2014 New Pain Medication Laws Dictating To Doctors That They Cannot Prescribe Anything Equivalent 120 Mg Of Morphine Or Higher A Day Per Patient (Page 5)
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I was told Friday by my Pain Management Doctor at my monthly appointment that the DEA was implementing a new law dictating to doctors on how much pain medication they could prescribe per patient per day. It could be equal to no more than 120 mg of Morphine per day per patient and they had to comply within 3 months for all of their patients. I am trying to find out as much information on this as possible. I don't know if my Pain Management Doctor is stating fact or if he is just running scared and if he is stating fact, I don't know if this is federal or state (Alabama) mandated. I spoke directly with the Southeastern division of the DEA in Atlanta this morning and they are not aware of any law of this nature coming into effect and I also contacted another pain clinic locally that has never heard of it either. So I have been trying to reach my Pain Management Clinic and get a copy of the law itself so I will know if it's federal or state and if it is an actual law or just a state regulation and if it's even true but so far no one has called me back so I thought I'd try my luck here and see if anyone has heard of this. This really has me bothered. It looks like either way, true or not, to get adequate pain care I am at least going to have to move out of state if not the entire country. I will ask my questions about that in a different post. But if this is in any way true, and it seems my pain doctor is going to be going by these guidelines whether it is or is not true, it is going to cut my pain meds by almost half. I am on 120 mg of Oxycodone and 8 mg of Dilaudid per day which I was told equals 212 mg of Morphine per day. And before someone decides to tell me that I don't need that much pain medication, I will go ahead and say to you, you don't know me, you don't know what conditions I have that cause me Daily Severe Chronic Pain and other Daily Severe Pain to warrant that much medication, you don't know my tolerance for pain meds, I do NOT take any pain medication to feel high, I ONLY take pain medication to relieve some of the pain as what I am on doesn't even relieve all of my pain, I do NOT drink, I do NOT do street drugs, I see my doctor every 28 days just as I am supposed to, I take my medication as prescribed and the way I am supposed to take it except when I had extreme oral surgery a month ago and I did have to break up my tablets for about a week but they were put on my tongue and NOT up my nose and they were IR tablets so I was fine doing that as I had checked with my pharmacist prior, and you don't feel what I feel or see me lying in bed 24/7 crying from the pain because it is so excruciating and unrelenting so please before anyone starts telling me that I don't need that much pain medicine just stop now before you even start. Those of you that have to live with daily pain will surely understand where I am coming from being this defensive as I'm sure you know you are treated as a drug addict by most doctors even. Thanks in advance for any help with my question.

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flea, no attorney is going to take case where a patient was dismissed because they were asking other patients for drugs. Attorneys aren't going to take cases where patients are dismissed anyway. Patients like you are one of the reasons it is hard for others.

The only thing a flood of pain patients going to the ER will do is make doctors stricter.

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Or they didn't bother to actually read the guidelines.

Me? I am actively doctor shopping. That's right! My pharm told me the other day to be careful or 'they'll accuse you of doctor shopping." (It was his error tho'--filling two narcotic Rx's from 2 different docs--whatever.) And I told him that "well, I *am.*" I'm going to keep going until I find somebody who practices good medicine. I may not get what I think I need but I'll know if I'm the one being treated or if I'm just being molded towards the doctor's convenience or bottom line.

My advice to all is to find a pain management doctor who has expertise in actual pain management, if possible, as opposed to a ***** who "does" pain management (or hangs the shingle so he/she can sell their botulism shots or epidurals, etc.) Hospital affiliations/teaching? What dept.? Publications? Research? This is going to require self-honesty too, because clearly there are people that have been over-prescribed. Me--I'm on those approved conditions list so at least I have (ha) that going for me?

IMHO: People insufficiently treated for should go to ER's for pain. Nobody will notice us until we become a statistic. Watch what happens when triage records start seeing PAIN PAIN PAIN all over the place as an 'unnecessary ER visit.' They'll start telling doctors to treat their damn patients. lol (Screw them--suicide is not an option! Repeat after me!)

I got fired by my last doc for 'asking other patients for drugs.' I'm going to talk to a lawyer about it because that is not okay. If it happened to you, and you have one of those free hour legal consultations through your job, use it!

Meanwhile I got the medical marijuana card. I start tomorrow. I'll try it. I'm not enthusiastic, especially after reading the literature, but I will try it. For science! Besides, I recently started taking tiny sips of whiskey to help me get through; this is a big fat red flag. It's as if they'd rather me poison myself than give me that additional 20 mg of Percocet back. Go figure.

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Im in augusta ga.. My pain doctor after 7 years accused me showing positive for methamphetamine.. Ive never done that in my life!.. I proved them wrong and then they said it was a mistake.. Anyway I think it was a way to try to get rid of me being over 120 mg a day.. They took me back but I demanded an apology and said I cant get cut.. Well.. They released me again.. The very sad part is my mom read the letter and maybe thought I was on methamphetamine, she passed that month of pc.. That caused more pain, before proving I was innocent.. And she was a patient there too!!! Crying now! July 13th will be one year.. My primary care dr helped me for 8 months giving what ive been taking.. But told me I need pm.. I cant find dr and I have good insurance.. Primary said mabye go to atl..Heck.. Suppose to have surgery but 20% to 80% outcome!? That's 20% dr stating I'll maybe get better and 80% staying the same or getting worse.. On a second opinion, the dr said the same thing.. So I need my meds!! I love my primary care dr but rules are rules.. He's even trying to find me one.. What to do!!!?

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Brace yourself everyone! I'm going through the same thing. My doc is in Oregon. Same thing is happening here. I was on 210mg. of Oramorph for 13 years. My doctor has cut me back to 135mg. I see her next week, and I'm pretty sure she will cut me another 15mg. I don't know what the hell is happening, but it seems like doctors are running scared. DEA? My pain is off the chain as well. I was suicidal 13 years ago due to lack of pain management. I'm afraid of what's to come.

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I had a doctor tell me the same thing but would never prove it. I know see doctor that gives me 390 ml grams of morphine and that is all he will do and I still have severe pain and no life at 47 years old, but had my first back surgery at nineteen and 3 more since and 5 more herniated disc in my upper back and neck. Everyone ones pain and tolerance is different.

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Bugs, it is Not a Law. It is up to each doctor to prescribe what in their professional jusgement is best for each patient. Unfortunately, many doctor lie and say the law has changed. They get less arguments from patients when the patients believe it is a change in the law. You may or may not find a doctor that will prescribe you more. A new doctor will want a copy of your medical records from your current doctor.

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In Georgia i am having same problem but i have been told only 50 mg per day is the new law and doctor just cut mine down in one day? Its been so hard. We were giving a option to have procedures or leave just like that plus these procedures are expensive and i have no choice. I hate finding a new doctor? I dont know what to do?

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Bruce, the CDC Recommendation is 90 mg Morphine/90 mg Morphine Equivalent Daily Dosage for primary care doctors. But, most pain management doctors are also going by the 90 mg.

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I really feel for you. I take Dilaudid, 4mg Q6h. By my calculations I'm 80MME. I fear the day that I get up to 120. NOT that far down the road. Stay Strong Friend

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Hello, I live in the northwest too. My doctor has cut my oramorph form 210mg. a day to 120mg per day. I've been to around 15 pain clinics which all recommend different treatment plans, but that is how I got to that dosage. I started at 15mg tid almost 20 years ago. This last pain clinic I went to, the doctor said he was fine with my morphine dose the way it was, but he left it up to my primary docs discretion. Do you know of anyone in Portland who is more lenient in their prescribing practices?

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CJ, it is still up to each doctor to use their professional judgement when prescribing for their patients. There are no laws that say a doctor has to prescribe under a certain daily dose mg. There are recommendatioins, but that is not the same as laws. The CDC Recommendation says no more than 90 mg Morphine/ 90 mg Morphine Equivalent Daily Doses for Primary Care Physicians. But most pain management doctors have decided on their own to go by these recommendations. Unfortunately most doctors tell their patients they are being forced to decrease the dosage because patients give them less grief when they think the doctro has no control over it,

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I know exactly what you are saying and if this is true, I'm in Canada and I heard through the grapevine our doctors have been warned about new changes. I am so happy that our world war two vets are here to see that what they were fighting for our freedom from communist country, was all in vain.
What makes me so mad because addicts will find drugs anywhere its us who have had to prove ourselves constantly and that seems also in vain.
With all the agreeing to random piss checks and Red flags on computer. I am fine with this but for some reason pharmacy and doctors are plain stupid if their patient is showing signs of using more then prescribed or keep wanting higher doses after a three month period then if they only had a brain, it was easy to see this is not helping. Even the Purdue pharmacy was really doing a great job making a pain killer to help to people who were suffering. I don't believe that they lied because if you really are having severe chronic pain you will not have a addiction the way a lot of people were becoming.. Pain control was not having no pain at all. I never wanted to feel that. I just wanted to be able to a part of my family. When I would feel pain after doing to much at least I knew why and that told me. I'd did more and go lay down that usually I would take a breakthrough. Most time Advil or if really bad I'd take my IR 20 mg. I know I was very depending on my pain meds. But like you I never took more or ran out before my idue date.I went on oxycontin. I never shared to my friends or my kids what I was taking, I always especially when it was bad and addicts were robbing people home and were waiting outside the pharmacy. I bought a small safe and locked them in their .
But what ever us honest and prove over and over since 2000 17years of doing everything to show that I respected and valued them because I now had quality of life find it didn't matter if you couldn't have a life quality and spend every minute that you can enjoying your family find it didn't matter if you couldn't have a life quality and spend every minute that you can enjoy your family find a matter if you couldn't have a life quality and spend every minute that you can enjoying your family find it matter if you couldn't have a life quality and spend every minute that you can enjoying your family find it didn't matter if you couldn't have a life quality and spend every minute that you can enjoy and your family.
I was a teenager in the 70'and drugs were on the street anywhere downtown east end.
Back then it was alcohol, I remember phoning the taxi cab to bring us what ever we wanted. When they got there we pretended mom was in the bath. A friend would yell out saying money is on table and
tip him $5 .
I'll pray for you and totally understand.

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Sadly the 1 (30mg) Kadian and 4 (15mg) oxycodone is the (120mg) jacked up equivalent this is what I am now recieving they took my oxymorphone away from me and gave me the Kadian that does not work for me at all. And raised my 4 (10mg) to 4 (15mg) they did this 1 1/2 years ago. They decided to slowly taper different areas and offices so they didn't get that many mad at once and cleverly sat that if your dose was cut you didn't need it and since not everyone cut at once many would believe it until it hits them personally. I am so sorry that it is still going on it is very hard to deal with and the dramatic rate that they cut me put me in full relapse and sadly took away a major part of my life. I hope things change for us sooner than later. We can only hope congress does not purposely go slow to use is as a talking point for the race 2 years from now. Pressure needs applied jerks think if they wait they will be able to get a super majority. However at this time they are to dumb to realize it will do opposite for them.

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I live in tn (40 mins from nashville & 2hrs from knoxville).

I was just told today at pm that my meds would change but I will get equivalent (?not sure about that).

I currently take 60mg kadian & 10mg hydrocodone 6xday.

I was told that the short term meds cannot be prescribed more than 3xday. Also that all meds can't go over 120mg of morphine equivalent.
I'm told that I'll be given the equivalent but as ocycodone 15mg, I believe.
It doesn't sound right. I hope I'm not being lied to.

As it was coming here from tx this pm lowered my morphine from 3xday to 2xday without warrant.

My tx pm doc was head of pm board, not a quack over prescribing meds!

I'm appalled by the assumption of being a drug seeker/abuser when I'm always in pain even with my meds.

I'm interested in finding a pm doc in the area that won't treat me tgat way & take my severe chronic pain needs seriously.

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I even wrote the White House the other day. Ha. I should have tweeted.

Meanwhile, "the media is the message."

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I want to know who has the money and power to stop this blind take over of our health care. We legit pain patients have made it clear our distress at being forgotten yet the gov still ignored our agony. This pendulum of overprescribing has swung way too far the other direction. Leaving those of us with legitimately verified pain out in thecold and dying from uncontrolled agony.
Whether it takes money for court hearings or simply the power of an entity then we need to get that so things shall be righted saving our lives.
Anyone with the ability or the answer or even An idea going forward PLEASE PLEASE respond here so we may all join together and fight for our lives.
My life has spiraled down health wise each day getting worse. I now AM totally bedridden with zero quality of life, have complications due to my uncontrolled pain, feel like a tortured animal.
This is not what America is meant to be-we are not an undeveloped country, yet the way pain patients âre being ignored is worse than those countries.
HELP please ANYONE who can accomplish this destruction of gov taking over our health.

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The way things are going that's what we are going to have to do. I think this is only the first the limit of 120 mg of morphine, they will continue to reduce the s $a@amount of pain medication until it is banned all together. Legitimate pain patients are being punished for the misuse if pain meds by addicts. They should improve and expand treatment for addicts and leave chronic pain patients alone. We already suffer enough from the injuries aND diseases we havd. -!!! Some days I wake up and I just don't to live one more day with this pain.

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its the same here in Australia, strict laws for opium/synthetic opiod based drugs here too, while the federal government grows fields of it! I guess because they're viciously addictive & can serious suppress respiration we can't even get panadiene forte without valid photo ID & script I think its time to move somewhere isolated & grow beautiful poppys all over the place & make a compot tea to drink twice a day.

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Welcome to my world. I feel your pain, seriously. your story sounds so familiar but sadly you better get ready to be pissed off because nobody is going to help you. I also would never have done the things I've done but out of desperation we do things, anything to alleviate our pain. All we want is to be able to function and act like a normal person. even with my pain medication I hurt, but at least I can work, play with grandchildren, shop... I don't know what's wrong with that but for some insane reason some people think that we people with chronic pain are just needing it for the high. Personally a long time ago I didn't care if I got addicted to my pain killers as long as I could function normally, so I'm very sorry to say, get used to it and you might.

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Haven. I work in medical records in a Texas hospital. By law, we have to have medical records ready within 30 days of the request form being filled out.

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