Glad to see there is a thread for CPP. I have been in chronic pain for about 5 years now. I have DDD, spinal stenosis, Slipped disks, fibromyalgia and myofascial pain. I started out on hydrocodone, then oxycodone, then morphine to oxymorphone. I am now on Opana ER 30mg 2 x's a day with 60 count, 7.5 Percocet for breakthrough pain. I just came down from 40mg Opana ER 3 x's a day. I went through withdrawal symptoms when I was tapered down. Not sure why....not full blown withdrawal, but I was having chills, sweats, aches, stomach pain, runny nose, and sneezing, but only in the mornings and after the Opana started to kick in after an hour or two, the wd symptoms calmed down and went away, but I am still feeling some mild wd in the mornings and have now been on the 30mg 2 x's a day for 3 weeks now. My question is...I am getting ready to move to Alabama (Huntsville area) and I am not sure if I am allowed to ask this, but I was wondering of anyone can recommend a good (compassionate) pain management center or doctor there. I will be honest, I am scared that I will have a hard time finding a doc that will Rx me the same thing I am taking now. I have looked online to research docs in the area, but not having much luck finding reviews and the ones I do find are scaring me. I am not an addict, however, I am very much physically dependent on my pain meds and I know if I am cut off all at once I will go through horrible withdrawals. I do want to get off pain meds someday, but right now I am dealing with too much pain to do that. So, this move to another state and not knowing what to expect from a doctor in a new area is scary for me. It is hard enough to get any doc to Rx pain meds, but I am afraid that it may be harder to get treatment in the south then where I am from, which is Maryland. I also do not want to go to a new doc and sound like an addict either, so I do not want to go in and ask for the same meds....well it scares me to ask, because then they may get offended or think I am drug seeking. I feel doctors have so much control over my pain relief. I have tried medications such as Lyrica, Neurontin, Savella, Cymbalta...and other meds in that class, but they make me feel like a zombi and they make me so tired all the time. I do not want to sleep my life away. I do not want to feel high or to feel dizzy and fuzzy from medication, but I had a doc tell me I was just seeking opiates and I was saying these other meds did not work. That had me so upset. I felt like stopping the pain killers and going through withdrawal and never taking another pain pill, but then my fiance talked me out of that because he said I would only be hurting myself. It is so hard when you actually have so much darn pain and you are treated so badly. Also, many doctors do not believe pain medication can help with fibro pain, well I know it can and it helps me. I know it helps with my back pain, which I guess helps with the other pain. Anyway...I just want to know what I should do and how to find a good pain management center or doctor in Alabama, Huntsville area....if it is ok to ask this question, and if anyone can help me. Thank you!!!
Rose