Seeing my Dr today ... Quite Nervous

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bigblue92

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I'm not sure why I'm nervous about an appointment today with my PC Dr., but I am. Although I live in constant, daily pain due to my upper and lower back issues my PC Dr. has been the only one to offer any assistance in the form of medication. He has been prescribing me Vicoden and Valium for the past 5+ years which I take daily. Before refilling these scripts this month, he required that I have a blood test (which I did Sat), and see him this afternoon.

I am fully aware that these medications can damage other internal organs over time, and that he may be doing his due diligence to insure that they are not doing me harm. Of course, after taking these for so long, their effectiveness has also decreased quite a bit. I am concerned that either there will be issues indicated by the blood work which will have created new health concerns for me in addition to the possibility that I will no longer be able to even take these meRAB which at least provide "some" relief from this pain!

I had actually been meaning to schedule an appointment with him prior to all this to discuss the possibility of addressing trying either different or more powerful meRAB as these are certainly not managing my pain any longer. My additional reason for wanting to speak with him was to discuss the depression that living in this state of constant pain has caused and to see what or if he'd suggest.

I am very anxious about this. I really wish that I'd requested an appointment before he required it. I just have so much difficulty getting through each day, this was just another one of "those things" which I always seem to intend to get around to, but never do.

Does anyone have any advice on what I should ask, or how I should address these issues with him? I have long worried, considering everything I read about people becoming addicted to prescription pain meRAB, that someday he would question how much pain I am living in and decide that they were no longer warranted or necessary. My life sucks as it is, and I do not think I could manage to continue working or functioning at all without some sort of relief from all this pain!
 
Good mornin, bigblue. I can understand your concerns, all of them. But if you get along well with your pcp, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I doubt that he will just cut off your meRAB as he knows that would be very dangerous. Valium in particular is very addicting and you would need to wean off slowly so I think your dr. is being very judicious with the blood work. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't have concerns.

How long has it been since you've seen an orthopedic spine specialist or a neurosurgeon who specializes in the spine? If it has been more than a year, I believe you should make an appt as a new MRI is probably in order to see what, if any, changes there are. This is another thing your pcp might want to discuss with you.

Do tell him that the meRAB aren't working as well as they did, and just ask his advise about it. Most doctors take offense at patients who request a particular medication for pain, so be careful not to do that, okay? Otherwise, I think you should let him take the lead.

Living in constant, chronic pain, is very depressing, so be sure to tell him about that. It may be time for you to start taking an anti-depressant; some of them even help with the pain. BTW, can you describe where your pain is and what kind of pain it is?

I do hope that you will post after your appt. and let us know what the dr. says and how you are feeling.

Blessings,

Carol
 
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