My WebMD Sign In

Please enter email address

Enter your password

Keep me signed in on this computer

Show more Information

If you select "Keep me signed in on this computer", every time you visit WebMD.com you won't have to type your email address and password. This means that a cookie will stay on your computer even when you exit or close your browser which may reduce your levels of privacy and security. You should never select this option if you're using a publicly accessible computer, or if you're sharing a computer with others. Even if you select this option there are some features of our site that still require you to log in for privacy reasons.

Forget your password? Having trouble signing in?

Why should I
sign up for WebMD?

With a WebMD Account you can:

Track your way to weight loss success
Manage your family's vaccinations
Join the conversation

See more benefits Sign Up

Why WebMD?

My WebMD

Show Menu

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

WebMD Home

Pain Management Community

Sad and Scared (Part Two)

As I wrote before, I was prescribed 3 Oxycontins a day. I agrred to and signed a Controlled...

Posted by gcola1

As I wrote before, I was prescribed 3 Oxycontins a day. I agrred to and signed a Controlled Substance Agreement with the Pain Management Clinic when I started going there. For those of you who don't know, it's basically an agreement between the clinic and you, that you will follow to the letter, all of the instructions that are given you by your Doctor. I had no problems with this, none at all. Ah, but here is the rub...I was doing so well with the meds, that I found that I only needed to take 2 of the 3 prescribed Oxycontins a day. That was when my wife, who one day, was suffering from a Migraine asked if she could try one of my "extra" Oxys. Shrugging my shoulders and thinking it not a big deal, and wanting to be of aid to my wife, I said "Sure, but they are really strong and I might get in trouble." Well, she took and discovered the medicinal (and euphoric) effects of the drug. And then she continued to take, and take, and take. Well, no big deal, I guess, I was still able to show up at the clinic and show that I was on track with my meds. Until she started started to feel some Carpal Tunnel in her hand. I know she does, and I know that it can be almost as disabling as my back condition. She likes to rubber stamp greeting cards as a hobby, and was complaining that she couldn't anymore because of the pain. I guess you all know what it coming next...Yup, "Can I try one of your Norco's" Wanting her to be happy and continue her hobby, I relented. She took one maybe once every couple of weeks, and then spiraled into once every two days. Needless to say, I was starting to show up short on my med count at my Pain Clinic visits. It wasn't a big deal the first time, my doc suggested I get a pill minder to keep me on track. I didn't think I needed to. So, by this time, my wife is getting addicted to my meds, I'm starting to go through withdrawal symptoms when I end up short. (which is UTTER HELL and would not wish it on my worst enemy.) My doc is getting more and more stern when I come up short and I couldn't blame her. I finally pleaded with my wife to go to her doctor and get her pain checked out. After whining that "they wont do anything for me" for awhile, she finally went, and her doc prescribed her 30 Norcos a month. Ahhhhh, there will be peace in the valley again....so I thought. I kept to my med schedule and everything was good again, until my wife started taking 2 or 3 of her meds instead of the 1 a day which was prescribed. By the tenth day through her prescription, she was (yep you guessed it) raiding mine. Eventually her doc upped her prescription to 60 Norcos a day which of course meant that she could take 4 or 5 day of her own before she raided mine again.
Alright, anyone would have to be pretty darn thick to not see where this is going. At my last appointment, two months ago, I cancelled my normal appointment, and purposely made another one for a later date that would show that I wasn't necessarily short on my meds, just that I ran out on the normal date, but my God, did I go through withdrawal! Here I am, facing the same thing, only I have to show up with no meds because my doc is off the rest of the week. Question...Do I tell my doc the truth, or I am thinking of saying I forgot to bring them, which I've done before and gotten into trouble for. I wabt to tell the truth, Lord, I do, I hate to lie, but what will my doc say when she knows that my wife has a problem with her meds, and I'm too nice to say no to her! By the way, it doesn't help that every time I go through the withdrawal, she tells me that I can't handle my meds! : PView Thread

Posted bygcola1

8 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Sad and Scared (Part Two) As I wrote before, I was prescribed 3 Oxycontins a day. I agrred to and signed a Controlled...

Sad and Scared

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to tell my story with a Pain Management Clinic I am with. First...

Posted by gcola1

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to tell my story with a Pain Management Clinic I am with. First off, a bit of history if you will allow me to bore you a bit. : P
In 2000, I needed to have my right Kidney removed (Nephrectomy) as it was horribly infected due to Kidney stones. The surgery seemed to go normally, and after 5 days of recovering in the hospital, I got my discharge and needed to return a week later to get the Frankenstein-like staples on the large incision removed. Did that, everything seemed great, a little pain that seemed to fade as time went on. Was feeling pretty good for about a month, even managed to quit smoking! : ) Well, as time went on, I began to develop a strange bulge at the area of the incision. Went back to my Surgeon and had him examine it, he said it was normal, just weakened muscles bulging. He suggested I wear a truss around my waste to push the muscles back in and let the tissue heal over it. Did that for a couple weeks, but the bulge returned, and with it, a feeling of fullness, kind of a discomfort. Then the pain started, an increasing ache that soon traveled to my lower and upper back. Soon it got to the point where I was walking like Groucho Marx! LOL I started seeing my General Internist who didn't really make much of it, although he did order an MRI to make sure whatever it was wasn't cancerous, Thank the Lord it wasn't! Untimately, he referred me to a place that he said would (something to the effect of) "Either sever the nerve or help you work with the pain." NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS MORTIFIED at the thought of having a nerve severed! So I dealt with the pain as it got worse and worse, making it hard to enjoy doing things that involved physical activity. Eventually I thought "I've got to do something about this" so I gave in and went to this nefarious place that my GI recommended. Well, I found that it was a pain clinic that helped people manage their pain. They laughed when I told them about the severing the nerve comment and said, No, we aren't quite THAT drastic! First thing the doc did was order a new MRI focusing on my area of pain. Turned out that I have 4 bulging lumbar discs and what appears to be the start of arthritis in my spine. Though this floored me (Arghh, I'm only 45! How can I have this!) I was happy I finally got some answers. I was then turned over to a Nurse Practioner that I saw every month to check my progress. She prescribed some meds (Oxycontin 40mg 3 times a day and 4-5 Norco 10-325mg a day plus Physical Therapy. This made all the difference in the world! I was finally able to garden, run and do all the things that I used to do!! Wonderful! However, this success story has a sad part, and a stern caution from me...and some advice from any of you who may have gone through this second part...

Stay Tuned for part two...View Thread

Posted bygcola1

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Sad and Scared Hi Everyone, Just wanted to tell my story with a Pain Management Clinic I am with. First...

See Related Pain Management Communities

See All Communities

Women's Health Newsletter

Find out what women really need.

Other Pain Management Information

The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, reviews, ratings, or blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. These opinions do not represent the opinions of WebMD. User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance, objectivity, or any other reason except for compliance with our Terms and Conditions. Some of these opinions may contain information about treatments or uses of drug products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

Do not consider WebMD User-generated content as medical advice. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your care plan or treatment. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.