Re: Kaiser Permanente?

[Guest guest]

There are a lot of people out there who are taking Vicodin because

they've become addicted to it - not because they continue to need it

for pain relief but because it is a very addictive drug. So, I believe that

your new doc is doing what she thinks she must as your physician; and you may

actually find that pain management can offer alternatives that will, in fact,

allow you to taper off or down. So, I would try not to be so hard on her. If

you go to pain management and it doesn't give you anything new in the way of

pain relief, she will have fulfilled what she sees as her responsibility to you

as your physician and will better understand your need to stay on such high

levels. As you, yourself, said, she really doesn't know your history.

Joanna Hoelscher

[Guest guest]

Just wondering how much the consider too much. I've been on tramadol & darvocet

for over 2 years now just because I can not possibly take any biologics because

I'm on dialysis & awaiting a kidney transplant.

Celeste

[Guest guest]

Addiction to Vicodin:

Well, I am not one of the people taking it because I am addicted I goes days

without taking any at all. I take it because I am in agony and it is the only

thing that works. I do not drink alcohol and I also am very careful not to over

do it.

Thanks for your comments but again, if I was addicted I would not spend days not

taking it. I also know what my life was like when I did not take any pain med at

all. I was unable to walk, I spent much of my time in bed unable to move.

I have no issue with going to pain management at all. My issue is why she would

go there first rather than send me to a rheumatologist. She is a GP.

Barbara

[Guest guest]

I live in Castro Valley CA, right near you, and also have Kaiser. Are you able

to take any of the biologics? Finding the right one for you that reduces

inflammation, could go a long way in reducing your pain level. Are you seeing a

rheumatologist? I have a wonderful one and she is working with me to find the

right medication. I have tried Enbrel, Humira, and am on Simponi. Remicade is

also available if this doesn't work. I get blood work every 8 weeks and feel

that patients with this type of arthritis, get good treatment. You never said

how much Vicodin you are taking daily. After a certain point, the doctor may not

be able to continue prescribing large amounts of this drug. I know a lot of

people hate Kaiser, and HMO's in general, but I have had great care for the last

18 years. I wish you luck Barbara, I hope you find what you are looking for.

Lynn

[Guest guest]

They may have a standard set of procedures for covering their posteriors

which says she has to do that if use of certain drugs exceeds such and such

an amount. I wouldn't take it personally or hold it against her too much.

Gareeth

Barbara Lerner wrote:

<<I have no issue with going to pain management at all. My issue is why

she would go there first rather than send me to a rheumatologist. She

is a GP.>>

[Guest guest]

Have you asked her to send you to a rheumatologist? If not I would do so and

insist that you want to see a rheumatologist before you go to pain management.

Celeste

[Guest guest]

I also have Kaiser and live in Livermore, CA. I've tried Enbrel, Humira,

Remicade and Arava and am now on Simponi also. My doctor told me I only needed

blood work every 6 months on Simponi which I thought was odd considering I was

doing it every 3 mos on all the other biologics. Do you find that you get run

down and weak the day after your injection? I just had my 4th injection on

Friday and spent most of yesterday in bed. Not sure how well it's actually

working for me, had a flare just before Christmas and woke up this morning with

a painful swollen pinky. I was given an injection of Medrol for my flare and

even that didn't work as well as it would normally....no burst of energy or

rapid relief of pain. Took over a week to feel better but still not back to

where I was before the flare. As for Vicodin he will only prescribe for short

term and only regular strength which does nothing for me but make me want to

take a nap so I don't even bother to take it.

I'm used to being much more active and it's frustrating to be limited to short

bursts of activity and then needing to rest or pay the price for pushing

yourself the next day.

Young <harleygirl@...>

[Guest guest]

Barbara: I did not mean to infer that you were addicted - only to say that any

good doctor would be concerned about any patient taking high doses of a

narcotic. You're right - if you are not seeing (or have not seen) a

rheumatologist, you must go ASAP. You're e-mail did not deal with that issue.

Only said you were seeing a new GP/internist. Ask for a referral . . . . . ..in

fact, demand one if that's what it takes.

Joanna Hoelscher

[Guest guest]

She just doesnt want to be bothered with you . sending you to pain management

when you don't have an adequate diagnosis or if you haven't seen a rhematologist

is not correct . It sounds like she doesn;t believe your pain is real . Been

there . get another doctor and the best of luck to you . you need some help with

your disease. Its not in your head . Its real . cathy from ma

[Guest guest]

ps . You eed to see a rhematologist .

[Guest guest]

Dear Barbara,

I'm the first one to agree with you that you can need a narcotic and not be

addicted to it psychologically. Physically is a different matter, since your

body does get used to having the pain medication regardless of what you are

taking.

I live in Florida and have never heard of Kaiser, so I'm guessing it is a type

of insurance or HMO. My only thought for you and I've been in pain management

for over 10 years now and am under the care of a wonderful rheumy as well. I've

tried Humira, Enbrel, methotrexate, and almost all of them on the market.

Simponi is a new one that I'll ask my doctor about.

I also had really good results especially at the beginning with Arava and I'm

still on it after about 5 years. I found at first it cut my symptoms down about

30%. The main problem with it is it hasn't cut back the progression of the

disease. MY PA and they think RA as well has left me in a wheelchair almost

100% of the time, I no longer can work, barely can make dinner at night for just

my husband and my self since the arthritis moved into my hands. I no longer

drive and haven't been able to for over 7 years mainly due to the narcotic and

the fact that since we own an insurance company I didn't want to risk losing it

all if someone thought I was impaired while driving.

Anyway, what I mainly wanted to mention was the main problem I have and my pain

doctor as well with Vicodin is you constantly have a high and low level of pain

meds in your system. it's not a bad drug for a breakthrough pain med, but you

might do better with a stronger drug that you take regularly and then supplement

it with either Vicodin or something similar. I take a form of morphine with a

break through drug as well and it makes my life somewhat livable. You don't

suffer from any mood swings and you don't get that low when the Vicodin wears

off. I hated that feeling from it when would wear off.

I am getting ready to have a spinal stimulator implanted in my back that they

hope will stop the pain from my waist down. I have it in my spine, knees, feet,

ankles and toes pretty badly. I also have bad neuropathy and another condition

called EM that causes constant burning of the skin. If this works they are

planning to put another one in to take care of the top half of my body. I know

it seems extreme and almost like science fiction, but I have to do something to

get it back to a normal pain level. I also have it bad in my upper spine,

shoulders elbows, wrists and now my fingers are involved as well. The worst

place of all is my jaws. It started there and they are almost completely gone

now, which is causing me to grind my teeth at night and I'm seeing a specialist

for that this week because it is causing my bones to degrade in my teeth to the

point where I will lose all my teeth in 1 year if they can't do something to

stop it.

I can't have surgery due to the fact I have COPD and the doctors don't think

I'll survive the surgery or be able to take the rehab for any invasive surgery.

So I've been through the ringer these past 10 years. If I had known it would

get this bad 10 years ago, I don't know if I could have faced the future at all.

So get your pain under control so you can live your life to the fullest now. If

you like your doctor then you are probably fine. It took them so long to figure

out what I actually had and then to find a drug that didn't threaten to kill me

or nearly kill me that by the time I found Arava too much damage was done to my

joints to make life even remotely normal for me again. I was only 44 when this

hit me, and since I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 20 years ago,

they thought it was only a fibro flare up. It was my jaws that finally helped

them figure it out and the fact I saw a doctor at a teaching university who was

willing to take the time to listen to me and to actually exam me.

Anyway Barbara, that's my two cents and I hope it helps you in some little way.

I will tell you that when the pain is as high as mine has gotten, addiction is

the last thing you worry about. All you care about is making it through the

next hour or even the next few minutes. I think pain management is wonderful if

you find the right place. Like some doctors they are only there for the money,

but the good ones really do want to help you. Even though they have some strict

rules it makes sense to see a specialist for pain, just like any other disease

in your body. Good luck and I hope you are feeling better soon.

Take care, Fran in Florida