I this normal protocol today?

bathina · ‎03-14-2010

My 75 year old neighbor has been taking Vicodin for 5 years for severe arthritis in her ankles. She walks with a walker and is in pain, even after taking the Vicodin.

Long story short, she had her annual exam with her primary care doc and he told her he would no longer prescribe the Vicodin. He sent her to a pain clinic for an evaluation and they sent her home with an antidepressant. That was last week. She has been off the Vicodin now for 3 days and she is in agony. She called me this morning and asked if I would help her put a turkey in her oven for company she is having this afternoon.

I cannot believe the doctor would cut this woman off without a plan to manage her pain. She is clearly in withdrawal- heart racing, nausea, diarrhea. Coupled with the pain in her ankles and her inability to walk, I am very concerned.

I understand there is an opiate epidemic, but is the protocol now to remove that option for people who have been successfully taking an opiate for pain? Does anyone have experience with this?

dex · ‎03-09-2010

@bathina@It seems cruel to do that to an older person.They can’t recover and get back to good health the same way a younger person could potentially.I think she should go back to her doctor and tell him that she can’t function.I wonder if medical marijuana would help her pain.

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

@bathina: Same thing happened to DH. He has taken Hydrcodin for 10 years (dose has never changed). Earlier this year his Dr. was out of country for two weeks and he needed to renew prescription, so another Dr. In practice was assigned to him for duration. She cut his dose in half. He was in a great deal of constant pain until he got back on old dosage. When he went back to regular Dr. , my DH was in tears just telling his Dr. About it. The sub was the "drug compliance officer" for the practice! Why doesn't government go after the doctor shoppers or places that issue prescriptions in the thousands in areas where only hundreds live?

bathina · ‎03-14-2010

I think it is cruel too! But a part of me understands the reasoning for wanting people to explore other options. My neighbor is 100 lbs overweight and has mobility issues even WITH the pain med. Maybe the thinking is she will need to take more and more as time goes on because her body will be immune to the med? I don't know. I just felt awful when I saw her this morning. You would think they would slowly taper down the med so she wouldn't have to deal with hard withdrawal (which I'm convinced she's in).

bathina · ‎03-14-2010

@patbz wrote:
@bathina: Same thing happened to DH. He has taken Hydrcodin for 10 years (dose has never changed). Earlier this year his Dr. was out of country for two weeks and he needed to renew prescription, so another Dr. In practice was assigned to him for duration. She cut his dose in half. He was in a great deal of constant pain until he got back on old dosage. When he went back to regular Dr. , my DH was in tears just telling his Dr. About it. The sub was the "drug compliance officer" for the practice! Why doesn't government to after the doctor shoppers or places that issue prescriptions in the thousands in areas where only hundreds live?

She told me this happened with her regular primary care doc. Has had him for years. When it happened, she dropped him as a doctor and went to another. She wishes she had stayed with the original. At this new doctor, she says she is seeing a D.O. No idea what that means. And that D.O. said no more Vicodin. Pain clinic. I'll continue to check on her. I'm glad she's got company coming over. She needs to let others know this is happening.

Deanie · ‎03-09-2010

If I can recall the dates, maybe the 80s and 90s, the AMA was pushing the concept of pain management with a deliberate agenda of managing physical suffering. The plan at the time was to "get in front of" it and the way this was done was to prescribe pain meds and included in this were opoids. This went on for decades. WOW, all of a sudden there was an epidemic of people addicted to paid meds. Who would have "thunk it" Of course now the pendulum is swinging back hard, violently and fast. Caught up in this new agenda are those that are elderly, and, frankly, who cares if a 75 year old is addicted to pain meds at this point? Anyway, the scrutiny is now on the MDs writing scripts for it. A pain clinic is the best place to go at this point. But, cynic that I am, as always, follow the line of the money.

QueenDanceALot · ‎04-18-2013

My understanding is that opioids must be tapered off of, not just withdrawn "cold turkey".

I think that sounds like malpractice to just take a patient off VIcodin (or any other opioid), as well as being cruel.

henderson · ‎03-18-2010

My primary care dr. will not prescribe pain meds. I've been going to pain management for over 5 years and am on hydrocodone for my back. I always get a new prescription each month and have to visit pain mgmt every 3 months. I've tried steroid injections and I do not quality for an ablation. Your neighsbor (in my opinion) should have been given a prescription and if they deemed it necessary, weak her off to a lower dosage. She needs to go back to pain mgmt with someone who can be an advocate for her. Never should pain meds be stopped so quickly. No wonder she is in pain and withdrawal symtoms.

spent2much · ‎03-10-2010

Unfortunately, chronic pain patients are suffering terribly today because of the "opioid crisis." From what I've read, however, the majority of overdoses/deaths occur when people have mixed street drugs with opioids, or have bought opioids from unscrupulous dealers. Chronic pain patients have a DEPENDANCE on opioids to ease their pain. They are the ones suffering because of the actions of people who are misusing drugs... to get high, not to ease pain.

ETERNITY: your choice... smoking or non smoking!