Im afraid they will deny me

[Bromwynn]

I called my family doctor today for a refill for percocet he prescribed in november when my gall bladder decided to shut down and ive only used them as the last resort when my lortab from my IC dr doesnt help or even touch the pain. Ive just gotten over a hellious horrible flare from heck and been free a week /someone knock on wood but im getting signals of flareish pain now that my period is incoming. i only wanted to be prepared and im freaked that I sound like some druggie. my family doc knows that im afraid of addiction, my brother is addicted to percocet and seems to get them any time he wants....what the !!!! i couldnt even get to his nurse she was on lunch so the receptionist took my call. i didnt call my IC doctor because his nurse treats me like im a druggie and never tells the dr i called in the first place. :tsk:

i feel like i did something wrong now, i havent heard a thing from my family doc and now im scared i did do something wrong. this doc who i adore has always been awesome to me and my family and has been really understanding so i felt like i could turn to him..
im so scared now. the last flare was the longest scariest ive had yet and with 3 kids i cant be down. I am planning on having another hydro the later part of april or early may depending on insurance ....yay another worry.

what should I do now?? I dont take my pain meds every day and most times when i do take them be it lortab or percocet 7.5 mgs i break them in half to start with. i feel like that gal am i addicted no i dont think so do i need them to deal with life yes i do . and i wont take any pain meds until my hubby comes home and he can watch my kids so i can sleep and heal. i hate this. that we have to beg just to maintain some kind of normalcy.


bromwynn

[Claredale]

Bromwynn, There is a huge difference between taking meds for pain and being addicted. I have never been "high or in my case never even felt like Lortab interfered with my ability to function normally. That is exactly why I have stuck to Lortab all this time. I have tried several of the other short acting pain meds and 1 longer acting one. I couldn't handle the side effects. Please remember we are all different in what works and what does not.

When all this started for me, I started a journal at my doctor's suggestion. My previous doctor would always have us complete "survey" on how we were doing. She told me to keep up with things that were different, my pain level during different times of the day, my sleep amount, etc. I now take an abbreviated version to my appts with my uro/gyno so I can tell him if anything was different that may have effected my IC.If you need to know the pain scale, you can type in pain scale in the search field and it will kind of give you a reference to use to talk to your doctor about. I would have an open conversation with my doctor and taking someone else with you can give you the support you need. I have only had 1 nurse, and she is with my current doctor to ever make me feel "like a drug seeker". But I considered the fact that she was young and didn't have the first inkling of what I was going through. I was going to complain about her to my doctor, but I figured decided that I need her to be more of an advocate than her thinking I was trying to get her in trouble. She seems to be finally coming around. I have 3 fellow ICers that go to my doctor too. We are all tying are best to make the girl smile. It really has become a game for us now!

I have never been shy about asking for pain meds. I guess because I keep such detailed records every day Plus I have been very fortunate to have doctors that understand IC (uro knew the basics, and then we learned alot together). Then when my IC progressed into the severe level, I was referred to a pelvic pain specialist. Dr. Doggweiler was always very understanding about my pain. She is the one that suggested that I keep a journal. I also found that when I was in extreme pain or having a marathon flare, the amount and how many times I emptied my bladder and if I had spasms, pain increase or second and third voids needed and. I would get out my journal and read my entries of the days that I felt better and it reminded me that this will pass. I always write something possitive that happened each day for my own sanity.

My best advice is to print off information on this site about treating all the symptoms of IC, including pain mgmt. Also if you can get pain meds, but Dr. Ragi and my current doctor, Dr. Ling have both told me to take a pain pill when I could feel the pain building up, so the medicine whould better and faster. There were times that I would wait until I was in the top end of pain and it would take forever to get out of the cycle of pain.

The way I think of it for as long as I needed pain meds, that it is a medicine that allows me to continue functioning and live a normal life as I can. Just like people with diabetes takes Insulin, Lortab is a med to treat our symptom of pain. Dr. Ragi said even after my implant that I would probably be on pain meds the rest of my life. We were just working on trying be able to decrease my need for them. Prior to my implant, I was taking 1 every 4 hours and that last hour, I was counting the minutes until I could take another one. Plus I had B&O supp to help me with my pain at night.

I am so thankful that I have been able to decrease my dosage even more since my implant with the help of some meds that I hadn't used in years. I am down to 1 1/2 to 2 a day. I don't need them during the day most of the time. The only time I do is if I have done something to trigger my IC or just pushed myself too hard, which that and stress are my main triggers.

Well my doggies just came back in, so I am going back to bed. My Mollie is still used to be being up all night, so she expects me to continue with letting her out.

Please keep us posted!
Tracey

[Bromwynn]

Thanks Tracey ! I did call them again this morning and had to go in to get them but i was happy to do so. I call to schedule my hydro tomorrow and im a bit nervous over it,mainly the peeing right after, the last time it was like peeing lava!! lol sorry if that was tmi.
/hugs to all
bromwynn

[mlzippy7]

That is good news that you were able to get them this morning. I hope your hydro goes well. I know what you mean about peeing after. I hope they give you something like pyridium or something that helps you to ease the pain of peeing after.
Good Luck


Thanks Tracey ! I did call them again this morning and had to go in to get them but i was happy to do so. I call to schedule my hydro tomorrow and im a bit nervous over it,mainly the peeing right after, the last time it was like peeing lava!! lol sorry if that was tmi.
/hugs to all
bromwynn

[crkshnks79]

I called my family doctor today for a refill for percocet he prescribed in november when my gall bladder decided to shut down and ive only used them as the last resort when my lortab from my IC dr doesnt help or even touch the pain. Ive just gotten over a hellious horrible flare from heck and been free a week /someone knock on wood but im getting signals of flareish pain now that my period is incoming. i only wanted to be prepared and im freaked that I sound like some druggie. my family doc knows that im afraid of addiction, my brother is addicted to percocet and seems to get them any time he wants....what the !!!! i couldnt even get to his nurse she was on lunch so the receptionist took my call. i didnt call my IC doctor because his nurse treats me like im a druggie and never tells the dr i called in the first place. :tsk:

i feel like i did something wrong now, i havent heard a thing from my family doc and now im scared i did do something wrong. this doc who i adore has always been awesome to me and my family and has been really understanding so i felt like i could turn to him..
im so scared now. the last flare was the longest scariest ive had yet and with 3 kids i cant be down. I am planning on having another hydro the later part of april or early may depending on insurance ....yay another worry.

what should I do now?? I dont take my pain meds every day and most times when i do take them be it lortab or percocet 7.5 mgs i break them in half to start with. i feel like that gal am i addicted no i dont think so do i need them to deal with life yes i do . and i wont take any pain meds until my hubby comes home and he can watch my kids so i can sleep and heal. i hate this. that we have to beg just to maintain some kind of normalcy.


bromwynn

WOW ! You and i are one in the same ! Right down to having 3 children and beaking our meds in half and not taking them unitl our husbands get home !!!! I dont have much advice for you unfortunetly , just a sympathetic ear !! I have the smae problem , Im so afraid to not have pain meds in case of severe pain but Im also so afraid of asking because I dont want the docs to think Im a druggie either ... It a viscious cycle and ridicualous to boot that we are made to feel paranoid and selfconscious about asking for help when we truly need it !!! I hope you can get what you need ! My only suggestion is to go to the IC docs Office and bypass the receptionist and ask to speak to the doctor directly and also tell him that she doesnt relay your calls to him and something should be done about it . As far as your family doc try to calm down a bit, Take a deep breath in your nose and exhale out of your mouth . I doubt if he has been supportive all this time that he would just turn on you. How long has it been since you called his office ?

[Bromwynn]

I did end up getting the meds from my gp doc and I called my IC doc and had a long talk with the office manager and head nurse. I had my hydrodistention last tuesday and I still cant tell much difference but then Im still still sore. I go in next monday for the follow up.

I cant tell you and everyone who responded how much it helped knowing I wasnt alone. my mom and siblings didnt even call or ask if they could help out with the kids or house while I was down last week. I live right smack dab in the middle of all of them not any of them 5 mins away. I am so profoundly grateful my husband and friends love me like family. I am so grateful that I found this spot too because Im not alone even I cant talk about it at home.

my biggest hugs to all :pray:
brom

[crkshnks79]

I did end up getting the meds from my gp doc and I called my IC doc and had a long talk with the office manager and head nurse. I had my hydrodistention last tuesday and I still cant tell much difference but then Im still still sore. I go in next monday for the follow up.

I cant tell you and everyone who responded how much it helped knowing I wasnt alone. my mom and siblings didnt even call or ask if they could help out with the kids or house while I was down last week. I live right smack dab in the middle of all of them not any of them 5 mins away. I am so profoundly grateful my husband and friends love me like family. I am so grateful that I found this spot too because Im not alone even I cant talk about it at home.

my biggest hugs to all :pray:
brom

Im so happy you recieved help !!! I hope that you start feeling better now !!! And good for you standing up for urself , I hope they are reprimanded for not doing their jobs !!!
Ive never had the hydrodistention ... Honestly I think Id be afraid of it because when my doc did the in office cysto w what I assume was water to test for the IC , I felt like I wanted to die afterwards !! I was in so much pain I collasped outside the building from it and just layed there and cried ( while people just looked at me !) so I dont know how much that particular treatment helps people ? I rely on my fiancee , friends , and sadly my 12 yr old daughter to help me when things get really bad . My mom is physically incapable of helping me w the kids and while my dad is all about going to my doc appts w me as an advocate for me , he doesnt help me when it comes down too watching the kids when I cant get out of bed . SO I understand your frustration on that one as well . Anytime you need or want to talk IM here to listen !! Im new at this site and w my dx but Ill be a good listener to anyone who needs one . Take care !!