How to ask my doctor to switch me to lortabs for back pain?!
Question: I've been having bad lower back pain for 3months now, Recently my doctor put me on 50mg tramadol which doesn't work at all and my question is how can i ask my doctor to switch me to lortabs without looking like a pill-head?
Answers: I've been having bad lower back pain for 3months now, Recently my doctor put me on 50mg tramadol which doesn't work at all and my question is how can i ask my doctor to switch me to lortabs without looking like a pill-head?
Just explain that the medication isn't controlling the pain. However, if you ask for a specific medication, you will seem to be drug seeking. Most physicians will give you an appropriate medication, if you explain the need.
Go back to him and tell him that the tramadol isn't working and if he can't rx the lortab for you then can he referr you to a pain management doctor to help you with this pain.because they will treat you like a person. sometimes regualr doctors are afraid to give pain a real look and treat it the way it should be. I have been in pain management for about 4 yrs now. I have had three back surgeries and I am a nurse practioner. So that is how you do it. A pain management dr will take the time to adress your pain. You may have to jump when they say and follow the rules but they will help you.
Here is what I do for my pain management program
Start a daily journal of your pain. Nothing fancy. I use a steno pad each month. Record:
When you hurt
Where you hurt
How badly you hurt on a scale of 1-10
and most important how the pain is effecting your life. What it is keeping you from doing that you normally would.
Take it to the doctor with you. It really is hard to communicate with your doctor in just the few minutes you have with them so this help both of you.
Here are a few links that I use to help with pain management
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/def...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic...
http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/pai...
Thumbs up to the great answers above mine!!
Lower Back Pain is a 'symptom' of something, so you need to find out the reason. It could be a muscle spasm, perhaps trapped nerve, or bulging disc. As for asking for a certain type of pain killer, I have never asked! I have been prescribed, based on a physical examination, x-rays and MRI results. I would never ask for any specific drug, as that is out of my field of expertise, I am just a Patient. However I would return and explain that X is not helping with the pain. I think if I was a Doc and a Patient came in with a named drug, I would automatically think 'Pill-Head'. Best of Luck