Have Records & DX - Just Need New Doc!

[Melly]

Hi All!

Don't know if anyone can help me out or not, but here's my situation. I have all my current records, mris and DX - just need a new doctor. Unfortunately I was just fired from my pain clinic for too many appointment reschedules and can't seem to be able to get into another very easily if at all - due to my small town location to to some extent I guess.. The other 3 clinics I did find within a 100 miles wouldn't take me as a new patient at one because I'm on disability (?) at another because they don't take my united healthcare insurance and the other hasn't decided because of my documented unreliability.

So I need a new doc desperately and am wondering if online is the way I should be going with this ( at leas until I get to a bigger city someday or new doc comes here).

Would love any help anyone can offer me on finding someone or some way to just continue (hopefully) on the same prescription regimen I've been on for the last few years.
Thanks- Melly

[Lynx4]

@Melly , do you mean finding one of the online sites that refer you to a face to face doctor? There are 3 or so sites that do that, but it's usually a long drive, and most of them will only prescribe hydrocodone and you may be used to stronger medicine. You also have to call every month, get charged a fee and then the doc will call your script into a pharmacy close to you. Takes a little while to get it set up and since you have all the proper paper work I'd stick with looking for pain clinics in your area.

And remember that it doesn't have to say Pain Clinic to be one. My specialist is just one doctor in a lovely 100 year old house and he takes patients only by referral. If your PCP referred you to the first place, maybe he can refer you to another. A doctor's referral goes much further than any records you have!

Also, if you were cancelling appointments and therefore went long periods of time without medicine they may decide you don't truly need the medicines. They assume if you really are in enough pain to need a pain doctor that you'll be there every month to get your medicine. I know it's a pain (ha ha) but keeping those appointments are crucial so they can see how you are doing on your meds. Just in my case I've had my medicines changed 4 or 5 times in just over a year (not the pain meds as much as the maintenance medicines).

Good Luck and if possible, stay with a local face to face doctor. If you go with an online doctor it's hard to get your records to show you were on meds for that period of time.

[Stevo1]

Hi All!

Don't know if anyone can help me out or not, but here's my situation. I have all my current records, mris and DX - just need a new doctor. Unfortunately I was just fired from my pain clinic for too many appointment reschedules and can't seem to be able to get into another very easily if at all - due to my small town location to to some extent I guess.. The other 3 clinics I did find within a 100 miles wouldn't take me as a new patient at one because I'm on disability (?) at another because they don't take my united healthcare insurance and the other hasn't decided because of my documented unreliability.

So I need a new doc desperately and am wondering if online is the way I should be going with this ( at leas until I get to a bigger city someday or new doc comes here).

Would love any help anyone can offer me on finding someone or some way to just continue (hopefully) on the same prescription regimen I've been on for the last few years.
Thanks- Melly

Hey Melly I posted this on the other thread but will post it here also Just in case you didn't see it on the other thread
Finding Care

[Melly]

@Melly ,

Also, if you were cancelling appointments and therefore went long periods of time without medicine they may decide you don't truly need the medicines. They assume if you really are in enough pain to need a pain doctor that you'll be there every month to get your medicine. I know it's a pain (ha ha) but keeping those appointments are crucial so they can see how you are doing on your meds. Just in my case I've had my medicines changed 4 or 5 times in just over a year (not the pain meds as much as the maintenance medicines).

Good Luck and if possible, stay with a local face to face doctor. If you go with an online doctor it's hard to get your records to show you were on meds for that period of time.

@Lynx4 - Not sure if I'm doing this quote thing or specific reply thing right or not. Hope so. Thanks again for offering me your help. Just thought I should clarify a couple of things though. I didn't actually ever go even a day over the past 3 years at least without any of my meds. When I had to reschedule appointments it was always only because I was running more than 10 minutes late or worst case for the next day. Mor than 10 minutes late was counted as a reschedule and would require me to pay a missed appointment fee although they would still see me - just after a patient who would have been after me if I had gotten there on time. Or sometimes they would have me come back in the afternoon or the next day if I called (which I always did) and was going to be more than 10 minutes late. On one of the 5 times, I was supposed to be coming in for an in-between regular monthly scheduled appointments due to an urgent need for trigger point injections for muscle spasms - but as the problem resolved itself over the weekend I called to say I no longer needed the injection but would be glad to come in if I should anyway and to just call me back if I should (especially as I was just next door at physical therapy). They never did call me back about that but when I was there he next time for regular monthly visit 2 weeks later, I was surprised when office manager told me I was still responsible for the missed appointment fee. At the time I tried to argue it a little with the office manager, since I had said I would be glad to come in anyway even though I no longer needed shot - but she wouldn't budge so I paid it.

Also, more than anything I would prefer a local pain clinic or local doctor who will treat my pain - especially because I really need the trigger point injections, epidural steroids and nerve block procedures they have been giving me almost
as much as the narcotics.I am just not having luck finding and/or getting into one as of yet.

My PCP is a total joke as far as helping me find any kind of help.he has never helped me find any kind of specialist. I do all the research then bring him the names addresses & phone numbers and then when he and/or his nurse get around to it (which has taken weeks to months) they get the referral done. It is soo frustrating. Probably I need a new PCP more anything else, but under
the circumstances, I just can't tackle that issue too right now though maybe I will end up having to.

[zippy2323]

Depends on where you are located. Forum members do know some Dr's in different areas of the country that are moe compassionate. Sometimes they are pain managment , Internal Med guys, the last good one I had was a surgeon who had a small private practice abnd was an ER Dr. We had long discussions over audits and regulations. His take was if they send in a DEA guy to my practice with a medical degree equal to my education and skills I'll listen otherwise he/she can get the hell oout of my office.

He was a great Dr ! Loved his attitude. Sorry I had to move further away.

[MNLady]

@Melly

It would really help us help you if you would could give us a general idea of where in the US (or world, I guess) you are located. You don't have to do what I have and list exact city and state, but even a description like "southeast US" or "West Coast" might give one of us just that small piece of information needed to be of more help to you. Not having a general idea makes me personally feel like my hands are tied in giving specific advice to you.

Another option for you, if you are really opposed to ANY descrition where you live (I can understand) and once you get to 20 posts, you can selectively send private messages to individuals you think might be able to help you.

I wish there were more I could do, but I know Steveo already sent you to a national pain clinic website and you have gone there. It seems to me you have done all the research you can really. What you really need is a personal recommendation from someone who knows the doctor and in order to do that where you live is of the utmost importance. It doesn't matter if they are the most compassionate, knowlegeable pain doctor ever if you live too far away to make regular appointments.

Best of all again to you and thanks for openly sharing about your struggles.

[Melly]

@MNLady @zippy2323 Thanks for caring enough to point out that I left out the location where I'm seeking a new doctor. Actually not even so much worried about the privacy factor right now as I'm just so addled (If that's even a word) that I forgot to include it.

Anyway, I'm in Staunton, VA - a very small town in central VA or what is often called the Shenendoah Valley which is about 45 minutes from Charlottesville (but UVA, which does have a pain clinic is already out from my own efforts) And from my experience, with Rheumatology these big "teaching hospitals" really suck in my opinion anyway. Which I would be glad to elaborate on in a different post if anyone is interested in learning more about them.

I am desperate enough at this point now by the way to consider making the hike to Richmond or the even bigger hike to Northern VA if it was a recommendation and not just me blindly choosing from the yellow pages or the like.

I do not have any friends here that can help me out with this - just the little bit of family that I'm living with right now, as I didn't even move here until I was really sick. And they aren't able to help me out any with this because they have never had any kind of pain problem and nor do they understand or feel very empathetic towards chronic pain anyway.

So thanks again very much foral of your help. Regards, Melly

[MNLady]

Melly, thanks for telling us where you live. However, I worry about it only being in this one place.

Do us all a favor. I'd send you a private message, but you do not have enough posts to receive one yet so I'll say it here. Might help someone else anyway.

Go to the top of the page. Up there you will see at the far left a place you can click that says "User CP". One of the first options you will see in the drop-down box is "Edit Your Profile". Go to that screen and scroll down until you see the area that says "Additional Information". In that area enter "Virginia" (no need for the exact town, IMO) and save the details. Then in every one of your posts along with yout post count, join date, and your "pips" your location will be right there. No one will have to ever ask again and if you choose to take it off later or modify it to something else it is easy to do!

Thanks for listening to me ramble "smiles".

Edited to say....I might not have gotten all the information exactly correct, but it is pretty close and hope it is enough. Good luck!

[zippy2323]

Darn it.......Va ....I don't have any info there. There used to be a thread on DB which I think was "compassionate Dr's" or something like that and some were listed in individual states where you could look them up. I really am sorry now that I didn't save some of those threads to pdf and stick em in file. I keep all my medical records on my computer in a file. I learned over the years I am better at keeping up with my stuff than any of these Dr's offices. Plus when I do go to a new one ..I just print it all out and bring it with me.

I'm sure someone here can help you.

ps...I have forgotten now but whoever posted the Tramadol/Soma list of "No Ship States"...Thank You ! I did print that to pdf and keep it for reference.

Best of luck...

[MNLady]

@Melly ....looks like Richmond is a about and hour and 45 minutes and Washington, DC is about 2 1/2 hours. Hope it doesn't weird you out at all that I entered both locations into Mapquest to see how far of a drive it would be for you. When I feel like I am trying to help someone I can get like a dog with a bone and I start to think about other options. "blushes a bit in slight embarassment"

My advice to you would be to search out the DC area if you think you can make the trip as often as you are going to need to.

[Melly]

@MNLady
Believe me I'm thrilled you get like a dog with a bone regarding helping someone out! And no it. Doesn't weird me out about the map quest. I am actually originally from The DC Metro / Northern VA area and would love to get back there someday. Richmond, I'm not so familiar with, but am actually considering looking into moving there (if I can't ever figure out a way to afford NoVa again)
Driving long distances is a hug obstacle for me right now. Haven't driven more than 30 to 4 minute since I first developed Rheumatoid Arthritis 5 years ago. I AM better than I was when this whole thing kicked me off my but in the first place though an was even feeling "managed" enough to start considering my options of rejoining society in the near future when I lost my pain clinic and went straight back into survival mode only.
I did, based on on of the recommendations here, just find a possible Doc in NoVa that I could have a face to face with as early as July 9th. It appears that you teleconsult for awhile after the initial f2f fr the At an outrageous cost though and of course not sure what all the can do for me yet. Definitely
keeping my feelers out for other options in the meantime too.
Thanks again, Melly

[amp12815]

What about telemedicine?

[Melly]

@amp12815 Thanks for telemedicine suggestion. The only one i've looked into so far is Eclinicmd. Do you or anyone else have any experience with them? Or do you know of any others I could also look into for comparison purposes?
Regards, Melly

[amp12815]

I saw a place on here that allowed cam2cam doctors visits, fullfilling the DEA's requirements for the issuance of scheduled meds. I can't remeber off the top of my head but it was on here and required all records to be faxed in.. Not sure on pricing or insurance, but from what I understand they might be able to help you...

[shaffekm]

I've posted this link before in a different thread, but will repost as I believe it may help in your situation. I've found much help and a good doctor through National Pain Foundation. For your described situation, I did a search in Virginia and received 21 results. Try contacting a few of the practices and explain your situation. I do believe you'll be able to find a doctor to help you.