Suspended from work because of meds! - Pain Management Message Board

shakorox · 03-06-2007, 05:20 PM

It's been a fustrating day for me. At the end of my work day my boss called me into her office. In there was the HR person assigned to my department. Apparently I am a work hazard

news to me. I told my boss over a year ago that I need to see a pain specialist generally once a month for pain managment and she seemed understanding of my situation. I've always been honest about my condition and it has never been an issue before. Even as of recently I have met or exceeded on all of my expectation reports.

However, I was in a small fender-bender on a day where the freezing rain was an inch thick last week. Somehow my boss found out about this also today, she accused me of nodding off at my desk

, on the contrary I was wide awake and worked thru lunch. According to her, I need to be evaluated and am considered a liability. She blamed my fender-bender on being medicated and told me that she thinks I have a problem

I was then sent home and told not to return until I had clearence from employee assistance and my physician to work (I do paper-work all day).

First, I had my accident at lunch last week, OFF THE CLOCK. She only heard about it via office gossip. Secondly, I just met with my doctor yesterday about tapering my dose down because I have a great deal of relief from the nerve ablation I had about 9 weeks ago. I've been taking narcotic pain relievers of some sort for 13 years, for the last year I have been taking 50mg Kadian q12 give or take a few norco for BT. Since the nerve ablation started working I haven't used any BT meds and have been MUCH more active, so I spoke with my doc about lowering my base med to see if I could function just as good for less costly script bills. I've droped to 40mg q12 and still feel fine. I just don't understand why my boss is doing this to me. It just isn't warrented!

Has somthing of this nature ever happened to anyone else? Thanks a TON! Looks like I have a few days off, too bad I can't get paid for them.

shakorox · 03-06-2007, 06:29 PM

Now that I am over the initial shock, I want to speak to an HR person by myself. But I would like to find out what kind of rights I have, I'm just not sure where to look.

I do have to clarify one thing so the facts are straight. Regaurding the acusation of me "sleeping at work", I do recall the day after I last went to the ER. I went to the ER on account me not being able to move my head without pain. It turns out I was only having wicked muscle spasms and I was given some flexeril. I did get it cleared through my perscribing doc first. The next day I rember nodding off for a few minutes just after 7:am once the med kicked in, but I didn't take any more when I knew it would effect me that way. Reguardless of the fact that my brief nod was the result of a new med, she said it still constitues "sleeping on the job, as is described in the employee policy," she even said she could have terminated me!

My job demands attention to detail and I don't make any more mistakes than anyone else. and if I did make an unacceptable amount of mistakes they would be present is audits or during the quality inspection process. However there is no such proof.

This whole situation makes me feel like a criminal being charged with a crime.

zach016 · 03-06-2007, 07:12 PM

Hi Shak,

You know isn't that just the way it goes. We WANT the people who are abusing their meds. to be 'outed' and I'm sure we have seen workmates who ARE 'out of it'on a regular basis. But what ends up happening alot of the time is that innocents get caught in the cross-fire!!

It sounds like you take your meds. very responsibly based on your post and have even gone down some which is something anyone abusing their meds. would never even consider doing. Never mind bringing it up with their Dr.!!

Unfortunately that Flexeril, especially when combined with a narcotic, can really do a number on someone. I take Flexeril and when I first started taking it I had a similar experience that scared the heck out of me!! Likeyou, I didn't take it before or during work after that.

If it were me, I"d probably speak with my lawyer about it and if he/she advised it was OK to talk to HR wihtout rep. I'd bring along my spouse or someone else to sit in. To us it sounds like a simple thing and we can understand how it could happen. To a new HR person trying to make a name for themselves, in a hospital setting, it might not seem that way.

Good luck.................zach16

mzpain · 03-06-2007, 07:55 PM

This is a little different subject but it concerns idiot opinions and how others tend to focus those opinions on us CPers. I had a care coordinator from my insurance call me offering "help" with my health care needs. This happened because I had went to the ER 4-5 months ago (i'm ok now). Anyway I let her know I have a great doc, know how to advocate for myself concerning my healthcare etc...then remembered a problem I have with my insur. not paying for my ADD meds which is Dexadrine, the insur. will only pay for kids under 19 getting it not adult ADDers. The woman went psycho saying "Oh my God that is SPEED! do you know that? who is prescribing it? etc... I just laughed at her and got just as snotty as she was right back and informed her I knew that it was just like ritalin and others that is one of the common ways of treating ADD, then I said "Oh my Gosh did you know they are actually willing to pay for it if given to a teenager?

My point is that your boss is a frigg'in hypocrite! She has an uninformed opinion of you and your meds and intends on screwing up your life just because she thinks she "KNOWS" everything about everything. You now have a new pain to to deal with YOUR BOSS. Ask around, check out on the web, or look in your local yellow pages for an employment attorney, some of them may advertise free consultaion, you need an attorney NOW before she pulls too much crap with her opinions and gossiping. You could be facing alot more than just her hypocritical opinions if your not careful, you do have rights and believe me you had better stop her or else you can be standing in the unemployment line, no I take that back you wouldnt even get unemployment because they would use the same lies to deny you that too. Just get an attorney, you'll be glad you did. Good luck

youngone00 · 03-06-2007, 10:40 PM

This really makes me mad.. I tell you something, and I'm really really sorry for saying.. I dont think, and I dont think you should think that its going to stop here. If she has a prejudice, its going to continue and continue until she gets rid of you, or forces you to get rid of yourself.. I think you should definatly, or if not definatly, atleast strongly strongly consider, getting an attorney. Think of it in the sense that you have absoloutly nothing to lose by atleast contacting one. Its not fair, and even if you did nod out, that is one single day, and you bein on the med's your on doesn't even affect your work. Its amazing how judgemental people can be.. You know, I never wished my pain on anybody at all, infact I never would wish anything so bad on anybody. I do have to tell you though, I am in a sense starting to wish it upon all of these Dr's, Pharmacists, and other people who want to look at us like we are druggies, liars, and in general just bad people. I mean, I only wish it upon them just long enough to realize what its like.. Please keep us updated, and let us know what you decide to do. Remember, if your worried about retaliation from your job, you can atleast call (or you can even email alot of Lawyers now and explain, and they will call you and tell you if you have a case) and see what they say, without anybody actually contacting your job.. I wish you all the luck with your job, and I hope your pain is doing good..

Bryan