kkcapricorn,
Thanks again for yet another informed comment. My mother has RSDS, similar to fibromyalgia, and I have been a chronic pain patient for ten years after encephalitis and a spinal injury. Your simple yet important point for people taking pain meds as scheduled and not to wait for pain, as the chances of the meds working diminish greatly as your pain gets worse. This is important. This used to be labeled on the bottles. I am not sure why they no longer have it as a label, only in the lengthy info people rarely read. Many doctors are vilified for writing prescriptions that many truly need. Living in untreated chronic pain is torture, and not anyway to live. When untreated I weighed ...

kkcapricorn,
Thanks again for yet another informed comment. My mother has RSDS, similar to fibromyalgia, and I have been a chronic pain patient for ten years after encephalitis and a spinal injury. Your simple yet important point for people taking pain meds as scheduled and not to wait for pain, as the chances of the meds working diminish greatly as your pain gets worse. This is important. This used to be labeled on the bottles. I am not sure why they no longer have it as a label, only in the lengthy info people rarely read. Many doctors are vilified for writing prescriptions that many truly need. Living in untreated chronic pain is torture, and not anyway to live. When untreated I weighed 90 pounds and my hair was falling out. Now that I have pain treatment, I weigh 150 and my hair is fine. I still have pain, I am still disabled. However, the meds gave me freedom and a life that is livable. I do not like them, but until a better solution is found -- I have no choice. People are quick to judge unless they have felt that kind of pain. Thanks for chiming in.
May your days be pain free! Thanks for the comment as always.

I have had chronic back pain for over 12 years, being treated by my primary care phy. with pain meds because I'm scared to death of any injections or any form of surgery on my back for fear of what COULD happen. I have done physical theropy and tried countless other meds with no relief whatsoever. I also have 2 crushed vertibres in my neck from falling head first in shallow water 10 years ago, just recently finding out the extent of the damage. A few weeks ago my phyician ( who is actually a P.A.) ordered me to go to pain management. From the moment I walked thru the door at the pain management clinic I was treated like a junkie. In my initial interviews ( all 3 ) they all said the same thin...

I have had chronic back pain for over 12 years, being treated by my primary care phy. with pain meds because I'm scared to death of any injections or any form of surgery on my back for fear of what COULD happen. I have done physical theropy and tried countless other meds with no relief whatsoever. I also have 2 crushed vertibres in my neck from falling head first in shallow water 10 years ago, just recently finding out the extent of the damage. A few weeks ago my phyician ( who is actually a P.A.) ordered me to go to pain management. From the moment I walked thru the door at the pain management clinic I was treated like a junkie. In my initial interviews ( all 3 ) they all said the same thing, injections. He would not refill my meds and told me to take methedone ( which is another very addictive drug that can kill you if you stop taking it, you have to be weaned off it too )until I go back in 3 weeks. I don't see how doctors can get you addicted to pain killers and just turn you over to someone else who doesn't know me from Adam and the hell I've already been thru just to be able to survive everyday life. I even told them I was willing to stop taking the pills but not cold turkey, I don't take them to get high just to endure the pain and try to live a somewhat normal life. Is there anyone out there who has any advice?
My question to whoever can help is what are my rights?

I feel for you. I had to go to such a clinic, before I was given medicine that worked. You have a legal right to be treated for pain. If you cant take steroids and other non opiates, then you have the right to be treated for your pain -- no matter what it takes. I have found in order no to be constantly increasing my doses. I have manged to keep them fairly low, by switching between two drugs, every one to two years. You need to find a more compassionate doctor. Get through the clinic if you can, as many docs will not treat your pain until you have gone through the clinic. That was my first stop, and my doctor even warned me it would not be fun, and likely not work. He was right.

I will l...

I feel for you. I had to go to such a clinic, before I was given medicine that worked. You have a legal right to be treated for pain. If you cant take steroids and other non opiates, then you have the right to be treated for your pain -- no matter what it takes. I have found in order no to be constantly increasing my doses. I have manged to keep them fairly low, by switching between two drugs, every one to two years. You need to find a more compassionate doctor. Get through the clinic if you can, as many docs will not treat your pain until you have gone through the clinic. That was my first stop, and my doctor even warned me it would not be fun, and likely not work. He was right.

I will look up the exact law and post it here. Hang on. Methadone was effective for me for awhile. Switching from it to something slow release was no problem. I have no idea why a doctor would give you that over something else, as its simply a synthetic. But if your pegged as a drug seeker, right or wrong, they will often give you this because real junkies cant get high on heroin if they take methadone. Methadone caused me to gain massive water weight after a time. Any drug can have effects after long time use. Switching every now an then can allow you to take less and get the same benefit. Finding a doctor who will do this is hard. Look for a chronic pain support group in your area. Go, they know who the good docs are. Law on the way.

Contact this agency or find a pain advocacy group. There are many. They may help you.
Feel free to email me at thatoldbookstore@hotmail.com, if you just need to talk.
Tim
American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics.
http://www.aslme.org/research/mayday/26.4/26.4d.php
The capacity to treat pain has never been greater; but, as you will read in the articles that follow, the problem of undertreated and neglected pain in the United States persists. Deep-seated perceptions and practices undergird this strong and well-documented pattern of neglect. Among the reasons frequently noted for the inadequacy of treatment for pain, however, is that the legal system actually penalizes effective intervent...

Contact this agency or find a pain advocacy group. There are many. They may help you.
Feel free to email me at thatoldbookstore@hotmail.com, if you just need to talk.
Tim
American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics.
http://www.aslme.org/research/mayday/26.4/26.4d.php
The capacity to treat pain has never been greater; but, as you will read in the articles that follow, the problem of undertreated and neglected pain in the United States persists. Deep-seated perceptions and practices undergird this strong and well-documented pattern of neglect. Among the reasons frequently noted for the inadequacy of treatment for pain, however, is that the legal system actually penalizes effective interventions to relieve pain while it leaves neglect of pain unthreatened. It is the mission of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics (ASLME) to explore areas, such as this one, where developments in medicine directly encounter the law and, in turn, create ethical issues for clinicians, regulators, patients, and lawyers.