Confused...please give me insight - Pain Management Message Board

painintheneck2 · 07-16-2003, 12:21 PM

I've read alot of posts here and I hear quite a bit about doctors telling their patients that they are going to cut them off there meds or reprimanding them and calling them "drug seekers". How do doctors come to this conclusion? Maybe I'm niave (sp), but I don't understand how the doctors draw these conclusions especially if someone has chronic pain with a diagnosed condition.

My pain is minimal compared to alot of you folks. You guys are troopers for dealing with the kind of pain ya'll go through. Mine is chronic, meaning it's always there, but it gets real bad when it flares up which I think is triggered by overactivety or stress.

..getting off track, sorry.

Anyway can anyone explain to me why a doctor would come to that conclusion? Being a drug seeker or an abuser or a drug addict?

Wend

------------------
:gabby: Wendee

~head on collision in 1999 (car totaled)
~badly sprained ankle, bruised chest cavity, whiplash
~month later, recovered
~month and one week later, couldn't move neck LOTS of pain and crying. Tingling in right index and middle finger. Pain down right arm, pain always in neck and in upper back between shoulder blades (burning). Legs also hurt at times.
~went to various docs, prescribed muscle relax. and pain meds on and off whenever I got a "flare up".
~found my doc 1 year ago, prescribed lortab. insurance wouldn't cover preexistin cond till 6 months lapsed
~doc said "you are having muscle spasms and will prob be on pain killers the rest of your life"
~later, doc started to question my pain
~told him to schedule MRI
~MRI showed herniated disk, bulging on right side at C5 & C6
~kept me on pain meds and referred me to a wonderful chiro.
~now seeing chiro and taking pain meds
~next step is epidural shot if chiro doesn't work.
~I'm a work at home mom with 3 kids. I need my pain meds now just to function as a "normal" active person.

coffeeman · 07-16-2003, 02:23 PM

hi painintheneck2
thats the point we as ,as people have many problems ,pain being the biggest and on top of all that we have to weed through all the doctors,nurses,pharmacy crap,people just do not understand PAIN.NARCOTIC,thats the key word if ,asprin worked for us we would take it and be done with it. its because in MY opinion,we take the NARCOTICS,PEOPLE including doctors [SOME]ARE NOT INFORMED ON THE SUBJECT .we need this medicine to have lives that are somewhat [NORMAL] BUT WE NEED the medicine each and every month .so heres the problem its so important
to us that we cant go A DAY WITHOUT THEM[DRUGS] so people NOT in pain cant understand that. so we are labeled drug seekers
hope all is well
coffeeman

Wes1212 · 07-16-2003, 03:09 PM

people used to think the world was flat and that everyone who ventured out would fall off the edge, until it was proven to them otherwise, and many still remained skeptic and superstitious.

i have an uncle who believes that god is the only real doctor and that people practicing medicine is trying to play god, which he sees as evil. When he is in pain, he prays for it to go away and then endures it thinking there is some divine reason for him to be in that condition and does not want the work of ***** to interfere (medicine).

you can find people who believe almost anything these days, and the ones you meet by the laws of probability will all have their own opinions that are either pro or con your own beliefs.

i believe in better living through science, as i think most people who come here do.

i guess that makes me a problem solving seeker (for whatever the case may be) when i have an issue, but not in a way that i think should be viewed with skepticism or indignity.

Well, right now, i need to go be a water seeker because i am thirsty. i hope no one hates me for that

best wishes!

[This message has been edited by Wes1212 (edited 07-16-2003).]

Jack Beanstalk · 07-16-2003, 09:11 PM

The debate goes on and on and.....Why can,t the folks who are so worried about the meds that CPers and anyone in pain,have to take,simply see it as just that!These are simply medicines that we take to help us,Diabetics take insulin because it helps them.Heart patients take Nitro pills because it helps them.Folks that have a cold take Sudafed because it helps them.The ONLY difference is the stigma,the contraversy,the bad rap,etc.that OUR MEDS COME WITH.Take the stigma,contraversy,etc. away and what,s left?Pain sufferers take opiates because it helps them!
It is so black-and-white.Ignorance gives it the other colors.Jack B.

mokita · 07-17-2003, 04:24 AM

So true, Jack, sad - but so very true!

Seems so simple. And it is. It takes politicians to make it confusing.

Karen