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Dr visit got a bunch of crap

DrEIMiller

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 4, 2001
Messages
1,586
Location
belize for the moment
So I went to the Dr last nite and I finally felt like a I got a real dr who listened to various problems that I have that are really legit. My chief concern was this back pain that I get occassionally that is in my lower back - radiates out to the sides and when it's really bad it shoots down my left leg sometimes causing numbness. I've had xrays which didn't show anything and he is sending me for MRIs. But get this, he acknolowdged the pain and history of pain and then he prescribes me relafin for maintenance and toradol for intense pain.
A bunch of junk. I've had relafen before and it did crap for me - so they upped it to Darvocet which did help when I took like 3x the suggested dose. But the toradol is new...and from what I understand is glorified aspirin or NSAID.
So assuming the toradol doesn't help, and I'm not holding out for miracles either, any recommendations of what and when to say "thanks for a bunch of useless meds"? Obviously not being so blunt.
 
So you're complaining that the drugs you got are insufficient painkillers, and NOT that they aren't recreationally useful, right?
 
I'd tell the doctor that. "Look, can I get something that'll actually WORK? I'm not looking to get high."
 
I'd think that if I ask for a narcotic he would definately not write me one and give me some more of the same crap.
He seems like a almost genuinely concerned dr, which is rare, but I'm not sure he's big on writing narcotic scripts.
And the toradol doesn't seem to help much, just some stomach pains mostly.
 
Well after many visits I think you can ask for narcotic pain relievers but don't say it like woodman told you. Thats the worst thing to say. Just tell them that you got it in the past and it really helped. I can't really tell you what to say because its kind of an art. I know the easy route to get benzos but I don't know the art of narcotic scripting.
 
Just go get you mri's. Don't keep busting his balls about the meds though. Continue to see him & with each visit let him know that you are still in extreme discomfort. I'm sure after a few months he'll bump you up to a stronger opiate based med that you are looking for. He most likely want's to make sure that you not just looking for pills & want a cure. So don't go to any other doctors. Give him a few more months, if after then you still arn't satisfied with him then let him no what you are l,ooking for. If he refuses look for another doctor...
 
From an anaesthetists perspective (on acute & chronic pain), Opioid meds are relatively contraindicated certainly in the chronic pain state - however ... that is also very much an Australian thing as well.
After your MRI's you may be in a better position to actually diagnose the pain - plain Xrays as you mention rarely have anything to contribute to such pain. Your pain does have some features that suggest nerve entrapment - and sciatica.
Failing all of this, might I suggest early involvement in a pain clinic (anaesthetist or equivalent directed), who might have a few extra tricks for this.
[ 22 June 2002: Message edited by: gasbo ]
 
Thanks, I was actually thinking that I would be in a better position after the MRIs. He said if the MRI's don't show anything he's likely to put me on physical therapy which I don't really want to do because of time constraints that my job has, but we'll see.
 
If you are having back pain, the toradol should get rid of it (unless your pain is really psychosomatic and you just wanna get fucked up on pain meds). It is the strongest of the NSAID's, and isn't supposed to be taken for more than a week at a time.
Rxlist says: "Ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is indicated for the short-term (up to 5 days) management of moderately severe, acute pain, that requires analgesia at the opioid level. It is NOT indicated for minor or chronic painful conditions."
 
I got the same shit (toradol) for a similar problem...i had this pain in my thumb that would sometimes send shooting pain all the way down my arm until it was just past my elbow...it eventually went away, but for the time i had the problem, the toradol sure did no good...sorry to hear about the lack of proper medical attention, but im sure you'll get what you need once he sees it's not working...
 
Also make sure(depending on your age) he checks your kidneys out as well...somtimes bilateral lower back pain may actually be kidney inflamation
 
I dunno how they do it down in australia but in the US opiates are prescribed for chronic pain (this is what those oxy scripts are for). True alot of this is cancer related but I have also seen articles suggesting that opiates really are a good long term solution for otherwise resistant chronic pain.
If you actually want a solution to the pain I agree to go for the MRIs. Also some back pain is muscle and/or inflamation related so sterodial injections or muscle relaxants may do almost as much as strong opiates.
 
The toradol really doesn't do anything for me except chew up my stomach, give me a blistering headache and gives me some funky rash. I called the dr about it and he wants to see me to make sure I'm having an allergic reaction.
I know I'm alergic to aleve so I'm alwasy surprised they keep putting me on NSAIDs. Also with my high blood pressure I think your supposed to be careful with either this one or relafen.
And yeah, they are doign kidney xrays and creatine tests to make sure that it's not causing either the back pain or high blood pressure.
[ 27 June 2002: Message edited by: DrEIMiller ]
 
Look, I went through this myself .. honestly - it took almost a YEAR before I was on narcotics and I DO HAVE LEGIT DISC PROBLEMS ...
Guess what? You're going to have to endure a lot of this crap .. you will have to go throguh everything from prescription strength Aleve to a few months of physical therapy .. eventually you might cop something good but you'rte expecting TOO MUCH, TOO FAST!
Sorry, it's not what you wanted to hear but it's the truth!
 
quale....
I dunno how they do it down in australia but in the US opiates are prescribed for chronic pain (this is what those oxy scripts are for). True alot of this is cancer related but I have also seen articles suggesting that opiates really are a good long term solution for otherwise resistant chronic pain.
Very interesting.
Chronic pain management in Australia is divided into cancer and non-cancer related pain. Opioids are the mainstay of cancer related pain here as well.
The articles that suggest opioids being superior to any other modality of analgesia for non-cancer chronic pain (ie. Physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, psychology, pain unit, TENS, implantable stimulators, etc etc etc including pharmacological non-opioid means), for each of those that support opioids there are 10 that refute it. Again - Australian Experience only - don't know about other places. Patients on opioids for non-cancer related chronic pain have lower levels of social functioning, higher pain scores, increased side effects, higher rates of depression and suicide, and higher rate of illicit drug use (if we are to believe the demographic studies ...)
I am not in any way suggesting what an individual should do in these circumstances, but If someone were to approach me with a chronic pain syndrome that was not cancer related, my practice is rarely, (if ever), opioid based.
 
"Cancer pain" .. I alwyaskinda laugh at that... most people being managed on chronic opioid therapies suffer from things like herniated discs ...
But anyway, it comes down to this:
First we have two types of doctors (I am really being simple with this) ..
1) Those that wont prescribe chronic opioids unless you are dying if cancer or had half your face blown off by a boiler..
2) Those that are willing to manage various typers of chronic pain with chronic opioids ..
Now, if you play your cards riught you CAN GET ON LONG TERM NARCOTICS ...
GASBO - If you could email me I have some questions for you... [email protected]
[ 29 June 2002: Message edited by: PhreeX ]
 
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