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Drug screening and pill counts?
Hi! My name is Judi and I have small fiber Neuropathy. Constant pain in my feet and have now started having issues with my hands. I get very little sleep and this is with taking pain meds three times a day!
That being said, I live in Kentucky. They have very Very strict substance abuse laws. Very difficult to get pain meds without giving up your first born! Just being sarcastic; sorry.
Anyway, I go to a pain management doctor who does not like prescribing pain meds. I have been taking Pregabalin for years. Can’t say it helps, really, but who knows how much worse the pain would be without it.
I digress. Here’s my issue. I just got a call from my doctor, asking me for a random drug screening and pill count! I was shocked. I never heard of such a thing, except for people who are hooked on drugs, and in trouble with the law, and the courts have ordered drug screenings.
That’s not me! I am 81 years old and I hate to take medication. I am far from addicted. Most of the time I forget to take it. So why in the world would I have to have a drug screening and pill count? They called me at 9 o’clock in the morning and asked me to come in right then for a drug test. Really? Again, I am elderly, and I don’t get myself together quick enough to come in at a moments notice.
Has anybody else experienced this with their doctor? I am furious. If I don’t agree to this they will not prescribe my pain medication for my neuropathy. I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. I would like to know I’m not alone. Thanks.
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@mike1041
Sorry to hear you lost your wife. My heartfelt sympathies.
I feel exactly how you say your wife felt. I try not to take it personally but it is very hard.
Thank you for sharing and best luck to you.
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2 Reactions@judimd
your response was appropriate.
I would apologize to the nurse and ask if they can send a phlebotomist. They won't.
Indiana tightened the law recently requiring these submarine screen doors.
Yes, the medical profession has really changed. A lot has to do with the insurance company approvals and set up. I am 80 and the system is not kind anymore to our age group. I never took Pregabalin and was wondering if it had any side effects for you? All these commercials on TV for all the new drugs show everyone doing their Happy Dance and in all the small print all the possible serious side effects. Have a close friend in Louisville and will asked her about the different health policies there. She used to live here in Pa. Didn't realize Seattle was so expensive.
@clutch541 I was on Lyrica for about a year . I got it thru the VA . The drug gave me very dark thoughts and serious anxiety attacks . It is an evil med . Steer clear of it !! I put a thc salve on my feet in the morning and evening . It really helps with the pain .
@judimd
YW
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1 Reaction@kbirchem
For me it's like a wonder drug. I don't know if it's one of those whose SEs can be predicted based on DNA profile, but it may be in the future. All one can do is try it and see. Hopefully if the SEs are bothersome one can get back off of it without much trouble.
77 year old male, I have been taking 300 mg Gabapentin for 5 years. I am prescribed 3 a day but I only take 2. That works fine for me. I live in Florida.
With controlled substances, you have to play the game. It’s one patient/physician relationship where you are a number. I just do what they say and keep my mouth shut, because they control my access to pain relief. One time I questioned the Nurse Practitioner (I never saw the doctor ). He waved the prescription in the air and said “I don’t have to give you this”.
I did leave the large pill mill and go to a smaller office with just one doctor. It’s better. They are kind and almost apologetic when they ask for a drug screen, because they know it’s ridiculous. They are jumping through hoops. But they handle it well, with no humiliation.
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2 ReactionsHello Judi,
Sorry I am just chiming in now and sorry for what you’re going through.
Have you by any chance asked your doctor what’s actually behind the drug screening test and the pill count? It sounds really odd, but maybe your state is a weird one; however, as a patient, you have rights protected by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) federal regulations. I know this because I worked in family medicine at a hospital in Akron, Ohio. This is something bigger than any state. You might want to look into that and see if things might apply to your case.
Wish you the best.
Take care and have a serene afternoon and evening,
gus
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1 Reaction@judimd if you’ve done nothing wrong why are you so concerned? It’s normal operating procedure for pain docs to perform random urine drug screens for two reasons. They want to determine whether you’re using anything not prescribed for you and to ascertain the level of the prescribed pain medication in your system. They can base your level of pain control from your feedback to the amount in your system. You’re making a mountain out of a mole hill.