Contin4u - I too am a new poster in this forum (just since yesterday) and one thing I noticed quickly was that ellencee is a discourteous person who seems to think everyone who comes here is a derelict looking for a get rich quick scheme, preferably thru malpractice. She doesn't seem to think people may actually believe they could really be a victim of malpractice, and that's why they come here--to get an opinion and/or advice, not to be insulted and treated like an idiot. She is obviously an unhappy person and her intentions are to hurt, not to help.
We reap what we sow though.
My husband, due to a very bad inoperable back condition, also takes oxycontin. It was prescribed to him by our family doctor several years ago. When it was first prescribed to him, we had no idea it was the abusers drug of choice, nor that it was so addictive. It does help him a great deal manage his pain.
Recently, our insurance company has requested our prescriptions be mailed to a pharmacy of their choice, preferably quarterly. Our doctor refuses to write oxycontin on a qrtly basis, which is his perogative, so it needs to be mailed in monthly.
Just last week, my husband's prescription was nearly due and he called the pharmacy to confirm they had received the prescription. They said they hadn't. He had called the doctors office the week before and requested the prescription be mailed, giving them plenty of time. (We live quite a way from our doctor's office, so he can't just jump in the car and run and pick up a prescription). Anyway, my husband started to panic. Rightly so, I feel. He didn't know he was being put on a dangerously addictive narcotic years ago, and he was frightened about running out of the medicine. But when he voiced his concerns to the nurse because he was afraid, since his prescription hadn't been received by the pharmacy, she said, "Well if you have withdrawals, go to the emergency room."
Apparently there's nothing you can do in a situation like that except go to the e.r., and probably be treated like a drugee off the street. I do understand your concern and I think it's a legitimate one. Thankfully, the pharmacy did call late that day and told us they finally rec'd my husband's prescription, but he worries himself half to death every month.
I too have been on narcotics for years because of chronic pain. I wanted a hip replacement so that I could get off the narcotics. As a matter of fact, my ortho-surgeon specifically noted that in my record. Our doctor at one time put me on the duragesic (morphine) patch. I had no idea what it was, only that it was supposed to help me. It made me so ill I ended up going to the e.r., and unfortunately, I was treated like a junkee. Screamed at even--"Why are you on this!!!" Duh...because it was prescribed to me by a physician.
If you're in pain, your expected to go to a physician for help, or live with it and keep your mouth shut. If you get the needed medicine, you're treated horribly for taking it.