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Q80: I am 100% service connected veteran, I have had 7 back surgeries, recently I had an very severe episode of back pain, now understand, I have been taking lortab, which is an opioid medication, I am certainly not a fan of any type of pain medication, however, I have taken about everything you can think of to try and deal with the pain but nothing seems to work other than the lortab. This is my dilemma, I woke from sleep in so much pain and could not walk, talk or anything else, I literally could not move. My wife called an ambulance to take me to the emergency room, on the way to the hospital the EMT gave me 2 pain shots, after I reached the emergency room the Doctor gave me a stronger medication. I was in the emergency room all day, I told my wife to make sure she told the hospital staff that I was a totally disabled veteran and they must contact the VA and inform them of my situation, they ensured my wife that they would take care of it, at this time we were trying to deal with my pain.
They performed a CT scan and could not detect my problem, the doctor said that he could have me admitted to the hospital and continue medication through an IV or he could write me a prescription stronger than my .05mg lortab, and I could go home and do nothing but bed rest, at this point the medication was working and my pain was less severe we choose to go home and my wife went to the drug store and had my prescriptions filled, I was in bed the rest of the week completely incapacitated and finally after about 5 days I called my VA doctor and informed him of my situation, I told him that my wife had the prescriptions filled, he then said that because she had the prescriptions filled outside the VA that he could not approve any more refills for my lortab. I tried my best to explain my situation to him but he said there is nothing he could do. He then informed me that he could give me a lesser pain medication. I certainly realize the problems associated with opioids, however, as I tried to explain to him that I had tried everything and nothing would help my chronic back pain, he said that he was sorry but that was all he would do for me. This entire ordeal has been very embarrassing for me and my family, I feel as though they are treating me as though I am a drug addict. I filed an appeal with the pain management board but who knows how long that will take, in the meantime I am out of medication and I probably will have to go back to the hospital just to be treated. I need some serious advice at this point. I feel that I am being treated very unfairly, I’m still in pain and don’t know what else to do. Help please!
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A1: DMSO look it up.It is used on horses. Throw away dope. Buy it at tractor supply. Not fda aproved. Try a spot on your arm after you cut it with distilled water. It will tingle. If no reaction use it on clean skin it will enhance healing faster than anything you have used. Throw away the dope dope gives you pain. DMSo is great. Natural. Comming down from a opioid is no fun. (HG) 7/11/18
A2: One of your problems is that you chose to go outside of the VA system for help. The VA has no obligation to fill any prescriptions written outside. Because of the nationwide uproar over opioids, the VA has tightened the screws on doctors that prescribe this medicine. They are trying to use non-addictive medicines that don't work for most people. Your options are to suffer in silence or continue to pay for the medicine yourself. (AP) 7/12/18