I want to welcome you to Neuro Talk. There are alot of us on this site who suffer from cronic pain. We have all talked about this issue. What you are going through isn't acceptable, and maybe you need to again look for another pain specialist. The point of going to one is that you discuss the pain. If he isn't listening, he isn't interested enough in my opinion.
I did something a little different that may help you. I had been in to my pain specialist twice for the same pain. I need a joint in my foot replaced and can't do it yet do to other medical problems I am taking care of. His office said that I should continue to take what he gave me, and that two weeks wasn't enough time to let it work. They then dismissed me more or less without getting the problem to my doctor. I then got angry and went to my PCP and told him what my problem with pain was. I was doing the opposite of doctor shopping, I asked him to intervene for me and talk to my pain specialist. I know my PCP the best. I figured if I didn't get help the first two times, I had to do something different to get relief. I got the two doctors to talk and I got some extra help. What was strange is my PCP said the medicine my pain specialist had me take wouldn't help anyway for the kind of pain I had. So why did he prescribe it to begin with? If you are not getting the relief you need from this particular doctor, you may want to try talking to your PCP and let him or her know what is happening and that you are not getting a responce from this doctor. Maybe this would work to get your pain doc. to listen. If this does not work, please continue to try and find a new specialist. It is barbaric, you are right. I have never abused a medication yet, but he did hesitate to up my medicine or change it when I had more trouble.
What he was doing didn't work. It took intervention, and a bit of my temper showing to my PCP. I really hope you get more help. I live in Fla. This state is very strict now because we had a pain clinic problem here that was terrible. However it makes it hard on the patients that don't abuse, and the doctors that are good doctors. The abuse problem had gotten out of hand so doctors are more hesitant to prescribe, no matter who the patient is. Keep trying, and know that we are here to try and help you. I hope something changes so you can get relief. ginnie