I am in the exact same position as you. I have asked I finally got my pain dr to give me some but not many
When a med is a controlled substance, you have to see the doctor every time you need a refill. He gives you the prescription and you must take it to the pharmacist yourself. The biggest difference is the constant doctor and pharmacy visits. The doctor cannot just fax a prescription for a controlled substance to the pharmacy. I take clonazepam, which is controlled. I have never been denied the medication. It's a way to ensure that it does not become a street drug. I hope this relieves some anxiety about controlled medications.
It is an opioid Scribelle. Which is the same as a narcotic. People in the medical field will refer to it as an opioid.
Tramadol is more powerful than Tylenol with Codeine (like Tylenol 3), but not as strong as Morphine. There is another medication that is like Tramadol (a bit stronger, but you can take a lower dose) called Nucynta. This is what I take. Tramadol stopped working for me entirely, at the highest recommended dose.
My doctor was flailing for something else to try before going the Morphine route (which I really wanted to avoid, I had a violent reaction to it when I broke my right pinky finger playing mixed slo-pitch in my 20s). It was my pharmacist who suggested Nucynta. My doctor actually called him while I was sitting in her office, to ask him more about it. They worked out a dose to start at and we went from there.
I'm now on 200 mg of Nucynta CR (controlled release) 2x per day (every 12 hrs) and have 50 mg of Nucynta IR (instant release) for breakthrough pain. It works rather well for me. Though sometimes it still isn't enough and I'm popping Tylenol 1 like candy for a few days to make it up. Trying to save enough of the 50 mg pills to last for a month. *sigh* I'm sure some of you know how that is.
Tramadol is not as well-known as Vicodin, Oxycontin or similar medications because it is not easily abused (being a controlled release medication). So it brings less of a "stigma" to those who have concerns that family/friends will consider them a so-called drug addict simply because they are dependent (and NOT addicted) on heavy pain medication just to make it through a single day.
Nucynta is even more less known. So don't be surprised if your doctor has not heard of it (yet). Approach your pharmacist and get their help in educating your doctor about this very helpful opioid. One of the biggest benefits to you (that your doctor may appreciate) is that it is known to have very little, to no, side effects. Even better, NO CONSTIPATION. For that alone (lol) I am most grateful.
Perhaps Nucynta would give you the relief you need without a migraine. Though I do advise you try to stick with a medication for at least several weeks before you truly give up on it. Unless, that is, it isn't addressing your pain at all anyway.
Good luck!
Shannon
Honestly, I think ANY doctor who refuses to prescribe pain medication is NEGLIGENT. That's right, legally negligent. If it happened to me, and I could not find a doctor who would prescribe me pain relieving medication that I deserve, then I'd take it to the newspapers and my local political rep. No guff!
I don't give a rat's ass who thinks (or assumes) I'm "just" a lazy layabout looking for pain medication so I can take it to abuse it in my "leisure" activities. I could care even less what my friends and family think (or assume) that I "may" be a drug addict because I "have" to have pain medication to get through a single day.
What I do care about is that I have a RIGHT to have access to pain relief medication and/or treatments. As my health care does not pay for alternative medicine (chiro, massage therapy, acupuncture and so on), then my only option IS medication.
So in my mind it's either sh*t or get off the pot! Either provide me access to therapies that would significantly change the quality of my life (see above, chiro, massage therapy...) OR give me access to pain relieving medication. Or both. I am a human being who does not deserve to suffer 24/7 year after year after year. It's freaking inhumane. Forget society's spiteful labels and assumptions, I'm not a damn animal. If I were, I'd be treated more humanely!
I challenge any doctor to tell me why I (or anyone with chronic pain) do not deserve pain relief. I challenge them to justify preventing me from having pain relieving medication, and explain to me that it is NOT negligent.
Shannon
I sincerely hope you find a doctor who will prescribe you the pain relief medication you deserve hon.
Light and love to you and yours <3
p.s. My GP moved away, I have been without a doctor since Nov of last year. Thankfully I found a local walk-in clinic with regular doctors who will give me the prescriptions I need. Granted, I've been on the same medications for years, this could be why they were so easy going about it. Still, I count myself lucky.
I have had to do this every month for 3 years anyway. Is it such a big deal? No.
In Canada they took Oxycontin OFF the shelves. You can't buy it in the entire country. It does not exist. Instead, there is a new version of it called OxyNeo that is supposedly harder to abuse (it is a controlled release - meaning it is released over 12 hours).
It was a huge scare for a lot of people. What would they now be able to take for pain relief if Oxycontin was no longer available. Oxy and it's various incarnations, is typically known to be less expensive than other opioids. Which is why it is most widely abused AND used.
I highly recommend people to ask about Nucynta. It has both a CR (controlled release) and an IR (instant release) version. I know it is available in the US and probably in the UK as well (though from what I understand, it is not as easily accessible).
How interesting! I am in the US, and I have never heard of Nucynta. I wonder if our doctors are really aware of it or if they go to the Rx's they are most familiar with. I will have to look this one up. I am intrigued.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention! Maybe we have to ask our doctors about it in order to bring it to their awareness.
it is not narcotic nor opiod at least according to webmd.
this medication is used to help relieve moderate to moderately severe pain.Tramadol is similar to narcotic analgesics. It works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain.
So similar but not narcotic like opioids are...most doctors consider it much safer drug since it is not narcotic nor class 1 drug which are regulated....doctors must use special script form and there are no refills. Vicodin right now is not in this list but they are trying to change that since vicodin is one of the most abused /addicted drugs people are on.
Just want to get it straight so others realize it is not in opioid family not even narcotic.
Good to know. I have to take tramadol at 9pm because I know that I will wake up at 3am with pain and need another dose. No matter how I time things, it's always 3am. Weird, huh!