Hi all, I am wondering how you guys are being treated for your pain? My own experience has been so inconsistant between doctors. For example, my family dr used to give me a few vicodins a month before he shipped me off to a pain clinic where they plied me with 30mgs percocet daily plus 50mg fentanyl patches. Feeling overmedicated, I discontinued this treatment and sought the aid of a rheumatologist, who refused to treat my fibro pain with anything except for 100mgs of pamelor at night. His thinking was that it would improve my sleep, thus reducing my pain. My psychiatrist felt this was inadequate and prescribed lyrica and cymbalta. The cymbalta caused headaches and the lyrica was ineffective and made me gain 20 extra pounds so I discontinued that treatment. Now I find that no doctors want to prescribe any amount of opiates or even benzos for my anxiety, restless legs and muscle spasms. It seems that the docs I come across offer either an all or none approach. When I have asked for pain meds, I get treated like an addict or a “drug seeker”. I suppose I am seeking drugs, but it is because I hurt and nsaids do not work… NOT because I am an addict. Lately I have been grinding poppy seeds and brewing tea to help when the pain is unmanageable but I know that this isn’t a good practice because of the ambiguous dosing. Unfortunately medical marijuana isn’t an option where I live and though that is probably the single best remedy, it isn’t worth going to jail for. So how can I find a doctor who isn’t adverse to prescribing small amts of pain medication without labelling me as an addict or seeker? Thank you all for your help!
Dear Amanda, I was sent to a very prominent Neurosurgeon in St Paul, Minnesota when it was discovered around 2008 that I had a pituitary tumor. The Doctor never saw me after the first visit, but every year I underwent a MRI with dye brain scan.... Ok, my point is I saw an awesome Neurologist who is now treating me and when I told her I was trying to learn about fibro and I told her about the website and the discussion about substance P etc. she said she thought this was a very good site. I just got my first set of botox yesterday around my head for the headaches. She is super nice and really up on fibro stuff. She thinks a lot of other problems I've had are because the Fibro was never really addressed. I'm really hopeful and sure hope other people in this area would try her out.
Dr Rita Richardson Neurologist at the Stillwater Medical Group Specialty Clinic. Stillwater, MN 55082
PH: 651-■■■■■■■■
Dear Amanda,
I am most fortunate that my GP takes care of my pain meds, I have not gone to Pain Management for years and hope to keep it that way, I actually PRAY on that one! The Opana is becoming more and more of a maintence drug than I want, but cannot lay down otherwise. If I cannot bear to lay down, no wonder I cannot sleep!
Do the best thing for yourself, I was established with my GP before the last car accident. He has had to hold me down and give me shots of demerol in the sternum! I was so bad I couldn't pick up a tea cup, did the trick though! I did NOT want it, but he and my husband are big strong men with hands like shovels, I was down on the table before I could even protest! Will never forget it! NEVER!!