New Drug Prescribing Laws

I have been seeing the same pain management doctor in Ohio for over 12 years for degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy and sciatica. She put me on 60mg MS Contin ER q 12 and 5-10 mg Oxycodone prn for break through pain. Now she tells me that I have to wean down to 60 mg Morphine Equivalent per day because of the new federal laws. I was able to enjoy an active lifestyle and now at 60 mg bid I am miserable and unable to do or enjoy anything. She is forcing me to go to a neuropathology doc for more injections, ablations and physical therapy which I have been through many times before without success. I worked in surgery for 36 years and refuse to go that route because most of the patients had multiple surgeries, each one making them worse. Is she being honest about these laws or just running scared? In my career I have known 2 doctors who committed suicide due to back pain and I can certainly understand why. Why must I live in misery when there are pain relievers that help make life worth living? I'm only 58 years old and can't imagine having to live out my life in this torture. Please advise!

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REPORT

The federal regulations for this are the equivalent of no more than 120mgs of Morphine per day, unless someone has a possibly fatal condition that causes intractable pain, such as stage four cancer, under DEA guidelines.

However, some states have lowered it further. Thus, it can vary depending on where you live.

The FDA warns that this medication carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, and constipation.

From what I can find, it appears that your state governor is requiring even further reductions and limitations, as of March 30, 2017. He wants to make most people be seen by their doctor's on a weekly basis, too. This is going by Associated Press reports, and such things could change at any time, or may not pass into law, at all.

How much do you take each day, total?

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Just had my 2 month follow up appt. and had the MS Contin further reduced to 30 mg q12 and 5-10 mg oxycodone for break through pain which I didn't have to take at the 60 mg dose but now must take religiously to get through to the evening MS dose. I had 3 facet joint injections without results last month and now she's pushing hard for surgery which even the Neuropathology dr doubts will help. I have gone through every treatment that has been suggested over the years. I now can't stand for long and sitting is the worst. I'm most comfortable laying in bed but I can't live my life like this! Are there any alternatives for me? Any different meds that at least last the 12 hours? I'm terrified of being made worse by surgery and then what? With the current opiate hysteria in the government they would rather see people commit suicide from pain than pain medication! I don't believe the illicit drug epidemic is caused by opiate prescribing for the most part. I have written letters to my government officials and received form letters in return which proved they didn't even read them. Life is not worth living like this. I retired early from 36 years in health care only to be tortured by the profession I dedicated my best years too!

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Re: Claude (# 2)

Hi Claude, I understand where you are coming from, I retired from a career in mental health to a career in pain, doctors have become cruel, they don't have rules that say they have to do this, it is recommendations. Yet, they don't want to be watched. My sister found a good pain doctor in a clinic. There has been opioid abusers around for a long time. I do not understand why now , it is the dangerous meds given to suffering pain patients. Oxycontin is no more a problem ,thanks to purdue, who made a batch that is useless. so, obviously, there is a pain problem in this country. What happened ? I had surgery last Friday, my surgeon wanted me to take more of the meds that I already was taking for my chronic pain , cervical stenosis, spinal stenosis and scoliosis. My pharmacy would not fill it, because it was too much oxycodone. So, I left with no xtra meds for the painful surgery, which still hurts. Claude, hang in there.

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Re: Claude (# 2)

Claude, I feel for you. Your post is exactly what I am going through to get my pain under control. You are also right about the prescribed meds not causing the number of deaths they claim. I believe it is the illicit drugs and misuse of fentanyl. Why do we have to suffer because the pillbillies are od'ing?

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

At the time of your post in May I was on 60 mg MSContin and 10 mg oxycodone. Look at updated Sept post.

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Here's the September update, the results of which confuse me. In Aug. I had an epidural steroid shot which lasted 4 days. That was with the Neurophysiologist. I had a follow up 2 weeks later with Pain Management dr and out of the blue without me asking or begging she increased my MS Contin from 30mg twice a day to 30mg three times a day. I still have oxy for breakthrough but no longer need it. Don't get me wrong I'm relieved to again have a dosage that is adequate but why was I put through this torturous game? Was there a reason for this or did she just not want to have me in tears again? I don't get it!! She has me so scared of her next move that now I'm hoarding all the oxys I no longer need in case this happens again! Her actions are forcing me to be less than honest even though she never questions me about how often or if I'm even taking the oxys.

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No it is not a new law it is the voluntary guidelines the CDC came out with in 2016. It is up to each Doctor to manage the the mg you are on she may have been over prescribing to much meds and did get scared because of it she could have lowered yr doses without going to the 60 mme. Their are a lot of people on 120 mg oxycodone a day and also the State you live in makes a difference to.

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Here is the continuing saga! At my November follow up, the pain management doc walked in and first words out of her mouth was” I have decided to stop prescribing narcotics in my practice so we will be weaning you completely off your meds.” Just 2 months earlier she had increased my dosage to 30 mg three times a day from the 30 mg twice a day which she had already forced me to wean down to. I was so upset I could barely talk! She had been sending me to a neurophysiologist for facet injections and epidurals that she wasn’t trained to perform so I asked that my records be sent there and I would start seeing him. So now he has exhausted all the kinds of invasive treatments he provides “$” and his nasty, condescending NP tells me that their goal is to take me off narcotics completely! I was then sent to a Neurosurgeon who said he THINKS he sees where the biggest problem might be and possibly surgery can help the sciatica in my left leg but not the constant pain in my lower buttocks or backs of both thighs. With this new pain management dr I now have to go monthly for an appt with the NP so it’s costing me 3 times as much. All out of pocket because I have a high deductible plan. In January I was told if I didn’t have surgery I would be weaned off and let go from the practice! I have been trying to avoid surgery for over 15 years because of all the failed outcomes I saw in my years as a nurse. What if I have this surgery and it makes the pain worse! I can’t even get the help I need for the level of pain I currently have. I’m at a loss as to what to do. I live alone and have no one to help me should I become completely disabled from a failed back surgery! On top of all this, my daughter and I wanted to go out of town for 6 days during her spring break from college. However my prescription runs out 2 days before we return. I asked if they could write for a 33 day supply to get me through until I could see them on Monday and I was told no, they can’t do that and I will just have to go without the last 2-3 days or stay home. Unbelievable! I don’t know if this is true or not but i can’t chance going into withdrawal and scaring my daughter and chancing not even being let on a plane the way I will look and feel. So now my daughter and I are missing out on quality time together. I’m so depressed!!!

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Hello I wanted to comment on the federal law updates. Without a doubt that’s the truth HOWEVER, the doctors are going way beyond or should I say below those guidelines. I went to the VA a couple of weeks ago with the Shingles. I had blisters and scabs and the most severe pain I have EVER had. Including several kidney stones they were nothing compared to the Shingles. Anyway the doctor told me because of the new opioid laws he could not give me ANYTHING. He looked at me and said that’s the problem people think taking a pain pill is gonna help but all it does is masked the pain. I said that’s what it’s supposed to do. I then said I have never ever got not one pain pill from this clinic NOT ONE!! and you want me to go home like this?? He got up brought back a tube of hydrocortisone and said rub that all over those blisters and scabs.Then said I will give u some numbing cream try that to.My point is we as human beings are being treated like crap without a doubt animals are taken better care of than us humans. My right side hurts so bad I can hardly move but these doctors don’t care it’s what’s politically correct now!!!

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