kaosisallwesee
Bluelighter
After several years of being opioid free my health has gone to shit. Not only has the original issue reappeared (severe left knee pain), which resulted in posture and mobility abnormalities. Because of this the pain has spread to my hip and lower back. I've also developed neuralgia in my jaw, I assume from a persistent tooth infection. Bottom line is that I'm in a fair bit of pain with parenting and work making it worse.
Earlier this year I moved with my partner and child back to Lincolnshire, and registered with my old doctor again who originally treated my knee pain (damage and large tear to the lateral meniscus). They prescribed 240mg of codeine a day.
I've never got much analgesia from codeine at prescribed dosages, and to avoid over use asked if I could fuck off the 240mg of co-codamol a day and switch to a much lower dose of dihydrocodeine.
At first I had a phone appointment with a prescribing nurse and I was told its not available in the UK at all. I explained that I'd been issued it before multiple times, albeit several years ago, and that I had a family member who received it from the same surgery. Said she wasn't sure and that I'd need to speak to a doctor.
So I got a call back from my GP who at first said it was only for severe cancer pain etc... and not used at all in general practice. I'd looked into the NHSs recommendations for prescribing DHC and it said it was commonly used when codeine hasn't been effective before trying stronger pain killers such as tramadol and morphine. I explained this and he offered me 200mg of tramadol a day and 120mg of codeine a day. Tramadol makes me feel like I'm on really dirty speed, and can't safely operate machinery at work. So that's a no.
Then I get a call from a different doctor asking how they could help?! I'm pretty confused, but explain the situation again. They prescribed some naproxen and say to see if it helps, despite my reluctance I accepted. I find ibuprofen hard enough on my stomach, naproxen is like fire, even with food, ranitidine etc... 45mins later I get a text come through from the same doctor. It said that they'd looked into the prescribing of DHC and that they'd be happy to accept my request and prescribe some, if the naproxen doesn't help. Luck would have it that doctor won't be back in until Tuesday next week. So the request has gone to a different doctor with the notes from my previous discussion and text message. Just seems a massive fuck about.
Why was it so hard to find a doctor who was open to prescribing it? I was offered pretty big doses of codeine and tramadol, but DHC seemed like a no go area for all the docs I spoke to without a lot of prior consideration. Just seems odd.
Earlier this year I moved with my partner and child back to Lincolnshire, and registered with my old doctor again who originally treated my knee pain (damage and large tear to the lateral meniscus). They prescribed 240mg of codeine a day.
I've never got much analgesia from codeine at prescribed dosages, and to avoid over use asked if I could fuck off the 240mg of co-codamol a day and switch to a much lower dose of dihydrocodeine.
At first I had a phone appointment with a prescribing nurse and I was told its not available in the UK at all. I explained that I'd been issued it before multiple times, albeit several years ago, and that I had a family member who received it from the same surgery. Said she wasn't sure and that I'd need to speak to a doctor.
So I got a call back from my GP who at first said it was only for severe cancer pain etc... and not used at all in general practice. I'd looked into the NHSs recommendations for prescribing DHC and it said it was commonly used when codeine hasn't been effective before trying stronger pain killers such as tramadol and morphine. I explained this and he offered me 200mg of tramadol a day and 120mg of codeine a day. Tramadol makes me feel like I'm on really dirty speed, and can't safely operate machinery at work. So that's a no.
Then I get a call from a different doctor asking how they could help?! I'm pretty confused, but explain the situation again. They prescribed some naproxen and say to see if it helps, despite my reluctance I accepted. I find ibuprofen hard enough on my stomach, naproxen is like fire, even with food, ranitidine etc... 45mins later I get a text come through from the same doctor. It said that they'd looked into the prescribing of DHC and that they'd be happy to accept my request and prescribe some, if the naproxen doesn't help. Luck would have it that doctor won't be back in until Tuesday next week. So the request has gone to a different doctor with the notes from my previous discussion and text message. Just seems a massive fuck about.
Why was it so hard to find a doctor who was open to prescribing it? I was offered pretty big doses of codeine and tramadol, but DHC seemed like a no go area for all the docs I spoke to without a lot of prior consideration. Just seems odd.
