Re: I need help finding information to present in court

Top posted.


I just want to weigh in with a few comments here.

1) Everytime I get a new script filled at my pharmacy, I receive a printout
of a patient use guide. My pharmacy is an independent mom&pop one
affiliated with Good Neighbor. These guides are more than what's in those
patient leaflets that you get. They clearly detail side-effects.

2) Based on a study done with cancer patients, which I presented to my PCP;
I take Aricept to improve my cognitive function and lift the fog I get from
the opiates. It has worked well, and isn't restricted like Provigil is. One
of the common side effects of Aricept is drooling, excessive saliva. Dry
mouth is definitely not one of my problems. :-) And when I took Cymbalta, I
was really oversalivating, drenching my pillow at night. Apparently,
Cymbalta can cause increased saliva too. A lot of doctors don't know about
Aricept and opiates, but it should be something they prescribe; it increases
alertness and cognitive function, as they found in the cancer patients in
the study, and it reverses the dry mouth issue.


oldgoat wrote:
Dear LC,

It's great that your doc mentioned tooth decay as a side effect, but
your case is an anomaly. Hind sight is always 20/20 and if I knew
then what I know now (it may seem like I have been here forever and
have always known this stuff, but that's not the case. ) I would have
had my teeth steam cleaned and made damn sure there was always
chewing gum or something to get the saliva flowing. All the warnings
and the little bit of education I got on narcotics from my first pain
doctors had absolutely nothing to say about damage to teeth. They
made damn sure I knew I would be screened for compliance at any
moment and used the same pharmacy all the time, however. And that if
needed someone to testify to my tolerance to these drugs for some
reason, not to bother them with it. Doctors should not just be there
to write prescriptions. Their job should also include patient
education and preventive care. When it comes to those, I'm afraid, as
you implied, we're all on our own. Another example of what a shitty
job they do in patient education is narcotic induced constipation.
You know yourself how many people come in here to get educated on the
subject. That sure as hell belongs in a document of implied consent.
It should be one of the first and most explicit side effect warnings.
Just because Dr Work is sharp and has his act together doesn't mean
he's typical of most pain specialists. It seems one hell of a lot
more common for them to try to paint patients as addicts, give them
the epidural runaround and if they haven't sent you packing by then,
they'll begin to prescribe pain medication at a pace that is adequate
only to drive up tolerance without effective analgesia. Believe me, I
wish they were all Dr Work, but the sad fact is that
he's the exception not the rule and it's just getting worse, not
better. If they all did what they should we wouldn't be here. Okay,
maybe we would, but we'd be talking about something else. I don't
think a case against a doctor like this would ever succeed, simply
because there is no way to prove conclusively that a claimant's
dental hygiene is up to what they claim. I've seen a lot of people
with nasty mouths. I'd rather French kiss the dog than have some of
them breathe in my direction. But I digress. I think a warning about
side effects of a drug, whatever it is, is far more important than
preemptive threats about being kicked to the curb for picking up a
prescription a few days early.
Have a painless evening--og
(don't be such a stranger)



"Loose Cannon" <lambchop.lc@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:h4t2uo$eem$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"oldgoat" <oldgoatmail@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:h4t1bl$qkr$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dear Cane,

Wow, this is wild... I just did a search on Yoohoo and came up with
this webpage:
http://www.cofad1.state.az.us/memod/IC/IC070096.pdf

It's just about exactly what you're looking at trying.
Unfortunately the outcome wasn't successful, but there is no
denying that there is a connection between narcotics and tooth
decay.

A connection I was made aware of early on in my life of cp.

There's been quite a few
people in here over the years with tooth issues.

Myself included.

The dry mouth and tooth
decay are listed in the prescriber's info for most narcotics.

Exactly. Something I knew of before my doc told me.

I hate to say
this, their jobs are tough enough in this atmosphere of
narcophobia, but this problem should lay at the feet of the doctor.

And I disagree heartily! What about a little PERSONAL
responsibility? It's not like it was 20 yrs ago....the entire of the
PDR is available online now! You can go to one of many websites to
learn about the downside of our meds without being a doctor or
putting out a penny. If someone can stir up enough to post the
questions, why cant they stir up enough gumption to research their
meds before and during their use? They go to great effort
with their "implied consent" aka a narcotics contract to beat in to
the patient all kinds of warnings and hoops (compliance urine
screens, DWI absolution among my favorites) for you to jump
through, but you never hear a word about your teeth rotting out of
your head.

Maybe not YOUR doctor, but mine did!

It's bad enough that you
walk around with your teeth always clinched from the pain but to
have to worry about them cracking and breaking is just over the
top. It would have been nice to know about before they were gone.
Mailing your teeth in to the dentists office for work is a
convenience I would have been happy to live without.

OK, here's a question....suppose the doc told you in advance that
the dry mouth would cause serious tooth problems. Would you have
refused the pain meds and protected your teeth?

How many here wouldve done that? Who wouldve refused the pain meds &
suffered, just to protect their teeth?

There was a woman a few yrs ago posting about suing over Actiq
rotting her teeth. Wow, putting a sugary sucker into your mouth
several times a day causes tooth decay????? Gee, didn't we all grow
up hearing about that side effect? If she ever found a lawyer, she
surely hasnt succeeded or she wouldve posted about it by now, or so
I'd guess. Im an Actiq user and have dealt with some terrible
issues as a result. But it's always been a balancing act, and
choosing to suffer with awful pain vs. dealing with tooth decay? I'm
always going to get help with the chronic pain first and I
certainly wouldnt DREAM of holding a doc responsible for not
informing someone in writing that they could lose their teeth. Hell, they
could also end up with prolapsed rectums from these meds
as well as a whole host of other stuff that isn't pretty. They
don't make those forms long enough to cover it all. So thats where
it's OUR responsibility to learn about all those meds we are putting
in our body since we live in an age of instant information from
home! If we keep dumping this stuff on our doctors, there won't be any
of
them left to take care of us any more! They'll all bail like Doc
Work and so many others have.




Best of luck my friend--og






"Cane" <notavailable@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4Okcm.38672$8l4.6282@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am going to a hearing with the Industrial Commission where the
insurance company is refusing to pay for dental work caused by the
use of opiate medications for at least 8 years.



For background, below is a letter I received from my family
dentist. I have had the privilege to provide dental care to Mr. John
Doe
since September 1985. When John was first examined his teeth were
in good condition with an average number of dental restorations
for his age. John continued to see us over the years and never had
any severe dental problems with the exception of the occasional
filling that wore out. In late 2002, things began to change and I began
seeing a dramatic
increase in Johns rate and severity of dental caries. Throughout
2005 and 2006 John was seen several times with extensive decay
issues involving multiple teeth. These caries issues involved most
all of his posterior teeth. His homecare had not changed, and it
was difficult to determine the cause of this dramatic increase in
problems. There is a strong possibility that the increase in caries was
due
to strong narcotic pain relievers John had to take. Often I have
seen patients on similar therapies experience an increase in
dental caries, primarily due to xerostomia associated with the
narcotic medications. The words 'xerostomia' means 'dry mouth' and
"dental caries' is
'dental decay'.



I was injured in June 2000, I had not taken any regular pain
medication (other than the very occasional Darvocet) until a year
after the injury in June 2001. At that time I was only taking
Oxycontin 20mg 2X/day. What I am need of, from friend in here, to
present in the court
hearing. Any reports that you know of that shows

Opiate use causes dry mouth or dental complications/decay

Dry mouth/xerostomia causes dental complications/decay



So far I have paid out of pocket over $17,000 for the initial work
needed from this. The opposing attorney states that I am not
eligible for reimbursement for this work.



I am in need of more dental restoration that is estimated at
$15,000 +. This is what I am trying to get the insurance carrier
to pay for. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I
am
asking you for help, because this group surely knows more than any
attorney out there and most doctors.



Thanks in advance



Cane

--
Carol
Contessa of Consternation
Known to leave foes discombobulated

Autistic Spectrum Code v.1.0
AS? d- s--:+ a+ c+ p+ t-- f S+ p@- e+ h- r- n+(-) i+ P m-() M


http://www32.brinkster.com/ascdecode/
"I have run rings around you logically". Monty Python


Email at clay_pots_47@xxxxxxxxxx, removing the 'nospam' and replacing
with 'msn'.



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Groping in the darkness
    ... An informal final deal between the patient and their carer.. ... Post Shipman it has stopped, the doctors being too exposed to best ... The relief of pain is another ... a doctor accelerates the death of his patient. ...
    (uk.politics.misc)
  • Re: First, do no assuming
    ... A doctor in this country interrupts a patient, on average, in ... wrong," says Groopman, who got four diagnoses from six surgeons. ... She endured excruciating pain and was down to 85 pounds. ... done to address a more profound issue: how doctors think. ...
    (sci.med.nutrition)
  • Re: I need help finding information to present in court
    ... I would have had my teeth steam ... Doctors should not just be there ... has his act together doesn't mean he's typical of most pain specialists. ... I have had the privilege to provide dental care to Mr. John Doe since ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)
  • Re: Latest to go into Wa. Law!
    ... but what is their practical experience with the treatment of ... How many of these so called pain specialists ... A cancer patient will die. ... not a doctors reading from a 50 year old textbook. ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)
  • Re: I need help finding information to present in court
    ... All the warnings and the little bit of education I got on narcotics from my first pain doctors had absolutely nothing to say about damage to teeth. ... but there is no denying that there is a connection between narcotics and tooth decay. ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)