What Can I Do If Doctor Just Stops Perscribing Fentanyl Patch After 8 Years

My doctor told me last Thursday a UA came back with low values of meds in my system. I only ever used the meds as prescribed. He said he will no longer fill my 75 mcg/h patch and hydrocodone after 8 years. 2 car accidents 3 weeks apart in 2003. I have 2 inoperable thoratic disc, spinal stenosis and a pinched nerve in my lower back. Also had 2 cervical fusion surgeries. I honestly feel like my withdrawals are going to kill me and pain is starting to really flair? What can I do? He gave me a 20 day supply of Clonidine and sent me on my way. No advice, no referral. I actually had to chase him down to ask questions. Warning on the Clonidine says not for patients with heart attacks and I've had a major blockage and almost died also in 2003 (really bad year) and I as only 43. Is this unethical patient treatment and should I report him? I should also say I have never failed a UA in my life low level or dirty. 12 years military service.

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Hello, Anthony! How are you doing? I am very sorry about what has happened.

However no, you have no claim against the doctor, whatsoever. He is not obligated to treat you or prescribe you anything, unless you are in life threatening danger. Just like you always have the option to leave his care and go see a different doctor, he has the option to drop you for any reason he sees fit.

Do you have a PCP that you see regularly? If so, having them refer you to someone else would likely be the quickest way to get the help you need, especially with this information in your records, now.

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Not a MD here, but I thought the new med is a SSRI anti-depressant. Are you sure you wrote it's name correctly or is it my misunderstanding?

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I has an issue with one of my patches this month where I woke up after putting it on to find it stuck to the sheet. I just went to my DR today (AZ) and was refused to fill my script early. So now I am forced to spend the next 70 hrs on withdrawls. I have been on this med for a long time and have never had an issue like this. What do I do? I'm so stressed out and scared.

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Hi I totally disagree with the person telling you that you have no claim against your Dr. I suspect ONLY a Dr would tell you something as rediculus as that. Your frikken right THAT YOU DO HAVE A CLAIM AGAINST YOUR DR! ! IM WORRIED THAT HE COULD ACTUALLY KILL YOU. . IM ACTUALLY ALMOST GOING THRU THE SAME. except it's not b cuz the drug didn't show in my system. .anyway not sure where u r.but here in Canada we at least have the college of physicians to report these Dr's too..Ohhh and there's another good source too.A DAMN GOOD LAWYER! ! The courts have now made it that we're allowed to sue Dr's for over prescribing (my case) approved both in Canada Abd the U.S.A last wk in Torrance California someone sued and it was the very first case. They won 1.5 million. Scary part tho is obviously once u sue ur not getting anything else from him.but since hes already done that to you. You've nothing to lose. That person who told you that u have no claim also has no clue! ! And yes hes allowed to fire you. Just a u can him. However he has protocol to follow. He can't just drop you while treating you with such drugs. But if he does think ur not even using them. That's a whole other can of worms. However if ur able to prove him wrong then YES UR DAMN RIGHT U HAVE A GOOD CASE. I believe ur post is about a yr old. Pls reply and tell me exactly what went down since this happened. I really hope this post finds you well and happy! !

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What he's doing is much more than just unethical. I'm not even sure if it's even legal. Ur farking right he can kill you. Maybe you should give him a quick call and ask him if the "college of physicians" would agree with his method. Especially when you've not even once had a dirty U/A. That's totally messed up! ! Pls plssss let me know how u r doing. It's Dr's like that who turn ppl to the street!!! Dr's exactly like yours. Prob been over prescribing now he's panicking. And his patients are made to suffer!!!

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Re: HarleyGurl (# 4)

This has happened to me. I was released from my Dr because they said that there were things found in my U/A that I was not prescribed. I have copies of those U/A's. I looked them over and noticed that things I should have tested+ for I did not. I take Ambien on a nightly basis like clockwork a long with xanax at 9pm every single night due to insomnia. If I don't take it I won't sleep. Every U/A that I have copies of says I tested negative for these meds which I know is impossible. They also said that I tested+ for 4 other anxiety meds. when I looked up the names of these meds it said they were a metabolite for xanax but I tested negative for the actual xanax. I also had two U/A that said I tested+ for Alcohol of which i do not drink. I can't even take a sip of alcohol without becoming violently I'll from it. So I know that that was wrong. They said I tested+ for Morphine in February. Which is correct because in February he took me off the patch (150mc) because I had become allergic to the adhesive on the patch. But they refuse to go back in my file and look to see if he prescribed me the morphine. A week or 2 later I made another appointment because I couldn't take the withdrawal that I was experiencing from not having the patches. So he put me back on the patches. I was tested each visit. So I'm guessing that the fentanyl was still not completely out of my system as I've been on it every 3 days for 2yrs. It's now September and my Dr let me go due to the U/A from Feb, March, May, June, and July. In June I went thru an excruciating surgery to have a temporary Stimulator placed in my spine by the same Dr. I was willing to try this with hopes that if it worked I could have a permanent one placed in my spine and then be weaned off of Fentanyl, PERC 10's 6x a day, 350mg soma 3x a day, 4mg Tizanidine 3x a day, and Lyrics 300mg 2x a day. Not only am I afraid to withdrawal from Fentanyl I am afraid of withdrawaling from all of these meds at the same time cold turkey. If my U/A's were found to be questionable why would he continue to treat me after February all the way thru September and then fire me as a patient 2 days prior to the permanent stimulator placement surgery scheduled on August 31st. The worst thing is the staff would not allow me to speak to the Dr himself to remind him that he prescribed everything that I was on and tested+ for. I'm angry, hurt and confused. 2yrs with the same Dr and never had any problems. He's not even the one who made the call it was one of his nurses and they didn't even want to explain to me what the problem was with my U/A's. They wouldn't even let me see my file. SO that I could research it and show them that they prescribed me the stuff that I tested+ for.

After all of my research, I have learned that a lot of what I tested+ for were metabolites of what I was prescribed. I was told to go cold turkey, no referral to another Dr, but they referred me to a detox clinic for addicts. I didn't even want to start the patch when it was introduced to me but my Dr said it would help with my pain caused from Lupus, Mixed Connective tissue disease, Deteriorating spine and hips, Fibro, and many more issues. I continued to ask him to wean me off the fentanyl but instead he continued to increase it. I started out on 25mc but now he expects me to go cold turkey from 150mc along with the other things he prescribed. I don't understand why he would continue to be my Dr after my U/A supposedly tested+ for all these things. Even Vicodin. I am on fentanyl and perc 10's. All of you know that taking a Vicodin would do nothing for me compared to the strength of meds that I was already on. They acted like a lab or the girl collecting the U/A makes no mistakes at all. I was always honest with my Dr about when I was taking meds and when I wasn't, and when I couldn't afford my soma for the month and so of course I'd test negative. The 2 tests that tested+ for Alcohol show so much alcohol in my system that I should have been drunk on the days I went into the office. I want to get an attorney and sue him for leaving me in this position and for having so many patients that he can't remember what he prescribed from one patient to another and for the fact that they never once reviewed my records to see where the morphine came from in February. He never listened to me when I spoke to him anyway. I've been telling him for over a year that my leg has been numb and just feeling like it's constantly falling asleep. He would just have me squeeze his fingers, point my toes to the sky, push down on his hands with my feet, check my receipts, tell me to keep my meds locked up, tell me that they can be addictive, write my scripts and send me on my way. So this may be a blessing in disguise to have to find a new Dr but he wouldn't even give me refills for the next 30days until I find a new Dr and I will use my last patch on September 14th. I'm so scared of the withdrawal if I can't find a Dr to see me by then. I don't even care if they start tampering me down off of it but don't leave me to get sick and on my own. Can I sue this Dr.? He never said my body would become so dependant on these medications. He only said addictive and by saying that I only picture addicts using them to feel high. I'm sorry if that offends anybody, not meant for that, just being truthful.

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