DEA proposes to make Vicodin, etc. schedule II narcotic

I know since moving to Georgia two years ago you cannot be prescribed vicodin or any other pain reliever without going to a pain management center. My primary physician cant prescribe it .How stupid is it that you have to go to your primary doctor to be referred to a pain doctor to finally recieve a prescription. There are too many controls on to many things now days.

That is truly ridiculous!

My ortho surgeon (knee replacement) has now stopped prescribing pain meds to take prior to physical therapy sessions (and then complains when we cancel PT sessions (when we are already having a bad day pain-wise) because we don't want to endure hours of pain afterward)!  Stupid.

Is pain management a option for you kelly? I also have a herniated disc in my back and bad sciatica. My pcp refused to give me anymore than 1 month worth of roxicodone to get me by and then referred me to pain management. I saw them and got a spinal injection that did not work, after that was offered tramadol which doesn't work for me... then a few scripts of vicodin 5/325 which also barely touched the pain. Now i am on percocet 10/325 2x per day. Been on that since October, and as much as i am still in pain i don't want to ask for more. I don't want to become addicted and so reliant upon pain meds. Not to mention oxycodone is extremely addicting medication and it has caused me severe constipation issues. Be careful.

to MZLaura's post:  yes, Percocet is highly addictive.  I went to my pharmacist after wondering why my pain management doc hated this drug so much, even tho he prescribed it for me.  I found out that the very symptoms that would make me feel were my pain that the meds treated, were actually the addiction withdrawal symptoms!  Once you are on Percocet for a couple of weeks you are already addicted, per the pharmacist.  I was on it for 3 years and at that time, taking 6 per day.

My pain mgmt. doc was so pleased when I told him I got off of it with relatively no bad withdrawal symptons except the chills. But I have to say, Tramadol barely touches my pain even with the Flexeril and there are times I really wish I was still on the Percocet!  Especially what I don't like is that when I get up in the morning and take my meds, I fall back to sleep for 1 1/2 hours, religiously, every morning.  So I am already behind schedule before I get going.