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Hydrocodone/Medical Marijuana
I'm 62 years old. After 15 years of taking 3200mg of Ibuprofen a day for achilles tendonitis (which damaged my kidneys...before the discovery of ibuprofen's affect on them; in about the year 2000 or so), my Dr switched me to Norco (10mg Hydrocodone, 325 Tylenol...sorry can't seem to spell the generic name). Another 15 years down the road, I started having lower back, hip & knee pain. The Norco has worked wonderfully at relieving the pain. The last couple of years, I've been having trouble sleeping. Can only seem to sleep an hour or two at a time, having to get up for bathroom runs numerous times a night. California in the meantime had legalized medical marijuana. In the sense of full disclosure, I have done pot recreationally since the early '70s, but decreasingly in the last 10 years or so. Now that it's "legal", I started taking edibles as a sleep aid; have not noticed that the marijuana has had any pain relief for me, but as a sleep aid, it's been wonderful. So, Norco for pain, pot for sleep has been my regimen for about the last 15 months, and I've been feeling 25 years younger; no pain, nearly full 8 hours straight a night of sleep. I'm waking fully rested & ready to take on my days. For the first time in the years I've been taking Norco, my Dr had me do a urinalysis, results, of course, showing both the hydrocodone AND the THC in the pot. He gave me an ultimatum: one or the other, but you can't do both (due to DEA laws, etc). At this point, being a somewhat stubborn person, I'm not willing to give up my newly regained increased quality of daily life. What are my options?
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That's bs. It's part of your medication. Don't stop until you find a doctor that prescribes it. It's part of your medication just like bloos pressure. I'm surprised your rheumatologist prescribed. Good luck.
The DEA law is bs. Completely untrue. You tell your doctor you fail from marijuana because you take full spectrum c b d. My doctor has cbd on my medical chart even though he does not prescribe it to me. Never admit to smoking marijuana. Pain management will not allow anything thc related. Which is controversial in my opinion because a 10 year old can walk into a groery store and buy cbd. Give up the pot for now. I would doctor shop. Good luck and be well.
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1 ReactionWhen you have product left over it could be a couple of things. Switching insurance might do it, it happened to me, I got one filled ( 2 weeks prior to change ) then the new insurance called and asked if I needed refills on about 4 different meds, As it turned out one of them was my pain med. I brought them into my dr and he counted them and added them too when my next refill would take place.
My product left over is because I don't take 4 a day like it says. Some days I only take 2. But I don't want less because I might need them then won't have them as I never know when my back will throw a fit. When it does, I need them every 4 hours and I have them.
My insurance never calls to see if I need refills.
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1 ReactionI’m sorry I misunderstood your post, I thought you were wondering how you could have extra pills. If you simply take as needed then when you do need a refill the doctor will see you have not ordered for a while and will wonder if you need the qty he prescribed. At that point he may change the monthly amount he has prescribed in the past. Always be true full to you dr.
No, I get them monthly. It's just that I always or usually have enough for a couple weeks past a month. Sometimes I only have 5 days or so and that's because it was a bad month and I needed more which is why I don't want the doctor to issue less because if he does then when I need the extra, I won't have them. I can't see taking one every 4 hours when I don't need it. That's what leaves a surplus. If, like in the past, I have a week of terrible days where I need them every 4 hours for say 5 days, then I have them to take where as if he gave enough only for 2 a day and I need them every 4 hours on those bad days, I wouldn't have them. He can tell by the urine test how much of the meds are in my system. That's the purpose of the urine test if people want to know the truth. Yes, it shows other drugs you may have taken too but it's mainly to make sure you are taking meds like you should. If I had none left each month, the urine would show that level. I'd rather just move my appt out a week or so than be short when I need them.
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1 ReactionI use cvs care mark. They mail me my stuff. It's all controlled through an app. It works pretty well. There is also express script with walgreens.
It says as needed on the bottle. As needed. That means technically the doctor does not expect you to take 4 a day every single day. As needed. Ask your doctor ehat he means by as needed, as it states on the bottle. The doctor can say for moderate pain or severe pain etc. It will always say as needed.
I unfortunately think you're over thinking this. Maybe tell your doctor that you had a cold and you didn't take as many one week. Pick up your controls on time. I use c v s caremark male order service. It works through an app. It pops up and it tells me that it's ready to go and I hit yes and they start processing. Never a problem with we're out stock. You're getting it straight from a pharmaceutical headquarters.
Be well.
Lol I know what as needed is. Some of my scripts say PRN, that's as needed. My pain meds say every 6 hours although my doctor knows at times I need them every 4. Not overthinking, over explaining maybe 😂
I don't need to tell him I had a cold because he knows already why I take them like I do. I have never, in over 15 years had an "out of stock" issue. The script is for 120 pills. That's technically 4 a day since scripts are written for monthly use. I'd need 90 pills to take them based on 3 day that I do take BUT......then those days I needed 4 a day, I'd be short, so he leaves them 120 so I do have them. I've also moved to every 7 hours now for 2 months. I don't do the apps for pharmacy. My phone already has too much info about me. 🤣
It knows I drove only 39 miles the month of April. Lol
Have a great day. 🙂