Opioids chronic back pain and dealing with doctor on medication (HELP)

[chronich]

Hey guys I have a question dealing with my situation and how to go about it with talking to my doctor. So I have had stabbing pain in my back since I was very young and it just recently got worse where I rarely sleep and am in constant pain. I am not very old only early 20's so my doctor was hesitant in believing me about my back pain. Anyways one day it got so bad I went to the emergency room, and finally got a ct scan.

They found something in my back and did another regular xray a different day. Then they still weren't sure so my doctor made me get a MRI and they finally found out for the most part what it is. They found a bone island they said that looks like I at one point fractured my lower lumbar in my back. So before I got the MRI my doctor gave me tylenol 3's which obviously didn't do much of anything for my pain. I didn't want to go back to him too quick too look like I'm drug seeking so I waited out 2 weeks in miserable paining finding whatever I could to ease the pain until I felt it was long enough.

Now finally the other day I called the office and told them taking so much tylenol along with motrin every day was upsetting my stomach because it was and also it wasn't doing crap for my pain and I don't fall asleep until the middle of the night.I told them this too, and now I finally get an appointment with him tomorrow, but I'm scared if I don't say the right thing I'll walk away with nothing. He even already gave me steroids and they didn't do anything either.

How should I approach talking to him tomorrow so I don't walk away suffering for a long time? He sounded hesitant to even give me tylenol 3's before the last xray the MRI, and I'm truely miserable in pain and currently going to physical therapy, but it's not helping fast enough. He also replied saying that maybe the the codeine was upsetting my stomach like no I've been prescribed codeine plenty times for strep and that's obviously not upsetting my stomach. Like he just sounds likes he's making excuses to not give me anything at all. Any advice on dealing with a stingy doctor?

 

[SKR]

^Dr's are usually always hesitant to prescribe opiates even if it's for pain that isn't responding to non-narcotic medications especially if you are young. My advice is to tell him/her the truth and if you don't get a satisfactory result then go back again and again and again if need be. My GP made me jump through many hoops before I was able to get a decent narcotic like oxycodone - many hoops and $10,000 dollars later doing physio and seeing multiple specialists etc.

You need to tell the Dr how you are depressed, worried about your future health with respect to work and life in general. Tell the truth, you're lucky (unlucky) that you have scans that show the source of the issue. Maybe ask for a treatment plan or for a referral to someone who will work to develop a plan that suits. If you ask for drugs you are almost guaranteed to not get any, and for good reason - believe me, you may think you want strong pain killers but it's no life man, it sucks. Good luck and take care.

 

[chronich]

I don't want to be on stronger narcotics for long term just something a little stronger until I can get through physical therapy and at least lower the pain to where it's manageable. I just want something that works longer then like 4 hrs like the new zohydro medicine would be great like 2 10mg tablets a day or even just once a day. I wish we lived in a world where we could suggest what would work for us like I just did to my doctor but that would obviously not go over well asking for certain medications.

I just can't deal with not sleeping for long periods of times, and the pain has gotten to where I decided to take a break from college for a semester. So it's really screwing with my future. Even my physical therapist said I needed narcotics for my back. I don't want to get high and I just want to get that across to my doctor somehow. Also should I bring that up to my doctor today that I'm taking a break from school because the pain being so bad?

 

[sekio]

Treat the underlying condittion, don't treat the pain. That way your dr will probably work in your favor.

NSAIDs should be your front line soldiers here... find an anti inflammatory drug that will cooperate with you, and if needed use any sort of gastric protection agents too (proton pump inhibitors).

The issue you're gonna run into is.. once you're on the opioid train, there is no good end to that story. You should be treating the condition that is making the pain problematic, rather than trying to hide the pain. If you get on the opioids the dose will only ever increase and then you'll get to a point where no dose of narcotics will provide good pain relief.

 

[Slow_Mobius]

I would be honest with your doctor and tell them that your miserable and that you need to be referred to a pain management specialist while you recover. My guess would be he either refers you to someone who will give you the drugs you need, or he just gives you something stronger. They shouldn't think youre drug seeking when you have a serious, diagnosed problem. One of my friends had a similar issue when he ruptured a disc.

 

[chronich]

I would be honest with your doctor and tell them that your miserable and that you need to be referred to a pain management specialist while you recover. My guess would be he either refers you to someone who will give you the drugs you need, or he just gives you something stronger. They shouldn't think youre drug seeking when you have a serious, diagnosed problem. One of my friends had a similar issue when he ruptured a disc.

I actually was thinking of getting a pain management doctor because I heard they are more sympathetic to your pain because they see it everyday unlike regular primary care doctors who deal with it less often. I'll see how the appointment goes and if he gives me anything if not I'll just find a specialist. I should also ask now what are things I should avoid saying or asking that could ruin my chances of any help from him and suffering traveling 10 hrs for christmas and being with family wanting to crawl in a hole and scream.

 

[SKR]

Treat the underlying condittion, don't treat the pain. That way your dr will probably work in your favor.

NSAIDs should be your front line soldiers here... find an anti inflammatory drug that will cooperate with you, and if needed use any sort of gastric protection agents too (proton pump inhibitors).

The issue you're gonna run into is.. once you're on the opioid train, there is no good end to that story. You should be treating the condition that is making the pain problematic, rather than trying to hide the pain. If you get on the opioids the dose will only ever increase and then you'll get to a point where no dose of narcotics will provide good pain relief.

This post is succinct.

I must stress the need to carefully monitor your health in regards to "gastric protection" as seiko mentioned, the gut issues with it's own use and abuse can be a real kick in the guts. Ha.

It would be remiss of me not to strenuously implore you to seek alternative treatments, I wouldn't normally be as gung-ho about surgery but what are your options regarding this Island? It has the sound of being removable without compromising the integrity of the spine but without the scans and an expert eye my suggestion is worthless beyond encouraging you to explore the idea.

But you don't want to be on too strong a narcotic for too long as you say, sadly it is my experience that if given a stronger narcotic that the dose may be inadequate for you to be able to at least be struggling a bit through your day. It's not supposed to cure your social ailments but being crippled by pain facing unemployment due to pain is my limit for needing a medicinal helping hand the refusal to do so is sinful. If I cannot grow and process my own plants according to the law of the land I live then you damn well better let me do a cash trade with the pharmaceutical company of my choice!

 

[chronich]

Update: So he gave me 5mg vicodins and some muscle relaxers called robaxin I was hoping for somas, but you know better then nothing I guess. I read somas work really great so kind of wish he would of gave me those. I'll try them anyways if they don't how can I go about asking him for somas without directly asking for somas.

 

[ShroomySatori]

There is no easy answer here buddy if you're in it for the long haul. I've had chronic pain for over 3 years now. Extreme agony. I am pretty young in my late 20's. I just do heroin now because I was so sick and tired of the garbage medical treatment I was receiving and the idiot doctors. Which has actually proven to be an effective solution in my case, costing very little and allowing for around the clock pain relief. If you feel like you would benefit from somas, do not tell your doctor that. It's called drug seeking I believe. Just ask if there are any other muscle relaxers available since the robaxin is weak or makes you drowsy or some shit.

Point being it can be really difficult to find a compassionate doctor since most of them are systematic robots. After all, this is their workplace.

 

[UpInFlames]

I'm 55 and have been dealing with severe pain in my neck and back from old injuries since i was in my 20s and 30s, to the point that c1,c2, and c3 in my neck have become so arthritic that they have fused on their own.

I have been limping through on tramadol, flexeril, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen, the latter two in scheduled doses. interestingly, once combined with intensive physical therapy, I am getting better pain relief than I did with stronger pain killers with less side effects. I take a PPI to protect my stomach as well.

My conditions are not going to get better. My goals are to increase range of motion in areas where ROM is decreased due to muscle spasm and ligament scarring/tendon contracture (the bone stuff I am stuck with), and to relieve pain as much as possible.

I do not want to got through the usual pain management progression of more and stronger pain medications. I know that back and neck pain will be with me for the rest of my life. I don't want ot be on oxy or stronger for the rest of my life, not with the side effects I get from them.

Please, look into combining physical therapy with your treatment regimen, especially if you can gain access to a warm water pool to take supervised exercise in. i think you will find it to be very helpful as I have.

 

[chronich]

I'm 55 and have been dealing with severe pain in my neck and back from old injuries since i was in my 20s and 30s, to the point that c1,c2, and c3 in my neck have become so arthritic that they have fused on their own.

I have been limping through on tramadol, flexeril, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen, the latter two in scheduled doses. interestingly, once combined with intensive physical therapy, I am getting better pain relief than I did with stronger pain killers with less side effects. I take a PPI to protect my stomach as well.

My conditions are not going to get better. My goals are to increase range of motion in areas where ROM is decreased due to muscle spasm and ligament scarring/tendon contracture (the bone stuff I am stuck with), and to relieve pain as much as possible.

I do not want to got through the usual pain management progression of more and stronger pain medications. I know that back and neck pain will be with me for the rest of my life. I don't want ot be on oxy or stronger for the rest of my life, not with the side effects I get from them.

Please, look into combining physical therapy with your treatment regimen, especially if you can gain access to a warm water pool to take supervised exercise in. i think you will find it to be very helpful as I have.

I was recently prescribed flexeril and it gave me heart palpitations so the next day I called back and was like they gave me heart palpitations and my mom use to take somas and they worked great with no side effects could I try and see if they work. His assistant later called me back saying seems like muscle relaxers aren't working out for you stick to physical therapy. So thanks to Dr. dick I am now going to be using his measly 20 vikes a month with some good ole tar and indian somas for my back thanks doc. I hate the medical care in this country. -sigh-