Need new pain doc in Dallas/Ft. Worth!!!

[momw/ic]

I had my monthly appointment today with my pain doc who I have been seeing for over a year. I have never missed an appointment or asked for pain medicine earlier than my monthly appointments. Most months I have pills left over unless I have been in a flare. Last fall he increase my dosages and pills because I was in a constant state of flare up but since my interstim in March I have been able to drop down to lower dosages than he originally started me on over a year ago. Well, I have been in a bad flare up for about 2 weeks now so when I went today I was in tears with the pain. As he was writing my scripts (I take methadone and lortab) he said he was increasing the dosage again to get me through this and that he just didn't think he could see me anymore because this would be the most meds he could give me. He told me to start looking for a new doc that knows more about IC because of the amount and dosage of meds I am taking now. I was floored because until today's appointment he has not increased me meds since last fall and not only that but he has been able to decrease them each time because I have pills left over. I can't believe that after a year and such a model patient he is just giving up! I challenged him with that since the interstim I have done great on the low level of meds until the last 2 weeks and that hopefully this would get me over the hump while we are reprogramming the interstim and I would go back to the way it used to be. He told me that this disease doesn't go away and he just can't commit to the amount meds I will continue to need over time. He also said that 75% of his pain management buddies are no longer taking IC patients. So, I get home and start looking on websites and I am seeing that even urologists and pain docs are putting on their websites that they are not taking IC patients anymore! This is a travesty! There should be laws against counting out a group of people just because they won't be getting well soon. That is like saying we should stop treating cancer patients because they are going to die anyway. This is horrible. So, anyway, I am in need of a pain management doc in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area who is not afraid to prescribe pain meds for IC. Anyone who uses one in this area I would appreciate it if you could pass the name along. I just can't understand that after a year together and a really good relationship and me having been the model patient (except for not getting well) and suddenly one day he would drop me. I feel like I have been betrayed in a way. This guy treats people with chronic back pain and I am thinking - does he drop them after a while as well? I bet not!

Anyway, thanks in advance for anyone who has a name to pass along to me!

[med_head_09]

do you have a urologist in the area that could possibly direct you somewhere. i know that my doc has a pain specialist that he refers his IC patients to that is well versed in IC patients, well, i would assume he is because my doc has so many.

anyhoo, my uro is dr. england, whom i found on the website, and i think he is terrific. hope you find help. that really sucks for you.

J

[momw/ic]

Thanks! I saw Dr. England for about a year and it was just too far for me to drive because I was working at the time. Now that I am not working I have thought about going back but I am really happy with my uro/gyn in Dallas. My uro a year ago referred me to the pain doc and then my uro dropped me because I could not pay for my botox in full in advance and since my insurance would not cover he required that. I will ask my uro/gyn who he recommends.