Pain Medication Cut Downs

Is it just me or is all the pain management docs trying to cut everyone down or back!!?? When I went to my last visit the doc had the nerve to ask me if I still needed my Oxymorphone 20mg ER (56). I was like YEAH, what do you think?! This is after they closed down for 3 months and I had to switch to Subutex to not get sick. And I got dropped from the 30mg oxymorphone. And by the way the 20'mgs are garbage. Then my doc asked me to get an MRI on my lower back, which I did the month prior. It just goes to show what a dumb ass he is and how they're so not in tune to what is going on! All they want to do is lower and lower your meds. Has anyone else had their doc try and taper them down or try and lower your stuff? By the way, I'm in south FL.

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Yes,I live on the east coast and there isn’t one person I know that’s on pain management that hasn’t been cut down atleast by half OR if they have been getting it from their primary care doctor they are being referred to a pain management center. They are really cracking down and they have no idea what they are doing to patients. It’s a sad world when even terminal patients are being cut back and even denied meds for pain relief.

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Re: Joseph (# 1)

Yes, the insurance company stopped covering my Diclofinic for headaches. It’s the only medication in 30 years that has worked. I have spent 20,000 in 30 years in various tests to determine why I get them. Tried every available drug New and old.
And Diclofinic is not an opioid.

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Keep in mind these three related business expressions:

1. Market forces
2. Extortion
3. Profit Center

Given my degenerative condition, you don't "pass go" without submitting to a scan! Of course one must first qualify contingent upon the provisions of ones insurance policy. Qualification does not exonerate from the omnipresent "copayment."

In my case, I've had four scans within the last few years. (As if a degenerative condition will reverse course), Each and every scan supported the one before. This is where the terms "extortion and profit center" apply!!!

To add to the BS, I've been under pressure to undergo invasive procedures involving questionable chemistries with questionable diluents, and mystery preservatives. As a former medical professional, I respectfully submit that it behooves us all to study up on the adverse effects of invasive procedures. Consider if you will things like the inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord, lethargic encephalitis, or toxic shock.

While I could correspond on this site indefinitely, I must return to my responsibility as the family patriarch, AS BEST THE REGULATORY POLICE WILL ALLOW!!!

Pharmacology has an answer to my degenerative disc disease and associated compressions fractures! The irony is that someones political agenda has superseded my need to pain relief!

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Re: Kurtiss (# 2)

Im in NY and I have not been cut down. I never abuse and never ask for refills before my schedule. I did have an incident recently when I actually threw out my meds. Ive always been open and honest and I was given my meds earlier. It was so awkward though.

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Re: Kurtiss (# 2)
Diclofinac messes with the liver and other body parts. Yes, it does help with pain management but at what cost? They vilify aspirin yet I wonder if the others are even worse.

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Rawdog - sorry for your problem. I live in Florida too, but I have an understanding Pain Mgt Dr. I live in The Villages, Florida (senior community) and our Dr.'s follow the new laws regarding pain meds. 30 or 60 pills per month only (whatever your script is) and must come in every month and have your pills counted!!! You are required to come in 7 days before you run out and they count to see if you have 7 days left!!!! THE DRUG ADDICTS OUT THERE DID THIS TO US LEGITIMATE PAIN PATIENTS.

I follow the rules, pee in the cup, and come back every 30 days. It's a big pain in the a__, but when you're in pain, you'll do whatever it takes and avoid withdrawal. I was switched to another pain med - NUCYNTA (did not work for my pain) then MORPHABOND (Worked, but too expensive) - I'm back to my generic Oxymorphone 15 mg 2X a day. It works well for my pain, but I get sleepy during the day. I can put up with that - my back pain & sciatica are bad. I would google pain management in your area and look at their websites. Sorry for your Florida BS!!!

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Yes, and I'm in SC. Listen, it is all I can do to keep 50 mg of tramadol. The pain doc put me on Lyrica after two steroid epidurals didn't last. Lyrica is useless and I'm eating like a pig and gaining weight. I am so angry and frustrated I could scream because of the pain in my back. I am a 77-year-old woman with COPD and back pain. Aspirin has destroyed my stomach. The latest MRI was just last week. How the hell did the gov't take over dictating what someone like me could take? I get it about young addicts, of course, but even animals are treated better than we are.

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Rawdog, I feel your pain. Without going into a lot of background into my situation, I faced the same problem at my pain clinic. My doctor cut me down from 5 Oxycodone 10 mg a day to 4 a day. He knows I have permanent damage and there isn't any type of surgery that can fix it. I asked him why he was cutting me down and his reply was "we have to show a breakthrough". I've been on pain pills now for over 20 yrs ad you'd think by now they would of come up with a solution. He knows there’s nothing that can be done, so when I said we have no breakthrough he said well it’s "the powers to be" that are making these decisions. It’s all political he said. I have no idea how to get it across to the "powers that be". Don't know if I helped but wanted to get out my experience out.

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It's new government rules or laws and Drs and pharmacies don't want to be raided by the DEA or FBI because of the "Opioid Crisis". Drs and legitimate pain patients are going through hell because of the CDC. They think all heroin and Fentanyl overdoses start by just taking a few pain pills... They are blaming Drs and unfortunately people who don't ever abuse medications. I think it's backwards and they're not thinking about the harm chronic pain patients are experiencing. .What are you supposed to do when you can hardly move or just wish the pain would stop? I believe that's what pushes some good people to illegal activities that are dangerous. .For some the pain is too hard to bare and are thinking of or are ending their lives..I pray that they would stay out of our drs offices and think as adults we need the government to tell us what to do. I pray for everyone caught in the middle of this and I pray all the time that I can get through one more day because needing others to do everything for me when they don't have time is not living to me..God Bless everyone effected by the war on drugs and the families who have lost loved ones I'm so sorry for your suffering??

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I was just at pm. To go over the results of neck MRI ,, I was told that I needed to make an appointment with the surgeon, and then for the pain was told to use something called Arnica cream !!! I was also asked if I wanted to be cut back from the 7.5 opioid,, REALLY, I honestly am frightened to get surgery on my three bulging discs that are pinching on my spinal cord so bad ,,, every single day is a day that includes around the clock ice packs to ease the pain ,,,why is there a war on chronic pain patients,, why are they making us suffer for a problem that we didn’t cause , it’s really unbelievable that if I was an addict I could get drugs from legal clinics to ease the suffering and withdrawal,,, but legitimate chronic pain,,, get Psyhc therapy and rub ointment on it !!!!! Unreal

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Rawdog, you are right, pain docs are trying to cut us down on our pain meds. Mine asked me if I am overmedicated the last two times I have seen him. I was thinking the same thing you are. I am sure pain specialists have gotten the word from the Govt to try and wean us down or off our meds. Also, my pain specialist told me to bring in any left over pain meds to his office. I wondered why he would think I have any pain meds left over? I thought it very odd. I am certain you are right in thinking all pain specialists have been given orders from the U.S. Govt. to try and cut down our doses on our pain medications, if not wean us completely off of them.

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I’m in Louisiana and then doing the same thing it’s not the doctors It DEA they don’t want get close down I was taking 4 to 5 then dropped me down to 3 day now I went back today they cut me to 2 day plus I on Nucynta 150 mg I take every 12 hour it work It release Opium into your system every hour ask dr for it I still hurt some what

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Re: Regina (# 11)

I know exactly how you are feeling. I take 25 zopiclone sleeping pills a night for over 26 years due to a sleep problem. This has been going on for 26 years they’ve paid for the med. This year a red flag went up for the first time. I will die with out this med.

This is happening in Canada it looks like the govt has turned into doctors overnight. Drs. Here have been limited to what they can prescribe. People aren’t getting what they need and are committing suicide.

I say any jerk who puts fentanyl in a needle is taking their chances and I have no empathy for that because those tweakers.

We can’t get what we need. I will die without this med. Canada is as bad if not worse then the US.

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My pain doctor (bless her soul) told me about the cut back months ago.
Some of you remember that Jan 1st 2018 our opioids were cut to 120 ME. That 120 is Morphine Equivalent. Celebrate that our ME on Jan. 1st 2019 wili have to go down to 90 ME.

These are NOT our doctors. These are from Medicare and every insurer will follow suit.

With my old meds, I worked with these scripts for 20 years. Now I will be able to get out of bed to make toast then into my chair until bedtime.

I would like to get in touch with someone has some extra (haha) money to do something that MAY get our side heard a little more.

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Yes it's the new NAZI in charge of the CDC, he is making everyone cut back and wants to get rid of all opiates. WTF, really because 22,000 people die a year on prescription drugs. Which is mostly acute pain patients, not chronic pain patients like us. It's an epidemic, a health hazard, yet it's ok for people to smoke cigarettes for no reason, have 250,000 of them die a year from log cancer, but that's ok... That's because they make billions off it in taxes and trillions in cancer treatment.

This country has gone insane. He wants you to start off with over the counter pain meds which they don't tell the public kills 2x as many people as prescription pain medication. Than try Tramadol? Really? Than try certain procedures which insurance company will not pay for, they could force them but nope.

He is going against 70 years of research and studies. There are major shortages of pain medication in the hospitals. Now surgeons are speaking out and other groups. Too late. Now since new guidelines went into affect heroin use has increased 500% and overdoses 300%. Good job, this war on drugs since 1968 is a joke. The DEA FDA are so corrupt it's sickening. The DEA are the biggest drug dealers in the world according to what Snowden showed us.

Then of course the communist controlled papers and TV's station lie about how many people are dying. Then all people on pain meds become dependent on it? Yeah - so do people on heart meds, diabetic medication, etc ... so what? But this happened because the people on the left voted in Obama and corrupt senators and congressman who then appointed the CDC.

It's like they want people to be in pain so you turn to harder drugs, yet pot, which is a gateway drug they make legal which only proves my point. I have a lot of medical issues. I was on Fentanyl 125 every 2 days, because we all know 3 day patches only work 2 days. 12 hour patches work only 8 to 6 hours. Plus I was on 4 x 30 mg plus Soma for break through pain for a very bad back. Oh, but soma is addicting? B - You just take a dose to go to sleep. It's the best muscle relaxer out there and they know it. The others are crap. Then 3 xanax per day for several panic anxiety attacks, and now after pushing xanax for 20 years you can't take it with pain meds? WTF, come on. Now almost every country has stopped making xanax. They get everyone hooked then take it away.

No, my pain problem can not be taken care of by surgery. My back is deformed among other things and I can't get surgery. 2 hip replacements failed, but they can't operate again until my leg bone breaks. Unbelievable.

Now I am on 75 fentanyl, and 3 x 5 mg oxymorphone which don't work for anything. So now I am house bound, most people on SSDI disability only get $1200 dollars a month and by the time we get to the meds we can't afford other therapies. Again thanks Democrats. The head of the CDC was a Nazi SS in WW2, welcome to the NWO . And he says even more reductions coming next year, closing more plants down, so less pain medications.

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Tbones89 - well put. I agree with almost everything you said, except for a couple of things. First, the part about pot being a gateway drug. I think alcohol is more of a gateway drug, but they keep that around because it too is a huge money maker and ingrained into culture as a socially acceptable thing to do. In my opinion medical marijuana CAN offer therapeutic effects, but they should seriously dedicate proper resources to studying it. But I digress. And I don't know, is the head of the CDC really an ex nazi? That seems a bit far-fetched. Not that I outright refuse to believe you, but I'd appreciate some sort of citation or more information to prove that. Are you talking about either of the directors Robert Redfield or Anne Schuchat from the CDC leadership page? Neither of them were even born before WWII.

Anyways, thanks for sharing all that. It pains me to read about what you're dealing with.

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I've seen the list somewhere. It's been a while but effectively there's an upper limit that they don't want anyone to go over but most of us are already over. The theory is if less medication is prescribed there will be less on the streets. Yes and there will be less for the people that need it but this is their grand plan to save all the street junkies from themselves.

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The doctors r quacks these days, they don't know s*** about us and never will cause it's all about money. Think about it, a MRI costs more than the pain pills.

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I can relate to everything that has been written here! I have been trying to find a pain management doctor who will take me in my area that also takes medicaid. Have been looking for the past 3 years. I've had 7 orthopedic surgeries since 2013. I am constantly being told that I have to live with this pain! This has become very depressing!! I have a theory though that the government has finally got it through their head that they are & have missed out on tax Money they could have been making all this time on the sale of marijuana!! And I've taken plenty! I swore that I'd never quit, but I did!! And I was shocked at myself!! I loved it! But think about it, the Gov. is taking away legal pain medication and coming full circle with marijuana!! They can bring in lots of tax money that they can't with prescriptions!!! Many years ago when I was much younger I tried a lot of different drugs as many of you. And yes, even heroin for short time. It almost killed me! Went to rehab in the 80's & never done it since! But recently the thought of it and thinking I know what would help my pain, but Bless God I didn't dwell on it!! I'm just saying for many of us this in severe pain I don't know what's going to happen??? Or what the answer is??? But the Government needs to listen to us!!! We put most of them in office!!

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Re: Joseph (# 1)

I am in the east coast as well n was getting from my family dr fir fibromyalgia. Was on a 7.5 mg twice a day but it was not helping anymore n pain was getting worse. He would not give me anything else n referred to PM. Thankfully got a really great PM dr who is very empathetic. Am now taking 10 mg. 3 times a day if roxicodone. My fiancé is also seeing him for broken discs in his back n neck due up an auto accident n he is giving him 15 mg oxy 4 times a day plus Fentanyl patches. There are stil some good doctors out there u just have to find them which is very difficult

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I am 58 years old and need pain medication for my tmj. I can't find a Dr who will give me a good pain medicine. I would rather have a good quality of life that is shortened by pain meds than a long life that is pain riddled.

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A doctor asking you to get a mir?? Your lucky, 3 years I been asking my doctor to give me a ct scan or mri , he always refused, when a ER doctor finally gave me a ct scan it was a huge tomour in my rectum, putting me at stage 4 cancer, unbelievable eh,

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At 77 I only needed 10mg Oxycodin 5 times through the day to keep a slow but healthy routine of housework, gardening, guests and travel. The new USA drug management rules that make it impossible to work with. My doctors of 20 years sent me to one or another of the drug charlatans who deserted my care. That has left me taking 4000mg of Tylenol, some crazy drug for relief via my brain and a very poor quality of life. This is helpful? I might as well put myself in a nursing home. How does my one voice protest? I write this!

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Doctors have been doing this for year's, I was on oxycodone 30mg 3x a day, he took me off without cutting me down, I have been on suboxone now for 4 year's because of this.
If their cutting you down slowly be thankful cause I got cut right off at a doctor visit with no warning, hope this helps.

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Re: CJMoore in CT (# 14)

I went to my new pm PA for the 3rd time, she is very kind, I have been on oxycodone 7 30 mg a day for awhile, they are very weak , not brand name, she also has raised my gabapentin to 90 mg a day,, at first , but today, I have bad pain in my groin , going to have to get in touch with my doc .

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Re: Nawleans Girl (# 186)

Hi, I'm in Australia, was talked into doing hep treatment a year ago,pre treatment drs all so helpful,so far virus gone, all through treatment anxiety disorders nausea hearing problems numbness ECT now it's Poste treatment no support no answers ,nothing for pain anxiety ECT they really don't care, there stupid miracle drug has done it's damage felt better before I did there treatment ,I have no faith in western medicine,I thought they were supposed to help people, take care.

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Re: Rawdog (# 184)

First thing 1st, she was saying hi TO south Florida (you), then she said she was in the panhandle. Calm down.
And really, I have to drive 50 miles to pain management. It sucks, and it hurts-it takes me two days to recover from it, but at least it makes the rest of the days tolerable and functional.
Call your insurance company for options for clinics that are taking new patients. If there aren’t any, having them aware of that helps in the long run.

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Re: Lou (# 183)

So true same here in Australia,why do they play god,?and think they know more about our bodies then we do.take care.

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Florida cares NOT about a chronic pain individual. I brought my cancer results and THREE Doctors DENIED me a schedule 3 Codeine script. I only asked for 30 pills because I wanted to spend ONE MORE WEEK with my WW2 Veteran father. Let’s say each doctor suddenly was in PAIN. After all, Bible says, ”an eye for an eye”. How dare they deny me MORE time with my WW2 Veteran father. Me? MRI, 32 cancer radiation treatments to my brain, left job because of my cancer. What goes around, comes around. I’d like to also thank the FACT Florida makes gun sales easier than getting cancer medication.

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Re: Joseph (# 1)

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder earlier this year which causes arthritis in multiple joints. Saturday before Labor Day it felt like every bone in left hand was broke (felt like knuckles were going to crack in half when trying to bend fingers) and felt like every single bone in both feet were broken! I have been chronic pain patient since 2009 and haven’t taken any narcotic pain meds since post op in Dec. 2017. ER will give a single pain shot before you leave ER (no script for pain meds), urgent care clinics have notices on door advising to not even ask for narcotic pain meds because they aren’t prescribed. Only option was after hours PCP clinic (and I didn’t even know if I would get pain med script). Internal Medicine dr looked at records that this was 5th flare up in 4 months, don’t take pain meds on regular basis and said it is really ridiculous with writing rx for pain meds. The pcp clinic actually has blocks on computer system that PCP docs can prescribe these meds. Doc had app on his phone and wrote Norco prescription and printed paper rx to bring to pharmacy. My doc said he had broken his hand and went to an urgent care center and he couldn’t even get pain meds script for himself. Had to get a colleague to write rx for him!

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