Hi Gabriella,
I think people are uncomfortable if they know your in chronic pain. Or if they can see it in your eyes and face. The only discrimination I can think of. Is recently I had 2 doctor appointments with specialists. One for ringing in my ears. And one for a urology problem.
Both Docs. dismissed me when reading the questionnaire I filled out and seeing the pain drugs I take. They both blamed my problems on the drugs! And they could see from the questionnaire that I've had 5 back surgeries. But treated me like a drug addict!
Good luck, Jim

I saw a Neurologist just the other day because I have been having some very severe headaches since being ran over by a semi. He had one sheet of paper that he had me fill out and since it wasn't my typical migraine there was nowhere on the form for me to write what my actual pain felt like. The whole form dealt specifically with migraines. I've had migraines. I know what they feel like and this is no migraine. He had me stand up close my eyes and touch my nose then had me sit down and then asked what I had taken in the past for migraines. One maintenance medication I couldn't remember because it's been 8 years since my last headache. The one thing I could remember was that Midrin worked. So he wrote me a prescription for Topamax and told me to come back and see him in 6 weeks if I wasn't feeling better. He never asked me a single question about my ACDF surgery or the accident or anything about these very specific symptoms I have which were not on his list. I think he saw that I had retained and attorney and thought I was there to bolster some lawsuit. Needless to say I got a referral to another doctor. She sent me an entire packet of information to fill out and send back in before my appt. She asked page after page of questions and left plenty of blank spaces for me to define my answers.
So now because I happen to have a lawsuit pending against the truck driver's insurance company I'm afraid that people view me as a drug seeker. But tell me honestly wouldn't you want to be be reimbursed for medical expenses and to have a car once again if a truck literally ran over you? I had to hire an attorney because I couldn't fight this truck driver's company by myself. I'm just glad that my Orthopaedic Surgeon didn't treat me that way. Since I literally put my life in his hands.
Gabriella, Please hang on your going to find the right doctor and the right treatment.

I've been denied life insurance because I'm a risk (I was treated for minor depression and anxiety, ALL due to a long history of chronic pain!) and I've had not one, but THREE specialists treat me like cr*p. The excuses I've heard from people is that "specialists are trained to FIX people, and if they can't FIX them, they just tell you to ignore it". I had a neurosurgeon say there were too many little problems and not one major issue that could be rectified, so he couldn't help me. Period. No other options, no suggestion for pain clinics or anything else...just "I can't do anything for you" and out the door he went. The next was a rheumatologist who was hired by my LTD company to do an independent medical evaluation; after seeing me for less than an hour for a 20+ year history of pain, he wrote to my insurance carrier saying that "this woman needs to come to the realization that she is a chronic pain patient; she needs to get off her pain medications and give up on the idea that anything will "fix" her problems". (I wrote to my insurance carrier and said the day I give up on finding answers is the day I die!) Last, but not least, my neurosurgeon, after doing three rhizotomies over a two year period, said he COULD do another rhizotomy, but really, I should just "stretch every day and go back to work so I can forget about the pain". I could have ripped his head off that day, and my husband sat there in utter and complete shock after hearing that from this....."professional"......

I can't say how many times I've been told that I look SO good, with that doubtful look that says "there's no way she could possibly be suffering that badly".....but anyone who knows and loves me DOES know what I'm going through.

Keep your chin up, Gabriella, and don't give up. Advocate, document and keep going; there will eventually be SOMEONE out there who is willing to help you. As for colonies, Paul is right....this is OUR colony where people know and understand what we're dealing with 24/7/365.

Take care, and when you have the strength, carry on....that's all we can do is continue this journey.

Tracy

first i was treated like a drug addict by a pain consultant {who has now been sacked because of his attitude}i went to see this pillock is terrible pain and i was treated so badly i walked out.anyway that was one episode .the other is a cow of a neighbour.one day when i felt not too bad i washed my new car .and my neighbour {who knows that i don't work and know just how ill i am }shouted out you lazy baxxxtxxd you should get a job .and proceed to lay in to me about being a scrounger!!..the reason for this is we have just has a large extension built and she is green with envy.she has also reported me to the social services as a cheat!!..i had to go for an interview and medical ..every thing went in my favour.and when she tried to do it again she got a letter saying that if she proceeded with this unfounded lies she would face prosecution because of wasting government time !!.but it has not stopped .i have has mt car damaged i have been spat on and threatened.i don't need this as i am very ill i take 320mg of oxycodone i have had 2 major operations on my back i have thoracic outlet syndrome and chrones disease..i spend most of my time on my recliner .i just wish that people would leave me alone.she is also jealous that i have a blue badge .some people are so nasty!

One of the worst experiences I've had is over at Healthboards.com. If you try to post on the pain board, you get yelled at by the mods and treated very poorly. For some reason, they don't like people with pain. I got fed up and only stayed there a few weeks. They should just take the board down if they don't like it. Anyway, they really treat people with disrespect.

Glad I found this site. The mods here participate and seem very professional, knowledgeable, and compassionate.

OPF

yes, I have been treated poorly. I wish I could remember all of the them but sadly there are so many that I think I blocked alot of it out.

I just love it when I am told that you don't look like you are in pain, or why do you need to take any medications, or just take some vitamins and you'll be OK, or I bet you are an alcoholic ( yes, spoken to me by a PA at the hospital post-op), or you probably really wanted to be a boy, or you will get addicted and on and on....

Yes, I too went to a hospital in great pain due to endometriosis and the dr wanted to send me home as he said he refused to give me any drugs. I said I don't want drugs, just a shot of Toradol as this was the only treatment that helped in times of great attacks..

I no longer accept their assessment of me and hate this kind of unfair judgement as I do not want to be in chronic pain. It is a terrible cross to bear. I try to stay as positive as I can. But it is hard and I really work hard at it.....jade

yup, my secretary at work told everyone I was drinking heavily so thats why I was miserable and didnt wera makeup. It just so happened that I have 3 herniated disks, DDD stenosis and my Father had just had his leg amputated and had a heart attact and MRSA infection. ( and she knew all of this while she was spreading the rumors. She is PURE EVIL ans will have to answer to the man up above one day.

My doctor won't treat my pain at the level it deserves due to hospital policy(anti-narcotics).I like my doctor, but he has certainly not done anything since DX'd to prove his support like my diabetes and mental health.I am grateful for now, but as the winter sets in and pain levels increase its going to be a rough ride.

That's how I feel. My heart saddened and I grew enraged reading your stories. If I didn't have a hobbled walk and a cane, I would be getting that crap too. I have to say people have been considerate with me. I get doors opened, strangers volunteers to get things out of my reach, etc. and I am very grateful. I don't get looks for parking in handicapped either.
I hate to see chronic pain sufferers being treated badly. Don't ever put up with it. My heart goes out to everyone who had this ugliness happen to them.

Maybe when I go out in public I should put on my neck brace. I never wore it after surgery and I hate to throw it away since it is brand new. So now maybe I just found a new use for it.

Gabriella I really hope you've found the help you need.

If it helps you on a bad day, or if you're going to be out and about, why not. Recovery takes a good while, and there will be days when your pain will flare. You have a real reason to wear your brace, and if it helps to make your life easier, by all means sport it.

The neck brace idea made me laugh, I bet it would help immensely though, sadly.

I've been treated poorly more times than I can remember, and I'm still in my twenties(barely). I suppose that's part of the problem; being young of age, and retaining the appearance of physical fitness, youth and health, people look at you and assume what they see on the outside is a reflection of the inside. If they only knew!

Just do what you need to do to get by. I think people forget that disability occurs at any age, and they need to stop eyeballing suspiciously. For all they know, you could have been in a car accident. There is no reason to stare. Everybody suffers some type of injury in their lives.

I'm a retired physician pain specialist who has treated a lot of people with severe pain.

In your post you really only complain (with some justification) about how you have been treated. This seems pretty common to me.

I suggest you consult an interventional pain specialist (one who does procedures for pain.) the special training for this makes such people especially aware of pain and what can cause it.

You may appreciate Noel's laws of pain:
1. No brain, no pain. all pain lives in the brain.
2.Pain Spreads. If it isn't treated effectively early on, it will ruin your whole life and make a lot of your body parts hurt.
3. Crazy does not make pain, pain makes crazy, which may make pain worse.
4. Pain hurts everyone in the house, and some who aren't in it.
5.Real relief doesn't (usually) come in a bottle.

Spending two decades not getting some sort of relief means you were in the hands of physicians who really didn't understand pain. You need a new physician who understands pain.

Ken Noel
DocNoelsBlog.com

If someone says to me, Gee you don't look like you are in pain, I would say, And you don't look stupid either.
However, most people take one look at me and know I am in pain. I guess I am surrounded by a group of very caring people.
OZ

OMG that is a great post I laughed OUT LOUD!!!!
Then read it to my daughter she says, "that's a good one!"
so thanks

In lieu of not hijacking the post I can relate with all of you guys I am in the medical profession and it doesn't matter people are idiots.
I don't tolerate any of that business either then get labeled as difficult I guess but I don't care I will be treated the way I would treat another.

In general though I don't tell many people much especially my meds it's none of their business. Friends know of the pain but not meds etc and frankly I'd rather talk about something else & they don't get it no one does unless you are a spiney and my pain doc too he is fantastic. He is offering me a spinal cord stimulator trial maybe that would be an option for you...the nerve pain is insane & I understand where you are coming from I've had many a day where i I thought what kind of life is this??? I still though am pushing on & hope you will too. I know it's hard and easier said then done but it will help greatly to ignore any of that even if it's your parents they can say stuff until their blue in the face....in one ear & out the other...people DON'T get it & neither did I even taking care of many a patient I was compassionate and non judgemental but looking back there is no way anyone can get it unless they are in their shoes. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Not just my issues but any back,neck and spine issues.

My brother in law has been living with lumbar degeneration for years refused surgery which I knew but had a chance to talk to him at Thanksgiving and he gets it. He also shared how crappy he's been treated at times as well. He can however live, work and function with meds still so good for him. I on the other hand had other stuff going on and cannot work w/meds on board so we're all different I guess is my point.

You can have 10 MRI's looking the same and maybe 1 person with problems..again everyone is different...

I don't know what normal is either but I've decided I will find a normal for me which includes spacing out when I'm up with my meds and taking breaks. Also have they tried Lyrica? I couldn't stand myself without it, usually we have to try Neurontin 1st which I did but it was no comparison. If you've had major side effects alone with it you may be able to lobby for the Lyrica with medicaid. I think but am not sure the pain clinics may have some samples. You might ask, all they can do is say they don't have any but may agree to try the Lyrica. It's very expensive but worth the phone calls if it works for you that is if you haven't already tried it. I am on a very HIGH dose so if you have tried it maybe try to ask if it can be retried at a higher dose.

I feel and have probably said many a time we must be our own advocates so keep up the good work it sounds like you are and are hitting some walls it will get better

I love Dr Noel's posts btw some very good stuff.
Have a good day & take your meds if you need them to do stuff it's not worth it. I tried to taper and then stop my meds with the doc's orders & after 3 days was useless even to sit and eat dinner w/the family. I still cannot sit very long and am asking for it if I sit even a little but I've learned I then will need a break sooner....

Take Care

I too have been treated unfairly. I get questioned when I need to refill my pain meds. I like the suggestion of wearing the brace. I bet I would get more empathy if I wore my back brace. I am young and have temp handicap parking permit and get dirty looks when I use it. I have family members and some docs who tell me that I just need to lose weight and learn to live with the pain. I gained 60+ lbs over a 1 year period due to meds and pain. I know I am overweight but I've had the pain all my life, even before I got fat I ask for help with my groceries and feel I have to explain myself because they give me dirty looks, like why can't you do it. Maybe it's just in my head but I feel like they are thinking maybe if you would just do a little more for yourself you wouldn't be so fat and lazy.

I go to the same places (grocery store, pharmacy,etc.) and I chat with employees about my back. Now that I'm known, most people are helpful and polite. I have had strangers hold the door open and such, and I greatly appreciate it. It gives me hope that there is still a little bit of compassion left in this world. Yes, I do feel the need to reveal my problem so I don't get mistreated.

Let's see, it's happened so many times in the last 9 years since I've first been hurt. I'll give a list.

(1) My coworker (when I was still trying to work) tried to sell me a brass bracelet for $150.00, because I said no, she said that there wasn't anything wrong with me or I would have bought it. Duh! Like a brass bracelet is going to cure me!
(2) My friends acted like it was a disease they can catch. I lost every single friend (so called) that I had, from the first day I had surgery. I didn't even recieve a card or flowers from my lifelong bestfriend or my coworkers. Actually, I didn't even get a phone call to see how I was doing, much less a visit.
(3) Older people yell at me for parking in the Handicap parking. They don't even give me a chance to put my placard up. This happens all of the time! I guess nothing tragic happens to younger people.
(4) Being called a drug addict,even by my nurse sister. She says that 'anyone' who takes Oxy is an addict and will end up in the ER from an overdose. She refuses to let me explain the truth to her. So many people have implied this to me, or just called me one to my face. I'd like to know what they would do if they were in this type of pain? My nurse sister said she would rather be dead, what a nice thing to say to me.
(5) If I disagree with anyone, have a different opinion, they say "Well, you are on drugs and are in pain, so I'll blame your way of thinking on all of that". It doesn't matter if it's politics, child abuse, etc..
(6) I've been called 'Lazy"!
(7) The ER treating my like crap because they assume I want drugs, what I want is for them to find out what is wrong, like "did I break my arm?".
Being told it's all in my head, or that I need to see a Psychiatrist because I'm a hypocondriac. Yes, not being able to go pee for 24 to 36 hours is normal, as is having a leg swollen twice it's size. Also, condescending remarks and smirks.
(9) To be told that my pain is not as bad as I think it is, how would they know?
(10) People get mad at me for not being able to do things, or having to cancel something we've planned because my pain level is too high.
(11) My family not understanding my depression, there problems are 'ALWAYS' worse than mine are no matter how trivial.
(12) Why can't I just throw myself together in 20 minutes like everyone else? I love that one!

That's off of the top of my head. I've been through a lot worse but I don't need to make a novel out of this. It's long enough already!

The post above mine reminded me of something that happened about a year ago. At a warehouse club I got into one of those riding carts and was told to get out by an employee because they were for the disabled people only. I guess my cane didn't give him any clues!

Dear Gabbie, I hope you don't mind that I shorten your name for my memory's sake. My heart goes out to you and I'm sure you will find that you are not alone. I endured so much unescessary pain that It should be criminal. Unfortunately, it seems to be the big feather in a doctor's cap, if they can convince you to suffer. Usually we are driven to another doctor out of suffering. I have had three surgeries, four sets of MRI's and medical documentation as thick as a phone book. The good news is refuse to be pushed around. If you are not receiving relief, ask your doctor who you can contact regarding your suffering. That sometimes evokes a little concern. I take methadone today, because of finacial reasons and it's pretty effective. I have learned to stick up for myself these days. God bless you.

Dear Gabbie, I hope you don't mind that I shorten your name for my memory's sake. My heart goes out to you and I'm sure you will find that you are not alone. I endured so much unescessary pain that It should be criminal. Unfortunately, it seems to be the big feather in a doctor's cap, if they can convince you to suffer. Usually we are driven to another doctor out of suffering. I have had three surgeries, four sets of MRI's and medical documentation as thick as a phone book. The good news is refuse to be pushed around. If you are not receiving relief, ask your doctor who you can contact regarding your suffering. That sometimes evokes a little concern. I take methadone today, because of finacial reasons and it's pretty effective. I have learned to stick up for myself these days. God bless you.

Dear Gabbie, I hope you don't mind that I shorten your name for my memory's sake. My heart goes out to you and I'm sure you will find that you are not alone. I endured so much unescessary pain that It should be criminal. Unfortunately, it seems to be the big feather in a doctor's cap, if they can convince you to suffer. Usually we are driven to another doctor out of suffering. I have had three surgeries, four sets of MRI's and medical documentation as thick as a phone book. The good news is refuse to be pushed around. If you are not receiving relief, ask your doctor who you can contact regarding your suffering. That sometimes evokes a little concern. I take methadone today, because of finacial reasons and it's pretty effective. I have learned to stick up for myself these days. God bless you.

Dear Gabbie, I hope you don't mind that I shorten your name for my memory's sake. My heart goes out to you and I'm sure you will find that you are not alone. I endured so much unescessary pain that It should be criminal. Unfortunately, it seems to be the big feather in a doctor's cap, if they can convince you to suffer. Usually we are driven to another doctor out of suffering. I have had three surgeries, four sets of MRI's and medical documentation as thick as a phone book. The good news is refuse to be pushed around. If you are not receiving relief, ask your doctor who you can contact regarding your suffering. That sometimes evokes a little concern. I take methadone today, because of finacial reasons and it's pretty effective. I have learned to stick up for myself these days. God bless you.

I am new to this forum but I just had to take the time to thank all the brave people who have generously shared their stories. I sat and cried as I read these. You all are so brave! I have trigeminal neuralgia-a nerve condition that causes pain in the face eye and jaw. The trigeminal nerve hooks onto the brainstem. I have constant pain and have episodes where the pain is so bad I start throwing up and throwing up. My usual treatment has been to go to the ER and they would give me and IV with pain and nausea medication which would help me so that I could go Home and take my usual medication. The last time that I went to the E.R. I saw a new Dr. He stated that if I ever came to the ER again he would call the police on me. He said because I had medication at home I shouldn't be there. I explained that I wasn't able to keep it down during these episodes. He continued to humiliate me. I left feeling scared- I have never been in trouble with the police- and depressed. I am starting to see why they call trigeminal neuralgia the suicide illness. I have not kept food or fluid down in five days. I have a consult with a surgeon soon so I hope it will help.

I will pray for you all- Good Luck

Welcome to Spine-Health. Have you introduced yourself in the New Members Introduction section? If not, please post there and let us know more about yourself. This post might get lost in the shuffle, so posting there will help our members find you easier to offer support and suggestions.

I'm sorry to hear about the problems you're having. The first thing I thought of is one of our members, TTLC. Her son was recently diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia and I've included the link below to her post telling us her story and member replies

You might find comfort in reading her thread as well as talking with her directly. Her name is Tammy and she is a wonderful lady. I know she'd be more than happy to talk to you about what you're going through and comparing "war" stories.

http://www.spine-health.com/forum/chronic-pain/my-son-zach-trigeminal-ne...

Again, welcome to Spine-Health. Take care,
Cath

chronicpain1960, welcome. I am sorry to hear about your pain and about a medical "professional" making matters worse.

Have you talked to your regular doctor about your experience? He/she may be able to help you in some way that we are not aware of. Maybe your doctor can help you learn how to communicate with the ER folks in a way that doesn't set them off. Maybe he/she could provide you with something to take to reduce your ER trips. Heck, maybe he/she could even provide you a letter or something to protect you from this kind of abuse.

It is shameful that we have to do things like this, but the addicts out there have made our lives much harder, and ER people seem to always be the most suspicious (and sometimes abusive). But telling your doctor and asking for help is always a good start.

Keep your head up and know you have support here. I am relatively new here myself, but reading here can really help you though those dark times. Good luck!

It is great to see our old posts come back around to help others and make them feel more at ease with their daily struggles.

Atwitsend-
I have issues with my family too. My husband and father are the worst. Neither of them will even listen to me when I explain that I take my meds as prescribed and always have extra left over at the end of the month, meaning I don't even take as much as prescribed everyday and that I don't take for the "high" either. Finding this site was a lifesaver for me. I felt so lost and alone in my pain and suffering, especially since I didn't have the support from my family and my friends deserted me once I wasn't the fun, outgoing, active Michele that they were used to. Please feel free to PM me anytime you'd like to chat.

chronicpain1960-
I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through. I'm so glad you find this site and I hope you find it helpful as well as comforting to be able to chat with those who understand your daily struggles with pain and the stigma's we all face at one time or another. A hospital ER is a place to go for help, not to be ridiculed. I'm so sorry for the way you were treated and I agree with the others that you should report this doctor.

One of the major things along the way is that there are some great doctors and some really bad ones too. It really applies to all fields though. I have learned to run from bad one and do it quickly. I have learned i deserve it, and I really have a great team of doctors that I am working with. When looking for pain doctor, i picked out 3 and made appointments and i really was there to see who i could work with, basically i was interviewing them. I knew i found my doctor when he listened and said "we will figure this out, and he had lots of options for me to try. I cried all the way home, i was so releaved. To this day i still feel he is so helpful and supportive and on my side. NO judgements. A few of the office staff are a bit rude, but i really don't care, he is my doctor.
I had an a really horrible experience, as well as horrible medicine too. I hope he learned too. On April 26th of 08 i had a mini stroke and was hospitalized for 3 days, i was beside myself, full of fear, and just full of shock. I saw hospital Neurologist and he told me to come see him in 3 weeks and he would tell me all is well in the world, and to move my body, all while talking to hubby too. I never went to see that jerk. To me he is #1 I saw one at teaching hospital and he thought is was a migraine and anxiety. Yeah just get me out of hospital and anxiety will be fine, mean while right side of face and right side is weak, and face has drooped. I did begin to start with really strange migranes and i called and they never called me back, called again, no response......good bye to #2..... here is the horrible part....asked pain doc for a name of a neurologist, my anxiety was up and i felt so alone and scare. SO off to #3 well once again brought all films , CT all films of head. He told me i was to young, that only people in there 70's have strokes. I explained to him i was a smoker and up to stroke i was on HRT, he said that really should not matter. He said if all was well he would take me off blood thinners in 3 months, and of course he once again told me i was just to young.... 45, and i guess blonde.....i am sure that must play into his thinking as well. Well migraines really started to come into play and at this time hubby was calling me the young whipper snapper. I made appointment so that i could have migraines were addressed. I told hubby , one more age reference i was running for the door.
I took my young butt to appointment, and yep, he said the words again ."YOU ARE TO YOUNG" while i had an article from his office on how woman in there late 30's - 40's were a growing group of stroke patients. I had article in my lap. I ran, and i ran fast...........

Blessing was #4 through a friend he got me in within a week and took all film and he listened and wanted a few more test......within 2 weeks i was told that i had a brain aneurysm, and within 2 days i was in for a angiogram, and within like 20 days major brain surgery.

Well being young and childish, i had to call #3 and thank him, and tell him he was no longer my doctor and that Jane , young age of 45 had brain aneurysm......and i hope in the future he thinks a bit outside of the box. He called that day at 5pm and it felt so good, and i really do hope that the next young blonde that walks through his door he thinks outside of that box.
Had i stayed with him i could be dead. My aneurysm was large and paper thin, NS could see the blood swirling in the vessel.

SO please listen to your gut, and wear your sneakers in case you need to run ( Like we can run)lol Listen to your gut, and remember we are paying them too. However it is a team effort to keep this woman here. I love my doctors.

sorry so long

jane

It is a shame some people judge others or make assumptions based on age and appearance. I bet their opinion would change if they walked in our shoes for one day. A little more kindness and compassion to other no matter the situation would be great.

Sharon

Oh, I just love it when people say "well you don't look sick". It's like, "yeah, well I'm not sick...I'm in chronic pain! I don't have a cold, I don't have the flu...I'm in constant pain!" I did love Oz's post though, well you don't look stupid. That's great! After my last surgery, my fusion, I was in a back brace for 3 months. I can't tell you how many people held the door for me, offered to get something at the store that was on a shelf too high or too low, offered to unload my groceries from my cart into my car. But now, I don't have the back brace and could still use the help every bit as much. But what am I supposed to do? wear a sign around my neck that says "I'm in chronic pain, help me"? maybe I should wear my back brace again too. hehe. It's not like I expect people to feel sorry for me, but sometimes I think our lives would be easier if we wore our pain on the outside. I have definitely been discriminated against because of the pain and therefore the pain meds. I have switched pharmacies twice because of the way I was treated. The one pharmacy even called my family doctor to tattle on me that I was bringing in prescriptions for narcotics...from my surgeon no less. So my family doctor has the receptionist call me to schedule an appointment and actually accused me of being a drug abuser. She told me that I was too young to be on pain medication and that I should just "deal" with it. And she was the one that referred me to the surgeon to have my first back surgery in the first place! So needless to say, I not only switched pharmacies, but family doctors as well. She had been my family doc for 15 years to boot. Luckily, her being such a jerk got me to the family doc that I am still with today who is wonderful. And the doctor I switched to was the one that got me to the rheumatologist that I still see today. So the good news is, there are good doctors out there, even though sometimes we have to go through the bad ones to get to the good ones. As far as being treated badly, a few days after my last ESI, I had a flare up and was in so much pain I thought I was either going to go crazy or die. My oral meds didn't even touch the pain so I called my rheumy after taking an extra BT and he told me to go to the ER to see if they could give me something IV to help. So I go to the ER like he told me to, and asked for something IV...like he told me to and the ER doctor was such a jerk. After he comes in and gives me his holier than thou spiel about being on too much pain medication for such a young age, he did give me dilaudid IV which didn't help at all. So when he came in to check on me and offered me another dose, I told him that I'd rather just go home and try to get comfortable because the IV wasn't helping any more than my other meds did. I kind of figured that maybe that would make him realize that I wasn't trying to get high or whatever it is that they think. But before I leave, he comes in and tells me that I better make sure I bring my pain contract with me next time or they can decide not to be as nice as him and refuse me any pain meds...are you kidding me? It's like, ok, next time I am in excruciating pain, I'll make sure I bring my 50 pounds of medical records with me too so you can look over that before you judge me. I think all of us spineys have probably dealt with this type of discrimination by some jerk or another. But as I said earlier, there are some good docs out there. I have my family doc, my rheumatologist, chiropractor and pain management doctors that are all wonderful. Every one of them has stood by me through the most painful days and do everything in their power to keep me as pain free as possible. Not that I didn't have to wade through a bunch of sleazes to get my dream team because believe me, I did. But the point is, if you don't feel like your doctors are doing everything possible for you, you need to switch. My docs are willing to try new things and listen to me when I tell them something isn't working. So don't give up, just keep searching and you will find a good doctor. And like J said, sometimes you literally have to interview doctors until you find one that doesn't just work for you, but with you as well. Wishing you all pain free tomorrows. Lauren.

I am going through the same thing a lot of people here have or are going through.
My GP, who has been renewing my scripts for my pain meds, has just told me I had to find a new Doctor because he will no longer treat me! This Doctor has treated me very badly and all because of my chronic pain.
When I got this script for the pain meds I am now on he was out of town so I had to see another Doctor. All he has been doing is writing a new script every month and he hates even doing that for me.
In the begenning I was taking 1 pain pill every 6 hours for pain. It does not even last 3 hours so I talked to hem about taking them every 4 hours and he agreed to that but wrote me a script for 150. I take one every 4 hours, that is 6 a day. The 150 only lasts 25 days. So I talked to hem again about that. He ask if I was taking them at night and I explained to hem that I have to because the pain wakes me up so he agreed to a refill every 25 days.
Now he has changed his tune and started shouting at me that he HAS said they HAVE to last me 30 days and he had told me I was NOT to take them at night!
This man was shouting at me and had me in tears with this sudden turn around. He said if I ran out before the 30 days was up that was just tough...he did not care if I was in pain at night or if I had to go without pain meds for 5 days...that was my problem, not his!
He treats me like it is my own fault I have this pain and he treats me like a "druggie" although I have taken my pain meds to hem to count(he then would not count them)I showed hem the tabled where i write down when I can take a pain pill and then cross it off(he just went "humph") when I showed it to hem. He ask if I would take a urin test, which I quickly agreed to right then(then he would not give me one)I was not a bit "cocky" when I agreed to the urin test either, I am not like that at all. I think he wants to label me as a "drug seeker" to justify the sorry way he has treated me.
What I am going to do is get a patient advocate to work with me(something I should have did sooner) and I am also going to report this Doctor for the unethical way he has treated me. I am also going to find 3 Doctors to have a conference with to see how they will treat me AND my pain.
Doctors do NOT scream and shout at patients as this man did. I am a very easy going person, perhaps to easy going, but now I am angry and he really has my back up and I will not take this!!
Sorry for such a loooong post. Thanks to anyone who wades through this but I had to get this off my chest.
Patsy W

I sent you a couple of links to some sites here in WV. Hope they help. Please go to a hospital er if you have no other options.

I'm sorry your appt went so horribly and the way you were treated was inexcusable. Hello..you need 180 pills if you take 1 tablet every 4 hours. Has he ever heard of something called math? This makes no sense at all.

Maybe your new PM doctor will prescribe your pain meds from now on. If not, then it's a good idea to move on and find a doctor who specializes in internal medicine instead of a regular GP. Hopefully he'll have more expertise and feel comfortable prescribing painkillers. Hang in there and take care

Wrambler...thank you so much for the links you sent to me. They have given me a lot of good information that I can use reporting this man and also a form I can use to print out to report hem. Doctors do not shout at their patients as this man did. He told me if I ran out of medication it would be my fault and my pain was my problem NOT his.
MeyDey...Thank you dear. I am very upset about his violent outburst as you can well emagine. It is a Doctors duty to treat a chronic pain patient with respect(or any patient) and they can't refuse to treat them like he is doing.
He told me that he had told me I was NOT to take any medication at night!! How stupid! Pain does not go away when the sun goes down!! There is no way I can stretch 150 pain pills over 30 days!! Not taking one every 4 hours as I have to do.
Thanks for the comments
Patsy W

Oh boy... are you out of pain medication now, Patsy? Or, did he give you one final refill... until you can find a new PCP? Do you have enough on hand to allow you time to find someone new?

I sure hope he gave you enough to get you by, until you can get in to see a new physician. Your idea of getting a patient advocate is wonderful. Do you have one in mind... how do you go about finding one?

I was wondering... if you can't find a PCP right away, would your PM doctor be able to prescribe your medications for you? The one who will be removing your SCS implant?

I sure hate to see you in this predicament, Patsy.

Hang in there and if there is anything we can help research for you, please let us know. Whether it is doctor's names, patient advocate information, etc. If time is of the essence, we could all pull together and try and gather information for you.

Hugs,

Tammy

P.S. This too shall pass... keep that in mind. Be strong and know that you will find a good PCP who is compassionate and caring.

Every single person in my family is in complete disagreement with the way I am managing my pain. They believe I should just deal with it and be in pain and not take any medication whatsoever. I was told that if I have a bad day, to just ice and heat it and it will get better......they don't have a clue. Everyday is a 'bad' day for me.

I just wish any of them could be in my shoes for one minute so they can understand.

My doctor changed my pain medication to Oxycontin because the Vicodin quit working. I just recently got shouted at by my sister because I'm gonna end up in rehab and I'm already addicted, according to her and my family. I'm also never gonna get a job because of this medication and it's gonna ruin my life and I'm gonna lose my house. They really have a way with words. I told her that I don't feel bad on it and that it makes me able to function again. But, apparently, that's because it has changed the way my brain works and I'm already at the tolerant level. What the hell?!?

I don't know what else to say to them. I've tried to explain to them that I don't feel I have any choices and that I'm doing my best. I'm not taking it for a 'high' and that it relieves my pain. I thought I was doing the right thing by getting off the high dose of APAP and getting on an extended release medication. But according to them, I'm not.

So, now they all just look at me like I'm some kind of addict and just waiting for me to enter rehab. It really makes me feel like crap what they're doing to me.

Can't wait for Thanksgiving.

I'd pass on the turkey if I were you. I'd hate to hear what they would spring up on you at the dinner table. Why are people so stubborn and inflexible? My mom TELLS me not to forget to take my meds. She would never look down on me for nothing and would rather me take these meds than suffer. I'm sorry you have to deal with this situation on top of everything else you're feeling.

Hi Patsy, my jaw dropped at your last post. Pigs do fly after all I'm glad he apologized because it takes a bit of the sting off. Are you going to stay there for now until something better comes along? I wouldn't blame you because it's stressful to look for another doctor. At least you are covered for one whole month. Things have a funny way of working out, huh? Hang in there!

because ..most of you know me by now ..yes ? i am an ok kinda man ..quiet polite and dont want to offend anyone ..but i have found that since i have been ill with back problems .not only have i lost one marriage and all my so called friends .had abuse from nasty neighbours etc .now someone that i trust and have {had} and lot of respect for is now treating me badly .i can't mention the name or the location of the person {its not my wife or anyone on here!!} but some one close to me in the medical profession .once i was treated well //i am now treated like a waste of space and not treated with the respect i deserve ,and told by this person that i will be in pain all my life and :what do you want me to do about it?: attitude very uncaring ..from a person that should be caring .and when i mentioned the possibility of the ADR operation .i was told that its rarely successful and did not recommend it ..then when i said that i am in loads of pain and what else could i do about it ? i was told ..well go for the operation then !! ..i just feel like no one cares and because i am ill i no longer matter ..i have no social standing anymore .i am confused and worried ,because if i have the operation and it fails ,,i will get well i told you attitude and to be honest with you ..more pain for the rest of my life ..i don't know if i could cope ..and if i dont or carnt have it ..what then ?? its a 5417 choice ...not fair ..i hope that you can make some sense of this post and understand where i am going with it ..i carnt give anymore details as SH will edit it
STRAKER

In answer to your question,yes,even by doctors....I don't get it...one Dr will chastise me for being too tough,and then my surgeon will say "you're only 50,you shouldn't be feeling this way". But the worst is mentioning I take painkillers....oooooooo,scary.Like I sit around loaded all day....or I scratch and claw my way over small children and old people to get a fix. And sadly that's how my family and friends view it. I just don't tell anybody anything anymore.I don't ask my husband to pick up my prescriptions.I don't tell anybody how I feel,they don't really want to know anyway.That's the only thing that works for me.
You sound like a very talented woman.If you write a book on chronic pain,will it be a self-help book or will you do it like a "through the eyes of" type of work? Sounds intrigueing.I hope you get to feeling well enough to get started!
In the meantime,take care of yourself and BTW,I live in Nevada too and my insurance is exorbitant!
Have a good one Sagehen