June 10, 2008 - 6:58pm
I have been dealing with pain since 2001.It started after I fell off of wet scaffolding at work.I damaged c5-7 in my neck and tor my rotator cuff.Since then I have had severe pain at the nerve endings behind my shoulder blade and my rotator cuff that never healed all the way and causes me pain most of the day the shoulder blade pain is like having a knife lodged in it at all times.For years I saw my General DR and he gave me 4 10 mg norco's and when they stopped working he said I had to go to pain management.I've been seeing P.M. doc for almost a year and when he ordered a couple of test MRI,lots of blood work combined they would of cost me over $1700.00.When I told him that I couldn't afford to keep paying on my own and would have to reopen the workers comp case .It's 100 every month to see him and another 200 for the meds.As soon as I said workers comp his attitude changed i went from cash cow to him having to wait to be paid.he immediately got nasty!i told him that my atty. would need to be faxed the scripts for test and workers comp approve before they were to be done.His response was "I'm the doctor and your lawyer has no say when tests are done and we cant continue to treat you.Up till then they were giving me 7 15 mg oxycodone's and 2 15 mg morphine sul. exper day for a total of 135 mg of opiates.he walked out of the room when I asked what am I to do about the pain and withdraw asked top at least be weened off of the large amount of opiates I was use to taking.I called my atty.while in the waiting room making a scene then he wrote a script for 1 20 mg morphine sulfate per day.I am pretty sure this is not going to keep me from withdrawing let alone all of the pain I'm in does this cut back seem reasonable from 135 mg to 20 mg it seems a little extreme to me.What should I expect I'm going to run out of the 15mg oxycodone's 2mrw.I dont think 20 mgs spread out over 24hrs is going to do much??I have a script for 60 , 10 mg diazepam " Valium " will they help?? Just refilled that and have 1 script of that left.Please any feedback will be appreciated.Also how is it that 60 ,15 mg morphine sulfates cost me $55.00 and 30 20 mg morphine sulfates cost $150.00??I was paying $196.0 for a total of 270 pills 210 15 mg oxycodone,60 M.Sulfate it seems a little much for 30 pills.
June 10, 2008 - 10:52pm
#2
First, with the scripts,
First, with the scripts, call another pharm and find out their price. you would be surprised at the differences in pharmacies. I had a script one place that cost $260, but only cost $120 somewhere else.
If or when you run out of your pain medicine you should go to your doc's office and ask for a refill, and/or ask to see and speak to the doc. Tell them you do not mind waiting to see him, even if it takes 1/2 hour or more. Although the doc made you mad and may not be acting fairly, try to be as polite as you can be for now. Explain how you have no control over what the workers comp or atty says, but just want to follow their direction since they are paying. make sure to "stroke his ego" by telling him you know that he is the one who knows best about your care, and ask him for his help to get these matters solved. Do not demand anything though. Maybe that day he was just upset, but by now may have had time to cool off and rethink the whole thing. Also, let him know the dose he changed you to is not helping at all with the pain, don't say its not fair, just that its not helping.
Good luck!
I'm a social worker, not a medical professional. All comments and thoughts are simply my opinion and experience.
June 11, 2008 - 8:00am
#3
The price issue most likely
The price issue most likely has to do with the fact that the only 20mg morphine sulfate pill is Kadian, a brand name, as oppossed to MS-Contin which has generic versions. Good luck.
Check with a licensed MD before you take any suggestions!
You are most likely going to experience some sort of withdrawal although the morphine will most likely help because you will still have some opiates in your system. I would start with 40mg for a couple days then go down to 20 although that would go against your doctors orders. The valium would deffinitely help. Whenever I am going through withdrawals I get real bad anxiety and cant sleep so the script of diazepam will deffinitely come in good use. I know when you go to detox or rehab some places give you librium for a couple days which is another benzo like valium and it helps with the withdrawal effects. Also a person I know was prescribed xanax when he was put on suboxone and the doctors reason was that most people develop anxiety when they are trying to come off opiates.