Just want to throw this out there for anyone that might want to ask their doctor about this one...

I would recommend that everyone find an interventional pain specialist and see them along with your regular pain management doctor. Ask both if they are willing to work together. This worked great for me! I wish I would have found this combo many years ago. I spent 13 years with fentanyl patches and they DID work for some of my pain. Now they just tell you that opioids don't work for chronic pain. When the opioid epidemic exploded and new prescribing guidelines came out on Aug. 15, 2015 my doctor ditched me in the worst way! On Aug. 17, 2015 he did a drug urine test and told me that the fentanyl did not show up so I must either be selling them or giving them away!!! He quit prescribing for me and did not want to see me again (after 13 years with no issues at all). I was furious! I had my patches right on my arm when I took the test. I knew something was up with this scenario so I contacted my pharmacist and other doctors. Each one of them told me not to let it go because I would be "blacklisted" for pain medications. They were able to uncover that the doctor that gave me the drug urine test did a 12 panel test that would not show fentanyl. There is a specific test they needed to use. The lab that processed the test confirmed this. Anyway, it was his way of getting rid of me. He didn't even refer me to anyone else, just dropped me instantly. I felt so hopeless at that point and didn't know where to go from there. I did go to several other doctors (with a copy of the test results in my hand) and they treated me like I was some kind of drug addict like they do to most of us. I reached out to an interventional pain specialist as a last attempt at finding help and I'm so glad I did!

I am prescribed 100 mg of ketamine troches (as an opioid alternative) and they work for ALL pain that I have including the nerve pain!! I also have pregabalin, duloxetine, tramadol, and baclofen but the ketamine is the rockstar for pain. The interventional pain specialist has a full metabolic panel and hormone testing done annually. People in pain typically have low pregnenolone which is the mother of all hormones (male or female) and play a huge roll in pain and inflammation control. Mine came back at less than 5 so the doctor has me taking 100mg 3X daily. Asking to be referred to an endocrinologist would be a great idea for anyone in pain! And last but not least, there is Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). It is just as effective, if not better, than some opioids! My doctors have me taking 600mg 3X daily. This one is huge! If you're in pain please try these out. I can say that after taking them for only 3 weeks I have a notable difference in my pain. Here is an article I came across that is eye opening. If you don't want to read all the scientific stuff then scroll down to where you see what they prescribed to numerous patients and the results. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500919/ Also, here is the link to the best and most affordable PEA I have found. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084T9BFHT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are 2 websites that I recommend to anyone in pain. The first one is http://arachnoiditishope.com/ Even if you don't have arachnoiditis check it out. It offers SO MUCH info. and insight into pain & inflammation. I couldn't stop reading because it validated so many of my symptoms that I thought just make me look crazy. There is info. for you to print out and take in to your doctor including a medical protocol. It also offers a self help protocol that is astounding. The other website is https://intractablepainsyndrome.com/ This one offers similar info. and help for all pain. Dr. Forest Tennant owns both websites. Feel free to contact them with any questions!

I hope some of you find some relief either from the info. I have provided or elsewhere!

Kind Regards,
Terri