2nd January 2005
Hey everyone,
I have recently posted in the pain management boards and have come here tonight to check this board out. I have a question for anyone who could maybe help me. I have a ruptured disc and a bulging disc in my neck, also nerve damage in my right arm all due to work. This all happened in 1999. Well, I started going to a pain doc. He has worked with me and finally after about 6 months, got me on meds that have helped me for 5 years! Neurontin - 800 mg. (4 nightly), oxycontin - 40 mg. twice daily, celebrex - 200 mg. twice daily, remeron - 45 mg once daily, zoloft - 50 mg. once daily, flexaril - 10mg. 4x's daily, and nexium, once daily. Ok, here is the thing......I have been on these meds for about 5 and a half years, without any problems and my pain doc has ALL patients of his to go through drug screens at random, to see if patients are 'really' taking their meds, which is totally understandable, considering 'some' people sell their meds instead of taking them. I have passed these with flying colors. Never had a problem. The problem is with work comp. They have stopped paying and haven't paid in quite sometime. I knew they weren't paying but what I didn't know is that my doc has gotten tired of not getting any payment and has refused to see me until work comp has agreed to pay. Well they have finally agreed, but they haven't told my doc 'when' they would actually send the check. They said they would pay up until April of 2004 and that leaves me owing around $350.00, and the lady in the doc's office asked me how I plan on paying the $350.00. I told her that I plan on paying it in full. And I asked them if they will they go ahead and make my next appointment when I come in to pay that amount. Then she preceeded to tell me that until W/C pays, the doc will NOT see me and let me say this...... there is no telling WHEN w/c will pay!!! I will not have any means of my meds! I know that these drugs should not be stopped suddenly. Is it legal for him to just stop seeing me cold turkey???? Just because of W/C issues???? I have a lawyer on this case also. He said to go to another doc. There are no other pain docs here. We live in a small town. Please give me some legal advice!! I am so afraid that I will have severe withdrawals! I mean, I have to take 40mgs of oxycontin, twice daily and sometimes if I'm just a little late taking my next dosage of oxy for the day, I can feel that terrible feeling of withdrawals! I have a friend that was in sorta the same predicament. She got hurt and ended up losing her job. Since she no longer had a job, and no insurance, this same doc stopped seeing her. She was on a series of meds similar to mine, only a less mg of oxycontin (20mg twice daily). She informed me of the withdrawals that she suffered and said that it is something she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. So, she went to a lawyer and filed a suit on the makers of oxycontin, and the lawyer told her that she would also have to sue the doc that prescribed them to her. Well, when this doc got the news, he compromised with her, asking her to sign papers, taking him off the suit, if he would start back seeing her again. Well, she did. He put her on Methadone this time. I told her that I have heard that it is 10 times worse coming off this drug than oxys. Don't know this to be true though.
I just don't know what to do. I am so afraid that I'll have to be put in detox if I have to come off these drugs!! What are the symptoms of coming off oxys?? I know they have to be bad!! I have NEVER taken more than what my doc has prescribed to me. Never been a junkie in any kind of way. I still work a full time job, although I've had to be put in the office where I work, because of working in production is what caused me to be in the shape I'm in now. And I have permanent restrictions of no repetitive flexion or extension of my arms and a permanent nerve loss, 25% in my right arm due to my ulnar nerve being damaged......Please advise me if I can sue this doc if he just all of a sudden stops seeing me because of Work Comp!! Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!
I have recently posted in the pain management boards and have come here tonight to check this board out. I have a question for anyone who could maybe help me. I have a ruptured disc and a bulging disc in my neck, also nerve damage in my right arm all due to work. This all happened in 1999. Well, I started going to a pain doc. He has worked with me and finally after about 6 months, got me on meds that have helped me for 5 years! Neurontin - 800 mg. (4 nightly), oxycontin - 40 mg. twice daily, celebrex - 200 mg. twice daily, remeron - 45 mg once daily, zoloft - 50 mg. once daily, flexaril - 10mg. 4x's daily, and nexium, once daily. Ok, here is the thing......I have been on these meds for about 5 and a half years, without any problems and my pain doc has ALL patients of his to go through drug screens at random, to see if patients are 'really' taking their meds, which is totally understandable, considering 'some' people sell their meds instead of taking them. I have passed these with flying colors. Never had a problem. The problem is with work comp. They have stopped paying and haven't paid in quite sometime. I knew they weren't paying but what I didn't know is that my doc has gotten tired of not getting any payment and has refused to see me until work comp has agreed to pay. Well they have finally agreed, but they haven't told my doc 'when' they would actually send the check. They said they would pay up until April of 2004 and that leaves me owing around $350.00, and the lady in the doc's office asked me how I plan on paying the $350.00. I told her that I plan on paying it in full. And I asked them if they will they go ahead and make my next appointment when I come in to pay that amount. Then she preceeded to tell me that until W/C pays, the doc will NOT see me and let me say this...... there is no telling WHEN w/c will pay!!! I will not have any means of my meds! I know that these drugs should not be stopped suddenly. Is it legal for him to just stop seeing me cold turkey???? Just because of W/C issues???? I have a lawyer on this case also. He said to go to another doc. There are no other pain docs here. We live in a small town. Please give me some legal advice!! I am so afraid that I will have severe withdrawals! I mean, I have to take 40mgs of oxycontin, twice daily and sometimes if I'm just a little late taking my next dosage of oxy for the day, I can feel that terrible feeling of withdrawals! I have a friend that was in sorta the same predicament. She got hurt and ended up losing her job. Since she no longer had a job, and no insurance, this same doc stopped seeing her. She was on a series of meds similar to mine, only a less mg of oxycontin (20mg twice daily). She informed me of the withdrawals that she suffered and said that it is something she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. So, she went to a lawyer and filed a suit on the makers of oxycontin, and the lawyer told her that she would also have to sue the doc that prescribed them to her. Well, when this doc got the news, he compromised with her, asking her to sign papers, taking him off the suit, if he would start back seeing her again. Well, she did. He put her on Methadone this time. I told her that I have heard that it is 10 times worse coming off this drug than oxys. Don't know this to be true though.
I just don't know what to do. I am so afraid that I'll have to be put in detox if I have to come off these drugs!! What are the symptoms of coming off oxys?? I know they have to be bad!! I have NEVER taken more than what my doc has prescribed to me. Never been a junkie in any kind of way. I still work a full time job, although I've had to be put in the office where I work, because of working in production is what caused me to be in the shape I'm in now. And I have permanent restrictions of no repetitive flexion or extension of my arms and a permanent nerve loss, 25% in my right arm due to my ulnar nerve being damaged......Please advise me if I can sue this doc if he just all of a sudden stops seeing me because of Work Comp!! Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!