npainnTN

Hi All,

Well I finally got into see my new PM a couple weeks ago and the first 2 weeks after seeing him were the best 2 weeks I have had since I got sick. He changed my meds around. He decreased my Acitq to only 2 per day, started a fast acting oxycondone 4 times a day as needed, left my oxycontin at 2 times a day, and added methadone 40mg at bedtime. When I left the office, I was in shock, a doctor who actually believed that I was in as much pain as I say, and willing to prescribed medications to help me try to lead a "normal" life.

For the first time I could say that there were minutes when I had almost no pain, which is something I thought I would never be able to say again. I was playing with my daughter, I was going to places with my husband, and I was actually sleeping a little better. BUT

You know there is always a BUT when something good happens. I was to return to the PM 2 weeks after my first visit just to check up. Well, the night before I started breaking out in a rash. Not very bad, but you could tell it was the beginning of something. By the next day at my appointment It was looking pretty bad. I suggested that It might be the methadone because that is the only new medication ingrediant I started. He was like no way it would have already happened it that were the case. He is also a PM that tells you up front that he is a PM and a PM only, not a MD for anything else. So he prescribed the same regimen since I had been feeling so much better, but added Valium to the mix as needed at bedtime. I have a horrible time falling asleep. Its usually like 2-3 before I can even lay down.

He just kind of blew of the rash (for lack of a better term). I know we are not allowed to say what our professions are, so we will just say, I know what I am talking about with the medications. So, that night I stopped the methadone. That was on Wednesday, by Thursday night I was ready to go to the ER because benedryl was doing nothing I was eating them like candy. The next day, was my husbands christmas party and my mother in law saw it (and for those of you who know, my MIL thinks that I don't need any meds and should be in rehab, she basically thinks I am crazy ) anyway and took me straight to a walk in clinic. When I told him everything that was going on He agreed that it was the methadone and that it would get better as soon as it got out of my system since it has such a long half life. He also put me on steroids and a few other things. By the next morning I felt so much better and 2 days later the rash was gone and the itching had almost completly stopped.

But, now that I have stopped the methadone I have started hurting again. I am almost right back where I started from because he decresed the Actiq. My only helper has been the oxycodone that he gave me. I am afraid to call and tell him because he did not think that it was the methadone causing the reaction. But on the other hand my next appt isn't until the 16th. I don't really want to wait because I am hurting again.

What would you all do? I am one of the ones who signed a pain contract, so I don't even know if he would do anything if I did call. I am almost 100% sure that it was the methadone because I had not changed ANYTHING, eaten ANYTHING new, or ANYTHING else that could cause the reaction.
I am also allergic to Penicillin and when I started being allergic to it, I had taken it on and off for over 5 years. And this is the exact same reaction I had with that except not as severe because I immediately stopped the methadone and with the PCN we didn't know what was going on so I continued to take it until we figured it out.

Any Advice would be greatly appreciated. As well as any other meds that he could try or I could suggest. Thank you all sooooo much.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season, or as wonderful as we can have with the CP we live with on a daily basis, unfortunately it doesn't give us a break for the holidays.

Thanks to everyone
Jenn