astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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Ugh! I have a history of kidney stones and horrible kidney infections on my left side. I've been having flank pain since my last ureteroscopy last May. I just recently saw my urologist who mentioned that he thought my bladder valve may have been damaged during the surgery and the urine reflux was causing the pain. He ordered a VCUG and IVP, but they're not until next Thursday! =(
Before that appointment, my GP gave me a script for ultracet. WHile I was in class today, the pain started creeping in so I took two of them, as the bottle said to. An hour later, nothing improved! I was walking around holding my back, and sitting in those hard wooden chairs was not at all fun! When I got home, I called my urologist to ask for a different medication, but was told he wasn't in today and that I should call my GP. When I called the office, they told me that they wouldn't prescribe anything else and that I should just go to the ER.
Even though I feel like someone has just given me a swift kick to the kidney, I neither have the time nor the money to sit around in the ER for 12 hours given that the tests are scheduled less than a week from now! I had to hold my tounge to keep from saying "ba- nevermind! I'll just order pills from the internet!"
Thanks a lot, doc!
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-Melissa
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oldnavy170
Board Addict
Reged: 05/12/03
Posts: 357
Loc: New York
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I have a history of kidney stones too. I have lucked out so far and they have been able to flush them out thru IV fluids.
I am lucky to have a caring family doctor who makes sure that no pain is left unchecked.
I'm sorry to hear what your going thru and I do understand!
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redhill
Banned. Flames, offending others
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 278
Loc: Hell on Earth, for now
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What a weenie!!
Sorry that's not creative, but you have my sympaty.
I can't understand the rationale of recommending you to the ER for acute pain like that.
Sending patients to the ER is what doctors are supposed to avoid.
Nice of your doc to just try and pass the problem on to an ER doc.
One thing I have found is that pain doctors ask you if you've gone to ER's for pain, as a method of trying to expose drug dependence.
At this point I'd look for a more sympathetic doctor, and get as much documentation as to the source and intensity of your pain in writing from local docs. If you have that, eventually someone is going to have the common sense to treat the pain, at the very least.
I hate your doctor too 
Good luck,
Red 
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DonBarba
Board Addict
Reged: 04/02/04
Posts: 301
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Quote:
One thing I have found is that pain doctors ask you if you've gone to ER's for pain, as a method of trying to expose drug dependence.
?? Do you mean that going to the ER would mean you ARE drug dependant?
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flamingos
Stranger
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 20
Loc: Right Up The Street!
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No! I think it means that if you answer yes, your doc.is going to watch and monitor & treat you like u may be dependent.
I think it gives them someway to gauge(sp) you.
Plus if you goto the er, they end up sending over a sheet to your doctors to let them know they saw/treated/and released you, and telling you to follow up with your docs. (at least in my case w/the migraine curse i've been plaqued with for 23 yrs that's always what has happened with my er visits.)
~flamingos~ R Pink? -REALLY?
Edited by flamingos (06/12/04 12:36 PM)
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redhill
Banned. Flames, offending others
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 278
Loc: Hell on Earth, for now
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Quote:
Quote:
One thing I have found is that pain doctors ask you if you've gone to ER's for pain, as a method of trying to expose drug dependence.
?? Do you mean that going to the ER would mean you ARE drug dependant?
No it certainly would not. But I have been asked the question by pain doctors and psychologists at two pain centers, and it seems they do believe it.
The motive behind ER visits, as far as I know, is to obtain pain meds. In an apparent emegency situation you can always crank up the drama and ask for pain meds, or so doctors may reason.
BTW doesn't it almost always seem that the medical emergencies occur at 4:58pm on a Friday?
No it's not a fair assessment that use of ER services makes you look like a junky, however I've been told that if I'd answered 'yes' to the question myself, I might have been referred for drug treatment instead of pain.
Red.
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trixxie
Member
Reged: 05/23/03
Posts: 130
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The other side of the equation is; if you are using emergency services as your pain relief, then you are not receiving adequate pain control from your PCP or your PMD. Since I started with my PMD, ER visits are down to less than one a year. Goes to show ya what a bit of compassion and pain control can do.
I'd start looking for a new doc.
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The truth shall set you free!
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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An update on the situation-
I am out of town, visiting my mother. Yesterday I was curled up in bed because it felt like someone was just squeezing my kidney as hard as he could, and also felt like someone had his hand under my bottom rib, and was lifting up on it and about to break it. My mom felt sorry for me and called the urologist on call for my doctor, and he told her that he couldn't call anything in during the weekend like that.
I'm really worried because my urologist has implied that he didn't think my kidney was the culprit. I'm afraid that the tests this thursday won't give any answers, and no one will believe that I'm really hurting, and the doctors will continue to refuse to prescribe anything! =(
I'm getting the vauge feeling that they don't even care! I've had this unresolved pain for 9 MONTHS (although it hasn't always hurt this bad). I was also diagnosed with "pelvic congestion syndrome" during a laparoscopy last month, and was told that I'm missing my left ovary and tube. I find it weird that I've had two CT scans and an ultrasound, and no one has ever said anything about that. When I saw my urologist last week, he fumbled through my charts and said, "they didn't see your ovary in the CT scan... maybe..." and I cut him off and said "because I don't have one!" He has had that information in his chart for over a YEAR, and I feel like he's just now looking at it.
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-Melissa
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oldnavy170
Board Addict
Reged: 05/12/03
Posts: 357
Loc: New York
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I know that feeling that your talking about. I wonder why your doctor wouldn't tell you to go to the ER? If those stones get stuck than there could be a major blockage problem and that alone can cause more problems including infection.
I can remember going to the ER the first time I had a kidney stone attack and right away was given a pain shot. I don't remember what they gave me but it was good stuff!!!!! 
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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You're lucky. When I had my first stone, I was in the middle of nowhere driving from Warner Robins, GA to Athens, GA (110 miles). I didn't know what the heck was wrong, so I put the pedal to the floor until I came to a waffle house. I thought maybe I was extremely constipated and sat on the toilet for a while doubled over in pain. Then - POOF - it went away! Later that night, after I had gotten home, it came back. I drove myself to the ER, waiting in triage for an hour (even though it was 4 am and NO ONE else was in there!) The nurse finally called me back and put me in an exam room where I waited ANOTHER HOUR. I was literally rolling all over the table in AGONY! I didn't get ANYTHING for pain. Eventually, I was sent to x-ray where they discovered 2 stones. I was given a script for percocet and sent home (by that time, the pain went away again).
Of course, the pain came back as the stone started moving again. It was so excrutiating that I kept puking from the pain and couldn't keep the percs down. I went back to the ER and was given a shot of demerol (barely helped), and was hopsitalized. After many hours of sheer hellish torture, I was given 10 mg of morhpine and konked out.
The next day, I was on a rock-hard table while they were doing an IVP. The pain hit again with full force, and I was given demerol. What a joke!! I had to lay there for 40 more minutes crying in pain until I was taken back to my room and put on a patient-controlled morphine drip. I nearly got a blister on my thumb from clicking so frantically.
For me, morphine is the ONLY thing that touched kidney stone pain.
To finish the story, the doc had to do a ureteroscopy because I coudln't pass the stone on my own. He briefly suggested that maybe he damaged my ureter valve during the procedure and that my pain is being caused from urine reflux (which is consistent with having had horrible kidney infections on that side since then). The pain's not nearly as intense as passing a stone, but it's bad enough to know that somethin' ain't right in there.
My mom gave me some ultracet last night, which worked for about 2 hours and then wore off. I'm thinking about demanding that the tests be performed tomorrow instead of Thursday - don't know if I can wait that long!
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-Melissa
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Flavia
Journeyman
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 65
Loc: Baja Oklahoma
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"BTW doesn't it almost always seem that the medical emergencies occur at 4:58pm on a Friday?"
Oh, I can have an emergency anytime during the weekend. It is SO bad, that I am afraid of holidays. I DREAD them. This past Memorial Day, I had a pain in my side that I thought must be terminal cancer. It went on for 3 weeks before the dr. killed it with cortisone/prednisone step-down. Who knows what it was?
I have had fractures on holidays, strep throat and even pleurisy. So, you can understand my phobia about holidays. I hate 'em! Flavia
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In this day and age, you need a crutch to get through life. If you don't, you are dead, in a
coma or seriously mentally impaired.
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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Had a hard time sleeping last night and ran out of ultracet (which didn't work too well anyway). I finally called my urologist back and left an obscenely long and detailed message about where it hurt and what it felt like.
Maybe he just wanted me to stop calling him, but he finally prescribed something for pain.
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-Melissa
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LumbarSpasm
Silent Chaos
Reged: 05/07/02
Posts: 1538
Loc: USA
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Way to go Melissa. 
Wish you the best.
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LumbarSpasm
Or just a pain in the butt?!
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flamingos
Stranger
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 20
Loc: Right Up The Street!
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DITTO - Couldn't agree more, its just NOT that easy to find a good doctor these days. + alot of them are scared to prescribe meds, or they like to place the blame on the patient! just my pennies worth
~flamingos~ pink - huh?
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tone
Veteran
Reged: 06/29/03
Posts: 554
Loc: Chicago
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i dont know why these doctors are using ultracet when they could use 50 mg tramadol tablets. you can take your own APAP when you want to.
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johng
Board Addict
Reged: 02/13/03
Posts: 358
Loc: great lakes
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it is a new product. the drug reps are trying to push it. so they can make money an it.
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Ask and it will be given to you Matthew 7:7
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jshnyda
Member
Reged: 05/06/02
Posts: 174
Loc: Home of #14
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I have just switched doctors last week. Not by choice, but, because my doctor quit his practice and is now working at the ER at local hospital. I have been taking klonopin .50mg three times a day for three years and percocet 10/650 three times a day for one year now. I was worried that the new doc would have a hard time prescribing me these meds. I saw him last week. I was very surprised that he had no problem prescribing me the meds. The only thing he was concerned with was making me sign a controlled substance form(a legal form) to cover his own behind. I was in a car accident last year and to make a long story short I am having problems with the other guys insurance company paying for me to see a pain managment specialist. So......the new doc wants me to come back in a month and he wants me to at least see some other specialist.........and his words were," to justify prescribing these controlled substances". He did mention that at my age(29), It would not be good to take percocet for the rest of my life. He said they can be very hard to discontinue. I agreed with him.But at least when the time comes to stop taking them, he will be very helpfull and understands the tapering proccess. I also believe if you want your doctor to prescibe a certain medication, never ever say to him," I want percocet", don't even mention a word about it! In my honest opinion I truly believe most doctors are good and want to help.........but, they also are very concerned with covering thier own behinds.
I do have a question if anyone has an opinion. While I was there he wrote me a script for my klonopin w/ three refills.........I already have 2 more refills waitng at the pharmacy from my previous doctor. He also went ahead and wrote me a script for 90 percocet........which I just got 90 for from my old doctor two weeks ago. So......I have plenty of scripts........how long is a script good for? I heard 6 months.......Is that right? I would take them to the pharmacy now but my insurance only cover 30 days supply at a time. What to do?????????? What to do??????
Thanks in advance, Jeff
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trixxie
Member
Reged: 05/23/03
Posts: 130
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Two things, one; fill the scripts based on the dates, and pay out of pocket, or in regards to the percocets, contact your PMD and let him know that you have some scripts that the previous doctor has written. I would think it would be in your best interest to let the PMD know about the other scripts, especially if you think you are going to have a long relationship with him/her. If you have signed a typical controlled substance agreement, you should not be filling the other doctor's script for the same narcotic medication.
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The truth shall set you free!
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IMSUSCOT1
Threadhead
Reged: 10/23/02
Posts: 892
Loc: usa
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I would take it to the pharmacy NOW and have them file it....in many states Percocet and other schedule II's are only good for 7 days..but the pharmacy can hold it on file for you until your ready for it...my scripts actually say must be filled in 7 days...but I can put it on hold at the pharmacy till I need it...
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PIGINPAIN
Journeyman
Reged: 06/10/04
Posts: 85
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In CA you only have 14 days from date signed to pickup a C-II from the pharm. Even if you drop off the script, the two week rule applies. You also only have 7 days to drop off.
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jshnyda
Member
Reged: 05/06/02
Posts: 174
Loc: Home of #14
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Thanks for the info. I called my pharmacy, told them my situation and asked what I should do. They said I could drop them off to put into thier system, or I can hang on to them untill I am ready to fill them. I was told by the pharmacist that in my state, a written script is good for 6 months. I mentioned one of them was for a schedule II medication and he still said it was good for 6 months. So, I guess I will hang on to them for a couple weeks.
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IMSUSCOT1
Threadhead
Reged: 10/23/02
Posts: 892
Loc: usa
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My scripts are written in Texas with a 7 day filing limit..and the same applies here..but the pharmacist told me as long as you put it in the pharmacy file, they can hold on to the script & fill it when you need it...I'm sure it varies from place to place..I'd ask a pharmacist in your state what you should do...
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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An update on my situation -
My urologist ordered a VCUG and IVP to rule out any kidney problems, as I have had them in the past - both negative!!! I went back to my GP who gave me anti-inflamatories, and told me if that didn't work, she'd send me to physical therapy! Physical therapy!? What if it's a spleen thing, or colon problem. Will physical therapy even help with that?! I feel like they're blowing me off and basically telling me that I'm not in pain. The physical therapy sounds like something they're going to prescribe to shut me up. DOn't get me wrong - i've been in pain for 9 months and would be willing to try anything; I just don't think my GP has done enough to rule out more serious problems.
Still mad,
Melissa 
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-Melissa
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