diabetes Pain Clinic

[sbrewer]

Hi,

My husband suffers from diabetes with neuropathy among other things.

He contacted the Pain clinic in Tampa, and was referred by his primary care, however the ball has been thrown back in the primary care's lap, due to one of the requirements for the pain clinic is excercise, he would have to be cleared with cardiologist which he would fail due to severe cornary artery disease. Question...does anyone know of a VA facility or perhaps an outside facility that specializes in neuropathy? We've read a little about John Hopkins. Has anyone had any experience with them? He is in severe pain most of teh time.

Thank you,

sbrewer

[john999]

Sbrewer

You are talking about the in-patient pain clinic. If you just want opiates you sign a contract with the VA saying you won't be flying back and forth to Columbia making drug buys. If you read the St. Pete Times today they had a massive article about those who abuse drugs via the prescription mode. This will scare the daylights out of the local pain management doctors. All these jokers want to do is do procedures anyway. I forsee a major clamp down on any doctor who will prescribe opiates in my part of Florida.

[donews]

My Va PCP had no problem giving me opiates as long as I signed a contract saying I wouldn't go get other opiates from other docs at the same time.

I kept asking him to refer me to the pain clinic, but he said he could do the same for me as they could once I signed the contract.

I take Gabapentin for the Neuropathy pain.

I was taking the opiates for the other pains.

[betrayed]

Hi John,

We are in SC and I believe we would have to pay for our own way there and such. The program also requires an 18 day stay in the hospital. He is 100% PTIU.

Sbrewer

Your in South Carolina? If I read that correct why would you go all the way to tampa? Every VA Hospital should have a pain clinic I would think?

[john999]

To do the in-patient pain clinic in Tampa you have to be off all your narcotics first. I stopped right there since I know that I would need to detox first. I am not going cold turkey at the VA. I have done that before in the mental ward. It was like being in jail. I had to get my wife to come down with the POA and get me out fast.