Medication for chronic pain?!
Question: I have treatment resistant depression. I also have very bad chronic headaches. My pain management doctor has given me Actique 600mcg every 6 to 8 hours for pain(Fentyl) I was in the hospital for pneumonia a week before Christmas and was given tylenol for pain. The withdrawal symptoms were bad. It was like drinking water. Other doctors treat me as though I am an addict and seeking narcotics. In a way this is true. I am the one that suffers from the doctors that treat me this way. I do not know what to do. I do not want to be labeled this way but it seems that I either have extreme pain or extreme misunderstanding from these other doctors. I know that they probably believe that their license might be in danger but if it is legitimate, why can't they treat my pain or at least try to understand or contact my pain management doctor? thank you
Answers: I have treatment resistant depression. I also have very bad chronic headaches. My pain management doctor has given me Actique 600mcg every 6 to 8 hours for pain(Fentyl) I was in the hospital for pneumonia a week before Christmas and was given tylenol for pain. The withdrawal symptoms were bad. It was like drinking water. Other doctors treat me as though I am an addict and seeking narcotics. In a way this is true. I am the one that suffers from the doctors that treat me this way. I do not know what to do. I do not want to be labeled this way but it seems that I either have extreme pain or extreme misunderstanding from these other doctors. I know that they probably believe that their license might be in danger but if it is legitimate, why can't they treat my pain or at least try to understand or contact my pain management doctor? thank you
Doctors differ and Patients Die! A old saying, or not? I am on Fentanyl Patches, have been for two years now and will be for another 10-15 years. They were prescribed by my Physician, GP, Doc and I expect if I end up in Hospital due to '?' the first thing they will do is stop all medication, so withdrawel will be interesting? The reason they do this, because you are in Hospital for 'A' and even though you have 'B', they are only concerned with 'A'. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Scoliosis, had to have a lump removed from my breast, or surgery. I was thankfully a 'day case' so admitted at 9am, on the table at 10am, back out at noon in recovery room. I came too with the usual oxygen mask and the PAIN! I told the Nurse I was in pain and she said 'You cannot be we gave you pain killer for the surgery!' I replied 'Its not my breast, its my back and I need to get up and walk now, or I fear I will never walk again!' That went down like a lead balloon! The Nurse then started on the many reasons why I could not get out of the bed and my back problem was nothing to do with her, did not stop me! The relief once I stood up was worth the agrument. Sometimes you have to be persistent. No once you are IN Hospital your exterior Doctors have no say in anything, in fact they will not contact them and IF the Doc phones the Hospital to find out how you are, they will receive verbal abuse. Hospital is Hospital and you are in their care they have full responsibility. Good Luck.
PS the Actiqe could be a reason for the Pneumonia, did you not have the Pneumovax before starting the Actiqe?
Did you ask them to contact your pain management doctor? Why were you out of pain meds? Did you use more than your PM doc told you to, or did you stop going to him? Pneumonia doesnt call for narcotic treatment generally, so if you are dependant on those pain meds and didnt have them with you, you should have unformed the doctors that if they want to keep you there, they would have to give you your pain meds too. The ER sees a lot of drug seekers and sometimes they dont know who is and who isnt, but I dont understand why you didnt bring your actiq with you and if you didnt have any, then did you use too much and run out early?
contact the pain managements manager not just the doctor.
If you are not 'drug seeking' or 'shopping' they have to help you.