Nobody's Fault But Mine

[john999]

The VA says it is nobody's fault but mine that I have become dependent on opiates after the VA prescribed them for me for 9 years. Suddenly, they have discovered that I have sleep apnea. When I say suddenly I mean about five years ago. Now they tell me the narcotics they have been prescribing for me all these years are a risk to my health.....duh. The pain doctor prescribes methadone and oxycodone. The VA shrink prescribes clonazepam. The sleep doctor says all these drugs are bad for me and my apnea. It is nobody's fault but mine. The say my problem is opiate dependence. I must have gotten the drugs on the street I guess even if the VA prescribed them for me for many years. If they caused the dependence I wonder if I can sue them for causing me harm? The care I get from the VA is so poor and uncoordinated I might as well just try and find a private pain doctor, private sleep doctor, and private psychiatrist. Maybe those doctors could agree on a treatment plan. It cost my private insurance $25,000 for the Inspire Upper Airway System implants for my sleep apnea. The VA sent me home with one of those overnight devices that measure your oxygen saturation and your apneas etc. I had 20 apneas an hour as opposed to 50 an hour before the Inspire implants. The CPAP failed me entirely and the VA had no answer. They only criticize me for following their medical treatment plan and accuse me of being a drug addict. I have never had a dirty drug screen. The VA is responsible for my health care and I want them to do their job. However, I see that they are incapable.

John

[Chuck75]

It may be 1151 time!

Anyway, see if the outside doctor is willing to opinion in writing that the VA treatment is causing you harm, and is inappropriate.

Basically, not a few of the drugs can adversely impact sleep apnea.

"Along with clonazepam's benefits, it may rarely cause abnormal drug-seeking behavior (addiction)"

Since the CPAP didn't work, what about a BPAP?

Edited May 23, 2015 by Chuck75

[broncovet]

Sometimes, its better to fix the problem, and not worry about fixing the blame. Regardless of who/what caused the problem, you want to fix the problem, because you own it. Mostly, I dont worry about what VA says. The VA is ran so poorly, that the "teenager" method seems to work for most Veteran's since The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. So, if employee "A" says "NO", chances are good employee "B" will say yes.

[john999]

I get 90% of my care from private doctors anyway. I use the VA mainly for pills and now I see this is becoming a pain in the azz. Just to remind you out there the VA medical code for drug addiction/abuse is the same as for opiate use under a contract with pain management. Yes, am sure if I just continue to beat on doors I will get doctor A to disagree with doctor B and their opinions will cancel out each other and it will be back to the status quo. I just get sick of VA blaming me for their mistakes and their treatment plans which I follow to the letter.

John