley need them! I only have one pain med that I can take and it is a class 2 drug! My rheumy had me go see a pain management doctor, who, if I would have let him, would have go me addicted! They wanted me on something every day! I told him he was nuts and walked out! When I saw my rheumy the next time I explained the story to her about the pain doctor and she was shocked! I also told my rheumy that she took an ethic oath and that pain was a part of my disease so she need to treatment me completely! After that she had no problems writing my RX’s. I only have her write the RX and I only get it filled at on place! To me this helps minimize my exspoure to any red flags!

The use and/or abuse of pain killers has gotten rediculous. Makes it really hard on the people who really need them. There has to be control of a controlled substance.

Dewing3569, I asked my Rhuemy if I really needed to go to the pain doc, trying to eliminate 1 doc, but she said yes. Would be so much easier if she could as I am only on 1 pain med which is fine. I don't want to be drugged up. I do have to take everyday but only take it as I need it though, morning is a no brainer as I can barely walk and move when I get out of bed.
By the way both Rhuemy and Family physician both worked on finding me another pain doctor, and was shocked at one of them as I look up references on the dr.s Was shocked to see this guy is on probabation for 2 yrs for over drugging and some deaths of patients he was caring for! Not going to see that one! So do your background checks everyone, before seeing one of these doctors! Yikes!


Dewing3569 said:

Yes I know the feeling! My son is a Pharmacist and I hear all kinds of stories about drug seekers! I'm also allergic to most pain meds and I don't have many options when it comes to having to take them. I believe that drug seekers make it hard on those of us that truley need them! I only have one pain med that I can take and it is a class 2 drug! My rheumy had me go see a pain management doctor, who, if I would have let him, would have go me addicted! They wanted me on something every day! I told him he was nuts and walked out! When I saw my rheumy the next time I explained the story to her about the pain doctor and she was shocked! I also told my rheumy that she took an ethic oath and that pain was a part of my disease so she need to treatment me completely! After that she had no problems writing my RX's. I only have her write the RX and I only get it filled at on place! To me this helps minimize my exspoure to any red flags!

I’m a substance abuse counselor and have lost 3 patients in the past year as the result of opiate overdose so I can appreciate the hesitation to prescribe. However I need to be able to function. The NSAIDs aren’t cutting the mustard most days. I feel that the doctors should be working collaboratively to prescribe effectively to manage and reduce symptoms instead of making it someone else’s liability.

It's unfortunate but true that drug abusers have made it difficult for those of us that do in fact, need medication. For me, having Lupus Nephritis (kidney damage) as well as Lupus and previous back surgeries, pain medication is necessary for any sort of quality of life. I am not supposed to take Advil, Tylenol, or aspirin. Doesn't leave many options, eh?

However, I got over the feeling of embarrassment after reading a story by a marathoner in New York that was in an article of USA Today. He, even after treating his body as a temple for years, was finally forced to turn to stronger pain medication after a car accident severely damaged nerves in his back.

I never forgot the way he described taking pain meds..."Diabetics must take insulin, persons with HBP take BP meds, etc so that they can have some quality of life. Pain medication should not be viewed differently."

Ironically, one of the things that I have noticed personally as well as with others that are on a pain mgt regimen is that those that are truly in pain don't get that "high" that abusers talk about.

Never feel embarrassed asking for something that helps you have a better quality of life. You are facing a painful and debilitating disease and anything that can help you maintain a semblance of your old life is worth asking for.

Hugs,

DeAnne

I am sorry that you have suffered such losses. I found early on that there were times that I would forget if I had taken my meds and would take another because it wasn't working. Now, as soon as my scrips are filled I separate them out by day. I start with half of the dosage if it's a pain med (not my lupus of HBP meds) wait 30 minutes and if still in pain take the other half. Surprisingly, I have lessened my dosage by doing this. I also only have 1 prescriber of my meds so that he can see if there are ANY contraindications. It is my firm belief that only 1 person should prescribe so as not to have accidental OD's.

Hugs,

DeAnne

Sara said:

I'm a substance abuse counselor and have lost 3 patients in the past year as the result of opiate overdose so I can appreciate the hesitation to prescribe. However I need to be able to function. The NSAIDs aren't cutting the mustard most days. I feel that the doctors should be working collaboratively to prescribe effectively to manage and reduce symptoms instead of making it someone else's liability.

Great advice, thanks for sharing this!

Faladora said:

Be careful going to a new doctor... That in itself looks suspect! I would try writing the first doctor's office a letter describing that concern and the fact that it's simply very difficult for you to make appointments anywhere while you're so ill! They should be able to get that... And if they won't let you come back, you could also ask for a letter from them (or maybe you already have it) showing you were discharged from their practice due to ADMIN reasons, not misconduct, so the next doctor believes you! Maybe your primary and especially rheum can write you a referral to pain clinic along with a letter stating you have no history of abuse and that your missed appointments led to less not more pain meds being dispensed (duh!) and their concern at how at risk you are at falling behind on your pain control. Any pain specialist knows you must "stay ahead of the pain" instead of chasing it down, precisely because you can control it with LESS meds that way! (I hope they are managing you this way and explained that...) I thankfully do not have significant pain problems (more with fatigue and neuropsych, so narcs would be terrible for me! I do have benzodiazepines (also controlled subst.), for anxiety, but since I rarely need them it's no problem (same as-needed prescription actually pushed on me by an old psychiatrist has lasted me a year and a half and counting...) However, I did watch my mom go through hell with these prescriptions for her chronic back/disk pain (the classic false claim, but she had alarming MRIs to back her up, and later a botched fusion surgery...) She had ambien, benzos, oral and patch opiates... The worst was when our house was on the market and an agent or someone stole her whole bottle of pills! Thankfully she saw the pain specialist at the same hospital where all her care was coordinated among the doctors. GOOD LUCK and I really suggest getting the facts documented so you don't have to do any "explaining" that makes them doubt you!

Hang in there, I had a horrible Christmas and take out for New Years because I am in the middle of a flare, living in Minneapolis with -25 degree weather, and a nurse that would not let me even talk to my doctor, but was very happy to tell me that I had a dependency problem. I couldn't do it anymore so I had my husband talk to them. I'm not sure if it did any good, I have a doctor's appointment with a pain clinic. When I was on Methrotrexate shots, the pharmacist would give me a hard time about needing needles, even though I was picking up the medication at the same time, it was horrible, and to add insult to injury, I was with my little one as the pharmacist was telling me about the "needle exchange" program. I flipped out and had to speak to the manager. I understand what their job is, but they really should be sensitive to people who are ill. I hate drug seekers too!