That is so interesting and important to know . . . that Pain Management Specialists aren't there for staying with you over the long haul. Thanks for that info. I learn so much here.

My GP has not earned my trust. He's not all that smart on Psych drugs. My pdoc is more sympathetic to letting me get both the sleep med and pain med. He thinks my GP is being unnecessarily inflexible. Also, he's willing to write my GP a consult letter encouraging him to have more patience about me getting off the sleeper.

So I need both of them. I hope I have not permanently alienated my pdoc. I thought of apologizing to him profusely. But, no, I'm not going to do that. I've groveled before everyone, and it gets me nowhere.