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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

This may be in the wrong place, need advise on coming down on my pain meds

painenduser

painenduser

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
404
Location
NJ
Hey all, for those that know me, I have been dealing with severe abdominal pain due to end stage liver disease. My Dr''s keep upping my medications, but when I tell them I want to wean back down from the high doses, they want to just drop my doses with no wean down. This is causing me severe withdraw and to much pain to deal with. I have called a number of detox places and none of them want to take me due to my liver disease. My pain mgt dr only offered me in patient detox, which will not help me as I still need some sort of pain management and detox centers want to take you completely off of all drugs all together. I have asked about suboxone and methedone and was advised against both do to my condition but they have said that saboxone would be a better choice, but I must find a private Dr to do this and in NJ there are few that are liscenced to do so, and on top of that I have no health insurance and they wont take private pay. So my question is what the hell is a person to do when they want help but noone is willing to help. Has anyone been in this situation? and does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks guys, if this doesn't belong here, please feel free to move, but please be kind enough to PM me as to where this has been moved too.

Thanks!

Pain
 
If you asked them to take you off the meds, you could probably ask them to put you back on them. Then, just figure out your own taper route.
 
This doesn't sound like a good idea, nAON. I dunno, but I surely couldn't manage to taper opiates if I had access to an unlimited stash.

But I'm a drug addict, not a pain patient, so who knows ;)
 
Actually nAON's idea sounds like one of the only options for this guy. His problem is pain and no one willing to put him through a rehab program. If you have the desire and willpower to wean down on the usage but still need the pain medication for your pain.. it's almost a catch 22. The only thing you can do is get back on the pain medication from the doctor that's willing to work with you somewhat. You said he is only prescribing high doses, but of what? Virtually all forms have ways of breaking them down so you can take a lesser amount, which in your case it what you're looking for. As long as you stick with that regiment, that would be "weaning down". Along with that would get involved with some NA classes, they surely aren't going to turn you away and obviously don't require insurance or payment.
 
painenduser: If I were you I would google "subutex/suboxone doctor (your area)" . Then literally call every single one you can find and ask about price/availability. When I needed one that is what I did, and many of them charged ridiculous amounts (over $1000), and required a wait of like 6 weeks! Wtf?! After calling numerous sub doctors, I found one that was willing to see me NEXT DAY and only charged $125 ! Don't give up after a call or two even if you get discouraged.
 
I can tell you first hand, it might be easier than you think. I recently detoxed from 50mcg fent and 40mg oxy a day. That was down from 400-500mg of oxy a day post op. Anyhow, I had my doc order the pharm to dispense daily, started at 80mg oxy a day for a week, then 60mg for a week, then 50mg, 40mg, 30mg, 20mg at 4 days each. Then he was going to give me percs but I decided to go cold from 20. Mental WD was far worse than physical, which was a joke outside the fact that my chronic pain came back as the dose dropped. BUT! By the time I was at 20mg I was actually able to feel a nice buzz from taking 20mg at one time on an empty stomach where a few weeks prior I would have to eat a full 50mcg fent patch to feel anything remotely good (unfortunately I'd usually black out for most of the trip).

Anyhow, point is this: I did a fairly quick yet reasonable taper and saw my tolerance drop like a stone. Maybe I am just lucky, but if it worked for me it could work for you.

Note: I was using daily for about 18 months. Also, on the flip side, my tolerance increases almost as fast as it decreases.
 
All really ideas guys, The thin that's burning me up was I went to my pain mgt Dr and told him my predicament, so he tells me to get him all my hospital reports that show the high levels I was on and then he told me he would wean me down. I did all that and got him all the information he asked me for, then he told me , your just going to have to deal with it and taper my self. but cut my meds down to a third of that they were. How the hell am I supposed to do that? I have tried detoxing down and no such luck I would up the the ER in full blow withdraw and there answer was to just dose me up with more dilaudid. The problem is now there is a new program in place where all the hospitals, pharmacies and some Dr's are not all connected into some data base so they know how much and by whom you are getting prescribed your pain meds, so if use you up what you have in order to avoid W/D, then when you go to the hospital or Dr, they compare this and call you an addict because your getting meds at your pain meds Dr's as well as the hospital a accourding to the DEA you must be abusing the drugs, and there for it now illegal to get some much meds in X amount of times,All because of the people who go Dr shopping and it really makes life for me hell. I refuse to go through and more W/D pains, because they are the worst and absolutely suck! I am going to be making another bunch of phone calls tomorrow again. I was also told by a rehab clinic I called that the way his is tapering my Fentanyl is completely the wrong way about it and probably the most painful. I thought at one point he was a great dr, but now I am having my doubts. Thanks for the comments guys, keep em comin! The more I can learn about this, the more I will have to fight for a safe and painless, wean down. I know that there will be some pain as that can't be avoided, but but something has got to give. I mean even my pharmacist said, most people are trying to get as much drugs as they can, here I am trying to taper down and I having a harder time then if I was trying to get all the drug in the world! I may have mentioned this already but when I went to the hospital last night in severe withdraw and we tryin to talk to the dr about it, all he did was just place me on more dilaudud as no hospital in my area has such a program. Then he told me if I had anymore withdraw from this was just o back the the ER and they would pump me up with more dilaudid, while the dilaudid is nice the flippin W/D's F'ing suck!!!
 
I read only the first 4 lines of that wall, and all I can say - find a new doctor.

You're completely within your rights to leave this asshat (it's dangerous to NOT taper you down) and find someone w/ common sense and a head / heart.

Just bring your history of medication and pain issues, and find someone who will work with you / help you achieve your goals.
 
Pjkt2501 said:
I read only the first 4 lines of that wall, and all I can say - find a new doctor.

You're completely within your rights to leave this asshat (it's dangerous to NOT taper you down) and find someone w/ common sense and a head / heart.

Just bring your history of medication and pain issues, and find someone who will work with you / help you achieve your goals.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100% but with no income and no insurance there are very limited pain mt Dr's in my area. It's sad, but I have tried, looked, called, and noone wants to take me because of my cash issue. I would love to find a new Dr but I haven't been able to find one that my family and I can afford, and trust me I am still looking. It seems that noone is williing to take someone elses "problem" either. I will be looking again over the next few days, but thus far I just havent found any. If anyone here is in NJ and knows of one please PM me and let me know, I would be greatful.

Thanks!
 
Benzopiates said:
Maybe the best advice is just to be honest and tell your doctor about it, they have very strict guidelines on how to come down saftlely from pain meds
Click to expand...

Oh I am very much aware of the strict guidelines and all. however, I do not want to come completely off the meds as I stll have severe unresolved pain, so there is nothing worth lying about to anyone as I am not trying to hide anything. I am on the meds as prescribed and they kept prescribing me higher and higher doses when I would get admitted because my tolerance over the years has gotten high. It's just now my pain mgt Dr doesn't want to deal with tapering me back down, as he feels I should be able to tough it out, and I have told him I couldn't with out a taper and that's when he decided to tell me well, I can put you in an in patient rehab.. This is where I call BS!! I do not need a detox center. I just need him to help taper me back and he wont. As Pjkt2501 eloquently sad, the guy is an asshat, I'm not a addict, I'm just a washed up drunk hence my liver issues, but I have been sober for over 600 some odd days.. Thats pretty good if you ask me!! :)
 
Thats some bad shit going down there Pain, it goes to show that in many ways we are lucky here in the UK, here you don't really need insurance at all (some people do have it and in your situation it would probably put you in a better position) we have a national health service paid for centrally via taxation and if you don't like you Doctor you can just go see another one.

I've done this quite a few times if I'm not happy with the treatment or not confident in the doctor and their diagnosis or decisions, I really have little to no knowledge of the way it works in the US but this guy sounds like an A hole, we have them over here as well:D

The very fact that you continue to be sober and do what you can to manage your situation makes this shitty treatment all the worse.

Hope things get better for you soon...best wishes to you brother
 
Thanks ATM, I appreciate the reply. Yeah it is pretty shitty, but hey welcome to the US and even more so welcome to NJ. All the pain mgt Dr's in NJ dried up because asshole addict doctor shoppers who abused the system so bad, did stupid things, killed themselves or got so sick and then the family sued the Dr's for the patients own BS, (Listen all, no offense to addicts, hell, I'm a recovering alcoholic, but its the addicts who blame the Dr's for their own stupidity that I hate, I have no problem with addicts as we live with a horrific disease of addiction, but man the fuck up if you are an addict and don't blame the Dr's and then screw the people who are trying to do the right thing and now suffer the consequences of others stupidity). Almost no Dr's in NJ will even admit to prescribing pain meds for fear of people faking pain to support their habits. Almost all pain mt Dr's here claim to only do interventional pain management which I can not afford, those procedures cost hundreds to thousands of $$$ I just don't have. I have called every pain mgt Dr that I have been given references to from the local hospitals, clinics, and Dr's and either the numbers come back as disconnected, no longer a Dr's office, or Dr's that will no longer practice pain mgt in NJ. The DEA as raided every Dr in NJ. Since I have been with the Dr I am now, he as been raided 3 times by the DEA, but he keeps meticulous records and has never had a problem with the DEA, but this is what the DEA is doing, they are harassing all the Dr's to the point where they are terrified to practice medicinal pain management. I can not tell you how mad I am about this. Again, I am not blaming all addicts for this problem and I can see how easily it would be to become an addicted to pain meds, but seriously, if you fuck up and kill yourself or in someway maim yourself, don't blame and sue the Dr because all you are doing is hurting the people who truly need their help! So I dont have a hatred of addicts, I have a hatred of addicts that don't take responsibility for their own actions and blame the Dr's for their problems. :(
 
Yeah, proof positive that my pain management dr is a complete asshat. His office called me 30 minutes before my appt today to cancel my appointment, because apparently I have to see the Dr and not his PA. He usually does this when he tries to ditch his patients, so I may be out of a pain mgt Dr which will be VERY bad especially because I will have noway other then going to the ER in order to get my meds or I will be in some major WD's! This has me absolutely FUMING! I want to kick this dude square in the teeth! Now I'm thinking I'm fucked. I don't know what the hell to do. :(

EDIT: You know and the wonder why good people turn to stupid ways that can get them in trouble. I mean think of it. If this guy dumps me off because he just doesn't want me as a patient any more because he did tell me once that he would probably have to drop me since I am a cash patient (no insurance) and supposedly thats like a call sign for the DEA to look at his cash pay patients as they are supposedly more likely to Dr shop, wtf am I supposed to do cut my meds cold turkey? I will wind up in the ER every week to try to get my meds or find another Dr who will pick me up where he left off which is next to impossible to do. Now I am not saying nor am I advocating ANYONE to do anything unethical but you can just leave it to your imagination what some people might do to get their meds in a case like this. Luckily I am smarter then the average bear and do not need to resort to such things, but it just makes my point of how dumb ass people have really fucked it up for people truly in need of legitimate honest help and cant usually get it anymore. Now there are all these new systems going up to track your control substance prescriptions at the pharmacies, big brother is truly watching you now..... I can go on and on and it won't change anything, but I guess you all can see my frustration and anger. And I want to repeat. ***I am not saying nor am I advocating ANYONE to do anything unethical or illegal!!!!!!!!!*** As all that would do is make the problem worse and the repercussions would not be worth it so don't take this as a reason to go do anything stupid!!!!. Ok I think I have made that point quite clear. Anyway, I'll shut up now... Im just still fuming since when I questioned the professionalism of them calling me last second like that to cancel my appointment leaving me with out my meds for a week, the bitch on the other end of the phone slammed the phone down and hung up on me. I wonder if I can sue them for their treatment of me here, or raise an issue with the medical board..... hmmmmmmm revenge is a dish best served cold :) lol Ok I feel a little better now! Peace!
 
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