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pain management support group

For all of the chronic pain sufferers out there, whether it be from ... more

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Shingles Nerve Damage Discussion, Pain Management ...

46yr old here that HAD The Shingles 1 yr ago!...Does anyone else have severe pain in the area that they had...

Posted by DonOfTheDed

Take the Poll

How did you get the Shingles, do you have nerve damage from it and what Meds do you take now?

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Shingles Nerve Damage Discussion, Pain Management and Meds 46yr old here that HAD The Shingles 1 yr ago!...Does anyone else have severe pain in the area that they had...

Pain in my Bones

I have had pain that radiates through all my bones, as in ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, spine and sternum. It...

Posted by srbj79

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Pain in my Bones I have had pain that radiates through all my bones, as in ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, spine and sternum. It...

Severe Pain After Colonoscopy

I had a colonoscopy in Jan, 2012. Doctor said everything was "fine". I went home and immediately began to...

Posted by Mpathia

I had a colonoscopy in Jan, 2012. Doctor said everything was "fine". I went home and immediately began to "collaspe". Severe pain in my entire pelvic girdle. Hasn't stopped. My GI was useless. He took out a Bible and started reading Sciptures. I have been alone with medical care now. I already have a "Church"; I wanted help from the pain. No answers.I am living in a "nightmare". Been to ER's, hospitals, etc. Nothing. MRI shiwed "nothing" according to the neurologist I saw. He couldn't wait to get me out the door.

I am so desperate for help. I had to go on Internet. Closest match was Interstitial Cystitis. Six months later, no better. Dr. was worth nothing. Never returned calls or listened. Unfortunately, almost every gyno/urologist is in the same practice as she is.

I am so tired of just "existing". I looked forward to summer, but now I can't do anything, so it means nothing anymore. No garden, no beach. Nothing. I've been deserted by some family members, and all friends. The Dr. wanted ME to find "Pain Management Doctors" for her. I don't know... SHE'S the doctor, not me. I've gave up on her after about 3 months. I am devastated by the "lack" of care in RI. I missed my own son's wedding. I begged her and went to hospital ER twice. "Go see your doctor" was the answer. I am in so much pain, I want to die. It's relentless. It could be Interstitial Cystitis or not... I am so depressed. Beyond depressed... I found one doctor, but the appt. is in Sept. I can't walk now. My pelvis and adductor muscles (between your legs) hurt constantly. I barely sleep. The pain wakes me constantly.15 mins-1 hour is it. I went to another dr. I told them on phone what I needed. Do I have IC or not? Only real answers were from the ICA. I found out that there is NO specific test. She hurt me just probing manually. Hunner's lesions are the ONLY difinitive diagnosis, but they only appear in 10% of people with IC. So, probing me more is useless. I feel very strongly that this is no cooincidence that this began immediately after colonoscopy. The pain is beyond words. Mix that with Fibromyalgia... I am useless. My Primary Care Physcian is awful and accused me of being "an addict". I cried right then and there New "policy" he says. I may as well just die. There isn't one doctor in RI who has empathy or sympathy. Thanks to all the deaths from celebrities (RIP), stronger sanctions are being taken. I never even got "high" in my entire life. I am lost. Six months after the procedure, and nothing is better. I take probiotics and Miralax. I either use too little or too much. I am religious, which has no bearing ohn this, but I pray constanly for God to show me the "way". I cannot live my life like this. I'm 57. I had planned to take my grandson places, and do things. Now, I can't even see him. I am bedridden and don't want him to see me like this. Both my children neither bother with me or my husband. It is hard to stand, sit, etc. Icouldn't "walk the line" foot over foot w/ Neurologist. I could before, now I can't balance. So many people try so hard just to make it through another day due to illness. But, most doctors don't care. I've yet to meet one that does.I don't know what to do, anymore. I'm here, but not "living". Medical bills are through the roof. I lost everything I ever treasured; which was my family. I see a psychiatrist to help cope with pain. There is no doctor in RI that is actually "Pain Management" Most call themselves that, but all I have found and called just do cortisone shots. Not being able to walk is killing me. Cnstant pain is just as bad. I cannot hold on much longer. My husband's getting "care-giver" burnout & yells at me constantly. My life is over. Insurance requires I go to only places in RI. I don't know what else to say.. Please pray for me... God Bless you all.View Thread

Posted by Mpathia

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Severe Pain After Colonoscopy I had a colonoscopy in Jan, 2012. Doctor said everything was "fine". I went home and immediately began to...

Is this all in my head?

My doctor sent me to a neurosurgen who sent me to see a physical therapist who told me that the CRPS diagnosis...

Posted by SamyLila

8 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Is this all in my head? My doctor sent me to a neurosurgen who sent me to see a physical therapist who told me that the CRPS diagnosis...

My Story :) Be Kind Rewind

This is my first and only support group for Crps/RSD. I decided it was time, and decided to choose one, and...

Posted by Brandy1998

This is my first and only support group for Crps/RSD. I decided it was time, and decided to choose one, and webMD seemed like the place to go so here i am. Im Brandy, Im 31 years old from Texas. I was recently diagnosed with RSD. When i was younger, 12 or so, i had a tumor removed from my left ankle. All i really remember was that it was big, and there were alot of staples that came out of my foot lol. A few years later another tumor was removed from the same area. When removing this Tumor a nerve was completely severed. I had normal healing problems from these surgerys, intermittent pain, swelling at times. But after a few years it all went away and life finally returned to normal. The sentence, " I cant because my foot hurts" finally left my vocabulary. Now dont get me wrong life wasnt white picket fences from here one out, haha. I had my tonsils and adnoids removed, then a surgery to fix what had gone wrong there, ( get your pencils out, that makes four surgeries so far) Then later on my gall bladder removed. I had a DNC (sp?) after a Blighted Ovum pregnancy. I also had a cesarian for the birth of my son with a horrid epidural experience ( but when is there really a great epidural experience lol) After the horrible bedside manner of my gallbladder DR, who told me i was fat and thats why my gallbladder had diseased, i began my journey of weight loss. No surgery, No magic little pill, Hard work, lots of chicken, and pure agony.haha. i started out about 300 pounds and i sit in front of you today at 160. So before you think evil thoughts of podunk, mean DR from podunkville who told me i was fat, he changed my life. sometimes a little honestly from a perfect stranger with starched jeans a DR's coat and a knife works out for you. moving on....i noticed a lump on my extremly scarred left ankle.. i went to my PCP, with my history he says its probably another tumor..leave it be..if it hurts or grows we'll go on from there, so i do...and of course it grows...and hurts...so google here we come...my podiatrist is long since outta practice so google is my best shot. I find a wonderful DR who sees me promptly and we start the process of figuring out what this lump is in my troublesome left foot. MRI later, he tells me i have developed a neuroma from the severed nerve ALL these years later. he was pretty stumped because normally they form shortly after the nerve is severed not 15 years later, but this surprises me non, becuase well...see above...lol its my luck..he tries other methods to calm, shrink, whatever he can to make this little sucker happy and leave me alone and to no avail..we have to remove it. By this point i love this DR. I trust him, he tried non surgical procedures, and he listens to me make light of everything and laughs..hes a cool dude. So moving on...he removes the nueroma..surgery a success..he even shows it to me after surgery...says it was pretty darn big, he tucks my remaining nerve into my muscle ( which is what shouldve been done when the nerve was orignally severed in the first place) and life moves on. I am completed stubborn about the whole healing process, because after all this isnt my first rodeo, i got this..i know how to heal from foot surgery...boyyyy was i wrong. I know how to heal from foot surgery, i do not, however, know how to heal from NERVE surgery. so here come the excuses...well i just had surgery...thats why it hurts so bad...then the nerve begins to fire constantly, causing no sleep whatsoever...another excuse, i cant tolerate the pain..becuase im not sleeping...finally the pain becomes to much...im not sleeping..im forgetting things..leaving car doors open...making a sandwhich with no meat...slurring my words..im a mess..no sleep is serious business i guess..so i make an appointment with my foot dr. he gives me an early DX of crps/rsd. im upset..but hold onto hope that he jumped the gun...i get referred to a pain managment dr and within five minutes he confirms the DX. to be cont...View Thread

Posted by Brandy1998

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:My Story :) Be Kind Rewind This is my first and only support group for Crps/RSD. I decided it was time, and decided to choose one, and...

Chest pain when waking up

Hello, I am 18 years old. About 7 months ago I was in a traumatic car accident when I was diagnosed with...

Posted by havoc1482

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Chest pain when waking up Hello, I am 18 years old. About 7 months ago I was in a traumatic car accident when I was diagnosed with...

Can't walk help!!

I'm a 24 year old female who has had minor issues with pain on and off for the last 5 years but nothing...

Posted by MissCarrieA7X

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Can't walk help!! I'm a 24 year old female who has had minor issues with pain on and off for the last 5 years but nothing...

jaws86-newcomer

Hi, I am a 47 male "forced" retired disabled nurse having a whole lot of pain med management difficulties. In...

Posted by jaws86

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:jaws86-newcomer Hi, I am a 47 male "forced" retired disabled nurse having a whole lot of pain med management difficulties. In...

How much pain are we supposed to consider manageab...

I have had fibro since 1998, I also have degenerative disc disease in my back and neck, GERD so that I must...

Posted by An_245624

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:How much pain are we supposed to consider manageable? I have had fibro since 1998, I also have degenerative disc disease in my back and neck, GERD so that I must...

Not being taken seriously.

Hi, I just signed up to maybe get some advice as to getting my doctor to take me seriously. About a year and...

Posted by crzyb77

Hi, I just signed up to maybe get some advice as to getting my doctor to take me seriously.

About a year and half ago I started getting sharp stabbing pain in my right shoulder joint ( don't remember an injury however I was moving at that time). It would come and go and didn't last for very long so I didn't seek out any care for it as I thought it was nothing more than aging and being hard on my body. Over time however the pain has traveled down my arm and into my hands. The beginning of this year though while at work my right arm went numb and I started to get severe weakness to the point of dropping a tray of food at the restaurant that I worked. Even now somedays I can't even pour myself a cup of coffee with my right arm, it hurts and just doesn't work, no strength or grip.

At that point I went to the ER and was told I would need to see a neurologist, which I couldn't due to no insurance. I lost my job as I was considered a liability (no one wants a waitress that has intermittent numbness and weakness and pain to potentially drop hot food on the customers).

Now because of no income I've been granted state health insurance, but it seems the assigned doctors office (never been able to actually see the doctor, they give me to the nurse practitioners) act like they don't really believe that I'm having any problems. I was prescribed vicodin and prednisone at first and no tests. A week of taking those medications I went to the ER with bad side effects, not sure which medication caused it, but I had bumps on my tongue my neck had swelled visibly from the outside and it was hard to swallow and hard to breathe. ER doctor said it was normal and to continue the medications.

I did not continue the medications, and instead started myself on a course of benadryl (I've seen allergic reactions before and my sister whom is a RN said not to take them if that was the reactions). So I followed up with the PCP office. The NP that I saw that time started in on not getting anymore pain medications and then started grilling me about going to the ER for more pain medications. It took me some time and showing her that I still had a full bottle of pain meds before she even wanted to know why I was following up. At that point I was told it is just muscle spasms and a possible strain and prescribed flexerall and ibuprofen 800. NP did say she wanted me to get an ultra sound and after 2 weeks the referral has not come through. None of the medications have provided any relief at all and I won't take the prednisone or vicodin because of the reaction I had while taking them.

Now I'm starting to get that same sharp stabbing pain in my right hip. I'm afraid however of going back to the doctors office to seek help. I don't want to take medications if they cause bad reactions, and I was begging the NP to help me find out what is wrong and how to fix it. Her response was I may never find out.

So how do I get the doctors and/or nurse practitioners to take me seriously and get tests ordered, instead of just throwing pills at me then treating me like thats all I want? Am I just doomed to deal with this for the rest of my life?

I'm just frustrated that I'm not able to do the things I would like to do because of the arm feeling weak, fatigued and in pain. I can't play ball with my 12 yo son, and it is started affecting my marriage. I just want to get better and would love a good nights sleep.View Thread

Posted by crzyb77

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Not being taken seriously. Hi, I just signed up to maybe get some advice as to getting my doctor to take me seriously. About a year and...

Liveea?

Hi, are you doing alright? Just wondering how things are going w/ your prolotherapy treatments?

Posted by bren_bren

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Liveea? Hi, are you doing alright? Just wondering how things are going w/ your prolotherapy treatments?

I have rsd/crps both terms are used 7.5 yrs now

hi, usually I just read at sites ,sometimes I see new tx's or meds, I was an rn for 18yrs when this...

Posted by babyred1975

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:I have rsd/crps both terms are used 7.5 yrs now hi, usually I just read at sites ,sometimes I see new tx's or meds, I was an rn for 18yrs when this...

I fell threw a steel catwalk 16 1/2 years ago..

When I feel threw the steel cat walk @ work 16 1/2 years ago. I ripped my nerves loose from my spinal cord...

Posted by Sabrena71

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:I fell threw a steel catwalk 16 1/2 years ago.. When I feel threw the steel cat walk @ work 16 1/2 years ago. I ripped my nerves loose from my spinal cord...

missing parts

Can anybody tell me a good way to get rid of or at least lessen "Phantom limb pain." I need to have some...

Posted by preacher42

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:missing parts Can anybody tell me a good way to get rid of or at least lessen "Phantom limb pain." I need to have some...

hey everyone i have a question

I just accidentally cracked my toe against a door and trimmed it to the best of my ability and i noticed that...

Posted by Gmanson

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:hey everyone i have a question I just accidentally cracked my toe against a door and trimmed it to the best of my ability and i noticed that...

Anyone have similar symptoms?

Hello, I am from AZ. I just wanted to know anyone that might have any of the same pains that i have: Chest...

Posted by Anon_232795

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Anyone have similar symptoms? Hello, I am from AZ. I just wanted to know anyone that might have any of the same pains that i have: Chest...

Calling on Charles

Hi Charles and everyone else. I haven't written in ages and was the one who created this forum. Still...

Posted by bren_bren

12 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Calling on Charles Hi Charles and everyone else. I haven't written in ages and was the one who created this forum. Still...

Neuropathy pain

Hi, my name is Nancy and new here. I have been suffering with neuropathy for two years, I have been taking...

Posted by nancylupy

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Neuropathy pain Hi, my name is Nancy and new here. I have been suffering with neuropathy for two years, I have been taking...

New here..

Just today I decided to turn to the internet for answers, help, support.something. During my pregnancies I...

Posted by destin2beme

Just today I decided to turn to the internet for answers, help, support.something. During my pregnancies I came online and joined a message board- and loved it. I never thought about doing it for this journey, until now.
It will be three years in June since I made my first trip to my doctor for pain. It started in my left shoulder. The doctor put his ear to my shoulder and told me to move it. He said he heard sounds associated with arthritis and gave me a rx for tramadol 50 mg. I remember having pain in this shoulder off and on since I was a teenager. For a little while the tramadol seemed to work and I went on with my life. When my rx ran out- I would try to see if I can go without it, but always I had to give in and return back for another refill. A year later the tramadol was no longer working so I asked my doctor for something else. He included a rx for Lodine. Another year goes by and my pain was no longer just in my arm. Last year I would say the pain was tolerable for the most part- this year it is not. My main frustration is knowing that when I go to my doctor tomorrow, I fear he will not listen. I am a diabetic and for the most part- he will focus on that and nothing else. a few weeks ago I walked into the clinic because my tramadol refill had not been answered when my pharmacy faxed a refill request to his office a week ago. The office was packed and by no means did I feel as if I was more important than the other patients.. but I did want to know why it had not been filled. When the ma saw that it was for pain- she said I would have to be seen. I admit- I was upset. I was seen just a month prior, my doctor had told me that I can just request refills- now I am being told I need to see the doctor. When I was told there was a two hour wait I asked her to just ask him. I knew there was a good chance he would not know me by name- I was right. She said again I had to be seen. As I was signing in- the doctor came out- he recognized me then and asked what the problem was. I told him. His answer to me- as he wrote the prescription was that this was not a life threatening need- that I could have tried to wait for a slower day or for him to get to the refill. I felt disheartened as I walked away- yet happy to have my rx in my hand. It may NOT be life threatening.. but it IS life altering and I thought he had been listening to me all these years. As a former Medical Assistant, I know how hard it is to screen patients who are truly in pain, to those who are just seeking pain medications. I am on non-narcotic pain medications- and most days they are not working, but I do not even try to get something stronger for this reason. My pain is mostly in my hips. But I also feel it in all my joints. My elbows, my fingers. I am in constant pain all the time lately. I quit my job at the end of last year. If I put in a full day of work- all i could do is come home and sleep until it was time to go back to work. I was in so much pain- and so tired. I was miserable. Yelling at my kids..If I have a good day- I will use it to shop, get things done. Usually the next day I have to spend it in bed. I try all the time to walk and move around- having read that people with arthritis (if that is what I have) find success with pain by moving. The last few weeks my pain has increased. I can't sleep, I cant stay in certain positions too long. I went on a anti-depressant several months ago, and it was working- but I am finding myself deppresed again. I have four kids- taking care of the younger two is getting harder. I am having to depend on my teenagers too much. I need to get my doctor to do something- but I don't know what. Anyones advice or critique would be appreciated.View Thread

Posted by destin2beme

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:New here.. Just today I decided to turn to the internet for answers, help, support.something. During my pregnancies I...

The War Over Prescription Painkillers

"There's no question that prescriptions for opioid painkillers like Oxycontin and Percocet have soared in...

Posted by cweinbl

"There's no question that prescriptions for opioid painkillers like Oxycontin and Percocet have soared in recent years. It's also clear that there are some rogue doctors and "pill mills" who unscrupulously hand out prescriptions, sometimes to patients who shouldn't get them, sometimes to drug addicts and drug dealers pretending to be pain patients. But it's also far from certain that the painkiller abuse and overdoses are as dire as the government is making it out to be. And to the extent that there is a problem, it's due more to a decade of aggressive policing, obstinate federal law enforcement agencies, and the encroachment of law enforcement into the practice of medicine than lax government oversight. The DEA in particular has been scaring reputable doctors away from pain management since the late 1990s. People who suffer from chronic pain simply can't find doctors willing to treat them over the long term. The unscrupulous doctors and pill mills in the headlines have sprung up to fill the void."
So begins a three-part series in the Huffington Post by Radly Balko (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/radley-balko/prescription-painkillers_b_1240722.html ). Balko states, "Despite the recent headlines about the rise in sales of prescription painkillers, chronic pain is still significantly under-treated in America . There are a number of reasons why. For one, there's no diagnostic test to diagnose pain, so doctors must rely on patient descriptions of what they're feeling. That can be tricky, because tolerance for pain varies widely from person to person. Culturally, pain has also long been viewed as something we encounter and endure as part of the human condition. In many religions, noble suffering is considered pious. Pain treatment is also a relatively new medical specialty; it didn't have its own medical society until the early 1980s.
But the biggest barrier to effective pain treatment continues to be bad public policy, much of it driven by the war on drugs. Opioids -- morphine, oxycodone, methadone, and other drugs derived from the opium plant (or synthetically structured to mimic it) -- are the most effective way to treat severe and chronic pain. Emerging (but still controversial) treatments like long-term, high-dose opioid therapy have shown particular promise with chronic pain. Just this month , an article in the journal Science described another promising new therapy, in which large doses of the drugs delivered over a short period of time, shortly after an injury, may help prevent chronic pain from developing at all.
But pain patients and their advocates say the bigger problem is that drug control has taken priority over ensuring access to effective treatment. ... what ought to be a research-driven debate among medical professionals has been corrupted by policies aimed at preventing addicts and drug pushers from obtaining painkillers, not what's in the best interest of pain patients. Police and prosecutors now dictate medical policy."
Do you live with chronic pain and face difficulty getting proper medical treatment? Email radley.balko@huffingtonpost.com and include a phone number if you're willing to be interviewed.
Between 75 million and 100 million Americans experience some kind of chronic pain. Many live with it because they fear using narcotics, even though narcotics would enhance the quality of their life. Others decry the social stigma that they perceive will be attached to them by using narcotics. Just one medication added 9 wonderful years to my career. Many others desire to use narcotics, but cannot find a physician willing to prescribe them. These are the true victims of "the war on prescription painkillers." Because the government attempts to punish drug abusers and "pill mill" physicians, millions of innocent Americans with chronic pain are going untreated or undertreated.
Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of this important article at The Huffington Post at the link provided above.
View Thread

Posted by cweinbl

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:The War Over Prescription Painkillers "There's no question that prescriptions for opioid painkillers like Oxycontin and Percocet have soared in...

Legs asleep, numbness

Hello, I have CRPS, Spinal Stenosis, L5 S1 herniated discs, Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was diagnosed with RSD...

Posted by djsgrandma

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Legs asleep, numbness Hello, I have CRPS, Spinal Stenosis, L5 S1 herniated discs, Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was diagnosed with RSD...

Pain managment Petition Please sign

I am a chronic pain sufferer.I am fed up with being treated as a criminal even when I follow the Dr's to a...

Posted by gypsyspiral

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Pain managment Petition Please sign I am a chronic pain sufferer.I am fed up with being treated as a criminal even when I follow the Dr's to a...

Is it really living with LPHS??

I have a very rare kidney disorder that causes constant pain in the left flank area. I have been...

Posted by LivingwithLPHS

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Is it really living with LPHS?? I have a very rare kidney disorder that causes constant pain in the left flank area. I have been...

multiple pain conditions

I have acute Chronic Migraines (over 40 years), Fibromyalgia (over 20 years), and IV CRPS in my right...

Posted by ellsworth52

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:multiple pain conditions I have acute Chronic Migraines (over 40 years), Fibromyalgia (over 20 years), and IV CRPS in my right...

Fell down a flight of stairs.Please help

I went on a trip to Orlando over Thanksgiving weekend,and the hotel we where at you can go out a door to see...

Posted by dawns61

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Fell down a flight of stairs.Please help I went on a trip to Orlando over Thanksgiving weekend,and the hotel we where at you can go out a door to see...

help me

have rsd/edema in my left hand i have gotten nerve block shots twice a week for two years they dont work...

Posted by rebecca547832

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:help me have rsd/edema in my left hand i have gotten nerve block shots twice a week for two years they dont work...

Pain in all parts of body

I am not sure how to define this, but I have been dealing with cronic pain for many years in all parts of my...

Posted by wbfroggie

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Pain in all parts of body I am not sure how to define this, but I have been dealing with cronic pain for many years in all parts of my...

Knee Pain

I have this recurring pain on my left knee. Very acute. It only happens when I kneel or place my knee on the...

Posted by An_242217

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Knee Pain I have this recurring pain on my left knee. Very acute. It only happens when I kneel or place my knee on the...

New State Law Leaves Patients in Pain

State officials say Washington's new pain-management law will help reverse a rising tide of overdose deaths....

Posted by cweinbl

State officials say Washington's new pain-management law will help reverse a rising tide of overdose deaths.
But the law does nothing to specifically address the risks of methadone — by far, the state's number-one killer among long-acting pain drugs.

What's more, hundreds if not thousands of patients have been denied life-enabling medications, cut off or turned away by doctors leery of the burdens and expense imposed by lawmakers, according to hospital representatives and consumer advocates.

At least 84 clinics and hospitals now refuse new pain patients, and some have booted existing patients, The Times found.
The growing legion of untreated pain patients has become so troublesome that some clinics, like one in Everett, post signs that ward off walk-ins: "We do not treat pain patients."
Across the nation, the annual death toll from prescription painkillers continues to escalate, more than tripling from 1999 to 2008, according to statistics that federal health officials released last month.

Confronted with this epidemic, health officials in other parts of the country have been eying Washington's groundbreaking law with special interest, says Dr. Lynn R. Webster, medical director of a Utah pain-research center and a national expert on preventing abuse of narcotic painkillers.

But Washington's approach, he says, is not a model worth emulating. He told The Times: "If other states follow suit, many patients could suffer needlessly."

Coupled with new rules passed by medical licensing boards, the law requires practitioners to document patient backgrounds and track behavior; conduct random urine screenings; and — most important of all — consult with a pain specialist if daily doses exceed the equivalent of 120 milligrams of morphine. Cancer and hospice patients are exempt, as are post-surgical patients and those with pain from sudden injury.

Washington has at least 1.5 million people who struggle with chronic or acute pain, the American Academy of Pain Management estimates. The state has thousands of practitioners with prescribing privileges. But as of last month, the state's sanctioned list of pain specialists numbered just 13.

The state's new rules, passed by licensing boards, give a nod to methadone. Yet, at least 2,173 people died in Washington by accidentally overdosing on methadone between 2003 and 2010, a Seattle Times analysis of death certificates shows. Among long-acting painkillers — a group that includes OxyContin, fentanyl and morphine — methadone accounts for less than 10 percent of the drugs prescribed but more than half the deaths. The drug has taken a particularly dramatic toll among the poor, who account for about half of the fatalities. To save money, the state steers Medicaid patients and recipients of workers' compensation to methadone, one of only two long-acting painkillers on the state's list of preferred drugs.

In summary, the State of Washington is restricting patient access from the safest and best array of drugs for chronic pain; moving them to instead to the cheaper methadone, which is the largest single drug contributing to accidental overdoses. The State has at least 1.5 million people who struggle with chronic or acute pain, but only 13 approved practitioners authorized for chronic pain management. Lost in this gigantic mess are those 1.5 million patients who will find it difficult, if not impossible to obtain their prescriptions. Forced to go without their medication or to use one that doesn't help them, these patients will increasingly turn to illegal drugs, theft, forging prescriptions or, sadly, suicide.

Who will help the 1.5 million chronic pain patients of Washington when their proven medications are no longer available and methadone fails to help? Who will help the families of methadone patients who accidentally overdose on it?

Read the entire article here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016994769_silent12.html View Thread

Posted by cweinbl

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