CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT
ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT PRIOR TO CONTACTING OUR OFFICE:
Faxed records of the following:
1. Letter from a Licensed Physician who most recently treated you with CLASS II or any of the FIVE Scheduled Classes of medication for long-term management of pain, specifically stating that he/she will NOT prescribe Class II or any other SCHEDULED medication to you as a patient for Chronic Pain Therapy hereafter.
2. RECENT Pharmaceutical Records for the Patient over a three (3) month-period
3. Imaging Studies or other Diagnostic Studies that would support the use of Class II medication for Long Term Therapy
4. Permanent Resident of Georgia within 100 miles of Atlanta Metropolis.
Patients may be misinformed with regards to safe chronic pain management. We would like to provide helpful guidelines to those patients who may have been treated through high risk management. High Risk Pain Management includes those patients who are being treated or have been treated with more than 200 mg of morphine/opiate equivalent-dosage per day, and combination therapy including long-acting opiates, morphine, methadone, oxycontin, dilaudid, benzodiazepines (valium, Xanax, Klonopin), barbiturates, soma, sleep aid (ambien), etc. High Risk Pain Management also includes patients younger than thirty (30) years of age, as well as those with a history of multiple doctors prescribing pain medications to them, around-the-clock opiate use, and narcotic-abuse.
WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING PRIOR TO CONTACTING OUR OFFICE:
1. HIGH-RISK Patients may need appropriate detoxification with appropriate withdrawal protocol under the care of an addictionologist or board certified MD-Psychiatrist prior to contacting our office for continuing ongoing chronic opiate therapy (COT).
2. ALL Patients, including those who are younger than thirty (30) years of age, should consider other alternatives for NON-opiate pain management including surgery, or anesthetic- injectables (under the care of a board-certified anesthesiologist); We recommend such NON-opiate therapy as: Topical Analgesics (Brand Names, OVER THE COUNTER: STOP PAIN, ICY HOT, etc); NON-steroidal ANTI-INFLAMMATORY Medications such as Advil/Motrin/Ibuprofen; Naprosyn (ALEVE), etc.; Or Trigger Point Injections which include a combination INTRAMUSCULAR injectable of steroid/lidocaine/marcaine
3. Patients should always demand an open DIRECT-dialogue between each physician who previously or currently provides short term or long term pain management to them, as well as pharmaceutical records, and keep records of such oral and/or written communications.
4. Patients who relocate residence from one State to another should have their previous physician who provided pain management to them in their former State of residence to directly contact the physician (Dr. Gates) who will accept the transfer for continual care.
WARNING TO PATIENTS:
1. Acute, short-term pain SHOULD NOT be treated with Long-term, high-dose opiate therapy
2. Arm, leg, hand, foot, and shoulder pain, are often related to Inflamed Joint/Soft tissue or Arthritis, and SHOULD NOT be treated with Long-term, high dose-opiate therapy
3. Fibromyalgia, and/or chronic diseases causing nerve-related pain, ie. diabetes, HIV, etc, SHOULD NOT be treated with Long-term, high dose-opiate therapy
4. CERTAIN SLEEP/ANXIETY/MUSCLE RELAXANT medications, i.e. Ambien, Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Soma, etc, in combination with Chronic Opiate Use, SHOULD BE AVOIDED ALL-TOGETHER, OR AT LEAST MANAGED JOINTLY (direct communication between providers) under the medical-care of a board-certified psychiatrist, prior to use.
REMEMBER: ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED FROM MY CLINIC OR ANY OTHER PAIN CLINIC DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT ADDICTION, IT IS NOW RECOMMENDED FOR THOSE PATIENTS TO GO THROUGH WITHDRAWAL PROTOCOL AND DETOX UNDER PSYCHIATRIC CARE, AS WELL AS CONSIDER METHADONE OR SUBOXONE (THE PREFERED ROUTE BY THIS PRACTITIONER) FOR ONE YEAR, WHILE YOU CONSIDER A LIFETIME OF ABSTENENCE FROM NARCOTIC DUE TO INHERENT NATURE OF ABUSE AND ADDICTION. YOUR PAIN AT THAT POINT CAN ONLY BE TREATED SAFELY THROUGH OTHER NON-NARCOTIC ALTERNATIVES.
At Medical Diagnostic Choices, we remain committed to keeping our patients informed for better quality and Safe Medical Care.
