Hello Everyone. I have a few questions. First, do most of you see Pain Management doctors or General Practitioner docs? I ask this because I am having a terrible time with my Ortho doc giving me anything other than Ultram and one time Darvocet (crap) for my knee. I do not have a family doctor and know that alot of them are "against" narcotics while others are far better with them.
I have many other problems that pain medicine would be very helpful with such as: Endometriosis, severe pelvic pain (hysterectomy scheduled for 2/18), herniated disc, severe left knee pain (had one surgery two years ago and ortho doc said total knee replacement in inevitable within 3 years), migraines and Sjogren's. So, I need a good doctor who will be helpful. I have had narcotic pain medicines before such as two weeks ago when I had to have my emergency appendectomy and they help with all the other pain pretty well.
I know we are not allowed to ask specifics on this board but does anyone know of any good GP around Knoxville, Tennessee? That would be great.
I see my PM Doc for meds from my back surgery. I had a three level fusion, followed by my back breaking above the fusion the day after surgery. My surgeon was out of town for a week at a conference and of course the nurses and fill in staff didn't believe me when I kept telling them my pain was a 14 on a scale of 10. So they continued to get me up twice a day to walk with my broken back. When my surgeon returned, I was lucky enough to have another round of surgery to install 2 15" titanium rods and 20 screws. End results is that I will live with some degree of pain the rest of my life...oh and they hope I'll regain full use of my leg in 2-4 years with ALOT of therapy. SOOO I use my PM for the pain management from the back issues. He keeps me upright and pain controlled enough that I can work full time with a pleasant enough attitude that I don't snap people's heads off-most days.
I have an internist/GP that I use for my day to day issues. He also recommended my accupuncturist when he felt the therapy wasn't enough for my leg issues from the back surgery. He has given me meds for the swelling in my leg and would, in a pinch help out should I need meds, but I don't use him for my pm issues. I keep them separate. My internist isn't against narcotics, nor would he be against prescribing meds for me to control the pain, but I just don't have to use him for that because of having the pm doc.
My only issue with my PM Doc is that he doesn't accept any insurance so we have to submit him as an out of network provider. It takes extra work, but the benefit of having him outweights the extra work, especially as his staff does the submitting...
Last edited by ibake&pray; 01-23-2008 at 01:23 PM.
Luvmypugs:
I used to go to a PM doc but he was not providing me enough relief. Luckily, I found a GP doctor to go to that was willing to take over my pain management including all of my medications. I am currently on the fentanyl patch, ultram, trileptal, and lyrica. I am very grateful that he understands that, even though I am a recovering addict, that I should not be made to suffer. I manage my pain medications very carefully. It really sucks that I am living by myself and have to manage them by myself. I finally got a safe for Christmas and keep them locked up nice and safe.
I also see my regular GP for my meds, my last doc was also a general practice doctor.
As I said in your other thread, Orthos are notoriously stingy with pain meds, If I were you, I would try and get with a primary, I think at the very least they can give you better relief than darvocet.
I won't go into my long story but my surgeon actually dropped me after a nerve block not before......I ended up going to my primary and he has been a blessing and has been helping me out since. In the beginning, I did not think it was going to work but I came to realize that he was testing me. Now he has told me that I have a legimate reason to be on pain meds. Duhhhhhh......4 back surgeries later and I still have major pain written all over my face.
I am telling you this because be prepared any new doctor will probably test you first and they will more than likely start you on a very low dose in the beginning and build you up.
I have also been reading alot about some pain mgmt doctors are not wanting to write the scripts either. But what I can't figure out is why there is pain mgmt doctors who don't write scripts. Isn't that there job???
Question about Pain Medicines and Doctors ??? 
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