I need some help here..
 

Do i need to be referred to a pain management doctor by the doctor that is currently giving me pain meds?
The reason i am asking is because this doctor is a complete jerk!!
I am currently only taking ultram and it is NOT helping!!
I told him and he said try taking tylenol with them..Yeah, ok!!
I was taking percocets for over a year up until june of this year.Could i ask that doctor to refer me?I mean the one that was giving me the percocets..
When i asked him to refer me he gave me a paper for a pain specialist-but when i called i found out it was a doctor that gives cortisone shots and nerve shots.
I need to get into pain management already.I am tired of suffering!!
I know with my insurance i have to have a refferal,just not sure who has to be the reffering.
Thanx
~Kell

Kell,

With insurance, it is usually your primary care doctor who has to be the one to give the referral.

Is your primary care doc the one who is giving you the Ultram or is it a specialist of some kind?

Who was prescribing the Percocet - your primary care or a specialist of some kind?

In my case, my Rheumatologist is the one who started me on pain management (percocet) but then when my pain reached levels that were not managed by the percocet, and the rheumatologist refused to do anything else, I talked to my primary care doctor and my primary care doctor took over my pain management and has been my prescribing doctor ever since.

I also go to pain management and while my doc does give steroid shots and nerve shots (I get both, the steriod shots work a little and the never shots were a failure), he also does other things as well. I would talk to the other office a little more or make an appointment to go in and see what else he has to offer. If you don't like it, don't go back. If you try looking for a pain clinic they may have many options you can try. Meds aren't always the answer, but they do help.;)
Primary care docs for the most part (Liz is very lucky by the way) are uncomfortable with really going whole hog with the pain meds. All the arrests and crackdowns on docs by the federal governement will do that to ya! Depending on where you live, you might try one of the larger hospitals and work from there. Another answer is to call an Oncologist's (cancer doc) offices and see if they have any recommendations for pain manamgement docs, if you are having problems finding any docs.
I know there is a website for pain docs...but I am not sure where it is. By the way, some pain clinics only work on some types of pain. I have FM and the moment I mention it, they back away because some docs will only treat patients don't have chronic pain. Only acute pain. Its a crap shoot sometimes. I had to call 5 different clinics before I found one who would take me.
Good luck on your search.

Thank you both for your reply.
I received my results from my MRI today..
It looks like i will need to get those cortisone shots afterall.Well i dunno if i will get cortisone or nerve.I need to make an appt.I haven't had time today.
It seems i have no changes like i thought.However i do need to get the pressure off my nerves of my spine!!!
I had no idea it was that much of a hassle getting in to see a pain management doctor.
I wake up in the middle of the night from my hip pain...Also i haven't been able to lay on my left side in over a year now!!

It makes me soo angry when they say this ultram should be enough for me!!
Thanks for the info...Wish me luck!

Hi, Kell...nice to meet ya! :)

I know that with my insurance, what matters most is that the paper trail starts out with your PC. If my PC refers me to any other doc, then that doc can refer me to another, and so on. I'm not sure how your insurance works, but you could always consider getting a new PC if the one you have is really being a jerk.

I'm sorry your MRI didn't show anything new. :( I know you were hoping it would. So was I. But that doesn't mean much if the pain is getting worse. I think you do need a management program. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you get into one before much longer.

Good luck!!!

Idealist

Kell,
I was blown off by my pain docs for over 2 years until I took dh with me to back up what I had said all along and then they freely doubled my pain meds....maybe you should try that! My dh asked them questions that I never even thought to ask and I plan to take him on every visit!
Good luck!

Get rid of the jerk!!!
 

If you cannot go to another doc without a referral, change your referring doc. That is what I had to do. There is no sense in going to somebody who gives you Tramadol for severe pain!!!