Doctor pulling pain med from chronic sufferers?!
Question: Has anyone with advanced RA or other long term PROVEN painful conditions had their doctors pull their pain meds with no abuse, taken as directed and pill counts are always correct? My relative has RA so advanced her fingers are twisted and so are her toes. She cried even if she has taken her pain med when she has a bad attack. I could understand if she abused them or failed her drug test or was a suspect for selling them but none of this is relevent. Is this just a thing here in South Carolina or is it happening everywhere? I have heard of many people here getting taken off (with NO weaning nor warning. One month she had 'em the next was told "I am not writing that RX anymore..)
Answers: Has anyone with advanced RA or other long term PROVEN painful conditions had their doctors pull their pain meds with no abuse, taken as directed and pill counts are always correct? My relative has RA so advanced her fingers are twisted and so are her toes. She cried even if she has taken her pain med when she has a bad attack. I could understand if she abused them or failed her drug test or was a suspect for selling them but none of this is relevent. Is this just a thing here in South Carolina or is it happening everywhere? I have heard of many people here getting taken off (with NO weaning nor warning. One month she had 'em the next was told "I am not writing that RX anymore..)
Well let me put it to you this way. Since the advent of Oxycontins in the medical world, peoples tolerences legal or illegal went through the roof. People were prescribed these things and some doctors, although a huge percentage of them knew exactly what they were;some didn't and they pushed it in pain managment. It is all about making money. And they all made a ton of it before Purdue's lawsuit and people were junkies. And once the Oxy genie was let out of the bottle and unleashed on the American nation; they realized they had a bigger problem than what they thought and had to sit down and have a meeting. And now since so many people have died from the abuse of Contins and methadone (Which you never heard of prior to Contins) States and the Feds are cracking down on these guys bigtime. And there all in it together just like Cops with organized crime. (my Opinion)The things that is sad is there are people that genuinely need these stuff and a few bad apples have to spoil the bunch. Now to be honest with you, I really feel that these doctors that are dropping these patients like flies get a kick-back from them as soon as they walk into a methadone clinic. They realize you do not have cravings for the drug once you are physically dependant, they know this. You need it. You need it to function. Me I was in pain managment and had to take urine tests (Never failed one) only to have my doctor shut down. Now the State did this. Left all these people to die and than who makes the money when they have no choice but to get methadone? It is all a game and a catch 22. Some Doctors or counselors tell you methadone never has to be increased. The biggest lie in the practise. It all must be increased, all of it , and when you reach the point of no return they toss you. When you are in real pain, the dose must always be increased, if you have to work a job everyday. Sure there are people that are stable, but they don't do anything but watch TV. Cheers, and this is my opinion. I might be adding more. I can write a book on this one. All is this person had to tell the doctor was she was sweating bad at night, thought she had a problem and canned her. In pain managment, breakthrough pain is a legal term for withdrawal. Simply because you cannot give opiates to and addict and addicts withdrawal, well so do real patients but they had to come up with a legal "Nazi" term for it. "Breakthrough pain." Yea the terrible, horrible , overwhelming pain you get once one drug isn't working. But they have breakthrough meds for that. MORE OPIATES! But you cannot give opiates to an addict. Gee, what is methadone? Cough Syrup? FOOLS.
Hey Suzieg, that should be asked to the doctor. But this info may help. Doctors have to answer to the board of directors. Everything they prescribe is monitored. Pain is felt through the nerves. So ask the doctor to try something different, non-narcotic, till you find what works for your relative. Nuerontin is a seizure med and works on pain management. I've gone through the ringer with pain meds-(Perkacet-Valium-Vicadone-Xdol-The list is too long). I have hardware in my spine holding me together, so I feel your relatives pain. The Doctor pulled the meds out for a reason, and you have a right to know why! It's possible that the pain and the hydrocodone were making her mean and nasty. There are other options so explore them and find what works for your relative. Remember, Doctors can only prescribe pain meds for so long on certain conditions and are required to help you find the answer to the problem at hand. They have Bosses too!! Patients are monitored coast to coast by Pharmacy's which means you can't go to North Carolina and score.That's the World Wide Web for ya! Good Luck!!!
I have RA. First your relative needs to be under a Rheumatologist, rather than just a Physician. Second your relative should be on a anti-inflammatory NSAID, everyday without fail. Third, your relative might be also on one of the new TNF Biological Drugs. If so, pain killers should not be needed. RA needs to be treated in this way along with PT and OT, what they term dedicated team. Pain killers are not prescribed long-term for RA. I take anti-inflammatory everyday without fail, plus evening primrose oil [prescribed] not OTC, however I cannot take the TNF. I take 2 mgs Valium at night to stop the muscle contracting [joints twisting] and Lyrica for the neuropathic pain. I am still mobile, walk three miles three times a week. However the disc prolapsed in my spine, so they gave me the Fentanyl Patch and I have been on that for 2 years now, no questions asked. It took years to figure out what drugs to cope with what symptoms and before the Fentanyl the only pain killer I was prescribed Co-Proxmol now Tylex. I was prescribed 100 tabs and used less than 20 in the year. That is why you see a Rheumatologist, so they can figure out your treatment, because their is no cure for RA. Best of Luck.
This can happen without question. This could have happened because the doctor got his license suspended. I read of this happening all the time where the doctor is no longer allowed to prescribe certain medications because of prescribing errors, or just plain bad judgement with prescribing practices.
Hopefully you can find something else that works.