slipperyslope
06-23-2008, 09:09 AM
well today at 11.00 I am seeing my Dr who is going to have to switch me off oxycontin onto something else do to the price being 300.00 for a months supply. wish me luck, I am so nervous. I did find out that my PM Dr is starting up his own practice again, so if I need him I can go back to seeing him instead but I would prefer to use MY PCP as he is so nice and I only have to go every 3 months, my RX'S are ready in 2 hours always ontime and its 5 minutes from the house. I hope he can help me. I have a list of generic meds i can try so we will see what he picks for me. I am going to mention Ms Contin, and methadone but will let him pick what he feels is best for me. I am very nervous! I will report back after my apt. please all think good thoughts for me.
SS
SS
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skych
06-23-2008, 09:36 AM
SS,
I will send out the prayer waves for you~~~~
I hope that you and you Doc will find a drug that is less expensive for you that will at the same time cover your pain.
Your not alone with the cost of the meds. I have only a prescription discount cards and I spend almost $400.00 of pain meds and muscle relaxers, for a month. Pretty bad isin't it. Maybe I should ask the discount place to send me some paperwork on what meds would be cheaper for a months supply. Is that what you did? Did you ask for the info on less expensive drugs?
Good luck and best whishes.
Christine
I will send out the prayer waves for you~~~~
I hope that you and you Doc will find a drug that is less expensive for you that will at the same time cover your pain.
Your not alone with the cost of the meds. I have only a prescription discount cards and I spend almost $400.00 of pain meds and muscle relaxers, for a month. Pretty bad isin't it. Maybe I should ask the discount place to send me some paperwork on what meds would be cheaper for a months supply. Is that what you did? Did you ask for the info on less expensive drugs?
Good luck and best whishes.
Christine
123dietdrpepper
06-23-2008, 10:21 AM
Praying that things go smoothly for you today and that your doctor is able to select a med that will cover your pain and make your transition smooth from oxycontin. Good luck.
Fabrashamx
06-23-2008, 10:42 AM
:cool:SS,
Best of luck to you, all of us will be waiting to hear how it went. I have been really happy with the methadone, I hope that is something you can try that will work for you also.
LOL It must be refill day on the boards, I have to call for mine to be made ready for me to pick up in the morning, My doctor is on vacation and thats what he told me to do, But I am a little worried, I hate trying to get something done quickly on a monday when they are so swamped, but he's so picky about his patients not getting even one day early fills, and otherwise I would have to call on friday for a tuesday fill.
Ack I am so sorry started out wishing you luck and then talked about myself. I will be keeping my fingers crossed that you get on a med that is affordable and works well for you.
Hugs, Fabby :)
Best of luck to you, all of us will be waiting to hear how it went. I have been really happy with the methadone, I hope that is something you can try that will work for you also.
LOL It must be refill day on the boards, I have to call for mine to be made ready for me to pick up in the morning, My doctor is on vacation and thats what he told me to do, But I am a little worried, I hate trying to get something done quickly on a monday when they are so swamped, but he's so picky about his patients not getting even one day early fills, and otherwise I would have to call on friday for a tuesday fill.
Ack I am so sorry started out wishing you luck and then talked about myself. I will be keeping my fingers crossed that you get on a med that is affordable and works well for you.
Hugs, Fabby :)
slipperyslope
06-23-2008, 11:05 AM
fab this is what I do for my refills as my Dr likes to fill on day 29 for me after I complained that waiting until the 30th day wasn't a good plan, he agreed. what I do is i call the RX line at my Dr's office 3 days in advance. I always say I KNOW I am early but I want to make sure its ready on time. and they always call right back and say its ready but I can't fill it for a few days, I always tell them that is fine and they post date it a few days for me. I make it clear each time I am not out of meds, and that I know I am early but I want to give them ample time to gett he Dr to sign off on it and check my chart. it has worked well.
thanks for the well wishes.
thanks for the well wishes.
zoey1
06-23-2008, 01:04 PM
i hope it works out very well for you fingers crossed
slipperyslope
06-23-2008, 01:56 PM
Okay, first off I LOVE my PCP he is such a great man and very empathetic to my situation. so I tell him the news about the price of the oxy and he was floored. I told him the reason I am here today is to talk to you about finding me a new med. he looked at my dose and said I am on a HUGE dose of pain meds, which I really don't think I am but I didn't say a word. I take 40 mgs of oxy LA 3 times a day and I take 5mgs of oxy IR 2-4 times a day and some days none at all so I get 100 of those a month and 90 of the oxy LA a month. do you think that is a steep amount of meds? okay so he said he is not good with pain meds that it is not his expertise at all. and he would have no idea how to dose me or what to put me on. I mentioned methadone, and morphine and he does not no how to dose it and said meth is used for heroin addicts. and for pain but the doses are very different. so here is the plan, he is referring me to a pain Dr to consult on my meds and what I should take, and he wants me to see this new PM Dr 2-4 times max and than he will over see my meds. at first he wanted to put me off to the PM Dr and I asked him point blank if he would please keep prescribing. I am so brave. I told him how compliant I am, how I respect the medication, how I know how important it is to not loose my pills I told him I keep them in a safe and am so careful and never call for early refills so I said I am a good easy patient. I than told him how much I love his office and his nurses. how nice they are to me and how they have my meds ready on time every month, even early and how grateful I am, so he said Sure I would be happy to take over your meds if you can get stabilized by a specialist first. I am so glad I asked him to do this, it can't hurt to be honest and ask for what you need and want. he could have said No but he didn't. so that is the deal. Now the deal is he is referring me to a PM Dr he knows prescribes narcotics as I told him I am not going to deal with nerve root burnings, ESI'S, PT, and anything else that I have been through all of that and just want to stay on my meds. He said he will communicate that to the Dr and I am to as well. I just can't deal with more MRI'S and more test at this point in my life. I am CP Pain patient who will have this pain forever do the cauda equina syndrome I had 6 years ago. I still am totally numb in my legs and saddle area and I have horrible sciatic and low back pain into my foot 24/7. I could try surgery but 2 Dr's said it is no guarantee it will fix me and could make me worse so I am not going to go there right now. As of now the meds bring my pain from a 8-9 to a 4-5 and although I Am never pain free I have times when my pain is very low b/c of the meds I take so its all good!!!
SO now on another note I hate to see a new PM Dr when I could be up for god knows what, so I am going to go back to my old PM Dr's who's office was shut down, he is re opening next month and let him consult or possibly return to him every month. or I can stick with my PCP the only issue is that my PCP is an older man, at least late 60's to 70 so the risk of retirement is very possible so I should be careful with that, but my PM Dr is also in his 60's so you never no. I e mailed my old pm dr and he was so happy to hear from me and is glad to consult for my Dr. his office was shut down by the hospital he worked for not be the DEA so he is re opening. he was great but the 4 hour wait each month killed me. what do you all think I should do, should I just go back to my old PM Dr????? OR stick with my PCP after we get a med consult? I am thinking of going back to my PM Dr as he was SO nice and SO GOOD to me......
okay on a weird note, my Dr told me I have a heart murmur grade 2 I am now nervous but he said its nothing to worry about, but no other Dr ever mentioned it to me, so I am now scared something is wrong. he wants to check my liver function as well do to all the meds so that is also a wise idea. thanks for all the support. Hugs to all, oh and for now I will just keep paying the 300.00 for the oxy until I can get into a PM Dr.
do you think its worth me to call Purdue and ask for help? I am almost at poverty level in my income so maybe they will help me, is this possible?
SO now on another note I hate to see a new PM Dr when I could be up for god knows what, so I am going to go back to my old PM Dr's who's office was shut down, he is re opening next month and let him consult or possibly return to him every month. or I can stick with my PCP the only issue is that my PCP is an older man, at least late 60's to 70 so the risk of retirement is very possible so I should be careful with that, but my PM Dr is also in his 60's so you never no. I e mailed my old pm dr and he was so happy to hear from me and is glad to consult for my Dr. his office was shut down by the hospital he worked for not be the DEA so he is re opening. he was great but the 4 hour wait each month killed me. what do you all think I should do, should I just go back to my old PM Dr????? OR stick with my PCP after we get a med consult? I am thinking of going back to my PM Dr as he was SO nice and SO GOOD to me......
okay on a weird note, my Dr told me I have a heart murmur grade 2 I am now nervous but he said its nothing to worry about, but no other Dr ever mentioned it to me, so I am now scared something is wrong. he wants to check my liver function as well do to all the meds so that is also a wise idea. thanks for all the support. Hugs to all, oh and for now I will just keep paying the 300.00 for the oxy until I can get into a PM Dr.
do you think its worth me to call Purdue and ask for help? I am almost at poverty level in my income so maybe they will help me, is this possible?
zoey1
06-23-2008, 02:23 PM
united health care was very useful with meds as well as having a nurse on staff that helped me navigate the system. She was also useful for comparison meds as well as referrals. For me and my situation it was nice having someone in the know to help me figure out which doc to see when. I am glad they did regular blood work on you that is a positive thing on these types of meds. How do you feel about your old doc? If you did not burn any bridges and he is willing to let you continue to see your prescribing doc by all means. Let them do the suggesting and make sure there are scripts you can afford
slipperyslope
06-23-2008, 02:53 PM
I was an outstanding patient with my PM Dr. His practice closed it wasn't as if I was kicked out or anything. so he already told me via an E Mail he would be happy to have me back as a patient. so no isses there, and I can continue to see my PCP but I am now thinking maybe I should go back to my old PM Dr since his practice is about to re open. the good thing about my PCP is the convenience factor and how close he is TO MY HOME and how I only have to see him every 3 months vs every month like I did with the PM Dr, and he was so over booked I would be there for 4 hours every month, plus it did cost me 50.00 a month vs nothing as I am able to just pick up my RX monthly with no fee's associated with it at the PCP'S office..but he is not an expert in the field of PM so I am thinking that is best if I stick with the PM Dr, but I am not sure yet, I have to think about it, please give me your opinons on the situation. and what you would do.. I should probably just sitck with my PCP after my consult on my new medications.
thanks, SS
thanks, SS
Fabrashamx
06-23-2008, 03:00 PM
SS,
Worst case senerio, I figure is you see this PM, if he is a jerk, You can go back to doctor you have now, ask for the oxys for another month, and ask if he is willing to go on line and check out methadone doseage for pain patients.
He could also talk to the pharmacy, they would be glad to help him, or he could talk to another doctor.
I think he is mistaken about the doseage being different than for herion addicts, I mean, you need to start slow, but still at an opiate dependent dose, for me it was 10 mgs per day, you were on more meds than I was, so he may want to start you higher and see you every 5 days or so and titrate you up, Hopefully he will let you have your breakthrough meds at the same time. I believe herion addicts may start at a higher dose, and the goal there is usually to taper off eventually, although some addicts are on it for life and thats okay too.
The breakthrough meds if you go on methadone are an issue because they dont make a short acting methadone, and its not that kind of med that is safe to use that way, if you stayed on your SA oxys for breakthrough, would that be affordable for you?
You cant help but worry about this PM guy, but try not to put up too many walls, you want to at least listen to his suggestions, saying point blank you only want meds is understandable to the rest of us here, we've been there, tried that, have the tee shirt, lol. But he may not see it that way and you dont want him to make snap judgements before he knows you.
He may be able to design a schedule for you to be on methadone, if he uses it in his practice, he should be able to look at your present meds and have a dosage titration designed for you within 20 minutes. hopefully thats the way it goes!
I will be praying for you, good luck!
Hugs, Fabby:angel:
Worst case senerio, I figure is you see this PM, if he is a jerk, You can go back to doctor you have now, ask for the oxys for another month, and ask if he is willing to go on line and check out methadone doseage for pain patients.
He could also talk to the pharmacy, they would be glad to help him, or he could talk to another doctor.
I think he is mistaken about the doseage being different than for herion addicts, I mean, you need to start slow, but still at an opiate dependent dose, for me it was 10 mgs per day, you were on more meds than I was, so he may want to start you higher and see you every 5 days or so and titrate you up, Hopefully he will let you have your breakthrough meds at the same time. I believe herion addicts may start at a higher dose, and the goal there is usually to taper off eventually, although some addicts are on it for life and thats okay too.
The breakthrough meds if you go on methadone are an issue because they dont make a short acting methadone, and its not that kind of med that is safe to use that way, if you stayed on your SA oxys for breakthrough, would that be affordable for you?
You cant help but worry about this PM guy, but try not to put up too many walls, you want to at least listen to his suggestions, saying point blank you only want meds is understandable to the rest of us here, we've been there, tried that, have the tee shirt, lol. But he may not see it that way and you dont want him to make snap judgements before he knows you.
He may be able to design a schedule for you to be on methadone, if he uses it in his practice, he should be able to look at your present meds and have a dosage titration designed for you within 20 minutes. hopefully thats the way it goes!
I will be praying for you, good luck!
Hugs, Fabby:angel: