We all have a right to pain relief. If we are not getting adequate pain relief from our LLMD, or other doctors, we should ask for better relief. If our doctor is unable to provide adequate relief, we should find a pain specialist.

Chronic pain is a stress on the immune system. It causes emotional and phsyical stress. Pain interrupts sleep. It prevents us from exercising and remaining active. It can even force us to stop a therapy that is working because the herx causes too much pain.

My life was changed drastically when the chronic pain started. Finding the right combination of medicine and physical therapy turned my life around. It took time, and it took trying many meds that didn't work, but I did find something.

We must all remember that the doctors work for us...even if the insurance company doesn't believe so. If you hurt, ask for relief. If the pain treatment isn't helping, ask for it to be changed.

I can totally relate to this post.

In the past 12 months i have had 4 surgeries for endometriosis. The pain was so bad that i would take a percocet and still have to lay around with a heating pad on. I still had pain but it was the best that i could do.

I also have adhesion pain. Right now it is much better because i had surgery 4 months ago.

I also have interstitial cystitis. My bladder kills me half of the month. I have been to a urologist, but i had a very bad experience with bladder instillments. Im taking Elavil to help.

My gynocologist prescribed my narcotics for all of my endo/adhesion pain. I have some left over which i have been using for my bladder.

In the beginning my gyno was only writing a prescription for 12 pills a month. So, i went to my primary and told him what was going on and he wrote me a prescription for 30 pills plus a refill. I felt kinda weird about going to two doctors, but 12 pills a month just was not cutting it. I actually cried because i was so stressed about asking my primary for a script. He told me not to be silly.

It really sucks to have to be in pain in the first place. But to also have the stress of asking a doctor for a prescription just adds to the anxiety.

I would do anything not to be in pain. I dont enjoy taking them, they make me tired. But, when i cant sleep because of pain, i really dont care what i need to take.

I would be stuck in the house some days without my pain medication. And then more depression sets in.

With all the media recently about "prescription drug abuse", it really makes everyone have anxiety. The doctors having to write a script and the patient having to ask.

I dont know what the answer is. Maybe a good pain management doctor.

Thanks for posting about this topic.

Jordan

I was offended and amazed how doctors, insurance companies and the government treat pain patients. Many pain sufferers can't get proper treatment because their doctor is scared about losing his/her medical license (sound familiar?).

Good post.

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Originally posted by Aniek:
A conversation in another post made me want to post this topic. I get the impression that some people being treated for Lyme are not getting adequate pain relief.

We all have a right to pain relief. If we are not getting adequate pain relief from our LLMD, or other doctors, we should ask for better relief. If our doctor is unable to provide adequate relief, we should find a pain specialist.

Chronic pain is a stress on the immune system. It causes emotional and phsyical stress. Pain interrupts sleep. It prevents us from exercising and remaining active. It can even force us to stop a therapy that is working because the herx causes too much pain.

My life was changed drastically when the chronic pain started. Finding the right combination of medicine and physical therapy turned my life around. It took time, and it took trying many meds that didn't work, but I did find something.

We must all remember that the doctors work for us...even if the insurance company doesn't believe so. If you hurt, ask for relief. If the pain treatment isn't helping, ask for it to be changed.

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Aniek....I wanted to give you and others who read this reply the "inside track" on pain killers. All non-pain specialist physicians may write a RX for up to #100 tabs/caps of any controlled substance without being RED FLAGGED BY THE FDA. SO HERE IS A SOLUTION TO MANY OF US WHO ARE IN NEED OF MORE THAN #100 TABS OF PAIN KILLERS PER MONTH...JUST BE UP FRONT WITH YOUR DOCTORS. FOR INSTANCE..I see a neurologist and an internist and each one of them writes me RX for #100 of Darvocet N for a months supply. The directions must be ...."may take 1-2 tabs q4-6h prn." This way the doctors are not being flagged by the FDA for over prescribing ....they feel comfortable because you are being honest and up front...then your next stop is your pharmacist who also needs to understand what you are trying to accomplish. This is a "team" effort. If you have insurance for RX's you may need to pay cash for a few tabs until you are able to fill the 2nd RX for the med. I have been in the pharmacy biz for 19 years and still work full time at it. If anyone has pharmacy / insurance related questions please FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR QUESTIONS. I AM HERE TO HELP!!!!
THE FEAR OF PAIN IS ALWAYS WITH US...YOU MUST BE UP FRONT AND HONEST WITH YOUR DOCTORS AND DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR LEVEL OF PAIN. IT ALSO HELPS TO GIVE THEM A NUMBER BETWEEN 1-10...10 BEING THE MOST SEVERE PAIN...THIS IS A PAIN SCALE AND IS VERY HELPFUL. THIS WILL HELP YOUR DOCTOR DETERMINE WHAT LEVELS YOU ARE AT.

FOR THOSE OF US THAT NEED TRIPLICATE RX'S...YOU MAY WANT TO TRY A DURAGESIC PATCH TO CONTROL PAIN. YOU APPLY THE PATCH AND IT DELIVERS PAIN MEDS OVER A 72HR PERIOD. YOUR MD CAN ALSO PRESCRIBE A PAIN MED FOR BREAK-THRU PAIN CONTROL. THIS IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TAKING MORE PILLS AND IS EASIER ON YOUR STOMACH.

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Originally posted by lisalyme2003:

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SO HERE IS A SOLUTION TO MANY OF US WHO ARE IN NEED OF MORE THAN #100 TABS OF PAIN KILLERS PER MONTH...JUST BE UP FRONT WITH YOUR DOCTORS. FOR INSTANCE..I see a neurologist and an internist and each one of them writes me RX for #100 of Darvocet N for a months supply.

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There are now federal efforts to crack down on "doctor shopping" in order to prevent abuse of narcotics. Just something people should be aware of.

If you can find a good pain specialist, all the better. I go to a physiatrist who may not believe I have Lyme, but he sure does believe I have pain. And he's been able to reduce my pain mostly through a muscle relaxer, with pain meds only for breakthrough.

Friend of mine was after yrs. of trying many pain meds none working. found pain doc. who gave her methadone,percodan for breakthrough.

She says she is like a new person. Can enjoy a vacation, play with her grandkids.
They all notice how she can walk further than before.

I went to pain doc, he would not even see me when he saw fm/me/lyme on papers. Totally said he did not believe. I said, you do not believe in lyme, he said well, no.

Asked for my TP injections all the severe neck inj. from accidents & sports. He would not even walk in room.

I carry the papers stating pain has to be treated. He would not treat me sent me home.

Geez, the pressure is awful For yrs. I declined till saw program about how brain rewires itself for pain when you have chronic pain.It was 4 part program on learn channel. Showing what pain doe`s to brain doing MRI.

So many of my friends who live in chronic pain are frustrated with the way we are treated.

Just 100 yrs. ago heroin was widely used known to be the safest most effective relief for chronic pain. Due to abusers who do not have pain it hurt everyone who suffers.

It is all that tylenol they add that is the hazard to our liver & kidneys.

I was doing fairly well with my function with a significant reduction in fatigue, etc. Therefore, I was becoming more physically active. Which was actually causing more pain. I was given a prescription to take 7.5 to 15 mg. hydrocodone every 6 hours as needed for pain. In general, I would usually actually take about 10 mg not more than about 3 times per day, which was actually well under the actual prescribed dose if I was taking it around the clock. The total script would allow 60 mg total per day, but I was actually only taking 1/2 that.

But the doc office seemed to become upset about the fact that I called in for a refill "early", then prescribed 10 mg no more than twice a day.

So, now I am not getting the pain relief I need, and will need to talk with them about it next visit.

Just what is a safe dosage of narcotic drugs such as these? Was taking 10 mg consistently about 3 times a day a potential problem? Either for the doctor as far as red flags are concerned, or my physical health?