Re: Karla New to the list..Intro..

[Guest guest]

Hi Karla,

Welcome to the group. Goodness woman, I hate to hear the trouble you are having

getting adequate pain management. Unfortunately most of us go through the same

thing in the beginning. I think if I were you, I'd fire all of these docs and

find more. A pain management specialist refers you to a Psychiatrist for

treatment? Now that's a new one. lol And funny too. I wonder what kind of pain

this man treats? Sure doesn't sound like it's chronic pain. I have a pain

management specialist and he treats my pain rather well and it's with major

narcotics. HMO is the absolute WORSE insurance you can have. Since you have the

means, why not go straight Medicare and get Medicare part D so you'll have

medication coverage? Sure sounds like you'd be better off. Then you are free to

go to ANY doc you choose to go to. Usually pain management docs require referral

from the PCP (primary care physician), but that's it. They want you diagnosed

and then sent to them with records to manage the pain. They usually don't do the

diagnosing.

Here is a list of docs in Washington State who treat Fibromyalgia.

http://www.co-cure.org/USA_WA.htm

Perhaps this doc will also treat the pain if the DJD or can refer you to someone

who will. See if any docs are in your area.

Keep us posted.

Hugs,

~Tommie

New to the list..Intro..

Good evening,

My name is Karla.. I am 44 and I live in Washington state with my husband of

23 years and our 18 year old son and several fur kids;-) Like many I suffer

from daily pain and have for several years. My Dr was giving me some

percocet for 3 months then quit letting me have it. I was only being given

28 pills a month and only took them when it was unbearable. He said he did

not like giving those kinds of meds out. Phooey!! He took xrays of my back

and found degenerative join disease, still denied me pain meds. I cannot

take ibuprofen so he tried some other stuff, an anti-inflammatory.. Well I

had no inflammation so those did not work, just burned my gut!

I also have fibromyalgia and so I got a referral to go see a rheumatologist.

He was understanding but wanted me to see a pain specialist.. So I did that

the pain Dr said no pain meds and wanted me to see a psychiatrist that

specializes in chronic pain, and also for me to go to PT... I never did

either.. I refuse PT because I don't think it is right to make me hurt doing

this (and it does, BTDT) and have nothing for pain afterwards. And I have a

real problem with seeing a phsyc for PAIN! That makes absolutely no sense to

me!

So I have seen 3 drs for this and all 3 refuse to give me pain meds. I am

with an HMO so they ALL have computer access to my records, there is no way

to abuse these meds! And I have never had a problem with addiction to

anything except smoking.. I also saw another Dr before getting hooked up

with the HMO (group health) and he was another one of those drs who don't

believe in pain treatment meds.

I do not understand how these drs who are supposed to help people, will

instead allow people to suffer!! I have the back pain, I also have it in my

hips and my shoulders. Right now I am having serious shoulder pain. The pain

is in the front part at the joint. It hurts to even touch, it was so bad

yesterday and last night I was in tears. I have a high tolerance for pain

and this went beyond my tolerance. It is a bit better now but I did make a

drs appt tomorrow.. However, I feel like, why bother, they aren't going to

help me. Just help themselves to my money. I don't know what else to do to

get someone to HELP ME!

Anyhow, that is what is going on with me pretty much in a nut shell... Also

I am on disability but went on that about 11 years ago for Bipolar..Trust me

when I say it is a joke how much they give me a month and then they take out

86.00 off the top for medicare, and then I have to pay 130.00 a month for

the supplemental insurance at group health. Plus pay for my meds. Thank god

my husband works and makes decent money...

Thanks for listening,

Karla

[Guest guest]

Hi Karla

Welcome to the group.

The reason the pain Dr wanted you to see a psych dr and pt is that

those are their guidelines. They have them set up - at least in my

state - to weed out the drug abusers. The psych dr would be a good

one to unload on. Tell him how much pain you are in and how it

makes you feel. Also with the pt, you will have to give it a try at

least so that the pain dr can see that at least you tried and the pt

people will report back to him what you could and couldn't do

without being in pain. After you jumped through the hoops, them

maybe the pain dr will prescribe pain meds. I had to go through

that with the exception of pt. My insurance company BCBS doesn't

pay for it except the initial consultation. Pt didn't have anything

that I could do to make the pain less. With the psych dr I really

unloaded on him about the pain and what I do on a daily basis to

alleviate the pain, but that it doesn't work. I also told him that

I was fed up with my pain and just wanted it to go away. I also

have depression. They prescribed Lyrica, but BCBS won't pay for it,

so they gave me a two month free sample. It it works, then they

will write a letter to BCBS so that they will cover it.

I have Sensory Autonomic Small Nerve Neuropathy in both my feet and

right leg and also Osteo Arthritis in my right knee. My pain level

is at a constant 7 - 9 on a daily basis. I take Neurontin and

Lamictal for the nerve pain and also for depression. They work for

the depression, but not for the nerve pain. I take Tylenol #3

because I'm alergic to a lot of the other pain meds. It sucks.

Cheer up and hang in there.

Hugs

Diane - Minnesota

>

> New to the list..Intro..

>

>

> Good evening,

> My name is Karla.. I am 44 and I live in Washington state with

my husband of

> 23 years and our 18 year old son and several fur kids;-) Like

many I suffer

> from daily pain and have for several years. My Dr was giving me

some

> percocet for 3 months then quit letting me have it. I was only

being given

> 28 pills a month and only took them when it was unbearable. He

said he did

> not like giving those kinds of meds out. Phooey!! He took xrays

of my back

> and found degenerative join disease, still denied me pain meds.

I cannot

> take ibuprofen so he tried some other stuff, an anti-

inflammatory.. Well I

> had no inflammation so those did not work, just burned my gut!

>

> I also have fibromyalgia and so I got a referral to go see a

rheumatologist.

> He was understanding but wanted me to see a pain specialist.. So

I did that

> the pain Dr said no pain meds and wanted me to see a

psychiatrist that

> specializes in chronic pain, and also for me to go to PT... I

never did

> either.. I refuse PT because I don't think it is right to make

me hurt doing

> this (and it does, BTDT) and have nothing for pain afterwards.

And I have a

> real problem with seeing a phsyc for PAIN! That makes absolutely

no sense to

> me!

>

> So I have seen 3 drs for this and all 3 refuse to give me pain

meds. I am

> with an HMO so they ALL have computer access to my records,

there is no way

> to abuse these meds! And I have never had a problem with

addiction to

> anything except smoking.. I also saw another Dr before getting

hooked up

> with the HMO (group health) and he was another one of those drs

who don't

> believe in pain treatment meds.

>

> I do not understand how these drs who are supposed to help

people, will

> instead allow people to suffer!! I have the back pain, I also

have it in my

> hips and my shoulders. Right now I am having serious shoulder

pain. The pain

> is in the front part at the joint. It hurts to even touch, it

was so bad

> yesterday and last night I was in tears. I have a high tolerance

for pain

> and this went beyond my tolerance. It is a bit better now but I

did make a

> drs appt tomorrow.. However, I feel like, why bother, they

aren't going to

> help me. Just help themselves to my money. I don't know what

else to do to

> get someone to HELP ME!

>

> Anyhow, that is what is going on with me pretty much in a nut

shell... Also

> I am on disability but went on that about 11 years ago for

Bipolar..Trust me

> when I say it is a joke how much they give me a month and then

they take out

> 86.00 off the top for medicare, and then I have to pay 130.00 a

month for

> the supplemental insurance at group health. Plus pay for my

meds. Thank god

> my husband works and makes decent money...

> Thanks for listening,

> Karla

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Diane,

I think the pain doc was really trying to help, just without using drugs

first. I know it is not policy to have to be seen by a psychiatrist or PT in

order to be given narcotic meds. They have given them to me before but for

only 3 months, short period of time.. I already see a p-doc anyhow

(psychiatrist) because I have bipolar II and everything is in the computers

so there is no way to go from Dr to Dr to get diff narcs, so no way to be

able to abuse meds with group health...

But you are right, it sure wont hurt to go in there and really let out my

anger and frustration to the p-doc, if that's what they want, I can do it.

LOL.. I have an appt next month for PT.. I had already had an appt set up

and had to cancel it. It is hard to get an appt too!! I am on the medicare

plan through my HMO (group health), I pay my monthly insurance fee and then

all I pay for is a co-pay of 15.00 when I see ANY Dr or specialist. Had to

have my gallbladder out few years back and I paid nothing!

I have a high tolerance for pain, that started when I was a kid and had A

LOT of bad ear infections.. Mom rarely took me to the Dr for those so I

ended up 70% deaf in both ears and had to have surgery on them. I am

probably 30% deaf now.. But for years I also tolerated severe gallbladder

attacks, so I built up a high tolerance for pain. So it is hard for me to

rate my pain. They had me trying to rate my pain when I went to the pain Dr

and I told them I didn't really know how..lol.. But we came up with 7-10 on

a daily basis..It still doesn't make much sense to me to be honest. All I

know is that I hurt all the time, every day, sometimes worse than other

times..

At least you can get the Tylenol 3, does it help? I cannot take it, hurts my

stomach and sure doesn't do much for me either.

Thanks again..

Karla

-- Re: Karla New to the list..Intro..

Hi Karla

Welcome to the group.

The reason the pain Dr wanted you to see a psych dr and pt is that

those are their guidelines. They have them set up - at least in my

state