Searching for PM Doctor - Pain Management Message Board

ChattyKathy4 · 09-24-2003, 06:58 AM

I am actively searching for a new PM Doctor in my area without much luck. I live in Northwest Ohio. My current PM Doc refuses to adjust my pain meds after 5 lumbar surgeries and now a possible L2 compressed nerve and/or herniated disc. I had 4 lumbar fusions with instrumentation at the Cleveland Clinic in 2000. I am wondering if anyone out there has been for pain management at the Cleveland Clinic and how it worked for them. I know my NS would give me a referral. I just didn't want to have to travel that far, it is almost a 3 hour drive there. I am currently on Methadone l0mg 2 x a day. It was helping the pain until I got worse in June and now isn't doing much at all. Plus it makes me so sleepy that I actually fall asleep sitting up in a chair. The first pill I take in the morning makes me sleepy, but I can fight that. The second one I take at night makes me sleepy and nauseated, and then I have to take a Phenergan for the nausea. I am thinking maybe I need to be evaluated all over again and put on something else that won't make me so tired all the time and thought maybe Cleveland Clinic would be a good place to try. Thanks for any help. You people are such a caring group of individuals and I thank you for your recent posts during my pain management dilema.
Kathy

chriztene · 09-24-2003, 07:19 AM

Kathy,

How I found my pm doctor was doing a search for a Pain Medicine Doctor. There is a website american academy of pain medicine you can find by doing a google search.

The great thing is your doctor will give you a referal as most pm doctors request a referal from your doctor along with a diagnosis.

I would start this process as soon as possible due to most pm physicians taking 1-2 month to get an appointment.

Good Luck,

Chriztene

Tony111 · 09-24-2003, 04:34 PM

Hi Kathy,

I went to the Cleveland Clinic back in 1994. That's almost ten years ago so it may have changed. I was referred to the Pain Management Clinic for a failed bilevel cervical fusion. One of the bone grafts collapsed and never fused. I had alot of neck, back, arm and hand pain, as well as, headaches from that.

They did a graet job diagnosing the problem. Thier radiology department did the most accurate reading of the MRI I had there. It was a far more detailed report any other MRI's I've had.

They only did the epidural steroids injections along with trigger piont injections in conbination with thier Physical Therapy Dept. At that time they were anti-opiods! None at all!

Again it was before it was accepted to use opiods. Other than that it was O.K. I also drove 3 1/2 hours each way so I don't think that with all the other PM doc's around now,that I would do it again. That ride distroyed whatever relief that they could have provided.

Check with your neurologist and see if they are still anti-opiod.

I answered your first post and didn't know that the methadone make you that tired. Even after being on it for a year. It sounds like a different long acting med may help...like Oxycontin,MS Contin, Kadien or the Duragesic patch.

Anyways, the Clevland Clinic was good diagnostically. I was seen by graduate students doing thier Anesthsiology residency, they are over seen by the Professors who are Doctors.

Hope this helps you make a decision! Again, Good luck!

Tony

dwpavlik · 09-24-2003, 05:10 PM

This helped me find some references [url="http://www.aapainmanage.org/search/MemberSearchResults.php"]http://www.aapainmanage.org/search/MemberSearchResults.php[/url]
The other link took me several hours to hook up with the right setup.
This may or may not help for Ohio