Question by : Why won’t my Dr Prescribe me pain med. such as codeine or hydrocodone for my bulging discs and pinched nerves?
I experienced a bad fall and didn’t notice the pain for almost a year. I made a Dr’s. Appt., explained my pain. Lower and upper back and neck pain. Prescribed neurontin, had no effect. Moved to tramadol, worked for the pain but made me sick. Then onto nortriptiline, an antidepressant that’s supposedly good for back pain. Only effect that had was constant sleeping, it was like living in a fog and no relief from the pain. He then orders an MRI, lumbar only (which I did not know at the time). My upper back and neck are the main issues. Mri shows bulging discs of the L4 an L5. I call the Dr’s office and explain to the nurse that the nortriptiline is not working and the extreme fatigue that it is causing. She calls me back 5 days later and says the Dr. is uncomfortable prescribing me anything else and they are putting me in for physical therapy. Oh and did I forget to mention that physical therapy has an extremely long wait list in my area, unless I want to drive 30 mins away from my home 4x per week at almost 4 dollars a gallon when I’m unable to work due to the pain? He’s uncomfortable? I’m UNCOMFORTABLE!! Tells me to make an appt with the PA, I go into the appt with the PA today and he has to consult with the DR who is “uncomfortable”, I get nabumetone. I glance at the computer screen while he is out asking permission. The record says that I have “a history of noncompliance with medical treatment” WTF!! Why? because I won’t keep taking medicine that dosen’t work? It also says cocaine addiction, in remission. I haven’t touched it for almost 5 years, I don’t drink or smoke pot or anything of that nature. I work, go to college and support my son all by myself. I’m home now, I have taken the nabumetone over 2 hrs ago and my upper back still burns, lower back and neck are aching. I can’t stand or sit for long periods of time and sleep is unheard of anymore. Why am I being treated in this way? Can someone please help me to understand what is going on and what I can do to change their minds. I have responded well to the medications I listed in my question before for other issues with no addiction issues.I have never asked this Dr or any other Dr. for that matter for pain medication. I need relief!!!! : (

Best answer:

Answer by Jamel Shealey
Be thankful they won’t prescribe pain medication. Sometimes, narcotics may not be the best treatment for your condition. They are addictive with continued use.

Answer by oldgoat
You need another doctor, one that knows the difference between addiction, dependence and tolerance. They watch TV too and listen to all the misinformation and ignorance spewed by the uneducated. It’s probably better for you to know this doctor has no training using these drugs, so at least he wont kill you. Although if you’re in enough pain, you might very well decide to do yourself in, but as you said at least he’ll be comfortable. But I don’t think I’d like to know the guy I am trusting with my health doesn’t give a damn about me. You are not locked in to this narcophobic fraud. Sure you could go to a pain specialist, but do you really want to trust this guy now that you know the way he thinks? Run away as fast as your legs will carry you. He has probably, at the very least, made you consider just how open you can be with any physican. It’s a damn shame. But not all doctors think the Hippocratic oath means its ok to be a hypocrite.

The rate of addiction issues in people suffering from chronic pain is.019% of the population. So the odds of becoming addicted while having pain is tiny. People think they are addicted because somebody told them they were. Nobody told them that like with most medications taken long term, the body gets dependent on them, and they get sick if they suddenly stop. They say addiction is needing larger doses over time. That’s tolerance and it happens with many medications, nothing to do with addiction. Wanting to be free of pain is addiction and you’re a lightweight when it comes to pain. That’s not addiction, either, though it would be advice from a moron. Addiction is continuing a behavior that you know is harming you, regardless of consequence, not continuing a medication to stop unrelenting pain.

Who you gonna blame? The doctors that don’t tell you everything you need to know about these medications (if they have any knowledge at all) or patients for not learning about it for themselves? Most people, doctors too, just know what they see or hear in the media, and all the media cares about is sensationalism. Truth has no place in today’s media. This may be a little off track, but its true none the less.

Get your medical info from this idiot and find yourself a competent physician who has the training to deal with pain, specialist or otherwise. Maybe both. He won’t treat pain, you have to ask yourself what else wont he treat? Your history likely has nothing to do with it, anyone coming to see him in pain gets the same run around. It’s not likely anything will change their minds, they’d have to take specialized training to learn the real information and have the desire to apply it. Doesn’t sound like your guys.

Drop by Usenet newsgroup alt.support.chronic-pain if you want study sources for that 0.19% number and lots of other enlightening numbers. You’d be amazed how big a deal they make about so very few drug abusers. It may not hurt to you to turn to a support group, doesn’t have to be the one I suggested, and see if you can find some answers. Best of luck.

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