My pm doctor of 8 years just dropped me cold, without warning, and cut all meds just like that. Said he was afraid of "diversion". I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the visiting DEA agents. I had my pcp doctor refer me to another pain management clinic and they took me right away. Avoided a major set back just by the skin of my teeth.

So I was thinking... here is a list of things I'm sick of. Anyone else who can think of anything else, feel free to add to it!

I'm sick of feeling like a criminal every time I get my multiple pain med prescriptions filled, hoping that my pharmacist doesn't talk to loud about my so called "problem". At least that's what he likes to call it. Really?

I'm sick of having to pee in a cup every single time I go in for a pain management visit.

I'm sick of having to bring in all my prescription bottles to every pm doctor appointment just so they can count them. Really?

I'm sick of having to settle for a pain score of 5-6 when I know if my pm doctor was not afraid to prescribe properly, I could keep it at a 2-3 score.

I'm sick of DEA intimidation tricks that take away my ability to have my pain properly managed. My only consolation is the hope that every single DEA agent, cop or rent-a-cop will someday get a brutal case of RSD or at least a swift kick to the crotch that will give them everlasting pain.

I'm sick of not having access to my states so called, "Public Health Surveillance Program" that gives every medical provider full access to my pharmacy records. I want to know who has been snooping into my history. It's my health information and I want full access too!!

I'm sick of over hearing murmured words of "addict" and "seeker" coming from behind the check in desk at my pm doctors office. Is it because I have been there for so long? Really?

I am sick of being mis-represented as a chronic pain patient in every story that comes out in the media, headlined with, "91% of Chronic Pain Patients Abuse Prescriptions". SICK OF IT!

I'm sick of being accused of something I have never done or been guilty of doing. "Guilty until proven innocent" is the pm doctor's mantra.

I can only hope that in the near future they will require all pain management doctors to go through "pain management realism training". That would be where they attach a pair of vice grip pliers on the doctors arm nice and tight. Then every day, unexpectedly, someone walks up to them and cranks down the vice grip pliers another notch or so, until it becomes so excruciatingly, exquisitely painful they have to run to the emergency room only to be met with suspicion and accusations of "seeker" and "shopper". Oh ya, and did I mention the vice grip pliers are red hot and there is nothing you can do about it 24/7/365??

Allrightythen. I feel just a tad bit better.

Feel free to add a thing or two my friends.

I would have put the pliers somewhere else. You are being too nice. LOL

I do think we are going to see more of this due to this new Healthcare program and people overseeing that know even less about medical issues.

Too, they have talked about people overdosing accidentally lately, so I think that's going to make things get worse.

I think it's sad too that these Drs. aren't offering other medical care besides just one thing and then when people find out it doesn't work then they are back to square one. I still say these Drs. have a one track mind and aren't willing to learn more about RSD and more options for the patients.

I think a person needs a Dr. that is open minded and will listen to the patient as well as thinking he's God.

I thought about that public records issue a few days ago. I donot like every Dr. being able to see what Drs. I have been to and what has been done. I went to a Dr. in the Springs months ago that was able to pull up my records at the University of Denver. He thought I should go there and when I told him I'd been there, he was able to verify it.

My medical history is long and I have been to many Drs. not just for RSD. I have been to several in the same fields until I found the one that was willing to help me but I wonder if some Drs. would look at that as what I was doing or just Dr. shopping. What saves me is that I have had the same PCP for 20 years and he gets copies of everywhere I go and everything I get done so I feel safe in that but there's always those Drs. out there that don't care. I've also had the same Pharmacist for 20 years, I don't like them since they moved but I just don't want to change and have to go farther out of town.

I am glad you found another PM Dr. so fast. Hopefully he will keep helping you.



Ada

Not only is it the ANGER part......but to me it's the HUMILIATION...... !


I'm very curious about these open records of our medical profiles I hear about. Is there a way we can find out HOW they are being accessed?
I've heard that some states have them, but ...... how creepy.

It was very irresponsible of your Dr to just abruptly withdraw your meds like that......they are supposed to be safely tapered.....!
This sounds very heavy!

I would really like to know what 'my' records show! What an invasion of privacy!!!!!

jetjock1, reword what you posted and send it to your congressman and representative. This business of the DEA has always disturbed me to no end. It is the equivalent to a modern day witch hunt. I've been looked at as a drug seeker I'm sure, can't prove it but many times I've gotten those vibes. The thing is it's my wife who has RSD, I'm fine. I go to all her appointments because of the first 4 years of her condition she was treated very poorly and I had enough of that BS. I get so angry with this that I've contemplated moving out of the US and rid the both of us with this greedy cut throat business, lockem all up mentality. I never felt that way before my wife became ill, I was in-fact very conservative. We are in a nation that allows strong meds to be advertised on tv, give kids speed to slow them down, take a pill for this and that, allow outragious rates for treatment and medicines and at the same time when someone has a confirmed terrible, painful condition like RSD, eyes start rolling, DEA agents are looking at your records, RSDers and other chronically ill people are forced to doctor hop convincing these idiots that "yes in fact these are drug seekers only.

As I stated in earlier posts my wife and I lost our insurance coverage. Her doctor has recently started doing drug tests on her. She follows the rules, no issue there, however, these **** tests cost me $600 a pop, out of pocket. The last silly test couldn't confirm anything yet it costs $600.

In our state, the only records that are "public" are controlled RX histories. Only medical offices or pharmacies have access to these. When requested it will show which doctors have been prescribing which drugs in the Controlled class only, to that patient, quantities and dates. They can be very helpful in detecting diversion and potential problems with drug seekers.
All pharmacies in our state, send in electronic records on every controlled drug purchase with ID of patient (driver's license or state ID card).

HIPPA should be in place for other records and data. Unless you signed it off when you went to that doctor, etc.

The last time I was at U of Colorado was about 4 or 5 years ago and what I find is the form usually ask which Dr should recieve a copy of the visit. The only one I list on there is my PCP. I didn't expect for it to go global and wasn't ask if it could.

I went to see my Gynocologist last week and he had a copy of where I went to see another Gyno a month ago for another opinion on my pelvic pain. I was shocked when he ask me about it but thank goodness he was ok with me seeking a second opinion. I just couldn't figure out how he got a copy of it without me putting his name on the form. Again, I only put my PCP's.

Our records should not be out there where anyone can see them and I believe this will be used by WC and other insurance companies to find out things about patients we'd rather they not know as well as Drs. again thinking we are Dr. shopping and drug seekers.

Ada

Couldn't have said it better myself!!! Awesome post!! I refuse to go to PM anymore...they do nothing for me. My GP has MS so he knows about pain and does a great job helping me keep it under control as much as possible....

When celebs start overdosing on pain meds it gets the media's attention. I've been with the same pharmacy for the past 11 years. It is out of the way, but I've developed relationships there. I've had the pharmacist refuse to fill prescriptions a few times. It turned out he was right, my doc had made errors. Can you change pharmacies? Maybe a small, locally owned one, and not a chain...

I'm not fond of having to pee in a cup either, but I also realize that it is nothing personal. It only started in the last few years because of pressures from the gov't.

Personally, my goal is a level 5 or under most of the day, and to have some hours in the evening at the 2-3 level. I'm not a fan of feeling the narcotic, and to keep me that low all day would bring additional side effects I'm not willing to live with...like becoming Sleeping Beauty.

And as you know, the more you take, the quicker you develop a tolerance. There is a point where we can put are lives in danger.

Have you considered a morphine pump? It would take care of any concern about drug seeking behavior, and might give you a higher quality of life...??? Lower dosages, yet more effective.

To cut you off, when I'm assuming you'd go into withdrawls, is bizarre and scary as hell. I wish you the best of luck.

Geez..........He's a pain management doctor ! Shouldn't the DEA figure out that some of the patients need pain meds ? DOH !

Concerning medical records... I do know that some hospitals here have gone completely electronic. But I do not know the laws involving access to these electronic records.

How this bypasses HIPPA, etc. I keep seeing a "goal" of making ALL records electronic. That is really going to be the future soon.

But I am still cloudy on that access. I think you will have to ask the doctor on how he obtained yours, Ada. I do know in my state it is complex to get the controlled drug history from the state database. Special ID is needed, for that access.

Because it is a "law" here, there may be ways around the HIPPA issue. You know HIPPA was really passed Federally back in the early 1990's. But it was a decade before it reached our daily social level. HIPPA is complex, and I know law enforcement can get around it when it needs to. But I don't really understand the other record keeping.