Hospitalized For 50 Days On Painkillers And Need Advice (Top voted first)

I was hospitalized when I couldn't walk and found it was a MRSA infection that spread to my heart, lungs and both hips. I am still here leaving in five days. I must use a walker because it's too painful to walk. I was on IV Dilaudid up to 2mg per hour, weaned down to 2 mg every 3-4 hours; then three weeks ago they switched to 37.5 mcg Fentanyl every 72 hrs and 20mg Oxycodone a day. I'm going home in five days and no longer have a family doctor... Is the hospital going to send me home on something or am I going to suffer till I get a doctor at home? Will there be withdrawals? It's been 50 days of painkillers supervised.

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I hope you are doing ok. I agree with most everything being said here. I would encourage you to find out if one of the Dr.s you are seeing at the hospital will take you as a patient. Do this before you leave. The one that writes the prescription will hopefully be a Dr that takes patients outside of the hospital one that has their own practice. You will find it much easier to fill the prescription if the hospital does not have a pharmacy if you already a patient and the pharmacy fills that Dr.s prescriptions already. I have found pharmacies especially CVS will not work with Dr.s they don’t do business with already. Personally I have found Walgreens’s treats me a little more like I’m a human being. It has been my experience that CVS has no empathy whatsoever. An example — my Dr. wrote a prescription for Pain meds but only for 7 days because he was increasing the dosage and it was going to take a week for New meds to come in. The pharmacist knew it was going to take 10 days for my new meds to come in because this particular CVS only orders meds every 10 days. Instead of telling me upfront it was going to take longer he said nothing. When I called a few days later to check on arrival of my new meds the pharmacist said it was going to take 10 days. He had no suggestions to help did not want to call my Dr. to tell him what was happening. Then he told me was busy and had no time to discuss this. I am really getting tired of being treated like scum because I have pain from a condition that will never go away. I don’t understand why it’s ok to treat people in this way. I know people are dying from pain meds but they are not getting them from a pharmacy with a legal prescription 99% of the time. So why treat customers this way?

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Yea they should give you a months script n I would ask them to point you in the direction of the hospital pharmacy and fill there!! Then get set up with a PM doc just in case you need it bettrr to have one than not!! Fentynel is strong but its Extended released over 3 days so you might need breakthrough like an oxycodone 20 or 30mg to herlp get thru. Make sure you get all the proper paperwork you need so you dont have to go back n forth including your MRI'S GOID LUCK let us know how it turned out!!

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Re: ABA (# 19)

Hello, I was wondering what kind of pain you have had for so long and how you manage to still get a RX for so many years since they are cracking down like crazy and drs. are getting so reluctant an scared to write them. How do you convince a dr. that you will not abuse and truly could get by on 1 before bedtime to just be able to sleep. Nothing works for me and I have been prescribed every alternative. Lyrica was a joke. I do not feel like I would abuse and am not trying to get a recreational high. Just be able to sleep pain free every night. I can stand it during the day, though it gets uncomfortable but being up hours at night is almost suicidal. Thanks

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Re: ABA (# 19)

You are DEFINITELY in the minority of NOT getting sick after almost a decade of oxycodone!!!! I have been doing this PM thing for 10 yrs n I got sick when my doctor just uped and called it quits without telling anyone he was doing so. I was sick for a week or two before I found a nrw place to go to it was horrible. Now EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT but its not fair to say this gentleman will not b sick if he stops all opioids. I did and was sick so to each his own!!!

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Hi, I hope you get to feeling better soon, that being said, you better start asking every doctor you come in contact with and ask them these questions, and don't forget the nurses. Explain your situation and be persistent, as yes, you will probably experience some withdrawal from just stopping the pain meds even though you're not on a super high dosage. Good luck to you.

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Re: Jesse (# 14)

I'm confused with your response you say you were on "heavy meds" 30 migs every 3 days 30 migs of anything every 3 days is nothing. Of course everybody's different and every situation is unique.He was on 2 mig's of Dilaudid every hour! he's not going to withdraw! He was on it for 50 days, weened down to a conservative regiment I completely disagree with you I think you're giving bad advice saying that he's going to go through withdrawals. I've been using opioids (30-50 mgs.oxycodone daily) for years. Recently I went 7 days without any and I had no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever!! Everybody is different. No disrespect to you.

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Re: Jim (# 20)

Just curious, what exactly is your issue that is preventing you from sleeping? If you have an easily verifiable malady like a bulging disc, you should seek out a pain management specialist. I can't guarantee they will prescribe opioids. In fact, they will most likely try other less aggressive treatments first; unless your medical records clearly notate several failed attempts with these.

However, jumping through these hoops is necessary both ethically, & (imho) morally to weed out drug seekers. Be prepared to take a drug panel on your initial visit & at every office visit thereafter. If you're truly in as much agony as I was, it's not that big a deal to follow a few simple rules.

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I've been in your place 5 times but I was addicted to painkillers for my back. I’m on subutex. It was 27 days I was on the same pain pump and a 2mg dose intravenously every 4 hrs. I could hit the button every 8 minutes. I was so scared to go home in fear of having to switch back to subutex and re-adjust. Surprisingly they will send you home with a prescription but I felt no bad withdrawals and if I had not have been stupid I could have stayed off the subutex, but in fear, I decided to go back to my subutex, but you won’t be sent home with nothing! You will get a 10 day supply, most likely Percocet 10/325. Good luck!! But you were in pain so you weren’t in the mindset of being high so I think that played a big role. I think there’s a difference between needing it an doing it for recreation with no pain!

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Jim (# 7) --

Since doctors are not licensed by the bar, disbarring them would serve no purpose whatsoever.

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RAWDOG (# 8) --

Yes u are. I'm an opioid patient in recovery. Your gonna go thru cold and hot flashes but u were on such a low dose u mite not even get the cold sweats and restless legs or panic attacks. I've been used to major doses like 30 mg every three days. Maybe ur one of the lucky few who doesn't enjoy the feeling and will stay away from it once it's done.

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You need to talk to your physician honestly about your concerns. Make sure they understand that you do not want to develop, or worsen, dependence, but at the same time you do not want to have to worry about dealing with unnecessary pain. Don't leave the hospital without having a clear pain management plan in place that has been reviewed and approved by every physician involved in your care, and by your insurance company and/or your pharmacy. The government, mainly the CDC, FDA, and DEA are cracking down & implementing policies that have been shown to fail, at the expense of tens of thousands of chronic pain patients everywhere. States, pharmacies, and insurance companies have started implementing their own restrictions, and the whole situation has physicians retiring in never before seen numbers, with the remaining physicians refusing to write any new opioid prescriptions. The sooner you can get a plan in place the better as new policies are being implemented by the day. IF YOU CAN'T BE ASSURED PROPER PAIN MANAGEMENT, REFUSE TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL. IF YOU HAVE ISSUES AFTER LEAVING, SIMPLY RETURN TO THE ED AS NECESSARY. Remember this is not what doctors want and not their fault.

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hospitals tend to either slowly lower your drugs to avoid withdrawls and release you once your pain is managed without opioid medications and if they plan to discharge you while your using the meds every 4 hrs they will provide maby 3 days worth of the regiment your on with the expectation you will follow up with family doc since you dont have one they will most likely find one for you book you an appointment and provide you with enough meds to make it to the appointment but dont worry unless your a drunk pain in the ass or have been caught abusing drugs in hospital they will work with you and make a plan stopping opioids cold turkey is extremly dangerous and cruel good luck

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So here is the down low on the questions you are having, every person's response to pain medications is personal, so no one can give you a definitive answer to the withdrawal question, what is a low dose for one person, may be a high dose for someone else, what are your genetics? If you are Asian those would be considered high dosages, if you are a redhead not so much. Most hospitals upon discharge will give you prescriptions but the next question to ask is what pharmacy is going to fill them? Cause some pharmacies like CVS have adopted new criteria for how they as a company will fill pain medication prescriptions, i.e. only 7 days worth of pain killers, no matter how many the doctor ordered. Seems wrong to me but that is their policy now. So it would behoove you to find a doctor with the help of the Case Manager (CM) prior to discharge. Ask your nurses or CM to contact your doctors and get a referral to a pain specialist, as some family practice doctors are no longer prescribing pain medications. So you might end up waiting even longer for an appointment to see someone who can and will prescribe what you need. Good Luck and you are in my prayers.

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I would ask your physician at the hospital you're in to have his nurse to already have you set up with a family physician or a pain management physician to care for you as soon as you're released, you will be able to have you in their system. If you don't get this worked out before you leave you may have to suffer with pain & withdrawals. Right before your going to be released, ask the hospital physician for your prescriptions. I hope this helps, God bless. I hope you feel better soon.

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Jim (# 7) --

Direct, to the point, well said. Thank you!

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I'm so sorry for you, Tsear. MRSA is a scary thing and to have to worry about getting medication for pain is just adding insult to injury. What is the matter with our doctors? Why do they let the government control the way they doctor? If you ask me, the government isn't doing a very good job controlling anything. They can't even get along with each other and if the truth was known someone probably has a vendetta against someone in the DEA and it's a battle about who is going to win. I wish they could live with chronic pain for awhile and be prescribed what they recommend. I bet things would change. Everything has a price and I guess everyone does too. There are a lot of doctors and I don't know why they can't stand up and fight for chronic pain sufferers. When a patient would rather die than live because he or she can't take the pain, that says a lot. I hope you find the help you need and God bless you.

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First off, I truly hope you get to feeling better fast! And as far as when you leave the hospital YES they will send you home with meds. Not sure what but I think they will probably give you the 20mgs & maybe a few fentanyl patches (maybe) but they know your hurting & will not let you do without. Just talk with the Dr. And when you do run out of meds you will withdrawal. But I believe your Dr from the hospital will give you the 20mgs. But if he does you must take them as prescribed cuz he will not fill them if you run out early then he will think you're over medicating yourself- you don't want any Dr to think that. Hope this helps.

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Re: K Dubya (# 21)

I have been prescribed gabapentin, neurontin, lyrica, and diclofenac. Nothing works. After minor foot surgery, I was given oxycodone. It was great to get almost 6 hours of pain-free sleep. I did not crave it, or get a rush. When I was about to run out I broke them in half so I would have a few more almost pain free nights. After, no withdrawal or cravings, the pain just returns and some nights my legs hurt so bad I just get up and watch tv or get on the computer. Isn't there anything out there that is stronger and not an opioid? I would not abuse hydrocodone or whatever, but society has made it seem like if you seek it you are just wanting to feel high or sell it on the side.

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Re: K Dubya (# 26)

Nothing sounds crazy to me anymore. I'll try anything. Quality of life is a big issue.
I take Xanax twice a day just to keep calm about my pain.

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Re: K Dubya (# 26)

Hell! If you're already taking Xanax & still not sleeping idk... Ambien may not help. What does the surgeon say? Is it normal to still have pain this far removed from the surgery? Have you had a new MRI to see if everything went as it was supposed to?

You threw me when you said "minor foot surgery" as I hate to see anyone go on long term opioids that can "tough it out" in other ways. It truly is a slippery slope. Even if you don't have an addictive personality. Your body will start to require it after a while, even if your brain is strong enough to quit when it wants to.

It's up to you obviously if you decide to seek a pain management doctor, but just know that it's a big decision.

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