I am so sorry to hear this, Debi. I know all too well what uncontrolled pain is like and begging doctors to listen. I am so fortunate to have one that listens now and helps me reach my goals.

What is most disappointing is that according to what I found online in comparison charts, your dose of BuTrans is equivalent to 40 mg ER of Morphine, not 15 mg. Did you by chance ask him what the equivalent was, just to be sure? After all, not all online info is correct. I can't imagine why they would not dose you with an equivalent dose of another medication...just doesn't make sense.

Is there another doctor you can see in the meantime...for another opinion about dosing and/or other options? This guy doesn't seem to be very concerned about your level of pain. I would also ask him (or someone else) about using Fentanyl patch. I know you want to stay away from patches with the pool, but I use a Tegaderm covering over my patch and it NEVER comes off or even starts to lift off after repeated showers, so I don't think the pool would affect it. I can tell you that Fentanyl is highly effective for nerve pain...much more so than BuTrans. So it's worth a try. My pain mgmt doctor was the one that told me how effective Fentanyl is for nerve pain so I tried it and was super happy with the results...without ANY side-effects.

Take a few deep breaths and think about your options over the weekend. Then get on the phone Monday morning and go for it...whether it's a new doctor, or asking about Fentanyl, or considering the Methadone (which does have a lot of potential side-effects).

Please know that we are all hoping you'll have a better weekend and get a better plan next week. keep us updated!!