Pain Management Community

Excellent advice, Caprice. Thank you very much for this extremely helpful post.

You're welcome, Dave.

Thanks for the idea of putting it back up here.

thanks caprice, this will be of help to me.

Hi Caprice,
I should of read your message before I wrote my own message. I think that it was not submitted. I really hope that it is going to be on here. Is there anyway that you can check that out for me?

Thank-you for the info that you posted here.

I have been seeing a pain management expert for about 4 years or so. (more often than not I see a nurse practitioner) I have chronic lower back pain, (4 disk levels) sciatica, depression, anxiety, irritated bowel syndrome, insomnia, & other conditions that my primary care Dr. said could all be related to my pain.

I have had roughly 16-20 surgical procedures including a spinal nerve simulator. I have faithfully complied with all procedures recommended.

Recently they have stopped accepting my secondary insurance for surgery (office visits are still covered) and I am now responsible for a co-payment that ranges from $90.00-$300.00 depending on what procedure it is. I live on a very limited income and have told my Pain specialist that I could not afford these out of pocket expenses and I was forced to decline one procedure. (due to the high cost).

After more than 4 years & well over a dozen surgery's he informed me that unless I comply with his recommended surgery' he would no longer be able to prescribe my pain medication's (oxycodone 10mg, tizanidine 4mg, & neurontin 400mg.).

What I would like to know is,
1. Is this a ethically normal reaction and correct response?
2. If not who would, and should I, register a complaint with? (I live in Massachusetts)
3. Was my primary care physician correct in his assessment that all my other symptoms could be related to my chronic back pain?

Thank You in advance for your anticipated response.
"Hank"

Hi Hank and welcome to WebMD,

I encourage you to start a new discussion with your post so others can find it and respond with their thoughts.

To do that, hold your cursor over the orange Post Now button on the upper right and choose 'Discussion' from the drop down menu which appears. Fill in the subject line and body of the message (you can ignore the poll part if you want) and Submit.

Already have. It's just extremely difficult

I am new here, actually doing research for a friend and...as usual find something helpful to me. I am a quote type person and I really appreciated your quote this morning. It helps to tweak my perspective a bit and feel a bit more positive. I've lived w/ chronic pain since complications during a back surgery in 1998. By now I have moderate-severe DDD (degenerative disc disease) from L-1 thru S-1, C-2 thru T-1 and I'm in the process of being diagnosed with RA.

A really important thing for me to remember, in regards to your quote is that the 'letting go' and the 'acceptance' - has been a process. I so wanted it to 'just happen'. Some of it has taken years; I've been on disability since 2006. Truly, after reaching a prettty darn good level of acceptance with my neck and back, I'm tossed upside down and beginning all over again, with what most likely (I'll find out 4 sure next week) is RA. Plus, it is in my fingers, hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Some days, I just feel like I'm losing body parts.

I didn't want to 'dump' here. I more wanted to thank you for the quote and feel grateful that I found this place - even if it was by accident - which I don't really believe.

Namaste

Patty

Hi Patty and welcome,

I hope that you'll say hello on the board at some point so others can find your post and support you.

I, like you, thought I'd got to a place of acceptance and then got hit with yet another challenge so the process has had to begin all over again.

Dump here any time. Though I'm sorry for your need to be here, I'm glad you found us. (((hugs)))

Caprice
we have directed arlent 6475 to this community. But she seems to have a problem with figuring out how to post. I have given more detailed instructions. If you have a chance could you pop over to the parkinson community and read her post. I know this is not proper protocal but i am concerned by the tone of her post.

thanks
w

Hi Worn1,

Sorry, I didn't spot your post here until now.

I see that Arlene has since posted on this board and I'd already gathered it for our experts. I'm sure she'll get a response soon.

Thank you for looking out so well for other members on WebMD.

Thank you Caprice
I know where arlene is comming from. I had concidered suicide at one time do to pain the general practitioner i saw would tell me it was my imagination. I was finally diagnosed with parkinsons and started on the necessary meds Please do not take too long to respond.
Thank you again
w

I understand how that can be too. (((hugs)))

I only find one reason why they won't take your secondary insurance, Public Aid. If you have that as a secondary most pain management Doctors stop taking that as of the 1st of this year. As far as Not giving you your meds because of cost of procedures, well, I have never heard of this. I live in Illinois and most pain Doctors that I have gone to you can explain your situation and they usually are pretty good on working with you. Sounds to me like he is in this for the money and not for you. Can you try and get another Doctor in your area? Hope this helps. DJSnana