Since I started this series, I have received email after email regarding personal experiences with terminal and chronic illness in the current American Medical environment.
It seems we are casualties in war on drugs with the DEA and ATF, and any other government agency that wants to control the flow of pain pills into the general market. I t it appears that the DEA at least believe that the patients are selling the pain pills they receive to addicts, causing the OD rate on prescription drugs to rise dramatically.
And pushing Pain Management Clinics into procedures that in IMO are detrimental to the very patients needing relief.
in Florida: http://www.wpbf.com/...
Lipper said there are not enough pain management fellowships in the country to turn out the number of pain management doctors required to treat legitimate patients. He said the law would eventually prohibit doctors with different specialties from prescribing pain medication.
In Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/...
Millions of Americans with significant or chronic pain associated with their medical problems are being under-treated as physicians increasingly fail to provide comprehensive pain treatment -- either due to inadequate training, personal biases or fear of prescription drug abuse.
Dealing With the Pain in Pain Management Clinics
I have a left club foot and benign tumor in my left knee. The pain is horrible! I lay in bed most of the time. I chose to go the PMC (pain management clinic) because all of my prescriptions would be monitored and coming from one doctor.
My first visit, the doctor gave me 30 hydrocodone to last for 30 days. I was in so much pain, and, want to resume life that I did take more than 1 hydrocodone a day. I ran out before the 30 day cycle. For running out, I was even a harsh lecture. It is very hard for me to the the the pmc because I have to travel a distance. I am already upset, nervous, sad about my pain and the low quality of life I have due to the pain. I do not feel as though I needed to be lectured. I want to be understood and helped.
I was given a prescription for 90 hydrochloride for 30days, however, I cannot have it filled until 1/20. 1/20 is the date that my thirty day is up from the 30 hydrocodone. I was very upset about this because I do not think that I should be in pain. Or, any of us here for that matter. The doctors should work to get us better and get us so that we can live.
Also, I do not think that I should have to wait until 1/20 to get my new med refilled. Yes I did take 30 hydrocodone before my thirty day cycle was up. I thought that pm doctors are there for you. I could understand if I was prescribed 150 and then went in a week early saying I ran out. Even at that, chronic pain is horrible. I do not think that any of us should feel judged. I feel judged!
And Yet the Doctors feel justified:
I attend the pain management clinic in Bowie, we are drug tested weekly to see if we are taking our drugs as prescribed or abusing them. I feel humiliated, I am a 56 year old woman with no history of drug abuse, and no criminal background.
why am I being treated as if I were a common junkie?
Now I know I take my first dose of the day, methadone and hydrocodone, at 9 am. My appointment for the first time ever was also at 9 am in the PM Clinic. I took my doses right there in the office, and when my drug test came back, the levels were too low!
I explained I had JUST taken the first dos of the day, the Doctor said he had not choice. The rules were you fail the drug test you are cut off. He terminated my appointment, canceled my prescriptions and asked me to leave. Pain Management my arse.
It is pain, not addiction, there has to be better solutions.