Full knee replacement on 11-2. Seem to be doing ok as this is my second one with a partial 8 years ago. Same dr. This time dr does not seem to want to give me adequate medicine for pain control. I use vicodin on a daily basis and told him I would need a stronger pain med
He sent me home with Norco and I got sick and was not familiar with it. I have called once and asked for something stronger than vicodin that i USED BEFORE --nope. I've been struggling. I called again yesterday and no reply...Helper says they cannot call that drug into the pharmacy as it has to be taken in person. The dr is an hour away and he wants to not bother giving me that drug. I can't think of the name of it, but I have used it many times. OH Percoset.
I will be in PT at the hospital tomorrow and an going on stringing my Vicodin out as long as possible. Why is he being so hard headed and leaving me feeling all alone in this venture? This time I have Sjogrens and fibro along with the terrible knee osteo repair. I am also 67 instead of 60. What's his crap? I picked this dr both times?
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Well I just read that doctors regularly under treat pain in 'older people' in the emergency room.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/health/research/in-emergency-rooms-less-pain-medication-for-the-elderly.html?scp=1&sq=pain%20elderly&st=cse
The other thing is that doctors are given a really hard time about prescribing these pain meds, by the DEA among other agencies.
I don't know what I'm going to do when I need a knee replacement, since I can't take vicodin because it contains hydrocodone or percoset because it contains oxycodone.
They're all variations of the same thing.
I hope you get some relief soon.
Would a muscle relaxant help? I'm going to ask for Flexeril or something the next time I need pain relief.
At least I would be able to get to sleep I think.
Keep us posted please.
Hugs
Elaine
Can you speak to someone at the hospital tomorrow? Maybe they can kick the dr in the butt and help get you some relief.
My rheumy called in a pain med for me last year and everyone was surprised that he did so over the phone as you are suppose to go in for that I hear.
SueAnn
Hi Lucy
After my knee op - much smaller than yours - I was taking diclofenac 4 times a day, slow release tramadol 4 times a day and paracetamol. That was what I was told to take - and it still hurt.
Certainly ask for advice at the hospital. They really ought to be able to give you some relief.
Take care - Scottie x x
Quote from: eyeamdry on November 22, 2011, 11:25:09 AM
Full knee replacement on 11-2. Seem to be doing ok as this is my second one with a partial 8 years ago. Same dr. This time dr does not seem to want to give me adequate medicine for pain control. I use vicodin on a daily basis and told him I would need a stronger pain med
He sent me home with Norco and I got sick and was not familiar with it. I have called once and asked for something stronger than vicodin that i USED BEFORE --nope. I've been struggling. I called again yesterday and no reply...Helper says they cannot call that drug into the pharmacy as it has to be taken in person. The dr is an hour away and he wants to not bother giving me that drug. I can't think of the name of it, but I have used it many times. OH Percoset.
I will be in PT at the hospital tomorrow and an going on stringing my Vicodin out as long as possible. Why is he being so hard headed and leaving me feeling all alone in this venture? This time I have Sjogrens and fibro along with the terrible knee osteo repair. I am also 67 instead of 60. What's his crap? I picked this dr both times?
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Many hospitals have a customer care center. They are probably the people to whom to appeal, though I can't guarantee the outcome. You should if possible praise some aspect of your experience, and then question the lack of adequate pain medication. Many, if not most, hospitals have standards for making sure patients have adequate pain control, so Customer Care (or whatever they call it) has a reason to get involved.
Soycoffee
Lucy, Let's work this this thing from another angle. When you go to rehab let it be known in quiet sort of way that you are struggling with this pain. Also, let it be known that you are suffering with the rehab because your pain control is not adequate.
Many times the rehab people are the ones who can light a fuse under the doctors for more pain control. You would not believe what people will do to get more pain meds out of doctors. They have to be so careful so they do not unknowingly or knowingly contribute to someones addiction.
Everyone has different pain tolerances and since you were on Vicodin for pain control before the doc should realize that you may need something in addition,etc. Hopefully the rehab people will be able to shed some light on this also.
And yes, the docs are monitored, etc, checked up on etc., to make sure they are not over prescribing. This always blows my mind though cause the docs in the USA have writte a ton of scripts for DarvocetN 100 over the years and that stuff can be refilled several times by the patient and is bloody addicting and no one seemed to get too excited.
I hope that you can get some relief before the holiday. Irish ;D
Norco and Vicodin are the same med-one is the generic name and Norco is the namebrand.The only difference might be the strength of the med you were taking before the surgery and what he prescribed after.Like one might say hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5/500 which is 5mg hydro and 500 tylenol and the other 10/325 which is 10mg hydro and 325 tylenol.
They are both hydrocodone and acetaminophen.If you got sick from the Norco and were taking it with or around the time of your old script it could have caused stomach upset because of the increase of tylenol or hydrocodone.This is a schedule III drug class med and can be called in to the pharmacy.
The percocet is oxycodone and acetaminopen and is a class II because all medications containing oxycodone are classed that way-and it cant be phoned in to a pharmacy they must have a paper script.
If you do not hear from the office regarding this matter (and I realize an hour is a long trip regardless of surgery or not)can you call the doctor who scripts you the vicodin and explain the situation.If their office is closer,you have a longstanding relationship with them and they can confirm you are not getting the percocet from the other doctor perhaps they might be willing to write for you.
The DEA is REALLY cracking down on these meds and I dont see it getting improving(unless all DEA agents are suddenly stricken with conditions that require meds and the people who are in charge-then things might change ::))
If you dont hear from the surgery dr-at least try a few more times-dont leave messages-tell them you have done that and want to speak to a live person then call the other dr and outline like this:
-You need to start PT-you are having alot of pain issues and know it will worsen.
-You did speak to the dr BEFORE surgery and let him know you took Hydrocodone and were tolerant and requested a stronger med in case it was not adequate.
-He sent you home with the same thing you were taking thus ignoring everything you told him.
-You have tried numerous times to contact his office and received no response-but they are expecting you to start PT (and you want to)but are having difficulties now.
-His office is an hour away so you cant just pop in and say "Hey why wont anyone call me back and answer my questions"
If you can get thru to the surgery doc and cant find anyone to get the script and pick it up ask them to mail it to you-I have had this suggested to me by a nurse at the office as she knew it was a long drive-this may not be an answer if you are hurting that badly and need it ASAP.
Hope this helps and you can get thru to the office-Honestly if it were me, I would call my dr who prescribes the vicodin today as you will likely not hear anything from the other one and with the holiday that will take you til Monday to get another chance to talk to anyone-and your dr can call their office or the pharmacy and confirm that you are not trying to obtain two scripts in case they fear dr shopping/double dipping.
Hope things get better and you heal quickly.
Norco and Vicodin are both name brand, Norco just has less acetaminophen in it.. Different brands use different binders and fillers in their pills which could potentially make you sick or not work as well for you.. The FDA permits a 20% variance in active ingredients so if you get the generic kind the ones made by Watson are generally the best.. Or they are around here.. Other generic brands seem a lot weaker and don't work very well..