I have been using Lidocaine patches religiously for months and lyrica for pain. I did manage to get oxycodone 5/325, 40 pills to last 3 months. Duragesic?...I had to beg and plead for the oxycodone. I had my mri's, waiting for the results. I am in agony. If something shows up, like a fractured or collapsed vertebra, maybe I can get sent to pain management. On top of the herniations, I have a cervical root nerve pinched. I don't want to be put into a stupor, I just want to live a near normal existance and to stand up. Other than the time I was receiving chemotherapy 6 yrs ago (and it was oxycodone), I have never taken narcotic analgesics, not even after surgeries.

The problem now is.....

There was a pharmacy massacre on Long Island, 4 people were shot in cold blood and 30,000 vicodin were stolen by a local resident. There is much pressure from government to regulate the doctors as to prescribing narcotic pain meds, much press govs feel that docs are turning their patients into street junkies and killers. Go figure. My pharmacy has a big sign posted, "no Oxycontin here" to discourage any robbery attempts. Everyone given narcotic prescription is in a database and "frequent flyers" are flagged and names turned over to the DEA. It was very tragic, and meds are not being prescribed without alot of paranoia.