Pain Management Community

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site.

I have been dealing with pain most of my life and most recently have been diagnosed with Rhumatoid Arthritis, Osteo Arthritis, Enthesopathy, etc. My prior diagnosis were Spine disease, just "arthritis" and have had 10 knee operations, spinal taps, both rotator cuffs torn and basically gone from their normal location, torn biceps, ligaments, tendons and on and on. My Orthopaedic surgeon has been handling my pain needs with ever increasing doses of Vicodin and Percocet. Please excuse my spelling.

I recently was refered to a Pain Management Specialist by my Ortho. doctor. The PM Specialist started me on Butrans 10 mcg patches and stopped my other meds immediately. I was in severe pain almost immediately. Virtually every bone in my body hurt just to touch them. The PM Specialist changed my prescription to the 20 mcg Butrans patches. I had smoked a small amount of marijuana almost daily and informed her that I would quit immediately, which I did. The new dosage helped but still did not give me the relief I URGENTLY need since I still work a home business and am fighting off the mortgage co. to stay out of foreclosure. The next visit, one month later I informed her that I had quit the pot and she informed me that she could tell because my urine sample barely showed a trace. We discussed the effictiveness of the Butrans patch which she kept me on.

My next visit to my Orthopaedic doctor I was told that the Butrans was not strong enough for the type of pain I experience and I should be on something like Fentinal patches. I was planning on relaying this message to the Pain doctor the next visit but did not get the chance.

I called her office to get my appointment confirmed and was told by the receptionist that my appointment had been cancelled. I inquired as to why. She put me on hold and came back with the answer that I was discharged from the practice. I had to wait an hour and a half to hear back from her nurse, during this time I had the worse panic attack I had experienced in years. The nurses response was that I had tested positive for marijuana and Suboxone. I informed her that the doctor and I had discussed the trace of pot and I had never even heard of Suboxone. The doctor refused to talk to me at all, by phone or personally.

I contacted my family practice doctor and requested a complete drug screening which should be ready Monday. Today I received a letter from the Pain doctor informing me I had been discharged from her practice without explination and a list of other Pain Management facilities. She also noted she would be forwarding her treatment and notes to the one I choose. I guess my biggest concern is how in the world could I have tested positive for Suboxone when I had never even heard of it much less know what it was used for. I found out later after my family doctor's nurse looked it up and relayed the information to me. My panic attack lasted hours and finally subsided after my Orthopaedic doctor called me (return call from a message I left) and first asked me what was going on. He was very aggitated at the Pain doctors actions and let me know that he would take my pain needs back over, which he really should not have to do based on his prescription writing limitations as a surgeon and not a pain management doctor.

Does anyone have experience with Butrans patches and possibly a link to Suboxone? I feel desperate and confused!!!

Thanks, melmaniam