Re: Avinza - Tapering -

[Guest guest]

,

Having a doctor who is knowledgeable about medications seems to be a two-edged

sword at times. You are fortunate that you doctor is willing to prescribe your

meds for you and if it were me, I would not even consider changing.

Doctors that have a great deal of knowledge about meds are often educated to

believe that the type of powerful and high dosage medications we often need as

CP patients are inappropriate and will not prescribe them. That and the fear

generated by the current prescription drug wars cause there to be a huge

shortage of doctors who will treat chronic pain.

My doctor admits that I am under treated and by the standards of many of the

other people in this group and others I belong to I only get a lower end dosage.

He told me just yesterday that it is his opinion that even though I am under

treated for my pain, he does not see the need to increase my medications. This

was after a desperate call from me, begging him to please either increase it or

change me to another type of medication that might work better like methadone.

He even refused this request, and asked me to find another doctor, because

according to him I was tying his hands.

I refused to take enormous amounts of Neurontin because at the dosage he

prescribed, I was in a state of total confusion, not knowing night from day,

even getting lost in my small two bedroom apartment. I tried it for a week and

it took two weeks to shake the worse of the feelings, confusion and memory loss

I suffered after just one week on his recommended dosage. I still do take the

neurontin, but only the most I can take without these severe side effects. He

considered this tying his hands.

I have followed his instructions to a T, even going 3 days this week in

tremendous pain before I called an begged him for something to give me relief.

He finally gave me permission to take 10 extra milligrams which I did twice

yesterday and finally got enough relief that I could stop laying on my couch

moaning and crying with the pain. I couldn't even get up unassisted, but his

opinion was all that mattered to him. I guess I am just supposed to live with

it, but after a while, all you can think about is making the pain stop, no

matter what.

I feel its a crime that in order to get proper treatment from him I would not be

able to have a choice in what he prescribes. Neurontin at the levels he wants

me to take are so obviously too high, so do I live in a constant state of

confusion and memory loss or stay in pain? He hung up on me when I posed that

question to him. Now I am afraid again. Two more weeks and I will need another

prescription, I have to wonder if he will give it to me now that he is angry.

My life is nothing but pain and fear and I am sick inside almost to desperation.

I have been looking for another doctor (specifically a pain specialist) for

months now and have seen several but they do not want a chronic pain patient

that requires strong narcotics. The amount of pain I am in has drastically

inhibited my ability to find one as I don't drive and I have to limit myself to

doctors within a certain range since I cannot spend hours on a bus nor am I able

to walk far. I have no choice now since he has asked me to find another one or

I fear he will simply stop prescribing for me as a way to make me leave. He

cannot just fire me until I have another doctor treating me, but he can stop my

meds.

So if you have a good doctor right now, don't change unless you are sure that

you will get the same standard of care from the next doctor you choose. My life

is a nightmare, not so much from the pain, but not knowing from month to month

if I will have treatment for it.

Perhaps if your doctor is receptive, you might research the medications you are

referring to and print the information and share it with your doctor. Most

doctors don't care for this, but there are actually some good ones out there

that respect their patients.

Just think carefully and be certain before changing doctors.

Peace and be well

wrote:

I wanted to comment on something. I am so amazed by some of

your Doctors...They are so knowledgeable about medications. My

Doctor is great, he had helped me a lot, always giving me meds

when i need them however, he doesn't seem to know a lot about

medications. I have asked him several questions about

medications he either says " I don't know anything about that

drug " or " I know it but do not know the dosage or anything "