Jim,
Be vigilant not to attack or condemn your provider and stay within your pain agreement. The guidelines are also directed toward Primary Care Providers, not Specialists, a fact that the CDC is working on at the moment. The AMA also just released a letter in support of the fact that physicians have abandoned treating Chronic Pain Patients. https://searchlf.ama-assn.org/undefined/documentDownload?uri=%2Funstructured%2Fbinary%2Fletter%2FLETTERS%2F2020-6-16-Letter-to-Dowell-re-Opioid-Rx-Guideline.pdf

This letter was written during the CDC's open session for comment about the Guidelines. They are working on changing them right onw.

Back to your appointment. You are not the intended target of the current guidelines, none of us are. The issue? The DEA has made all of us, the doctors, the pharmacists, and the addicts on the street, the TARGET WITH THE BACKING OF CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATIONS -- PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.

WHY? Because they have been given carte blanche to do whatever it takes to stop the "Opioid Epidemic" and slow the death rate from it. The problem is that they are BREAKING THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY.

1. Violating HIPAA.
2. Violating the Privacy Act
3. Violating the the Rights of every patient's Constitutional Right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
4. Violating the ADA of every disabled person who is a patient.

These are just the violations on the PATIENT'S side. The provider's side include forced compromise of care, violation of the Hippocratic Oath, constitutional rights, and others.

Jim, you have to make your doctor your friend not your enemy. You need to show them that you understand their plight. That if they are following the government's direction, they need to question it.

Back up everything you say with medical facts and the CDC not anything else especially if they are ON BOARD with what they are doing! If they are questioning it like my provider, then give them a reason to treat you the right way like the AMA letter.

We are the patient. We are the one's living in agony. We are the ones that they are committed to serving. BUT... we aren't the ones holding the proverbial gun to their heads threatening to pull the trigger and destroy everything they've worked to build and their entire world if they don't tow the line.

SENATOR BARRASSO is monitoring this: he may be a Wyoming Senator but get in touch with him and mention my name. Tell him your story. We need to start coming together instead of fighting our battles alone.

I'm praying for you and remember, your doctor is NOT your enemy. They may be mislead, frightened, or even brainwashed but it's now our job to teach the medical field that OPIOIDS are actually a real treatment for chronic pain.

NERVE PAIN AFFECTS MORE THAN THE NERVES. It lights up the muscles, tightening them, cramping them, pulling at the joints and causing grinding and severe muscle and joint pain. Nerve pain doesn't isolate to the nerves but involves the muscles and joints AROUND the nerves. If it's in the feet, it involves the ankles and toes. If it's in the back, it involves the spine and upper legs and/or arms. If its in the neck. it involves the shoulders, back and head including migraines and tension headaches.

To treat nerve pain with or without Lyrica, Cymbalta, Neurontin, etc. means to treat it WITH OPIOIDS or to leave a patient suffering unspeakable torture and agony. That is inhumane. A fact the medical and law enforcement community of this nation needs to reminded of repeatedly.

My 4 year life with CRPS has taught me more than my 23 career as a pharmacist ever could. It's taught me that people can never understand what I am going through unless I tell them. And I need to tell them in terms they understand, not me. To do that, I need to know them. Your doctors only understand THEIR JARGON, THEIR WORDS, THEIR CONTEXT, so speak THEIR LANGUAGE when you talk to them, Jim, so they understand what you are saying. 🙂

Good luck and God speed.

Renee

I am so sorry @jimhd

@jimhd What kind of SCS do you have? Why isn't it working? Was it installed at Mayo Clinic?

Jim, I am so sorry to hear about this!

If possible, I think your therapist should advocate for you.

The magic language is this, are you having a better quality of life and more functionality on the morphine and if so, then you can describe at what doses you had better coverage of your pain. It's all about a quality of life issue and if the morphine is improving that for you. So keep those words in mind!

The CDC recommendation is that 90 MME (morphine milligram equivalent) per day is MAXIMUM dose doctors should prescribe.

I tried to copy and paste the PDF graph of what the equivalence are for different opiates but it did not turn out in a very user-friendly format here.

Actually this chart is so poor that I would recommend you doing a web search asking how many milligrams of morphine equals 90 morphine milligram equivalent or MMEs. I am not positive but sometimes it can be a one-on-one such as one milligram of morphine equals 1 morphine milligram equivalent (MME). Other opiates might be 1.5 mg May equal one morphine milligram equivalent.

I would also make a list of everything you have tried and hopefully it's a long list and neuroplasticity is included but if not don't worry I'm sure you have use many things including exercise, music, meditation, prayer, socializing, heat, ice and there must be many more things.

Most doctors do not want to take a risk with patients who are depressed or have suicidal ideation or attempts. I'm sure you can understand that but that is where your therapist could help. If you have been seeing your therapist regularly that is a plus for you as opposed to some people who don't show up for a lot of appointments.

Well Jim, these are just some brainstorming thoughts I have. I am not a licensed therapist or a licensed professional of any kind but I'm glad to help when I can and I have resources to go to when I recognize my limitations are exceeded in being able to help.

Please keep me posted and I hope this all works out in your favor because you deserve relief!

Take really good care of yourself and I wish you the warmest blessings ever! Your friend, Sunny flower. 🙏😊

Since it can take so long to get an appointment, perhaps you should try to schedule now. Could you do an online virtual face to face? I have done that myself. Sunnyflower