Chronic Pain Patient With Severe Anxiety And Panic Attacks (Top voted first)

I'm a patient going to pain management receiving OxyContin for chronic lower back pain and nerve damage in my feet and legs! I'm also seeing a psychologist who has diagnosed me with severe anxiety issues and ADHD disorders! I have hardware in my lower back (plates and screws), back fusion from S1 through L5 L3 L2! I've been disabled for 14 years!

My question is, can my pain management dr tell me I have to pick and choose which meds I need the most? She's telling me I can't receive my pain meds and my Xanax too! I have a contract with a comprehensive pain specialist. Can she kick me out of pain management because of the new guidelines in Tennessee? I'm going through a divorce and I've lost my son in a car wreck! I'm in constant pain and I'm having a panic attack right now! I'm scared to death and don't understand what's going on! Please help me?

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Re: Vinny (# 10)

You don't know much about chronic pain and anxiety!

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I've had three knee operations and a spinal fusion S2-S6 in the last 2 years. I've been taking Suboxone for 12 yrs for opiate addiction. It actually saved my life but it's not for everyone. I had to get off Suboxone for the surgeries and take oxycontin. Suboxone worked better than oxycontin. You are really not supposed to take xanax with Suboxone but I do. I have very little pain and anxiety, PM doctors don't agree because of the abuse problem. I found a doctor that will write both but will count your medicine occasionally to make sure there is no abuse.

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I'm very sorry to say, They can do Anything they please. They do Not Care. I was a pain patient for 18 years and I have the same story. On paper and in their Books, opioids and Benzos can be very dangerous together- They say. At first they took my pain prescription away and now they've told me that they will make me so a fast taper off of Xanax. They really Do Not Care! I never for into Any trouble- Never misused Anything. These medications were Not of any danger to me while taking them together. They are watching their own asses. I blame the DEA and the FDA, while They continue to okay drugs that kill people Every Day.

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Re: Susyq (# 23)

Thanks susyq! I've heard of kratom I will have to try it! Talked to pm doctor today and she wants me to be weaned down from 3 msg of xs a day to a half of a milligram a day! Or nothing is what she really wants! Don't know why they act like they care! There just scared of the government and won't admit it!

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I'm not sure why your dr would remotely risk your life saying that? You can't quit xanax like that! The others gave you great advice and in GA they seem to send you to a psychologist and I was given xanax and ask to be switched so I'm supposed to take 3 a day but I take one. I don't have severe anxiety as you but will say half hasn't shown in my drug panels at pain management and I had to show the bottle was full Bc I don't need 3 a day. Drs do not have it together and are too afraid to stand up for us. You can have severe seizures or death if you come off those to abruptly. I'm not saying you will but you can. Don't risk it and document everything! Keep a journal in your phone if you have the notes app or at least write it down. Pain patients are paying a hefty price we didn't ask for because of the ones who take illicit drugs and mixed things. The government lies and in all my years working in the lab I never once had a pain patient overdose! It was a few and each time illicit drugs or alcohol was involved and they had taken numerous other things. The media fails to tell that! I'm sorry for your loss & I don't feel your pain but please know there's a few of us left who have compassion & must work together to stop how we are being treated. It seems we have too many uneducated chiefs with the DEA and medical community who seem clueless about the damage their doing. A few legal cases on them should stop them and make them rethink how to separate addicts from chronic pain patients.

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Re: Vinny (# 10)

Vinny, you need to be very careful with what you put out into the world with your words. Your lack of empathy and compassion might come back to bite you and I promise you, I would not wish "severe nerve pain" on my worse enemy. They cannot get through initially without being medicated. Drugs such as Lyrica and Neurotin can be harmful on the long haul to some patients. As the saying goes: " What works for one does not necessarily work for another". We are all different and require different treatments and methods. Show some compassion and empathy you yourself may need it one day. GOD bless.

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Re: Vinny (# 10)

Ur ignorance re pain & anxiety especially severe is shockingly cruel ! If it was that easy the newest demographic, which includes millions that r being cut off the meds they've been tkg responsibly for years,wldnt exist ! Go crawl bk in ur hole of blissful ignorance.

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Re: Vinny (# 10)

Wow!!!! Who do you think you are to judge someone that you know nothing about. You need to get off of this site because you get off on judging people. Unreal. I'm glad I'm not your friend or related to you. Take a seat, no one's needs to be judged. Bye bye.

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Re: Susyq (# 23)

Very good advice! I use Kratom also. Fantastic for Pain and Anxiety!

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Hi! I know what you're going through. My Dr. put me on ativan and took me off Xanax. Maybe you can ask the Dr. about that. I also take Paxil for panic attacks.

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Hi Timothy, I realize you posted this awhile ago and hope you were able to get something tolerable figured out. My advice to you would be to get yourself some red vein kratom. It will help immensely with the anxiety, it even helps with pain. I got cut back quite a bit off my pain meds and have suffered bouts of anxiety as well as the pain. My pain medication doc won't give anxiety meds either! Kratom is legal in most states and won't come up in a U/A. I take the powder, 1 tsp. 3x a day. Bali, borne, Sumatra, or maeng da (Red vein). It is non-addictive and works wonders. It is considered an herbal supplement so it's not fda approved. Honestly if you don't know about it, just Google it....I've been in your shoes a little....I understand how depressed and frightening it is to lose medications you desperately need. I'm so sorry this is happening to you, and so many others. I will just say, kratom has been a literal life saver for me. Good luck hon.

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I am a chronic pain patient as well with hardware in low back as well been taking both oxyconton n oxycodone n Xanax n I have been taking for 25 years or so n I had to make the choice as well u have to decide what one is more important to u pain meds or Xanax I had to let go of my Xanax a couple of years ago cause I have two broken screws in my back n Dr.swont fix yes it's a bumb deal to choose but it's not all the doctor's fault it's also the government n saying that you could overdose cause both pain meds and benzo's decrease your heart rate n breathing and u can die from it even though u have been taking both for years it's just away for them to get people off there meds so it's your choice which one helps you more n go with it cause both dr.s could let you go if u don't choose one or the other hope this helps you out in making your decision best to you

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Re: Timothy (# 26)

Hey buddy, I hope you're doing ok without the x. Maybe kratom will work for you. I tried it and it didn't do anything for me unfortunately. I was bummed because a lot of folks swear by it. Maybe I didn't have the right vendor, but they had good reviews. Make sure you do research on the vendor before you buy. Good luck brotherman.

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Re: John (# 34)

Yea, I feel the same about Vinny, but he probably has no friends, and the only way he can get attention is to be an a**hole to people cause that's the only way he gets attention. Just look at all the posts that people made to him. He took the attention off of Timothy and got them to focus on him... Not worth the words, as you said. Take care bro.

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Re: Verwon (# 4)


Right. Doctors can do that BUT more likely it's because they're paranoid over the FAKE "OPIOID HYSTERIA".
You can thank the CDC for that!!!

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I get Klonopin & have for over 10yrs. My family doc is my provider & I have a pain specialist that is in a hospital in a state over only because that is where my neurologist sent me. I haven’t had any issues with having both? Is each state different. I’m sorry you’re having so much trouble I would recommend that you not tell them you take it anymore but I know that they can see your records from the pharmacy you use no matter if you change it or not. What I don’t understand is the fact that you lost a child and she should understand that! This is why I have been fighting my butt off about the so-called opiate problem when it is in my state. It really irritates me to read or hear on TV considering that the FDA is the same people who used to shove it down our throats and now it’s a problem which makes me wonder if they’re not getting paid anymore. If you’re on the border of a different state tried looking into a new pain doctor that would understand or talk to your neurologist or whoever did your surgery maybe they can help. I’ll be praying for you and I’m sorry for the loss of your child my sincere condolences?

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Hi Timothy.
She does sound a little cruel. But, with all of the new crazy laws a lot of these doctors are either petrified to prescribe or they're on a power trip. There are a few good doctors left but not many. Unfortunately she holds all of the cards. In my opinion most doctors are just on a power trip.

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Hi Timothy, I went through worse during 12 years of my RA Pains that caused all the bad effects in my mind, body and soul. Afraid it would compel me to be a wheel-chair dependant, met one Rheumatologist Doctor three years ago and in less than three months time, all things have changed for the better with his treatment that includes one DMARD drug, one pain killer that I now need only occasionally and one vitamin Tablet! To offset side effects, I take one Tablet of specific Herb of alternate medicine to which my Dr was very skeptic but later on he approved it and said 'phenomenal improvements' after seeing results. My suggestion to you is, too many drugs would only destroy you mentally and physically, not the disease. At times, out of the box thinking is needed.

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Re: Susyq (# 23)

Great advice. I take 2 tsp Green Malay twice a day. I totally quit pain management because they took me from Norco to Fentanyl. Fentanyl was horrible. I had bad nightmares, homicidal ideations and have acne (I'm 43 and never had acne). After 2 patches I was over it. Been taking Kratom for 13 months now. Plus it's inexpensive.

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I totally understand how you’re feeling. I to have an anterior, posterior 2 level fusion from L4 L5 to S1, and have been taken off all pain meds except for acute flare-ups! I now have epidural shots which helps some but I also have to learn to live with pain! I know where you’re at and I’ll pray for you! The medicine became my best friend and I’m so glad that I worked with the Drs. and got off the heavy narcotics because I was addicted and I definitely was slowly dying! I know what you’re going through my friend, but do what you can to get your life back! I am now in recovery and the benefits of helping others who are going through the same thing I’ve been through is so rewarding! I see a great pain management psychologist, here in Maine! I hope you get your life back and not become just a statistic! Please let me know how you make out with things, all my best!!!

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