Re: pain management to Kaye

[Guest guest]

Kaye,

It's not paranoid to be leery of a doctor who was just an electrical

engineer eight years ago, and who has moved four different times in

five years. Sensible might be a better choice of words.

Have you checked the background of this new PM doctor to see if there

have been any complaints to the medical association or legal suits

filed against him? There's a website service available where you can

do that, the fee is $25.00 for a full inquiry, but I would consider

that money well spent if you have any questions about his credentials

and previous record. I don't have the url available at this minute

where you can do these background checks, but will do a search later

and find it for you, if you can't find it yourself by a search through

Google.

In regard to the doctor that you are presently not being seen by, but

who writes you 90 days scripts with only enough medication to cover 60

days - what would happen if you were to call his office on the 55th

day and ask for a new script for the remainder of your medication?

Have you tried this, or asked his PA what they would do if you did?

Are they aware that the medication as prescribed has not been enough

to cover you for a 90 day period? My PM doctor used to do the same

thing, but he also told me that if at any time the amount that I

received wasn't enough to cover me for 3 months, that all I needed to

do was call the office and they would write a new script for the

remainder. One month I did have a rough time and needed more, so I

called the office and a script was available for me the following day.

I can understand why you don't want to burn your bridges with the doc

you never see before you can find a new one. Sometimes we have to

manage with substandard care until better care becomes available, and

it would be difficult considering your husband's position with the

hospital.

Of course you need to get yourself on that waiting list for the other

doctors. You never know when someone may move out of the area or a

situation will arise that could create an opening for you. I would

make sure to tell the nurse or receptionist that you'd be available on

short notice and would like to be called if there are any cancellations.

I'll let you know when I find the site that checks physician's track

records, or if I can think of anything else. Hang in there!

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina Rep.

South Eastern Regional Rep. PAI

Note: Any comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Heidi for the reply. I have checked every state and called

the state medical boards. He has no complaints and is still

licensed in every single state! But, just because there are no

complaints means nothing. That only means he has no public record

and you don't get a public record until something is done about the

complaint or they take action. Doesn't exactly weed out the quacks.

Yes I have called early only to be told that the doctor gives no one

medication early and coming in would not help and they won't make an

appointment. I am telling you he is a quack.

My case manager is trying to get me into one possibly quicker. It

could take a year to get into him.

I forgot to mention that this doc with the 5 different states also

says in his literature that you must come to see him EVERY WEEK! He

will only give you med for one week. Now that in itself is screwy.

Does he hand out pills or is he giving a prescription for which I

would have to pay a copay every week? The only docs I have ever

heard of doing this kind of crap are the ones who have gotten in

trouble and are no longer in business. We had a couple in NC that

happened to.

Also on his brochure it says that if you have a past history of

alcohol or drug abuse you MUST attend AA or NA meetings. Now I

don't have any history but what about the crap in my charts where

the ER doc says I am drug seeking which is not true. Does that doom

me to a life of NA? I think not.

On top of all that the brochure says that because he is a small

practice his intention is to send you back to your primary doc to

manage your pain. Well my doc won't do it anyway..........at least

he says he won't. But, he did give me a 30 day prescription for OXY

IR when I told him I wanted to change pain docs. I am thinking it

may be the injectable drug he is not comfortable with and not the

pill form. I don't care what it is. Oxy IR is lots stronger than

what I have in injectable form. Who knows I am sick of it.

Thanks for the response.

Kaye

[Guest guest]

Kaye, who is your health insurance with?

Regards,

[Guest guest]

Kaye,

The weekly appointment rule sounds like one for drug abusers and

addicts who have to come in and do random urine screenings for drugs.

I know that all pain management doctors have some criteria for drug

screening their patients, I was asked to do an unexpected urine test

on my second appointment at the center I went to, and was told by the

doctor that they were required by law to test occasionally, just to

make sure that the patient's weren't abusing. In a year with this

doctor, that one urine test was the only one he did on me. He also

initally saw me once a month, not every week, until we could establish

what medication regimen worked best for me, and finish all the testing

related to my other areas of pain, (wrist, elbow, fingers and spine).

Those tests found the CTS and the osteoporosis, which he was

treating, in addition to my CP pain.

Once all the pain areas were established, and the right pain

medication confirmed to help them, this doctor only wanted to see me

every two months, and would write me scripts for pain medication,

enough to last for two months. The script for a month's supply of

breakthrough medication, if I had taken it as often as was written,

would be only enough to get me through about 20 days, instead of 30.

This was always enough for me, except for that one occasion where I'd

had a bad month and had needed more. I called the office and they

wrote another script for the remainder of the month without question.

In this sense, I lucked out again with my choice of pain management

doctors, I guess. The guy you're talking about sounds really tough.

Once every week appointments for someone like you who is not a drug

abuser or alcoholic sounds like overkill and unneccesary to me. It

may be that they state this in the literature but make exceptions for

medicinal pain patients, as opposed to abuser's. Is it possible for

you to call their office and ask about this? Does your insurance pay

for weekly visits? I'm on BC/BS, and I don't think they would pay for

weekly appointments, unless they were medically necessary for

checkups, like after a hospitalization or accident. It seems

excessive for what would be considered routine care.

Aren't there any PM clinics over the border in SC, in Greenville for

example? It would be worth it for you to travel, I'd think. If you're

on BC/BS, they will allow this. I was getting all my medical care in

GA, not SC, until just a few months ago, when my PM left the state and

I relocated to a PM on Hilton Head Island. Could you see if your case

manager could locate someone in SC for you to go to?

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina Rep.

South Eastern Regional Rep. PAI

Note: Any comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.

[Guest guest]

Heidi:

The pain management guy I have now is from SC but has opened this

office up here. He is the only " group " of pain management

physicians up here. The others are " stragglers " and by themselves.

My insurance would probably pay once a week. They don't seem to

question the kind of stuff. I called and asked and it is once a

week no matter for what. I am not able to go once a week if I

wanted. I am not going anyway. I won't deal with that kind of

stuff.

I have never had anybody ask for urine or say anything about it. It

goes from one end of the spectrum to the other. If you are honest

they want you crooked and if you are crooked they want you honest.

I am sick of the whole pain management pile of baloney. Its just

another specialty for somebody else to send a person to. They don't

manage pain or even care about your pain. All they care about is

money. At least that is what I have experienced.!

Kaye

-- In pancreatitis , " Heidi " <hhessgriffeth@g...>

wrote:

> Kaye,

>

> The weekly appointment rule sounds like one for drug abusers and

> addicts who have to come in and do random urine screenings for

drugs.

> I know that all pain management doctors have some criteria for

drug

> screening their patients, I was asked to do an unexpected urine

test

> on my second appointment at the center I went to, and was told by

the

> doctor that they were required by law to test occasionally, just to

> make sure that the patient's weren't abusing. In a year with this

> doctor, that one urine test was the only one he did on me. He also

> initally saw me once a month, not every week, until we could

establish

> what medication regimen worked best for me, and finish all the

testing

> related to my other areas of pain, (wrist, elbow, fingers and

spine).

> Those tests found the CTS and the osteoporosis, which he was

> treating, in addition to my CP pain.

>

> Once all the pain areas were established, and the right pain

> medication confirmed to help them, this doctor only wanted to see

me

> every two months, and would write me scripts for pain medication,

> enough to last for two months. The script for a month's supply of

> breakthrough medication, if I had taken it as often as was written,

> would be only enough to get me through about 20 days, instead of

30.

> This was always enough for me, except for that one occasion where

I'd

> had a bad month and had needed more. I called the office and they

> wrote another script for the remainder of the month without

question.

>

> In this sense, I lucked out again with my choice of pain management

> doctors, I guess. The guy you're talking about sounds really

tough.

> Once every week appointments for someone like you who is not a drug

> abuser or alcoholic sounds like overkill and unneccesary to me. It

> may be that they state this in the literature but make exceptions

for

> medicinal pain patients, as opposed to abuser's. Is it possible

for

> you to call their office and ask about this? Does your insurance

pay

> for weekly visits? I'm on BC/BS, and I don't think they would pay

for

> weekly appointments, unless they were medically necessary for

> checkups, like after a hospitalization or accident. It seems

> excessive for what would be considered routine care.

>

> Aren't there any PM clinics over the border in SC, in Greenville

for

> example? It would be worth it for you to travel, I'd think. If

you're

> on BC/BS, they will allow this. I was getting all my medical care

in

> GA, not SC, until just a few months ago, when my PM left the state

and

> I relocated to a PM on Hilton Head Island. Could you see if your

case

> manager could locate someone in SC for you to go to?

>

> With love, hope and prayers,

> Heidi

>

> Heidi H. Griffeth

> South Carolina Rep.

> South Eastern Regional Rep. PAI

>

> Note: Any comments or advice are based on personal experience or

> opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional

medical

> consultation.