pmtest
05-06-2009, 10:26 PM
i think i might have a problem. I have been under pm care for over a year and am currently on mobic and hydrocodone 10mg. I was sick back in February (with strep throat) and was prescribed an antibiotic as well as cough syrup with codeine. When my regular doctor gave me my prescriptions I didnt realize it was a narcotic. I get my scripts normally at target but went to publix because they give you a free 10 day supply of antibiotics with a rx, which I always get my family's scripts filled there when they are sick because of this. I went to the doctor last month and it didnt even hit me that i accepted a script for a narcotic from another doctor until i was on here reading other posts about people getting dropped tonight. I know I signed a contract with my pm about this but I didnt even look at the scripts and if i did i wouldnt have know it was a narcotic anyway. I didnt even know that it was until I got home and read the bottle. My pc doctor told me what he was given me (antibiotics, cough medicine, etc...) but didnt tell me what they actually were. I only took it that night and never again because it tasted so bad. Should I tell my pm doctor? Wouldn't they have know that I got it anyway somehow? I want to be honest with them but even being honest will get you dropped. Any advice is appreciated.
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Boxerluver
05-06-2009, 10:42 PM
Hey Pm, yes, you definately have a quandry on your hands. This is JMHO but I feel honesty is the best policy. I personally would say exactly what you did above about not realizing what it was and take the bottle in with you so the doc can see you only took it that one time. If you have a hard_ _ _ for a doc you are right and he may drop you because of this. Normally I cannot believe this would happen, but people are being dropped for nothing. I would certainly hope you would not be dropped because of this. My doc is very strict and I do not think this would be a problem, but if they are looking for a reason to drop you they will find one. As I said I would be surprised if this was an issue especially if you take the full bottle in.
Again this is my opinion and I totally understand about not wanting to tell the doc. I just think it will be better coming from you right away rather than down the road and from somebody else, insurance or pharmacist etc.
Melissa
Again this is my opinion and I totally understand about not wanting to tell the doc. I just think it will be better coming from you right away rather than down the road and from somebody else, insurance or pharmacist etc.
Melissa
tiggertoo2174
05-07-2009, 08:42 AM
HI!. I think I would take the bottle in the next appt and tell the PM doc what happened. A lot of people have no idea that there is such a thing as a narcotic cough syrup. The fact that you are bringing in the full unused bottle will work in your favor. As Boxluver said, better you tell the doc than having the doc find out from insurance co or whatever. This is the type of thing that could happen to any of us. I hope everything works out OK for you.
Tigg.
Tigg.
SpineAZ
05-08-2009, 01:46 AM
Yes, I would let the PM know.
slipperyslope
05-08-2009, 10:15 AM
Yes because the cough syrup contains codein and the meds your prescribed is hydrocodone. this could get you dimissed if they find out. As people do abuse cough medicine all the time. take in the bottle that is full and tell him you didn't realize it had codein in it when you filled it.
It would have said on your RX that it had codein in it so you may want to look closer at your RX'S before you fill them as you would have known if you looked at your RX ahead of time.
SS
It would have said on your RX that it had codein in it so you may want to look closer at your RX'S before you fill them as you would have known if you looked at your RX ahead of time.
SS
lifeaftr40
05-08-2009, 02:12 PM
If it is Tussenex it contains Hydrocodone.
brianpain33
05-08-2009, 09:29 PM
I would tell your PM doctor. Eventually they will probably find out if you live in a state that has a narcotic prescription database. I live in Ohio and my previous PM doctor pulled up my report while I was there for ANY scheduled medications INCLUDING Ultram and Lyrica(Sch V) for the previous year. Normally they will probably run this every 6 months or so. So I would take the bottle in and tell the PM doc because more than likely it will come up.
brian
brian
neckpatient
05-09-2009, 12:53 AM
As a side note from a chronic bronchitis/asthma/pneumonia cougher - when you are taking regular hydrocodone on a daily basis you don't need that prescription cough syrup with codeine, because the hydrocodone you are taking has the same action and quiets the cough as much as that cough syrup would have. The PC should have know this when you told them you were already taking hydrocodone. You would do just as well taking OTC Robutussin. Probably better with an albuterol inhaler. Learned this from my specialist.
pmtest
05-09-2009, 01:47 AM
As a side note from a chronic bronchitis/asthma/pneumonia cougher - when you are taking regular hydrocodone on a daily basis you don't need that prescription cough syrup with codeine, because the hydrocodone you are taking has the same action and quiets the cough as much as that cough syrup would have. The PC should have know this when you told them you were already taking hydrocodone. You would do just as well taking OTC Robutussin. Probably better with an albuterol inhaler. Learned this from my specialist.
you know i was thinking that too. my doctor knows im on lortab so i guess that was another reason i didnt pay attention to the script. thanks for your post.
you know i was thinking that too. my doctor knows im on lortab so i guess that was another reason i didnt pay attention to the script. thanks for your post.
BrittleBones
05-09-2009, 08:57 PM
Just curious.....what was it that tipped you off that it was a narcotic cough medicine? I mean, how did you find out? I totally understand your situation and I really am not saying this to preach (God knows I've made plenty of mistakes and still do), but my feeling is that we as chronic pain patients need to be very vigilant when having prescriptions filled. If you don't know what it is, ask the pharmacist when you take a prescription in to be filled if it is a scheduled or narcotic med. As you said, you can't always tell by the label or by the name of the med. I think I'd agree with everyone else who has recommended that you bring the bottle (if you still have it) to the doc and tell him. Hmm....I'm just thinking ......I wonder if your doc would ask you why you decided to keep the bottle if it was filled back in February? It would make more sense that you didn't keep the bottle since you knew you couldn't ever take it again. He might wonder why you didn't call him immediately after you found out it was a narcotic. I'm sure that if you have a good relationship with your doc you can explain it just the way you explained it to us. All the best - Kath
pmtest
05-10-2009, 01:49 AM
Just curious.....what was it that tipped you off that it was a narcotic cough medicine? I mean, how did you find out? I totally understand your situation and I really am not saying this to preach (God knows I've made plenty of mistakes and still do), but my feeling is that we as chronic pain patients need to be very vigilant when having prescriptions filled. If you don't know what it is, ask the pharmacist when you take a prescription in to be filled if it is a scheduled or narcotic med. As you said, you can't always tell by the label or by the name of the med. I think I'd agree with everyone else who has recommended that you bring the bottle (if you still have it) to the doc and tell him. Hmm....I'm just thinking ......I wonder if your doc would ask you why you decided to keep the bottle if it was filled back in February? It would make more sense that you didn't keep the bottle since you knew you couldn't ever take it again. He might wonder why you didn't call him immediately after you found out it was a narcotic. I'm sure that if you have a good relationship with your doc you can explain it just the way you explained it to us. All the best - Kath
kath - when i got home from the pharmacy i was reading the insert from my medicines and seen that it had codeine in it and honestly i still didnt think anything of it, it just didnt click. i know you are not preaching and you are right i will going forward really pay attention more. i guess i was naive about these kinda of things too, i mean i didnt realize people were dropped for things like that until i was searching online for a question about a drug test that came up weird and i found this site. i just didnt realize that people had such problems and issues (pm doctors and pharamacy's) with simply trying to get help with their pain. it took years for me to realize that i had to do something about my pain and my pcp referred me to pm. i didnt even realize there was such a thing and sure didnt know what it was, im from a small town and there is only one pm in the entire town. i guess maybe i am lucky because at my first visit he did his assessment and gave me a script for lortab.
sometimes i get attitude from them, like one time i needed to change my appt (God forbid) because i was having two root canals done 2 hours after my pm appt (mistake #1) and i didnt want to risk the chance of not making it to my dental appt on time. the root canals were scheduled about 2 weeks before the actual appt. my teeth had been bothering me for about a week so i took the first appt they gave me (thinking i could change my pm appt - mistake #2) because i could not continue on with the way they were, it was pretty bad. so when i called to see if i could change it (2 weeks prior) i had to leave a vm and i stated my appt date and that i needed to change it to either the day before, earlier that same day or even the next day due to the other appt. when the nurse called me back she snapped at me saying "you cant come in now its not time for your medication to be refilled." i explained everything again about the root canals and that i didnt need to come in then (2 weeks early) that i just needed to come at a different time or day before or after, it didnt matter i was just scared i wasnt going to make it for my dental appt. she told me she would have to talk to the doctor and would call me back, still giving me attitude even after i explained everything to her. the scheduler called me back and i the appt got changed to earlier that day.
okay sorry to ramble but i do know now how serious things are in pm, not that i was not taking it seriously but just that i dont need to try to change my appt even for something like a root canal. it really just blows my mind that something like that will make you look suspicious even if i was only trying to change the appt time on my appt date. i was actually drug tested that appt too, now thats not a coincidence :)
kath - when i got home from the pharmacy i was reading the insert from my medicines and seen that it had codeine in it and honestly i still didnt think anything of it, it just didnt click. i know you are not preaching and you are right i will going forward really pay attention more. i guess i was naive about these kinda of things too, i mean i didnt realize people were dropped for things like that until i was searching online for a question about a drug test that came up weird and i found this site. i just didnt realize that people had such problems and issues (pm doctors and pharamacy's) with simply trying to get help with their pain. it took years for me to realize that i had to do something about my pain and my pcp referred me to pm. i didnt even realize there was such a thing and sure didnt know what it was, im from a small town and there is only one pm in the entire town. i guess maybe i am lucky because at my first visit he did his assessment and gave me a script for lortab.
sometimes i get attitude from them, like one time i needed to change my appt (God forbid) because i was having two root canals done 2 hours after my pm appt (mistake #1) and i didnt want to risk the chance of not making it to my dental appt on time. the root canals were scheduled about 2 weeks before the actual appt. my teeth had been bothering me for about a week so i took the first appt they gave me (thinking i could change my pm appt - mistake #2) because i could not continue on with the way they were, it was pretty bad. so when i called to see if i could change it (2 weeks prior) i had to leave a vm and i stated my appt date and that i needed to change it to either the day before, earlier that same day or even the next day due to the other appt. when the nurse called me back she snapped at me saying "you cant come in now its not time for your medication to be refilled." i explained everything again about the root canals and that i didnt need to come in then (2 weeks early) that i just needed to come at a different time or day before or after, it didnt matter i was just scared i wasnt going to make it for my dental appt. she told me she would have to talk to the doctor and would call me back, still giving me attitude even after i explained everything to her. the scheduler called me back and i the appt got changed to earlier that day.
okay sorry to ramble but i do know now how serious things are in pm, not that i was not taking it seriously but just that i dont need to try to change my appt even for something like a root canal. it really just blows my mind that something like that will make you look suspicious even if i was only trying to change the appt time on my appt date. i was actually drug tested that appt too, now thats not a coincidence :)