Pain Medication Shame (Page 5)
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First of all, I hate taking pain meds but I was almost completely bedridden for 2 yrs. They gave me my life back and I'll be grateful for the rest of my life. My insurance company dropped me right before I was gonna have surgery to get some relief. So I had no choice but to go with the pain meds. I've been on oxycodone 30/150 per month (5 a day) and MS Contin 200mg 2 times daily since 2009. Had breaks when I could. My point is, nobody knows what my daily life is like. I feel ashamed every month getting refills. Maybe it's in my head but the staff at the pharmacy gives me that "pill seeker" look. I guess all that matters is my doctor trusts me and he knows my complete history. I know I'm not taking them for fun. I'd much rather be normal. Can anyone relate to what I'm saying?

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Re: TnJack175 (# 85)


Thank you. I try to bring something to our table that's A LITTLE MORE refined, yet at the same time trying to serve both sides (vegetarianistic and omnivorous).

The gossiping, derivative remarks, and straight-up ass-holistic nature of the medicine experts...well, they are just like us. We act like them and they act as we do. Hate begets hate.

We (CP CII prsecribees) have to adapt, and so too the pharmacy staff if we're ever going to come terms with personal respect. It's sad that America has some insanely biased medical professionals.

We also have patients who come in and fill legal Rx's for Roxicodone 30mg q4 hrs, a WEEK EARLY. Then proceed to make a big ass scene because their pharmacist refuses to fill it. Well, they can't.

Listen, I have a wonderful pharmacy, but I make DAMN SURE to respect them, thank them for being such an integral part of my medical team. I never fill early, I make sure I am nicely dressed and groomed when I have to visit them. I even give them (cause I can) a $50 gift Visa card inside my Xmas card every year. Addressed to them, personally thanking everyone by name in the card with the reminder that this money card is to please benefit their Christmas party in some way.

Do your own thing like this, but do whatever you can to be the VICTOR AND NOT THE VICTIM!

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Absolutely! I am unfixable, as a revision surgery or salvage surgery is too likely to leave me a quadraplegic! That has been what I was told after hardware failure left me in too much pain to carry on. Now 15 years later, I still have not had a doctor willing to do such a risky surgery on what is now my 60 plus year old body! BUT... It was OK to wean me down to nothing! Go figure; land of the free!

Now I followed what I was told until I couldn't! Now I really do hold my very life in my hands. When there is no one willing to help us we have to do the only thing that we have control over! I got this one!

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Re: Optimistic (# 84)

Is the stigma really bad enough to give up Adderall for Provigil? That could be (is) a huge mistake, as 1) not too many Dr.s will prescribe ADD meds with Pain meds anymore, and 2) Provigil is not even close to Adderall. Granted everyone is different, but I made that choice a while back and it didn't work out too well. I didn't tolerate Provigil, and I could not get Adderall anymore. Maybe you have a great rapport with your doc so that he might give you a month to try Provigil and see how it works, with the option to get back on Adderall if it doesn't, which would be great, otherwise don't do it! Just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt.

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Re: Fpharmacist (# 79)

Good post, you summed up a bunch of stuff.. Thanks..

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I get what you’re saying, but I get really stubborn and righteous about the pain meds. People need them to function and there is no shame in that. It’s worse for us on psych meds because no MRI or xray shows I have ADD. The stigma I get from taking Adderall is worse than the pain meds. I was asking my doctor about switching to provigil so I won’t have to put up with it since I also take pain meds & can’t give those up.
Most of those pharmacy techs make like $9 an hour. They’re just bitter. Don’t let them make you feel shame. At least you’re not self-medicating with alcohol or street drugs. That would be shameful.

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Re: Marie (# 82)
I am not going to bore anyone with my medical history but I know of what I speak. I have seen the Pharmacy personnel treat Chronic Pain Patients with a suspicious and jaundiced eye. At first, I thought it was just one or two employees but I found out that it was very wide spread. This type of conduct was encouraged by the Pharmacies because they would rather not deal with pain medications at all if they had a choice. Just too many regulations and too many "eyes" on every little thing you do. I went to a Pharmacy in one State that I had patronized for over 20 years and I was known well by every employee in the Pharmacy. After a while, and without any provocation on my part, they began to act very cold and "clinical". Where it used to be very conversational and friendly it turned into a clinical and cold operation. I think the biggest problem will be with the Pharmacies and not the manufacturers. If one manufacturer goes bankrupt then another will come to fill the void. If there are no retail Pharmacies available to fill the prescriptions then that is a real problem. I will not be too concerned with problems that have even not come to fruition but UI will try and have a "Plan B" in mind in case the worst happens.

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Re: cliff j (# 81)

I am sorry that the techs and pharmacists have made you feel this way. I suppose with me being a chronic pain patient on C2 pain meds for 17 years gives me the understanding of what people on these meds are going through. I am sympathetic to their situation and do not judge anyone. It would be nice if more techs and pharmacists were understanding of our situations and treat everyone the same no matter what meds they are on. They should be thankful that they aren’t in need of these meds. Most chronic pain patients don’t want to be on these meds they need them to function and get out of bed every day and some of us to not be burden on society and be able to work and support themselves and their families. What scares me is how the states are suing the makers of the pain meds and suing pharmacies. What will happen when the makers go bankrupt and no one will be making the meds let alone any pharmacies dispensing them. What will happen to pain patients then? I feel no one is talking about how this will affect the production of these medications with every state on board with this lawsuit. Anyone else have these thoughts? I’d love to hear from you.

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Marie (# 78) --

I am glad that YOU seem to be at a decent place but your place is the rare exception and far from the “rule”. I have lived in three different States and even if I have a 20 year relationship with a Pharmacy they still act like you are a criminal every time you present them with a script for pain medications. I used to pick up my pain medication prescriptions on the day they were DUE. Not early. I picked them up early in the morning only because I drove for a living and by the time I got back In the area the Pharmacy was closed. Even with the long term relationship and me following every rule set up by the Pharmacy I was still looked at like I was some kind of “seeker” or criminal. I have always been courteous to every employee because it looked like they were just looking for any reason to not fill your prescription. I was determined to always be calm and nice because the Pharmacy employees were always looking to pick a fight. It is not easy to switch Pharmacies because if you go to a new Pharmacy they will INTENTIONALLY treat you like a criminal hoping that you will say anything that they can grab onto to NOT fill your prescription. Congratulations on working at a good place. The other Pharmacies will be much more of a challenge.

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Re: cliff j (# 77)

My pharmacist said he doesn’t mind them they make us money so why should we turn them away the only ones that they comment on is the ones that treat us like crap cuz they want their meds early and we can’t cuz it’s illegal. Those are usually the ones that are suspicious to us.

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Re: roro (# 5)

I know this post was from a few years back, yet I wanted to just clarify your statement. While it seems sensible to say people are overtaking Fentanyl to the point of no return, and that it (probable) came from a Veterinarian's office, etc. Well, that just isn't true. It wasn't two years ago, the dated reply, nor was it 50 years past. Even today, that (fentanyl) isn't a common medication that a Veterinarian would have ordered as part of their medicine "cabinet"....to turn a phrase. Also, I feel EVERYONE should be aware of another misconception you mentioned in reply. That has to do with medication for humans vs those for animals. There are no medications an animal would be given during a procedure, that a human wouldn't have the ability to take themselves. Otherwise, I feel where you were going with this, I do. As everyone here has proclaimed in their own prejudiced- prejudged behavioral antiquated f***ed up bulls*** which has projected unto them, seen/felt by pharmacists, physicians and medical professionals alike. I too have many a story. It's a universal law....so it would seem.

Just about three years ago, before I had a traumatic accident, I was myself a bonified clinical practitioner. Well, my accident was so damaging, especially in a neurological fashion, I could no long stand those 50+ hrs. a week. I had to give up my ability to run, rollerblade, hike the wild country around me...that was a deep reckoning. I'm not sure what/which still is worse. My physical ability to enjoy nature and explore the planet (a very deep seeded passion of mine), or having to hang up my lab coat and surgical scrubs ----- FOREVER! Besides one of the repercussions of this accident being permanent droop-foot in my left leg, I also developed CRPS II (chronic regional pain syndrome type 2) in that same left leg. From the soles (plantar) of my foot, up to the knee. Brought on (in my opinion as well as a few Dr's) by the laceration of my perineal nerve, which is a branch of the Sciatic nerve running from the knee area down to the foot. That laceration is responsible for the drop-foot, no question.

However, the inciting event of being gradually diagnosed with CRPS, a 'rare' (200,000 US citz yearly) neurological disease which I never ever heard about before, not in college nor professionally…was just devastating. I know we all have our horror stories, and are treated like crap because of having to take normal to quite high doses of pain medicine, benzodiazepines, often time eugeroics too (the -amine type stimulants). I'm positive, that last bit was NO typo. In certain candidates or in general even, stimulant medication dosed appropriately in conjunction with pain relieving poly-pharmaceutical therapy...it's an amazing synergistic addition to ones arsenals. Speaking strictly on a pain management physicians arsenal/bag of tricks or modalities if were being polite and proper. The shame of chronic pain lies so deep. We're meant to feel terrible upon opening our medicine safe and seeing the bottles upon bottles or orange, white, blue or green. With labels such as Morphine Sulfate ER, clonazepam, Adderall ER, oxycodone Hydrochloride IR, etc. Pick or choose a variant, I've covered the classes.

Should we feel terrible or shunned. Maybe, maybe not. Do we fall into circles of addicted persona's who probably do not need TWO mg's of alprazolam four times daily, or 30mg oxycodone IR six times a day, etc. The general public start to blur the lines. I think that is the problem. Yes, that might be us, it might be a friend we have known from pain circles, the clinics, etc. Yet, it's not something every patient sees for themselves. - nonetheless, the PharmD in charge would happily smack you should policy allow them. Your family....loved ones....friends...man oh man....they start seeing things they which can not be unseen. They compare you too, in a fiendish got to have my pills or else! The horrors are bad enough eternally, internally, physically and mental. It's no wonder I'm sitting here typing this long winded reply, originally meant to clarify but lead my mind elsewhere....to the horror and shame of it all. Month after month, after month after month. Till we die of some cause (old age I hope it so), we will have to endure. A monthly visit for most of us, for the rest or better half of our future self.

Dear Abby: ;-) My life's better with medication and some physical therapy, but not too much. It's the medication giving a fasimily of my old quality of life, you know the one. Purchasing groceries, does light cleaning, rests a bit, and generally handles themselves in a manor the likes....of a respectful a decent disabled human being should ought to strive to; or has already achieved such grace. My question Mrs. Abby (you throwback of sensible 1940-50'ish wisdom and grace), is...Can I cut a pharmacist B***** THROAT next time I get the 'ol, ---"MR. Doe, your OXY is READY!" Yes, as you've imagined, not only have they broken a HIPAA law, but those 5 people in line are now staring and judging me. OH please, just this once...retribution for me and my fellow passengers aboard this life raft...marked - Titanic. We are delirious from seeing the same horizonless sea, and nare a ship bearing humanity and grace. -------- Sincerely, Mr. F***ing Outraged.

----- a farce for our amusement, that tis all my comrades in arms.

oh P.S. - I've told physicians of my medical pedegry, and wouldn't you know it...treatment has been better, more compassionate, and more likelye to listen why I talk the talk - latin/greek medical terminology. JUST a thought, if your new to a practice that 's important, medicine wise, I would learn as much med terminology as possible. I'm possible as a patient with experience, you know a lot more than you realize it already. Then, just say - ''I was a registered nurse for______years, then I got, blankety blank" ----- TRUST ME, IT'S NOT RIGHT BUT WE ARE LIKE COPS. HURT ONE COP, THEY ALL FEEL PITY FOR YA.

just a thought - albeit a bat-s***-crazy one.

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Re: Planning (# 70)
The ending of a pain patients life would make the Doctors and their cohorts happy. They could care less what is medically necessary. The fact that they prescribe anything is a miracle. If you don’t like it they are only happy if they do not have to serve you anymore. Most Pharmacies would like to not serve any pain medication scripts if they can.

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Re: Maria (# 76)

I am glad you seem to work for a decent organization. Your experience is the rare exception. Most legal chronic pain patients are treated by pharmacies like they are criminals. The fact that you would post that your pharmacy takes note of people who arrive early to pickup their pain medications speaks wonders. What difference does it make what time you pickup your med scripts? Do you or any of your fellow employees make a not of what time people come in and pickup blood pressure medications? I highly doubt it. If the prescription is legal and filled what difference does it make what time after you open when it is picked up I? No pain patient should have to make up any “reason” for why they are their in the morning to pickup their legal prescription. THIS is EXACTLY one of the things that Pharmacy employees do to make the long term chronic pain patient feel low. There is a laundry list of things Pharmacies and their employees do to make a chronic pain patient that is filling a legally written prescription feel like they are dope addicts and “drug seekers”. Btw, NO ONE in your pharmacy should ever get involved in a patients treatment program. NONE of the employees have the persons medical records and none of the employees of the Pharmacy has the right to examine a patient and change their Doctors treatment plan. They are not qualified to do that and that means even the Pharmacist.

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Re: cliff j (# 74)

In my pharmacy we have so much to do and so many people to help that we don’t have time to think much about what meds people are getting. Not to be rude but after we help you we move onto the next person and don’t give the person before a second thought. It helps you if you only pick one pharmacy to get your meds at and stay there and not move from one to another the pharmacists DOPL all C2 meds that come to our pharmacy so they can see if your going to other pharmacies and will tell you to chose one and stay with them. One thing some of my pharmacists do is make comments about how people always come first thing when we open to pick up their pain meds. We get some people that always seem to say they need their meds early cuz they are going on ‘vacation’. Some over play that one. Other then that I’ve never heard them say anything else. I listen hard too since I myself have been on pain meds for 17 years now, I will say I don’t let them know that I take them cuz I worry they may not want me there or if any meds go missing I will be the first one they look at. I know I feel the same when I go pick up my meds at my pharmacy but then I realize they are as busy as my pharmacy and don’t have time to give me much thought once I leave.

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Re: Pain man (# 9)

I work in a pharmacy and it is completely true that the DEA limits how much C2 pain meds we can order. We have hit the amount several times in the past 2 months and had to turn people away since we didn’t have any in stock to fill for a week.

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Sometimes a person does not have any real options. At least your Pharmacy does not try and get involved in your treatment program. A Pharmacist does have training--as a PHARMACIST. NO Pharmacist has your medical records or has ever examined you (they are not trained for this anyway). There is a Pharmacist that will say that HE disagrees with your Doctor ordered treatment plan. That you should be on a different pill. That the strength is incorrect, etc. WHY this Pharmacist thinks he can get involved in your treatment plan is amazing to me. Your Doctor examines you and they write a script and then you take it to your pharmacy to be filled. Filling your script is all that a Pharmacist should do UNLESS there is a conflict in the medicines you are taking. Pharmacies have more and more (without your medical records) started to get involved in your treatment plan. They (and their employees) look at you like you have three heads when you present a prescription for any pain medication. It is disgusting and they try and shame you for taking your PRESCRIBED medications even though they have no reason to do this. Changing Pharmacies is easier said then done. They may or may not fill your script even if they fully have the capacity to do so. Pharmacies do not want any pain medication customers to begin with. Pain medication customers, TO THEM, are much more trouble than they are worth. They are being sued by States over anything they do and these States have "bottomless" pockets because almost everyone on both sides of the political aisle supports their actions and their money comes from the taxpayers. There is starting to be some push back on these people but it is very slow in coming and only in small amounts. Even when Pain Specialist Doctors with 20 or more years of experience come out against the awful treatment of chronic pain patients they are often shouted down by people with no training at all.

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Re: Fighting losing Battle (# 72)

I hear you! Surrendering weapons? For heavens sake! If they truly feel that is necessary, maybe its just too dangerous period!

Cost of it is ridiculous. The average person will not be able to afford much if any. In California, the tax on MM is 25.25%!! No wonder the government is pushing it. I don't think it's a viable option.

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Re: Catryna (# 4)

Why is it if I want to try medical marijuana we must surrender any weapons we own.
However even on the large doses of opoids, you are not made to do the same? Also even with medical marajuana legal you can not get a doctor to write even a low dose opoid whole using medical marajuana and if you test posative for it while on opoif Lastly, the marajuana doctor is not covered by any insurance nore the state fees. This would have been about $300 by itself. Then I was told that medical marajuana would cost minimum $100 a month!

How is any of this suppose to help any of us?

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Sure can ,same here in Australia,I'm 66yrs old pinched nerves causing many pain issues ,almost impossible to get simple muscle relaxant so might be able to sleep for couple of hours, unfortunately our government s tend to get there advice from I'll informed buffoons one in particular,who would have the power to be a bit more understanding when it comes down to being in pain.

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I sure do! My doctor has gotten afraid to prescribe the medications or quantity that made my life worth living. From 30 mg of oxycodone to 10 mg and then 5. My Fentanyl was also cut from 150 mics to 75. Many are praying for death or planning our death. No one should have to live like this especially when we know there are medication that help but are vilified. I pray your doctor has continued to support you!

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Re: Catryna (# 4)

My Dr almost let me go and I have been her patient for 3yrs because she will only give me Tylenol 4 and I asked her to consider letting me go back to taking at least hydrocodone. She is afraid of the government and knows I'm suffering soo I said what about medical Marijuana and she said no way only CBD with no THC...What am I supposed to do? I can't even babysit my grandchildren or perform normal activities anymore. If everyone stopped going to the dr and started looking for alternatives that don't require us to be treated like 2yr olds maybe they would remember they grew up to be drs not judge jury and in some cases people are dying due to doctor's incompetence. Should I try Marijuana or get meds online and possibly get in trouble with the law because I just want to live without soo much pain? I don't like to feel high or out of control and never felt that way with pain meds but Marijuana makes me feel funny and I don't like it. Any suggestions that may help are greatly appreciated. The government needs to get out of our private life and we need help to fight because sick people have no energy left because we already battle every day.

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