Re: Re: e

[Guest guest]

Hi Debe, I was wondering if you had textured or smooth when you were implanted? Thanks

Shirley

[Guest guest]

Debe,

Wow!! You have been through so much. I totally understand you're frustration with doctors, though. Everytime you see a new one, you've got to tell your story all over again, then they stand there and raise their eyebrows at you, and then, when you're all done, he/she tells you that the implants "just aren't causing your health problems." And their word is God's word (in their mind). Never mind that you can provide studies and research, or that you feel better since your explantation. Nothing you say matters.

And then, God forbid, you do need pain medication, then automatically you're considered a "junkie." And being a nurse, I hear it and see it daily----nurses making snide comments about how this person is just "being dramatic" to get pain meds, or comments that they're not going to medicate them with more than x amount of this drug because "they don't need it," etc.

It's awful. Ever since I developed chronic pain, I have felt like killing myself at times because the pain is so severe. I took Lorcet and Norco for pain. They really helped. Lortab is very similar to Lorcet. So I totally understand where you're coming from. My feeling is take what you need for the pain--screw everyone else. Studies show that patients are severely undermedicated for pain because of nurses' and doctors' perception of patients getting addicted. And there is a BIG difference between addiction and tolerance.

As for your doc(s) not wanting to prescribe the Lortab and Soma anymore, well, you and I both know why. However, someone should take over your pain management, and I'm suprised that a pain management center wouldn't help you. Did you see an anesthesiologist? What specific reasons did they give you for not being able to help you? Perhaps you need to sit down with your doc and let him know that you've been on these meds for a while, and that they are the only meds that you find help you. At the very least, your doc should be responsible for gradually tapering your dose so you don't go through withdrawal as severely as you would if they just cut you off. Plus, sudden cessation of the meds can be life threatening----going through both an opiate and benzo withdrawal can precipitate seizures, exacerbate your medical problems, cause severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which in turn can lead to severe dehydration and complications associated with that. It's not fun or pleasant. So, ethically, he should have a responsibility to you to slowly and gradually taper you off the meds. But I understand that's not an option for you. So, maybe you need to find another doc and/or another pain management center. You're right, docs are scared to death of getting in trouble for writing frequent narcotic prescriptions. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can say or do to alleviate their fear. The other thing I wonder is whether your doc has already been approached by the state for your prescriptions. I wonder whether his not wanting to prescribe these for you anymore has something to do with that? Of course, he'll never tell you.

Unfortunately, Debe, there's not much you can do other than to find a caring, supportive doc who is okay with prescribing you these meds. JCAHO (the organization that accredites hospitals) is big on pain. They have mandated that it now be considered the 5th vital sign. They are fining hospitals and docs big time for not adequately treating pain. So, you do have some rights. These rights are under the Pain Treatment Guidelines of the Joint Commission. Hospitals can lose their accreditation for failure to treat chronic pain pts with adequate and ongoing opiate medication, and a docs privileges to admit to hospitals can also be revoked. You can file a complaint against a doc at www.ActionOnPain.org.

So, let me know what you decide to do, and what happens.

Take care,

e