NaeNae

Oh no, I feel for you! I had been in that same situation before. I'll tell you my story, not that it will help, but just so you can see you're not alone-a few of us have been there before! I don't have much advice other than what was given and the Vicoden should help you a little. Withdrawls will feel like the flu a little, some sypmtoms are: cold/hot/chills/sweats, diarreah, nausea and vomiting, below zero energy, your pain you already have will increase alot, the first few days you may be extra, extra tired, then insomnia and restless leg. Maybe some anxiety, tingling in hands and feet, runny nose, dizziness and basically bedridden. It sucks, but when it happened to me, I didn't question if I was having withdrawls or not, I KNEW it, it honestly felt like I caught the flue. Of course the severity depends on who much you were taking and how long you were on it.

I was seeing a JERK of a PM Doctor for a while. He had some serious issues within himself that he felt he had to bully and yell at patients and staff to make himself feel good. Creep! Anyway... (sorry, bad memories!)

He had me on the same as you, the long acting Oxy. Before that he tried me on the Patch and Meth and both were just too much for me. So the Oxy was my 3rd try on meds, so he was just prescribing a few days at a time to make sure it worked ok on me (it didn't-Norco has been the only thing I've ever been able to take). Well, he'd have me come in the morning of my last day of the prescription being out-which I hated, especially if you read a post I wrote a few weeks ago about 'How early do you get your refill?'. So I and I've got my (at the time) 1 year old son and he's wanting to shut and open the door to the outside and the receptionists were giving me dirty looks, and I'm not one to distrupt a business, so even though I was the only patient there, I told him I would wait right outside (it's not in a big building, just a medical plaza with each office's door opening to a courtyard outside) and let my toddler son run around and asked if they can just stick their head out when it's my turn. I usually try to get a friend to watch my kids for me when I go to the appointment, but they had scheduled me last minute since it was my last day on the medication. Basically, they called me that morning, told me to come in by 10am and I'd just see the doctor real quick, so he can give me my prescription since they can't call it in. So I had to bring my youngest with me since it was last minute. Anyway, I'm outside for what seems like forever, probably 45 minutes. I see the doctor walk out of the office, walk right past me with briefcase in hand and head to his car. I called out to him, told him they told me to come in this morning to see him to get my RX and he got the usual attitude, "I'm sorry, I'm on my way to surgury, you're going to have to come back Monday." I was flabbergasted, did they just not tell him THEY scheduled me and I was waiting? I guess a simple, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were here/comming in, I can't visit with you right now, but let me write you a prescription to last you until Monday when I can see you" would have been too polite for him. I was about in tears, he acted like I was holding up his whole world, and it had only been like 15 seconds! I just quickly told him he only wrote me enough meds to last me until today and what am I supposed to do? He said in the rudest way, "Sorry! I'm late-I have to leave." and he got in his car and drove away. I was just standing there like, "Whaaaa? What just happened?" I went back into his office and was in tears by then, partly because I didn't know what to do with the meds situation and partly because he was so mean to me! His nurse, who really had always been nice to me told me to come into the room with her. She told me she would do anything she could if she had that option, but she didn't have any control. She told me to go see my PCP and see if they can prescribe me something for a few days, in the meantime, she can sneak me one Duragesic patch she had laying around which could hold me over for a few days (in case my PCP can't help me) until I can come back in Monday-but to NOT tell the doctor. Poor thing, she started crying too, saying how rude he was to her alot and you just live with it because it's a job and she needs it. I soon left that jerk, used him long enough for meds until I found someone new (turns out my son's Ortho Surgeon was in the same medical complex as him, a few doors down, heard I was going there, asked me NOT to go back to that doctor and told me he'd start taking care of me). There should be a special place in h-e-double-L for people like that.

My day got worse, though. I called my PCP from my cell phone in the van before even going home since I was over in that part of town. I was hoping to get in sometime soon. They told me my regular doctor was out of town, but they had an appointment with another doctor in the practice within an hour. I had never been to him, but that was fine. My PCP knew about my back/neck history, in fact he was the one who originally was treating it and got me started on the treatment of Vicodin, etc. It was after a few months and questionable MRI's he referred me to a PM Doctor. So I knew everything was documented at their office and they'd understand. I get there and I guess this other doctor was came to work on the same bitter boat that the PM Doctor rode that morning. He was horrible. He treated me like a drug seeker. I had brought my Prescription bottle with me-empty-so he can see when it was prescribed, how many days, see that I am indeed out. The nurse at the PM Doctors office said my PCP can call her and she'll be glad to explain what happened with the other doctor so I don't look like I'm seeking drugs. He basically insulted me, told me if I wasn't so "heavy" (at the time I was 20lbs overweight, I'm only 5'2" and was about 145 lbs. then) I wouldn't have all these back problems, wouldn't have sleep apnea (which I've had all my life and it had nothing to do with this appointment), told me I was messing up my life taking these "drugs" and it's no different that shooting up heroin. He said mabye if I could "actually work out" (he had no idea I go to Curves 2-3x a week), there would be no back pain. Now I'm crying. I can't take it anymore. Not that there is a sterotype for a drug seeker, I know alot of people from different backgrounds/social circles/nationalities/genders do it, but, honestly, I'm the last person that WOULD do that to begin wtih, but definetly do look like I could. Here I am, an early 30 stay at home mom, toting my toddler around in my minivan with my Air Force husband in my fancy hot shot bling and clothes (read: shirts on sale at Kohl's, lol) and I was just SHOCKED! Almost speechless! He said he's write me a weeks worth of Vicoden, which was fine with me, but would NEVER write a prescription for Oxy, he could get "arrested" for that. ??? It just makes me so mad when doctors of all people are misinformed on Chronic Pain and Pain Management. And not only being misinformed, but acting like they DO know it all by acting like it's an illegal substance. What's worse is ever since that day, my regular PCP has acted very distant from me the few times I've been in. He used to be nice and sympathetic toward my pain, but for the few times I've been in (I've had strep throat twice for instance and a sinus infection) and I've asked if he could give me Tylenol with Codeine to help me sleep since I was up all night, it was in instant "NO", whereas he had never been that way before. I'm not sure what his "colleague" told him or if he red flagged my chart, or what. It's really upset me.

I'm sorry this is so long, your story just brought back so many memories for me of that horrible day. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone, I'm sure it's happened to more of us than it should have. The only advice I have is up in the first paragraph, which isn't very much I know. I hope everything turns out for you. Please let us know, ok? I'll be thinking of you!