Tramadol for a diagnosis

[thee19822]

Hi all

I'm so timid around doctors, I get benzos for my anxiety and I had been on and off tramadol for years due to shoulder issues I sustained, I literally only want tramadol, nothing more.

I should mention my old doc retired, so I have a new doc as of last year with all my info, he has no problems with my benzo rx or marijuana, great doc. I just was always afraid to ask for tramadol as he was kind enough to keep me on my prn benzo

They have given me ibuprofen 800 for almost a decade now. I'm tried of paying for tramadol when I need it for flare ups, I hate being treated like a drug seeker and I do have a good doc, I just get alarmed that if i even bring up tramadol i will be labeled, despite me never failing a trust test for anything more than good old Mary Jane that my doc knows about

Any suggestions on asking for tramadol, even PRN, when I have documentation, X-rays and diagnosis of my condition?

Id love something stronger but honestly, tramadol does the trick and I swear by it.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[sitm1914]

From a doctor's perspective, they're probably going to look at your charts to see if you've been prescribed it in the past first. Then they'll probably check if you're on any SSRI's to avoid serotonin syndrome (rare but it can happen if someone starts taking more and more of it).

Tramadol is a schedule IV the last I checked which is what I believe Benzos are as well. As far as the DEA getting up the doctor's ass over a IV prescription, it just isn't going to happen. As long as the doctor feels you aren't abusing it, you aren't allergic to it and you've been prescribed it in the past, it should be a walk in the park.

Your best bet is to ask for a smaller script and after a few appointments ask for a bump up.

"Doctor, I do get occasional painful episodes and in the past tramadol was prescribed and it worked really well for me. I was prescribed oxycodone ages ago but that was just too strong (assuming you aren't going to work up to that down the road) for me but Tramadol helped to address the pain while not leaving me groggy."

More than likely he or she will prescribe it to you. They may even ask how much you need -- in which case I'd go for 2-3 a day when I need them.

If they ask you what time you would like your appointment, try to get one right after the doctor has lunch. They did a study on judges sentencing and found judges were much more lenient and easy going right after lunch than before. I'm sure the same applies for doctors.

Also, don't stop at the first no or resistance. Plead your case and try to haggle with them by saying, "Well can we at least try one a day and go from there? I really does help me get through the more painful moments."

Good luck! Your best bet is with an older male doctor -- usually 50+ years of age.

The pendulum has gone far in the other direction. I remember in the late 90's and early 2000's, I had a doctor ask me what I wanted prescribed. An hour later I walked into a pharmacy with a script for 120 Oxy 10s, 90 somas and 60 .5 xanax. The pharmacist looked at it and immediately started filling it and then goes, "OH! They forgot to write their DEA number." I was like, "christ, they are closing in 10 minutes- I'll never make it. Dude goes, "I'll just fill it in for you -- I remember you from last month."

None of that ever happens now.

 

[alixjones2018]

@thee19822 I kinda sorta agree with @sitm1914 but my realistic side says don't overthink it, just ask. In today's world you have a 50/50 shot. You might get one or two scripts but after that you might could hit a hurdle. OR you might get it, no issues.

See what I mean about not overthinking it?!

I think for a lot of people, no matter their issue, will find it increasingly difficult to gain any opiod. If it's not the doc, it's the pharmacy, if it's not the pharmacy, it's the pharmacist, or the DEA (supplies) or insurance, OR all the above.

But yeah, just ask. Thank goodness, what you are asking for is the cheapest on our spectrum so if you need to obtain it, you have options.

Good luck! Oh, take an advocate if you can.

 

[sitm1914]

The thing that blew my mind were the monthly limits the DEA placed on pharmacies. Any time a government regulatory agency interferes with the proper dispensing of drugs prescribed by a doctor -- it has gone too far.

If 5 people end up getting prescriptions just to get high for every one person who gets them because they really need them, I'd rather err on that side than have someone needlessly suffer because the government wants to avoid people thrill seeking with chemicals.

We're all adults here -- treat it as a medical issue and not a criminal one. When you look at these crimes and apply simple economics to them, the best form of legislation is to simply acknowledge a problem with drugs will always exist in any society and that addressing it as a medical issue is far superior than locking people up.

The reason why so many people die from overdoses is directly from our government's approach. Give people a safe haven to do their drugs recreationally and to purchase drugs with a known amount of chemicals and the number of deaths would plummet.

 

[Bendejo]

I am absolutely no expert on this subject. I read somewhere that pain management clinics are still the best option for the treatment of chronic pain and they are the best option for getting a long term prescription for pain meds. Is that still true? Given the current environment of oversight and regulation, wouldn't most other doctors be scared shitless to prescribe pains for more than a few days.