January 31, 2008 - 1:59am
Hi guys ive been using this site for various reasons for a while now. but i just recently decided to become a member because i have a question about something that is causeing me to lose sleep. so i would apreciate help from anyone that can answer my question or give advice.
So i have been in chronic pain for years due to a work related injury. I was prescibed fentynol duragesic for 3 months about a year and a half ago, when i first stopped working due to my pain. I go through different insurance than my normal because my work has t o pay for everything. This caused much grief. long story short, i was cut off from duragesic over a year ago because of the way their insurance would cover me and give Dr's grief. after trying for a long time i was finally accepted into a pain management office. now my pain issues are finally being addressed properly.
the problem is the doc prescibed my first meds, opana er. which is a major relief. but before i could recieve the script i had to submit to a drug screen. and sign a contract saying i would not take any drugs except for what was prescribed including alcohol. i have no intention of taking drugs while in the program. but before i could recieve any meds i had to pee for them. even tho i had not taken any drugs in a while, i may have failed the test. they have not recieved the results of my test yet. and i go back in 10 days for an adjustment and refill of my script. by then they will know my results. will they bounce me for failing a test, that tests for drugs i had taken way before agreeing to this contract? if not, then why would they even test me? what can i say or do, to defend myself and not lose this. I have been in pain way too long to lose out on proper pain management. what do they expect from a person in chronic pain for years to do, when they cant get prescibed anything because the insurance paying for the doctor services is such a pain that it is nearly impossible for me to get the meds i need?
opana er 10mgs twice a day is pretty strong, the doctor obviously knows i am truly in pain to be prescribed this as a starting point of my pain management. someone out there has to know how things work. im scared to ask the doc how things work or at the time argue with the test becaue i thought that would prevent me from pain relief. what can i do? someone out there please help me. if im screwed tell me now. i swear ill cry if i get bounced after waiting all this time. and only getting 10 days worth of meds that i need more than anything.
Thanks for your help guys.
January 31, 2008 - 4:14am
#2
thanks for your help, but i
thanks for your help, but i am looking for information on what is going to happen to me. if it does come back positive. is that it for me, no more meds? are docs understanding? or will i get another chance. i signed the agreement stating that i would not take drugs in the future. it said nothing about past drugs. or do they not care?
January 31, 2008 - 10:31am
#3
paper work
When you first went to the pm clinic did you fill out the questionnaire about medication you are on. Did it also say do you currently drink, do illegal drugs etc. ? Did the pm doc ask you if you take illegal drugs, as well as current med? If you are not truthful with them and upfront completely, they most likely will bounce you, because they need to be able to trust you. In this day and age with the DEA coming down on docs they will cover their you know what.
There is no pain you are receding. A distant ships smoke on the horizon.....
January 31, 2008 - 11:09am
#4
There are no hard and fast
There are no hard and fast rules. It depends on the individual doctor or pain management office's policy. Most offices will work with you, but it is important to be honest about your medicinal or recreational drug use. If there is a problem, many offices will require closer monitoring for a period of time, like weekly drug tests, and prescribing only one week of medication at a time, until you have proved yourself reliable.
February 1, 2008 - 10:38pm
#5
thanks for your help, i feel
thanks for your help, i feel much better about the situation now. does anyone have any advice on what my response should be when i go into my next apointment and they bring up my failed test (if i did fail, which i dont think i did fail but i may have)?
also im worried about bringing up the dosage... i dont want to be labled a drug seeker, i am not... but even tho these meds are supposed to be strong, they just arnt enough for me. i know you have to be delicate when bringing up that it needs to be stronger. i made that mistake a while back and thats what caused me to be cut off the first time. 10mg of oxymorphone twice a day, barely does anything for me.
what i would like is 20mgs and then something to take for the breakthrough pain. im afraid to ask for anything specific. or use words like "breakthrough pain" i feel like the doc would punish me because it shows i know more about the subject than i let on. i have gotten farther than i have before by just playing dumb. and not even asking for meds.
just by saying there must be some other procedure that can be done got me this far. i dont want to lose this i need these meds more than anything. but if they arnt strong enough its just a waste, especially cause they do random pill counting. so im sure i could just take twice what im supposed to and it would work and then i would suffer half the days rather than taking what im supposed to and it not working any of the days. but i cant even do that, i dont want to be subjected to random pill counts and lose everything. please someone tell me how i go about getting my dosage raised, without raising any red flags in the docs mind. everyone on here is so helpful i look forward to hearing what you guys have to say about this subject. thank you so much everyone helping me on here.
February 1, 2008 - 11:03pm
#6
marinol anyone? how do i
marinol anyone? how do i bring up the subject of marinol to my pm doc? do most docs treat this as a joke? i believe this would increase the effectiveness of whatever other meds im on, and help me without becoming even more dependant on opiates.
February 1, 2008 - 11:23pm
#7
Myself, I would wait
Hey prOps. Myself, I would wait for awhile b4 starting to ask for increases, etc. As for my pm doc, I had to sign a contract also. I can only use the same pharmacy for my fills, and also am subject to random urine tests. You need to build up some trust being that it's a new dr that you just started seeing. I've found that honesty is the best policy. You kinda need to be happy with what you get for the first few months at least IMO. Then, be honest if the dosage you're on isn't helping you. Almost all PM docs will start a new patient on the lower dosages before they will start "titrating" you up. As for the marinol, I would think that would throw up some red flags. That's just my own opinion and experience. Just be patient. Like you said, "you need these meds", and I would think that means for your pain relief. Remember, the "little bit" you're being started on, is better than the "none" that you had before. AIP
February 1, 2008 - 11:39pm
#8
Marinol is not indicated
Marinol is not indicated for pain relief and should only be used in people that have nausea or trouble eating due to cancer pain or AIDS/HIV. Now about the drug test, if you are afraid of dropping dirty due to weed if they bring it up tell them that was the only thing you could get that would help with the pain. And now that you are getting proper care you feel that you will no longer need it and have already quit with no trouble at all.
February 2, 2008 - 12:16am
#9
i agree with you aip, about
i agree with you aip, about the little bit being better than none at all and you answered my question, i guess i should just be happy with what i get, as for needing the meds. yes i need them for pain. honestly, i dont like the way opiates make me feel in general, but its the only way out of the pain i have. opiates are the last thing i would want for recreational use. its understandable why it would be hard for people to believe that, but its the truth.
February 2, 2008 - 12:20am
#10
thanks for the advice. its
thanks for the advice. its the truth. i had stopped long before i went to see the pm, but im worried it wasnt long enough ago. i know someone that was in an awful car accident and was prescibed marinol for pain due to loss of all function of a limb. untill i talked to them, i had never heard of it being prescribed for pain. but because of what they told me i thought it may be an option, but i guess that is pushing it.
February 2, 2008 - 12:23am
#11
now would it be ok to be
now would it be ok to be honest and just tell the doc the meds arnt working as well as i had imagined and not ask for an increase. and just hope he gets it?
February 2, 2008 - 10:10am
#12
Drug Testing
I just went to a new MD yesterday and he wrote me out prescriptions for pain meds but suggested that I also go to a pain management clinic for future care. I've never been and I had no idea they even made you sign contracts like that. However, when I was seeing a doctor for depression/insomnia about 5 years ago, I told her the truth about me actually smoking pot to help me sleep and eat. I had been so sick for so long and nothing else was working. She actually just told me, 'If it works, it works. Just be careful.' That was not what I expected her to say at all. I think some docs understand that when you're in so much pain, you'll try anything to help. I haven't smoked pot in like 3 years now, so when I go to the pain management clinic I don't think I'll have anything to worry about. But thanks for letting me know about the contract because I have actually taken someone else's pain meds when I couldn't get to the doctor.
February 4, 2008 - 12:18am
#13
forgive me for not knowing
forgive me for not knowing this, but what does IMO mean? I see it often but do not know.
So, you're saying that you haven't had a pain prescription from a doctor lately and you recently got went to this new PM doc. He wanted you to sign a contract before prescribing meds, and take a urine screen. Now, you are afraid of what may show up in that first initial urine screen, is this all correct? If this is right, it shouldn't be as bad as if you failed during the course of treatment. This is not considered a failed test since it is your base. Your doc wants to see whats in your system, maybe what you like to take.
Most docs I know with a contract have the policy that the first time something comes up in your system they will say something to you, get on you about it and tell you that was your only chance. They say if they find anything else then they will quit seeing you and send you packing. So DO NOT %?#$$ up if you still want to see this doc!
When it comes to your dosage, do not ask for an increase. Just tell your doc that your med is not working. Say you are not getting pain relief and tell him everything you are doing to try to help such as hot/cold compresses, anti-inflammatories, capsasin cream, etc. This will help him to see you with legitimate pain and not as a seeker. Good luck with your doctor and remember to be honest.
I'm a social worker, not a medical professional. All comments and thoughts are simply my opinion and experience.
February 4, 2008 - 8:33am
#14
IMO = in my opinion.also,
IMO = in my opinion.
also, sometimes you will see IMHO which = in my honest opinion
HTH (which is Hope this/that helps
)
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
February 4, 2008 - 12:22pm
#15
No pain med works as well as
No pain med works as well as people hope or imagine they will work. Everyone wants to be pain free, and sometimes that is not a realistic goal. You and your pain management doctor need to work out a balance between enough pain relief to make you functional, without creating excessive tolerance or side effects.
Functional is the key. If you do not feel you are getting enough pain relief, put it in terms of what you can or cannot do. For example, now I can go out with my friends and sit through a movie, but I still hurt too much to go bowling. I can stand up long enough to cook dinner, but I still cannot carry the laundry up and down the stairs.
July 23, 2008 - 9:25am
#16
I was wondering if anyone
I was wondering if anyone knew if oxycodone would register the same on a urine drug screen as oxymorphone?
July 23, 2008 - 10:32am
#17
I am not getting...
I am not understand what you say that you would be testing positive for. You said that you didn't want them to find out, but what exactly are you afraid of them finding? Oxycodone doesn't excrete into the urine the same way morphine does. the 5 panel only tests for morphine and codeine. oxycodone doesn't convert into either of those.
Most narcotics will leave the system in no less than 72 hours. If it is marijuana I am preety sure depending on what type of test it is can be a minimum of one month It stores in the fat cells. I am going on quite a few years back when I was a social worker. Someone in here might know something different.