Pain Management Doctor
 

Has anyone had any experience with a pain management doctor?

I've been on a pain reliever for many years and now a law has been passed that says that I can no longer have it.

I've been referred to a pain management doctor and I am very skeptical. I can't imagine what can be done to alleviate chronic pain.

Wife was on Tramadol(Ultram for 8 yrs). Severe osteoarthritis , scoliosis, other spine problems .Could not renew prescription after 7/1/18. GP referred her to Dr Pannimaneni (offices in TV and Leesburg) He reviewed her case and immediately renewed her prescription . Now she must return for review each 3 months. Hope this helps!!

It’s the first step. Pain management is the only way you can move on.
I know many good physicians that have been successful with many patients.

I had to call their GP office every month and get a one month refill. Originally, I was getting a three month supply and then a law was passed forcing me to have to get it every month. Initially, I had to get a written prescription and hand carry it to the pharmacy. Then for some reason that changed and they were able to fax it over. Now I'm told, I can't have it at all.

My wife gets her once a month script from Dr Vance Elshire-Simed Medical in Ocala-have you considered a neuro stimulator?-PM if you want to discuss it

I had my prescription renewed after July 1. I believe that some new law was passed since then. I'm wondering if your wife's prescription will be renewed next time around.

I'm going to see Dr Pannimaneni next week.

I'm skeptical and cynical about things like this, especially when the government is involved. I wonder how much pressure has been put on our representatives by lobby's representing, pain management clinics, the medical marijuana industry and/or insurance companies.

My Tramadol was being paid for 100% by my insurance. My primary care visits are also paid for 100%. I have to wonder if insurance companies are tired of paying for these drugs and want to force people into paying for their treatments and medications out of their pockets. I assume that there will be a co-pay for pain management. I know that hardly any insurance covers medical marijuana and I don't know about any other medications that pain management might prescribe.

I wonder if this whole opioid crisis is made up or at least embellished by agencies who will benefit by denying these medications to people.

No it’s not made up the opioid crisis is very real. Even when you have surgery in today’s world opioids are not used, no prescribed, to prevent you from this very issue.

The ED is packed with those who have issues with the new law. Doctors stopped prescribing opioids on their own when they realized patients were asking for scripts beyond what they should have needed.

I'm sure that has happened, but to what percentage of people who were taking opioids? I know of several people who are on Tramadol, including myself who have no problem. In the past, I've forgotten to take a dose and other than experiencing pain, I felt no withdrawal symptoms.

As I say, I'm sure that there has been some problem, but if these drugs are so bad and there is really a crisis, why are they not completely banned?

Not to side track this thread. There was a ‘60 Minutes’ report on this last Sunday. In 2010, one pharmaceutical company shipped enough opioids to Florida alone that every resident would receive 25 pills. One physician who ran pain clinics was issuing prescriptions everyday to the same people for 100s of pills. Who could take 1000 pills in a month? Certainly not a pregnant woman, yet she had a script. The DEA calls it diversion where folks are reselling these meds.
Look at Fentanyl abuse and imports from China.

So in my opinion there is a crisis, but, those with chronic pain are forced to justify the need for these meds.

They have become a drug of last resort for short term post surgical and terminal patients. Withdrawal symptoms take 1 to 2 days to appear and worsen from there before tapering off. The length of time depends on how long you have been taking them. Google opiate withdrawal to learn more. There is much documentation about this by very reliable sources.

I take Tramadol as well and several doctors have told me if taken as prescribed there will be zero issues with it. In addition, I have had so many injections in two pain management clinics, most under anesthesia, that proved totally ineffectual that I have to acknowledge there is nothing further they can do for me. The nerve damage in my lower back and legs is permanent and is caused by spinal stenosis combined with the damage done by an ill trained surgeon who told me he could fix my issues. I refuse to take stronger opioids since I will not spend the rest of my life in la la land. Try a spinal stimulator. It did not work for me, but it might for you. I'd also recommend you go to a marijuana clinic with your health records and obtain a " Compassionate Use License " from the state. All the expense will be on you but I find some of the BCD alternatives help me. I do not like the heavy THC stuff since it makes me nauseous. There are choices between vape, oral and topical products. Be prepared to part with real money since the Feds do not allow any FDIC insured bank to handle transactions involving cannabis products. Therefore no credit or debit cards can be used and you can not write a check. I wish you luck, chronic pain I would not wish upon my most despised enemy.

That's my whole point. Tramadol is covered by my insurance. I'm going to pay for all this other stuff out of my pocket. I have to wonder if the opioid crisis is exaggerated insurance company lobbies or the medical marijuana lobbies. The more they can get people off of opioids, the less the insurance companies will have to pay out and the more the medical marijuana industry will make.

Evidence shows that well over ninety percent of the problems with opioid are related to illegal use. Yet Congress passed 87 laws dealing with legally prescribed opioids.

I wouldn't trust 60 Minutes for anything. They are an incredibly biased source.

So in your opinion, the opioid crisis is a "conspiracy"? :shocked:

I'm sure the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture the opioids have a much stronger lobby than the pain mgt clinics or the marijuana growers.

I go Cesar Euribe - Central Pain Management if Florida. He should give you a prescription for pain meds but nothing close to what you actually need. Depending where your pain is, he can give you epidurals. The gentleman that he had no problem with drawing from tramadol is light weight. Tramadol is not a narcotic...… it might as well be baby aspirin. I have no idea how old you are but the rest of your life will be miserable. But you are not alone. I am going thru the same thing. If you want to talk let me know and I can explain to you how I am dealing with. Good Luck Judy

I think that everything that Washington does is motivated by votes and lobbies. I'm sure that the pharmaceutical lobbies are very powerful, but insurance companies also have very powerful lobbies and I'm sure that they are getting tired of paying for these drugs.

The legalize marijuana lobby is rapidly growing and who knows how much influence they have placed on politicians. After all, no research has really been done on marijuana.

Every other legal drug on the market has been tested multiple times, first on animals and then on humans. The main concern is the deleterious effects that these drugs have had.

I'm not taking a position on whether or not marijuana is effective, I'm just saying that several states have legalized it without any of the testing that other drugs go through. Legalization was basically a political move.

It is still illegal on the federal level by the way. The federal government could come into a state and shut down all marijuana production and sales.

Do you think that there are no lobbies representing pain management clinics? That wasn't even a medical specialty until recently.

From what I've read, well over 90% of all problems with opioids are related to illegal use. Ninety percent of the people who have had the medication prescribed legally and are using them as directed have no problem.

I have to ask why are they going to hard after the legal users?

I'm not much of a conspiracy guy, but I am very suspicious of our government.

I go to Dr P..(Pannimaneni). He’s a great dr,

My sister worked for a pain management doctor and they were able to help many people with other treatments besides pain pills. Please keep an open mind, and I hope you find relief!

I saw Dr Panamenanni today. He kept me on the Tramadol and added Gabapentin.

I now have to take a toxicology screening every three months.

It appears that all the government. So it appears that what these 87 opioid laws have done was to make us jump through a few more hoops in order to get our needed medication.

From what I've read, well in excess of 90% of the problems with opioids are related to illegal use. Also, over 90% of the people who use them according to directions have no problems.

Why does the government choose to focus on the legal users who the medication is helping rather than the illegal users?

Gabapentin is a non-narcotic pain reliever that really helped me a whole lot, I thought we found a miracle drug until about two-three weeks in. Overnight the part of my leg from the knee to my feet at least doubled in size. What a shame because other than this side effect it was very helpful. I had to come off it slowly as stopping it entirely was out of the question.

Good luck finding the way that helps you best. It is a shame that it is such a mission.

The vet put our dog on gabapentin. He's 85 lbs. He became so loopy he couldn't balance. They took him off of it after five days. But it did the trick, which was to get him to leave the wound on his tail alone.