I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem because I am just going out of my mind with this one. I have slipped discs at C6 and C7 with a nerve root pressure on one of them. In the past when I initially hurt my neck I couldn't get pain meds from anyone. Now my new primary care doc has me on wayyy too much. In fact I feel as if I'm overdosing and he just won't go down on the dose until another seven days because he just doesn't want to take the time to do the paperwork required for me to return the pills and get another script. He has never had a problem with me missing any tablets or anything like that. It seems that all the docs here on the northeast coast are just so overwhelmed and I can barely get a word in at my appts and am never allowed to even speak to him on the phone at all when I'm having a serious problem. His nurse NEVER seems to give him my messages correctly even though I have spoken to him about this problem as well. Now I have lost two weeks at the Spine Ctr. working out and have been unable to even walk or bathe alone. I'm starting all over from the beginning again. My rehab specialist on the other hand, thinks I can do the program at the center with no pain meds whatsoever and I don't feel that's at all possible. One is jamming meds down my throat and the other wants me off all of them.
All I want is for them to meet me somewhere in the middle... a small amount of pain management so that I can get stronger and hopefully avoid surgery and then eventually to be drug free as I progress. Is that too much to ask for??? I see my PC tomorrow afternoon and am terrified now that he may cut me off totally and too quickly. He seems to be unreasonable. I don't think I can handle the stress the docs are putting on me on top of the pain and stress my illness is causing my poor family. It's bad enough to be ill but now I feel that the doctors are the ones who are making me even sicker... I have learned about Lidoderm patches thx to this site and the ppl on it. I've also found out about cervical pillows on my own. Why is that my doctors are not telling me about any of these alternatives??? Any advice?? ty!!!