Pain Management Help

[JayTrizzle]

Ok, so here goes. I'm sick and tired of having to try to buy blackmarket or trade for meds to keep my back and recently reconstructed knee from being in severe pain. I don't really know how to go to the doctor about it because I don't want to sound like i'm just fishing for pills. I really am in pain, and my orthopedic surgeon cut me off, i get no more percs andn o more hydros. Honestly, hydros worked the best for my pain, they really did, and the only reason I take so much morphine nowadays isn't just to get my rocks off but because it SLIGHTLY helps with my back, knee is still killing me. I don't know whats wrong with me, i don't have insurance, and I can't get it because of pre-existing conditions. Is there a certain type of doctor I should go to to talk about this? are there types of doctors who are more understanding when it comes to pain and pain relief, because all of the regular general practice doctors i've been too want to give me tramadol or tell me too bad so sad. I need help. What should I do?

[Skript]

Ok, so here goes. I'm sick and tired of having to try to buy blackmarket or trade for meds to keep my back and recently reconstructed knee from being in severe pain. I don't really know how to go to the doctor about it because I don't want to sound like i'm just fishing for pills. I really am in pain, and my orthopedic surgeon cut me off, i get no more percs andn o more hydros. Honestly, hydros worked the best for my pain, they really did, and the only reason I take so much morphine nowadays isn't just to get my rocks off but because it SLIGHTLY helps with my back, knee is still killing me. I don't know whats wrong with me, i don't have insurance, and I can't get it because of pre-existing conditions. Is there a certain type of doctor I should go to to talk about this? are there types of doctors who are more understanding when it comes to pain and pain relief, because all of the regular general practice doctors i've been too want to give me tramadol or tell me too bad so sad. I need help. What should I do?

I imagine youve tried pain management, but being cut off and no insruance kills that one off.. In my county theres a health care program anyone can get onto as long as there under a maximum income, although you can lie about it because they never check.
It doesent cover much but it covered occasional pain meds and xrays and refills were a buck.
If ya got good proof id look into that as an option.

[JayTrizzle]

What about online doctors, is that a good idea or should I avoid those, and if it is a good idea, which should i try?

[OCfenatiq]

What about online doctors, is that a good idea or should I avoid those, and if it is a good idea, which should i try?
Most legit and legal online pharms require a previous script or at least a doctors review saying your condition is legit. As far as those not requiring a script most are scams and you will loose your $$$ or could even be a set up so be careful...

[JayTrizzle]

ok i thought so i wasnt for sure. maybe i should look at getting helth insurance and just try to scam the insurace agency so i go to a pain management clinic. or is it harder at pain management places?

[Skript]

ok i thought so i wasnt for sure. maybe i should look at getting helth insurance and just try to scam the insurace agency so i go to a pain management clinic. or is it harder at pain management places?

I dont recommend trying to pull a scam against insurance.. Although it would be difficult to in the first place, you dont want to get caught..
Your walking down the wrong road. With proper records, real or made up, a ROP is an option. But i would just recommend doctor shopping. Or perhaps your not going to get what you want in the beginning anyways.

[OCfenatiq]

ok i thought so i wasnt for sure. maybe i should look at getting helth insurance and just try to scam the insurace agency so i go to a pain management clinic. or is it harder at pain management places?
Once you get your insurance you don't want to use it right away or like you mentioned they may not due to pre existing. Just wait a little bit then start using it. In other words, insurance kicks in May 1st and you visit May 2nd with pain management issues they will definitely question if it is pre existing, but give it a little while b/4 your first visit and it won't look as suspicious...

[JayTrizzle]

will a pain management center help or at least not give me damn tramadol or tylenol. like i said before hydrocode seems to help my knee but does fuck all for my back, so i don't know what to do.Is there a specific kind of doctor, i'm really poor and mst places have a payment plan of some type. I'm getting really depressed about, it affects my relationships at home and at work, i'm constantly pissy from being in pain, I don't know what to do anymore. I'll pay full price for a doctor, i just need to know the specific type of clinic or doctor i should visit. Nay help would be appreciated, I'm suffering and I'm uncappable of doing anything about it. PLEASE HELP.

[JayTrizzle]

seriously i'm almost to the point of giving up life i'd rather be dead then live with this bullshit anymore. i don't want any more surgeries, i can't afford it. i just want the pain to be manageabe enough to work and live my life. I don't understand why it's me that gets screwed over. Ih have a friend whos mother is on Hydrocodone for ANXIETY. B U L L S H I T. I can't afford testing, I can't afford x-rays, I don't have insurance, why can't I just find a doctor who will fucking believe me, i mean, you can see the goddamned massive scar on me knee from the surgery, and it's so fucking uncomfortable. The only real reason i've been looking to score H is because I can't get any doctors to believe me. I'm on the verge of a nervous vreakdown right now. I have no where else to turn. My mom doesn't believe me either, she thinks I'm faking it for drugs. There's nothing left for me to do...

[doctor diesel]

Might I suggest that you score a regular small amount of H and smoke it?
I mean you're unlikely to avail yourself of a more powerful painkiller, and who knows, if you can get away with pain relief from only a small daily amount, it could even be vaguely affordable?
I suffer from the most crippling migraines for which there is no relief from any form of conventional medicine. All I can say is thank God I always keep a spare bubble or two of H powder because that stuff makes the difference between me wanting someone to kill me, and being able to function - and function comfortably - when I'm in the grip of a bad migraine.
The other option might be pod tea - again another pretty unbeatable painkiller, with the great advantage of being extremely long lasting.
Just a couple of thoughts.

Doc.

[flipside]

seriously i'm almost to the point of giving up life i'd rather be dead then live with this bullshit anymore. i don't want any more surgeries, i can't afford it. i just want the pain to be manageabe enough to work and live my life. I don't understand why it's me that gets screwed over. Ih have a friend whos mother is on Hydrocodone for ANXIETY. B U L L S H I T. I can't afford testing, I can't afford x-rays, I don't have insurance, why can't I just find a doctor who will fucking believe me, i mean, you can see the goddamned massive scar on me knee from the surgery, and it's so fucking uncomfortable. The only real reason i've been looking to score H is because I can't get any doctors to believe me. I'm on the verge of a nervous vreakdown right now. I have no where else to turn. My mom doesn't believe me either, she thinks I'm faking it for drugs. There's nothing left for me to do...


Jt. I feel your pain. Many of us struggle with the same issues..it's difficult to get PM docs to adequatley treat chronic pain even with supporting documentation. Without tangible physical evidence like MRI's ect. I fear it will be impossible.

You stated you were very poor. Can you qualify for Medical Assistance? If so that would eliminate any wories abour pre-existing conditions, allowing you to get the diagnostic tests you need to get a referral to a PM doc.

Doc' suggestion about pods was a good one. I used them for years to supplement or manage my pain when I could not get what I needed from my Pm doc or when I was without a doctor. They are expensive, but effective.

It's really disheartning when you are in crippling pain which is diminishing if not eliminating your quality of life. Esp when you feel you've run out of options......

[jerets]

You could do an online doctor. They are not that hard as long. If you have a few copies of your records from doctors you've already seen and copies of 'proof that you've been scripted meds in the past'. Even if it's just a receipt from a pharmacy and says "hydrocodone" or "oxycodone" somewhere on it. You are more than half way there. These places do not have high requirements.

As for PM, this is a very reasonable option for you. I would most encourage you to go this route. I would call them on the phone and speak to a receptionist and explain that you are in a lot of pain but do not have health insurance. They can give you some helpful advise. Unfortunately most of the time you need a referral to be seen. So this would mean seeing another doctor before seeing this doctor. Visits are very costly but they would give you the best medication. They would probably start you on MS Contin (morphine) and work your dose up. You may consider getting a 0% interest credit card and racking up the visits. If you tell them you do not have insurance, they may be able to provide you with a better price -- I've heard this in the past.

Another option would be a methadone clinic. Methadone is a very effective pain killer. These places aren't meant for people with pain, but you may at least get a referal to a PM doctor if you show up there and at very little cost to you since these are programs.

I would keep Heroin as a last resort. I wouldn't recommend going down that route early. I would actually try Online doctors first. You are looking at around $200 / month for 120 count 10mg Hydrocodone. That's 4x daily. If you can get by on less, it would be cheaper for you. As you can see -- still expensive.

In the end though, with doing online medicine for a few months, that would have just about been the cost of Pain Management for you. Which is why I would suggest putting doctor visits on a credit card and trying to pay them off over a years time. Some Pain Management places do not require you to see the doctor every month once they have you on a medication that works. Mine calls in fills for me. Mine used to only make you come in once every 6 months. Now it's once every 2-3 months. Honestly, they will probably put you on Methadone (which works great for pain and is very long lasting) because it's extremely cheap if you don't have insurance. A few dollars I think.

Hope this helps. Good luck and keep us updated. Lean on us support,
Jerets

[JayTrizzle]

ok so i called around today to all of the pain management clinics in the phone book for the KC Metro area. The cheapest one was a doctor with a foreign name and they wanted 500 dollars a visit. Most were around 1.5 to 2k per visit without insurance. I've been warned against online doctors, and the only place i know of that sells pods, well, i spent 50 dollars and got 40 pods, of which i got adequate relief/any feeling whatsoever, but it took 16 pods. Am I doing the tea wrong? Or am I getting weak ass pods by any chance? I don't know where else I would go to get pods, and since a PM doc is out of the question (i'm in horrible debt with my student loans and have bad credit now because of it, so Credit cards are not an option), I really don't know what to do. And in addition to that, from what i have been told and in my struggles to look for opiates, this is a dry city when it comes to chiva. I don't want to go to a Methadone clinic because I don't want my parents thinking I'm a junkie, and from what I've heard methadone won't do much for me considering my morphine habit. Any other suggestions or help finding a place that sells good pods would be appreciated. Maybe even a reference on how to correctly make the tes since obviously I can't figure out the right way to do it. *sigh* I'm not gonna kill myself because of the pain, i've lived with my knee for the last six months and my back my whole life, but damnit my life would be so much better, you know.

[Badly Drawn Girl]

will a pain management center help or at least not give me damn tramadol or tylenol. l


A pain clinic will be the most understanding. My mother suffered for years in terrible pain and her doctors weren't medicating her worth shit. She finally went to a pain clinic and boom... Oxycontins on her first visit. She is finally well medicated and her primary doctor was willing to continue prescribing what the pain clinic recommended.

I'm a chronic pain person myself, so you have my sympathy. I'm waiting on state insurance so I can get some medical care. I need surgery on at least one shoulder, possibly both.

Good luck to you!

[jerets]

Honestly, PM would be the best thing for you. If you can save your money up and go for the $500 visit. Call first and explain your situation that you would only be able to been seen a couple times a year because you don't have insurance. If you could do the State insurance programs -- that would be a good thing. Honestly -- you'll get the best relief from pain centers.

They give steroids, celebrex, lidocaine patches, good narcotics, and TENs units. A few of those should turn your life around.

I would go for online doctors before I did Pods all the time to be honest. You can't beat 40mg a day of Hydro for $7. They will also write you 90 Soma/Xanax along with it. Soma + Hydro works wonders. And I would recommend that you stop abusing narcotics (if you are). You should only be using them for pain, otherwise your tolerance will continue to go up and your pain will as well if you don't get the narcotics you need. If you PM me, I can walk you through the process of an Online Consult Service. There are some bad ones out there -- but I've used them for years before using PM and I know a couple really good ones from first hand use. My girlfriend still uses them every month for her pain. You cannot beat it.

You might also think about going to work for Home Depot or Giant Eagle. If there is a Giant Eagle (grocery) around you they give better health care then most people working out of college full-time for big companies. But even Home Depot insurance isn't bad and you can get that part time (working 1 day per week!). Of coarse they aren't going to cover everything -- but they'll be at min. splitting the costs of your care with you.

There are plenty of options available to you. I would stay away from the streets and stay away from Pods. PM is the best thing for you followed by Online Telemedicine. A lot of members on here use them. Again, there are some out there that are bad -- but there are a lot of good ones. You have little to lose and everything to gain.

Good luck,
Jerets

[Chemical_Boy]

Just a thought. . .Usually, the pre-existing condition clause keeps the insurance from having to pay for your doctors visits and therapy. Usually the prescription plan will cover whatever medications are written. Even if it looks like your health care insurance and prescription insurance are the same, the prescription insurance is usually underwritten by a different company.

Point being, if you can find a doctor who will write for medication, you would have to pay for the visit, but there would be a good possibility that your prescriptions would still be covered. Just make sure you ask the doctor about something else that is going on medically in the same visit (i.e., heart burn, erectile dysfunction, eczema, carpal tunnel syndrome, I am sure that you can find a couple of subjects to ask about that normally wouldn't be something that you would worry about) so that there is more than one diagnostic code on the paperwork that the insurance company processes from the doctor. Just make sure that it is not something you have sought treatment for in the past, and make sure to spend a lot of time asking the doctor about it or getting examined so that it looks like a major part of why you visited the doctor that day.

The only problem is that it usually takes several visits to get pain medicine, so this still may be expensive at first. Make sure you take all of your documentation with you to help speed things up.

Good luck!

[flipside]

I think his main problem is he has no documentation and no insurance or money to pay for any testing to prove his condition is legit. Even though I am sure that it is.

[Skript]

I think his main problem is he has no documentation and no insurance or money to pay for any testing to prove his condition is legit. Even though I am sure that it is.

Sounds like the American health care system.. Its sad to see people in our own country suffer in pain while billions go out to aide other countries..

[JayTrizzle]

flipside is exactly right. and good luck to me getting my records for scripts and my surgical records from the hospital i still owe money to. maybe i will try an online doc, if i get temporary script insurance, can i get that covered by any chance?

[roxi*stardust]

<snip>
You might also think about going to work for Home Depot or Giant Eagle. If there is a Giant Eagle (grocery) around you they give better health care then most people working out of college full-time for big companies. But even Home Depot insurance isn't bad and you can get that part time (working 1 day per week!). Of coarse they aren't going to cover everything -- but they'll be at min. splitting the costs of your care with you.

There are plenty of options available to you. I would stay away from the streets and stay away from Pods. PM is the best thing for you followed by Online Telemedicine. A lot of members on here use them. Again, there are some out there that are bad -- but there are a lot of good ones. You have little to lose and everything to gain.

Good luck,
Jerets
The only problem jerets is that, like chem pointed out, most of these places like Home Depot, Giant Eagle, or Lowes, while they offer fairly decent insurance, most have a pre-existing condition clause. They put it in place so that people can't go and get a part-time job for 3 motnhs just to have insurance. I have been through this and it is not pleasant. If you don't have prior "credible coverage", you may have to wait for up to 18 months before they will pay for that condition. It is very important to read how an insurance company handles pre-existing conditions or you could be stuck.

I was able to get mine paid for through the appeal process because their clause stated that "if patient was treated within 90 days prior to being eligible for coverage" I was not treated within that 90 days so they had to pay.

State insurance is an option but most of the time people make too much money, which I find amusing because the $700 you are allowed to make isn't enough to support a single person anywhere in the US, let alone larger cities where the cost of an apartment rented by a slumlord can be that much.

Instead of looking a PM Clinics, why not look for a PM doctor who is his own practice. Most of the time they charge reasonable fees for visits when they don't have so much overhead. You could even try a PCP, they often handle PM for their patients especially if you are uninsured.

[JayTrizzle]

what is PCP? and actually I have had past credible insurance, forgot to mention that, I used to have military insurance, but it got turned off because I wasnt n school anymore, bu it's been less than a year. Would that information help at all?

[albert7]

i feel for you i will pray for your situation

[flipside]

A PCP is a primary care physician, who specializes in Internal Medicine or Family practice. Just a quick thought..are there any free clinics for the uninsured in your area?? You could call the Social Services office in your area and ask about one.

[roxi*stardust]

what is PCP? and actually I have had past credible insurance, forgot to mention that, I used to have military insurance, but it got turned off because I wasnt n school anymore, bu it's been less than a year. Would that information help at all?
You only have 63 days between past credible coverage for it to be effective. Since you have not had insurance for over a year, that past coverage is of no use to you. Your state may have better hipaa laws but the federal reg is 63 days, the good news is that you state can't have less days only more. Here is a link to the HIPAA regulations on pre-existing conditions and past credible coverage.
http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_hipaa.html

[JayTrizzle]

thanks for your help guys, I think I'm just going to give up and deal with until I can afford to go back to school and get back on military insurance. and no, I can't take A CLASS and get my insurance I have to be a full-time student and I have to have proof of the amount of credits I'm taking, so looks like i have to wait a year. Oh, and on top of it, I've been so stressed that I'm starting to get headaches that make all light sources feel like i'm getting punched in the fucking brain. Yay.

[jerets]

good luck to me getting my records for scripts and my surgical records from the hospital i still owe money to. maybe i will try an online doc, if i get temporary script insurance, can i get that covered by any chance?

The hospital should have a records department that anyone can get copies from for a small copy fee. It shouldn't matter if you still have a balance or not. Two seperate departments.
You do need some sort of record stating a pain condition and a copy of something stating you've been given medication wouldn't hurt either.
But no, no telemedical providers accept insurance. But again $200 for a 120 10/325's isn't a bad deal esp. if you can stretch those out and use them for your worst cases.
Good luck to you,
Jerets