LILG, I understand what you are saying. A lot of us on here do. I have a question, If you knew they were going to refuse you pain meds, would you have allowed them to do the surgery?

Hi Lilgrizz, has your doctor already taken, or told you they are going to take away your pain medication? Do you see your primary care doctor for pain management? My primary care doc was unwilling to continue managing my pain meds and referred me to pain management. It took a couple of tries, but I really like my pain management doctor and she has been very helpful and respectful. And she manages my pain medications very well. I know a lot of people are having this kind of thing happen, but not usually if they're seeing a pain management doctor. I think it's the primary care docs who are scared of these "guidelines" and acting inappropriately. Hugs

@lilgrizz

So far, you can still get pain medication. But who knows about next week.

Jim

I agree 100%. Pain Management doctors have a totally different outlook than a primary care doctor.

Absolutely right

@oregongirl Yes, because most of my pain now is from my multiple sclerosis and lupus. Most people are unaware of the pain these 2 illnesses bring to the table. I can tell a difference in the pain from my scoliosis and the ms causing pain in my back. After I had almost healed from the back surgery and before I fell I had found SOME relief from my scoliosis pain. I knew the surgery was more for keeping from becoming more deformed than I already was. I could not stand up straight, I had a hump on my back , quite a big one, my right rib cage overlapped my right hip bone, and the curve of my spine was also putting pressure on my lungs, and just beginning to affect my breathing. In two years, without surgery I would have ended , probably ended up in a wheelchair. But as I mentioned in the beginning my back was not the only cause of my pain.

@momij They haven't took my pain meds away yet but it seems inevitable. My neurologist who treats my multiple sclerosis and lupus treats my pain and I am on some very powerful meds. He said the other day that the DEA paid him a surprise visit and subpoenaed a bunch of patient records. Doesn't sound good to me. My doc who I love to death is a real Christian man and said something to the tune of if they come to get your meds....something else. I didn't hear the rest because my brain immediately shut down thinking they can have my meds when they pull them from my cold dead hands.

bummer... maybe you could talk to him about recommending a pain management doctor?

@lilgrizz I thought you might like to know about these two discussion groups on Connect where members are talking about scoliosis and MS:

* Scoliosis - Introduce yourself and meet others https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/scoliosis-introduce-yourself/
* Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - please introduce yourself https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/multiple-sclerosis-ms-please-introduce-yourself/

In the upstate of SC, mimij is correct. I don't know anyone who is receiving opiates from the primary care physician. I am sure there are a few older docs who believe their first priority is to care for their patients and if pain meds are a part of that, they do what is necessary. I seriously doubt they are advertising that practice and have likely requested that their patients not go around town advertising for them. I can especially see this in very rural areas where it is difficult to find a Pain Management Clinic. My Pain Mgmt. office dots every "i" and crosses every "t" in terms of regulations, but I am certainly OK with that if that keeps them in business and able to give me some relief for my pain.