I'm certainly not planning to "rot in hell" anytime soon
I'm wondering...Is there by chance... a full moon?
Thanks for your advice guys and yes I believe in drugs that help. I worked for a internal med doctor then a nursing home and with out medications the patients and residents with chronic illnesses would have been much worse off. I was not aware of pm doctors not taking over your pain meds, I just wonder why my RA PA would have sent me there then, she knew I was at my wits end with not feeling well, I think that as much as I like her as a person I will request my next visit with the all elusive 2 doctors in this practice. It seems to me from people I have talked to and from my experience the only people the docs see are for their initial visit and only after a PA has check them out and gotten the patient history.
I have always loved reading these boards esp. when I was first diagnosed, you provided much more support emotionally than I can ever thank you for!! I will call tomorrow and see if I can see the RA doc!I think it is really strange that a pain management doctor would question your diagnosis. Are you going back to your doctor soon? I think he/she would be really interested in your experience.
As for meds and doctors.....I know one thing. Without my meds I would not be able to function, let alone work. I wanted to hug my doctor the other day when he injected my hips w/some sort of steroid. The relief was and still is wonderful. I thank God there are doctors to help.
Peace,
VMy pain management dr questioned the RA diagnosis at first. He felt that there were so many "odd" areas involved and some of the classic areas untouched. Way more organ invovlement then his other patients, and my hands looked pretty good. But he didn't write me off, he took upon himself to talk to my RD and run some additional tests. I'm also seronegative. He suspected lupus and some other connective tissue diseases. However, even while totally unsure of a diagnosis, he still treated my pain. The whole question of diagnosis and the crazy lung/heart/eye involvement is why I ended up being referred to Duke. Ended up with only a minor diagnosis change-Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Actually, the surgeon calls it Still's Disease. However, it all just ends up being called RA. It seems some forms of JRA are seronegative and have a ton of organ and....drum roll please..jaw involvement. Hmmm...sound like me? If there was any doubt of JRA, it was all put to rest with the jaw replacement surgery. When the surgeon saw the joint, he said it was a classic eroded joint. Or joints in this case.
So, I don't know if I would be upset about questioning a diagnosis, but I would want to know why. This is a dr. who is looking at you with a fresh set of eyes. However, he should be treating your pain. It took years for me to finally give in to pain meds. The dr. did injections, prescribed PT, nerve blocks...all sorts of fun things. That is what a pain managment dr. is good for. If you decide that the time has come for pain meds, then the dr. should prescribe them. ARGH-I hate it when people can find adequate pain relief.
In the long run, you and I both know you most likely(like 99%) have RA. I won't say 100% cause I'm always hopeful that someday the dr. will say-oops, my bad! It's just a cold :) However, anybody who is sero-negative becomes used to a diagnosis being questioned. Actually, it is kinda depressing no longer having the diagnosis questioned. Means that joint damage has occured and the diagnosis is obvious.
Regardless, you deserve to have your pain treated. If this dr. won't, then you should see someone else. If this dr. sees you as a mystery that needs to be solved, then fine-have him solve away.
I really hope you feel better soon. RA sucks(and we all know, it's probably RA!)
rocckyd2011-01-20 18:41:50I go for my Remicade infusion in February( no doc visit at that time) and I see the PA in May. But like I stated earlier I will try to get that changed to a doctor and try to see where this is all going as far as treatment. My son who is 15 was diagnosed with JRA when he was 13 and at his visit with his doctor she is heading toward more of a fibro dx and away from RA because he too has not been help by RA meds. In fact last year he refused any more Methotrexate injections due the severity of his stomach pain. As you can see I have a lot of health things with me and my family, my other son Has insulin dep diabetes since 3. Grr these auto immune diseases!! Rocckyd, I posted below about my son and JRA and now a fibro diagnosis. He too hurts, you can see it in his eyes. He looks sick and he pushes through like a trooper. He hates tylenol or advil, ( all his doc has suggested so far)
I believe that doctors are so hung up with the "addiction" part of pain treatment they are forgetting RA is chronic with no cure, I mean come on! So we all stay in pain because they think we will become junkies? I am sorry but thats just wrong. I would love each of them to experience what we do for just one day!
The pain management dr. would probably have you sign a med contract to not recieve pain meds from anywhere else. Mine also does random drug tests on "high risk" patients.
I would definitely try to see the RD. If there aren't appts maybe get on the cancelation list. Somebody has to help you out!
[QUOTE=chrise4983]Rocckyd, I posted below about my son and JRA and now a fibro diagnosis. He too hurts, you can see it in his eyes. He looks sick and he pushes through like a trooper. He hates tylenol or advil, ( all his doc has suggested so far)
I believe that doctors are so hung up with the "addiction" part of pain treatment they are forgetting RA is chronic with no cure, I mean come on! So we all stay in pain because they think we will become junkies? I am sorry but thats just wrong. I would love each of them to experience what we do for just one day! [/QUOTE]
I so agree with you. I thought a PM doctor treated pain while your rheumy treated your RA. I have looked into going to PM but no one in my area treats arthur so I am stuck taking pain pills. I push and push just to get through the day and take my meds on a time schedule just so many the pain doesn't get more out of control. Why is "addiction" even part of the equation when we have a chronic pain causing disease? I pray so hard for a cure or a treatment that will help everyone in their everyday lives to over come the pain we all must indure. Lynn is my hero and when I grow up I want to be just like her...
My heart breaks for your son and what he is having to go through and for you having to watch him suffer knowing good and well what he feels. I hope that for both of you relief comes very soon. Can you see the same doctor that your son sees-is he in the same group you go to? Please keep us up dated on how things progress-best wishes to you both...
Why do you feel the need to yell......I dont think you know what your talking about and you are misinforming people. RA causes joint damage fairly fast this I know first hand and without the drugs to at least slow the progression for me I would be far worse off. I had to be off all my medicine due to a infection and then due to a change in my infusion from Remicade to Orencia and I flared bad. Eating healthly is fine I do so but to be rude and yell at us about your veiw on drugs is proof you know not what you speak about. OOPS didnt qoute poster sorry....to the one who said throw out your meds.bernie2011-01-23 17:33:39
[QUOTE=rocckyd]I've seen studies where they say people with chronic pain are not likely to become addicted to pain meds.
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