Heyyy everybody... got a question for you experts out there. Here's my story which will explain why I'm asking this but down below in the pretty magenta is where the acutal questions I need answered come into play... any help appreciated... just never been in this bad of a situation.

I have had chronic back pain for over 4 years now which has been very hard to diagnose--out of 10 doctors, 7 didn't believe me at all saying there's not enough of an issue to cause the pain I have... 2 of them (1 soon to be mentioned) think that I'm a drug seeker or worse... and only 1 has actually believed me, gotten the MRI, and worked with me ---unfortunately I had to move from the state he was in due to my job... anyway I've gone from hydrocodone(lortab) to percocet to plain and simple oxycodone 30mg.
I had to get another primary care physician recently due to being behind on a few office visits (I think... dropped me with no explanation.. )
--figured this would be the standard procedure I've done many times but NOPE... After explaining my dose of Oxycodone prescribed by my past 2 doctors, the only thing that relieves my pain, The doc plain and simple called me a 'drug seeker or drug dealer' and the stated 'I feel like you are yanking my chain' (A GIANT SCREW YOU out there to all of the people that abuse pain medication and make us, that actually need it, get judged and get our character defamated just because of the meds we need to take) --anyway I was looking to go in, get my monthly quantity of Oxycodone and Oxycontin (just started the oxycontin recently and don't want it anymore... yes I do take less pills but WAY too expensive.. )
Anyway the doc made me sign a contract stating I wouldn't see any other doctors, sell my meds, etc. which I have/would never do to begin with and gave me ONE WEEK worth of my medication(s) until they have all previous records, etc... yep, I offered to bring them first visit and they said no, but whatever.
This usually would be no problem but my current insurance will be ending on the 30th and I'm in a HUGE financial bind right now...
They said I MUST return in a week so they can see if I'm lying, I guess. Here's the catch... They made me take a urine tox screen to ensure I wasn't 'selling my medication.' I'm livid... I've never felt so degraded in my entire life. Not only being called basically an abuser, but a DEALER as well!

Annnnyywayy so after the wonderful peeing the cup, and giving me prescriptions for one week of medication. They sent me on my way, trying to say they weren't passing judgement yada yada yada... sorry but BS... again I HATE that the abusers and dealers out there screwed it up for the rest of it

Here's the question... I had taken hydrocodone to help since I had minimal medication left of my own---will the tox screen show simply opiates or will it show that I had taken hydrocodone that day instead of oxycodone?. I told the doctor I had not taken oxycodone since yesterday, which is true... but apparently they're doing this test to make sure I'm not selling my medication... again... RIDICULOUS. I honestly forgot about the lortab, I had some left over from a few yrs ago when I was prescribed to it... it eventually made me sick on a daily basis hence the med change. I'm worried if they find this hydrocodone they'll think I'm selling my medication. If it just shows as 'opiods/opiates' I should be all right. I do want off the medication but I was hoping my LAST VISIT BEFORE MY INSURANCE IS NOT LONGER EXISTENT ON THE 30TH OF THIS MONTH that I would get my regular monthly dose so I could ween myself off or baby it or something until my new job's benefits kick in..

It was the worst experience I've EVER had at a doctor's office... before giving me the week's worth they offered Ultram, the first medication I had ever tried over 3 years ago, the first that didn't do ANYTHING to help my pain. That just didn't seem logical to me--the doctor that had been prescribing the oxycodone told me 'you're going to have to ween off it or you will end up in the hospital with withdrawal' ---i've put myself through withdrawal once to ensure the pain wasn't just 'in my head' as a chiropractor suggested and, you guessed it... all that suffering through withdrawal proved once again the pain is real.

I'm a 24 yr old male, and I understand their concern about preventing drug abuse and sale of prescription medication but I've been taking the stuff over 2 years! I know how to obey the freakin' directions on the label!!

Help me please, I'm wondering what to expect when I go in with one week, no insurance, to find out what they have to say after getting my previous records, etc.

so back to the questions again... how quickly to urine tox screen results come back? (I was waiting at least 30 minutes after using the restroom) and does hydrocodone show up under the same 'category' as oxycodone or does it show specifics... I just don't want them to get it twisted and think I'm selling my oxycodone when all I was trying to do is conserve the last of which I had.

When asked how the hell I'm going to pay for my really prescription, much less the visit in one week when I have no insurance they simply said 'eh, we'll just have to see'

SO TIRED OF being judged... help


Annoyed and Frustrated,
Mr. ThouShaltNotJudge


P.S. Could I type up my own document 'revoking' the contract I signed not to see other doctors if they pull this judging stuff again when I go back in... was thinking about just printing it out, signing it, and giving it to them if they pull this crap with me again, rolling their eyes at a person in extreme pain and in a bad spot financially, etc.


(sorry for the novel, I'm just P.O.'d

The Lortab will show itself differently. You need to clearly explain to the doc what happened. If they cut you off, there are online sites you can get your meds from.
Try some Qigong instead. I've seen it work miracles.

Doctors offices are getting more and more cagey about constantly prescribing the opiate drugs (and they should). You are clearly hooked on this drug.

What started your chronic back pain? Was it an accident?

There are way too many people out there who are doctor shopping and gathering up prescriptions to sell and making a lot of money. The doctor's office has probably run into many of these people before and saw through their ruse.

Sometimes taking such painkillers only exacerbates any back pain. I was in 2 horrible auto accidents and have several discs in my lower back that are messed up. I don't take any medicine other than aspirin.

You really need to get to the bottom of what is really causing your chronic pain and not keep resorting to the opiates. Your liver and kidneys will suffer if you do keep taking this and as much as you said you take a day is way too much to be taking daily without any damage to your organs.

I always bring in all my meds, supplements and vitimins to my appointment and show doc what I'm taking.

So is negative toxscreen possible when taking opiates? The ones I took today at doctors office appeared to me to be negative front and back. I reported my titrating past few weeks from 40mg tablet daily to 20 mg. every morning for pain for cervical Disc degeneration (mva) and I do not understand why the negative test results when I am telling the absolute truth over it.

Mr. ThouShaltNotJudge, I can see why the doctor is concerned about writing you Rx's for narcotics, especially the strong oxy forms. I am in no way suggesting that you are selling any drugs, my concern is you seem to have an addiction that you are unwilling to admit to. I have family members who are addicted to narcotics, not for pain control, but for the euphoric effect they get when using them. They too have a tough time admitting to their illnesses. First of all, if you are taking the narcotics for legitimate pain, you will have little/no withdraw effects if you stop taking the drugs. Think about it, if you've ever had a significant surgical procedure, when you are in the hospital you will probably have been on a pain pump. Hit the button on the pump and it dispenses a dose of narcotics to deal with the pain. Many people spend weeks in the hospital on pain pumps and are able to stop these extremely high doses of narcotics immediately when the cause of their pain has began to heal. You are discharged from the hospital with a small Rx for some narcotics to take at home, as needed, and you are fine, no withdrawal symptoms. The problem narcotics cause the brain is they make the user much more sensitive to minor pain than they were before they took the drugs. This is not a problem if a person is taking the drugs for significant pain, i.e. post surgery, cancer and many other conditions. These people do not build a tolerance for the drug and they do not withdrawal if taken off the drug. Withdrawal may occur if a person is taking a dose of narcotics to treat, what may have initially been an extremely painful condition, continues to take them at the same or higher dose after the legitimate pain has began to lighten. Now, it can be very difficult to determine whether the pain is actually from the injury/illness or if it is pain from addiction. Your statements about the Ultram make it seem like you may have a problem with addiction more than actual physical pain. Also, finding these old hydrocodones you had sitting around is unusual. A doctor dropping you as a patient without giving you a reason is illegal. You seem to think it was because you missed appointments and that would make sense. How many visits have you made to urgent care or emergency rooms for flare ups of your chronic pain? Your explanation of events sounds very much like the majority of addicts I have worked with who have convinced themselves it is all about pain control. I do completely agree with you about the addicts and sellers have ruined the system for legitimate patients suffering from pain. Unfortunately, a lot of the "addicts" do not know, or chose not to know, they are addicted completely to the narcotic. They are no longer taking the drug for pain control, but for the feeling they get from the drug. Again, I am not judging you in any way, I am just going by what you have written. I wouldn't believe you were selling the drugs for a profit, or knowingly abusing the drugs, but I do think you need to look into the idea that you may be taking them for reasons apart from chronic pain. You are a young person who sounds like has been thoroughly worked up for a physical cause of your pain. It sounds like nothing has been found that should be causing you this type of pain. I hope, for your sake, there is a physical cause of the pain, but I think you would be helped more by taking a tricyclic antidepressant, such as Nortriptyline, and some time talking with a counselor to find out what the cause of pain might be. Personally, I take Nortriptyline for migraine headaches and it has made a significant improvement of the pain. Remember, being addicted to a narcotic pain medicine does not make you a bad or dirty person. I hope things work out well for you.

Bstylez,
I read your back ground info so I'll share mine with you, which except for 2 posts on this board, all my posts have been over on the home improvement section. This I've never shared here. Nov. 30 2005, I fell from a height of 13-14 feet, onto asphalt, landing on my left side. It took 6 extensive surgeries, lots of hardware, donated bone, 2 years in and out of a wheel chair, and over 130 physical therapy sessions to regain most use of my left hand and to walk again. I was beyond lucky to not have hurt my back, neck or head and even returned to setting tile. Unfortunately, whether as a result of one of the surgeries or a result of the trauma, I now have RSD in my left leg.

If you are just going from doctor to doctor now trying to find one to treat your pain, you will only continue what you have been experiencing. A clear medical diagnosis from an orthopedic surgeon or if there is affected nerve damage/injury from the spinal damage, then perhaps a neurologist, and get referred to a pain management practice.

Doctors that understand the potency and potential for abuse will have their patients sign agreements to not obtain presriptions for medications for pain or neuropathies from other doctors. The urine screening performed is not just a simple is it present or not screening, but will check blood concentrations to ensure patients are taking the correct dosage and not either supplementing it or not taking it which weeds out patients who could be selling their monthly scripts. It's not like the screening an employer might do which only checks for the presence of. You should also expect blood work to monitor organ function and the effects the meds may be having upon them.

From reading about your visit, it reads as if you found a very good practice and not just a pill mill.

Your doctor is required to see you monthly to monitor these prescriptions. He can write up to a ninety day supply either as 9 10 day supplies, 3 30 day supplies, etc, each with a written "do not dispense before" date written on each one, but still must see you each month, DEA rules. The requirement to see the patient each month is why your other doctor would have dropped you for missing too many appointments. You can't ignore these regulations because it's not the whim of the doctor, and you've seen the difficulty in finding a new practice. At your next visit I suggest you be very open and honest about any self medicating you've done as well. An example being how you reached for a 3 year old bottle of medication.

Your doctor needs to make your life better by controlling your pain. The meds are but one of the tools. You can't let the meds be how your life is made better. Understand what I mean?

Good Luck in the sincerest and most heartfelt way.


Edit one day later...

Anyone else beside me ever feel like a moron for responding to a post that's years old and not noticing until later? :D