Well my neck is messed up and my pain dr has already been giving me oxy 20 mg 3 x a day for other problems. It works pretty good on my normal problems but now that neck has messed up disc it just does not help the pain at all in my neck. So I go back to my pain dr and let him know how bad I'm hurting and he says that is as high as he goes with ocycontin! Now to me that just sounds crazy because I guess I'm just suppose to suffer!! Would you try and go to another pain dr for relief or does this sound like the norm?

Balmy,

It just depends. Did you sign a contract or agreement with this doc? If so, then he is well within his rights to prescribe what you get and how much. If not, I will just say some PM's are very conservative. My own is not. He will do whatever it takes. I know you said too in another post that your doc is suggesting surgery. If the "messed up disc" is in that bad of shape, he probably has his reasonings for saying that since nothing seems to be relieving it. Also, I have bulges and slight herniations that cause pain but they are not enough to warrant surgery. So, you pretty much have to deal with it. But if you are not satisifed with your treatment, then, yes, I would be looking for another PM. I am not sure if the dosage of Oxycontin is the norm or not. I have never taken it. But it seems like it should be helping. If not, then he may be right about surgery. Or you could always get a second opinion.

Well I went to the nero surgeion yesterday and he wants to try and do pt 3x aweek for a month to do retraction on my neck before surgery. I have no idea what this is but at this point I will try anything. I have asked my reg dr to refer me to another pain dr and they said no problem. I have to get this pain under control. My arms and hands keep going numb and pretty much I'm hurting all the time now. I hope I can find some relief soon. I'm just really upset that my pain dr right now will not help me.

Balmy,

The NS is recommending traction. The PT will do traction either manually or in a machine or maybe even use a contraption they hang over a door. More than likely manually at first and should go easy. I tried traction too in the beginning but sad to say it didn't help me. But you may have relief; I just didn't.

Yes traction what is that exactly??? Anyway I am planning on changing pain dr due to the fact the one I have now has told me this is all that he gives! So let me ask this...so I go to a new dr I show him what I'm taking and tell him it is not helping all my pain?? Is that what I should say?? Lord knows I just want some relief!! lol

Balmy,

Basically, traction is stretching your neck out. It actually felt good while in it but it never took care of the problem. Although others may have had luck with it.

And the new doc will take your history, etc. I don't think I would go in at all and ask for new meds. Just explain that the oxy hasn't helped. What I wanted to ask is...are the pain doctors you have been seeing SPINAL pain doctors? I know you saw a Neurosurgeon. But is the pain doc you saw or the new doc you are going to see a spinal PM? I am bit surprised that they haven't mentioned injections or maybe yours has you just didn't say.

18 years of back pain and I realize now that not just narcotics are reccomended for pain,its the combination of meds. I use Diragesic/Cymbalta/Celebrex/Vicodan and daily therapy such as swimming,walking,etc. Theres more to pain than just Narcotics. Alot of Pain Specialist are trained as to what pain requires what dose of meds,a bulging disc for instance doesnt require as much Oxy as a Herniated/degenerated disc you see,ask for another med to work with his prescribed dose of oxy such as a muscle relaxer,nerve block etc.Good Luck!

You are definitely within your rights to search for a doctor who will do his best to help you achieve relief from your pain. With that said, kenrosecar is absolutely correct, narcotics usually are not the only solution to pain, especially pain that may be neuropathic in nature. I have pain that is a result of bulging/herniated disk, plus some other neuropathic pain from a rare disease I have. For this pain, I am on 20 mg of Oxycontin three times a day, an antidepressant (these work as a supplement to pain medications, not just for depression), Topamax 200 mg a day (this is a medication that was originally prescribed to treat epilepsy but is now used for migraines and neuropathy) and most recently, my doctor tried me on Lyrica (a new RX for the treatment of Fibromyalgia pain and neuropathy but also originally formulated for the treatment of epilepsy). I could not take the Lyrica because it made me drunk as a skunk! I literally had to be carried to the bathroom by my husband because I could not walk.

So, what I'm trying to say is DO NOT settle for any physician who tells you that you have to suffer in pain. That is just not so. There are many medications and other treatments that can be explored for almost any kind of pain before you have to resort to surgery, in most cases. Not all, but most.

Don't give up. Get a second opinion. Stand up for your right to be pain free. It IS your right.

Thank you so much I could not agree more, the problem is my old pain dr does not give any break thru meds and will only prescibe for instance no more then 50 mg of the fential patch, or no more then 40 mg of oxy or ms contin and this is for the duration you see him. So I'm on 20 mg of oxy three x aday and also he just added zanaflex at night. He said that was the max he will give me. While this amount was giving some relief with my back and feet problems it is doing nothing for my new neck problems I'm having. It just really depressed me because I'm hurting so bad and I feel he is not listening to me. My daily life has changed so drasticlely since this happened to me. I can no longer play with my kids ,even just turning my neck causes so much pain I sometimes cry out. I know I will need to have surgery to take the pressure off my spinal cord but I just did not expect a pain dr to leave me in such pain. IHe did at least give me ultram to go with my oxy this last month and it has helped some. I go to my new pain dr next week and to tell you the truth I am a little nervous.
Oh and also please be careful with the Topamax..I took that for about a year and at first it helped but by the end it totally changed my personalty for the worst and gave me sucidal thoughts! I got off of it and with in a week I was back to my old self.

Thanks for your concern. I have been on Topamax for about 10 years, up to 400 mg per day. It has been a lifesaver to me and I could not live without it. It has truly been a blessing to me, but I totally understand that it is not for everybody....just like NO medicine is for everyone.

Good luck with your new pain management doc. Keep us updated. Don't be nervous!