June 7, 2009 - 7:50pm
I was curious about pain contracts.... I dont know if I signed one or not. Do they have to give you a copy of one if you did sign one? I keep all my medical records that arent MRIs or Xrays in a big folder. I dont remember seeing a contract. I mean my doctor has never once done a urine test or a pill count. I of course stick to what ever he tells me because I would never jeopardize getting dropped from his office if he ever did. Since I am getting better pain relief I noticed I have been taking only 2 xanax 1mg pills a day instead of my regular 3. Has this every happened to anyone taking benzos and pain killers, that you dont need as much xanax when your pain is at a better level?
Does anyone on here take ritalin or adderall? I think I am starting to not be as drowsy as I was when I first took my meds but I was thinking maybe ritalin or adderall could help me stay more alert or just all around help me once I start classes. I dont know too much about it except I knew of some of my roommates that went to the University of Texas would always take it when they would cram right before a final. How do you know if you need it? I guess I always start off on one topic and end up turning it into two.
June 7, 2009 - 10:46pm
#2
Does it make him a bad doctor
Does it make him a bad doctor for not doing urine tests or pill counts? Or do you think he is not doing this because he wants me to think he doesnt and he try and suprise me with one and catch me off guard. I wouldnt be worried because I take everything as prescribed. Are those drug screens expensive? Because maybe he rarely does it to make more profits and only does it to the people he feels might be abusing .
When I originally went to his office he told me he doesnt like prescribing narcotics unless its a last resort and he wanted to keep me on the least amount of prescriptions and pills as possible. Now I dont take Robaxin or any muscle relaxers, which doesnt bother me because I honestly couldnt tell if it was doing anything for me. He also took me off of the 800mg ibuprofin. He also wants to reduce or get me off of xanax which I am putting up a fight about that one because those do help me and I probaly wouldnt leave my room if I wasnt on them.
He says he the less amount of different medications I am on will be better for me because with each different drug I take there are more side effects. That clearly makes sense. I take an extended release pain med, and a break thru pain med, and xanax for anxiety. I am really content finally after a year. I had one doctor that had me on norco, naproxen, tramadol, robaxin and ibuprofin which makes me think he was a quack for prescribing 5 different medications for my pain.
I definitely dont think my doctor is one of those "pill factory" doctors. It does seem odd he has never drug screened me or done a pill count because from what everyone on here that goes to pain management says they all got urine tests the first initial visit and random ones after that, including pill counts. I have only had 3 appointments so far and I will see him again next week. His office is only open Mon, Tues, and Saturdays which seems odd.
June 8, 2009 - 12:01am
#3
I signed a contract with my
I signed a contract with my former PCP and again with my current PM and never once has anyone given me a copy of the contract. They were very different. If they are supposed to give me a copy, is that a law? Or does it vary from dr to dr. I think anything you read and sign in the drs office, they should give you a copy. Take care, htmom
Something happened to the other posts(not mine)? Did the person get kick off?
June 7, 2009 - 10:56pm
#4
other poster chato
was a spammer...he got the BAN HAMMER...no posting online pharmacies that send meds with no scripts
June 7, 2009 - 11:44pm
#5
I'm pretty sure you have to
I'm pretty sure you have to be informed if the program will require urine tests or pill counts.
However I bet they could request voluntary participation in these measures just to see how you react.
Judging from your posts I'm sure you would welcome either of these ways. I would too, simply because it would be an objective way to further separate me from abusers.
June 8, 2009 - 11:18pm
#6
when i signed mine
if i had any trouble with it , it was open for discussion
I told my Dr. that if any of my tests came back neg. to notify me immediately, so a observation test could be arranged
the 1st time, the Dr. just call me an wife in as it was random, not telling us nothing, i told her I did nt think the screens should be kept secert 1 way or the other
an my contract stated that I would be given a copy of the standard contract
I posted a standard contract up not too long ago but i forgot the forum an thread
June 9, 2009 - 12:39am
#7
Very off topic
Here's something that happened at my last pm visit. First of all I was not eaves dropping, there was no way for me not to hear it. We'll I could have gotten up and left the building, but I stayed in my exam room. My dr was on the phone with a patient. Sometime ago for reasons I do not know, my dr did not write the patient the scripts he needed or wanted. The patient ended up in the hospital, possibly w/d's. The patient got a lawyer to call my dr and threaten a lawsuit. So I heard him say he will not be threaten and does not deal with it very well. My dr told the patient he will allow him to come back in the clinic but will drug test him every time he walks thru the doors. My dr said he can't promise he will write the meds he wants. Can you believe that? I can't, my dr. is a person I would not mess with. So I really think this person had a dirty drug test or had a negative test. He should of had the meds he was prescribed show up. I'm sure there's some I'm forgetting. He transferred the patient up front to speak with the scheduler. This conversation went on for about 20 mins. So this patient forced the dr to see him. I shared with everyone about the last time I saw my dr (March '09). It was a disaster and I felt then someone mad him very angry before he came into see me. He took out his anger on me last time. I only see my dr once every three months. I have nurse visits other times. So I was like oh no, not again. But I was surprised, he was nice. Just thought this was interesting enough to share. Take care, htmom
June 9, 2009 - 1:37am
#8
I had to sign a contract once
This was at the clinic that advertised in the newspaper "first time visit $35.00 " or maybe 25 I don't remember honestly. But I did get a bunch of papers to sign and they gave me copies to take home with me. The other private doctors I had seen did not do the contract thing. ~ Theresa
June 25, 2009 - 10:17am
#9
UA's and contracts
I had a drug test an my first visit and then I had one about 6 months later.
July 10, 2009 - 2:54pm
#10
Contract
I signed and received a copy of the Pain Contract at the first visit. I was drug tested initially and had one followup test. I have not had any pill counts, but have twice surrendered meds that either did not work or were left over. For these meds, I received a copy of an Invoice showing what and how much I returned.
A copy of my Pain contract was faxed to my PCP's office by the PM doc. They have also discussed my care at least once.
Whatever the PM doctor requires is a small price to pay for relief. I met the PM doctor thru a Clinical Trial and following the end of the trial, went thru the referral process
July 10, 2009 - 3:38pm
#11
NUCYNTA
hAS ANY ONE TRIED THIS MEDS MY DOCTOR JUST GAVE ME A SCRIPT I HAVE NEVER HERD OF IT HE SAID IT WAS LIKE ENDOCET WITH NO ACETAMINOPHEN ????? PLEASE LET ME KNOW
July 10, 2009 - 3:48pm
#12
please post a new topic
here is a conversation on the drug/ you can add on to these posts...
http://www.pharmer.org/forum/chronic-pain-and-pain-management/new-analgesic-market
July 10, 2009 - 7:06pm
#13
id gladly sign a pain contract
if i could go to a doctor that would help me. i have awful lower back pain that sometimes shoots into my legs. i sit alot at work and im hardly as active as i was ten years ago. ( im almost 30 ) . a few times over the past few years i have had such bad back pain i would drop to the floor when the pain shoots through my body. i could hardly breath or move without sharp pains. i do not have a regular doctor for at least 10 years or so, luckily i havent gotten sick or injured. i am self employed and do not have insurance. I ended up calling the doctor my friend has used his whole life, and she gave me a bunch of samples of ultracet. they helped alot. the next time i tried calling i found out she had moved and so i decided to see whoever was a doctor at this same hospital. when i went in to see her, i could barely walk, i had to take small steps and was hunched over and was feeling embarressed going out in public looking like an old man without his cane. when i sat on the chair thing in the exam room she talked with me for a few minutes and then asked how much pain when she picked up my legs and bent them. she must have been able to feel me pull away or stop her from bending me when the pain was shooting through. she must have been able to see the look on my face when it hurt so bad. she wanted to take x rays and mri's and i told her i would go to a chiropractor but could she help me with the pain. she gave me some tramadol. which didnt do much but make me want to be sick the next morning when i woke up. i took them for about a week and every day i would wake up and feel an upset stomach. i called and talked to the doctor and she said i need physical therapy and xrays. so i just did the chiropractor thing and after a few weeks of 2 visits a week, i finally could walk normal and could at least sleep and move around. i know people that have had back surgeries and after sometimes more then 1, they still hurt alot and need more surgery. the chiropractor said i need to get to the gym, strenghten my core, and lose some weight. ive gained alot of weight in the past few years since my back has hurt more and more i do less and less. ive gone to the gym a few times but all it takes is one little move the wrong way and im in pain big time for weeks. i would love to find a doctor that would understand my pain, not make me pay thousands of dollars i dont have , for xrays and mri's , and give me something for the pain while i get to the gym and lose some weight. if my back still hurt when i got back to normal weight then i would consider xrays and surgery. i have taken percocets, vicoden, flexorall, all from family friends who would give me a couple when they saw the pain i get. the vicodin helps some, it kinda makes my head hurt. percocets helped more but with both pain pills i would take 5 or 10 mg and usually another 400 or 500 mg of tylenol and now i am worried about everything i hear about the fda taking those off the market. i do not want to take oxycontin and end up on methadone like alot of people ive read about or know. does anyone have any advice for me? i really need to get this weight off and get my back pain under control, but i cant do it without some real pain relief for the 3 to 6 months it might take me to get in shape. should i tell the doctor i have taken different things over the years that i got from friends or family? the strongest thing i was ever prescribed was the tramadol. ive also been told to take 800 mg ibuprofen. ive done that and it still leaves me wincing in pain. ive tried naproxen sodium.. any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. sorry for the novel post. just wanted to get the whole story out there.
July 10, 2009 - 7:41pm
#14
I like
Gabapentin for those shooting leg pains.
July 10, 2009 - 8:55pm
#15
GABAPENTIN
AKA neurontin works really good on me for the shooting pain BUT 
makes me very short tempered so i am going to try lyrica and hope it works anyone else get easily angered after taking neurontin
July 10, 2009 - 9:03pm
#16
Randem
I stopped taking Neurontin, because it made me feel unusually depressed and did nothing for the neuropathy, that was the reason why it was prescribed.
July 10, 2009 - 10:24pm
#17
1600 mgs
for a couple months really helped me...did you take a higher dose? and did you take it for at least 2 months?
July 10, 2009 - 10:44pm
#18
Goat
I took less than 1600mg/day, I think it was 300mg three times a day, and I only took it for one month because the side effects bothered me to much. I already had a lot of problems so I didn't want to add another one. I have never tried Lyrica mainly because of cost.
July 10, 2009 - 11:47pm
#19
As for a copy of your PM
As for a copy of your PM Contract, perhaps it varies by state. In my state a patient is enititled to a copy of all of their records. The doctor may charge you a reasonable fee for the copy service. Mine never has charged me.
Beemer 33: My suggestion is to keep looking for a good family doctor. Build a relationship. Be honest. Explain your situation. Take your medicals records with you on your first visit.
Tell the doctor that you'll gladly sign the contract and submit to the tests, pill counts, the whole 9 yards. I'd tell them that before they even mention it.
Some docs will treat you for pain, othes won't. The fact that you've had back surgery already could work in your favor. If you've tried certain meds that you got from friends or family that gave you pain relief, I'd tell the doc. If you know from experience that the only thing that relieves your pain are narcotics, tell him/her what you've tried that did work and what didn't work. Be clean when you go for your first visit.
It may take a while to find the right doctor for you. Once you have found that doc, follow the rules. Period.
Best of Luck and best wishes....
July 11, 2009 - 3:07am
#20
Your doctor is right. Your
Your doctor is right. Your abs compliment your back so if you have some extra weight around that area its going to make your back hurt. You dont want to become dependent on pain relievers when you can fix the problem with proper diet and exercise. This wouldnt require surgery either. Gym memberships only cost about $30 a month which is cheap compared to doctor visits and cost of pain medication.
You are not even 30 yet so if you do need pain medication to get you to the point that you can exercise then go for it. Its not something you want to rely on. Trust me you dont want to have to take pills to function. I would give anything to work out again and not have to take a pills just to get out of bed.
July 11, 2009 - 3:31pm
#21
thank you all for your comments
its nice to get some feedback from people who have experience in this dept.
millertime - i appreciate the hindsight heads up . when i work out and during the excercise and stretches it feels so good like a natural painkiller. instantly feel the pressure relief. its only a few minutes of relief and then it hurts again, but maybe i need to give it a few weeks of dealing with the pain? i stop going to the gym after the 2nd or 3rd day because im not able to sleep good
Goat - does neurontin have an addictive personality? is that something i could take and stop in a few months or would there be withdrawals?
im going to start a strict diet and routine this week and if i can make it through the pain im going to. also , i wanted to mention that when my back goes out, i can literally see my body lopsided from my waist to my shoulders, its like my spine is curved to one side. i was scared it would be permanent but it went away after the chiropractor. it felt like one side of my back the muscles were just bunched up and inflamed causing the lopsideness.
can anyone tell me what exactly an MRI would show? thanks all,
July 12, 2009 - 3:55am
#22
beemer
I'm unsure if your question about an MRI is general or specific. In general an MRI is like an xray of the other structures inside your body (muscles, ligaments, tendons etc). In your case theres no way we can know what your MRI would show. I have no medical training nor am I a betting man but IF I HAD TO GUESS I would say your pain is caused by a pinched nerve in your lower back/lumbar region. This may be accompanied by some bulging disks...I don't know, just a guess. Playing doctor is fun... 
From what I just read, although Neurontin can cause withdrawal symptoms if abruptly discontinued after prolonged use it is not likely to be abused or cause you to become addicted. Careful because it says a potential withdrawal symptom is seizure. Despite that I think its a pretty safe medication that could help you...
Another thing that may help you with your back (and I'm such a hypocrite for suggesting this because I really need to be better about it) is doing light stretching. Certain types of stretches, when done correctly, can really help to ease back pain. Check with a doctor or physical therapist to figure out a stretching routine that will help you. Your chiropractor may help you with this too, though the only one that I've ever seen always tried to make me believe that I could do nothing on my own to help my back. Probably just another ploy to get more money out of my pocket...grrr angarrrrrr
Anyway, best of luck
PS- you might want to post your questions in a new thread. More people will read it there...
July 12, 2009 - 1:47pm
#23
Beemer33
I know quite a lot about exercise and body building, and nuitrition. Anytime you work out you are going to feel pain for a few days to a week after you work out. It happens to everyone that doesnt work out regularly. When you work out you rip your muscles and when you sleep is when you repair them. Also if you havent worked out in a long time, after your first workouts your body will have produce a bunch of lactic acid which is basically the soreness you feel, but after regular exercise you wont feel this soreness like when you first started working out.
I was not a certified trainer, but I had friends that were and I learned a lot from them. I actually would set up some of my other friends up on work out plans and diets.
The biggest thing you need to remember is consistency. If your body is at the point to where you have pain in your back, maybe you can see about getting pain medication for a short period to get you to the point you can work out. I guarentee if you lost the extra weight around your abdominal area and built some muscle, you wouldnt have any more pain in your back and you wouldnt need pain killers to function.
The 3 main points to getting in shape is consistency, diet, and sleep. You dont even have to work out for hours and hours. 30 minutes a day 4-5 times a week is more than enough. For now I wouldnt worry to much on weight training, but more cardio and working your core. If you were to get a trainer they would want to build up your core for a couple weeks before they even got you lifting weights. There is stuff you can do at home and you dont even need a trainer. Go to a local park and first start out small and walk the track. Then build up to where you are jogging and then eventually running. Also at home you can get one of those big exercise &^#?$ for only $20 that you can do alot of evercises involving your abs.
If you have an specific questions you can pm me.
I think most people understand that there is a complex relationship between pain, anxiety, sleep, irritability, depression etc. It wouldn't surprise me that as your pain level decreased you would experience less anxiety. There may be other effects (such as sleeping better or feeling less depressed) that would indirectly cause a decrease in anxiety levels....
Good deal man. It is good when one medication can lessen the need for another instead of one medication creating the need for yet another drug.