My name is Shelly. I live in Greenville, SC. I was diagnosed with neuropathy in my feet 2 years ago. So far "idiopathic". I was going to a neurologist for a while but he couldn't give me anything stronger than Lortab 7.5's so he sent me to pain management. There, I was put on Roxicodone 15 mgs three times a day which for once in 2 years my life started to take a turn for the better. I am a mom of an 18 year old and an 8 year old. Both girls. So when my new doc started me on the stronger pain meds, I was able to "live" again. Last month we had an accident in the bathroom with the dog and I lost almost 60 of my teeny tiny pills, down the toilet!! I was too concerned with getting the few that made it to the floor so that the dog wouldn't eat them and lost the rest.

Being the honest person I am (which I will NEVER do again) I went straight to the doctors office. After 3 drug tests and 400 dollars later..I decided to leave this doctor. The first 3 drug screens-passed. The doctor told me he could not give me my script early. I started my cold turkey withdrawls. After 3 weeks on the couch I lost 25 lbs. and feel like I am loosing my mind!!!

They told me I could not go to the ER or he would drop me as a patient. So I suffered. I refrained from getting any meds and did what they told me to do. My mother in law came over and gave me something to help me sleep, I had not slept in days. Today I went for my follow up appt., expecting my script because I knew I would pass my drug screen. Ativan showed up and he told me that I could come back in 90 days, drug test, and if all was ok he would give me my meds! I didn't even know what the Ativan was until I remembered that my MIL had given me something to help me sleep. I withdrew myself as his patient and am now looking for a new one.

Has anyone been through this before? I had a taste of a "good life" for 3 months and then it was taken away from me Very depressed, anxious, and in horrific neuropathy pain! Need a new doc somewhere in Greenville, SC or the surrrounding areas. HELP!!!

Hello ShellySC and WELCOME to NeuroTalk!

I can not offer you any advice about switching doctors.
I am sorry to hear about the situation that you are in with the withdrawals.

Here is a link that may be of interest to you.

Peripheral Neuropathy
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum20.html

Medications & Treatments
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum72.html

Please feel free to roam around and join in any where.

If you have any questions or need any assistance please don't hesitate to ask. Someone will always be around shortly to help in any way that we are able.

I look forward to seeing you around the board.

Abbie

Welcome to NT!

I'm sorry to hear of these struggles you are faced with.
There are alot of understanding people here and the support is never ending.

Check out the forums that Abbie has pointed you to. There's alot of good information to be had.

You are not alone....

Rae

--that you are in this position.

You definitely need a new physicians, or new physicians plural, possibly a neurologist, especially since apparently your doctors have unnecessarily put you in this position--the FIRST LINE meds for neuropathy symptoms are generally anti-epileptics like gabapentin or pregabalin, and/or anti-depressants at small doses such as amytripiline, as these drugs actually have effects on nerve transmission (and the latter may even help with nerve regrowth). And while these meds are restricted, they don't have anywhere near the problems being prescribed by doctors as opiate pain-relievers do (the government is not as hyper about these classes of meds as they are about opiates).

Do come on over to the neuropathy forum, as Abbie suggests--I suspect you haven't had much of a work-up to find potential causes, either, and we have lots of information on testing and therapies.

This is going to sound extremely harsh, but needs to be said. If you came into the ED or Dr's office around here with that story you would not have gotten your script and probably summarily "fired" as a patient. And the ativan certainly would have gotten you "fired". If your records follow you, you will have a VERY hard time getting a new doc to give you opiates AT ALL.
good luck

ShellySC,

Happy to see you have come to be with us. As you can see we have a great number and caring fellow members here, just let us know how we can assist, you will see we are a supportive and relaxing place. Just take a look into the different forums. Our shoulders are here for support in many ways.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. Happy Holidays to you and your family. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene