Posted by med_empowered on April 10, 2006, at 1:52:11
In reply to Re: Scared about pending diagosis', posted by Caedmon on April 10, 2006, at 1:28:09
sorry about your situation. As I see it, you have 2 big problems: you're not being adequately treated for pain and you're being more or less un-treated for your anxiety problems.
I don't know about benzos+pain killers--I don't see why it would be such a big deal, but you should ask a doc, I guess. Like the previous poster said, Klonopin dosages can get much higher than you're on--4 to 8mgs/day is workable (ideally, though, you should try for 1-3).
I've had docs accuse me of "misusing" meds with no actual proof before. Its kind of ridiculous, isn't it? My advice would be to no longer see that doc--you don't pay him to make accusations; his job is to treat your problems--period.
I think you may find that with better pain management your anxiety goes away, at least somewhat. What a lot of docs seem to ignore is that long-term opiate use really isn't all that big a deal; as long as the patient is kept comfortable, very few will abuse/misuse their meds, and very few actually develop any sort of drug "problem". The same goes for benzos, too, although some shrinks seem convinced that every patient they put on benzos is going to start popping pills Courtney Love style.
In my experiences with docs, it pays to be assertive. I mean, it sucks, because your life is already difficult and they really **should** just do their best for you w/o prodding, but alot of them need to know that you mean business--its like dealing with a playground bully. So, just be up-front: look, I have severe pain, severe anxiety, and I need you to do your job and make this better. I do not abuse meds, I will not abuse meds, and I demand that you give me the high-quality care I am entitled to.
I'm not saying you should push a doc for higher doses of whatever--it is their decision--but I **AM** saying that you and every other patient out there deserves the **BEST** care available, and you should make this clear to your doc. If your doc is unable or unwilling to improve your quality of life, then get a new one.
Good luck!
poster:med_empowered
thread:631239
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060408/msgs/631281.html