[wordlessdevotion]

So once again I am wide awake far too early for some one who has very little to do. I am new here and am finding great people, story's advise and information. About anything! Due to 3 car accidents I have had chronic pain for about 9 years. I accept now having to take strong medication to get relief. It took a long time to come to terms with the fact I will be taking them. most likely the rest of my life. But I have to say I am tiring of the chase. I have had the hardest time finding a permanent doctor so I am stuck with a walk-in clinic. the doctors do not give appointments. The Dr. I have met that has taken some interest in helping me. Why I had to find a new dr. is another story, and I will tell it. Not now. Well the Dr. I found was not willing to help at first due to the fact that I have had a history of drug use for recreation. I have always been upfront with Dr's, . So in order for him to trust me was to volunteer for a street drug test. He was concerned I may be smoking Crack or something of that nature. He went along with the Idea if I can show honestly I am straight he would get me back on an opioid as it seems to be the only type of drug that actually gives me relief. Happy to say I passed and his whole attitude towards me changed and began speaking to me almost as a human being. I find him to be very judgemental but I accept this because I can not tolerate my pain very well at all. But I am still here and even pop a smile or two.. Not sure what my point was here as I am unused to talking to any one at this time of day. I would like to say finding help is hard and I have been trying to get a permanent dr. so I do not have to depend on one to show up every 4th Friday at 5:0opm. If this guy does not show up I am screwed and put into a withdrawal scenario that almost kills me. I would like to know if Others are getting put off the boat when you bring up chronic pain. Do you get the harsh judgment when you try to bring it up and get through your situation before getting cut off and shut down, sent on your way? I am lucky to be alive and in as good a shape as I am. to look at me , you really would not know what I am going through. This makes it even more difficult than a friend who has passed now but he had similar problems with the chronic pain story with the dr's. And he had both legs amputated below the knees. Thanks for letting me ramble on.

Wordlessdevotion

[Sam2]

Wordless,
I know exactly what you mean about Dr.s blowing you off when you try to get pain medication. I suffer from intractable migraines 24-7, and now secondary problems with my spine and legs from having to sleep in twisted positons to avoid so much pain.

Before I found a good Dr., I had a G.P. who had given me injections of a narcotic for severe migraine pain when the usual migraine medications didn't help. Because I knew what would help for a while, if i had to go to the ER or urgent care clinics when my G.P. wasn't on, I'd tell the attending what worked. They immediately marked me as a drug seeker even though I had never had a drug problem in my life. They would keep injecting things that didn't work, once giving me a repeated IV of a drug that not only worked, but caused a reaction as well. My hand blew up and turned pale blue and I almost lost it. Wound up in the hospital for days because of it.

After a while, no Dr. would give me a narcotic for the pain, regardless of how bad it was. They kept asking me what recreational drugs I was on, and i told them I wasn't on any, and never had been. It was a nightmare. If you have pain that can't be proven or seen, they don't believe its real.

I finally met my current Dr. while I was in the hospital for the hand reaction. He is an anesthesiologist with a specialty in chronic pain, and he accepted me as a patient. That was about ten years ago. He works out of a pain management clinic and had no qualms about using narcotics when nothing else worked. (Most Dr.s think narcotics are a bad idea with migraines). He started me on methadone and allowed two rescue narcotic injections for breakthrough pain. As my body grew tolerant to the pain relieving abilty of the meds, he wasn't afraid to up doses and add on other drugs. He also refered me to a nuerologist to have a peripheral nerve stimulator implanted around my right eye. We are currently at an impass, because my tolerance has built to the point where breakthrough pain occurs at least twice a week, sometimes more, rendering me non-functional and sometimes unable to speak. He ups doses as needed and adds things as needed. He also listens.

Got side tracked there. Find out if you have a pain management clinic in your area. Many don't advertize. They don't peg you as a drug seeker, and I know of two other people, both of whom have drug abuse histories that he has agreed to take on as patients. As long as they are upfront about it.

Pain management clinics are strict. I have to sign a contract stating that I won't take any pain medication from any other Dr. unless they first call the clinic and see if they will allow it. Also in the contract are statements about not drinking and agreeing to have either a blood or urine screen every three months. If my levels are higher than they should be or I don't have one of the meds I'm suppposed to take in my system, they reserve the right to drop me as a patient. It sounds harsh, but because they are dealing with scheduled drugs, they need to protect themselves and their patients. They perscribe one month's worth of meds at a time.

If you can't find a pain management clinic in the phone book, go on line or ask your Dr.s office if they know of one. You won't be judged and you will get far better relief from a pain clinic as that is all they deal with. Even if you have to drive a ways to get to one, they are worth it.

Sam2

[Sam2]

Sorry about the double answer. i didn't catch on that the posts were written by the same person. lol.

Sam2