trouble with Dr?

[Guest guest]

Afternoon all,

I am just ready to cry and thought I will sit down and write to you. I have

been reading lately about your posts and medicines. I myself haven't experienced

any problems getting my meds, until today.

My FNP told me to start taking the Percocet more often. Her words exactly. I

want you to start using that more often. She even doubled my Xanax so that I

could use it more often. It makes me completly wired. Not a good feeling. In

the past I haven't used it much. I would have a bottle for a year of 60 5/325's.

But the pain has been progressing and I have been taking 1 pill almost daily for

2 months. I haven't taken more than 1 xanax a day, what is normal for me. And I

usually have to take 1 Norco every other day or so. I didn't realize that was

so much!

When I called to get my percocet refill, I was questioned on the phone for 10

minutes being asked to explain my illness and exactly WHY I thought I needed to

take percocet so often. So I explained what CP was (shouldn't they know this.

They have been treating me since I got it 5 years ago) and why I needed to take

at least once a day. I told the person (another FNP) to look in my file and she

would see my meds, and how I often I DON'T take them. That I just had an

evaluation about meds 2 months ago and am just following the orders given to me

about utilizing my meds available to me. She asked me to pain scale my pain.

what the prognosis was for me, what else and who else I see to be treated for it

and said I have to make sure you aren't drug seeking. I told her exactly what

the script I get is.I also said I would wait and make an appointment in person

if that would be better. I was told that wasn't necessary.

When all was said and done on the phone call, I was told a script would be

waiting for me to pick up. I went to pick up the script today and instead of it

being for #60 5/325, it was for #50 2.5/325. I turned around and went back into

the office and asked why the RX was changed when it has always been this other

way. Of course they didn't know and would have the FNP call me on monday. I said

ok, and returned the script to them. That right there should be enough to PROVE

I am not drug seeking.

So since I can't get that filled I went to the pharmacy to pick up all my

familys meds for the month, as usual. When the tech got to mine, she told me

the order for my xanax could not be filled as usual because the doctor says I

need to have an appintment with my " new pcp. " I called the doctors office and

asked if my FNP was leaving and I was told no, but I had to have a evaluation

with her before I could have ANY meds. I said I was just there 2 months ago for

re-evaluation and doing what she told me to do and I was told that I still

needed to see her if I intended to still take that med. They had to make sure I

am not drug seeking.

So this is just great. I take 1 percocet a day, 1 xanax a day and 1 norco every

other day on average, and I can't have my meds because I am suddenly drug

seeking. I have an disease that can't be seen so it must NOT be bothersome or

even real. BUT my husband takes AT LEAST 60 vicodin A MONTH, sometimes as much

as 120 and they don't EVER bat an eye at refilling what he wants because he is

54 and needs a knee replacement Something they can visualize on a picture.

Dang if I don't also have pictures of my calicified pancreas from an ERCp but I

guess that doesn't mean anything.

I don't see the specialist often because he believes EVERYTHING can be fixed

with surgery! And I have no choice in his treatment of choosing. It is only up

to him and if i question him, I have to " hit the highway. " I have seen another

specialist who claims because I haven't been to the ER in 3 1/2 years for a bad

acute attack and I had 1 clean CTScan, that I am cured and I should " eat, drink

(yes, drink) and be merry for I am cured of pancreatitis, which I probably

didn't have in the first place, " despite what 2 univercitys say! I have been

to other GI's in my network and they won't see me because my condition is far

more advanced than they are prepared to deal with.

Guess all this is in my head. Guess I have been fooling myself and everyone

else (the others doctors and specialists, surgeons) about having CP and SOD.

What a lie I must have gotten away with all these years. Good thing they caught

up to me now before I really got hooked on the HARD stuff!!!!! :-(

I havn't felt so low, disrepected and just simply hurt since I was on the table

waiting for an ERCp and the doctors proteshea (sp) walked up to me and said " so

you got this from drinking, huh?! What did you drink last night? " Not that it

matters, but I didn't get this from drinking. Why do they always have to assume

that? And even if I did, does that mean I deserve less respect and care?

Sitting here hurt and crying,

Sandy in Ca

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for writing back. Still sitting here crying over this. If there is one

thing I am not, thats a drug seeker. I just got my kid from school and told him

the whole horrid story and he said Want me to go mess the doctor up for you mom?

Why does dad get what he wants when your way more sick? We both are aware my

husband ('s real dad, yes) uses his vicodin recreationally as well as for

pain . I DO NOT!

I can't understand the mix up at all. The FNP is my my PCP's office. I can't

get a tylenol out of the specialist since surgery is a cure all for

everything!!!! And my FNP knows this and doesn't much like him either but we

both understand he is supposed to be one of the best at pancreatic dis-orders.

I just believe there is more than 1 way to handle situations and that surgery

isn't the only solution.

I talked on the phone to the one FNP I really don't like seeing. My kid once saw

her with fracture and he was barely able to get the xray request from her let

alone a note to excuse him from PE. She's also the one that denied the xanax

and changed the percocet script. She wasn't in today when I went to pick up the

percocet script. My FNP wasn't coming in until after 2 pm today (Army reservist)

and the receptionist wasn't sure if she would be able to call me or not. The

only D.O. in the office doesn't speak to me because I am not his patient. I am

the patient of the FNP. Sound complicated??? It kinda is. My husband sees the

D.O. My son and I see the FNP. The D.O is a HUGE chovenist. (sp) And doesn't

hide that fact. He onse told me to go to the ER for pain control and if I didn't

wanna do that then I could just " suck up the pain " otherwise. The pain wasn't

bad enough for the ER but needed something stronger than Darvocet at that

time...ya know?!

I returned the script for the wrong dose of percocet. After the fiasco at the

pharmacy, I called the Doctors office and asked for an appointment for monday

to see my FNP to discuss what in the world I have done so wrong to be treated in

such a manner. I am only following her orders in taking it. For goodness sake,

it says take 1-2 pills every 8 hours for pain. I could have taken the whole

danged bottle under those terms. BUT I choose to try Lamaze breathing first

before taking meds and then take the least amount and still do Lamaze for the

rest of the pain. What a druggie I sound like, huh?!

I will write more after my appointment on monday. I hope this all gets

straightened out. I really don't want to " break in " a new dr. what if it all

gets worse and a new dr. denies me anything at all???

I am going to try not to stress so much this weekend. I cried so much I fell

asleep and napped with my puppy for an hour. Feela little better but still so

upset about this. I suppose if I wouldn't be so upset if there was a ring of

truth in what they are suggesting. I would just move on to another doctor.

Don't they know this? Good grief!!!

Thanks . I hope your weekend goes well for you. Thanks for your ear. I

appriciate it.

Sandy in Ca

-------------- Original message --------------

My goodness why on earth do they even write stuff in our charts if

nobody is going to read it. What a waste. Is the FNP's in the

specialist office or in your PCP's office? I hate to say it but when

the FNP changed your orders you should have just gotten a new

prescription right then and there. I know, hindsight is 20/20....

[Guest guest]

>

> I am so sorry you had to go through this. Unfortunatly I think we

all have stories like this or have been accused of drug seeking. I

had a pancreatic specialist, actually the head of the department say

that the pain was in my head, and I didn't even need to be on

digestive enzymes, I had an attack and now I'm cured. This was after

about 10 attacks in one year. A month later it was confirmed I had CP

and now also diabetes, and psuedocysts. I guess that is all in my

head too! What the pharmacist said was not only wrong but illegal.

There is a privacy act that prevents them from asking you what your

illness is. And that they questioned you with the little meds you're

on! I'm on 100mcg fentanyl patch, 400mcg fentanyl lollipops and 180

percocet every month! Luckily I have a great pharmacist, but it took

a little searching to find him. The sad truth is that our illness is

fairly rare so we as patients end up being more informed and educated

then a great deal of the doctors out there. I have been through 4

hospitals and who knows how many doctors, but I have finally found a

good team. Don't stand for people treating you this way and don't let

them get you down. I know it's hard and it's frustrating but we have

to fight the so called professionals who are ignorant to our illness

and the daily hell we go through! I wish you luck and I hope you

change your pharmacist and any doctors who treat you this

way! -Annette

[Guest guest]

Dear Sandy,

I'm so sorry that they've been hassling you about your meds. It looks

like one of those FNP's was having a really bad day and had just been

lectured by someone about looking out for " drug seeker's " , and you

were the next person to call.

You need to talk to YOUR FNP, the woman who's been treating you. Can

you call the clinic on Monday and get an appt. with her asap? She's

told you one thing, and someone else in the clinic is interferring

with her treatment, and that's not kosher! Taking one percocet a day

is clearly NOT drug seeking, dear. Heavens, I was taking 6 Percocet

10's every day in 2002, plus using a Duragesic patch! Your medication

consumption is minimal, compared to so many of the rest of us who

suffer with CP.

I really think that your FNP needs to set things straight, and you

could ask her to notify the rest of the staff who work there exactly

what her recommendations are for your treatment. There shouldn't be

that kind of interference from the other FNP's who work with her.

The only way I can see that you can get this all staightened out is by

going in there again and seeing your own doctor. It may be that she

needs to see you every two months, that's how often I have to see my

PM doctor, too. For their protection from the FDA, they need to show

that they are reevaluating the patient on a regular basis, not just

prescribing narcotics continuously without regular review of the patient.

I'm sorry you've had such a tough go of it. Hopefully you'll be able

to get it all straightened out on Monday with your own FNP.

Meanwhile, keep your chin up!

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

www.pancassociation.org/anthology#Heidi.html

Bluffton, SC

SC State & SE Regional Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

www.health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pancreatitis/

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

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.